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The Morica - Prologue: The dawn of time.

Before there was light, before there was time, before life existed, and all the knowledge and emotion that comes with it made, the plane of this world was nought, and there were no stars. All was black, the world unformed, uncreated, unmade.

And then in the infinite darkness of the Abyss, there came into being five sparks of creation, five beings of infinite power, of infinite knowledge, beyond the reach of time, immortal and incomprehensible.

Darion, The Guardian, The Dawnbringer, the Keeper of Stars. He brings and provides light, that all may see and live.

Skal, The Hunter, Nature's Champion, The Grower of Trees and Sower of seeds. He creates and provides nourishment, that all may receive and live

Harkan, The Reaper, Death Incarnate, The Father of Ends. He brings an end to all, so that those that pass may enter the Other, and began life anew.

Drekmor, The Thief, The Father of Tricks, The Vanguard of the Mind. He brings knowledge and intelligence to all, that they may build, and live.

Leandra, The Woman of the Seas, The Sailor, Mistress of the Depths. She brings oceans, that the people may sail with the tide, discover new lands, and live.

And so the Five came together, and they found that the World was empty and unformed, and they resolved to breathe life into it, to transform the darkness and allow creation, to bring forth existence and let it find its way.

And so they began. Darion brought forth light from his body, and created the sun and the stars, and struck the first spark that became a flame.

And Harkan said, Let us create land, that the living may walk over it, and the dead be buried beneath it. And so he moulded the face of the World, and with his hands he made plains and mountains, valleys and caves and mighty volcanoes.

And Leandra said, let us fill in the holes in the land with water, that all may seek refreshment, and may explore and go with the wind. And so she filled the oceans and the seas, and brought about the winds and the tides.

And the world was formed, and yet, it was not complete. There were no living things, and the lands were empty and barren.

And Skal said, Let me create the first of nature, the living breathing creatures that shall inhabit the land and make it whole. And so he created the first beasts, and spread them all over the world, that they might survive and prosper. And he created the grass that nourished them, the trees that gave them shelter, and the fish that filled the oceans.

And Drekmor said, Let me create a being superior to all others, a guardian of the beasts and protector of the wilds, that they might ensure that this land grows strong and rich. And so he moulded the first humans, and gave them intelligence beyond all other, that they might advance, and take care of the world in their stead.

And at the end of it all, the World was complete, teeming with life of every variety, with all living side by side, happy and content. The beasts travelled in their packs, and they fought and grazed and brought forth more life. The humans built their cities, and they roamed and explored, with their ships they traversed the oceans, and with their roads they went to the ends of the earth. And at the end, they all passed, and Harkan guided them over to the Other, to await their return. And it was good.

The Ages came and passed, and the race of Men grew advanced and strong. They learned to forge metal and build walls, to make machines and mix chemicals, to create stories and study the stars. And they became ever more powerful, and took the lands of the Beasts, expanding outwards as they grew. And with such power comes pride, and Men saw it as their right to rule over all the lesser beings, to take their lands and kill with impunity. They forgot their duty as guardians, and instead became the takers. And they waged a war with the race of Beasts, and with their steel swords and wooden shields, with their poisons and their terrible machines of war, they drove the beasts back, until they had no place to go, and many died on both sides. And so the beasts cried out to the Five, exhorting them to stop their robbery, to cease the greed of Men, and to reclaim what was rightfully theirs. And for many days and nights they cried out to the heavens, and the gods heard their call.

Drekmor saw the folly of his creation, that a superior being would never be content with what it had, that with all living things, power corrupts. And so he conspired with Skal, and together they created a new race, the race of the Beastfolk, a union of Men and Beast, such that the two would never wage war again. Drekmor bestowed the gift of intelligence to them, the gift of speech, of rational thought, of emotion. And Skal bestowed the gift of the attributes of animals, and gave them the same appearance of both Men and Beast, with the strength of every species, from the agility of the fox, to the speed of the cheetah, to the strength of the lion and the companionship of the wolves. And then they sent them down to the World, to make peace, and to ensure that such a thing could never happen again.

When Men saw the first of the Beastfolk, they knew that the gods had made them equal, that no species was superior, and that the gods had taken away their dominance over the World as punishment for their crimes. And they cursed and wept, and blasphemed against the gods for their cruelty. They forsook the Five, and instead turned back to their knowledge, their wisdom, their power of logic and reasoning, and such became their gods. And peace was once again on the World for many Ages.

And then the Age of Redemption passed, and at the turn of the year, the Emperor of Men was murdered by an unknown assassin. As the laws dictate, the Emperor had no heirs, and thus the throne passed to the killer himself. The assassin was a mysterious being. He had not been crowned, and yet he ruled. He sealed himself behind the walls of the Grand Palace, and let no one in or out except several trusted associates. None ever saw his face, and those that tried were punished beyond any hope for mercy. He ruled with an iron fist, and sought to claim what he saw as the birthright of the race of Men. The cities of humans had been building their strength for thousands of years, and they were advanced in their knowledge, and had many powerful and great machines. And exactly ten years to the day he first sat on the throne, he sent his armies forward to retake what had been denied them so long ago.

The Beasts and Beastfolk had grown decadent during the years of peace, trusting in the Five to protect them. When the armies of Men landed on their shores, they were caught off guard and driven back. They resisted valiantly, but the power of the legions could not be stopped, and like a tidal wave they washed over the land of the Beasts. The Emperor ordered ancient ruins to be searched, storehouses of knowledge and strength, and the secrets within brought back to him. From them he gained immense power, learning many magics, secrets never meant to be held in mortal hands, powers so foul and dark that they were locked away. From them he gained knowlege beyond any ever seen, and they gave him an unnatural long life, and even gave him the power to defy the gods themselves. But all this came at a terrible cost. It consumed him, drove him mad, until it was said he was no longer a being of flesh and blood. The world was his, the Beasts and Beastfolk conquered and trodden, and with his cruel hand he ruled over them all, and caused much pain to the living creatures, human, Beast, or both. And the gods saw what they had done, and turned their faces away from their creation. All but Skal, who yet saw hope in this world.

And so Skal created his final gift for the living, a being with the body of a mortal but the spirit of Skal within, the Avatar of the Hunter. He was known as the Morica, a fabled hero who would rise when all seemed lost, who would gather all the living beings of the earth united against the tyranny of the Emperor. And he would be the one to cast him down, to slay the Thing, to bring peace and prosperity. And with this creation, he bequeathed it onto his chosen, a young man of the Beastfolk, who would one day discover his destiny.

Until then, the living await the day where he will make himself known, for the Morica himself does not know his purpose yet. But when he does, he will give the greatest gift any being can give to another, something that cannot die, something that will kindle in the hearts of the living.

Hope.