a creation myth, part II

The clerics, fighters, thieves, and magic-users grew so numerous that they met again where they started at the Center. Suddenly, they could recognizing the missing parts of themselves. Half reunited joyously with half. Thirds came together and embraced. To celebrate this happy event, they held a great celebration, inviting the elves and dwarves and gobble-folk. The halflings were already there.

This event was the first marriage feast. Everyone was happy, except the demons. They were displeased that their gobble-folk slaves  were invited to the feast while they had been snubbed.

The demons went to their ancient allies, the gods and said "Look, the humans are coming back rogether by marriage. Soon the work of the first night will be undone completely. Let us go among them tonight and trouble them." But the gods would not go down to the Center, saying, "We have a Truce with the humans. Do what you will, we will not act against them."

Without the gods on their side, the demons knew they couldn't overpower the humans, so they played a trick instead. The night after the feast, after all had fallen asleep, the demons creeped among the humans and whispered in their ears. "Why do the fighters only get weapons and armor?" whispered one. "Why do the magic-users hold onto the words of power?" said another. "Why are the brides and grooms of the thieves decorated in jewels, but they will not share with anyone else?" whispered a third.

The dreams of the humans were so troubled that in the morning they fell to fighting among themselves. So terrible was the fighting that the Center was broken and the humans scattered again. Days flowed into months, months flowed into season, seasons into years. The elves and dwarves went into hiding to avoid the terrible warfare of the humans. The gobble-folk crept into the the places ruined by the war and the demons laughed from their hell-palaces.

Eventually the humans grew weary of warfare and came together to hold a sad banquet in honor of the dead. This was the first funeral. After the funeral they called the Second Truce. The fighters agreed to teach the others the ways of armors and weapons. The thieves shared their treasures. The clerics recited the names of the gods. The magic-users shared one of the alphabets of power. They all agreed that they would work together to fight the demons and their gobble-folk slaves.