The Scorpion and the Butterfly

The Scorpion and the Butterfly is an important mythological text of the early inhabitants of Anor Mundus and of strong religious importance to the followers of the Primordial Faith. The story was passed down orally through sages and bards for thousands of years.

The first written recounting was discovered in a Vul'gra ziggurat buried in the world's end peninsula's glacier in [x] by Vanir explorers.

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There were once twins, one a beautiful butterfly with wings made of gossamer and beloved by all, the other a hideous scorpion with jagged armor and a vicious stinger on his tail who even the other primordial children feared and rejected.

One day, the Scorpion asked his mother; "Mother, why is brother so magnificent and beloved while I am scorned and grotesque?"

To which the mother answered; "We were all born with a purpose my child. Your brother was born to inspire mortals, teach them the beauty of the world."

''"But what about me?" The scorpion asked his mother.''

"From you, they will learn to fight and defend themselves so that they may thrive in a dangerous world. If it is not for your guidance and protection, the mortal kinds will never learn from your brother."

''With that, the young god's curiosity was satisfied, and faithfully the young scorpion fulfilled his duties, teaching the mortal races about weapons and warfare. But soon, the young god noticed that the mortal races feared him and his gift; although he had taught them to defend themselves, they feared and hated the conflict and war among themselves even more than they had feared the monsters he had taught them to fend off.''

''The young scorpion god then saw his brother's work in the dreams of mortals; songs, music, art and stories. Where the scorpion's boon had terrified the mortals, the gifts of his brother were beloved and so was he. Jealous, the scorpion decided he would no longer teach the mortals of war, but also seek to inspire them, but all the songs and stories he would try to teach them would only scare the mortals further away.''

''From the skies, his brother came down. "Why are you doing this?" He asked.''

"So that the mortals will love me as they love you."

"But Brother, it is not your destiny to inspire them. You were made for war and destruction, although you try to go against your nature, you cannot succeed. Your stories are tainted, they bring not joy nor enlightenment, only fear and anguish. You must stop and accept your place, brother."

''In anger, the young scorpion did something he had never thought he would; striking his brother. The venom of his stringer was strong, strong enough so that even his brother's divine essence could not save him. As his brother fell to the ground, dying, their father came down from the skies.''

''"What have you done?" The great solar dragon roared.''

''"I did not meant to." The young god replied. "I was angry, I tried to emulate brother but failed—"''

''"You sought to take a place that was not yours to take?" The anger in his father's roar was stronger than the young god had even known. "And now you have hurt your own brother. You are unworthy of being one of us and so you will be no more!"''

''Before his father could smite the young god, his Mother came between them. "My mate." She said. "He is young, he only wanted to be as beloved as his brother. He is our child, his faults are our own, had we properly guided and nurtured him, this would not have happened."''

''The divine parents argued and the guilt the young god felt at his action only became stronger with every word. In horror at his own action, the young god ran. Faster than ever before, he did not stop until he could no longer move, then he hid in the deepest darkness he could find. ''

''In the darkness, he wept, for his brother, for what he had done, for the mortals who would never again know the melody of his brother. ''

''There, a voice found him. Slipping through the cracks of creation, it whispered sweet gentle words to him. It comforted him, it was not his fault, it was his parents fault. They had condemned him to a life of misery and loneliness, they had made him unable to inspire or bring joy to others. They had made him a being of war and destruction, they had caused his betrayal. It was only right he truly embraced his nature, fully became what he was created to be...''

''And in his loneliness, the young god listened. Never would he return to his parents. Never would he once again be the protector of mortals. For ever and ever, he would be the betrayer and the destroyer.''

But ''Unbeknownst to the young god in exile a great maggot sprouted forth from the rotting remains of his brother. It had fed on the divine essence of the deceased sibling and becoming deific in itself. Although he had been reborn, the fallen god was never the same, the experience had forever changed him.''