One of the oldest wonders and mysteries to surface from the mists of time is the group of artifacts designated "The Talismans of the Orb."
The earliest mentions of the term is in records dating beck to just after the great movement. Eldren records speak in passing of a group called the Judges of Change who were tasked with stabilizing the world in the chaotic aftermath of the Great Journey. The passage speaks of the Judges making decisions as to certain items of power that were brought to them (at their bidding?). Many of the items were set aside and spared due to "deep purposes vital to existence." Collectively these were referred to as Talismans of the Orb.
Strangely no further mention is made of the Judges nor any mention of what the Orb was or its significance.
Over time a number of other artifacts have been added to the list of know Talismans. How they were designated is unclear, but each item signified as such has demonstrated powers at key times that have proved pivotal and not within the recorded abilities otherwise demonstrated by the items.
The best known example of this phenomenon would be the Lords of Lightning. These weapons are known to be forged from the shards of a greater blade known as Georgemael that was created sometime before the movement by a Ya-Wen archmage. The blade was one of the items brought before the Judges who judged it too powerful and dangerous to be allowed in its original form. It was divined that the blade had, however, a vital role to play and thus could not be destroyed. The Judges thus shattered the blade into 5 parts and rewove its enchantments so that it could be reforged when the time was right. From the shards 5 blades were forged and scattered to the winds.From time to time the blades have reappeared in the hands of various heroes and villains of legend, but rarely have more than two of them seemed to reside in mortal hands at any one point. In the 550th year of the Council the War of Three descended upon Ar-Live and in command of one of the three invading armies was a demonic creature known only as The DarkLord. At a point when this creature was thought to be unstoppable heroes bearing all five of the Lords appeared upon the battlefield. The close proximity of the Lords in one place woke the enchantment placed upon them and Georgemael reformed with the heroes likewise fused into one and took up the ancient weapon to defeat the Darklord and banish him back to the dark plane he had been summoned from. Once finished the blade once again shattered and laid waste to everything within a league of the battle destroying much of the army that had followed the creature. When survivors of the defenders armies investigated the battleground all that remained of the Hero was a single Lord of Lightning grasped in the hand of his blasted skeleton.
All the Talismans have similar tales and destinies woven into their substance. To hold one is to literally become an instrument of Fate itself. But those are the tales of another night and another fire. Both this fire and its storyteller fade in equal measure and thus bid you a good night.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Saturday, November 19, 2011
The Soulforges
Of all the discoveries to come out of the ruins of the Yawen the most influential and devastating was the soulforge.
The first soulforge was an actual artifact but in the same ruins were found the instructions to build more.
The soulforge was a device that allowed the construction of items of incredible power by binding the living essence of a being into the item, the more powerful the donor the more power that could be bound to the item. With this some of the most powerful and famous artifacts known were forged binding great elementals and in some cases, it is said, gods.
The list of artifacts that can be traced to one of the forges includes many items blessed and infernal. The sword Retaliator was forged from the greatest Paladin of the age to allow him to continue to fight after a grievous injury. Kravensbane was forged for a warlord who was renowned for never retreating from battle. With this art the Dark Lord built the Hellsgate to build his armies. And out of the forge came the mysterious blade Woodsheart.
While both magi and priests embraced this art as a means to power and glory there were many who felt the cost was too high and counciled setting it aside lest it lead to ruin. In the end the opposition to the soulforges became the spark that started the inferno that was the great purification and changed the shape of magic in the Empire.
The first soulforge was an actual artifact but in the same ruins were found the instructions to build more.
The soulforge was a device that allowed the construction of items of incredible power by binding the living essence of a being into the item, the more powerful the donor the more power that could be bound to the item. With this some of the most powerful and famous artifacts known were forged binding great elementals and in some cases, it is said, gods.
The list of artifacts that can be traced to one of the forges includes many items blessed and infernal. The sword Retaliator was forged from the greatest Paladin of the age to allow him to continue to fight after a grievous injury. Kravensbane was forged for a warlord who was renowned for never retreating from battle. With this art the Dark Lord built the Hellsgate to build his armies. And out of the forge came the mysterious blade Woodsheart.
While both magi and priests embraced this art as a means to power and glory there were many who felt the cost was too high and counciled setting it aside lest it lead to ruin. In the end the opposition to the soulforges became the spark that started the inferno that was the great purification and changed the shape of magic in the Empire.
Dragonflight and the season of fire
After the last of the dracon had passed beyond their descendants, the
dragons, remained reclusive in the northern mountains only venturing
forth to feed off the migrating herds that populated the plains, much to
the orcish herdsmen’s irritation.
This changed abruptly.
One morning, several years after the war between the Dark lord and the dwarves had ground to a series of raids, the skies darkened with the shadows of a vast migration of dragons. Red and gold, black and bronze, all were tearing up the air headed south with all the speed they could muster. There was no clue as to what had driven the draconian host from their lairs but whatever it was it was more urgent than the racial infighting that had come to characterize dragon society.
The host passed out of the valley and into the world beyond scattering to the far corners of the world. In this way it came that dragons are known to almost every culture in Ar-Lon.
The wonder and fear caused by the dragonflight was quickly replaced by panic. In the wake of the migration the north seemed to catch fire. A great bushfire swept the northern plains driving the herds and other creatures before it. Monstrous beasts known only in the tales of the most determined explorers came swarming down into the dwarven kingdoms. As the dwarves and their orcish allies attempted to stem the tide of monsters to the east stranger matters were afoot.
An emissary of the spiderfolk appeared in the elvish capitol of Elven-Dar and asked to be admitted to the royal presence. He brought tidings from Melianthia his queen of a great fire that was sweeping the woodlands of Delarnia and threatened to spread to Sorcerak. The emissary spoke of their common interest in keeping the ancient forest intact and offered a suspension of their hostilities in order to deal with this mutual threat. It was with grave reservations that the elven king accepted the alliance and gathered his hosts to drive north.
For close to seven weeks the two races battled to control the inferno and in the end most of Delarnia laid a burnt ruin denuded of its vast woodlands.
The blaze extinguished the elves searched for some clue as to what might have started the inferno. Their search revealed two shocking discoveries.
They found what appeared to be a battlefield at the foot of the eastern Dragonreach Mountains. Scattered and broken on the field were the bodies of thousands of elves, but elves unlike any that they had ever seen. Dark of skin with armor of harsh cruel design these elves appeared the complete opposite of their common kin. Crossing the battlefield they came to the remains of a colossal demon, its head split by the weapon still embedded in its skull. The weapon was Skycleaver, lost since the departure of the first king Alaine, and still gripping its shaft was the charred corpse of an elf unlike their dark cousins around them. Fair of skin and noble of bearing the unknown elf had died in the same blow that dispatched his foe.
Thus in the remains of this great battle the world had its first glimpse of the dark and twisted race man would call the drow. Skycleaver passed into elven hands for a time though eventually it would again pass out of mortal knowledge.
This changed abruptly.
One morning, several years after the war between the Dark lord and the dwarves had ground to a series of raids, the skies darkened with the shadows of a vast migration of dragons. Red and gold, black and bronze, all were tearing up the air headed south with all the speed they could muster. There was no clue as to what had driven the draconian host from their lairs but whatever it was it was more urgent than the racial infighting that had come to characterize dragon society.
The host passed out of the valley and into the world beyond scattering to the far corners of the world. In this way it came that dragons are known to almost every culture in Ar-Lon.
The wonder and fear caused by the dragonflight was quickly replaced by panic. In the wake of the migration the north seemed to catch fire. A great bushfire swept the northern plains driving the herds and other creatures before it. Monstrous beasts known only in the tales of the most determined explorers came swarming down into the dwarven kingdoms. As the dwarves and their orcish allies attempted to stem the tide of monsters to the east stranger matters were afoot.
An emissary of the spiderfolk appeared in the elvish capitol of Elven-Dar and asked to be admitted to the royal presence. He brought tidings from Melianthia his queen of a great fire that was sweeping the woodlands of Delarnia and threatened to spread to Sorcerak. The emissary spoke of their common interest in keeping the ancient forest intact and offered a suspension of their hostilities in order to deal with this mutual threat. It was with grave reservations that the elven king accepted the alliance and gathered his hosts to drive north.
For close to seven weeks the two races battled to control the inferno and in the end most of Delarnia laid a burnt ruin denuded of its vast woodlands.
The blaze extinguished the elves searched for some clue as to what might have started the inferno. Their search revealed two shocking discoveries.
They found what appeared to be a battlefield at the foot of the eastern Dragonreach Mountains. Scattered and broken on the field were the bodies of thousands of elves, but elves unlike any that they had ever seen. Dark of skin with armor of harsh cruel design these elves appeared the complete opposite of their common kin. Crossing the battlefield they came to the remains of a colossal demon, its head split by the weapon still embedded in its skull. The weapon was Skycleaver, lost since the departure of the first king Alaine, and still gripping its shaft was the charred corpse of an elf unlike their dark cousins around them. Fair of skin and noble of bearing the unknown elf had died in the same blow that dispatched his foe.
Thus in the remains of this great battle the world had its first glimpse of the dark and twisted race man would call the drow. Skycleaver passed into elven hands for a time though eventually it would again pass out of mortal knowledge.
The Age of Great Magics
As time progressed each of the races found their niche magically as well as economically.
The nomadic orcs turned their attention to the world of spirits becoming powerful summoners and shamans.
The elves continued delving into the secrets of nature becoming masters of shape shifting and healers without peer.
The dwarves’ talent for engineering and crafting was reflected in their arcane endeavors, as they became artificers producing many wondrous works from their workshops.
Man started as the jack-of-all-trades of the arcane world but finding links between the other race’s lore he began breaking new ground becoming the first called wise ones or wizards.
The gnomes in their practical homey ways never really took magic seriously except as entertainment. It is not surprising that the most renowned magi of the gnomes were illusionists.
Three major events marked the transition into what is commonly called the Age of Great Magics.
The first occurred as one of the orcish herdsmen, following some strays wandering far into the north, were caught by a freak blizzard. Wandering in search of shelter he came to what he assumed was an overhang from a rock wall. Using this shelter he settled in to ride out the storm. As the storm passed and a new day arose he found his rock wall was actually one of a pair of huge statues. As he stepped back to take them in he made another discovery, the land as seen between the statues was different from the rest of the tundra. Walking between the statues he found himself on a vast windswept plain under a burning sky. Far in the distance he could make out a tall tower silhouetted against the horizon. As he traveled north to the tower it became clear that it was higher and farther away than he first thought. After three days travel it became apparent that it was not one but two twin spires that rose from the vast plain.
Out of supplies the herdsmen turned his path south and came again to the statues and eventually back to his tribe. Word of his discovery soon spread and in short time groups of explorers headed north to seek the secrets of the spires.
Eventually the spires were reached and found to rise almost two miles upward from the plains. Fierce winds swept the higher reaches of the peaks making it impossible to ascend by magical means. A vast complex of tunnels and traps honeycombed the base of the mountains and many scrolls and tomes were discovered hidden within. The greatest treasure though was found in a central chamber of the right hand mountain, a passage to the summit of the spires. There was found a bridge spanning the gap between the peaks and what appeared to be a sealed temple on the far side. After many years and countless lives had been sacrificed to the task the seals were finally broken and the inner wards passed. There within the temple were found three great artifacts known only in the most ancient records of the El-Dren.
The first was a huge crystal set in a mithriel base. When invoked the crystal allowed the user to view any place in time he might desire.
The second was a pool where one could cast his perceptions to any point in the world with the slightest thought.
The last was a vast throne set with gems and covered in forgotten runes and glyphs. This last was the most important for from the throne one could summon the very essence of the world’s life to do his bidding. This power manifested as a blazing sword spoken of in the El-Dren legends as Ar-Live. The Sword of Ar-Lon.
The names of the explorers who achieved the shrine are lost to history as they also discovered the risk in using Ar-Live. The more they used it the closer they came to being consumed by its power. And in the end they departed this existence in a massive fireball that killed them all.
In time other explorers would find smaller towers and fortresses dotting the vast plain and these would reintroduce the magic of the Ya-Wen to the world.
The second event to herald the age was the rise of the dwarven kingdom of Kanathar. Already prosperous from the reserves of precious metals buried deep beneath their realm the kings of Kanathar sought to bring greater glory to their realm.
Already gods from all over the cosmos had been attracted to Ar-Lon and every changestorm brought new races and with them the belief that allowed new deities access to the world.
One night the king of Kanathar had a visitor. Passing all his guards and coming to the king’s inner sanctum the visitor laid a proposition before the dwarven lord. Many of the gods had recently fought over a far world all but destroying it and the people they had wished to convert in the process. These beings were so shaken by the aftermath of their war that they sought to prevent it from occurring again. To this end they would put forth a proposition to the dwarven lord. He would build a vast city of temples where any god might be worshiped and all could vie without bloodshed for followers. In return the gods would bless Kanathar for as long as they maintained the city and turned no cleric away and denied no gods their temple within the complex.
The king saw at last the great work he had sought for his realm and swore himself and his line to the pact. As he spoke the words a great earthquake shook the land and continued for several hours. As it subsided the dwarves witnessed a marvel, in a single night the top of their highest mountain had been sheered off and a vast mesa was left in its place. Here the king revealed all that has passed in the night and set his people to the building of the temple city.
In time clerics came from all corners of the world bringing their faith and seeking a place in the new city. And as promised, peace reigned within the city, even between orders that had sworn to eliminate each other.
And so one of the great wonders of the world came to be, the Great Temple City of Kanathar.
As the city grew so did Kanathar’s influence until most of the kingdoms of the valley did at least lip service to the dwarven throne. Eventually in the second century of the city the king began using the title of emperor and the Empire of Kanathar was born.
As Kanathar arose men from the outside world began returning to the valley bringing news of a human empire that ruled beyond the barrier range. First came clerics seeking a place in the temple city. Soon traders and eventually settlers followed them. In time the imperial settlers claimed the lands closest to the great passes and the beginnings of a city arose from the trading post that the early merchants had built. In time this would become the city of Urf Durfal and the main stronghold of the Empire in the valley.
Unfortunately not all that came with the settlers were good. Among the earliest travelers was a young mage outcast from his order and hunted by the imperial legions for hideous crimes. He traveled far to the north first to place as much distance between himself and the empire as possible and then, hearing of the discoveries from the northern regions he set out to find some relic or knowledge to defend himself from his pursuers.
No records tell of what passed in the northern wastes but some 20 years later the orcish tribes tell of its aftermath.
Riding out of the wastes on a great beast the mage came to the grasslands south of the western Dragonreach Range. Here he began a terrible ritual that blackened the skies for a full month. When the sun once again broke through a great lake was revealed and a large island ringed by a vast wall lay in its center. No sign of the mage was to be found but great clouds of black smoke rose from within the walls and anyone foolish enough to attempt to cross the lake were set upon by great beasts residing within the waters. In time the orcs steered clear of the fortress and guided their herds south giving it a wide berth.
Aside from the endless smoke nothing came or went from the dread fortress for almost 10 years. Then, in a single night, a bridge appeared linking the island to the shore. Across the bridge poured a terrible army of infernal creatures driving all before them as they swept out onto the plains. The orcs were caught unprepared for the onslaught and fled as best they could to the east and the relative safety of Zirkast. In less than a single season the orcish tribes were decimated with more than 7 in 10 either killed or captured by the infernal horde.
The pursuit of the tribes gave the dwarves and humans time to rally their forces and in the fall of that year they met the horde on the northern plains of Zirkast. A mighty battle ensued and in the end only the intervention of the priests from the temple city turned the tide and sent the horde back to the dark fortress.
Though battles would be fought on and off for years the horde would hold the northern plains and the range of the dwarven mountains would prove the barrier to their advance. The captured orcs were either sacrificed or converted by the Dark Lord and soon formed the core of his army much to their cousins’ sorrow. Much of the bad reputation orcs have developed over the years goes back to this time.
Over time the fortress became known for dark magic and bloody rituals. Many times during the years armies would march north to lay siege to it but it was never to fall. Even at the end of the age the only reason the Dark Lord fell was because he was caught outside of his Citadel of Blood and slain.
These were the events that opened the age and lead to the greatest discoveries and feats of wonder since the time of the Movement. In the next few posts I will look at a few of the high points before dealing with the events that ended this age and set the stage for the times since.
The nomadic orcs turned their attention to the world of spirits becoming powerful summoners and shamans.
The elves continued delving into the secrets of nature becoming masters of shape shifting and healers without peer.
The dwarves’ talent for engineering and crafting was reflected in their arcane endeavors, as they became artificers producing many wondrous works from their workshops.
Man started as the jack-of-all-trades of the arcane world but finding links between the other race’s lore he began breaking new ground becoming the first called wise ones or wizards.
The gnomes in their practical homey ways never really took magic seriously except as entertainment. It is not surprising that the most renowned magi of the gnomes were illusionists.
Three major events marked the transition into what is commonly called the Age of Great Magics.
The first occurred as one of the orcish herdsmen, following some strays wandering far into the north, were caught by a freak blizzard. Wandering in search of shelter he came to what he assumed was an overhang from a rock wall. Using this shelter he settled in to ride out the storm. As the storm passed and a new day arose he found his rock wall was actually one of a pair of huge statues. As he stepped back to take them in he made another discovery, the land as seen between the statues was different from the rest of the tundra. Walking between the statues he found himself on a vast windswept plain under a burning sky. Far in the distance he could make out a tall tower silhouetted against the horizon. As he traveled north to the tower it became clear that it was higher and farther away than he first thought. After three days travel it became apparent that it was not one but two twin spires that rose from the vast plain.
Out of supplies the herdsmen turned his path south and came again to the statues and eventually back to his tribe. Word of his discovery soon spread and in short time groups of explorers headed north to seek the secrets of the spires.
Eventually the spires were reached and found to rise almost two miles upward from the plains. Fierce winds swept the higher reaches of the peaks making it impossible to ascend by magical means. A vast complex of tunnels and traps honeycombed the base of the mountains and many scrolls and tomes were discovered hidden within. The greatest treasure though was found in a central chamber of the right hand mountain, a passage to the summit of the spires. There was found a bridge spanning the gap between the peaks and what appeared to be a sealed temple on the far side. After many years and countless lives had been sacrificed to the task the seals were finally broken and the inner wards passed. There within the temple were found three great artifacts known only in the most ancient records of the El-Dren.
The first was a huge crystal set in a mithriel base. When invoked the crystal allowed the user to view any place in time he might desire.
The second was a pool where one could cast his perceptions to any point in the world with the slightest thought.
The last was a vast throne set with gems and covered in forgotten runes and glyphs. This last was the most important for from the throne one could summon the very essence of the world’s life to do his bidding. This power manifested as a blazing sword spoken of in the El-Dren legends as Ar-Live. The Sword of Ar-Lon.
The names of the explorers who achieved the shrine are lost to history as they also discovered the risk in using Ar-Live. The more they used it the closer they came to being consumed by its power. And in the end they departed this existence in a massive fireball that killed them all.
In time other explorers would find smaller towers and fortresses dotting the vast plain and these would reintroduce the magic of the Ya-Wen to the world.
The second event to herald the age was the rise of the dwarven kingdom of Kanathar. Already prosperous from the reserves of precious metals buried deep beneath their realm the kings of Kanathar sought to bring greater glory to their realm.
Already gods from all over the cosmos had been attracted to Ar-Lon and every changestorm brought new races and with them the belief that allowed new deities access to the world.
One night the king of Kanathar had a visitor. Passing all his guards and coming to the king’s inner sanctum the visitor laid a proposition before the dwarven lord. Many of the gods had recently fought over a far world all but destroying it and the people they had wished to convert in the process. These beings were so shaken by the aftermath of their war that they sought to prevent it from occurring again. To this end they would put forth a proposition to the dwarven lord. He would build a vast city of temples where any god might be worshiped and all could vie without bloodshed for followers. In return the gods would bless Kanathar for as long as they maintained the city and turned no cleric away and denied no gods their temple within the complex.
The king saw at last the great work he had sought for his realm and swore himself and his line to the pact. As he spoke the words a great earthquake shook the land and continued for several hours. As it subsided the dwarves witnessed a marvel, in a single night the top of their highest mountain had been sheered off and a vast mesa was left in its place. Here the king revealed all that has passed in the night and set his people to the building of the temple city.
In time clerics came from all corners of the world bringing their faith and seeking a place in the new city. And as promised, peace reigned within the city, even between orders that had sworn to eliminate each other.
And so one of the great wonders of the world came to be, the Great Temple City of Kanathar.
As the city grew so did Kanathar’s influence until most of the kingdoms of the valley did at least lip service to the dwarven throne. Eventually in the second century of the city the king began using the title of emperor and the Empire of Kanathar was born.
As Kanathar arose men from the outside world began returning to the valley bringing news of a human empire that ruled beyond the barrier range. First came clerics seeking a place in the temple city. Soon traders and eventually settlers followed them. In time the imperial settlers claimed the lands closest to the great passes and the beginnings of a city arose from the trading post that the early merchants had built. In time this would become the city of Urf Durfal and the main stronghold of the Empire in the valley.
Unfortunately not all that came with the settlers were good. Among the earliest travelers was a young mage outcast from his order and hunted by the imperial legions for hideous crimes. He traveled far to the north first to place as much distance between himself and the empire as possible and then, hearing of the discoveries from the northern regions he set out to find some relic or knowledge to defend himself from his pursuers.
No records tell of what passed in the northern wastes but some 20 years later the orcish tribes tell of its aftermath.
Riding out of the wastes on a great beast the mage came to the grasslands south of the western Dragonreach Range. Here he began a terrible ritual that blackened the skies for a full month. When the sun once again broke through a great lake was revealed and a large island ringed by a vast wall lay in its center. No sign of the mage was to be found but great clouds of black smoke rose from within the walls and anyone foolish enough to attempt to cross the lake were set upon by great beasts residing within the waters. In time the orcs steered clear of the fortress and guided their herds south giving it a wide berth.
Aside from the endless smoke nothing came or went from the dread fortress for almost 10 years. Then, in a single night, a bridge appeared linking the island to the shore. Across the bridge poured a terrible army of infernal creatures driving all before them as they swept out onto the plains. The orcs were caught unprepared for the onslaught and fled as best they could to the east and the relative safety of Zirkast. In less than a single season the orcish tribes were decimated with more than 7 in 10 either killed or captured by the infernal horde.
The pursuit of the tribes gave the dwarves and humans time to rally their forces and in the fall of that year they met the horde on the northern plains of Zirkast. A mighty battle ensued and in the end only the intervention of the priests from the temple city turned the tide and sent the horde back to the dark fortress.
Though battles would be fought on and off for years the horde would hold the northern plains and the range of the dwarven mountains would prove the barrier to their advance. The captured orcs were either sacrificed or converted by the Dark Lord and soon formed the core of his army much to their cousins’ sorrow. Much of the bad reputation orcs have developed over the years goes back to this time.
Over time the fortress became known for dark magic and bloody rituals. Many times during the years armies would march north to lay siege to it but it was never to fall. Even at the end of the age the only reason the Dark Lord fell was because he was caught outside of his Citadel of Blood and slain.
These were the events that opened the age and lead to the greatest discoveries and feats of wonder since the time of the Movement. In the next few posts I will look at a few of the high points before dealing with the events that ended this age and set the stage for the times since.
Of the Free Races
After the war with the elves the free races began looking for lands to settle, each according to their nature.
The orcs went north past the central mountains and found there a vast plain populated with elk and oxen. While a few small groups began to clear land and build farmsteads the majority began to follow the herds and organized themselves into nomadic tribes. In time the farmsteads would grow into communities and it would be here that the dwarves would come to trade.
The orcs ranged far and began mapping out the northern plains.
To the west they found the northern reaches of the elven forest and the great barrier range as it drove north. Following the range they came in time to a secondary range of mountains running south and east from the barrier. This range was dotted with the smoke of geysers and volcanoes. Several days travel brought the tribes to the foothills of the range and they continued their drive north. The vast plains slowly gave way to tundra and the orcs interest gave out as they reach the northernmost limits of the herds range.
Eastward they ran into the great river and a great lake that extended from the northern ice fields that were its source.
The nomadic life of the orcs shaped their culture and they developed a deep strain of independence, not building cities or recognizing a central chieftain or king until well into the Age of Great Magics.
The dwarves were drawn to the central mountains and it was here they made a major discovery. Following the natural caves into the depths they came into a vast complex of halls and vaults built by some unknown hand.
The scale of the construction suggested that the unknown builders were themselves huge as the smallest of the passages rose almost 100 feet to its peak. Exploring the passages gave the dwarves no clue to the builders but did confirm that, whoever they were, they were long departed.
The dwarves began settling into these halls and as they delved downward they came to the remains of ancient excavations. Most of these were long since collapsed but the dwarves began the long task of clearing the mines and eventually discovered that most led to rich veins of metals and gemstones.
The dwarves overjoyed at these discoveries were faced with a problem, as rich as their new home was, other than some fungus growing in some of the caves and the occasional bats and such they had no way to feed themselves.
Emissaries were sent north and south to speak with the other races. They found that their neighbors had settled into much more pastoral pursuits and a solution presented itself. The dwarves turned their efforts to the making of those tools that they could trade for food from their friends. So began a cycle of trade that would sustain the three races through much of history. Eventually the dwarves learned to cultivate the various fungi that populated the depths and would discover other animals in the depths but the majority of their diet would continue to come from above ground.
The dwarves began to group themselves according to the resources that they found in the various mines and in time three major centers of activity began to develop.
The western mines were rich in gemstones and copper; this region that came to be called Krasnia drew gem cutters and coppersmiths.
Iron was the principle resource of the central mines and to this community came the blacksmiths. In an unimaginative bent this region became known as Ironhome.
The easternmost mines were rich in gold and silver but as they began to delve deeper the dwarves found something much more precious, mithriel. Only the most skilled miners could draw the ore from the depths and the smelting was a secret that very few of the dwarves had been entrusted with by the elves. Those who had the skill rushed to bring forth this new treasure regardless of clan alliegence. So it was that Kanathar, as this settlement came to be named was less ruled by clan politics than their cousins.
The last dwarven kingdom grew not out of resources or skill but of hate, hatred of their former masters the elves. After the Eld-Nar passed over the river the dwarves who had gone forth to drive them out set up an encampment on the shore of the river to watch against their return. In an example of the determination, and some say downright stubbornness, which has come to be the hallmark of their race the settlement remained long after anyone else would have concluded that the elves were not coming back across.
This encampment became a fortification. Then farms were started to feed the fort. Step by step the fort became a settlement and eventually, as the it became evident that they had grown into a true city, the military commander took the title of king and the last dwarven realm came into being, Zirkast, named for the first king.
The dwarves of Zirkast not having the vast resources of their cousins turned their talents to the task of engineering. In the years that followed marvel after marvel came out of the workshops of Zirkast. Keeping an eye always on the possibility of a return of the elves and the need to defend themselves the dwarves of this realm developed bigger and better fortifications and siege engines until, in the latter days before the Age of Magics most of the other races were commissioning them to build castles and engines for them. They were also the first ones to seriously begin designing boats to ply the river. After several abortive attempts to land an army on the far shore ended in disaster the dwarven shipwrights began teaching their art to those humans willing to learn the trade and aside from a small group of traders gave up on the enterprise.
Of the three great races humans had the hardest time settling into their new lands. While the land was fertile and game plentiful there was one major problem that did not become apparent until several years after war. The central plains were subject to seasons of what came to be called “changestorms” after the effects they wrecked on the human settlements. Seeming to originate mainly in the great swamp to the south these massive storms would sweep the central lands sweeping anything not rooted down away and leaving people and things from other worlds in their wake. As it turned out the elves had known of these storms from the times after the movement and had placed enchantments about their forests to protect them. But that protection did not extend to the central lands and so about every 15 to 25 years a season of storms would come. The immediate effect of this was that after each season more humans would head south seeking safer lands. Those that remained tended to be stronger and eventually began to find means to safeguard themselves from the storms. Since solidly rooted fortifications seemed to be immune to the effects this caused humanity to go into a building frenzy and those who could build the biggest fortification became the leaders and eventually the nobility of the region. To a real extent the lord’s ability to protect his people from the storms was a bigger factor than his skill at arms. In time these settlements needed goods they could not grow or make for themselves and trade began with the dwarves for those items. For a time there was also a trade route north through the region that would become Zirkast trading horses for oxen to the orcs. As the dwarven king began to expand his influence the trade dwindled until it was given up rather than paying a tax to the king to continue.
This was how things remained for the most part for many long years, each race growing in population and skill until they gradually came into that age of history commonly known as the Age of Great Magics, that is the next topic to be covered.
But not today.
The orcs went north past the central mountains and found there a vast plain populated with elk and oxen. While a few small groups began to clear land and build farmsteads the majority began to follow the herds and organized themselves into nomadic tribes. In time the farmsteads would grow into communities and it would be here that the dwarves would come to trade.
The orcs ranged far and began mapping out the northern plains.
To the west they found the northern reaches of the elven forest and the great barrier range as it drove north. Following the range they came in time to a secondary range of mountains running south and east from the barrier. This range was dotted with the smoke of geysers and volcanoes. Several days travel brought the tribes to the foothills of the range and they continued their drive north. The vast plains slowly gave way to tundra and the orcs interest gave out as they reach the northernmost limits of the herds range.
Eastward they ran into the great river and a great lake that extended from the northern ice fields that were its source.
The nomadic life of the orcs shaped their culture and they developed a deep strain of independence, not building cities or recognizing a central chieftain or king until well into the Age of Great Magics.
The dwarves were drawn to the central mountains and it was here they made a major discovery. Following the natural caves into the depths they came into a vast complex of halls and vaults built by some unknown hand.
The scale of the construction suggested that the unknown builders were themselves huge as the smallest of the passages rose almost 100 feet to its peak. Exploring the passages gave the dwarves no clue to the builders but did confirm that, whoever they were, they were long departed.
The dwarves began settling into these halls and as they delved downward they came to the remains of ancient excavations. Most of these were long since collapsed but the dwarves began the long task of clearing the mines and eventually discovered that most led to rich veins of metals and gemstones.
The dwarves overjoyed at these discoveries were faced with a problem, as rich as their new home was, other than some fungus growing in some of the caves and the occasional bats and such they had no way to feed themselves.
Emissaries were sent north and south to speak with the other races. They found that their neighbors had settled into much more pastoral pursuits and a solution presented itself. The dwarves turned their efforts to the making of those tools that they could trade for food from their friends. So began a cycle of trade that would sustain the three races through much of history. Eventually the dwarves learned to cultivate the various fungi that populated the depths and would discover other animals in the depths but the majority of their diet would continue to come from above ground.
The dwarves began to group themselves according to the resources that they found in the various mines and in time three major centers of activity began to develop.
The western mines were rich in gemstones and copper; this region that came to be called Krasnia drew gem cutters and coppersmiths.
Iron was the principle resource of the central mines and to this community came the blacksmiths. In an unimaginative bent this region became known as Ironhome.
The easternmost mines were rich in gold and silver but as they began to delve deeper the dwarves found something much more precious, mithriel. Only the most skilled miners could draw the ore from the depths and the smelting was a secret that very few of the dwarves had been entrusted with by the elves. Those who had the skill rushed to bring forth this new treasure regardless of clan alliegence. So it was that Kanathar, as this settlement came to be named was less ruled by clan politics than their cousins.
The last dwarven kingdom grew not out of resources or skill but of hate, hatred of their former masters the elves. After the Eld-Nar passed over the river the dwarves who had gone forth to drive them out set up an encampment on the shore of the river to watch against their return. In an example of the determination, and some say downright stubbornness, which has come to be the hallmark of their race the settlement remained long after anyone else would have concluded that the elves were not coming back across.
This encampment became a fortification. Then farms were started to feed the fort. Step by step the fort became a settlement and eventually, as the it became evident that they had grown into a true city, the military commander took the title of king and the last dwarven realm came into being, Zirkast, named for the first king.
The dwarves of Zirkast not having the vast resources of their cousins turned their talents to the task of engineering. In the years that followed marvel after marvel came out of the workshops of Zirkast. Keeping an eye always on the possibility of a return of the elves and the need to defend themselves the dwarves of this realm developed bigger and better fortifications and siege engines until, in the latter days before the Age of Magics most of the other races were commissioning them to build castles and engines for them. They were also the first ones to seriously begin designing boats to ply the river. After several abortive attempts to land an army on the far shore ended in disaster the dwarven shipwrights began teaching their art to those humans willing to learn the trade and aside from a small group of traders gave up on the enterprise.
Of the three great races humans had the hardest time settling into their new lands. While the land was fertile and game plentiful there was one major problem that did not become apparent until several years after war. The central plains were subject to seasons of what came to be called “changestorms” after the effects they wrecked on the human settlements. Seeming to originate mainly in the great swamp to the south these massive storms would sweep the central lands sweeping anything not rooted down away and leaving people and things from other worlds in their wake. As it turned out the elves had known of these storms from the times after the movement and had placed enchantments about their forests to protect them. But that protection did not extend to the central lands and so about every 15 to 25 years a season of storms would come. The immediate effect of this was that after each season more humans would head south seeking safer lands. Those that remained tended to be stronger and eventually began to find means to safeguard themselves from the storms. Since solidly rooted fortifications seemed to be immune to the effects this caused humanity to go into a building frenzy and those who could build the biggest fortification became the leaders and eventually the nobility of the region. To a real extent the lord’s ability to protect his people from the storms was a bigger factor than his skill at arms. In time these settlements needed goods they could not grow or make for themselves and trade began with the dwarves for those items. For a time there was also a trade route north through the region that would become Zirkast trading horses for oxen to the orcs. As the dwarven king began to expand his influence the trade dwindled until it was given up rather than paying a tax to the king to continue.
This was how things remained for the most part for many long years, each race growing in population and skill until they gradually came into that age of history commonly known as the Age of Great Magics, that is the next topic to be covered.
But not today.
Sorcerak the Great and the coming of darkness
After the departure of the Sol-Dar the El-Dar proceeded to find a
suitable site for their settlement. After weeks of searching they came
across a low hill completely bare of trees except for a single ancient
oak rising from the highest point.
Resting at the base of the oak was an ancient female, the dryad Myanda. As the elves approached her she slowly rose and began to speak in a strong steady voice. She seemed to know why they had come and what it was they sought.
“Seek not the high tree lest ye find sorrow and a loss of your heart. Beware the guardian for he will not decide in your favor but will drive you from his lands. An ancient flame lies in your enemy’s hands and naught you will do will wrest it from her. Seek ye then those who sit in darkness for they shall restore your birthright to you and draw the line twixt thee and thy foe.”
With these words she lie down once again and fell into her final sleep leaving the elves to ponder her words.
Alaine was deeply disturbed by these tidings. After conferring with his people he decided to establish their home and gather their strength. So it was that the first settlement was built on the site of the ancient oak shaping it with their magic into a great hall and throne room. .
For several years the elves expanded their settlement bending their wood shaping talents to form a wondrous city from the forest around them. In the fullness of time the bolder of the young nobles began to grow restless to continue the quest for the high tree, heedless of the dryad’s final words. Time and again Alaine pondered the prophecy and withdrew his approval from their plans. Despite the mutterings of the restless lords the elves prospered and began to expand their numbers adding a new generation to their linage.
During this time Alaine took a wife and in the 150th year of their city she bore him an heir. Lanasarian ne`Alaine grew strong and graceful finding no task beyond he undertook beyond his limits. He was the pride of his father and his court and quickly drew to himself a close circle of companions. As he grew to his maturity it was evident the young prince was destined for great things. At any given time the court was abuzz with stories of the young prince’s latest adventure whether it was hunting the wild boars that populated the great woods journeys to the east to explore the borders of the realm. In time it was Lanas and his companions who discovered the eastern barrier range and began to range southward seeking new adventures.
In all this time the only restriction Alaine placed on his son was that he was not to range north being mindful of the dire prophesy. In time the young prince seeking new challenges began turning his eyes north though his father’s command stayed his feet. This attention came to the notice of some of those who opposed his father’s caution and they began to council the prince speaking to him of the wonders of the high wood and the glory that would follow the one who discovered it’s location. These words coupled with the thirst for a new challenge finally drove the young prince to gather to him a host to undertake to journey north.
Knowing that his father would oppose his intention Lanas made his preparations in secret saying that word had reached him of a wondrous beast come down from the barrier range and spoke of his intention to track it.
And so the prince and his band set out to the east but two days out of the city they met up with the rest of their host and turned their track north seeking signs of the high woods presence.
Their going would have gone unnoticed but for a chance meeting with one of his father’s outriders who, seeing the host and the direction of their travels sped south to the capital to warn the king.
As soon as he received word Alaine gathered all the able warriors he could muster and sped north to intercept his son. But the die was cast.
After a few days travel the host crossed into an ancient forest the like they had never seen before. The great trees towered far above them the lowest branches barely visible even to their keen eyes. The forest floor was bare of foliage as the sun was completely hidden by the boughs far above. Only the broken limbs of the trees themselves and the mosses and fungi growing on them could be seen on the forest floor. The forest was strangely silent and no track of any living thing could be found. A few of the host remembering the dryad’s words began to rethink their actions and with great shame turned back south with the sound of the companions laughter in their ears. That was the last they saw any of the companions alive.
Those that turned south had not gone more than a days travel when they were overtaken by the king and his army. They told the king of what they had seen and where they had left the host. The king pushed north with all the speed he could muster and two days later they found the final camp of the host.
It was a scene out of a nightmare, bodies laid everywhere broken and in some cases drained of blood. Strange weapons lay broken among them and many of the trees were covered in a strange coating of silken threads. There was no sign of where the enemy had approach or where they went, nor was there and sign of anyone who had fled even though the dead bodies only numbered a small fraction of those who had gone north. Nowhere among the bodies were the prince or his companions. Nor were there any bodies of the enemy who had attacked them.
In a great rage the elves ranged out from the camp trying to find some sign of their missing brethren.
For three days they pushed ever outward until, on the third day one of the elves found a sword. It was embedded in the ground almost to the hilt as if dropped from a great height. With this discovery they began to look upward. They turned their spells among the high branches and what they found there took them by surprise. A great pathway of silken ropes ran through the high boughs connecting them together like some chaotic loom. As they looked with their sorcerous sight they spied another marvel, a band of huge spiders sped along the strands keeping pace with the army and watching them. The truly amazing thing was that the spiders carried with them weapons identical to those found in the abandoned camp.
Alaine enraged at the loss of his son sent runners south to mobilize all who could carry arms. He vowed that if his son were dead then none of the spiders would survive his wrath. While he waited for his army he and his magi sent their sight outward seeking signs of their brethren’s fate. As they watched it was evident that the spiders were aware of their actions for they too sent some of their numbers out while the rest continued to watch the elves.
As word of the elven army reached them the seers brought word that the spiders also had a host approaching from the north. It quickly became a race to see whose army would arrive first.
Alaine seeing the advantage of being first to meet up with his army moved his host south to meet the army. No sooner had he sighted his warriors then the attack began from above. The spider’s initial assault was less than successful as the elves were forewarned and ready with their shields. While the spiders held the high ground the elves were better organized and without surprise the first volley of spears caused almost no casualties. But from there the battle grew dire and deadly. The spiders ranged over the elves striking them from every side while the elves closed ranks and drove off each assault.
The elves soon saw why there had been no bodies at the abandoned camp. As the spiders fell they trailed lines back into the heights and between waves they could see the bodies being drawn back up into the high branches.
The battle raged continuously for almost a full day with neither side giving ground. Then, almost as fast as it had started the attacks stopped. The elves tired and grim from their ordeal caught their breath and braced themselves for the inevitable.
Then they saw a light moving among the trees and closing on them. Everywhere the light fell there was a feeling of safety and life, as if spring had come suddenly among them. In the center of the light was a man.
The figure moved quietly and purposefully towards them and as he approached the lines opened for him as if it were the most natural thing in the world that they should do so. He walked up to Alaine and stopped regarding him silently. His face bore a look of unspeakable sadness as if the weight of the world lay on his shoulders. And yet there was a calm about him that was overwhelming.
“Son of the El-Dren you must withdraw, your purpose is lost and the price has been exacted. You will return to your forest and come no more to these ancient stands lest your people be lost even to the last child.”
Alaine tried to answer but the figure silenced him with a glance.
“Melanthia and her children will withdraw and follow you naught into your lands as long as you leave now and do not return in force. Any of your people who trespass here will do so at their own risk this will be your only warning. Send your army home and come then with me as it is time for you to know why this must be so.”
With those words the figure withdrew and waited some distance away while the dazed and confused king sent his army home. Then as his general rode out of sight he approach the figure and they departed.
For three months the elves awaited the return of their king and then, just as the hosts were beginning to count him lost he strode out of the woods bearing a great bundle and looking as if ten thousand years had been added to his frame.
The entire host came to the throne hall to hear what had befallen the king.
He spoke with a voice burdened with grief and told them of his journey and the aftermath of their children’s folly.
The figure, the Arboral, had taken him to an ancient temple from a time before the El-Dren, There they entered into a chamber where he beheld a huge spider with gems embedded in her hide and bearing a great staff that radiated tremendous arcane power. As it rose to attack him it was rebuffed by the Arboral with a gesture and told to refrain lest the decision be reversed and her people be driven from the great forest as well. With that nine figures entered the chamber and, staying within the shadows surrounded the three of them. These the Arboral declared were the Nine and they were responsible for the end of their conflict. He explained that the Nine were tasked with preserving the world and that both of their races were vital to that end. As the spiderfolk had come to reside in Sorcerak first after the time of upheaval they would be allowed to remain as long as they did not spread south to war upon the elves. The elves in turn were to be granted the forest they had settled to the beginning of the ancient woods.
Those who came north were lost to their kindred and had paid the price for their folly. Both Alaine and Melanthia were informed that there would be no discussion of these conditions only obedience or destruction. With a gesture the great spider was dismissed and the nine turned their full attention on the elven lord. “It is time for some of your race’s legacy to come once again to light lest yonder creature grow bold and try to test our will.” With this they gave to the king the bundle to bear back to his people.
“What of my son,” Alaine cried, “and what of his companions?”
One of the figures finally spoke.
“Your son has descended into darkness and the darkness has claimed him, he is cut off from your line as a withered branch from a tree, seek him naught lest ye and thy people share his fate.”
With those words the Nine departed and Alaine found himself at the border of his realm.
He opened the great bundle and the gathered host gasped in astonishment. Gathered therein were items legendary even in the time of the El-Dren.
Among the treasures were three of the Lords of Lightning, The Tome of the Ebon, and the great axe Skycleaver.
Alaine distributed among his best these treasures and then with a great sigh took forth Skycleaver for himself.
“My time among you is at an end, the cost of these treasures is dearer than I am willing to accept. I go forth to seek an answer to my grief and redemption for our children.”
With these words Alaine placed his hands on Laramis, the first among his generals, and charged him and his line with the preservation of their people and placed his crown on his head.
Taking up Skycleaver and invoking its powers he tore a gateway in the air and strode out of the history of his people.
Resting at the base of the oak was an ancient female, the dryad Myanda. As the elves approached her she slowly rose and began to speak in a strong steady voice. She seemed to know why they had come and what it was they sought.
“Seek not the high tree lest ye find sorrow and a loss of your heart. Beware the guardian for he will not decide in your favor but will drive you from his lands. An ancient flame lies in your enemy’s hands and naught you will do will wrest it from her. Seek ye then those who sit in darkness for they shall restore your birthright to you and draw the line twixt thee and thy foe.”
With these words she lie down once again and fell into her final sleep leaving the elves to ponder her words.
Alaine was deeply disturbed by these tidings. After conferring with his people he decided to establish their home and gather their strength. So it was that the first settlement was built on the site of the ancient oak shaping it with their magic into a great hall and throne room. .
For several years the elves expanded their settlement bending their wood shaping talents to form a wondrous city from the forest around them. In the fullness of time the bolder of the young nobles began to grow restless to continue the quest for the high tree, heedless of the dryad’s final words. Time and again Alaine pondered the prophecy and withdrew his approval from their plans. Despite the mutterings of the restless lords the elves prospered and began to expand their numbers adding a new generation to their linage.
During this time Alaine took a wife and in the 150th year of their city she bore him an heir. Lanasarian ne`Alaine grew strong and graceful finding no task beyond he undertook beyond his limits. He was the pride of his father and his court and quickly drew to himself a close circle of companions. As he grew to his maturity it was evident the young prince was destined for great things. At any given time the court was abuzz with stories of the young prince’s latest adventure whether it was hunting the wild boars that populated the great woods journeys to the east to explore the borders of the realm. In time it was Lanas and his companions who discovered the eastern barrier range and began to range southward seeking new adventures.
In all this time the only restriction Alaine placed on his son was that he was not to range north being mindful of the dire prophesy. In time the young prince seeking new challenges began turning his eyes north though his father’s command stayed his feet. This attention came to the notice of some of those who opposed his father’s caution and they began to council the prince speaking to him of the wonders of the high wood and the glory that would follow the one who discovered it’s location. These words coupled with the thirst for a new challenge finally drove the young prince to gather to him a host to undertake to journey north.
Knowing that his father would oppose his intention Lanas made his preparations in secret saying that word had reached him of a wondrous beast come down from the barrier range and spoke of his intention to track it.
And so the prince and his band set out to the east but two days out of the city they met up with the rest of their host and turned their track north seeking signs of the high woods presence.
Their going would have gone unnoticed but for a chance meeting with one of his father’s outriders who, seeing the host and the direction of their travels sped south to the capital to warn the king.
As soon as he received word Alaine gathered all the able warriors he could muster and sped north to intercept his son. But the die was cast.
After a few days travel the host crossed into an ancient forest the like they had never seen before. The great trees towered far above them the lowest branches barely visible even to their keen eyes. The forest floor was bare of foliage as the sun was completely hidden by the boughs far above. Only the broken limbs of the trees themselves and the mosses and fungi growing on them could be seen on the forest floor. The forest was strangely silent and no track of any living thing could be found. A few of the host remembering the dryad’s words began to rethink their actions and with great shame turned back south with the sound of the companions laughter in their ears. That was the last they saw any of the companions alive.
Those that turned south had not gone more than a days travel when they were overtaken by the king and his army. They told the king of what they had seen and where they had left the host. The king pushed north with all the speed he could muster and two days later they found the final camp of the host.
It was a scene out of a nightmare, bodies laid everywhere broken and in some cases drained of blood. Strange weapons lay broken among them and many of the trees were covered in a strange coating of silken threads. There was no sign of where the enemy had approach or where they went, nor was there and sign of anyone who had fled even though the dead bodies only numbered a small fraction of those who had gone north. Nowhere among the bodies were the prince or his companions. Nor were there any bodies of the enemy who had attacked them.
In a great rage the elves ranged out from the camp trying to find some sign of their missing brethren.
For three days they pushed ever outward until, on the third day one of the elves found a sword. It was embedded in the ground almost to the hilt as if dropped from a great height. With this discovery they began to look upward. They turned their spells among the high branches and what they found there took them by surprise. A great pathway of silken ropes ran through the high boughs connecting them together like some chaotic loom. As they looked with their sorcerous sight they spied another marvel, a band of huge spiders sped along the strands keeping pace with the army and watching them. The truly amazing thing was that the spiders carried with them weapons identical to those found in the abandoned camp.
Alaine enraged at the loss of his son sent runners south to mobilize all who could carry arms. He vowed that if his son were dead then none of the spiders would survive his wrath. While he waited for his army he and his magi sent their sight outward seeking signs of their brethren’s fate. As they watched it was evident that the spiders were aware of their actions for they too sent some of their numbers out while the rest continued to watch the elves.
As word of the elven army reached them the seers brought word that the spiders also had a host approaching from the north. It quickly became a race to see whose army would arrive first.
Alaine seeing the advantage of being first to meet up with his army moved his host south to meet the army. No sooner had he sighted his warriors then the attack began from above. The spider’s initial assault was less than successful as the elves were forewarned and ready with their shields. While the spiders held the high ground the elves were better organized and without surprise the first volley of spears caused almost no casualties. But from there the battle grew dire and deadly. The spiders ranged over the elves striking them from every side while the elves closed ranks and drove off each assault.
The elves soon saw why there had been no bodies at the abandoned camp. As the spiders fell they trailed lines back into the heights and between waves they could see the bodies being drawn back up into the high branches.
The battle raged continuously for almost a full day with neither side giving ground. Then, almost as fast as it had started the attacks stopped. The elves tired and grim from their ordeal caught their breath and braced themselves for the inevitable.
Then they saw a light moving among the trees and closing on them. Everywhere the light fell there was a feeling of safety and life, as if spring had come suddenly among them. In the center of the light was a man.
The figure moved quietly and purposefully towards them and as he approached the lines opened for him as if it were the most natural thing in the world that they should do so. He walked up to Alaine and stopped regarding him silently. His face bore a look of unspeakable sadness as if the weight of the world lay on his shoulders. And yet there was a calm about him that was overwhelming.
“Son of the El-Dren you must withdraw, your purpose is lost and the price has been exacted. You will return to your forest and come no more to these ancient stands lest your people be lost even to the last child.”
Alaine tried to answer but the figure silenced him with a glance.
“Melanthia and her children will withdraw and follow you naught into your lands as long as you leave now and do not return in force. Any of your people who trespass here will do so at their own risk this will be your only warning. Send your army home and come then with me as it is time for you to know why this must be so.”
With those words the figure withdrew and waited some distance away while the dazed and confused king sent his army home. Then as his general rode out of sight he approach the figure and they departed.
For three months the elves awaited the return of their king and then, just as the hosts were beginning to count him lost he strode out of the woods bearing a great bundle and looking as if ten thousand years had been added to his frame.
The entire host came to the throne hall to hear what had befallen the king.
He spoke with a voice burdened with grief and told them of his journey and the aftermath of their children’s folly.
The figure, the Arboral, had taken him to an ancient temple from a time before the El-Dren, There they entered into a chamber where he beheld a huge spider with gems embedded in her hide and bearing a great staff that radiated tremendous arcane power. As it rose to attack him it was rebuffed by the Arboral with a gesture and told to refrain lest the decision be reversed and her people be driven from the great forest as well. With that nine figures entered the chamber and, staying within the shadows surrounded the three of them. These the Arboral declared were the Nine and they were responsible for the end of their conflict. He explained that the Nine were tasked with preserving the world and that both of their races were vital to that end. As the spiderfolk had come to reside in Sorcerak first after the time of upheaval they would be allowed to remain as long as they did not spread south to war upon the elves. The elves in turn were to be granted the forest they had settled to the beginning of the ancient woods.
Those who came north were lost to their kindred and had paid the price for their folly. Both Alaine and Melanthia were informed that there would be no discussion of these conditions only obedience or destruction. With a gesture the great spider was dismissed and the nine turned their full attention on the elven lord. “It is time for some of your race’s legacy to come once again to light lest yonder creature grow bold and try to test our will.” With this they gave to the king the bundle to bear back to his people.
“What of my son,” Alaine cried, “and what of his companions?”
One of the figures finally spoke.
“Your son has descended into darkness and the darkness has claimed him, he is cut off from your line as a withered branch from a tree, seek him naught lest ye and thy people share his fate.”
With those words the Nine departed and Alaine found himself at the border of his realm.
He opened the great bundle and the gathered host gasped in astonishment. Gathered therein were items legendary even in the time of the El-Dren.
Among the treasures were three of the Lords of Lightning, The Tome of the Ebon, and the great axe Skycleaver.
Alaine distributed among his best these treasures and then with a great sigh took forth Skycleaver for himself.
“My time among you is at an end, the cost of these treasures is dearer than I am willing to accept. I go forth to seek an answer to my grief and redemption for our children.”
With these words Alaine placed his hands on Laramis, the first among his generals, and charged him and his line with the preservation of their people and placed his crown on his head.
Taking up Skycleaver and invoking its powers he tore a gateway in the air and strode out of the history of his people.
The First Sundering of the Elves
For a thousand years the elves remained content to remain within their
forest strongholds keeping a close watch for any violation of their
borders.
In this time they made one great breakthrough in their arcane research, a way was found to withhold the Dreaming from an individual. But this ritual had a major drawback, for one individual to be spared another must go early into the Dreaming, even then the first only gained ten to fifteen years added to his waking days. It was decided that the high king would be so sustained so they would have a continuity of leadership. While this plan appealed to the elders,who had very little time left and so were not likely to be ask to make the sacrifice, The younger members of the court were greatly disturbed by this decision.
By tradition the young did not have a voice in the council of elders and so had no means to oppose this move by the king. They began to gather together in secluded groves to discuss what was to be done.
Talking may have been the extent of their efforts if fate had not intervened at this point. Far to the east a presence made itself known. A presence not felt since well before the movement, a Mallorn was blooming. The grove of Mallorns deep within their forest was believed by the elves to be the only remaining grove in all of Ar-Lon. But the presence was unmistakable, Far in the east one of the High Trees was in bloom.
Seeing an opportunity to escape being sacrificed to the king a young (520 years old) elf by the name of Alainanen ne' Kail came forth and called for quest to find the new Mallorn. The Elders still fearful of the damage they had taken from the young races were hesitant to venture forth. And so as none of their number came forth to take up the challenge the king was forced to appoint the young elf to lead the quest. Alaine put out a call and the response was overwhelming, 10,000 of the host came forth and pledged their honor to the venture. Preparations were made and in secret 40,000 more elves went forth saying they were sending off their comrades but planning to join the host as well.
And so it was 50,000 elves that ventured forth onto the plains of the valley. They went forth with weapons tied and sending heralds ahead to declare their desire for peaceful passage east. Making great efforts to avoid settlements they traveled for four days before they were challenged. Alaine went forth alone and unarmed to parley with the human army that they outnumbered 4 to 1. Making his intentions known Alaine was informed of the existence of a great river between him and his goal. After much negotiation he traded a small fortune of gold and gems they had brought with them in return for safe passage to the river and enough wood to build boats to cross it.
News of the encounter sped ahead of the host like wildfire and they were greeted with cautious good will at each settlement they passed. Adding to the good will was the fact that they paid generously for provisions from anyone willing to do business with them. The promise of a new home free of the high king shone in their eyes.
They began to believe fortune had smiled upon them until they reached the river. There, standing between them and the much needed lumber, stood a force of dwarves demanding that they abide by the peace treaty and return to their forests. The words of peace and their intentions to cross the river as quickly as possible fell on deaf ears. Alaine told the dwarves that with or without their consent he was going to cross the river. When the dwarves refused to move he took a risk and commanded his host to drive them off taking care to not kill them.
So it was that the elves began to build great rafts to ferry themselves across the water. When the rafts were complete and they rested and prepared to begin crossing on the morrow.
In the night a great force of dwarves returned and fell upon the camp intending to slaughter all there.
So began a battle that lasted 2 full days. The elves fell back into a defensive stance with the river to their back turning back attack after attack. The dwarves sure the elves were simply an advance force sent to soften their defenses sent runners to further clans for re-enforcements to wipe them out.
The dwarves plan would have succeeded but that fate stepped in once again. Within the forest across the river rose a cloud, a cloud of sweet pollen of the mistral flowers. The mistral pollen has the quality that any who breathe it are stripped of all aggression. And so as the cloud swept down upon the armies peace broke out and the dwarves stood dumbfounded not sure why they had been so angry and unable to stop the elves from seizing the opportunity to board their rafts and leave.
By the time that the effects of the mistral had passed none of the elves remained on the western shore. The dwarves angry, but unable to follow, returned to their mountains leaving a small force to build an outpost to watch for any attempt of the elves to return.
On reaching the far side the elves set up camp and set about binding their wounds and making plans to settle this new forest and to locate the Mallorn grove.
But when they came together Alaine found his people were of two minds.
One group still fired with the dream of this new home wished to proceed into the woods and begin building homes for themselves.
The second group fearful of the battle they had just escaped and believing that the dwarves would try to find a way to follow and finish their intent councilled traveling downriver as far as possible and finding a new home there far from enemies.
For a month the two groups debated, neither one giving an inch. In the end it was decided that agreement was impossible, so those who would depart were given leave to reshape the rafts into sturdier vessels and to leave to seek their own peace.
So it was that in a short time the elves were sundered into three peoples.
Those who remained with the High King became known as the Vy-Nar or High People.
Those who settled the new forest became the Eld-Nar or grey people for they had left the light of the elders behind them.
Those who fled south down the river passed from the knowledge of their brethren and were spoken of as the Sol-Nar or lost people.
The dwarves who remained to watch eventually became the roots of the dwarven kingdom of Zirkast, though it would be many years and much would occur before that came to pass.
In this time they made one great breakthrough in their arcane research, a way was found to withhold the Dreaming from an individual. But this ritual had a major drawback, for one individual to be spared another must go early into the Dreaming, even then the first only gained ten to fifteen years added to his waking days. It was decided that the high king would be so sustained so they would have a continuity of leadership. While this plan appealed to the elders,who had very little time left and so were not likely to be ask to make the sacrifice, The younger members of the court were greatly disturbed by this decision.
By tradition the young did not have a voice in the council of elders and so had no means to oppose this move by the king. They began to gather together in secluded groves to discuss what was to be done.
Talking may have been the extent of their efforts if fate had not intervened at this point. Far to the east a presence made itself known. A presence not felt since well before the movement, a Mallorn was blooming. The grove of Mallorns deep within their forest was believed by the elves to be the only remaining grove in all of Ar-Lon. But the presence was unmistakable, Far in the east one of the High Trees was in bloom.
Seeing an opportunity to escape being sacrificed to the king a young (520 years old) elf by the name of Alainanen ne' Kail came forth and called for quest to find the new Mallorn. The Elders still fearful of the damage they had taken from the young races were hesitant to venture forth. And so as none of their number came forth to take up the challenge the king was forced to appoint the young elf to lead the quest. Alaine put out a call and the response was overwhelming, 10,000 of the host came forth and pledged their honor to the venture. Preparations were made and in secret 40,000 more elves went forth saying they were sending off their comrades but planning to join the host as well.
And so it was 50,000 elves that ventured forth onto the plains of the valley. They went forth with weapons tied and sending heralds ahead to declare their desire for peaceful passage east. Making great efforts to avoid settlements they traveled for four days before they were challenged. Alaine went forth alone and unarmed to parley with the human army that they outnumbered 4 to 1. Making his intentions known Alaine was informed of the existence of a great river between him and his goal. After much negotiation he traded a small fortune of gold and gems they had brought with them in return for safe passage to the river and enough wood to build boats to cross it.
News of the encounter sped ahead of the host like wildfire and they were greeted with cautious good will at each settlement they passed. Adding to the good will was the fact that they paid generously for provisions from anyone willing to do business with them. The promise of a new home free of the high king shone in their eyes.
They began to believe fortune had smiled upon them until they reached the river. There, standing between them and the much needed lumber, stood a force of dwarves demanding that they abide by the peace treaty and return to their forests. The words of peace and their intentions to cross the river as quickly as possible fell on deaf ears. Alaine told the dwarves that with or without their consent he was going to cross the river. When the dwarves refused to move he took a risk and commanded his host to drive them off taking care to not kill them.
So it was that the elves began to build great rafts to ferry themselves across the water. When the rafts were complete and they rested and prepared to begin crossing on the morrow.
In the night a great force of dwarves returned and fell upon the camp intending to slaughter all there.
So began a battle that lasted 2 full days. The elves fell back into a defensive stance with the river to their back turning back attack after attack. The dwarves sure the elves were simply an advance force sent to soften their defenses sent runners to further clans for re-enforcements to wipe them out.
The dwarves plan would have succeeded but that fate stepped in once again. Within the forest across the river rose a cloud, a cloud of sweet pollen of the mistral flowers. The mistral pollen has the quality that any who breathe it are stripped of all aggression. And so as the cloud swept down upon the armies peace broke out and the dwarves stood dumbfounded not sure why they had been so angry and unable to stop the elves from seizing the opportunity to board their rafts and leave.
By the time that the effects of the mistral had passed none of the elves remained on the western shore. The dwarves angry, but unable to follow, returned to their mountains leaving a small force to build an outpost to watch for any attempt of the elves to return.
On reaching the far side the elves set up camp and set about binding their wounds and making plans to settle this new forest and to locate the Mallorn grove.
But when they came together Alaine found his people were of two minds.
One group still fired with the dream of this new home wished to proceed into the woods and begin building homes for themselves.
The second group fearful of the battle they had just escaped and believing that the dwarves would try to find a way to follow and finish their intent councilled traveling downriver as far as possible and finding a new home there far from enemies.
For a month the two groups debated, neither one giving an inch. In the end it was decided that agreement was impossible, so those who would depart were given leave to reshape the rafts into sturdier vessels and to leave to seek their own peace.
So it was that in a short time the elves were sundered into three peoples.
Those who remained with the High King became known as the Vy-Nar or High People.
Those who settled the new forest became the Eld-Nar or grey people for they had left the light of the elders behind them.
Those who fled south down the river passed from the knowledge of their brethren and were spoken of as the Sol-Nar or lost people.
The dwarves who remained to watch eventually became the roots of the dwarven kingdom of Zirkast, though it would be many years and much would occur before that came to pass.
Time of the servant races
As the El-Dren looked out upon the newly settled world they found that
there were new inhabitants wandering about the plains of the valley.
The El-Dren records state that the stranger were a race that called themselves the dwarrow. They state that the El-Dren enslaved this race and used their mastery of lifeshaping to attempt to make an ideal servant race to free themselves for the task of defeating the Dreaming. Out of their attempts they produced many of the demi-human races known today. They counted among their successes men, dwarves, orcs, giants, and gnomes as each was suited to certain tasks and were intelligent enough to follow orders without constant supervision. Their failures were many and included most of the monstrous demihumans now known including trolls, goblins, and ogres.
Other records, recently come to light, claim the various races were not created but were cast up by the changestorms and enslaved before they were able to get their bearings and resist.
Whatever the case for the next few millenia the El-Dren or Elves, as the servant races started calling them in corruption of their name, ruled over the other races using them to fill every physical need devoting themselves solely to their research and learning.
In time, entire clans were born, grew up, and died, all in the service of the same masters until the elves finally relaxed their hold allowing the slaves more freedom but never truly setting them free. Under this freedom the slaves learned new skills from their masters, reading, writing, medicine and smithing. In time some of the more intelligent servants were even taught the rudimentary skills of magic to better serve their masters. In this last, the seeds of revolution were planted.
It started as an accident, a spell gone wrong crippling the human apprentice and almost wounding his elven master onto death. The elves who responded assumed the slave had tried to kill his master and slowly executed him before his clan as an example. The act did not have the effect desired, instead of cowing the slaves they rose up and killed the elven overseers. And then looting the estate they fled into the wilderness.
News of the uprising spread leading to further attempts to clamp down on the slaves that elves saw as favored pets at best and intelligent animals at worst. On estate after estate the clans rose, sometimes escaping to the wilderness and sometime put down violently by fearful masters.
On one side the slaves outnumbered the elves almost five to one, but years of servitude had dulled their will to resist. On the other the elves still commanded much of their magical arts and could bring more experience and strategy to the battle.
The last straw came when in fear of further rebellion and to deny the slaves the ability to resist the High King declared that further education of slaves was to be forbidden and all literate slaves were to be silenced by removal of their tongues.
The forests went up in flames as the slaves finally pushed too far rose as one and fled killing anyone who tried to stand in their way. As the elves lived mainly in the forests the mountains of the central valley became the rallying point for the angry mobs of slaves. As they milled about leaders began to rise from the masses and with them plans began to come together.
They knew the elves would not let them go their way. The least the massed slaves could expect was a return to a more debased slavery than they had escaped from. But before that many of them would die. The leaders came together and decided that if they wished to be free then they must take away from the elves the will to harm them further. It was time to strike back!
As quickly as possible the leaders began forming the slaves into an army. The hardy and strong orcs became the core of the infantry. Man who had born the brunt of the tasks of farming and gathering formed the first cavalry. The dwarves who had been the main builders and craftsmen turned their minds and skills to the first siege weapons turning out stone throwers and ballistas by the score.
When they could wait no longer the great host poured forth from the mountains and came against the elves on the plains east of their great forest home. The battle raged for three days. The elves filled the sky with arrows and marched in close order into the orcish lines like a great scythe through wheat. But the servants answered with massed cavalry and filled the air with stones and spears.
Back and forth the battle raged until, on the eve of the third day a shaft from one of the ballista struck down the high king and caused the elves to withdraw.
The body count was staggering, almost 2/3rds of the servants lay dead or dying and fully half the elves would never rise again. Dispirited at the loss of his father, and seeing the ruin of his race, the crown prince went forth under a banner of truce to sue for peace.
The terms given were simple, the elves would return to their forests and allow the other races to live in peace, in return the younger races would depart from the elven lands and promise to venture no closer than two days travel from their borders. The elves agreed.
Fearing that the elves would return in time and tired of fighting the leaders came together and spelled out a treaty so that not only would they come together should their former masters return but that they should not weaken the alliance by bickering amongst themselves. So was born the Treaty of Brass. Five brass plates were engraved each spelling out the agreed alliance and recognizing the right of each race to the lands they would settle.
So it was that the orcs traveled north and settled the great plains there mostly following the great herds of wild oxen and elk.
The dwarves having been miners through the long years of slavery found solace in the caverns under the central mountains claiming these regions for their own.
Man traveled south taking with him the gnomes who wished no land of their own and settled the vast hills and plains he found there being careful never to settle within sight of the great forests. In time he would spread even further to the south and find the first great passes through the barrier range to the world beyond. But the tales of those who departed that route will be told another time.
And so the races prospered for a time limited only by the borders of the land itself and the promises engraved on the tablets. They found that to the far north the land gave way to a frozen wasteland populated by fell beasts. To the east lay a great river so wide that only on the clearest days could one see the far shore. As the river flowed south it passed into a great swamp filled with creature that defied description, but emerged further south and west to eventually flow out to the lands beyond.
For close to a thousand years the peace held but what came then will be told another night.
The El-Dren records state that the stranger were a race that called themselves the dwarrow. They state that the El-Dren enslaved this race and used their mastery of lifeshaping to attempt to make an ideal servant race to free themselves for the task of defeating the Dreaming. Out of their attempts they produced many of the demi-human races known today. They counted among their successes men, dwarves, orcs, giants, and gnomes as each was suited to certain tasks and were intelligent enough to follow orders without constant supervision. Their failures were many and included most of the monstrous demihumans now known including trolls, goblins, and ogres.
Other records, recently come to light, claim the various races were not created but were cast up by the changestorms and enslaved before they were able to get their bearings and resist.
Whatever the case for the next few millenia the El-Dren or Elves, as the servant races started calling them in corruption of their name, ruled over the other races using them to fill every physical need devoting themselves solely to their research and learning.
In time, entire clans were born, grew up, and died, all in the service of the same masters until the elves finally relaxed their hold allowing the slaves more freedom but never truly setting them free. Under this freedom the slaves learned new skills from their masters, reading, writing, medicine and smithing. In time some of the more intelligent servants were even taught the rudimentary skills of magic to better serve their masters. In this last, the seeds of revolution were planted.
It started as an accident, a spell gone wrong crippling the human apprentice and almost wounding his elven master onto death. The elves who responded assumed the slave had tried to kill his master and slowly executed him before his clan as an example. The act did not have the effect desired, instead of cowing the slaves they rose up and killed the elven overseers. And then looting the estate they fled into the wilderness.
News of the uprising spread leading to further attempts to clamp down on the slaves that elves saw as favored pets at best and intelligent animals at worst. On estate after estate the clans rose, sometimes escaping to the wilderness and sometime put down violently by fearful masters.
On one side the slaves outnumbered the elves almost five to one, but years of servitude had dulled their will to resist. On the other the elves still commanded much of their magical arts and could bring more experience and strategy to the battle.
The last straw came when in fear of further rebellion and to deny the slaves the ability to resist the High King declared that further education of slaves was to be forbidden and all literate slaves were to be silenced by removal of their tongues.
The forests went up in flames as the slaves finally pushed too far rose as one and fled killing anyone who tried to stand in their way. As the elves lived mainly in the forests the mountains of the central valley became the rallying point for the angry mobs of slaves. As they milled about leaders began to rise from the masses and with them plans began to come together.
They knew the elves would not let them go their way. The least the massed slaves could expect was a return to a more debased slavery than they had escaped from. But before that many of them would die. The leaders came together and decided that if they wished to be free then they must take away from the elves the will to harm them further. It was time to strike back!
As quickly as possible the leaders began forming the slaves into an army. The hardy and strong orcs became the core of the infantry. Man who had born the brunt of the tasks of farming and gathering formed the first cavalry. The dwarves who had been the main builders and craftsmen turned their minds and skills to the first siege weapons turning out stone throwers and ballistas by the score.
When they could wait no longer the great host poured forth from the mountains and came against the elves on the plains east of their great forest home. The battle raged for three days. The elves filled the sky with arrows and marched in close order into the orcish lines like a great scythe through wheat. But the servants answered with massed cavalry and filled the air with stones and spears.
Back and forth the battle raged until, on the eve of the third day a shaft from one of the ballista struck down the high king and caused the elves to withdraw.
The body count was staggering, almost 2/3rds of the servants lay dead or dying and fully half the elves would never rise again. Dispirited at the loss of his father, and seeing the ruin of his race, the crown prince went forth under a banner of truce to sue for peace.
The terms given were simple, the elves would return to their forests and allow the other races to live in peace, in return the younger races would depart from the elven lands and promise to venture no closer than two days travel from their borders. The elves agreed.
Fearing that the elves would return in time and tired of fighting the leaders came together and spelled out a treaty so that not only would they come together should their former masters return but that they should not weaken the alliance by bickering amongst themselves. So was born the Treaty of Brass. Five brass plates were engraved each spelling out the agreed alliance and recognizing the right of each race to the lands they would settle.
So it was that the orcs traveled north and settled the great plains there mostly following the great herds of wild oxen and elk.
The dwarves having been miners through the long years of slavery found solace in the caverns under the central mountains claiming these regions for their own.
Man traveled south taking with him the gnomes who wished no land of their own and settled the vast hills and plains he found there being careful never to settle within sight of the great forests. In time he would spread even further to the south and find the first great passes through the barrier range to the world beyond. But the tales of those who departed that route will be told another time.
And so the races prospered for a time limited only by the borders of the land itself and the promises engraved on the tablets. They found that to the far north the land gave way to a frozen wasteland populated by fell beasts. To the east lay a great river so wide that only on the clearest days could one see the far shore. As the river flowed south it passed into a great swamp filled with creature that defied description, but emerged further south and west to eventually flow out to the lands beyond.
For close to a thousand years the peace held but what came then will be told another night.
Ancient History
Our earliest records of this world come to us from the El-Dren.
They speak of three suns in the sky and three races dwelling together under that sky.
The first were the Dracon ancient travelers of the stars who had made their homes in vast cavern complexes that survive to this day.
Next were the El-Dren, great shapers of life and tied in their spirits to the forests that they called home.
Last were the Ya-Wen, crafters and scholars. They raised great cities on the plains and explored the vast reaches of Ar-Lon.
For countless years these three races dwelled in relative peace and prospered.
Very few records speak of this time and those that exist are half remembered legends changed by each storyteller til no one is sure what is history and what is fairytale. What we do know is that there came a time when the wisest of each race became aware of a great disaster aproaching them.
The triple suns who had warmed their fair lands had come to the end of their days and would soon end themselves in a blaze that would consume themselves and Ar-Lon along with them.
The greatest minds of the time struggled with the crisis each trying to find a way to save their world and themselves.
At long last a solution was reach, one that would require a supreme effort on the parts of all three race acting in unison. They would move Ar-Lon to another star and thereby preserve their cultures. Each race had a part to play.
The El-Dren were tasked with protecting the world and all it's life from the massive forces that would be brought to bear. They crafted a cocoon of light and life to enwrap Ar-Lon and hold it safe through the long voyage.
To the Dracon, with their experience in crossing the vast distances between the stars, fell the task of finding the new sun and guiding them through the void.
The Ya-Wen drew upon all their wisdom and knowledge to bring to bear the power needed for their great purpose.
Even as the three suns consumed themselves in their destructive fury the world of Ar-Lon began it's journey.
No one knows exactly what went wrong. Maybe they were attacked enroute. perhaps the forces were more than could be contained by even these great races. No record speaks of what occured. All they speak of is the aftermath.
When the cocoon of force dissipated and the new sun gazed on the world it was obvious that something indeed had gone wrong.
The world shuddered in its pain threatening to tear itself apart. Mountains fell and the sea was tossed skyward as new lands rose only to plunge once again into its depths. In a desperate effort the three races strove to calm the world and restore it to some degree of stability.
Each race fell back on the gifts and powers they knew best and no effort was made to coordinate their attempts.
After a long struggle the world finally was at peace, but at a great cost.
None of the world lay the same as it had of old, save one small tract where the sages of the three races had stood to accomplish the great movement in the first place. And even there a price was paid.
The land had buckled up on all sides of them as they had struggled with the world creating almost impassible mountains to all sides. The fabric of reality itself had become frayed and throughout this new valley great disturbances that became known as changestorms ravaged the land throwing up the flotsam and jetsam of countless worlds. In time it was found that the valley had itself been torn almost completely from Ar-Lon. The few passes leading to exits in the outside world impossible to reconcile with each other.
Drawing on the lifeforce of the world itself the races had brought her to rest, but the effort cost them dear.
The Dracon found the paths between the stars were now denied them and their seed was diminished. From the first clutch of eggs it was evident the Dracon's days were numbered as their offspring were stunted both in size and power. From the final clutches the Dracon gave birth to the races of dragons that now claim their ancient caverns.
The El-Dren who were gifted with the touch of agelessness it now came with a price. As each entered their Thousandth year as lassitude came upon them and they would go into a waking dream wandering the great forests that were their home. none were spared and so in a short time the wisest of the race passed into the dreaming leaving their children, the elves, to carry on.
Of the Ya-Wen their fate is a great mystery. When the world came to peace their cities lay broken and empty. No trace of them has ever been found to tell the tale of thir passing. All we know of them comes from the few El-Dren records the elves have allowed the other races to see and the occasional ruins found in the northern reaches.
The story of what came next ............ that is a tale for another night be well
They speak of three suns in the sky and three races dwelling together under that sky.
The first were the Dracon ancient travelers of the stars who had made their homes in vast cavern complexes that survive to this day.
Next were the El-Dren, great shapers of life and tied in their spirits to the forests that they called home.
Last were the Ya-Wen, crafters and scholars. They raised great cities on the plains and explored the vast reaches of Ar-Lon.
For countless years these three races dwelled in relative peace and prospered.
Very few records speak of this time and those that exist are half remembered legends changed by each storyteller til no one is sure what is history and what is fairytale. What we do know is that there came a time when the wisest of each race became aware of a great disaster aproaching them.
The triple suns who had warmed their fair lands had come to the end of their days and would soon end themselves in a blaze that would consume themselves and Ar-Lon along with them.
The greatest minds of the time struggled with the crisis each trying to find a way to save their world and themselves.
At long last a solution was reach, one that would require a supreme effort on the parts of all three race acting in unison. They would move Ar-Lon to another star and thereby preserve their cultures. Each race had a part to play.
The El-Dren were tasked with protecting the world and all it's life from the massive forces that would be brought to bear. They crafted a cocoon of light and life to enwrap Ar-Lon and hold it safe through the long voyage.
To the Dracon, with their experience in crossing the vast distances between the stars, fell the task of finding the new sun and guiding them through the void.
The Ya-Wen drew upon all their wisdom and knowledge to bring to bear the power needed for their great purpose.
Even as the three suns consumed themselves in their destructive fury the world of Ar-Lon began it's journey.
No one knows exactly what went wrong. Maybe they were attacked enroute. perhaps the forces were more than could be contained by even these great races. No record speaks of what occured. All they speak of is the aftermath.
When the cocoon of force dissipated and the new sun gazed on the world it was obvious that something indeed had gone wrong.
The world shuddered in its pain threatening to tear itself apart. Mountains fell and the sea was tossed skyward as new lands rose only to plunge once again into its depths. In a desperate effort the three races strove to calm the world and restore it to some degree of stability.
Each race fell back on the gifts and powers they knew best and no effort was made to coordinate their attempts.
After a long struggle the world finally was at peace, but at a great cost.
None of the world lay the same as it had of old, save one small tract where the sages of the three races had stood to accomplish the great movement in the first place. And even there a price was paid.
The land had buckled up on all sides of them as they had struggled with the world creating almost impassible mountains to all sides. The fabric of reality itself had become frayed and throughout this new valley great disturbances that became known as changestorms ravaged the land throwing up the flotsam and jetsam of countless worlds. In time it was found that the valley had itself been torn almost completely from Ar-Lon. The few passes leading to exits in the outside world impossible to reconcile with each other.
Drawing on the lifeforce of the world itself the races had brought her to rest, but the effort cost them dear.
The Dracon found the paths between the stars were now denied them and their seed was diminished. From the first clutch of eggs it was evident the Dracon's days were numbered as their offspring were stunted both in size and power. From the final clutches the Dracon gave birth to the races of dragons that now claim their ancient caverns.
The El-Dren who were gifted with the touch of agelessness it now came with a price. As each entered their Thousandth year as lassitude came upon them and they would go into a waking dream wandering the great forests that were their home. none were spared and so in a short time the wisest of the race passed into the dreaming leaving their children, the elves, to carry on.
Of the Ya-Wen their fate is a great mystery. When the world came to peace their cities lay broken and empty. No trace of them has ever been found to tell the tale of thir passing. All we know of them comes from the few El-Dren records the elves have allowed the other races to see and the occasional ruins found in the northern reaches.
The story of what came next ............ that is a tale for another night be well
Introduction
Originally this entry and the eight that follow were posted during the winter to summer of 2006. I recently tracked down the abandoned blog and have copied it here to pick up where I left off.
For almost 25+ years I have been running players through the Valley of Ar-Live, and for almost as long players have been asking me to write the setting down. So this is finally my attempt to put down in words my world.
I started the Valley in 1978 using a map and some notes from a Greg Costikyan wargame called Swords and Sorcery as a starting point. I went off to the Navy and each time I changed duty stations I reworked what had gone before so each new group saw a more concrete setting than the last. Over the years I found many things that worked and made some major mistakes, and along the way I left many happy players with memories and a thirst for more.
I have always been a seat of the pants Gamemaster writing down only the notes I needed to keep the current situation fresh between sessions. The bulk of the campaign has always stayed locked up in my head, much to my more munchkin players dismay.
While talking to people about the setting has always been easy, I have spent hours at a time detailing histories and politics, writing has always been harder for me. So here I will try to set this material down and hopefully some of you will read and ask questions so I can give my ramblings some direction. And together I will try to unfold what has literally become my life's work.
For almost 25+ years I have been running players through the Valley of Ar-Live, and for almost as long players have been asking me to write the setting down. So this is finally my attempt to put down in words my world.
I started the Valley in 1978 using a map and some notes from a Greg Costikyan wargame called Swords and Sorcery as a starting point. I went off to the Navy and each time I changed duty stations I reworked what had gone before so each new group saw a more concrete setting than the last. Over the years I found many things that worked and made some major mistakes, and along the way I left many happy players with memories and a thirst for more.
I have always been a seat of the pants Gamemaster writing down only the notes I needed to keep the current situation fresh between sessions. The bulk of the campaign has always stayed locked up in my head, much to my more munchkin players dismay.
While talking to people about the setting has always been easy, I have spent hours at a time detailing histories and politics, writing has always been harder for me. So here I will try to set this material down and hopefully some of you will read and ask questions so I can give my ramblings some direction. And together I will try to unfold what has literally become my life's work.
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