And Keos found wisdom in these words and asked, ‘Hast thou a gift for our sister?’ And Odar answered, ‘Nay, for I have not the skill nor the craft to create one. But perhaps it is fated that you come to me this day, for thou art skilled in all crafts, and it was my thought to present Lumea and her children with a clay flute, for both she and they delight in song and dance.’
And Keos was pleased to hear these words, for he was indeed blessed with mighty skill in all things t’rasang; endowed with the power to shape things born of clay and stone, of metal and wood, and of blood and bone. And so it was that Keos and Odar agreed to create a joint gift for their sister Lumea.
But when Keos sat down at his forge in Thoir Cuma, the God of T’rasang was beset with doubt and hesitation, for he considered clay a base substance, unfit for crafting the beautiful flute he envisioned for his sister. So instead of clay, Keos forged Lumea’s flute from the purest gold, drawn from the deepest veins of the world. When he was finished, Keos showed the flute to Odar, who saw the changes Keos had made. And Odar was not wroth and gave the gold flute his blessing.
The day before the festival, Lumea approached Keos and asked him what gift they might give to their brother. And Keos remembered the wisdom of Odar and said, ‘Does not a father rejoice in the gifts of his children? Let us then gift unto Odar that which he and his children shall rejoice in sharing.’ And Lumea asked, ‘What gift wouldst thou give to our brother? For he is wise beyond years and his children are ever blessed.’
And Keos answered, ‘I have gone among our worshippers in secret and observed their works, yea, even the works of the children of Odar, and I have seen a gift worthy of our brother: a staff, which is given unto the elderly to acknowledge their wisdom, and unto kings to signify their power and rulership.’
‘Yes,’ Lumea agreed. ‘Let us make a staff for our elder brother, for is not a God a king among his people? And is he not wise beyond years? And perhaps even his children shall wield this staff and take it as a sign of the blessings of Odar and of his favour.’ Thus it was decided between Keos and Lumea to create the Staff of Odar.
Now it was Lumea’s desire that the staff be made of wood, for she took great delight in the forests of Luquatra, in the scent of cherry blossoms and the strength of the oak, and her people often danced in the forest glades. But when Keos went to his forge, he was again beset with doubt and feared that, if the staff were made of wood, Odar would compare it to Lumea’s gold flute and be jealous. So instead of wood, Keos forged Odar’s staff with the richest silver, drawn from the deepest veins of Luquatra. When he was finished, Keos showed the staff to Lumea, who saw the changes Keos had made. And Lumea was not wroth and gave the silver staff her blessing.
Then came the day for the Gods to exchange gifts with one another. It was decided among them that Lumea would receive her gift first, so Keos and Odar stepped forward and presented the golden flute. And when the Goddess saw the exquisite work of the instrument and felt how both Keos and Odar had poured their power into it, she cried tears of great joy. In acceptance of her gift, Lumea brought the flute to her lips and played the sweetest song the world had ever heard, and a sweeter tune has not been heard since, save but one. She played with joy, passion, and life, pouring her heart and soul into the flute, filling it with lumen until it glowed and all those that heard its music were captured by it.
When the song was over, Lumea stepped back and thanked her brothers for the wonderful gift they had given her and her people.
Lumea and Keos then presented the silver staff, and when Odar saw it, he understood its significance and was humbled by it. He took the tool in his hands, felt its power, and was pleased, saying, ‘As this rod bears the strength of Keos and the love of Lumea, so shall I pour my own virtue into it.’
So saying, Odar raised the staff above his head and called forth the power of quaire, the very spirit of air, water and ice. And when he was finished, the silver staff glowed with an awesome sheen, greater even than the pure silver from which Keos had forged it.
Then said Odar unto his siblings, ‘As you have given me this staff, so I gift it to my followers, that they may wield it in wisdom and truth. Let it be a sign of the blessings of Odar and of my favour.’ And Keos and Lumea were pleased.
Then came the time for Keos to receive his gift. With much care, Odar laid down his staff and took his place beside Lumea. Then Lumea stepped forward, opened her mouth, and began to sing. And it was said that no ear had ever heard such wondrous things as Lumea sang to Keos; and no human tongue can utter the words she sang; nor can man conceive of the joy which consumed the soul upon hearing her song.
Now when Lumea finished singing, she stepped back and gazed at her brother, beseeching his approval. But there was none in the face of Keos; neither was there joy nor laughter, neither life nor love. Instead, he was perplexed and heavy with sadness, which turned first to disbelief, and then into cool anger. And Keos raised his face to his siblings and asked, ‘Is this all you have for me, my family?’
And Lumea answered, ‘This is your gift.’
And Keos was angered and said, ‘I laboured with great pains to give gifts unto thee, my brother and sister. I plumbed the deepest veins of the world for its most precious minerals and laboured mightily at my forge that you might take pleasure in your gifts. And in return you give me nothing but a song?’
Then Odar stepped forward and answered, ‘Nay, for this is no mere song, brother. I laboured long in choosing its words, which are sacred words of power; and thy sister laboured that its music might bring life to the heart and light to the mind. It is our gift to thee, and its value is beyond mere gold and silver.’
But Keos was enraged and departed in anger, estranging himself from his siblings. And from that time onward, it was said that great mischief came from giving gifts.
‘The First Regaleus’, excerpt from The Book of Odar
And Keos returned to his forge at Thoir Cuma, where his bitterness consumed him and he refused consolation. Once there, he descended to the core of Luquatra, plumbing its depths for a metal more precious than gold. And in the depths of the mountains, in the great chasms beneath the earth, Keos found a remnant of aqlumera, the element from which the world was made. And it was both fire and ice, liquid and metal; and from it the three Elder Gods had sprung, and from it they created Luquatra.
And Keos took the aqlumera and laid it on his forge and crafted himself the tool he most desired: a hammer, for his joy was greatest when creating things of t’rasang. And he called it the Hand of Keos, for he poured much of his power into the hammer.