Here's the mythology- it's what all the races hold in common. The gods' names are pulled from the d&d mythos, but are NOT the same god. I'm just lazy with names. Different races and groups view the gods in different ways.
Mythology Part 1
Spoiler
Show
(Creation)
In the beginning, there was Earth and Air, and Water between them, and there was Light and Dark, and Fire between them. The world was a lifeless disc, and none walked on its surface. And then the elements sparked to life, intelligence in each one.
Moradin walked first, and was of Earth. He is strong, and steadfast, and does not waver from any cause he has.
Faenya was second, and was of Air. She is powerful and changeable, the most unpredictable of all.
Eldath was third, and was of Water. She is deep, and slow, and wise. She is the most patient of all, and will not cease at any task, no matter what one may think.
Zaaman was fourth, and was of Fire. He is passionate, and deadly, and capable of great things.
Pelor was fifth, and was of Light. She sees all things equally, and does not offer judgement readily.
Nerul was last, and was of Dark. He was different from the others, hidden in his thoughts and conflicted.
These gods, the First Ones, walked the world, and were bored by it. They put out life, but it died, and they were alone again. They shaped the world then, bringing forth mountains and rivers. They sent pieces of themselves, the smaller gods, to different places of the disc, and gave it variance.
They shaped themselves abodes at this time. Moradin sat in the mountains, in his fortress of stone. Faenya made herself an iridescent castle in the clouds. Eldath went to the edge of the world, and there made himself a vast home of ice. Zaaman said he needed no home, and wandered the world in freedom. Pelor made a moving castle, emitting brilliant light, that wandered the rim of the world. Finally, Nerul was left to look for a home, but there was nowhere left to look. He finally sat at the very center of the disc, and wept, for he was different than the others, and did not belong. At this time, Pelor came to him, but Light drives away Darkness, and he had nowhere left to go. He scattered, destroyed beyond hope. The core of the world where he sat was gone, scattered to either side. It was a ring now, with debris on either side, and much the same as it is today. Light cannot exist without darkness, though, and Nerul's power remained in the world.
(The Races)
The gods looked at the world they had made, and tried again for life. This time they combined their powers, two by two, to bring forth intelligence. Of Fire and Water were Humans, ever conflicted, changeable, and brief. Of Earth and Fire were the Dwarves, a solid race, with deep tempers. Of water and Air were the Elves, graceful, and deep in thought and emotion. Of Air and Fire were the Gnomes, a free and passionate race. The Centaurs were of Earth and Air, a steadfast race, but bent on freedom. The Trolls were of Earth and Water, a cold and deadly race. Lastly, the Dragons were of all the gods, the most varied of all the races. Pelor refrained from bringing forth more life, still in grief over the death of her brother. And into each and every race crept a small part of the darkness that was Nerul.
(Lolth and Orthos)
After the races were created, they moved about the world, and stirred the darkness. The darkness noticed them, and was moved. It pulled together, and tried to be Nerul again, but was too conflicted, too changed. At last it settled on two forms, and became Lolth and Orthos. As different as was possible they were. Lolth was hatred incarnate, the darkness that threatens to consume. She remembered the pain that Pelor had caused, and declared her everlasting war. Orthos, though, remembered his love for Pelor, and knew how she had wept. He became the guardian of the dark, and still remains, guiding those who are lost as Nerul once was. He opposes Lolth in all she does, but, as is his nature, loves her as he loves all life.
Orthos revealed his existence to the other gods, but out of love for his sister, knowing that the gods would not permit war to be made upon them, hid her existence from them, as she did.
The nature of these two affects the races more than anything. They are the conflict that all feel inside, between good and evil. Some are born with Orthos in their hearts, some are balanced between the two, and some are born with Lolth inside.
(Lolth and the Drow)
Lolth looked at the world, and saw the races. She saw how their belief made the other gods strong, and lusted after power. She wanted no part of the other gods' works, and at first tried to create her own. This went as the first attempts had gone, but corrupted by Lolth. From her came the first monsters, the first creatures born of horror. Next she stole of the other races, and thus created the Drow. The elves' bodies and lifespan she stole, the passion of the humans, the steadfastness of the dwarves, the cunning of the gnomes, the drive of the centaur, and the deadliness of the trolls. Of dragons she would have no part; too free and changeable were they. Inside the drow she expunged all part of her brother, and left nought but hatred in their souls. And then in the belly of the earth she had her people, and they believed in her.
Mythology Part 2
Spoiler
Show
(Moradin and the Goliaths)
Moradin is a proud god; and proud of all he does. He is especially proud of his mortal children- the dwarves, the centaurs, and the trolls. He is as a proud father- he thinks no ill can come of his children, and worries over them, that they might come to harm.
The drow came to his attention, slowly. He heard whispers, rumors through the earth itself, of evil creatures destroying and corrupting all they could. Moradin has little thought for that which is underground; it is a domain he shares with Zaaman, and Orthos, and Eldath. But he worried for his children, especially the dwarves, as they dwelled underground, and near the source of these rumors. He told them to beware the depths, and they heeded his word, and he told them to arm themselves, and they heeded his word, and he told them to defend themselves, and again they heeded his word. It was not enough for him, though, and he sought another way to protect his children.
It was during this time that he came across a drow. He captured it as a cat might capture a mouse, and examined it. He saw they were lithe, and beguiling, and cunning with poisons and knives. This worried him, for his children were hardy, but ill-equipped to deal with such a thing. He sat, and pondered, and eventually came to a decision. He fashioned a new race, one more his own than any previous. He took from the trolls their stony build and deepness of thought, and from the dwarves he took their hardiness and their sense of kin. He fashioned from these the first Goliaths. They were large, and had a deep sense of purpose, and a way of hearing what was meant instead of what was said. He looked on them and was glad, for they could deal with the drow should the need arise.
(Pelor and Orthos and the Creation of Souls)
Pelor mourned still for the death of Nerul, and was distant from the other gods. Orthos she especially avoided, as he reminded her deeply of Nerul. Orthos came to her one day, and asked what troubled her, and she responded that she could not bear the loss. He comforted her, and tried to help her through her sadness, but he could not. At last he had to stop, or risk losing himself in her troubles. Pelor's ire rose at this, that he thought her beyond saving, and she set out to make sure that none had to endure what she had again, that no loss was permanent. She went first to the humans, for their nature was least foreign to her, and she took an infinitesmal part of herself, and split it amongst them. In each of them it took hold in the heart, and was forever imprinted with their personality and memories. When two humans had a child together, these pieces of Pelor would make a third, equal to the others, and it was the child's. Pelor went next to each of the races in turn, and gave the same gift to them. When the mortal bodies are deceased, these souls come to Pelor's home, circling the world, and mingle, finding their loved ones to join for eternity.
Mythology Part 3
Spoiler
Show
(The Powers of the Gods)
The gods had created the races, and moved to their respective abodes, and for a while, things were peaceful. The races grew and learned and flourished, and they worshipped their creators. After a time, the gods noticed a strange thing. What the mortals believed of the gods soon came to be. Some dwarves believed Eldath to be evil, and she was, and yet some humans worshipped her as the most benevolent god, and she was that, too. This happened to all the gods, and it disturbed and worried them. They believed themselves above the whims of mortals, and knew not what to do.
(The Dragons)
The dragons were the pentultimate creation of the gods; their most perfect race. They were wise, and cunning, and powerful, and above all, immortal as the gods. They had great power, and the mortals knew of them, and revered them, yet this did not affect the dragons as it did the gods. This intrigued the gods, for they wished to no longer be plagued by the whims of mortals. They went to the oldest of the dragons then, whose name is long forgotten, and is known only as First. They asked him if he knew why this was so, and he answered that the gods were too changeable in nature, too malleable, and not fixed as dragons were. Mere thought was enough to alter the nature of a god, First said. This angered the gods, and they withdrew to counsel.
(The Dragon War)
The gods decided the dragons had some plot afoot; to usurp and destroy the gods for what ends they did not know. They attacked the dragons then, and thus began the Dragon War. The lesser races knew not what happened then, and thought it the end of times. Lakes were boiled and mountains were razed and still the gods and dragons fought on. At last it came to pass that First pinned Zaaman, and held him still, but did not make the final blow. The gods saw this, and understood that there was no plot, that the dragons did not covet their position. They knew First had spoken truth about their nature. He told them then that not only were they malleable, but this weakness came from their power- the ability to shape and change the world was what made them weak to mortals' whims.
(The Withdrawal of the Gods)
At last the gods knew what had to be done. They drew out their power, the raw essence of it, and wrapped the world in it, and made it known to mortals as magic. And they poured their control of the world into six various artifacts, and bestowed one each on all the eldest metallic dragons, and First, who had no color. These artifacts, the Hammer of Moradin, the Blade of Zaaman, the Shield of Faenya, the Eye of Pelor, the Cloak of Orthos, and the Armor of Eldath are said to be the most powerful magics still in this world, and the eldest dragons guard them jealously. They have allowed great warriors to wield them on occasion, the warriors everyone knows from legend, but those days are long gone. None still know where the dragons slumber, or what the artifacts are capable of. With their powers given to the world, and no longer theirs, the gods retired, and now reside with the souls of the dead in Pelor's wandering abode, forever watching the world, but never again to set foot on it. They were content, except for Orthos, as he knew that Lolth yet remained, and had her power, and he knew that none could oppose her now.