Help Index :: Religion :: The Twins Tarafas, the Dawn Star, and Tarayla, the Evening Star, were once worshipped as a pair. The Twins were inseperable; they did everything together, and never was there such a bond between two people as the one between Tarafas and Tarayla. They were virtually identical in appearance, mannerisms and even their voices, save only the color of their hair: that of Tarafas had a slight golden tinge, while Tarayla's bore the touch of silver. This, of course, was easily mutable to two beings so magically natured as they, and the Twins enjoyed pulling pranks on other people, trading identities as easily as they might a dress. Together, they created the Llewyrr, the Children of the Light, and with the assistance of the Child-Goddess, their sister Anor, blessed the elven nation with great beauty and equally great capacity for love. Also, they instilled in their children the magics the Twins shared, and indeed, each elf was gifted with this strong affinity for magic. This time was known as the Age of Magic, or the Age of the Twins. During these days, magic was much more common than it is today. Virtually every living being bore some talent for the arcane, and peace and prosperity ruled the land. Such harmonious times could not, however, last forever. The indestructible bond between Tarafas and Tarayla quickly drew the attention of the Corruptor, Temohpab, who saw this as the ultimate test of his powers of destruction. He vowed to shatter strong affection between the Twins, and coerce one or both of them to join his terrible evil. Utilizing stealth granted him by Ulthi (who in his madness was more than happy to grant Temohpab the power to bring chaos to the union of the Twins), Temohpab seduced both of the sisters, allowing neither to know that the other also had his attentions. The sisters, thrilled that each of them shared even the experience of finding a love, were certain that life could not get better for either of them. Little did they know just how wrong they were. Temohpab decided that the time had come to see just how thoroughly he could destroy the Twins. Using his magics to tint Tarafas' golden tresses with a silvery hue, unbeknowst to her, he allowed Tarayla to come across him with her sister. Tarayla, shocked and confused, ran in horror from the scene of her lover with her sister. The first seeds of doubt and hatred had been planted in her heart, something she had never before experienced in the sheltered, blissful life of naivete the Twins had always led. Tarayla felt pulled irresistibly back to the place where Tarafas and Temohpab were, unwilling, yet unable to resist the siren call of Temohpab's beckoning. It was then that she noticed her sister's silver hair. Sudden anger flared within her, searing her innocent soul with burning rage. Tarayla watched, horrified, until Tarafas left, and then ran to Temohpab, pleading to know why he had betrayed her with her sister. Temohpab, inwardly cackling with glee that his horrid plot was coming to a head, swore to Tarayla that he had been tricked by Tarafas, who had been masquerading as her sister. Blinded by her love of Temohpab, Tarayla accosted her sister, demanding to know why Tarafas could be so cruel. Tarafas, rightly denying any knowledge of what was going on, pleaded with her sister to stop, to believe in her. Not truely reassured by Tarafas' pleas, yet unwilling to press things any farther with the sister she so dearly loved, Tarayla backed down for the time being. An uneasy truce existed between the Twins for a while, though both had cause to doubt the bond between them. When it became apparent that Tarafas was with child, however, the final tenuous thread between the Twins snapped. The inevitable occurred. Tarayla, unable to stand the thought of her sister bearing her lover's child, broke down in a fit of agony and rage. Propelled by the sinuous whispers in her mind, she went in a fury to Tarafas, and attacked her. Tarafas, too, was touched with anger, not only that her sister would ever seek to harm her, but also because she, too, felt that she had been betrayed in the matter of Temohpab's love. The Twins fought each other with all they had, each seeking to destroy the other in the madness of their rage. Storms of wild, chaotic magic flooded the land, ripping it asunder as the battle of the Twins raged on. At last, the very land could suffer no more, and Meriada, who held all things arcane in his hands, forced the Twins to cease their terrible fighting. Though Meriada restored the balance of the land as best he could, doing so pulled much of the magical essence from the world, turning creatures and beings once very mystical in nature were now suddenly rendered mundane, and were forced to learn life without magic. Many fragile creatures died, and many more were forced into hiding to keep what little magical power they did have hidden from the rest of the world. Both Twins were near death from their injuries and from sheer exhaustion. Their mother, Taranth did all she could to heal them, but knew that the most important part of what had made up the Twins -- the mystical bond between them -- could never be healed. As a reminder of the horrible damage that had been done that day, Taranth left each of the sisters with one scar on their previously perfect faces: Tarafas' on the right cheek, and Tarayla's on the left. Tarafas was horrified at what had been done. The thought that she had been a part of the breaking of the world, not to mention the fact that she had very nearly killed the twin she adored, left her in shock and agony. She fled the scene of their epic battle, weeping for all that once was, and never would be again. To her, the scar she now bore was an open wound, weeping for the loss of her sister and her world. Tarayla, too, left what remained of the land which once the Twins had created in tears. Hers, however, were from the pain of not being able to finish what she had started, and that her sister, once her best friend and now her greatest hate, still drew breath. Tarayla, now to be known as Shantara, meaning Vengeance, wore the scar her mother had left to her as a twisted badge of honor, yet one that will fester until she is able to complete her task of killing her sister. Shantara descended into Temohpab's darkness, forsaking the land of light. Those among the elves most loyal to her followed, choosing to remain below the surface of the earth in night's constant embrace. In time, the Dyvie, or Children of Night, as they were now known, built the great city of Meran'Aysa, the City of Twilight, whose location is now wiped from mortal minds. Shantara bore Temohpab two children, first Morkith and then Rhiqua. The first, Morkith, was hideously warped by the fury and hatred that his mother carried in her heart. Unloved and unloveable, he shunned all but his younger sister, Rhiqua, who he felt could be of use to him. Morkith turned his innate talent for the mystic arts into an intense study of the undead and demons, making his ultimate goal the destruction of everything upon the earth. Rhiqua, beautiful and destructive, became known as the Child of Hate, poisoned by her mother's constant venom into hating almost all of creation, seeking to cleanse the world in a torrent of fire. After the epic battle with her sister, Tarafas sought complete seclusion from the world. Indeed, she withdrew herself so completely from the mortal realm that she gradually faded from mention by name, and seemed remembered only by her title, the Dawnstar. The child she bore was a girl, whom Dawnstar named Cynnis. She taught the child to love the woodlands and the wild things that dwelt within. Cynnis grew to be the protector of the forests, and in fact, all of nature. In time, the Llewyrr came to hold her in almost the same regard they had once given to Tarafas, now faded in their memory. Continued in The Twins2.