The Quuarmari sacred texts, found in nearly every tomb, that detail the Quuarmari beliefs and creation myth. Below are excerpts pieced together from several identical copies.

The Creation of the Earth

In the beginning, there was only the primeval night - an absence of light, sound, feeling, taste, and smell. And from this primeval night was born a spark, like unto that which springs from flint when struck. This spark was to become Sheptis-Kha, the Blinding Pharaoh Whose Eyes Cast Fire, but presently he was a mere child.

And Sheptis-Kha looked about him, and saw nothing, and heard nothing, and felt nothing, and tasted nothing, and smelt nothing, and was displeased at the primeval night. He mused long upon how he might rectify this displeasure, and from his thoughts sprang the Moon Brides, the fruits of his fantasies. And Sheptis-Kha was greatly enamoured of the flesh of his thoughts, and in this moment he was no longer a child. And he took them for his own, and from their union sprang the manifold layers of the earth, the sands, and the sky, and the multitudinous marvels of nature. And Sheptis-Kha was pleased by this, and cast his radiance upon his new earth, such that a thousand thousand seeds sprung from the sands and flourished under his burning gaze.

But Sheptis-Kha was still not fully satisfied, for upon his earth there was little movement save for the flow of the sands and the hush of the wind. He mused long upon how he might rectify this dissatisfaction, and from his thoughts sprang the Cunning Scarab, Eneru-Khaaten Whose Fingers Spawn Wonder. And Eneru-Khaaten looked upon his dream-father's sullen face and devised in his brilliance a method by which he might populate the earth with thinking, moving creatures that might provide joy for their lord and praise his might.

And Eneru-Khaaten descended to the bowels of the earth and carved with his mighty arms a workshop and forge there, from whence he began his Sacred Artifice. From stone he carved the frames for his creations, and from clay he molded their outer forms. With his breath he gave them life, and they issued forth from the earth and walked upon its sands with the wonder of newborn children. And Sheptis-Kha was overjoyed by the ingenious artifice of the Scarab, and vowed to love eternally the results of his labour. But of these thousand thousand men and beasts, he loved the Quuarmar best, for they percieved his brilliance and thanked him for it, every moment of their waking lives.

And thus was the earth created, and thus were the seeds that slept in its bowels awakened, and thus were its sands speckled with the manifold living creatures of Eneru-Khaaten's Sacred Artifice. And Sheptis-Kha descended underground every day to visit Eneru-Khaaten in his workshop, and does so even still. And the primeval night was banished to the deepest corners of Sheptis-Kha's domain, and there it was to stay for a thousand thousand years, until all beings save the Blinding Pharaoh himself had forgotten that such a thing had ever existed.
- From the first of the Ekastos Texts

The Battle with Khadis-Pasha

But in this time of peace and glory, there came slowly upon the creatures of the earth a great need, such as they in their innocence could not understand. In distress the Quuarmar called humbly upon Sheptis-Kha, and entreated him to address this need in whatever way he could. "For," said they, "this great unknown desire eats at our insides such that we are unable to give ourselves fully to the greatness of our Blinding Pharaoh, our thoughts being constantly cast inwards at our own discomfort."

And Sheptis-Kha mused long upon how he might relieve his subjects' pain, and from his thoughts sprang the Glittering Serpent Whose Coils Bring Plenty, Khadis-Pasha the sparkling snake lord. And Sheptis-Kha looked upon his dream-child and percieved that his glistening folds could bring great satisfaction to the creatures of the earth.

But Khadis-Pasha was aware of his dream-father's plans, and was too afraid and conceited to provide his consent, saying, "O Sheptis-Kha Whose Eyes Cast Fire, wherefore must I bear the burden of sating the needs of the works of the Scarab? Let Eneru-Khaaten care for his own children, and let me bear mine own offspring, that I might care for them instead!" Yet in his heart of hearts he vowed never to bear offspring, for to his eyes they seemed foul and covetous and ignorant.

And Sheptis-Kha's radiant eyes espied this trickery in his dream-child, and was enraged at his disobedience, for of all his creations, none had dared go against his will before that day. And Sheptis-Kha struck the Glittering Serpent a mighty blow, that his blood-waters broke and scattered upon the sands far below in a torrent. And the people below were sore afraid, for never before had they seen the blood-waters of a god spilled upon the earth, and they were in peril of drowning in the flood. Thus they cried from below, and their cries reached the ears of Sheptis-Kha in the midst of his wrath.

And Sheptis-Kha was aware of the danger his subjects faced, and he devised a plan whereby they would come to no harm and benefit greatly from Khadis-Pasha's disobedience. And as the Glittering Serpent sprang at him, he lifted his coils high above his head and dashed them to the ground far below, where they stuck and became the River Djatra.

And the people of the earth were overjoyed at their fortune, and Sheptis-Kha vowed that Khadis-Pasha would remain upon the sands for all the ages of the earth to come. And he declared a punishment for the Serpent's sin: "Henceforth shall ye bear offspring, yet shall ye be powerless to care for them. And many shall die, withering under my fiery gaze, and after a thousand thousand years of this ye shall finally be aware of the pleasure of caring for the children of your thoughts, yet shall ye never be granted this boon."

And thus was the River Djatra cast from the sky, and thus was the Glittering Serpent paid for his deceit, and thus was the wrath of Sheptis-Kha first incurred by a child of his thoughts.
- From the second of the Ekastos Texts

The Bargain with the Primeval Night

But one day it came to pass that a Shadow was cast upon the glorious lands of Sheptis-Kha, and this Shadow was first released by the children of Eneru-Khaaten in their ignorance. For it happened that in their travels of the earth they came by chance upon the hiding place of that first primeval night, that had made itself as small as it could be and hidden in the very smallest grain of sand for a thousand thousand years. And in that time it had grown upon itself, and had nursed its fear and its hatred of the Blinding Pharaoh until it could contain it no longer, whereupon it burst forth as Gebtis-Beshat, the Grasping Sorceress Whose Will is Death.

And the fiery eye of Sheptis-Kha was directed towards the dream-daughter of the primeval night, and in his heart of hearts he was sore afraid, for he had thought that none save he were able to bring forth children from their deepest dreams. And the Grasping Sorceress set upon the earth and all his children, and in her insatiable hunger she devoured a thousand thousand souls, and still she clamoured for more while the gods themselves trembled to see her gluttony.

And following her as she swept across the lands of the sun was her dream-father, the primeval night, and as it covered the lands it blotted out even the glorious rays of the Blinding Pharaoh, such that the few children who had been spared cried out in terror as the blackness fell around them. For they had never seen the night, and were sore afraid of the blackness it carried on its shoulders. But at last the entire earth was covered in blackness, and in that time the children of Eneru-Khaaten trembled in their dwellings lest they be found and devoured by the Grasping Sorceress who stalked the lands. And Sheptis-Kha was very much displeased by this, but strove in vain to light the blackness of the primeval night. And Gebtis-Beshat saw that the Blinding Pharaoh was burning with rage, and in her greed she came screeching from the shadow to devour him as well. Yet in this was her downfall, for who in all creation can extinguish the sun?

And the Grasping Sorceress was cast from the heavens by the fire and force of the dream-father of all, and she was greatly diminished, and the souls she had eaten were scattered about her and became fixed in the primeval night and glittered with great beauty. And in her terror at being struck down she agreed to this bargain with Sheptis-Kha: that the primeval night should be given a place to sleep behind the sky, and that Gebtis-Beshat should live with her dream-father at the edge of eternity and eat only the souls provided to her by Sheptis-Kha.

But when Sheptis-Kha descends each day to visit Eneru-Khaaten in his deep forge, the primeval night siezes its chance and covers the earth once more. And sometimes even today the Grasping Sorceress is seen to walk in secret amongst the children of the earth, and to devour souls to which she is not entitled. Yet sometimes also she may be entreated to return these souls to the care of the living, for a terrible price.

And thus were day and night separated, and thus was death brought to the lands of the sun, and thus were the Quuarmarand all the Scarab's children first shown the dreadful power of the Grasping Sorceress Whose Will is Death.
- From the third of the Ekastos Texts

The Three Sacred Gifts


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