CallumStephenDiggle
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Cosmogony Part One.
🕑 Added 2024-10-12 19:52:18 +0000 UTCHey everyone, I’m still working on this next two page spread for Humanity Lost, it’s a crowded market scene with a lot of depth and I just keep adding more and more details, but I think you’ll agree that it was worth it in the end when I finally get to show you it.
So that you have something to read and look at whist I’m working on that, I figured I’d share a little more from my fantasy book titled Concavia with you. This is a demonstration page from the opening poem of the book. The alliterative verse poem tells the reader about the creation of the world and how the many gods, Alves & Albes, Dwalves and creatures of the world came to be. It also tells of the rise and fall of civilisation and of the great flood.
Here is the full text for part one:
The Golden Age I
Set in this script || are songs preserved,
Lore once lifted || in lively chant.
Written in words || yet willed for song,
Bear the beat || bang the hide.
Reader, recite! || Ring it out loud.
Tales to be told || by tongues aloud.
So sing with strength || as skalds of old!
Awake to this || anon it be told!
Heed me, men || both high and low,
Chiefs, commons, churls || come to me now!
Hall-fellows gather || in gladness throng!
Hearth-fellows haste || to hear my song!
Long ages past, || in lands of our kin,
An Alb there abided, || able in Ken,
Only through him || we hold that trace
Hyperborean he was, || hallowed of race,
Weyhōsa wanderer, || wise and bold,
Banished from bounds || bore from the cold,
To seek shadow-foes || and slay their ilk.
Long he lingered || among lowly mortals,
Bright-born being, || bearer of truths.
Songs he sang us, || sagas of yore.
Of mighty makers, || majestic in power,
Who shaped from silence || and shrouding dark,
Curving Concavia, || cradle of life.
From Father to firstson || flowed this tale.
From mother to maid || this melody passed.
Keenly listen || kinsfolk all.
Gather round gladly, || gift me your ears!
Meet in mirth || meld your sound.
Bunch up blithely || bellow aloud!
As our fathers before || let fellowship bind.
Sing we of shaping, || of shining lords,
Of darkened deeds || and days of strife.
What we wot of || the world’s first days.
Was wakened to us || woven in lays.
So sit ye steady, || sing with heart,
This lore to learn, || this legend to tell.
Hall-fellows gathered, || hear now well,
The stone-old story, || song Alf-given!
Hark ye now || to the hallows of old.
Now I will weave || wisdom in song
Of ages ancient || when all was formless.
Twin gods there were || yet took no form.
Lordly Leuada || loosed his flame
He shot his shine || in shafts of light
From fathomless gloom || came forth the dark one
Sundered in shape || from the seething black.
Light was one || the other the lack.
Támhas he hight, || the hidden darkness,
Bright was Leuada || bearer of flame.
Twin to Támhas || thickly wrapped in shadow.
The twain gods met || in that timeless gloom,
No land there lay || for the lords to tread—
No sea nor shore, || no sunlit field.
No rocks nor rivers || nor roaming beasts,
Curving Concavia || crowned with cloudy roof—
Ever was Ether || empty and wide.
So the cunning creators || contrived a ring:
“Gelh” they gave the || golden-ringéd world.
Spanning the space || ’twixt silence and waste.
Their feet found form || on its fair sands,
Eye met eye || with even standing.
Wandered they wide || in wondrous peace.
Till Támhas, with tongue || and the touch of loam.
Moulded Mehter || the maiden most fair
Yet soul she lacked || nor spark within
No heat, nor fate || no hue, nor sense,
Then Támhas, troubled || turned to Leuada.
Leuada burned bright || his heart beat strong.
Love leapt within || longing waxed wide.
He kissed her kindly || her core grew warm.
Heat he gave her || hue and sense.
“Mehter,” he said, || “may that name hold.”
Támhas then was || taken by envy
Mehter made known || her mind to the bright one.
Together they turned || and took to the wild.
Long they lingered || lost to Támhas.
Leuada hid them || in a hood of light.
No more a maid || Mehter gave herself.
The fruitful goddess || in fullness shone.
Blessed her belly || for she bore him five.
Twin sons she bore || then triplet daughters.
“Buxom and bright || what bounty is thine!”
Said the shining || sun-lord in joy.
The shining sons || as such were named.
The wean Duneos who || would be sky king.
The wean Woodir who || would be sea king.
The wonderful Wenchelings || were named,
Firalah who’s fated || as fang-queen to be.
Florawah who’s fated || as flower-queen to be.
Swoma who’s fated || as fungi-queen to be.
Támhas wist not || that vows were made.
Nor wist the woman || wrought new beings
Bright ones beam || was blinding to eye.
Thus his light || left all veiled.
Leuada, light-lord || loving and kind,
Let Mehter lie || in longed-for rest.
Lone for a while || in the lands of Gelh,
While Leuada wandered || weans in tow.
Then Támhas turned || his terrible gaze,
And looked aloft || to the lofty rim,
To the golden ring || that girds the waste,
There he spied || and schemed in thought,
And shaped in silence || a shadowy plan.
Leuada’s beam || was borne away—
No longer it lay || by the lady’s side.
“Mehter is mine,” || murmured Támhas,
“Her shape I wrought, || she should yield.”
“Why must she mar || her maker’s heart?
Why should one’s work || win him no gain?”
Said the shadowy one || spiteful at heart,
So forth he fared || with fire in breast.
To claim the craft || his cunning shaped.
He found her fair || in the fields alone,
And words he wove || both wooing and strange:
“O maid of my moulding, || mine-own thou art—
For I shaped thy self || from sandy loam.
Love thou must lend || thy loyalty owed.”
But Mehter, mind-strong, || made no yield,
She turned in terror || with troubled heart.
So Támhas took || troth ungiven.
Woe to speak of || that wicked sin.
Grim and ghastly || that guiltful deed.
Her cries were keen || as cutting winds.
Swiftly soared || sun-lord in wrath.
Hard was his hunt, || no halt he allowed.
Rage rose roaring || in radiant breast.
No wrath so wild || had waked in Gelh.
“Flee not from fight, || but face me now!”
Támhas trembled || trapped from flight.
Twisted words || twin darkly spoke.
“Why should you strive || to strike me down?
Mehter I moulded || from mud and spit.
Mine is Mehter || my making alone.
Thief art thou || who thwarted my joy!”
Snarled shadow-twin || spitting his words.
No mercy came || from mighty Leuada
“Thou hast marred Mehter, || made her unwhole!”
Deemed the doughty one || dooming Támhas
“False is thy faulting!” || fiercely cried Támhas,
“Untrue thy tongue, || no trespass is mine.”
Lordy Leuada then || loudly declared:
I deem this debate || dead and at end.
Strikes shall settle || what speech cannot.
Dint of duel doth || decide your fate!
Támhas turned, || and took to flight,
Leuada followed || with flaming wrath.
They fought from || the floor of Gelh,
High up to hollow || heights within.
Feet found no || footing yet trod air.
As airy birds ascend || yet absent were wings.
Wafted by their will || in the waning air.
Bright-blazing fist || bore up Leuada,
Then lightfast lashed || it low on his foe.
So swift it flew || no sight could follow.
No winged wit || could ward that blow
That strike was || a soul winnow.
Soul from shape || sundered by throe.
Tàmhas’ ghost gone || to gaping hollow.
His hollow body || was hurled below.
The ruin reached || the ringéd halo.
The maiden Mehter’s || mirth did glow.
She felt her foe || fallen low.
Lordly Leuada || law did sow.
Bright was his bidding || to bind the foe.
To work with will || and warp the shadow.
He bade them forge || from flesh a barrow.
“Cage from corpse || and close it so.
To seal the sinner || where shine won’t go.
To forbid him far || from Gelh’s halo.
A hold to hinder || the hidden foe.
A steadfast shield || to seal out woe.”
They called it Concavia || thus came it so.
His body’s bones || bore the stone,
His body’s waters || bore the sea,
His body’s skin || bore the soil,
His body’s blood || bore red ore.
Comments
Callum Diggle
Thank you Gabu, there will be many more like it in the book itself! My plan is to have an illustration every few pages depicting a major moment from the scenes described.
Gabu
Exciting passage to read!!
Callum Diggle
There are indeed dragons in Concavia, however they’re more like traditional mythical Dragons than some of the spec-evo dragons you’ve seen online. The Dragons in Concavia are magical coiling serpents with fan like wings and little legs spaced far apart. I’ve actually already drawn one, I’ll show it off sometime. Here’s a little extract from the book describing one for now: Then they saw it, a tremendous coiling mass whomping and whirling through the forest. The flickering of ferocious bright eyes, the twitching of restless spearlike wing tips, the rippling of muscles under its scales was like a storm besetting upon a lake, striking pure dread into the hearts of the onlookers. The sheer energy contained within this mighty beast was unlike any living thing that walked Concavia. Nay, this was no mere beast, it was a land spirit. A land spirit whom was only summoned from the collective unconscious of the animals and plants when all other warnings had gone unheeded. Embers spluttered out haphazardly from scales up and down its serpentine bulk as it writhed hither and thither. The very ground before its great long snout was charred and all the plant life singed as hot breath beat down upon it, billowing out from betwixt its grate-like teeth as though from a raging furnace. The mind could not imagine such a relentless thing resting, not even for a moment. It was an echo of the primordial Mehter’s final commandment, it was the divine aspect of fire made manifest. It was a Dragon. Heh, a bat-like dragon could make a good design, I’m partial to a more snake like dragon myself. I feel it’s more classical looking and I like that. If you look at the oldest depictions of dragons they’re very wyrmy and I feel it gives them an air of authenticity.
Erika Spooner
Are there dragons or stuff like that in Concavia? This isn't related but do you think a more bat-like design would be great for a dragon-like creature? You might accidently make them cute though.
