The Islands of The Light

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  The Islands of the Light are an archipelago of five islands created by Zhoae, a powerful deity whose name translates "The Light" in Standard Caelnyan, the language of the islands' people. When the island was first created, Zhoae created six lesser beings to rule it with him: Corhe the Father, Fera the Mother, and their four children Jeros, Faelin, Naron and Benthos, called the Patrien. Zhoae made the island and surrounded it in protecting mist, Corhe brought forth mountains, coasts and deserts, Fera grew vegetation and gave form to animals, and the Patrien made the bodies of the first Cil'Naia, the people of the Island. Zhoae saw these things and agreed that they were good, so He gave life to all, since only Zhoae can give life. Each of the Patrien recieved their own smaller island to do with as they would, but they were still not allowed to attempt to bring any of their creations to life; that responsibility was too great for any but Zhoae himself.
  
  But the fourth Patrien, Benthos, resented Zhoae's power. Benthos, in his own island, gave form to his own people, who he called the Archaians. Then, without consulting Zhoae, Benthos attempted to bring life to the Archaians. As appearances went, he succeeded. The Archaians acted, felt, thought like real intelligent beings. However, they were tainted by Benthos's sin, and their life was hollow. In his pride, Benthos used his power to banish the gods from the islands. When he had done that, he forced the Cil'Naia to live only in the southernmost part of the world, which he sealed off with a range of mountains. Giving himself the name Harremakh, Benthos ruled the island and told the Archaians that the southern states, Akhele and Surrekh, were a land of corruption and crime, to be feared and avoided at all costs.
  
  In a confrontation between Zhoae and the self-styled God, Harremakh was taken from the island. With his presence no longer weakening the Cil'Naia and strengthening the Archaians, the Cil'Naia revolted against the Islands under the leadership of a Cil'Naia warrior they called Vashta Caelnya, which translates "Sword of the Cil'Naia".