Chapter 30

Historic Reference File #6908345G -- The Metheonic Rise

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The Metheons were a successful nomadic tribe for hundreds of years. When most of civilization began settling in cities, the Metheons were content to roam the plains. As more of civilization began to settle into cities, the acres of plains became fewer. Encroaching cities began to build on what the Metheons viewed as their land.

The city settlers, however, did not view the land on which they settled as belonging to the Metheons. Since they had built their cities, the city and the territory around it were theirs. Many of these settled cities began to have skirmishes with the Metheons. Since the Metheons were mainly nomadic, they were not prepared for these altercations. The Metheons did not understand the mindset of the city dwellers, who seemed not to fight for honor. Neither did the Metheons have the technology to fight the settlers. After suffering heavy losses, and finding most of the land the Metheons had roamed for centuries suddenly off limits, the band settled down into an insignificant corner of what was once their vast dominion.

The Metheons never settled into city life. The Metheonic mythology tends to reflect how they viewed their city. The Metheons appeared to believe in a spirit they referred to as Cowl. According to the myth, Cowl had put the Metheons on a vast plane where they had the freedom to roam. Over time, the Metheons had begun to take this privilege for granted. Their attitude upset Cowl, and so he had invited others to the land who might remember to express their gratitude better than the Metheons. Since the Metheons had lost Cowl's favor, they must abide in the city until they regain his trust. Once they regained this trust, Cowl would give them the power to drive the settlers from their land and the Metheons would enjoy their territory unmolested by intruders once more.

An interesting claim in the Metheon mythology was that only they knew the language that Cowl spoke. The intruders might be grateful for their land, but they would not be able to speak to Cowl. It was commonly held that when the Metheons spoke to Cowl in a way others would hear but not understand, the Metheons would finally have the means to regain their land. However, the intruders could speak to entities that were not Cowl in a language the Metheons would be similarly unable to understand. The outcome of the battles for the Metheons would be dependent on their faith in Cowl.

It is unknown whether this myth existed in the delineated form before the Runic Wars. If so, it highlights another area where myth sometimes overlaps with truth in such a way as to make it difficult to separate reality from it. What is known is that after some time in the city, the Metheons discovered they could bend the hologram of physical reality in certain ways. Once this was discovered, there is no doubt it was linked to talking to Cowl. What was added to the myth was that Cowl wished for there to be no other languages spoken other than the one he had imparted to the Metheons. hence, the Metheons were to use their language against those who would not recognize it, and obliterate them for talking to entities that were not Cowl. Cowl was, it seems, jealous.

The Metheons were the first to discover their ability to bend reality to their wishes. They were there, ironically, in the most advanced position out of any of the other cultures or settlers in the region. Whereas before the settlers in a region were more technologically advanced, the language with Cowl obliterated these advances and made these settlements vulnerable to attack. The Metheons wiped out more than a few cities using the language of Cowl.