Every living creature across creation knows where they were and what they were doing when the Aether Throne was shattered. Time slowed to a crawl and all found their vision transported to the home of the gods in this realm - a massive temple built in Saint’s Hold, the Conflux of Creation. A hall with a ceiling hundreds of feet tall, an illusory representation of all creation above, tinged purple at the edges hinting at a danger that the gods hold back.

  There, the seven thrones lie. Each thirty feet in height and sitting upon them - the Artificial Gods themselves; far larger than a mere mortal, a projection of their titanic power. The siblings created by the Arch God Caelum, long ago.

  The throne of white marble, resplendent with gold inlay; a pristine and modest, but regal design with a flared back. A woman is seated here; bronze skin, eyes of piercing gold, and a halo around her head shining as bright as the sun - Lux, the lady of light.

  To the left of Lux; a throne of red quartz, hewn from a single titanic slab dredged up from the bowels of the ground beneath. Inlaid with precious gemstones and rubies, jagged and sharp like the monolith itself. Seated here, a muscular and imposing figure girded in dark red plate armor with an open faced helmet; a stalwart expression upon her face - Terra, the mountain.

  Last on the left is a seat of blue; bright as the azure sky and deepening to the darkest near-black. A stool in shape, but nestled in a large pool of water girded with sapphires and fractal-patterns of silver inlay. Her face was narrow and angular; a visage of the storm itself. Dark, full of sorrow, vengeful, but bringing renewal once the fury passes - Aqua, the tidecaller and waveshaper.

  On the right of the hall, opposite Lux; a throne made from smoky black crystal. No inlays, no fancy designs. Pure, simple, crystalline darkness. A woman with skin black as the night sky, her eyes an unsettling red with no iris, and a mischievous smile belying her sweet and cruel nature, Umbra the lady of shadow.

  To her right; a throne of bark and branches seemingly formed from a single mighty oak tree that has been shaped and bent. A woman with a cheerful demeanor interspersed with outbursts of excitement as the various forest creatures under her command play at her feet. A flock of birds sing along with Caeli, the lady of the winds and wilds.

  Last but most certainly not least; a simple wooden chair - albeit as large as the other thrones in size - of a dark mahogany. A bonfire roaring in a brazier lighting an imposing figure from below; a mound of muscle from millenia of swinging smith's tools. The most sociable and approachable of the gods sits stroking his large beard, his deep-set eyes and furrowed brow the only indicator that he is in turmoil. Ignis, flame of innovation.

  At the far end of the hall, the throne of Crystallized Aether - the throne of the lost Arch God, Caelum. Empty.

  As all creatures attended this marvel, which many would never see again in their lives, the light conversation between the gods ceased, and their gazes turned to the place where all of their beloved creations viewed them from. Ignis cracked a smile and his eyes lit up with hardly-contained glee. "Ah, good! We can get started" his voice boomed across the chamber.

  "We have an announcement, and every creature within our domains must attend," the cheery voice of Caeli rang out, following up her brother’s voice.

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  "Yes...that we do. I hope that all of you, our worshippers, our...devoted subjects, are ready," Umbra chimed, her words rolling from her lips.

  Lux stood and paced to the throne of Aether at the end of the room. "All creatures across Heimfold," her voice boomed out with the clarity and resolve of one who had seen many an argument and settled them definitively, "Witness." As she spoke, she raised her fist and a hammer made of a clear crystal appeared in her grip. Each god raised their own palm and a stream of energy went from them into the hammer held aloft. The weapon glowed with light that flashed across the entire spectrum of colors. With a shout, Lux brought the hammer down onto the Aether Throne, smashing both to pieces. The Shards dispersed from the blast and scattered across the room before flying through the building walls itself - phasing through the edifice.

  Lux dropped the hilt of the now broken hammer, speaking swiftly but assuredly, "Grief will have its time and place, but not now - not with The Void threatening all of us. Caelum, the most powerful of us and the eldest, whose essence suffused his throne, is gone." She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, "His power contained within this throne has been returned to the fabric of creation...to all of you."

  Terra immediately stood and brusquely spoke with a gutteral tone; "Some of you are going to become New Gods. We need more to fight against the encroaching Void. It grows stronger." As she finished talking, Terra vanished into the air.

  Umbra stood and spoke next, her voice sinister and sweet, filled with honey and venom; "Some of you will be chosen by Aether Shards. If you are chosen, it will reside in your body, alongside your heart. You will gain powers - some we ourselves do not have. However, in order to join us and help us fight The Void, you must grow strong. To do so, you will need to grow your own Shard through experiencing trials and hardships...or…" her voice trailed off for a moment before she licked her lips and continued, "you will need to take them by force." She laughed and vanished into a dark mist.

  Lux shook her head in disgust and looked at the observers, "Go, and make your mark on the world." After speaking she disappeared in a glimmer of light.

  A gust of wind blew through the chamber as Caeli jumped from her throne and skipped to the end of the hall to the now empty dais. "Be chosen by a Shard, claim fate by the cards, find your way through the day, gather worshippers to pray! Create your own afterlife, join us in our fight," her melodic voice rang out as she vanished with a giggle. Ignis sighed and stood up once more, stepping towards Aqua with a comforting look and hand outstretched. The goddess of water stood and embraced Ignis before separating and stepping into the pool of water, vanishing into the depths. The most caring of the gods, the lady of the sea could not even bring herself to address all of creation from the grief she felt.

  Once more, Ignis turned to those assembled to observe. "If you are chosen, and you are lost, come here to Saint’s Hold and stand before our thrones for guidance. We can offer some help." He kneeled down and shrank in size, changing from a once towering form to that of a regular man. His voice became softer, and more reassuring - his broad smile bringing a sense of safety, "I know this is shocking news, and it will take time to adjust. But I know that those of you who are chosen are going to do great things. Test your abilities, test your skills against new challenges, find allies, and grow stronger together. But most importantly come to terms with who you are. You can only be an effective god if you are true to yourself. Your power will change you…be ready." He vanished into a column of smoke and flame.

  Vision returned to the eyes of all who had just borne witness. Each creature within the whole of creation found their sight back where they once were as time resumed. Days passed, and reports cropped up here and there of fantastic wonders being performed by creatures all across Heimfold - from the Essence Isles to Moonsorrow Bay. New Gods, born from the Shards of the Shattered Throne, making their mark upon the world.