Maldoria, Goddess of Dark
“Trials and tribulations refine the soul and encourages the pursuit of something greater. There can be no light, without the dark.”
Maldoria was the vision of violence and war. She was a staunch believer in challenge and hardship being the center of creation. Her skin was an ashy gray with streaks of obsidian covering her body. Her eyes were an endless void that invoked terror in all who stared. She wore armor as dark as the night sky and she relished any opportunity she had to use her twin jagged swords.
When she saw Ornyc’s failure, this emboldened her to start anew. She looked on as the ignorant mortals lived a life blinded by peace. She had Ornyc halt the sun once more and the chaos began but this time, without godly interference.
She waited until the mortals were practically feral before gracing them with her presence. In stark contrast to her brother, she was wicked and cold. She was devoid of any kindness, any warmth. If the mortals wanted their peace and their joy then they would have to fight for it.
She taught them how to craft weapons and armor but left the rest for them to learn. Wooden spears quickly turned to stone weapons. Metal would follow soon after and eventually the blood would flow.
Maldoria visited the mortals with each full moon, signaling the start of great conflict. With each full moon, the mortals would become deadlier and barbaric. They began to worship her as the source of their strength and flew banners with a blood moon symbol in honor of her.
It wasn’t long until her version of the world also began to falter. Conflicts became infrequent and the forges were barely lit. When she visited them for the last time, she was confused. When she confronted a nearby village, she learned that war had faded away because there was very little to fight for.
Her teachings showed mortals the value in enduring hardships but her overindulgence of conflict consumed them. Resources were nearly erased and she didn’t even realize how many souls were waiting to be born anew.
She bitterly returned to Ornyc to tell him of her failure, but this was the start of true balance. The siblings soon realized the value of both the Light and the Dark working in unison. Maldoria’s lessons showed them the value of hard work and fighting for tomorrow while Ornyc showed them the value in restraint and preserving the purpose for wanting another tomorrow.
