The Age of Tides

  The time of memory began with the Age of Tides, for only the elementals remember the eons before the Great Deluge. Sedna, the norn of the elemental sphere of water sought for a way to destroy her elemental sphere, like her sisters. She needed to find a way to purge the resevoirs of qi from her world. The chaotic waters of her world saw continual wars between the multitudes of awakening sea-creatures under her purported care. From these churning masses two lovers arose, ferocious warriors who sought to end the wars under their crown: Tiamat and Apsu. A matriarchal society, Tiamat was the ruler of her people, leading the wars against the other species with Apsu, her husband by her side. Sedna chose Tiamat and Apsu to become vessels for the qi within their world, not only that it might be destroyed but that they would prove a challenge for Atem and Dvallin in the world of Wyrd, after their arrival.

  Emptying the core of its qi, Tiamat and Apsu became unstoppable gods, subduing all but the Hiruku who vanished into hiding. When the next purge came, destroying their world - Tiamat and Apsu realized Sedna betrayed them and that it was not in their interest to try and devour Wyrd's qi. Regardless, their natures being conquerors, they sought to subdue the world of Wyrd. Greatly flooded by the arrival of the water sphere, all but a few places remained above the waters as the conquerors established their dominance once again, deep below.

  The Hiruku reappeared in the northern waters of Wyrd, using their weaving arts to erect a great, magical barrier around what would be called the Serpent Sea and the continent of Midgard. Above the waters, the few awakened that had survived the floods desperately tried to endure the harsh conditions. One such survivor, a prince amongst his people by the name of Marduk, died of depravation after refusing to eat or drink when others went without. Marduk's soul travelled to the Underworld of Atem, like so many before him. But Atem intervened after offered Marduk a chance to destroy Tiamat and Apsu, a chance to save his world - but at a terrible price. Marduk accepted Atem's offer without question, and was ferried to the elemental sphere of fire, where he learnt to master the arts of weaving.

  When Atem returned Marduk to Wyrd, he was greatly changed, a necessary evil to fight evil - he required endless blood sacrifices to enfuse his soul with the power needed in his battles with Tiamat and Apsu. Apsu fell first, his great head cleaved from its body. Bereft by the loss of her mate, Marduk used her grief to strike a seemingly mortal blow. Tiamat's body sinking back into the waters as they receded with her fading soul. And yet the salt-waters did not recede completely, leaving behind vast oceans amidst several continents. And so it would seem Tiamat did not die, but nor did she return to enact revenge. Her fate became unknown. As for Marduk, he returned to his people a god-king, to be worshipped for all time. But the price of his transformation had to be paid - and so as his body slowly turned to immortal stone, with his last words he told his people that he would awaken only when the Great Enemy had returned.