Chapter 9: The Creation of Humanity
Mother of Earth Shantiya had been observing the various races created by the gods recently. She noticed that while each race had its unique strengths, they all possessed obvious limitations.
Elves were naturally beautiful, capable of sensing and channeling primal magical energy, and lived long lives, but their reproductive desire was low, leading to slow population growth. Dwarves were resilient and skilled in craftsmanship but were overly stubborn and conservative.
Halflings were optimistic but lacked ambition; Gnomes were intelligent but physically weak; Orcs were strong and warlike but lacked wisdom; even the various Dragonborn created by the Dragon God had their flaws.
"The universe needs a more inclusive race," Shantiya pondered, "one that can adapt to various environments, learn all kinds of skills, and possess infinite potential."
She first found Sulen and shared her thoughts.
"Sister, have you noticed the limitations of the existing races?" Shantiya asked.
Sulen nodded. "Each race is as unique as a star, but they all have their own orbits and cannot deviate too far. What kind of new race do you wish to create?"
"A race capable of self-transcendence," Shantiya described her vision. "They may not have the longevity of the Elves, the resilience of the Dwarves, or the strength of the Orcs, but they will possess infinite possibilities."
Starlight flickered in Sulen's eyes. "An interesting idea. Such a race would need the guidance of light and hope."
Next, Shantiya visited the Nine-Faced Dragon God.
"Dragon God, you have created many Dragonborn; you must have profound insights into the creation of races."
The Nine-Faced Dragon God responded, "Every race has its value, but also its limitations. Do you wish to create a perfect race?"
"No, a race full of possibilities," Shantiya explained her concept.
The Dragon God contemplated for a moment. "Possibility often comes with uncertainty. Such a race might bring chaos, but it might also create miracles."
Shantiya then consulted the Primal Titan: "As the pillar of the earth, what kind of race do you think is best suited for the continent of Faerûn?"
The Primal Titan replied in a low voice, "Balance is needed. They must not be so strong as to destroy nature, nor so weak as to be unable to survive. Moderate physique, moderate wisdom, and moderate lifespan."
Subsequently, Shantiya gathered all the racial gods to hear their opinions.
Corellon spoke first: "The new race should respect nature and pursue knowledge."
Moradin said, "They must have an indomitable spirit and be capable of hard work."
Gruumsh laughed loudly: "At the very least, they must be able to fight! The universe has no need for a weak race."
Garl suggested, "Curiosity is important; they must have an exploratory spirit."
Yura added, "Optimism and courage are equally important."
Finally, Shantiya consulted the Sun God Amaunator. This deity, born from the sun created by Sulen, represented order and law.
"The new race needs rules and discipline," Amaunator said, "but they also need the right to choose freely. Good and evil, order and chaos, should all be within the scope of their choices."
Ling Hao, listening to this divine council from the side, couldn't help but complain internally:
"Isn't this just discussing how to create Humans? After all, since this is a game designed by Humans, Humans must have the 'average values' of all races and the will to choose freely."
Watching the gods discuss so seriously, he felt both amused and awestruck. In the game, Humans were just part of the background setting, but now he was witnessing the conceptual process of humanity's birth firsthand—the feeling was incredibly wondrous.
After synthesizing all the opinions, Shantiya finally had a clear direction. She sought out Sulen again, and the two Primal Gods decided to join forces to create this new race.
"We shall call them 'Humans'," Shantiya announced. "They will become the most adaptable race on the continent of Faerûn."
The creation ceremony took place on a fertile plain in the center of Faerûn. Shantiya took the most fertile soil from the earth, and Sulenimbued that soil with the essence of light.
Other gods also contributed their power: Corellon bestowed wisdom, Moradin bestowed resilience, Gruumsh bestowed courage, Garlbestowed curiosity, Yura bestowed optimism, and Amaunator bestowed free will.
Even the Dragon God contributed a gift: "Let them have the ability to dream; dreams often allow one to transcend the limitations of reality."
Only Shar did not participate. She watched everything coldly from the Shadow Plane and contributed a 'great gift' to the creation of the new race:
"Let them have the Seven Deadly Sins: Greed, Wrath, Envy, Sloth, Gluttony, and Lust."
Ling Hao silently watched the creation process. He knew that in the game's setting, Humans were a race that appeared later, yet they became one of the most important races on the continent of Faerûn.
Now, he was about to witness the birth of humanity with his own eyes.
Shantiya and Sulen began to shape the first human. It was a creature with a balanced physique—not as elegant as an Elf, nor as stout as a Dwarf, but well-proportioned.
"Give them a moderate lifespan," Shantiya said. "Not so long that they become lazy, nor so short that they fall into despair."
Sulen added, "Give them the ability to learn, so they can master various skills and even instinctively utilize the primal magical energy flowing through the environment."
When the first human opened their eyes, their gaze contained curiosity, fear, hope, and a desire to explore—perfectly embodying the complexity of humanity.
More Humans were created, both male and female, with different skin tones and hair colors, displaying a rich diversity.
"Let them multiply freely and choose freely," Shantiya proclaimed. "Humans shall not be limited to any single path."
Sulen nodded. "The light shall guide them, but not restrict them."
The newly born Humans began to explore their surroundings. They learned to use tools, build simple shelters, and organize communities. Compared to other races, Humans appeared ordinary yet full of vitality.
Their learning speed was astonishing. Seeing Elves channel magical energy, Humans tried to imitate them.
Seeing Dwarves forge tools, Humans learned to improve them; seeing Orcish combat techniques, Humans absorbed and adapted them.
"Truly incredible," Corellon observed the Humans. "They may never reach the precision of an Elf's control over magical energy, but their learning speed far exceeds our expectations."
Moradin also admitted, "Craftsmanship that takes a Dwarf decades to master, a human can grasp the basics of in just a few years."
Gruumsh seemed the most excited: "Finally, a race worth fighting! Though individually weak, their will to fight is not lacking."
However, not all gods were optimistic about humanity. Shar sneered from the shadows, "A mediocre race. Just wait and see; their free will will only bring chaos and suffering."
Even Amaunator, who participated in the creation, had doubts: "Free will is both a gift and a curse. Humans will be able to choose between good and evil, which means both heroes and villains will emerge among them."
Ling Hao knew that the concerns of these two deities would come true. In the history of the game, Humans were indeed the most complex, producing both the most noble heroes and the most despicable villains.
A few days later, Humans had already established their first village. Ling Hao was surprised to find that these newborn Humans had actually begun to spontaneously worship the gods: some prayed to Sulen for light, some to Shantiya for a bountiful harvest, and some to Amaunator for guidance.
Even more surprising was that this worship generated a faint feedback of faith. Although it was nowhere near as strong as that of other races, it was far more diverse.
"Human faith is so fragmented?" Shantiya felt puzzled.
Sulen, however, saw the positive side: "This proves they truly have the right to choose freely. Unlike other races, who almost entirely worship their own creators."
Ling Hao understood that this was one of the characteristics of humanity: pluralistic faith. In the game's setting, Humans could worship any deity and even create new ones themselves.
As time passed, Humans demonstrated an amazing ability to adapt.
They spread to every corner of Faerûn: establishing agricultural civilizations in the plains, learning to mine in the mountainous regions, attempting to hunt in the forests, and some even began building simple boats in coastal areas.
"Their expansion is too rapid," Corellon began to worry. "At this rate, territorial conflicts with other races will soon arise."
Moradin had already encountered problems: "Some human tribes have begun to settle near the Dwarven mountains, and occasional disputes over resources occur."
Gruumsh just laughed: "A good thing! My Orcish children need actual combat training."
Shantiya realized the problem: "Humans need guidance; otherwise, their potential may lead to destruction rather than construction."
Sulen proposed: "Perhaps we should designate a primary guardian deity for humanity?"
But this proposal was opposed by most of the gods. Amaunator said, "Designating a guardian deity would violate the original intention of their creation—free choice."
The gods fell into argument once again.
"Perhaps we should let go," Shantiya said suddenly. "Let Humansdecide their own fate."
Sulen nodded. "We provide light and guidance, but we do not force the path."
Thus, the gods reached a consensus: no specific guardian deity would be designated for Humans. All gods could accept human worship, but none could force Humans to believe.
This decision brought about an unexpected result: Humans began to choose their objects of worship based on their own needs. Farmers worshipped Shantiya, warriors worshipped Gruumsh, scholars worshipped Corellon, and judges worshipped Amaunator.
Some Humans even began to worship the Dragon God and other racial gods. This kind of cross-racial worship was unprecedented on the continent of Faerûn.
Ling Hao watched the development of humanity with satisfaction. Although it differed slightly from the game history he knew, the general direction was consistent.
However, he noticed Shar's shadow was quietly approaching the human tribes. Although the Goddess of Darkness did not intervene directly, she was secretly spreading fear, doubt, and suspicion.
Some Humans began to have nightmares, dreaming of darkness consuming everything; suspicion began to arise between tribes; some even began to worship the shadows, surrendering to the unknown powers of darkness