long ass mythology

Long ago, there lived a Sun Goddess, who showered the planets with her brilliant light. All life worshipped her, for her light provided sustinence to all life that resided on the earth. She disguised herself among the people she loved so much so that she could understand all that happened, listen to the planet's worries. And she paid heed to the troubles, and did all she could to make sure life was enjoyable, for life was a precious thing to be shared among others.

She had many faces to wear, to show to her own people: The Nurturer, The Warrior, The Wordweaver, and The Joybringer. The Nurturer was kind and caring, her footsteps springing life of all kind as she walked the Earth. The Warrior was passionate, a defender against injustices, her fiery glare terrifying all who gazed upon her glory, and giving power to those who called upon it for just cause. The Wordweaver was like a grandmother, passing on the stories of the gods, the stars, and all life to others, a keeper of ancient histories and knowledge.  And the Joybringer... this facet brought happiness and love where she went, appearing in the worst of times to comfort those with heavy hearts. She encourages others to live, laugh, and love, even as their hearts mourn for things lost, to live through the turbulence and be able to smile and remember the fondest memories. She was the dawn that broke out from the darkest nights, a reminder that not all sorrows last forever.

The Goddess later realized that she alone could not regulate everything. She was but one person, after all! Besides, the Earth hardly changed a bit, stuck in one "season" all year and every day the same as the last. So she gave birth to three, each embued with a part of her aspects: the Nuturer gave birth to Vernalia, blessing her with her kindness and love of life. The Warrior passed on her passion to Summata, with all her fury and fiery power. And finally, the Wordweaver breathed life into Auternia, embroidering wisdom, knowledge, and the tales of many into her very soul.

When all three had awoken, the Sun Goddess said unto them, "Listen, and listen well, my children. You three bring the seasons unto the lands, who see little change in their world. Vernalia, you shall cover the world in flowers, telling farmers that it is time to plant their crops, and bring the gentle rains to the land to nuture them. Summata, you are responsible for making sure the crops get enough sunlight and bringing warmth to the world. And Auternia, you will bring in the cold, heavy rains and chilly winds as a reprieve from Summata's heat, and you alone will signal the time for harvest. You will rule for 1/3 of the year, each of you, starting with Vernalia. This way, it will no longer be so monotonous for the people below, and I will not have to do the roles of many when I am but one goddess. Understand?"

The three understood, and set off to do their jobs. Summata was jealous that Vernalia went first, so when his turn to reign began, he shined brighter than any other, bathing the world in heat. He tried his best to stand out, to the point where all life seemed to shrivel up. Vernalia and Auternia saw this, and brought in the rains to help cool off and sustain life in periods of drought, but this only made Summata angry.

 "Why do you interfere in my workings, sisters?" he asked angrily. "I am doing the world a favor, showing them all my glory and bathing them in my light! The plants thrive under my care! Without me, there wouldn't be any plants to harvest!"

 "But Summata," Vernalia said with worry, "You shine too brightly, for too long, and the life below can only take so much! You will make the crops wilt if you continue without allowing any rain to pass through!"

 Summata only became more furious as he snapped, "You lie! You only say this because you want more of the year to yourself! Is it not enough that you are first?!"

 "I am fine with my part of the year, but I worry that you will dry out the lakes and oceans, with how much you bathe the world in light!"

 Auternia added with a cold look, "And look: you have already caused plants to wither and die in some places, Summata. Do you care only for showing off and giving too much, rather than just giving enough?"

 "You too?!" the summer sage asked. "What do you know of giving enough, what with the heavy rains you bring! And that cold, nobody enjoys the cold, you see?"

 "But too much heat is dangerous, dear brother," she warned. "Have you been even listening?"

 And bicker and bicker the three sages did, all while the Earth was sweltering from the heat. From their spats and fights, hurricanes and tornados tore through the skies, and earthquakes and tsunamis unsettled the ground and seas. The fights calmed down through mid-fall through mid-spring, but near the end of Spring, the fights would start again, causing unrest among the Earth. And year by year, this continued on, and the Earth could not take it for very long. To make matters worse, it had not had a wink of rest, as after harvest in the Fall, it was back to preparing crops in the Spring. The soil became unfertile from overuse, and the droughts brought upon by Summata made deserts out of certain places.

 The Sun Goddess soon knew of this, upon one of her visits to Earth in guise, and even she began to worry. She did not know how much the endless cycle of growth and harvest would impact anything until she had seen how weary the earth was for herself. The near-endless droughts caused by Summata's passion and need to outshine his sisters was much worse than she had imagined. Feeling herself responsible for this, she sat down and gave thought to how she could solve the problem. A smile then crossed her face as the solution came to her, and she set off to meet with the sages she had given birth to.

 When the sages were gathered, she said, "You three, you must learn to cooperate with one another instead of bickering all the time. Your fights have gotten out of hand, and have left scars upon the Earth."

 "But they tried taking the year for themselves!" Summata complained. "And is it not my duty to bring light to the people? I have given them all the light they could ever want! How could it possibly be a problem to be showered in my divine glory?"

 With a sigh, the Sun Goddess became The Warrior and showed Summata what he had created: lands where rain could not reach, where water was a scarcity, where plants could no longer grow without drastic changes. She showed him the people and animals that strived to live on these lands, scouring for an oasis, a trickle of a small river, or even a single drop of water. She showed them the dessicated bodies of people who were starved and dehydrated in these unforgiving lands. And once she had shown him all that he had caused, The Warrior bellowed, "You have shown not a bit of moderation in how much light you have given them! Your pride and jealousy damned large places to be denied of Vernalia's and Auternia's rains! Your fights have caused needless pain and suffering and destruction, and I shall stand by it no longer!"

 Summata's spirits sunk as the Warrior continued, "You will continue to shine, but you must allow for your sisters to quell the heat and droughts you create with their winds and rain! You all must cooperate as one to ensure that life isn't destroyed from your fights! Do you understand?"

 "Yes, Sun Goddess," the three said in unison, although Summata was rather grumpy about how his sisters now shared a role in taming the Summer.

 The Goddess then became the Wordweaver and said calmly, "Now, there is the problem of the Earth wearing out..."

 "I noticed that!" Vernalia said with a hint of panic. "Even places without drought or anything have trouble growing plants, and the plants don't bloom as boldly!"

 "And even with my light, they don't seem to grow as strong as they could," Summata grumbled.

 "And the harvests are no longer as bountiful as many years past," sighed Auternia.

 The Sun Goddess nodded. "Indeed, you are all correct. The Earth grows weary; it has no rest between you three, endlessly bringing about growth, more growth, and harvests. The nutrients once rich in the soils are nearly gone. A dire situation lies ahead if it continues this way."

 "Then what do you suppose we should do?" asked the Autumn Sage, a tinge of worry penetrating her normally calm voice.

 It was at this moment the Goddess winked at her and said, "That, Auternia, falls onto me." She then disappeared, leaving the three sages in confusion.

 The trio waited and waited and waited for the Sun Goddess's return, wondering what she could possibly be doing at a time like this. When she returned, though, she returned with the face of the Joybringer, holding a bundle in her hands. They approached it carefully and saw the face of a child, with chubby cheeks and hair as white as clouds unburdened with rain. Auternia fell in love at first sight, eager to hold the bundle close to her heart. Vernalia wasn't quite sure how to react to this new bundle of joy, but Summata was outright furious.

 "You bring yet another into our circle?!?" he roared. "Is three not enough for you?! Have you lost that much faith in us?!?" He ripped the cloth right off of the child, leaving it plain to see that this was no ordinary child. No, he was much, much, much bigger than even Summata was as a child! "And you bring in an abomination, as well?!? How could you have fallen so far?!"

 The child began to cry, and the goddess replied coldly, "He is my son as much as you, Summata." She then snatched the cloth from Summata's hands and wrapped the giant babe, becoming the Nuturer as she coddled him and wiped away his tears. "He shall become one of you, sharing part of the year among you, and he will bring in the cold winds and snow that lulls the earth to sleep. I have given him the Joybringer's love and tenderness, the ability to spread joy in spite of the harsh cold he brings, in spite of all that he may lull to a permanent sleep. He will work between Autumn and Spring to allow the planet to rest, and for children to enjoy the holidays he may inspire. He will be the solution to our problem, and I shall love him as much as I love all of you."

 "But that means less time for me!" Summata snapped. "That's not fair! I never asked for this... this... thing!"

 "Then be glad that you and he shall never meet," came the calm reply. "For you are opposites in personality and function. You help bring growth, while he brings about rest. Vernalia and Auternia separate you two so that neither shall come face to face and cause issues among the likes you have caused your sisters."

 And while Summata did not like this, he accepted this for the time being. And so, the year was split into four seasons between the four sages, and finally, did the earth found the balance between work and rest.

For now, all knew peace.