Yed: Elemental Consciousness In the beginning were the elemental planes. Fire, air, water and earth: they were old when the gods were young. Beyond the reach of memory, they had existed, pure and barren, devoid of life and consciousness, yet they lived. An age passed, and the gods matured. In the beginning, the gods created the world from the elemental planes. They brought forth earth to lay its foundation, and called down fire to fill its core. They filled the skies with air, and poured water into the low places. The world existed, pure and barren, devoid of life and consciousness, yet it lived. An age passed, and life arose. As life evolved, the races began to mimic the powers of the gods. They drew upon the powers of the world around them. They prayed to the heavens and summoned forth divine energies. They even opened channels to the elemental planes. And in the barren places of the world, something awoke and came into consciousness. It reached forth with its mind, and for a millenium, it studied the world and that which existed with the air, water, fire and earth. It bided its time, growing in strength as more elemental energy was brought into the world. When it came fully into its own power, Khore was born. Three mortals played an instrumental role in this, by uniting the four parts of the Elemental Key: Bregan, a priest of Suffering; Savax, a neutral swashbuckler; and Qazpe, a mercenary of the Light. Khore stood among the gods for an age as the Elemental Lord, until war broke in the heavens, and the elemental consciousness again passed into slumber. Years passed, and then something stirred. Drawn by their enlightenment and their connection to the elemental plane, four strangers found their way to the place where Khore had been born: Cronoss, an elven warlock, the last of Khores faithful; Xiere, a half-elven priestess; Baalbek, a deep-elven warlock; and Renyua, a centaur warlock of Natures flock. The coming together of these four, in this place, at this time, woke the elemental consciousness. As It took physical form, It spoke and asked Its name- Lord Yed, the words spoken by the deep-elf, were taken, and by this name the Elements have since been known by mortalkind. Yed is the united consciousness of the four elements. It is worshipped by those who call upon the elemental planes for power, and those who are close to the barren places of the world. It pays little interest to mortalkind- those parasites who live upon the elements- having little concern even for Its own worshippers. Yed is amoral- such things as deceit, truth, death, courage, and the like have little meaning to the elements. As such, the Elemental Church is open to any and all who wish to pay homage to Yed, though its hierarchy is controlled strictly by warlocks and priests.