The Boy With No Name

The continent of Zaka, chosen by the God Hades, is divided into four regions; Sn'dair, the West, the East, and the Jungles of Bog'Thar. Our story will be concerned with the East, the followers of the great God Hades. Unlike the other regions, Hades had an active role in the modelling of the East, this was because the Sn'dair renounced the worship of Hades to elemental spirits while the Jungles of Bog'Thar worshipped a pseudo Sun God and the West worshipped the Sea. Our story begins with the tribes of East...

There was many small tribes living in the East many with different customs and traditions however all tribes worshipped Hades, the God of the Underworld, this is what led to the union of the East. The tribes where many, most had about three families. However one tribe, Ion, had amassed a total of eight families. Their Chieftain, Iono, had fancied himself as a God and had devised a plan to convert all the tribes of the East to the worship of himself by force. Naturally the Gods got wind of this ploy, and after much debate amongst themselves, they decided that it was time for the Gods to intervene. As Hades was the deity of the East, he decided that he would personally resolve the issue.
During an un-seasonally hot autumn, Hades sought Iono, nonetheless Iono was rallying his tribe for a holy war. Iono was proclaiming in clearing not too far from another tribe: "My people we must march forth and conquer the weaker blasphemous tribes! I, Iono, will destroy our enemies with purifying..." With that word uttered a mighty wind began to blow. It gathered in strength, quite unnaturally, with it came forth a large storm clouds. The storm clouds blocked the sun causing an eerie twilight to blanket the clearing where Iono gathered his army. The clouds where the blackest the tribesmen had ever seen, however not one drop of rain fell from the sky. Iono was now quite convinced that he was the source of this unnatural storm so he began to laugh a madman's laugh. The tribesmen grew very uneasy. A bolt of lighting hit a tree. A boom of thunder followed as the flaming tree fell to ground, one of the younger tribesmen screamed in fright. The flaming tree quickly caused the dry autumn grass to burst into flames. From the flames a godly figure began to emerge. The young tribesman saw this thing and began to run, just as he was about to enter the forest he stopped dead in his tracks. The godly figure had somehow appeared in front of the young man. With a gesture the earth moved. It moved as if it was alive grasping the young man. This was too much for the young man, he burst out crying in raw fear.
A lighting bolt flashed high above, causing the godly figure and the clearing to light up. As soon as the clearing became dark, the god disappeared from sight. In the next flash of lighting, the god appeared next to Iono. Then it spoke, its voice replicated the boom of thunder, "I am Lord Hades! And thus I am your God!" All the gathered tribesmen bowed in submission to their God. Many believed Iono's self-proclaimed divinity was a result of great hubris. Iono, on the other hand thought, it was a great blasphemy that some up-star, treacherous shaman was trying to steal his power, Iono reached for his stone dagger. With reckless abandonment he charged Hades. This is where legend blends with the truth; it is known that Hades did indeed strike down Iono but how remains a mystery. For the sake of good story telling the legend will now continue: Hades, without even glancing in the direction of Iono, called forth the earth that like some sort of living spiked thing impaled Iono in the abdomen. He screamed like some frenzied demon. The spikes receded into the earth leaving behind a bloodied, sobbing Iono. Hades looked on with contempt. The earth then preceded to suck him into the earth as if it was to digest him. Hades spat as if removing the taint of his actions.
The young man was still sobbing. Without even flinching Hades caused the earth to hurl the young man at Hades' feet. The young man lied still. Hades then proclaimed that any who did not acknowledge Him as a God would suffer a similar fate. This is when the legend ends and facts prevail once again. Hades then instructed his, now zealous, believers to construct a settlement and temple in his name. With one final glance at his believers, "I will return in a moon's time to see your completed settlement. And you'll need to use the trees as building materials." The storm clouds kept at bay by Hades' will alone where set lose, they let forth a tremendous downpour. The raindrops that fell around Hades simply dissipated into steam. Hades flicked his wrist, the earth groaned, and from the earth came a stairway leading into the abyss. The now drenched tribesmen watched as he strode purposefully into the engulfing darkness. As he disappeared from sight the earth closed shut with thunderous boom and a flash of lighting.
***
After exactly a moon's time Hades returned to the completed settlement, it was a crude gathering of huts and a log house, which acted as the Temple. Hades looked at the settlement especially the Temple with much disappointment; it was pathetic. Hades, as he had chosen not to reveal his presence until seeing the settlement, suddenly appeared out of thin air, much to dismay of the women carrying water back to their huts. Hades, taking pity on those that he scared commanded the earth to renounce the water. With a gesture too quick for humans to follow, the water jumped back into the jugs. The women carrying the jugs looked in awe at the now water filled jars, and then remembering that they were in the presence of a God, bowed mumbling their thanks to Hades. Hades smiled, knowing how simple these tribes people where. He was growing restless, he glanced around and asked to no-one in particular "Where is the new chieftain?" One small child answered him: "Hades, we have no chieftain ...after you made the earth kill Iono"
"Why is that?"
"'Cause your scary..."
"Hmmm... We'll need to fix that"
Hades realising for the first time that his appearance was unappealing began to imagine his younger self. He normally kept company with the dead, who's fashion sense was limited to a hue of dull grays. He began to fade out of existence. Transforming from a middle aged man with greying hair, opal eyes, a long black beard with robes of the purest black to a younger Hades of no more than 20 summers of age. The bystanders stared, mouths' agape, at the perfect youth. His long black hair was embedded with small precious stones making the entire mane of hair glitter in the sunlight, his face was perfectly symmetrical with a rounded chin. His physical perfection was complimented with a soft white robe flowing freely to the knees. It contrasted well with his olive, unblemished skin. However, one feature remained the same his opal eyes, though lessened to a more gentler turquoise colour. He beamed at the girl, "So is this better?"
"Now you look pretty, like a girl..." the child giggled and ran off. Hades laughed as well. He refocused his attention to the large crowd of tribeswomen and children.
"Does any of you ladies know where your men have run off to?"
One woman with fair curls and a gentle face, looked nervously about, then as if being inspired by some inner strength, spoke clearly, "Hades, I do know where the men are. They have gone to hunt in the Forests of Artemis."
"When will they return?"
"I believe at dusk"
"Thank you ..." Hades looked closely at the woman as if seeing into her mind. "Thank you Cath'an. You have been most helpful." The woman smiled and with a bow made to resume her duties. Hades then experienced a foretelling: A black crow flies off an olive tree branch in full bloom, over a meadow filled with blue and red poppies towards a smooth boulder overhanging a pool of still water. By the fore-shore sits a young man next to a blurred humanoid figure. Hades quickly interprets the meaning of it to be that her son will become a strong leader or so he thought.
"Wait! Cath'an! The child that you carry will become the next leader of the tribe until then none will be chief." Cath'an with mouth gaping nodded. "Now do this: Elect a group of wise men and women who will guide the tribe until I next come. And Cath'an do not tell the child that it is to be the next leader of this tribe. Do you understand?" Cath'an managed a "Yes", tears where flowing down her face and she beamed with immense pride. Hades then nodded in reply and disappeared with a plume of smoke and a clap of thunder.