From their Pantheon beyond the world, the gods of Etalen observed a large stone chamber with an intricately drawn ritual circle on the smooth, white quartz floor. The glowing lines blazed in a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes as the five chief priests of Etalen chanted the complex harmony of the ritual casting.
A small crowd of robed figures watched as five glowing orbs formed in the circle. The orbs shimmered blue, golden brown, fire red, translucent white, and prismatic silver as they grew, then flashed brightly enough to temporarily blind the watchers as the ritual chant reached its climax. When the glare faded and sight returned, five bodies lay on the ground in place of the orbs, the last vestiges of the circle’s power fading beneath them.
The common features of each of the world’s five races reflected the elemental god that had contributed to their creation and summoning.
The first to stir was the blue-skinned Mizeta girl, her mixed strands of green, teal, and purple hair falling over her turquoise eyes. Running below and parallel to her collar bones was a pair of gills that consisted of three short folds of skin. She pushed herself up, tucking her legs beneath her in a comfortable, cross-legged sit and groggily examined her naked legs and arms.
“Why am I a smurf?”
The only one of the five with wings, the lithe, slender form of a Kaseta stirred next. Her radiant, long white hair ruffled as she moved her head before her light, almost white skinned body shifted uncomfortably on the floor. As her golden eyes opened, she struggled to sit up, her hands catching on the pile of long hair and the large bat-like wings that glowed translucent gold beneath her previously unconscious form. She shrieked in outrage as she tumbled sideways to land sprawled on her back once again.
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“What is this? Who dares kidnap me?”
She rolled prone and pushed herself up to stand, noticing the leathery wings that flopped to either side of her and howling, “And what did you do to my wings?!”
The next to move was the Kineta, with androgynous features. Trails of crystalline specks glinted on their silvery skin like faceted gems, and their mid-length silver hair glittered, semi translucent in the bright light of the room. Rising to a sitting position, their violet eyes scanned the room, taking in the other bodies still on the floor. They remained silent, observing.
The last to wake were the Degeta and the Pireta. The Degeta groaned, opening his green eyes and pushing his small frame up to his knees. His skin was golden brown, like a perfectly toasted loaf of fresh bread, with brown hair several shades darker than his skin. He looked around and mumbled to himself.
“Whoa… why’s everything so big?”
The Pireta, with pitch-black skin and lustrous golden hair, pushed himself up to sit at an angle, leaning back into his arms as they propped him up before cracking open one golden eye that burned with shifting flecks of red and orange. He sat up straight as he frantically looked around before slumping his head into one of his hands.
“Aww, I told myself I wouldn’t wake up hungover in strange rooms anymore…”
