So I’ve been writing up a storm and I must say, I am feeling good about the world I am creating. I decided awhile ago not to let new ideas hinder me. One of my latest ideas was that of a Knight Templar hunting Behemoths from the game Final Fantasy in a futuristic setting. I did a little research into them and then turned the majority of that idea into some more lore and possible story elements for the world of Fabled. Also, I decided on the name Ethos for my world, I had heard it before, but I only had an inkling of what it really meant.

e·thos   [ee-thos, ee-thohs, eth-os, -ohs]
1.
Sociology . the fundamental character or spirit of a culture; the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society; dominant assumptions of a people or period: In the Greek ethos the individual was highly valued.
2.
the character or disposition of a community, group, person, etc.
3.
the moral element in dramatic literature that determines a character’s action rather than his or her thought or emotion.

I felt that was damn fitting for my world and the name will be pronounced “Eth-ohze”. After converting some ideas into the world of Fabled I felt excited enough to post them on this thing called the interwebz. The Wiki format for organizing my ideas has actually been an incredibly useful tool and I seriously recommend anyone who has trouble sticking with one idea to give it a try. Every time you get a new idea you can convert it into a whole other Wiki page, or you can begin linking it into your current story idea.

Even as I type this, I feel these words are wasted. Who will see these? Who will care? Why aren’t I writing? Hope you enjoy a bit more insight into the world I am creating and if anyone has any questions about using a Wiki as a writing tool feel free to email or comment. Also I might just go ahead and make an article on how to get started with that. It is not even half as hard as it sounds. Enjoy!

The Monsters of Legend

The Monsters of Legend are the three original creations created by the gods to help them shape the world they had created. After the world had been perfected by the Monsters, the Gods themselves began the Creation of Humans to act as empty shells for them to inhabit while they visited the world. Upon their arrival, the Gods became obsessed with their own creations and acted carnally upon them. Because of the power of the Gods, these Monsters of Legend are the Mothers of all living beings in the world. All three monsters were female, being decided to be a nurturing force for the world they were creating. However due to the involvement of the gods, the nurturing nature of these three creatures had been suppressed in their various offspring.

As the world of Ethos was created, that was considered the first day or Day One of its existence. The stories and lores speak of the creation of these mothers of all the world’s creatures in the proceeding days.

Behemoth

The Behemoth was created on the Second Day to help shape and tend the land. Often depicted in images as an ox, The Behemoth is actually a giant reptilian wolf, with large horns and cupped hooves. It’s fangs were made to tear through trees and its hooves were actually meant to be able to shatter diamond and various other ores. Its powerful body was enough to dig a trench into the world for the next creation from the gods, Leviathan.

Leviathan

The Leviathan was created on the Third Day to produce the water for The Behemoth. The water was meant originally only to help plants and beauty flourish on the main land, but as The Leviathan helped The Behemoth, a bond formed and the two wished to remain together. The Behemoth dug its hooves into the world and dug a trench so the Leviathan could maintain a constant body of water instead of only helping grow the plants. Often depicted as a large serpent, the Leviathan is actually the original dragon in history. As all lizards, fish and water creatures were born from the Leviathan, they all share some of the godlike characteristics of their mother creature.

Ziz

On the Fourth Day the gods needed something more. Eden was a beautiful place, and both of the creatures they had already created had done fantastically. As they surveyed the world from their realm, the Gods decided that the space above the land and the sea was bleak. Neither of the creatures they created could effect it. The Behemoth forged mountains, and The Leviathan forced hot liquid exploding upward, but the gods had created gravity to keep their creatures on the world. Now they needed something to defy that creation. The Gods created together a beast large enough to fully encompass their world. As the blues turned to hues of red, purple and violet eventually turned into a shimmering blackness. The gods pushed onward with this beast who would circle the world for all eternity. They released their creation into the air and named it the Ziz. As the Ziz opened its eyes for the first time, its eyes burned brightly enough to completely light Eden. However its eyes also presented a problem, the Ziz couldn’t control the heat from its eyes, and scorched a part of Eden. The Leviathan offered its aid to the Ziz and used its waters to put out the flames of one of its eyes. The Ziz went blind in that eye, but the Gods agreed that the Ziz would have to keep a watchful eye over the world and to do so would have to circle the world.

Ziz being the final creature made exclusively for the creation of Eden was given the gift of flight. This in turn made the other two creatures of legend envious at its ability to ignore their restriction to gravity, but they grew accepting of their third sister. Although the Ziz represents the night sky as well as the day, the Ziz is often depicted as a bird. Truth lies in a creature that rests in the seas, a Manta Ray is the actual closest relative to the Ziz which is half made up of shimmering darkness and its middle represents sunset. The tips of its wings represent sunrise. The Ziz keeps a watchful eye over the world which had given Eden a day and night cycle due to its burning eye. Once every thousand years the tail of the Ziz can be seen streaking across the sky in all the colours of the rainbow.

After Creation

As the three creatures finally began to work together, Eden began to flourish. When the Gods created the lifeless shells of the humans so they could enjoy their masterpiece, the three creatures were overwhelmed with joy to have their creators among them. However as the Gods became twisted and corrupt individuals, they turned their attention upon their own creations. As the Gods took each other and their beasts alike as lovers, soon the world became populated with “bastard sons and daughters of the gods” As war tore at the world, the Ziz watched helplessly as Gods killed their brothers and sisters, and turned their bastard children against one another. The Behemoth grew upset with the Gods and tore a trench so deep the Gods could no longer harm The Leviathan. Then it too went into hiding, leaving no trace of itself behind except for large mounds of stone for miles. The Ziz was upset that its companions had to go into hiding, however after being lusted after by the Gods for almost an eternity, The Ziz cleverly hid itself with clouds turning the skies dark with gloom and remained there until the end of the War for Eden. Once the war ended it now circles the world searching for The Behemoth and The Leviathan amid the land and the sea.