Janee myths
Scholars of myth and legend have compiled extensive lists of stories, fables, and myths told across Tem. A few of these are given below.
How humans were created — as told in Ursinica & Gallentea
This is how the first humans were created. They were shaped out of water and dirt from the shore of Lake Janee by Qidra, the God of Nature. But Qidra found it impossible to give them a life-giving soul so he ascended to seek the help of Oohm, God of Life. While he was gone he left a naked dog, B’Aan, to watch over his creation. Then Arawn approached the dog and offered to give it a coat of golden hair in return for the lifeless creatures. The dog agreed, and Arawn spat on the half-finished humans and departed. When Qidra returned with the souls and saw what Arawn had done, he turned the bodies inside out, and this is why we have spittle in our intestines. A differing account of this tale records that when Qidra saw what Arawn had done, he set the souls aside and used the bodies Arawn spat on to create the human-like scrugs, skrags, trollocs, giants, gorns, groks, flinds, and so on. Qidra was pleased by the variety of forms he had made, but then started work on a new, better, form into which he placed the souls he received from Oohm. And so humans were created.
About death — as told in Malanthea
Life is a circular journey that begins and ends at the Gate of the Gods. When a new life comes into existence, the spirit approaches the Gate of the Gods from the east, and in brilliant light passes beneath its massive arch. Here, Oohm, God of Life, consults his golden book and then speaks the new life form’s true name. His speech binds the new life together and heralds the start of the new journey. In time, the life journey is complete and the being returns to the Gate from the west, at dusk, where he is met by Arawn, God of the Afterlife. Arawn retrieves the name from the traveller and enters it into a silver book. The traveller then passes through the Gate into the next world, his mortal journey complete.
About death — as told in Nubanon
The vast expanse of the Great Dry Shab is where Death lives, and somewhere in the desert is the entrance to his realm. When you die, your soul sets off on a long walk, into the desert, at the end of which, judgment awaits. Some people who have special sight can see the dead walking off to the desert, heading ever west, in the direction of sunset. The popular saying “he’s gone west” means “he is dead” and refers to this final voyage of the soul.
About death — as told in Nubanon
Some believe Jadu the Evil, of female form, is the source of the evil monsters found in the world. From an open sore in her leg sprang forth the scrugs and groks. Her urine mixed with sand to create the skrags, and her faeces took form and became the gorns and the groks. A smear of blood mixed with her sweat gave birth to the trollocs, while from her vomit the giants and firbolgs were fashioned. Her vaginal drippings created the iku and the flinds. The vile Furies, creatures with a loathsome stench, carry away the souls of the evil dead from Arawn, God of Death, to eternal incarceration under the care of Jadu, Ruler of the Infernal.