The Saurian Cosmology: Difference between revisions

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The Saurian Cosmology is a [[poem]] recorded from the [[Lizardfolk]] oral tradition by, as the historian and divinity student K———— wrote, "an unlucky series of flavorful graduate students." In his epigraph on the subject, he writes:
The Saurian Cosmology is a [[poem]] recorded from the [[Lizardfolk]] oral tradition by, as the historian and divinity student K———— wrote, "an unlucky series of flavorful graduate students." The name is a scholarly invention; the true [[Draconic]] name of the work is unknown. In his epigraph on the subject, K———— writes:


<blockquote>Like those of many tribal peoples, [[Lizardfolk]] beliefs are varied, informal, syncretic, and variously expressed. Common to almost all tribes is a belief in an entity known as [[The Mother]], the progenitor of the universe and creator of the Lizardfolk, who after creation left the surface for the warm, dank caverns at the heart of the Earth. In the Mother’s absence, a vast roster of minor gods – generally euhemerized ancestors, culture heroes, borrowed foreign gods, and saurifications of natural phenomena – governs the sacred. Some illustration of this can be found in the so-called “Saurian Cosmology.”</blockquote>
<blockquote>Like those of many tribal peoples, [[Lizardfolk]] beliefs are varied, informal, syncretic, and variously expressed. Common to almost all tribes is a belief in an entity known as [[The Mother]], the progenitor of the universe and creator of the Lizardfolk, who after creation left the surface for the warm, dank caverns at the heart of the Earth. In the Mother’s absence, a vast roster of minor gods – generally euhemerized ancestors, culture heroes, borrowed foreign gods, and saurifications of natural phenomena – governs the sacred. Some illustration of this can be found in the so-called “Saurian Cosmology.”</blockquote>
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the fish, the stones. The greatest of her brood
the fish, the stones. The greatest of her brood
   
   
became the gods, the numberless, who berth
became [[the gods]], the numberless, who berth


among the stars. The Mother, to ensure
among the stars. The Mother, to ensure
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that all should be maintained, formed from the crude
that all should be maintained, formed from the crude


clay of the earth the lizard folk to rule
clay of the earth the [[lizard folk]] to rule
   
   
over creation. Then the Mother turned
over creation. Then the Mother turned
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night sky and warred together, raising hordes
night sky and warred together, raising hordes
   
   
of monstrous men and elves, their blood like pools
of monstrous [[men]] and [[elves]], their blood like pools


of wine staining the stone of their tall keeps.
of wine staining the stone of their tall keeps.
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her lizard children, made the waters flow
her lizard children, made the waters flow


and placed her egg, the moon, into the skies
and placed her egg, the [[moon]], into the skies
   
   
to rule the tides. When the gods' final war
to rule the tides. When [[the gods' final war]]


destroys the earth, she will emerge anew
destroys the earth, she will emerge anew

Revision as of 18:04, 23 February 2021

The Saurian Cosmology is a poem recorded from the Lizardfolk oral tradition by, as the historian and divinity student K———— wrote, "an unlucky series of flavorful graduate students." The name is a scholarly invention; the true Draconic name of the work is unknown. In his epigraph on the subject, K———— writes:

Like those of many tribal peoples, Lizardfolk beliefs are varied, informal, syncretic, and variously expressed. Common to almost all tribes is a belief in an entity known as The Mother, the progenitor of the universe and creator of the Lizardfolk, who after creation left the surface for the warm, dank caverns at the heart of the Earth. In the Mother’s absence, a vast roster of minor gods – generally euhemerized ancestors, culture heroes, borrowed foreign gods, and saurifications of natural phenomena – governs the sacred. Some illustration of this can be found in the so-called “Saurian Cosmology.”

The standard translation into the Common tongue comes from Elven High Prefect Elandar Ancientblooded's Crusader’s Guide to the Blasphemies of the Barbarous Races, and is provided below.

The Saurian Cosmology

"Like everything, the world hatched from an egg.

The Mother split it open, and the shell's

two pieces formed the vast bowl of the earth

and the dome of the sky, and mountains were

the jagged edges. From within, the fell

and fey and noble spirits all were birthed,

and they became the trees, the beasts, the birds,

the fish, the stones. The greatest of her brood

became the gods, the numberless, who berth

among the stars. The Mother, to ensure

that all should be maintained, formed from the crude

clay of the earth the lizard folk to rule

over creation. Then the Mother turned

to gaze upon the boundless plenitude

and beauty of her issue, sharp and cruel;

it pleased her. Satisfied, she left to sleep

belowground, where the pillars of earth stood.

The gods, desiring to possess the jewel

of her creation, came down from the deep

night sky and warred together, raising hordes

of monstrous men and elves, their blood like pools

of wine staining the stone of their tall keeps.

But when they turned their savage spearpoints toward

the lizard folk, the Mother stirred below.

In rage, she raised the mighty waves to sweep

the mammal armies from the earth, and for

her lizard children, made the waters flow

and placed her egg, the moon, into the skies

to rule the tides. When the gods' final war

destroys the earth, she will emerge anew

to crack the moon, and a new world will rise.

Like everything, it will hatch from an egg."