THIS IS IN REGARDS TO THE WORLD of DIRA

From the book The Human Way written by Bermal (also called Semzenos)

Various human tribes have their own creation myths. This one seems to be the most popular among the humans living in midcontinent, even in areas where there are no magics. When nonhuman species study humans in an academic approach, this is the story considered to be foundational in understanding the human way of thinking. This is likely because of the great Hesberian Empire that controlled most of the known continents before the discovery of the first magic. Traces of the Hesberian Empire are seen in most human lands through the existence of ancient temples dedicated to Luma, though few of these are in use.

The story is also striking for how humans attribute certain emotions and motives to the gods. Amongst all the species in the world, only the human stories (and this one in particular) imply any knowledge of gods’ motives and thoughts. Perhaps it is why humans seem to work so hard to become divine, or at least to conquer it. Other legends from human lands tell of outsmarting and evening defeating deities, but those are stories outside the scope of this one.

Various humans cultures end the story at different stages, This narrative will end the creation story at the point where higher plant life on Earth is created. I chose this because this is the point where the most divergence occurs in human religion. Some versions go through the creation of a few sentient species, some only cover the creation of humans, still others have the gods compete over the creation of humans with the ‘failures’ pawned off as inferior versions of the perfect human. These differences seem to be determined on a paticular human tribe’s view of the world, especially their view of other species.

The Beginning
At the beginning of all things, there was only darkness. Into this darkness, appeared a force that sought to shape the darkness. We call this force Luma. Luma dotted the vast darkness with pieces of itself to add light to the darkness. We call these pieces of Luma’s essence stars. In order to bring light into the whole of the universe, Luma set the stars to move and sent them on their journey across the sky.

Stars and Planets
As the stars journeyed, they brought warmth to the vast seas of dust adrift in the darkness. Some of the dust was consumed in Luma’s fire. Some of the dust has yet to see the essence of Luma through the stars. Yet in some places where stars came close, they formed the dust into solid rock. These rocks stood in the sapce between fire and ice, consmption and emptiness
so that plants could grow. Through the working of Luma’s light, these rocks became covered in green fields of light and life.

The Heavens
After Luma spread itself across the sky, it journeyed outside the darkness in order to contain it. Reaching around the darkness, Luma contained it in a circle. Thus we know that beyond the sky are lands of light and life. We call these the Outer Heavens.

As Luma moved throughout the Outer Heavens, shapes taking the appearance of stars began to form. However, not being surrounded by dust or darkness, these shapes evolved into other forms. These forms also sought to create and give shape even as they shaped themselves. Bathed in the light of creation, the ones known as Gods created themselves from the essence of Luma and set themselves in areas of the Outer Heavens.

Life of the Gods
In those days, the Gods spent their time creating the Outer Heavens and sharing with other. Competitions arose as each tried to outdo the other in creating beauty in the Outer Heavens. Not all the gods participated in the games, though, and jealousy arose between some of the gods. During one competition, Peles, decided that he would have his own competition, but not in the Outer Heavens like the others. He wanted to create in the Lower Heavens. Peles chose the Lower Heavens because he believed it would limit the powers of some.

Creation on Earth
Looking around the life-covered rocks in the Lower Heavens, Peles chose one and began creating there. Looking at the grasses covering the Earth, he began to shape taller grasses and shrubs and all manner of trees…

Interestingly enough, not even modern Hesberians acknowledge a god named Peles. Either his worship is lost to antiquity or he is omitted as the only God in the contest that did not create sentient life. There are, though, remnants of his name found in various healing herbs and plants with variations of the name Peles. Pelian Roses, Peles buds, Pel Seeds, Pelshian Tea (made from a plant of a different name), Pel Shrubs, etc.

–end of quotation from The Human Way

Bermal (also called Semzenos) is not human, but Ganarus. He is considered their foremost authority in human belief and culture. Many, even humans, come to study at his school in Sima.