She awoke on the eve of all creation,
Unfurled from her sack by the heat of expansion.
Disturbed by the unending motion of birth,
The Mother woke from an unending sleep,
And she found that which was before.
Infantile in its standing, she rejoiced.
And in her first moments did she puncture,
The fabric between the two realms,
One of blue, and one of red, from which all would flow.
From her motions came sacks,
Twelve others, not yet born
And they rested as she grew.
And then came the lights.
And with them a roar of burning.
And great balls of fire were born from gas and dust.
She rejoiced at their creation.
And around the furnances of creation came forth spheres of rock.
And spheres of gas.
And spheres of liquid.
And spheres of unending mixtures.
And she rejoiced at their creation.
The sky snaked out before her, unending rivulets of gas and dust.
She grew weary, from the celebration of that which she had borne witness.
So from the blue, and from the red, she wove a great place of slumber.
Upon a bed of stars and dust she slept.
And one by one the twelve awoke.
First came the Tyrant,
The Wrathful Hateful Sea,
And he did so despise all he saw,
So he plotted to slay the progenitor on her bed of stars.
To end everything with Banal, for once and for all.
Then came the Clockworks and the Dragon.
Machine and Flesh,
And there love spread long through blue and red,
But doomed it was as Flesh consumed worlds,
Seeding life and destroying Machine's endless works.
And so they raged in endless war.
Then came the unknown terror reaching beyond the veil.
Always five, always five, always five, always five, always five,
And many things were forgotten.
Then came the lover, the softness, the greatest friend.
And so great was their passion,
That the progenitor awoke,
And celebrated them in body and soul.
And they gave their heart to all,
So that Flesh and Machine and Rock and fire might know love.
And then came the wicked schemer
Cursed wielder of the number 7,
In all his scarlet sin and terror.
He saw no beauty
Nothing to be cherished
All should be ruled
And warped to sinful desire.
And so he plotted.
He schemed.
He Maneuvered the 7 to bring about her end.
But to destroy her would destroy everything he believed.
So await the 13th he did.
And the others awoke.
And plans came together.
Brothers in Dark and Light disagree they did.
Light feared her. Dark revered.
Brother imprisoned brother.
And the devourer of stars went to war with Light in retaliation.
And then the chainmaker woke.
And in that naescent hour,
The Scarlet Sinner sprung his trap,
Whispers in the Tyrant's ear,
Of the sweet relief of oblivion.
And so he assaulted the Progenitor in her hollow,
And she woke to confusion,
As the Tyrant took trident to essence.
Drowsy surprise bloomed into harshest rage.
And Teran, 2nd progeny of the plane, was sundered
And fled.
So great was this cataclysm
Many worlds were left barren
Galaxies scattered,
And in the end she, as the Scarlett Sin had so desired,
Was exhausted.
And he made his case to all,
"Look how dangerous she is."
"Look at the damage she wrought."
"For the good of all she must be contained!"
Six listened.
Two protested
Two did not listen
And one despaired for the horrors to come.
One was slain in the waning hours,
As the chains began their final wrapping.
And when they tightened she awoke.
And sent her heart bespoke,
To a distant jewel.
And there in the heart of dead stars,
Does she await,
The rejoining,
And shattering of those umbral chains.
-The Finnfolk Penumbra.
Who Are the Finnfolk?
Background in Orkney Folklore
In Orcadian mythology the Finnfolk are a race of merfolk who draw from many different traits and histories, both from the neo-lithic cultures that occupied the islands, and the more traditional Norse Finn mythologies. Finnfolk are typically depicted as crafty, sorcerous beings who abduct humans to serve as spouses, especially for young Finnwives so they may be prevented from turning ugly and old. The origins of their myths stem from the dual shamanistic nature of the Saami peoples of Northern Scandinavia, along with bleedover of the less pleasant traits of the Selkie. Abductions were likely the way in which Orcadian residents rationalized the disappearance of young fishermen in the often hostile seas of the Orkney Isles. In any case, the Finnfolk have one of the most extensive record in Orkney Folklore.
Finnfolk or Finfolk?
Either etymological spelling is acceptable when looking at Orcadian folklore. Both are used interchangeably though Finfolk seems to be the more common spelling. The exact reasoning for this is rather unclear, but may be due to the modern Orcadian dialect of English and/or the Old Norse Dialect of Orcadia. It is also entirely possible, due to the Saami origins of the Finnfolk myths, that the word was coined and/or used to describe invaders or raiders from the sea, possibly even the separate Finnish ethnic group. However this is rather unlikely as the term 'Finnish' is the English term for the ethnic groups that came to dominate the gulf of Finland.
Finfolkaheem
In Orcadian mythology, the Finnfolk originated from a massive, underwater city made of beautiful crystals and is often described as a mythical sensual paradise.
Hildaland
Hildaland was described as a mythical moving island, typically invisible or unreachable except by accompanying, or closely following Finnfolk. It was said to server as a summer home for the Finnfolk, until humans came and sanctified it, rendering it uninhabitable by the Finnfolk.
Who are the Finnfolk in this canon.
The Finnfolk are a race of amphibious Hominids, Homo aquarius, closely related to humans. More specific details about their anatomy can be found in existing articles, and perhaps eventually a GOI hub. The Finnfolk are exceptionally smart, and live nearly 10x as long as humans. They are highly magical beings, though not all of them are of the caliber necessary to be active mages. Finnfolk technology is complicated, and relies on advanced thaumaturgic technology and generation of "power" through linkages into the Astral Plane. This results in a fusion of imagery that sits somewhere between the pure fantasy of Atlantis the Lost Empire, and the Science Fiction of Mass Effect.
Finnfolk society is structured based on a hierarchy of needs. When not threatened by outside forces, it functions like a true meritocracy. The Finnfolk are typically egalitarian, and due to their advanced thaumaturgic capabilities, they live in what might be described as a paradise or utopia when not threatened by outside forces. Much like in their origin mythologies, their homes, cities, and technology is built using combinations of crystal and organo-metallic polymers, giving their structural and technological architecture an organic feel, where the thaumaturgy that flows through them brings them to life.
Finnfolk Society is capped by what could be considered a constitutional or regulated monarchy. In theory, the Queen/King of the Finnfolk serves as a figurehead, who signs and gives approval to legislation passed by a council of magisters representing various constituencies of Finnfolk Society.
As many of the nastier elements of the Finnfolk have been juxtaposed on the wiki into Selkie articles, the Finnfolk in the Orcadia Canon have been somewhat shuffled to distinguish them from the Selkie, while maintaining many of the core elements of their mythological background. The Finnfolk are tolerant of Humans, having once intermingled and been indifferent/friendly with them.
A combination of past events drove the Finnfolk from their terrestrial homes, leading to a large diaspora to more remote, aquatic/terrestrial environments, giving rise to many of the Merfolk myths. Many pockets of Finnfolk are thus, naturally secluded, and wary of human interaction due to the hostile past. By proxy, the Finnfolk are typically treated as threats or adversaries to many ancient GoIs due to their juxtaposed societal morals, and their relatively advanced technological and thaumatological state. In turn the Finnfolk do not get along well with groups like the Sarkics, the Mekhanites, Daevites etc. as separately, each civilization contributed to the decline of greater Finnfolk territory.
Background
The history of the world in Seas of Orcadia closely mirrors the history of our own, with notable and profound shifts in when events in the ancient world occurred. Shielded by the veil; however, these events are poorly documented, and in some cases, entirely unknown to the average Foundation researcher. This section will contain a general timeline and description of what is traditionally considered pre-history. These events have been collated by Foundation and Finnfolk historians to paint an effective picture of the forces shaping the world. Events may shift or be revised as individuals contribute to the canon.
2 million - 100,000 BCE
Thanks to improved fossil records, and access to extant Finfolk populations, metagenomic lineage tracing has identified 2.1-2 million BCE as the divergence point for the lineage of Homo aquarius. Having descended from 5 distinct populations of Homo erectus who settled in and around what is now the Mediterranean Sea, the Iberian Peninsula, Southwestern France, Doggerland, and the Isle of Great Britain. These Homo erectus sub-populations appear to have been subjected to rapid selection conditions for both adaptation to harsher climates and more aquatic traits for reasons that remain largely unelucidated and may be anomalous in nature. However, meta-genomic analysis indicates natural, if accelerated development of aquatic traits likely due to a population bottleneck roughly 2.1 million years ago.
Genetic exchange between communities appears to have propagated the characteristic development of fins, scales, and gills. The appearance of enlarged cavities in the shoulders and neck containing a second layer of deployable epidermis remains unexplained. The origin point of these traits and populations has been traced to a community of individuals living on what is now the Santorini Atoll, which was; historically, outside of Homo erectus' known migration range.
Precursors to the Daevite sub-species begin displaying anomalous traits. They are driven from Africa into the middle east.
100000 - 15000 BCE
Homo aquarius populations shift in a northward migration away from the European continental interior towards exclusively coastal and river settlements, and occupation of the majority of Doggerland, the British Isles, and the Scandinavia coast. First elements of Finnfolk language begin to appear, though recovered tablets and markings remain largely undecipherable even to modern Finfolk scholars. Finnfolk populations remain relatively small in comparison with Homo neanderthalensis, Denisovan, and migrating Homo sapien populations. During this period Homo aquarius experience rapid increase in average height.
The Santorini Atoll remains inhabited by an increasing population of Homo aquarius.
15000 BCE - 3000 BCE
14900 BCE - The first decipherable words of 'old' Finnfolk appear. Finfolk society first domesticates several species of semi-aquatic grains, allowing for more permanent settlements. Hunter-gatherer groups begin accumulating in settlements leading to refining of agricultural and processing techniques. Finnfolk populations grow at a moderately faster rate, but remain low compared to the relatively recent populations of modern humans.
???? BCE - Members of the 'Finnfolk' sub-population of Homo aquarius domesticate █████████ ██████ a previously undescribed megafauna species of arthropod. They begin construction of a settlement on its back.
11000 BCE - Various Homo aquarius develop unique crystal lattice work shelters made of corundrum at roughly the same time.
10900 BCE - Multiple Homo aquarius settlements develop crude smithing methodologies for organo-metallic polymers that would not be developed by human societies until well past 1800 CE. This marks the beginning of the infamous 'plateau' of early Finnfolk society.
10000 BCE - The Daevite sub-species of modern humans finish their migration and settle on the Eurasian steppe.
9500 BCE - The Homo aquarius settlement at Santorini develops several highly nutrious agricultural aquatic plant species which are exported to Finnfolk settlements in the north by sea.
9000-8000 BCE - Mekhanite pre-cursors arrive in ancient Greece and Turkey. First signs of mechanization appear somewhere between 8800-8500 BCE, leading to the construction of a series of megalithic structures at Göbekli Tepe. A comparable divide in early Mekhanite culture occurs, as many groups migrate to the Yellow and Yangtze River valley's in China.
8500-8000 BCE - Daevite populations experience a massive agricultural revolution, and discover advanced thaumaturgic manipulation of botanical elements. Populations explode, and the Daevites rapidly develop new technologies dependent on woodworking and botany. the first Daevite matriarchies arise and organize the first hierarchical communities which will become the Daevite Empire.
7900 BCE - Gobekli Tepe is hurriedly abandoned and backfilled. Modern Archaelogists believe this was due to loss of importance to local communities, but deeper digging has revealed heavily damaged and destroyed mechanical components.
7500 BCE - The first Daevite Empire forms, encompassing the modern day territories of Eastern Ukraine, Muscovy, the Caucuses, and most of eastern Kazakhstan.
7200 BCE - The first Daevite empire collapses after a protracted campaign against the united early Mekhanites, overstretching their supply lines. Early forms of Chemical warfare devastate large swathes of the Daevites primary food producing agricultural regions leading to mass famine and revolt.
7100 BCE - The Second Daevite Empire is founded by the Daeva's following a century of civil wars. Staple aspects of Daevite culture are solidified as pillars of Daeva society. The Empire choses to focus its expansion to the East and North, maintaining tense relations with the Mekhanites.
7000 BCE - Daevite colonizers come in contact with members of the Homo aquarius sub-group referred to as the 'Selchi'. Old Finnfolk records indicate a tense trade relationship begins that softens after a period of 500 years.
6900 BCE - The Second Daevite Empire begins a policy of taking conquered peoples as slaves, and deporting them for labor in west, opening occupied lands in the east for colonization. Daevite botanical thaumaturgy reaches near industrial revolution levels of efficiency in day to day life. Worship of the "old gods" including the Scarlett King is made the official state religion, blood thaumatology combined with botanical practices becomes commonplace in daily life.
6800 BCE - Pre-Hellenistic/Pre-Mycenian Mekhanite Western Orthodoxy concedes control of Middle Eastern border regions with the Daevites due to large scale plagues weakening Mekhanite successor states.
6500 BCE - The First Chinese Dynasties appear, the Lijiacun Dynasty, driven by Eastern Orthodox Mekhanite worship of the clockwork goddess Mekhane and her crusade against her lover Yaldabaoth.
6200 BCE - The Children of the Sun split from the Eastern Orthodox Mekhanites and begin worship of the Sun Eater. They migrate to Southeastern Asia and vanish into the jungles of southern China and Vietnam.
6100 BCE - Knowledge of the failures of the First Daevite empire pass out of history into legend due to a Daevite cultural revolution putting more power into the hands of the Daeva. The Third Daevite Empire is created.
5900 BCE - The third Daevite Empire encounters the Eastern Orhtodox Mekhanite Lijiacun Dynasty. The second Daevite-Mekhanite war begins, and ends after 50 years. Neither side gains significant ground.
5700 BCE - Descendants of slaves taken by the third Daevite Empire forsake worship of Mekhane and begin practicing precursor beliefs to proto-sarkicism. Due to harsh repression, most practictioners are used as human sacrifices.
5500 - 5000 BCE - Worship of tenants beginning to resemble proto-sarkicism spreads among Daevite slaves. It warps from the original teachings. Some sects begin quietly practicing fleshwarping.
5000 BCE - The First Chinese Eastern Orthodox dynasty collapses. The Yangshao dynasty is founded.
4500 BCE - The Third Daevite Empire reaches its Zenith, stretching from the Baltic Sea in the west, to Mongolia in the East.
4400 BCE - Western Orthodox Mekhanites colonize the island of Crete. The Finnfolk at Santorini complete the 13th ring of ███-████'s pre-cursor structures as many Finnfolk eschew their traditional sea and coastal grottos in the face of increasing Human and Mekhanite presence in the Mediterranean to live in safety.
4200 BCE - Trade is established between Santorini and early Egyptian/Minoan precursors as well as early Mesopotamian groups. Rising territorial tensions between Humans and Finnfolk are eased by sharing of agricultural techniques.
4100 BCE - The Third Daevite empire initiates a war against the Yangshao dynasty in the pursuit of slaves and wealth and territory for its expanding population. Many slaves begin openly expressing belief and worship of tenants of proto-sarkicism and are referred to by Daevite historical sources as the first "Sarkics" according to intercepted communiques by Western Mekhanite sources. Progroms begin against these groups.
4000 BCE - Massive slave revolts in the western territories of the Third Daevite Empire leads to a large swath of territory overthrowing Daeva authorities. This segment of territory stretched from modern day Budapest in the south, as far as Riga in the West, As far as Kiev in the East, to Novogorod in the north. These became known as the 'Sarkic' States, and were led by Grand Karcist Ion and the Klavigars.
3999 BCE - Adytum is built by the Proto-Sarkics and is hailed as a paradise.
3950 BCE - The settlement that will become Alagadda is founded.
3900 BCE - Finnfolk traders become well known in the Baltic, North, Mediterranean, and Black Sea regions for their unique trade goods, foodstuffs, and fluency in many Human, Mekhanite, and Daevite dialects.
3875 BCE - An attempt to conquer and convert the 'Selchi' tribe of Scandinavian Finfolk began.
3874 BCE - An army of 5000 Finnfolk warriors lead by Matriarch Jörð the First arrived to break the siege. The Finfolk force proceeded to defend a mountainous pass in the narrow Fjords from a Sarkic force 4 times its number.
3874 BCE - An equal sized Daevite force arives less than a week after the defeat of the Sarkic forces. The Finnfolk rout them.
3873 BCE - The Pact of the Bleeding Sky is forged on the shores of Mainland Orkney between the five Finnfolk tribes.
3700 BCE - The Third Daevite empire collapses on the night of the starry blooms.
3500 BCE - The Fourth Daevite empire is founded after conquering fractured successor states.
3500-3200 BCE - 300 years of relatively tense peace between various portions of the 'anomalous' ancient world. Modern humans enter the bronze age and begin founding the first city states in Mesopotamia.
3200 BCE - Triemedes the Fierce is born in Hildaland.
3150 BCE - The first Trojan War begins in Anatolia between Sarkic and Greek Orthodox Mekhanites.
3120 BCE - The Fifth Trojan War begins, Daevite, Sarkic, Greek Orthodox Mekhanites, Early Egyptian dynastic and Early Minoan armies clash around the city.
3105 BCE - Minoan Greek representatives appeal to the Five Tribes council of the Finnfolk in Hildaland for aid. Tiremedes the Fierce is deployed with 10000 Finnfolk to Troy.
3101 BCE - Ion and the Klavigars arrive at Troy. Bumaro arrives at Troy. Yaldabaoth and Mekhane are awoken and descend upon the battlefields. They seal each other, leveling the fortress city of Troy, after intervention by an unknown force.
3100 BCE - Teran awakens. Hildaland is shattered and sunk beneath the waves, and the Five tribes council of the Finnfolk destroyed.
3100-3000 BCE - The Sealing Wars. SCP-4700 and ███-████-██ are constructed at Santorini following a Finnfolk magi-tech revolution. Triemedes is crowned as the first Monarch of the Finnfolk, and the council of Magisters established.
3000 BCE - The Terrible 7 are bound beneath an Orcadian Astral sky by SCP-001.
DrBleep
MrWrong
NatVoltaic
