The Forgotten Virtues

Long ago, when mankind's numbers began to dwindle and health declined, a new race evolved. Not just a race, but a species-derived from invertebrates, small creatures once seen as useless or pests. As humanity faded, these races and species grew more vast. Man, deciding it was better than inbreeding, chose to interbreed with them.

In time, humanity bred itself out of existence.

After this, the god of man split. Now there were three: a goddess whose domain was fertility, abundance, and nature-she found the new races amusing, but cared for them; a god of logic, strength, and change, whose domain encompassed the world itself; and one more, whom the other two despised. They felt nothing but disdain for it, as it did nothing but destroy their creations-senseless destruction, manipulation, and hate. They cast it far away, though still within the heavens.

In rebellion, it created the vices: Hoarding, Obsession, Ignorance, and Bloodlust.

For a time, the other two could not understand what was tearing their races apart from within. But when they did, they created their own quartet to combat its influence: Generosity, Restraint, Knowledge, and Compassion.