Chapter 1

Ulukun’s Banishment

Ulukun was a fearsome but likable Urisha with an extremely short temper. Ulukun had a weighty Onus; to watch over all bodies of water and oversee all other water Urisha, but they did their job well and earned the respect of their peers – in fact, many wondered whether Ulukun should have been appointed as Primarch instead of Egun

Unfortunately, Ulukun did eventually fall from grace. As the centuries had passed, mankind had continued to progress technologically, creating many marvels that adversely affected the oceans and seas, polluting them and killing their inhabitants. Ulukun, their subordinates, and their human followers called to the Primes and Primarchs to deal judgment upon the humans ruining the seas – but they refused, insisting that humanity would find a solution if given time. Ulukun reluctantly agreed and stood back. But when the final coral reef died, choked by a toxic oil spill the size of a small country, Ulukun had seen enough.

In a fit of rage, Ulukun dove all the way from the Prime Heights into the sea with such force that it created a tidal wave that flooded half the world and caused abnormal weather across the rest. Mankind and their Urisha protectors were completely unprepared, and despite the efforts of thousands of Urisha, over 80% of mankind was completely wiped out. So much knowledge and history was lost, and civilisation was hurtled back a thousand years.

Urisha society was divided. Although many were shocked by the devastation, they also understood Ulukun’s decision. However, Egun could not stand for such an impulsive and indiscriminate action. The good and the loyal had been destroyed along with the bad. And so after consulting with Arunmila and Uru, it was concluded that Ulukun would be banished to their underwater palace. Egun himself made the chains that keep Ulukun imprisoned in the deep, and it is down there that Ulukun remains to this day.

The Dark Serpent Part 1 – The danger outside

Humanity has always known that many Urisha are tasked with keeping the world safe from attack, but the vast majority have no idea what they actually protect the world from. 1000 years ago, Humanity learned.

Unbeknownst to many humans, this universe was created by the New Gods from the ashes of an old universe. As such, this universe is one of many, and as a general rule they all make an active effort to completely ignore each other’s existence; after all, a universe is self-sustaining and has everything it needs for self-preservation within. However, there are always exceptions to the rule.

There are universes out there that who’s gods are antagonistic or in some cases have been slain by their own creation, and it is these that the Urisha fear. It is these that the New Gods themselves fear. Some of these universes dedicate all their effort and resources to conquering all existence beyond their own borders, and it is these that Unsin, Etin and thousands of other Urisha have been tasked with protecting the Earth and the Oruka from. During Etin’s tenure as the Urisha of security a strange thing began to happen. The entire Earth began to tremble, then rumble, then shake all at once.

Urisha and human’s alike turned to Arinle, believing he must be the source of the lands’s unrest, but it wasn’t he. He assured everyone that it would calm down and encouraged them to wait for the planet to return to normal. But it never did. As the months passed, Earthquakes racked all parts of the planet, causing massive casualties. Tsunamis rose, and mountains crumbled. Primarch Emaja sent Arinle, Egengen and every other available Earth and Sea Urisha to investigate the issue, and the more they investigated the more horrified they became by what they found.

The Urisha had found something in the core of the planet that had been planted a long long time ago – something alien. It had been growing and growing and was now almost ready to break free. Arinle, Egengen, and Ulukun’s predecessor were furious that this had happened under their noses, they called upon all their forces, as well as Unsin, the Urisha of Security, and prepared an attack on the alien lifeform.

Mustering all their strength, but taking as much care as they could, the Urisha wrenched the invader out from the surface of the planet through a volcano, causing as little damage to the Earth and it’s inhabitants as they could. But the invader, an immense, dark serpent, with scales as black as the night the sky and eyes as empty and heartless as the neather from which it had came, emerged focused on a single mission: to destroy as many lifeforms in the universe as possible - and ground zero would be the Earth.

Part 2 – Etin’s Failure

The Urisha would not have it. They had watched over the Earth and humanity for over 10000 years, they had maintained order, balance, and kept the Grand Purpose on course and they were not about to watch it all destroyed by a mindless monster. While the rest of the Urisha continued their daily tasks and tried to restabilise the rest of the world, the security Urisha donned their armour, readied their weapons, and went to war.

The war against the serpent raged on for 40 years. An entire continent of the Earth was rendered uninhabitable due to the ferocity and immense scale of the battle. The land lay scarred and broken and the skies turned ashy and red. But it was there at the end of the 40th year that Etin made her biggest mistake. After fighting it for so long, Etin could see that the serpent was weakening, and though the Arunmila and Etin’s daughter Unsin had suggested she consider calling upon Sangu, Egun, and Ulukun - the Primarch Candidates - to assist in the final battle, she insisted there was no need.

But Etin had miscalculated. The Dark Serpent breached the defenses and blockades of her forces and vaulted straight towards one of the Oruka’s pillars. Zangu, Egun and Ulukun, who had been doing their best to maintain balance in the seasons and weather during the past four decades, had been watching the battle from the Oruka and immediately leapt to action. Together they combined their powers and struck the beast, piercing it through its weakened skull and killing it immediately. As it fell from the sky the serpent crashed into the Oruka’s pillar shattering it to pieces, causing the Oruka to buckle and begin to collapse.

Etin seeing the devastation looked to the sky and yelled at the top of her lungs “Ebeji! We need you!” Ebeji, the mighty twin Urishas, heard the call from their dwelling on The Oruka and immediately awoke from Idaduro. They leaped down to the Earth, increasing in size until they were fully capable of supporting the collapsing pillar, saving thousands in the process. It was on that day the brothers became known as The Atlas Twins, saviours of the world.

And then there was quiet. The Earth finally had peace.

Mankind and the Urisha celebrated unitedly, praising Etin, Ebeji, and the Candidates for their victory - and rightly so, for without them the Earth and the Oruka would have been lost. But Unsin did not celebrate. Unsin looked at her mother and felt nothing more than disappointment. Etin had always warned Unsin against hubris and against underestimating the enemy, but on that very day she had fallen foul of this pitfall herself, almost costing the Urisha everything. Unsin looked at her daughter and saw the disappointment in her face; she accepted Unsin’s silent judgment. That same day, Etin informed the Primarchs that as soon as the Oruka’s repairs were complete she would pass on her Onus.

Turning Point event! - Etin and Unsin: The Danger Outside

Since the Dark Serpent’s attack, Etin and Unsin always argued about the best choice of action for the Earth’s security. With over 600 years of experience as the Urisha of Security, Unsin believed that mastering space and inter-universal travel should be a priority. Etin, however, believef that resources were better spent reinforcing the Earth’s security and re-opening the investigation into how exactly the serpent arrived on Earth in the first place. The Prime Urishas spent years listening to arguments for both sides but eventually came to a decision.

The Primarchs called Unsin and Etin before them to announce the outcome of their deliberations: It was decided that Unsin's argument was stronger - The Urisha would go to space!

Unsin turned to her mother and bowed respectfully.

"Everything I do is based on your teachings," she said, tears filling her eyes. Etin smiled, tenderly holding her daughter's armoured hands in her own.

"And you continue to make me proud, my dear," Etin turned to the Primarchs, reached up to her chest and unfastened her Security crest."A new age of Urisha calls for new solutions! For a second time, I gladly retire to the gardens of The Oruka."

But do not be mistaken, even as the scientists and researchers began arranging their labs and beginning their experiments, one thing did not change: Etin was still as respected as she ever was, and this would probably not be the last we had seen of this mighty Urisha...