Darvil was working his way around the common room of the inn with a heavy tray full of tankards of ale balanced on one hand. It was a good evening at the Gryphon. The weather had been fair of late and in the lands around the city the harvest was well underway and the yields were strong. He glanced into one of the darker corners of the room. Still sitting deep in the shadows was a new customer. He had been drinking for hours now, barely speaking, just nodding and passing over his gold when asked if he required more ale. The gold was good, at least as far as Darvil could tell. An itinerant thaumaturge wandering through years ago had taught him a charm to test his coins. Behind the bar he kept a small box with true gold, silver and copper along one edge. Throw a coin in the box and say the charm and it slid to the corresponding metal. As a rule Darvil didn't care much for magic, but business was business, and for the last 10 years there were so many different kinds of coins showing up in customers pockets that he felt it was necessary. Darvil set a new tankard in front of the .... well, he wasn't quite sure if the customer was man or woman. To be honest he wasn't quite sure that the customer was human. The androgynous figure had a lithe body almost too thin and too tall for a human, and he certainly wasn't an elf. As he collected the empty tankard, Darvil heard the creature muttering over and over to himself " but I'm a god, a god..."
Darvil shook his head and laughed. "Well, maybe you've had enough of my ale for today?"
The customer looked up at him, waved his hand, and looked expectantly around the room. A slight breeze moved through the room and the candles flickered on their holders. "I am Lothnek, I control the winds, I shape mountains, men worship me." he said in confusion. "I heard my name being exalted by my followers, lead by one of my priests, begging for my intercession. Being a loving and benevolent god I chose to answer. Wouldn't they delight in my notice and glorify me all the more. I appeared before them and set the winds in motion to move a fire threatening their fields in another direction. Suddenly another being materialized, Iotholar, claiming he was the god of the winds. Long has it been since I had been in battle but my anger was aroused and I called my windlords to battle! But they didn't appear. I had but this small group of followers, one village. How their pleas even reached me I don't know. Iothaolar has thousands for every one of mine and he just laughed. Suddenly the winds would no longer do my bidding. I don't understand, I don't understand. Why am I here? What am I to do...." Lothnek had let his head dropped into his hands on the table. His body racked with ...a sob? Looking up with deep unhuman eyes he wimpered" Would you like to worship me?"
Darvil had some sympathy for the creature, not that we had any thoughts of falling to his knees in front of him." You should be thankful" he told Lothnek. "have you heard the tale of Sarna? No? Well let me tell you a story that came through here last year." Darvil set the tray down and pulled up a chair. "Somewhat like you, Sarna the Sky god in the kingdom of Hroff, chose to answer a call from his faithful. Hadn't been heard from in ages so imagine their astonishment. As they were asking for his aid he started glowing, getting brighter and brighter. Some say he began yelling out in pain as his form started shifting. The light got so bright everyone had to close their eyes and look away. When the light dies down there are two beings present. Sarna and some woman no one knows. Claims to be Celenath the day god, god of the sun. Sarna now claims to be the night god, god of the moon and stars and acts like nothing has happened. Well imagine the priests confusion. And it gets worse. Next to Hroff is a large elfland of King Imlarhan, and the elves well they have their own sun goddess -Galairidon. Now Celenath and Galairidon don't like each other and started struggling for supremacy. Miles of territory between Hroff and the elflands get plummeted into darkness as they struggle over who controls the sun. Finally Celenath demands that Hroff raise its troops and march to war, and Galairidon demands the same of Imlarhan. Now for years the Men of Hroff and the Elves have been friends, but the two armies assemble and head to battle. The fight rages,men and elves are littering the battle field, but the land between Hroff and the elves had been dark for months and before the battle's been won by either side a huge force of goblins and orcs attacks them both. Why not? since they are perfectly happy with the darkness. Well, the men and elves end up joining forces to fight the goblns and send them running, but what a mess. After that Galairidon and Celenath reached a compromise. Galairidon kept control of the sun while Celenath choose to specialize in weather. Of course one of these days those northern barbarians and their thunderer are going to find out and where will Hroff be then? Not to mention the fact that Sarna's consort, Fairedorn, the earth goddess is feeling more than a little confused at the moment. So you see, it really could have been worse for you." Darvil chuckled as he picked up the tray and headed back to the bar.