Of Syrin's Creation
by Suqlaheru

In the beginning, there was Darkness. From Darkness was born Rhian, the Mother of All. She birthed first the stars, the fires of the night. She made the Sun, the fire of the day. But ever in her hair was the essence of her Father, Darkness.

Gazing upon the Void, filled with stars and sun, the Mother yearned for companionship. Thus She took a strand of Her shadowy hair and made from it a weaving of power. From this tapestry emerged Tyrin, Her firstborn Son.

The Firstborn learned all He could from His Mother, including the ability to create. He made first the Moon, to brighten the night and further banish the Darkness that was His grandsire. Then He made the Earth, and water, and air, and fire, and all things that descend from these elements.

Much pleased with His creation, the Mother suggested He bring forth living beings to populate His world, and he did. All manner of bird and fish and lizard did he create. Seeing this, the Mother saw there was need of an animal to have dominion over all the others. She sculpted from earth and Her own hair, that which contained the essence of Her Father, two figures that during the night came to life. These were Moran and Yana, the First Mortals, and great-grandchildren of the Dark.

After the manner of animals, all the creatures of the earth were fruitful and multiplied. Moran and Yana too created more of their kind. Their firstborn was named K'yesh. The couple were blessed with several more children, and in due time the world came to be full of creatures. Rhian the Mother was troubled, for it seemed Her Son's creation would be overwhelmed by its denizens. Troubled, she went into the sky and consulted through dreams with the Darkness.

Darkness' answer was the vision of a being like unto Tyrin, yet different. Dark of skin and hair where the Firstborn was light and fair, He seemed closer to His grandsire than either Mother or Son had been. Once again Rhian wove her own hair into a tapestry of power, and once again a being emerged from Her work. That being was the Son of Darkness, Secondborn of Rhian, Syrin.

From the start, Syrin needed no instruction, understanding all that Rhian knew of creation and crafting. He understood the role of Tyrin and His creation of the earth, and saw what was needed. He saw the children of Moran and Yana and knew they were destined to have dominion over the earth. One by one, He took the children aside and gave them gifts according to their worth.

From one people Syrin made many by enhancing the strengths of the Children one by one. K'yesh became the Father of Sylvans, with pointed ears and keen sight. Moiran, the secondborn, sired the line of the Avariel. Oggrish was the first Ogre, gifted with great strength and endurance but twisted in visage. Derrola was stunted from birth, and was given wisdom and great skill with working stones, and so became Father of Dwarves. To Kry'shalla the Swimmer He gave webbed feet and gills like a fish, giving rise to Merfolk. Onkhar the Stout was made nimble and strong, yet weak of mind, first of the race of Orcs.

To all the children of Moran and Yana gifts were given, yet for Kiyanne, youngest of their brood, was the greatest gift of all reserved. To Kiyanne was not changed in body, but in mind. His thought turned to jealousy and hate of his siblings. When K'yesh came to taunt Kiyanne for not receiving a gift, Kiyanne was consumed with a cold rage. He took up a rock and, smiling at his brother, slammed the rock into his head.

Then Syrin's gift to Kiyanne was fulfilled, and Death first came to the children of Moran and Yana, beloved of Tyrin. The Firstborn was filled with great wrath, and cursed Kiyanne so that he might never regain the gift he had given. But for the rest of the world, the bitter gift of Death was made free.

And so Syrin's Gift preserves the world from the ravages of too many creatures, for when we grow old or are injured we die. When lions feed, they do not eat the living gazelle, still screaming in agony. They consume its shell, while its spirit passes back into the Darkness from whence we all came. Plants, animals, thinking beings, all pass eventually to the Dark.