Chapter One
In the beginning, the Great Mother Hen, Terfelial, dwelled with her nine eternal siblings in the vast stillness of Araboth. And from her alone came the first stirring of life, for she bore an egg-shaped being of immense strength and unfathomable power. She named him Lahmzu, the First of the Born.
And Terfelial beheld her creation, and it brought her great joy. Her siblings, too, looked upon Lahmzu with wonder, and their praise stirred within her the desire to create again. Thus, on the next day, she brought forth another. And so it continued—day after day, without rest or falter—for three hundred and sixty-five days, until the emptiness of Araboth was filled with her creations.
On the final day, Terfelial and her siblings stood among the host she had formed, and together they named them the Hyrelim (ri-lem), the Divine Ones.
And it was known among them that Terfelial alone held dominion over life and its unmaking. Because of this, she was the greatest among the gods, revered above all others. Eight of her siblings, in unity, raised their voices and proclaimed her Queen of Araboth. Though she accepted the crown with reluctance, the decree was sealed when her brother, Th’ Eamon—slow and unwilling—bestowed the title upon her.
And so began the everlasting reign of Terfelial, Mother of the Hyrelim, Queen of Araboth.
Much time passed beneath the still and watchful heavens of Araboth. The Gods and the Hyrelim dwelled in harmony, their existence unmarred, their days woven with peace. Yet even in such perfection, a shadow took root.
For within the heart of Th’ Eamon, there stirred a quiet bitterness. It festered in silence, unseen by the others, as envy coiled around his spirit. He beheld the power Terfelial commanded—the dominion over life and its unmaking, the reverence she inspired—and his heart grew heavy with longing and resentment.
In secret, he began to desire her throne.
Yet Th’ Eamon was patient, for he knew not how such a thing might be claimed. And so he waited, as only the eternal can wait—watching, learning, and nurturing the shadow within—until the moment would reveal itself.
And in years beyond counting, the Gods turned their gaze outward, beyond the bounds of Araboth, into the vast and formless void that stretched without end. Long had they beheld it in silence, for it was a place untouched—dark, empty, and without purpose.