FrivYeti/EnliHis2
The Rise Of Humanity
Humanity transformed Creation, and the Primordials followed suit. The power of worship and belief that humans held kept Creation strong, and minimized the need for active defenses. While the world still needed to be protected from the incursions of the fae, the Primordials no longer feared total destruction. The simple belief of humanity was pure and strong, and it nourished them.
The Primordials, in turn, treated humans badly. They were simple tools, nothing more, amusing toys to be played with and then discarded. Humans were at the mercy of the elements, always oppressed, choosing only between bad and worse. Gradually, their thoughts changed, and they began to fear Heaven, and those that lived there. In doing so, the flavour of their prayers changed, and the Primordials feasted anew.
However, an unexpected effect began to occur. Humans were, by Primordial standards, not very intelligent. Only the weakest of the Primordials had the same sort of limitations on their natures as humanity. Humans could not always tell the difference between a natural reaction of the world the Primordials had built, and an active force created by a given Primordial specifically to cow them. They began to worship forces, effects. They gave names to 'Primordials' that did not exist, and offered sacrifices. The Primordials were amused, and did not restrict this worship more than they prevented worship of each other. They did not notice that it was diverting power away from themselves, nor did they consider the ramifications of such worship.
Growth Of The Gods
The power that humans poured into the world did not dissipate. Instead, it took shape. As the humans faintly imagined Primordial beings behind rivers, trees, and even the sun, so such power began to form into beings. Soon, the first of the gods were walking the Earth. Their shapes constructed entirely from the belief of hundreds or thousands of humans, they were fragile. They lacked the ability to believe in themselves, and had no protection from the Wyld. However, they had impressive, if limited, powers. And they were sustained by the prayers and hopes and fears of humanity, which gave them strength.
When the gods first walked, humanity could not tell them apart from the Primordials, but the two great races could distinguish between each other with ease. The Primordials were born of the chaos of the Wyld; their self-awareness was the fundamental facet to their being, and the gods did not have it. They were weaker even than the Wyld's own Unshaped, and tied to humanity in a way that astounded the greater Primordials. However, the greatest of the gods had power to affect humanity on par with what the Primordials could create, and this boggled the great creatures more even than that the gods existed at all. The Primordials began to investigate this new creations, wondering just what should be done.
The gods realized immediately that they were in danger. The Primordials were bemused by their existance, but it would take little enough time for that bemusement to turn to hostility - the very power that the gods required to even exist was what the Primordials were playing with, and they would not brook rivals to their power - they were vicious enough with one another. Worse, without their human worshippers, the gods would be destroyed, and they could not stand against the Primordials alone. So the gods moved quickly. They came to their followers, and taught them more Essence-shaping powers. They helped them advance. And above all, they brought what humanity had been praying for - hope. Hope for deliverance from the Primordial reign.
The greatest gift that the gods brought was power. The source of this power was paradoxical; humanity had wished for it, so it had been created to be taught to humanity. Nonetheless, it existed. To those with the will to strive, the gods brought the raw might of the supernatural martial arts, and the gifts of their blessings. Humanity was Enlightened.
The Choosing War
The war that followed was brutal. The Enlightened, bolstered by savants and thaumaturges, by the Avatars and the Gods, led the fight against the Primordials. A few of the Primordials, mostly those aligned behind Gaia and Autochthon, even fought alongside them, viewing humans as more than simple tools. However, many humans were afraid of change, or of the retribution of their overlords, and fought for the Primordials instead.
The war became known as the Choosing War, because it became a choice between gods or Primordials; while a few of each were on a side opposing their brethern, most were aligned. Entire stretches of land were wiped clean. Hundreds of thousands of people died, and the glorious monuments of the Primordials were laid to waste. It became clear that, regardless of the outcome, the world would be a lesser place.
But still humanity fought.
Ultimately, their fervor and numbers proved superior to the raw power of the Primordials. Arrogant and aloof, the Primordials spent far too long failing to consider humanity as a threat, even after it became abundantly clear that they were just that. The Primordials' natural distrust of one another prevented them from allying with each other, and they were beaten back step by step.
However, a problem was discovered. Ultimately, while the physical bodies of the Primordials could be shattered, destroying them was all but impossible; their Essence simply reformed over time. Instead, the gods pooled their power, and along with the greatest thaumaturges and savants, as well as those Primordials loyal to their cause, they created a vast prison - an entire world whose sole purpose was to bind the Primordials, preventing them from escaping into the Wyld or Creation and pulling them back in if they should happen to succeed. Now, as the Primordials died, they were forced into this prison, unable to escape even when they had material form once again. The world was freed from the reign of the Primordials, and the gods and humanity rejoiced.
