Thousands of years before the race of men walked the land that became the world of Terra, five ethereal beings now known as the Ancient Ones ruled. Each of them controlled one aspect of existence and was heralded as the Lord of that aspect by the others. They existed rather peacefully amongst each other, as siblings might, for millennia. Though they did not age as mortals perceive the term, and though they emerged – if that is the correct word for their appearance – at the same time, they ordered themselves in a fashion similar to siblings, eldest to youngest. The eldest of the Ancient Ones, Tëzcál(TEZ-CUL), was the Lord of Creation and brought light and life wherever he stepped.[1] After him came his sister Quëtzlá(KA-TEZ-LA), the Lord of Wisdom, who established the knowledge and names of all created things. Next came Itzlí(ITZ-LEE), the Lord of Stone, who shaped the world. Then came Hüitzlö(WHO-ITZ-LOW), the Lord of Destruction – also referred to as the Lord of War in the modern era – who undid those creations that needed changing. Lastly came Xöltlá(ZOLT-LA), the Nether Lord, who controlled the Nether, a strange and dark place outside of the mortal realm of existence that none, other than the Ancient Ones, are meant to have knowledge of or access to. There are many theories amongst mortals now in the modern era as to the existence and purpose of the Nether, but no tangible knowledge exists.
Over time the Ancient Ones began to occupy their own separate corners of the world, and there they began to spawn different races of mortals to serve them or the purpose that they championed. Itzlí resided in the North West corner of the world and there he created the race of Dwarves. The Dwarves served under Itzlí as slaves working and morphing the stone for him, creating great mountains, tunnels, and mines. Quëtzlá resided in the South West corner of the world and there she created the race of Elves. Upon them, she bestowed the gift of knowledge, and they journeyed across the world, discovering and naming all creation. Hüitzlö resided in the South East and there he created the race of Orcs who he trained in the art of war and destruction, and they went about destroying what creation was too weak to survive. Tëzcál, the eldest and wisest of the Ancient Ones, resided in the North, and there he built himself a fortress where he would watch and observe the actions of his siblings and how they interacted with his creations.
However, one Ancient One did not dwell upon the world that men later named Terra. Xöltlá continued to reside in the Nether and planned how he could take control of the world in order to solely rule it himself, for he craved power and control. Xöltlá resided long in the Nether and drew from its dark powers until he became prepared for his conquest. Xöltlá first appeared in the South East where he confronted his brother Hüitzlö. Xöltlá chose this strategy because he had watched as Hüitzlö trained his Orc warriors. Quëtzlá's elves were too loyal to her to ever betray her for Xöltlá, Itzlí created his Dwarves to crave the work of mining so they would not be useful warriors for Xöltlá's army, and Tëzcál had created no mortals, and even if he had, he was too powerful for Xöltlá to openly defy. Thus, Xöltlá's scheme for power began in Hüitzlö's domain.
"Welcome, brother, you were unexpected here," Hüitzlö said when Xöltlá appeared in the throne room of his keep through a portal of Nether Magic.
"As was intended," Xöltlá replied with a grin.
"What is it you seek from me?" Hüitzlö inquired.
"You have built yourself quite a following, dear brother," Xöltlá said after walking to the balcony in the throne room and gazing down upon Hüitzlö's Orcish army. At the very moment Xöltlá looked down, there was a force of roughly 10,000 Orcs practicing marching.
"Thank you," Hüitzlö replied while still sitting on his throne. There was a hint of confusion and questioning in his tone, but he yet remained calm. "As you are aware, it is my duty to further destruction and war. Therefore, I have prepared a force justly suited for such a cause, though for our siblings' sake I hope I shall need to dispatch it at full force."
"And what might that full force be?" Xöltlá asked slyly while turning back to face his brother.
"And why would that be any of your concern?" Hüitzlö replied, sitting slightly forward in his chair and squinting inquisitively at Xöltlá.
"Curiosity alone, my dear brother," Xöltlá replied with a gracious smile. "It is much to benign in the Nether World for my taste. I crave to know what is occurring in this world amongst my beloved siblings."
"Is that so?" Hüitzlö stated, somewhat relaxed by his brother's answer, though not fully. Only would Xöltlá's response to his next query fully resolves him of all concern. "And does Tëzcál know of your visit, brother?"
"Why would I worry him with such trivial nonsense? Is he not far too busy amongst his solitude to be bothered with the lowly likes of me?" Xöltlá responded.
"Hmm," Hüitzlö murmured and then sat long in thought. Then suddenly, as if he was struck by an orb of wisdom sent from his sister Quëtzlá, Hüitzlö thought of a perfect question to ask Xöltlá to discern the meaning of his visit. "You have seen my army, brother, and it is true that it is mighty and fearsome. I have long toiled in creating such a force. Now tell me, what news do you bring from the Nether, how has your work progressed there?"
Xöltlá produced an almost fiendish smile that would make any but his siblings tremble with fear as he knew his brother was beginning to understand the nature of his visit. "I've been waiting, and working…and planning."
"Planning? Planning what?" Hüitzlö stated, rising from his seat and gripping the handle of the great axe that sat next to him. Yet, Hüitzlö did not raise the axe as he was only guessing at his brother's intentions and did not have enough reason to raise his weapon against him. Hüitzlö grew impatient waiting for his brother to respond and growled, "Answer me boy, before I lose my patience!"
A flash of light gleamed in Xöltlá's eyes as if this were the moment he had been waiting for. "There it is," he snarled. "There is the disrespect and disregard that I have grown too accustomed to and weary of. You four get to live here amongst the sun and the warmth while I must toil in the dark abyss of the Nether! And why? Because that is our wise brother Tëzcál's will? No, I say! No longer will I be overlooked and under-rewarded! I demand my seat at the Table of Creation, and if I will not be given one by my dear siblings, then I am forced to take one myself. And yes, dear brother, I'm afraid the seat I will be forced to take is yours!"
With that proclamation, Xöltlá rushed Hüitzlö head on as Hüitzlö raised his great axe above his head to mightily strike his younger brother. They both let out battle cries as they neared one another, but as Hüitzlö swung his axe down towards his brother Xöltlá disappeared into a cloud of black mist. Hüitzlö looked around dumbfounded until he heard Xöltlá speak, his voice echoing as if it was dimensions away but also sounding as if it was being whispered into his ear.
"What's wrong dear brother?" Xöltlá hissed, though Hüitzlö could not see him. "What happened to that fabled strength of yours?"
"Stop playing games and reveal yourself!" Hüitzlö growled, infuriated.
"Glady. Though, I would like to bask in this movement a bit more. Your fear and paranoia are…exquisite." The enjoyment in Xöltlá's voice was unmistakable.
"I'll show you fear!" Hüitzlö replied, spinning in a circle frantically trying to find where his brother was hiding.
"Only that which I see in your eyes!" Xöltlá hissed and then reappeared from a cloud of black smoke behind his brother. Hüitzlö did not have time to realize what was happening before Xöltlá stabbed him through the gut with a jagged dagger, dark as night, that Xöltlá had conjured out of Nether Magic. Xöltlá then brutally yanked the dagger out and spun his brother around. As he did, Hüitzlö dropped his great axe. As Xöltlá looked upon his brother's face he saw that it was pale, and his eyes were beginning to gloss over. Xöltlá then took his jagged dagger in his right hand and held his brother up by his hair with his left. Xöltlá then slowly dragged the dagger across his brother's throat until he severed Hüitzlö's head completely from his body. As Hüitzlö's body lay headless and bleeding on the floor, Xöltlá looked his brother's severed head in the eyes, "A shame, really. I always thought you, the most handsome of us." Xöltlá chuckled to himself before tossing his brother's head aside as one might dirty laundry. Xöltlá then walked back towards the balcony to watch the Orcs train. As he did he walked through the pool of blood surrounding his brother's body, leaving a trail of bloody footprints in his wake.
***
Xöltlá stood on the balcony examining the Orc army's training for some time unnoticed. Then he raised his hands above his head and proclaimed loudly so that all the Orcs may hear, "Long you have toiled under the rule of my dimwitted brother. An army bred to fight and destroy, yet kept in check and forced to only play at war!" Many of the orcs then looked up to see Xöltlá standing on the balcony, he had undoubtedly grabbed their attention. "But now your oppressor is dead! I have come to release you from your toil and to unleash you like a plague upon this world! Will you follow me? Will you fulfill your life's purpose?" Xöltlá ended his speech triumphantly and then threw his arms down as if to await a response from the orcs.
A few quiet moments passed as the orcs looked back and forth amongst one another, and then as if a consensus had been reached telepathically, the majority of them began to wave their swords and cheer in acceptance of Xöltlá's offer. Thus, Xöltlá acquired an army, and the true war amongst the Ancient Ones for the world would commence. "First, we shall raid the lands of the Dwarves!" Xöltlá exclaimed. "They are the weakest of the races of mortals, and Itzlí's cruel treatment of them is sure to assist our victory." Again, the orcs cheered. "Forward to the realm of Itzlí," Xöltlá commanded, pointing his jagged dagger North West towards the realm of his brother. "The time of the Orc is nye! The time of the Nether is nye! To war! To victory!"
[1] See Appendix A for pronunciations. Though keep in mind that the pronunciations recorded for the names of the Ancient Ones are how those who still keep the names of the Ancient Ones pronounce their names now, as the language of the Ancient Ones has been lost to time. Also, keep in mind that the names of the Ancient Ones are not written in Elvish, but are written in a way that those who keep their names may read and pronounce them correctly.