In the beginning, there were the twin goddesses, Aira and Nia. Nia, Goddess of Land, Culture, and Intellect, created the world of Niria. She used her mighty power to bring forth existence from the primordial ooze, sculpting land and sea until her vision of a perfect world was complete.
Aira, Goddess of Life, Love, and Passion, populated the land her sister made, creating all manner of flora and fauna. Each creation, from the smallest of grasses to the largest of titans received her loving attention, but none received more than her beloved humans, made in the image of her and her sister.
Nia uplifted the once simple species, granting them sapience and teaching them how to live in the wondrous world the goddesses had created, while Aira taught the people morality and how to love. And for a thousand years the twin goddesses walked amongst the people of Niria, spreading their teachings and showering love upon all fortunate enough to encounter them.
But, on the thousandth anniversary of the creation of the world, they declared that their teachings had finished. No longer were humans the simple people they once were; they had spread across the face of the planet, populating it with beautiful cities and picturesque villages, life and love abounding
And, with humans thriving such, the goddesses had decided to let their children stand on their own, as all parents eventually did. They held one last grand festival before returning to the heavens, assuring their people that they would watch over them, looking upon their growth with pride.
And for a time, all was well. In their infinite wisdom, the goddesses had taught the people well, and the people remembered their teachings. And then…something changed. Blinded by greed, Heretic Empress Maia attacked her neighbors, and war erupted on Niria for the first time.
The teachings of the goddesses dwindled in importance in the minds of the people, and for the next century chaos reigned. And then, on the hundredth anniversary of the war, the goddesses had had enough. They sent to the people monsters, in hopes that a common enemy would remind humans that they should not fight one another, but instead cooperate.
At first, people assumed these monsters were some form of attack from other nations, and nothing changed. Then, the monstrous maidens appeared. These beings, strange yet beautiful combinations of human and beast, declared themselves the envoys of the goddesses, sent to punish the people for their transgressions. They led the monsters on a crusade against people, making it clear that only with their death would peace be restored.
After the first nation fell, the conflicts amongst the human ceased, and they united against the monsters. Eventually, they pushed the monsters back, and the monstrous maidens were slain and returned to the goddesses. The remaining monsters were scattered to the winds, left as a reminder to the people of what would happen should war come again.
And yet, the Heretic Empress refused to be forgotten. Her spirit, refused by the goddesses, wandered the lands, tempting people to sin, start conflict, and even to denounce the goddesses themselves. We must remember to keep the goddesses in our heart, lest the Heretic Empress’s fell influence leads us to repeat the mistakes of our past.
- The Book of Niria, Introduction.