Of Gods & Champions: Book I: Fate

IV. A Village In Uproar And Panic

Whereas the Wild holds dominion over the beasts that walk the earth, Chaos reigns supreme over the serpents of the ocean. These two Gods are connected in their hatred for structure and order, but they differ in the degree to which they despise it.

The Wild at least recognizes the need for some stability in order for his creatures to flourish, but this is not the way of Chaos. He was born of pure madness, and is the embodiment of that state of being.

He has been described as the Mad God of Old, for his reign was early in the world, and he has not regained that former power and glory at all.

Beneath the surface of the oceans is his realm, and he maintains it with a never ending sequence of unpredictable storms and calm. His rage is immense and frequent, but it is interrupted with random periods of tranquility, and the notorious ocean weather reflects this. In all ways he is truly chaotic.

His beasts mirror his random nature, possessing numerous forms and abilities. The further humans search the oceans, the more they find just how alien the beings that lurk below are to them, for they are the complete absence of Order.

The early world was once flooded with water, and was therefore ruled over by Chaos. The other Gods were incapable of attaining a foothold in the physical world, so they plotted against him.

Even the Wild joined in this rebellion, for he sought more than any of the other Gods to conquer the world, something he would later essentially accomplish. Only Deceit was absent from this union, for he preferred to observe the conflict that would unfold.

Chaos fed off the conflicts of the Gods, so he immediately lost power when they aligned themselves against a common foe.

However, Chaos was not about to lose his dominion, so he summoned a terrible Leviathan from the depths of the oceans, one strong enough to be capable of challenging the Gods. This was the original champion, and the strength it possessed was unlike any creature that had been created on the earth up to that date, or ever since. Like its creator, it was madness given form.

The Leviathan was a monster constructed for the sole purpose of slaying Gods, so when the pantheon entered the physical realm to face it, even they cowered before its might. Its roar was that of a thousand screaming and anguishing souls, and its teeth were pikes of impossible size.

Without warning, the Leviathan reached out and dragged Order into the depths of the ocean. In response to this, the other Gods encircled the beast, and formed a mighty storm upon it. The waves crashed against the Leviathan, forcing it to release the captive God. It attempted to lunge forward and swallow the Wild whole, but it was pushed back by a powerful strike of energy by Fate.

The Gods continued in this manner, barraging the beast endlessly and wearing it down. In time, it grew weak enough to be incapable of preventing the Gods from slicing its head clean off, causing it to shudder and sink into the black depths of the ocean.

The beast of Chaos was slain, but his master still lived. The Gods were barred from killing one another, so that was not an option for them. However, they were able to banish the former tyrant from the physical world, now that he no longer had the Leviathan to help him.

Thus ended the reign of Chaos, and so began the opportunity for the Wild's expansion. The Gods raised the earth above the water, and new beasts were crafted to populate it, worship the Gods, and do battle for them.

"UNDER ATTACK?" RONIN repeats, moving forward and standing over the man.

"Yes," he says meekly, and rises slowly. "I come from the outpost of Shadoun, nestled within the mountains. The Wild has battered us with many an attack, but our location was a critical focal point in keeping his creatures at bay."