Title: The name of the myth.
Scales:
- Spread: Commonly Known
- Importance: Moderate.
- Age: Old.
- Region: All of the Veiled Lands.
- Culture: All cultures in the Veiled Lands.
Cultural Variations:
- Describe variations in the myth as told by different cultures or regions.
The Myth:
The Creation of Dreams and Nightmares
In the time before dreams, mortals rested in a void of emptiness, their minds untouched by visions or illusions. Sehanine, the Moonweaver, gazed upon this emptiness with sorrow, for she cherished the beauty of wonder and the power of hope. Moved by compassion, she visited each mortal in their slumber, weaving dreams of enchantment, illusion and mystery. The mortals awoke, mesmerized by these new experiences, and they praised Sehanine for her gift of dreams.
However, in the depths of its eternal prison, Tharizdun, the Chained Oblivion, brooded in madness. Locked away by the other gods, Tharizdun begin imagining the world beyong its confinement, the god’s chaotic thoughts began to seep into the mortal dreams, twisting them into nightmarish visions of terror and despair. The mortals, once filled with wonder, now found themselves tormented by these dark manifestations.
Distraught by the suffering of mortals, Sehanine sought to protect them from Tharizdun’s nightmares. She waged an eternal war against the Chained Oblivion within the realm of dreams, striving to shield mortals from the horrors that plagued their sleep. Thus, every night became a battleground where Sehanine and Tharizdun clashed, their creations—dreams and nightmares—shaping the fates of mortals.
Some nights, Sehanine triumphed, and mortals reveled in dreams of beauty and inspiration. Other nights, Tharizdun prevailed, casting mortals into the depths of fear and darkness. And there were nights when neither could claim victory, leaving mortals to wake without memory of their dreams, caught in a fragile balance.
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To this day, mortals carry on the legacy of this divine conflict. It is said that after one awakes, the illusions of Sehanine and the terrors of Tharizdun retreat to the pillow, hiding in opposite sides. So it is believed that the side of the pillow upon which one rests influences which creation gains advantage in the eternal struggle. When plagued by nightmares, mortals flip their pillows, hoping to tilt the balance towards Sehanine’s gentle dreams.
Thus, the realm of dreams remains a realm of unpredictable fascination, shaped by the ongoing war between Sehanine, the Moonweaver, and Tharizdun, the Chained Oblivion.