A cosmic betrayal that reshaped the divine order of Tarras, wherein the Akkosian Pantheon - upstart gods led by Akkos - tricked the ancient deities into a death-like entombment and seized power in their stead.
The true history of the gods on Tarras is contested, with the dominant Church of the Five propagating one version while ancient texts and suppressed traditions hint at another.
The Church of the Five teaches that Akkos and his divine family are the original and rightful gods:
In this narrative, these five gods are presented as eternal creators and rightful rulers of the cosmos.
However, older accounts suggest a far darker reality: the Akkosian gods were usurpers who overthrew an earlier pantheon through trickery and betrayal.
Before the Akkosian Pantheon rose to dominance, Tarras was overseen by more ancient deities:
The Akkosian Pantheon, led by Akkos and including Likos, Thea, Jatos, and Hemos, conspired to overthrow the old gods. They could not destroy the ancient deities outright, so they resorted to deception.
Titus's Role: The key to their scheme was Titus, one of the old gods who agreed to betray his fellow deities in exchange for being left alone by the Akkosians. Through his treachery, the usurpers were able to trap the other old gods.
The Entombment: The old gods - including Edue/Alam and Zeekon - were tricked into a death-like entombment, sealed away from the world they had created and protected.
The Rewriting: With the old gods imprisoned, the Akkosian Pantheon rewrote history itself, positioning themselves as the original creators and rightful rulers. Over generations, their version became accepted truth, enshrined in the doctrine of the Church of the Five.
The entombment was not permanent. Ancient texts describe The Beleaguered Return, an event when the old gods (or at least some of them) broke free from their prison and returned to Tarras "with stormy vengeance."
This return heralded the Age of Fire and ended what texts call "the sword age." The event brought:
Significantly, texts from this period explicitly name Likos as a "usurper" alongside a figure called Eramos, confirming that the Church's narrative of divine legitimacy is false.
The ultimate outcome of the conflict between the old gods and the Akkosian usurpers remains unclear. The Church of the Five continues to hold temporal and spiritual power across much of Tarras, suggesting the Akkosians maintained their position - at least publicly.
However, the survival of texts mentioning the old gods and their return suggests that:
This history creates profound questions for the people of Tarras:
Those few who know the truth face a dangerous choice: perpetuate the lie of the Church, or seek the power and favor of the imprisoned (or returned) old gods.