Dungeons and Difference
The Apocryphon of Mammet
In the days when the world of Lys was yet in its infancy and the darkness of night did rule, man fell prey to the creatures thereof. And lo, from the void a voice resounded, that of Lord Mammet, who spoke thus to Man: “Kindle the flame, gather thy kin, and ye shall be safe from the dangers of night,” for Lord Mammet took pity upon the fledgling denizens of the world.
And it came to pass that man obeyed Lord Mammet’s sage counsel and found that his instructions did keep them safe from the fell beasts of darkness, and so they prospered. They learned the art of cooking their sustenance, and feasted grandly. At one such feasting a household presented a portion of their bounty to Lord Mammet, in thanks for his guidance and protection. And Lord Mammet did receive these offerings and celebrations with grace.
But behold, the other divines were displeased, for they thought Mammet gave what was not his to give, and so they came forth to confront Lord Mammet, saying:
“The light of their fires is mine,” spoke Esamer.
“The shadows cast are mine,” spoke Esim.
“The heat of the flames is mine,” spoke Dyrim.
“The bounty of the land is mine,” spoke Amriska.
“The bounty of the sea is mine,” spoke Anum.
“The songs sung are mine,” spoke Eretu.
“The tales told are mine,” spoke Syba.
Mammet replied, “When ye left these pitiable beings to the mercy of the beasts, I taught them to thrive. I did not ask for any recompense, yet ye demand their offerings made in my name. What then is mine?”
And the assembled gods they considered his defense and, in the end, granted unto him the gift of Man’s mortality. And thus, Lord Mammet was pleased, for his gift was greater than all the offerings man could offer.
This is a bit of in-world text I wrote for my Riddlemire setting. It’s a bit more conventional than I typically like, drawing off of classical history than most of my other work. I usually throw religion into my settings and ttrpgs without much thought, but this was an effort to build with religion in mind. It was actually what set me on the path to build @gods_txt!