Summary: According to popular Anyeli mythology, the first Skotadi learned the art of shadow-bending from Neme? and Selene?. At that time, Shades? (spirits of the deceased) were included in the realms of shadow manipulation?. Due to the Skotadi's controversial usage of Shades and shadows, as well as their worship of Neme and Selene instead of Hel?, a rift formed between the Skotadi and Apali that quickly accelerated into the Anyeli Civil War.

No one knows how the first Anyeli came to be wielders of Light.
Their story of Shadows, however, is widely known.

~ "History of the Town of Kronerega?, Volume I - Beginnings"

A long time ago, when Shades? roamed abundant and gods wandered the world more freely, there lived a talented healer and wildcrafter. Evaristus Korsovos? was well-known for his compassion and knowledge. His wife, Evgenia?, was just as good a healer, and they were well-liked in their village.

One night at the end of Duminas¹, the two Apali were walking along the path near what is now Celene? when a large beast leaped from the shadows. During the chaos, the creature severely mauled the wife before it was driven away by Evaristus' Light. There was little hope of saving Evgenia, yet Evaristus knelt to heal her anyway. He was so dedicated and persistent in doing so that by the time he felt Evgenia's spirit strengthening, his own had weakened considerably.

As he continued pumping his energy into the other Apalos, two olive-skinned women came up upon the path. While their facial features were identical, one had hair as pale as snow, and the other had hair as red as the sun². As the fire-haired woman knelt over Evaristus' patient, he saw a shadow rise from the fallen Evgenia. Apalled that the Shade looked so much like his wife, Evaristus spluttered, "What are you doing--she still has life left!"

"You may think that," said the fire-haired stranger, "But I know her true fate in this." Then, as she tilted her face to appraise the healer, a smug smile graced her dark blue eyes. "Do you know yours?" At this point, Evaristus became acutely aware of his own state. Drained of energy and with his limbs shaking, he placed both palms on the floor to steady himself.

"The man is admirable in his endeavors," said the pale-haired sister whose expression was blank, and her voice as light as chimes.

"I will agree to that," admitted the woman of the Shades.

"You do not often see Elysia, sister." The light-haired woman's expression grew sly. "For this special occasion, why not play a game?"

The dark-eyed woman's laugh was like a howl of wind. "So be it. Roll your dice, sister. Should the two fall on hydra eyes, this man lives."

Reaching into the depths of her shimmering white sleeves, the pale-haired twin held out two glowing stones. Each of the eight sides had variations of dots, and only one side of each die glowed with a blue-eyed symbol.

The stones fell, and Evaristus lived.

"Wait," the healer called when the women turned to go. By now, he had realized the identities of the two women. "Gentle mistresses, roll your dice five more times. If all ten stones result in hydra eyes, return my wife to me. If not, you can have my life." He sensed how displeased the red-haired woman had been of the first outcome, and he knew that she would not refuse.

Dark eyes lingered over the Apalos as the red-haired woman pursed her lips with suspicion. "Evgenia Kronerega," hissed Selene, "has gifted you with three children. Are you so selfish as to join her and orphan your offspring?"

Yet Evaristus could not be reasoned with, and with a whimsical smile, Neme cast her fortunes once more. Each time the stones fell, hydra eyes glistened skyward. Selene grew even more agitated as she watched, but by the end of the fifth roll of dice, she knew that she had lost. Selene had been greedy for the prospect of winning Evaristus' life, and she had promised him something that she could not provide. No being, no matter how powerful, could ever hope to revive the dead. For that lie and the loss of her wager, the Red Moon granted an inconceivable ability to Evaristus.

"Hel is not the only friend of Anyeli."

Evaristus returned to his home a changed man, and Evgenia's Shade accompanied him. Over the months that passed, he realized that he could no longer call forth the warmth of the sun. When he attempted to direct his element, Evgenia's Shade moved instead. When he realized that his ability applied to other Shades as well, he used them regularly. Shades, after all, were merely voiceless shadows of the people they used to be.

His neighbors viewed the phenomenon with growing horror. The foundations of Anyeli culture had sprouted under the life of the sun, but now the healer worked with darkness and leveraged his abilities from the souls of the deceased. Because of his practices, Evaristus and his three children were quickly exiled from Anyeli society.

Evaristus' children grew and learned their father's abilities. Over decades, the family of four migrated east of the Apolli Mountains? and toward the Duskies?. During this time, they attracted a substantial group of followers. By the time they founded the town of Kronerega?, their group was almost two hundred large³.

Kronerega grew over centuries. Concurrently, smaller Skotadi towns sprouted westward as families left in search of quieter lives. Tensions surfaced as the Skotadi faction grew and mingled within Apali cities around the century of 1,800XA?. While the Skotadi worshipped Neme, the Apali argued in favor of Hel and attempted to ban usage of Shades and shadows.

The fragile balance toppled one night when a warrior threw the wrong punch at the wrong time. Thus was the first Anyeli Civil War begun.

Footnotes

1. Elysians know this to be the time of Danse Macabre.
2. While the majority of Anyeli believe that Neme and Selene were truly goddesses from Elysia's moons, entire essays have been written by Elysian priests and scholars about this part of the story. Priests argue that Xanth was the only goddess ever to set foot on Elysia during its early history, and that Neme and Selene were merely illusions created by Her in order to spread knowledge about Shade-manipulation. Scholars reason that Xanth cannnot be the only one of her kind, so it could actually be possible that Neme and Selene were deities chancing a visit to Elysia. Other scholars theorize that Neme and Selene were actually Anyeli that Evaristus encountered, and that the twins were the true first Skotadi. One uncommon theory is that Neme and Selene never really appeared, being either figments of Evaristus' imagination or added in to the story later, and that Evaristus discovered shadow-manipulation in some other way. However, because the Skotadi strongly believe in the powers of Elysia's moons, the last two theories are very rarely told.
3. According to "Families of Kroneraga? - Scroll #1", the original settlers comprised mostly of bandits, extremists, mercenaries and thieves. These particular beginnings may explain the stealthier, or what the Apali describe as more 'underhanded', methods of today's Skotadi.