A Note From The Guardian Of Dia Legend

Dearest Reader,

The tales you are about to read pertain to an ancient magic that has faded from sight in the modern world. It pains me that the Celtic gods and goddesses who once ruled the earth have become mere myths, and their descendants nearly forgotten.

Allow me to shed light on this once legend turned lore.

Long ago, there was indeed a time when gods walked amongst mortals. Today, they survive only in folktales as the Tuatha Dé Danann, the Tylwyth Teg, the Fomorians, and the gods of the Britons. Though, I assure you, Dear Reader, these beings did once live. Born from a source of pure darkness and light, a balance fundamental to all creation, they descended upon the Celtic lands. 

Their magic and beauty enchanted the mortals, who left offerings, sang devotions, and built temples in honor of the mystical beings from the sky.  

However, as the gods fought amongst themselves, this fragile mingling of god and man soon fractured, and the mortals sought refuge with a new god—the one that would come to be known today as the one true god.

Indifferent to the sufferings of the mortals and offended by how swiftly this new god took hold, the ancient spirits abandoned the earth. Some retreated to parallel worlds, places concealed from mortal eyes, while others returned to the realm of the Otherworld.

Most believe this marked the end of gods on earth, yet these beings left an echo of their essence behind. You see, while on earth, the gods took pleasure where they saw it, and occasionally, that pleasure came in the embrace of mortal arms.

From these mystical unions, a new race of beings was formed—not wholly god or mortal, but something in between. 

The ancients called them Dia. The power of darkness and light they inherited was as varied as the stars in the sky, and their magical gifts passed down through the generations. The more powerful descendants managed to survive by hiding in the shadows, while the weaker ones simply vanished into the darkness. 

As the new god ascended, the remaining descendants saw the dire necessity of concealing their presence, safeguarding the last vestiges of their kind.

I do not know how many of us remain to date. It seems to me there were far more in ancient times. 

I myself am more than 1,500 years old, but there are yet still others much older than me I who still endure. In my long life, I have witnessed the rise and fall of empires, the birth and death of countless generations, and the ever-changing tides of human life and creation.

I have lived many lives, donning different identities to blend in with the mortals of each era. I have loved and lost and experienced the heights of joy and the depths of sorrow. I have watched as those I held dear faded away while I remained a constant in an inconstant world. 

At times, the weight of these memories, both beautiful and raw, threatened to overwhelm me.

Such a long life can drive a spirit mad. However, I bear the mantle of the Guardian of Legend, a duty passed down to me, charged with collecting the histories of my kind. This responsibility ensures that, even if we become truly lost, we will continue to live on through our stories. It is this purpose that has kept me anchored through the centuries, driven by the need to preserve the legacy of the Dia and their gifts from the gods.

The story herein is only one of many composed through first-hand accounts, ancient texts, and memories retrieved by those with the gift of bending time. I have taken great care to record this account in the language of today, so the truth does not get lost in translation—as I have seen happen with so many ancient writings. 

I do not expect you to believe this story to be true. In your mind, you will perceive it as fiction, the work of someone's imagination written for your enjoyment. But I assure you, dear reader, it is not. These things did happen, and magic still lives in your world, however slight.

I will continue to collect and guard our stories until the time comes for me to return to the Otherworld. Perhaps one day soon, I will record my own vivid tale of darkness and light. Until then, I can only hope that at least one of you will believe and keep the legend of the Dia alive long after we have all gone.

 

Sincerely,

Drake ap Gododdin, Guardian of Dia Legend.