World of Ur

Ur is the Rauic word for Earth. The Raum are the inhabitants of Ur. The Raum in many ways resemble a human being save that they have feline features in their faces and limbs. The Raum are not catpeople. It is really a coincident that they should resemble our preconception of feline anthropomorphism. Presently, the world of Ur is divided into two nations. Two extremely powerful and advanced civilizations in eternal war by which many tales of heroism and romance are spunned. They are the Empire of the Sun and the Empire of the White Ox. The myths and lores of the Raum are tied closely to the lands of Ur and their rulers.

=The Way of the World=

First Act
In the beginning there was Being. And Being made Life, so that what was once alone is now a pair. Being and Life. Together they built two houses out of their thoughts. One they named the House of Void. Within the Void, is built the second house, which is the House of the World. It is in the House of the World Life resides, and Being would stay but for a while, always traversing the Two Houses, never staying put. At whiles when Being sleeps with Life in the House of the World, Life would give birth once she awakens. Twins she always give birth to. And the first twins were Sister Light and Brother Darkness.

Together Light and Darkness had an offspring named Shadow, male and female and neither male nor female all at once. Life’s second twins were Brother Fire and Sister Water. The third Brother Wind and Sister Earth. The fourth Sister Memory and Brother Amnesia. The fifth Brother Order and Sister Discord. The sixth and youngest are Truth and Lie. Both are male and female yet neither male nor female. None of Being and Life’s offspring goes out of the House of the World, for they were born within and must stay within.

=The Lands of Ur=

The House of Light and Darkness
The first child of Light and Darkness is Shadow. Together they build their house in the peak of the World Mountain, the topmost place of the World. This house is also called the Heavens. And so did the other twins build their own houses within the confines of the World, for the World is big, bigger than Sister Memory could contain. Light and Darkness then had more offspring in their House, and the Stars were born. Only then come Brother Sun and later Sister Moon. Sun has the bearing and trait of his mother but he burns all things dark around him for he is too hot. Moon otherwise bears little of Light’s trait for she is cool like her father. And Shadow loves Brother Sun and Sister Moon so much that they often dance together.

The House of Fire and Water
This house was built right below the House of Light and Darkness, in the slopes of the World Mountain. This house is also called the skies. In their house, Father Fire and Mother Water gave birth to Brother Thunder, Sister Lightning, Brother Rain and Sister Cloud and Brother Mist. Later came Brother Sea and Sister Spring.

The House of Wind and Earth
This house was built somewhat under and over the House of Fire and Water, and was laid in the center of the World, for it is the largest house of all. This house is also called the Earth. In their house, Father Wind and Mother Earth gave birth to the Mountain Brothers and Sisters.

The House of Memory and Amnesia
This house is built nearest to the Door of the House of the World, because Memory and Amnesia love the darkness of the Void. This house is also called the Spirit. In their house, Mother Memory and Father Amnesia gave birth to Brother Sleep, Sister Dream and Sister Song.

The House of Order and Discord
This house is built next to the House of Wind and Earth. This house is also called the Divine Realm. Father Order and Mother Discord gave birth to Brother Time and Sister Eternity, Brother Law and Sister Passion, and Brother Beauty and Sister Malice.

The House of Truth and Lie
Together they built a house of their own but they had no offspring. Their house is everywhere, for it is seen sometimes near to the other houses and at other times near to the windows and doors of the World. But they never leave the World, no matter how much they love travelling.

Empire of the Sun
The spirit of the arrau that died by the Sun was granted a new body, for his death was caused by the touch of a deity of Light, and he did not die willingly. The deities appointed the resurrected arrau as lord of Arraum, and the Sun become his patron deity, who swore to protect his life till world’s end in repentance. His name was Maur, but the Deities also granted him a new name along with his new body. He was Rothaur, Son of the Sun. Like the Sun, he shall arise again and again in a new body everytime he died to rule all of Arraum. Rothaur founded the Empire of the Sun, and his name has became the title of the absolute ruler of the Empire.

Empire of the White Ox
Shadow was distraught over Brother Sun and Sister Moon’s leaving to ride on their courses. Shadow went to Brother Sun and asked him to play, but the Sun had determined not to deviate from his path and be mature. So Shadow went to Sister Moon, and she wanted to play. Shadow rode with Sister Moon, and the chariot crashed onto a mountain. The Deities lifted the chariot of the Moon up into the Heavens again, and Sister Moon was told not to indulge Shadow again. Since then the Moon was dented all over, and the wheels sway here and there as the chariot moves, causing the path of the Moon to be erratic from time to time.

Shadow was then punished for his childishness by causing him to always stand behind things so that it shall never see the face of the Sun and the Moon again. Shadow become grievous over not seeing his brother and sister, and become angry towards all the Deities of the Five Realms. Its power then becomes great in the darkest places of the World. In the darkest corner of the World, Shadow met Lie, and Shadow asked Lie to play, abandoning Truth. Shadow wanted to play a joke on the Arraum and so Lie whispered to the Arraum that they will all die eventually, because of old age, sickness and murder, and such. So the Arraum, never hearing old age, sickness and murder, had heard them and they believed they will certainly die of them. Hence, the Arraum had become subjected to certain death, except for the Rothaur. Then Lie realized what it had done, and became ashamed and afraid. From thence onward, Lie was never seen together with Truth and went hidingforever from the wrath of the Deities. The Deities caught Shadow and punished it by having him avoid all the lights of the World and robbed it of its divine body, leaving him only a faceless wraith.

Shadow’s anger towards the Deities had since doubled, and his hatred against the Arraum was renewed. Because the Sun had a son, so shall he have one to thwart the doings of the Deities. Shadow stayed the spirit of an arrau dying from the wounds caused by an oxen, and healed his broken body by stealing the life that was about them. The arrau was Guar, but Shadow granted him another name. Aishaur, Son of the Shadow. He founded the Empire of the White Ox, and his name had since became the title of the imperial rulers.

=The People Raum= Grandfather Being, who is the only deity that traverses both the Void and the World, returns to the World from a long stay in the Void, and declares to his descendants about Rau. He said to them Raum shall be made in their likeness and of fire, water, wind and earth. Raum are also given the spirit, the divine and the heavens so that they may have sight and vision. When Raum are made, Grandmother Life kissed them on their noses so that they may have life. Grandfather Being then touched them, and they have a sense of being. And Raum were beautiful, and the Deities love them. Only Truth and Lie did not partake in the making of Raum, for when they were given a sense of being, the Deities sent Amnesia to look for Truth and Lie. Amnesia found them but lost them for it is his nature to do so. But the Deities were already tired in the making of them, so that Grandfather Being and Grandmother Life told Raum to look for Truth and Lie if they wished to be completed, otherwise be content in ignorance and innocence. And Raum walked the earth in the beginning in sweet innocence.

Tararaum High Raum
The Deities then ask Raum to choose which House they find most to their liking for them to live their lives. And Raum were become asundered out of their differing choices. Half of a sixth of them chose the Heavens for the beauty of Lady Light was splendorous and glorious to their eyes, but in doing so they chose to suffer the presence of great Darkness as well.

Halraum Mist Raum
Two sixth chose to reside in the skies for the lightness and broadness of the clouds enchanted them most. They made their homes in the region between fire and water, where the clouds and rain are made and where they could see the earth beautifully. Like fire and water the Halraum have everchanging forms. Like mist they have no real shape. And they could take any shape they will so that they were also called the Shapeshifters.

Arraum Common Raum
Three sixth chose the stability of Mother Earth and the glad winds of Father Wind. In her woods, they hunted and foraged for food. In the mountains, they listen to the teachings of Father Wind. They are the Raum that made songs, which resonates throughout the Five Realms, for their temper is varied and extreme. The Arraum often sought for their kindreds in the other realms, and forged bonds of love and blood with the others stronger than they do amongst themselves. It is from them, a mixed race arises.

Faraum Spirit Raum
Another half of a sixth chose the Spirit Realm, because of the mysteries that the Void bears and the closeness to Grandfather Being, who passes this house often because it is near to the Door of the World. Silence is the only sound there is in the Spirit Realm, but the Faraum suffered it, loving the dimness of this house and the dark Void seen through the window of the World.

Uaraum Divine Raum
A sixth of them chose to live in the beauty of the Divine Realm, because the things in there were made in perfect order, harmony and immaculate beauty. But they didn’t know the foundations of those things were made by the Deities of Discord, and that only the surface was crafted by the Deities of Order. The Deities of Order have no wish to do the menial task of laying down the foundations and other labors that will soil their raiments. So they had the Deities of Discord to do those things, thinking that it is only fair for them to share the labor. But the Deities of Discord know nothing of perfection so that the buildings and wares were made to crumble at the end. And the Deities of Order would blame themselves, because the plans they showed to the Deities of Discord must have not been drawn perfectly.

So, once the Uaraum entered the Divine Realm, they saw beautiful things arising only to fall into ruins as quickly as the waves of the sea. But they had chosen, and they could only suffer this life. It is this life that makes the Uaraum divine as well, for they learned from the Deities of Order and also the reason things fall intoruins. So they built a city with high and thick walls to protect themselves from the Deities of Discord and welcomed only the Deities of Order. The divine city was called Principle. And this angered the Deities of Discord for they too love them, and now they felt betrayed. The Deities of Discord just cannot help themselves in ruining the perfection of the Deities of Order because it is in their nature to do so. The City of Principle was ever sieged by the Deities of Discord, and the Deities of Order had since made the City Temples as their homes, and aid the Uaraum only when they felt pleased. Eternal war had since ravaged the lands of the Divine Realm, and the City of Principle being the only oasis of peace.

=The Language=