Alter-God Vharesoudir

From a single, torn page of "Light In The Land Of Shadows: Uncovering The Gods Of The Colhairians", by A. Cooley.

In bringing this chapter to a close, we turn to the last of the major Colharian gods, the Alter-God Vharesoudir (trans.= He-who-places-his-foot-on-the-scale-of-the-world). Vharesoudir is, of course, at the centre of the post-rupture creation myth, alleged to be the deity who caused the rupture, merging the lands of Ertrimas and Colhar, a myth likely popularised by Colharians in the century or so following the formation of Oud Vhar.

Vharesoudir emerges first in an earlier Colharian tale, however, one that I believe has mirrors in many other religions, including that of the dwarves in the form of Baudir (He-who-splits-the-uneven-stone) and the Goblin god Myrrethi (She-who-tears-the-leg-of-the-first-deer). The myth is without a known title, but for the sake of convenience I will dub it "The Weighing". It has been replicated below.

They say that Vharesoudir was the son of Lythess, the Goddess of Balance in all things, and that his dark nature was needed to balance that of his brother; Cendall.

''But Vharesoudir was deceitful and greedy. Again, this is the nature of dark things. He was jealous too, of the way that people worshipped Cendall. He was hurt by his brothers boastfulness. And Cendall was boastful. So much so that he named his charges in the First Land 'The Twelve Greater Wonders" and he would call those belonging to Vharesoudir 'Lesser".''

One day, Vharesoudir grew so tired of his brother's boasts, that he called him to the hall of Lythess, and demanded that she place his brother before a trial of the Gods.

"He calls his charges greater, Mother. Before all the world he defies your divine truth of balance in all things. He shames."

Lythess asked Cendall, "Is this true?"

Cendall, ashamed, admitted "It is, Mother. I know it is an empty boast. I mean no true harm by it."

''Lythess looked as she might forgive Cendall, and Vharesoudir was enraged. "We gods know that it is an empty boast, brother! but the people in the land below do not! Because of you, they think the light-in-the-world is stronger than the dark-in-the-world. This defies the Balance!"''

''Lythess thought. "This is true." She said. we must show the people of the world below that Balance is the ultimate truth. We will gather them before The Scale Of The World, and show them that the strength of your charges is equal."''

And so, all of the people of the First Land gathered before The Scale Of The World, and Cendall placed all of his Wonders on one side, while Vharesoudir placed his Terrors on the other.

At first, it seems as if the scale would speak true, they Wonders and Terrors were in perfect balance.

''But after a moment, the scale sunk on Vharesoudir's side. The people of the First Land were enraged.''

''"You are a false Goddess, Lythess!" they cried. "You promise godly Balance, but you plague the world with more darkness than light!"''

''"Silence!" cried Lythess. She turned to Vharesoudir. "I have seen you, my dark son. You placed your foot on my scale."''

"''I have not!" said Vharesoudir, proud. "It is not fault of mine that my dark is stronger than the light of Cendall. My power is fated!"''

"You have made mockery of my divine Balance, Vharesoudir. You are banished from the realm of the gods, and doomed to walk to world of mortals. Go, inhabit the place you have filled with your darkness. This is your punishment."

And that is how Vharesoudir came to live among the mortals of The First Land, if you find yourself being presented with a falsely-fair wager in a tavern, or being traded a painted ass for a fine horse, you may well be in the presence of the great Alter-God, Vharesoudir.

*****

Eritremic interpretation of The Weighing; passed down generationally

Although The Stranger was born of the union between Locathor and Oliae, both knew their child was a child of Mozurath; the great Originator, creator of the Beginning and the Ending. Just as Isreole, all fire and brimstone and stubbornness, had been born an Ending child to balance the softness and gentility of Avora’s Beginning, The Stranger had been born to balance out the trickster ways of their sibling, Sai. Although they were mischievous, Sai was definitely a Beginning child, born to guard the parts of Oud’vhar that housed creatures that were odder and wilder than others. These creatures were not necessarily bad, and they were most definitely not dark, but they were too odd to fit into the more traditional parts of Oud’vhar. Sai was their protector and guardian in all things, and understood how powerful the wilds could be. They called their oddities The Wondrous Things.

The Stranger resented that understanding. They quickly grew tired of the way Sai teased and tricked their family - their true family, all of the same blood - but yet held these odd outskirted creatures in such reverence. They were ugly creatures, and were no more important than the Gods themselves. They would be wondrous no more.

And so, The Stranger withdrew the magic power of the creatures that lived in the Wilds. This angered Sai, who called a council with Mozurath himself.

‘Great Originator,’ Sai said, ‘My sibling has taken away the magic of those protected by my Beginning. He has caused Endings where he should not.’

Mozurath, in his infinite wisdom, looked between the two siblings.

‘And how does one know you are not deceiving me, Sai of the Wilds?’

‘I would never trick you, Creator of All. You are above deception.’

This made The Stranger angry. ‘Is the rest of your family not above such deception, Sai? We are not worthy of protection, yet your wilderness of abominations is? I have not taken your creatures’ power; they have only become less wondrous over time.’

Mozurath spoke. ‘Enough. You are siblings. One of you is a Beginning child, and one of you is an Ending child, and together you must create balance. I shall weigh one of each of your creations, to determine if there remains balance in the world.’

Sai called up a frail muddle of a creature to the left side of the scales. It was winged and covered in colourful feathers, but with a lion’s tail and the legs of a donkey. On the right side of the scale, The Stranger conjured up a dark force; a glimmering orb of purple, pulsating power.

When both objects were in place on the Great Scales, Mozurath began The Weighing.

For a moment, the scales were balanced. Beginning and Ending were at an equal. But, without the magic it once possessed, the muddled creature was not quite Beginning enough. The Great Scales tipped towards the side of the Ending. The Stranger smiled.

‘See, Originator? Sai’s things are not so wondrous after all. They are weak, and cannot maintain their half of the balance.’

‘No, Stranger,’ said Mozurath, ‘It is you who defies balance. You hold too much power, power which I now know belonged to Sai of the Wilds. Power which you have stolen.’

‘Allseer, no!’ cried The Stranger. But it was too late. Mozurath raised their hands, and returned all the magic which The Stranger had stolen back into the minds and bodies of Sai’s oddities. They became Wondrous Things once more.

Mozurath continued. ‘And as for you, Stranger Child, you shall be punished. I will not banish you as I have others, for you have not committed sin and walked among mortals. Instead, I will charge you with your own set of creatures to protect as your sibling does. You shall learn humility and patience, and that not all ungodly things are to be scorned. You shall learn what it takes to be a Beginning child.’

Mozurath then called forward for The Stranger a host of creatures. But, these were not mortal magic creatures like those of the Wilds; these were creatures made of ichor and starlight and darkness, of dreams and nightmares and pure magic, whose presence in the world didn’t quite make sense. These were the beginnings of what The Stranger would call The Terrifying Things; terrifying both in what they were capable of, but also in the responsibility they created. The Stranger - keeper of the most powerful magic in Oud’vhar, an Ending child - had to protect and sustain these creatures for all eternity, so that the balance of the universe remained.