The Great War
The Great War refers to a conflict that is thought to have spanned the cosmos in the millenia before the coming of the Younger Races. According to this legend, in the days before the mighty conflict known as the great war, and indeed even before an even more whispered conflict known as the blood war, there were no devils. Only the gods (or God depending on the variant) and angels existed in heaven. The most powerful, most intelligent, and most beautiful of these was known as the The Morningstar. He was given the most arduous tasks, including testing the merit of mortal men.
The myths vary as to what happened, but eventually the Morningstar challenged the gods. The gods were victorious and the Morningstar was cast out and took up residence in Hell (or the hells, depending on the variant). His followers were also cast out and became the first devils. These devils worked for the damnation of mortals and sought to increase the level of evil and suffering in the realms ruled by the gods and their angels. These corrupted souls became the source of their power over time.
And so it remained for a time beyond remembering. However after a time his devils resented his arbitrary rule. A great number rose up against them and declared a new order. And so once again the Morningstar was cast out, this time to the mortal realms between the Heavens and the Hells.
The Morningstar used his experience twisting the wills of mortals to good advantage. He raised a great army and began to wage war against the followers of the gods, and deprived the devils of the source of their power. The morningstar's actions so disrupted the mortal realms that entire civilizations began to collapse.
Thus began the great war, fought across the cosmos far away from Zihæt. Eventually the gods, devils and other mythical creatures of immense power joined forces to put down the Morningstar's rebellion. However he had grown in power to such an extent that he could not be completely defeated. Instead he was sent to a distant world with twin suns and triple moons. There, the native gods sacrificed their existence to permenantly seal the world and the Morningstar off from the rest of the cosmos and restore the peace.
It's rumored that he is still there to this day.
Historical Basis
The great war is an actual event and occured largely as described above. In the histories set down by the Order of Akadimía, the great war was responsible for the destruction of dozens of cities and entire civilizations on the original homeworld of the Younger Races. Those displaced by the destruction were a part of the effort to seal the Morningstar on Zihæt, though the memory of the event is long lost amongst the short lived younger races.
Variations & Mutation
Some versions of the myth refer not to a pantheon of gods, but rather a single monotheistic Deity. Other versions refer to multiple hells instead of a single hell.
In the version of the legend held true by the L'église universelle, the morningstar was defeated without the sacrifice of the gods. In this version of the myth the conflict was restricted to Zihæt and their singular god, Dieu, emerged victorious instead sealing the morningstar in hell.
Cultural Reception
The story of the great adversary reoccurs across cultures on Zihæt and beyond. On Zihæt, humans in particular have kept this myth alive in a revised form. The L'église universelle uses the existance of the devil to urge for a righteous and vigilant existance. This being is also blamed for all manner of negative events and consequences.
Date of First Recording
2700
Date of Setting
1600-2700
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