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The Age of Enslavement

In the beginning, the world was a volcanic mass used as training grounds for the lords of the Abyss to prepare their demonic troops for war in the "Eternal War" with the Lords of Hell.  Needing pawns for battle purposes, they created a race of mortal giants of both humanoid stature and lizard.  As quickly as their immortal demonic spawns massacred these creatures, more were produced to replenish the fields of battle.  The Demonic Lords gave these puppets' intelligence and free will, hoping to make them a clever opponent, allowing the demon armies a true challenge; much like what they would face in the nether-realms.

 

As with most creations, they quickly developed a sense of purpose and a desire to survive.  They began to learn, adapt, and eventually desired independence.  Soon three leaders emerged.  Two giant humanoids—a male named Asoamar and his consort Arerradan, the third was a massive lizard, more commonly called dragon, named Eteliwyth.  Soon the tide began turning as they began striking at the hierarchy of the demonic structure based on Dargothia.

 

Soon their armies grew, the mortals winning battles, and eventually it became a war for the world.  At this point great Ves'beli himself, leader of the Abyssal Armies—Supreme Lord o' the Abyss-- order no further creation of these puppets that now elevated to a threat, no need to strengthen their opposition any further.  Hoping that with dwindling numbers their courage and rebellion would fall off.

 

But as luck would have it, the three leaders managed to launch a successful campaign on Dra'che'aeq, a strong hold deep in the land that housed several minor demonic lords and also held a massive library on the arcane, the power of the planes, and creation itself.  This left the Abyssal Lords only three major strongholds of significance: Tin'peri, Bl'taset, and Pereull'a. 

 

Fearing the loss of the two major strongholds (Tin'peri and Pereull'a), Ves'beli altered  the world with a cataclysmic event, rifting the land mass in half, forming two large continents, ultimately sinking Pereull'a to the bottom of the newly formed Pereull Sea.  This unfortunately cut the rebellion forces in half, leaving the leaders held up in Dra'che'aeq with a smaller force against a never-ending barrage of demons.  The “Three” as they were referred to by the Demonic Leaders held Ine'iss, the other continent-- Nalear'ch—remained under Demon control.  Most of the dragons fled to Ine'iss, several hundred stayed behind trying to reach the status of Eteliwyth amongst the remaining dragons and giants on Nalear'ch.

 

At this point, Arerradan took it upon herself to create a new race of creature.  Using the secrets found in the arcane vault she stole energy from the darkest plane and created the Lyrumu.  She fashioned a variety of different versions of these vile creatures from cunning and quick to large and dim-witted.

 

Watching in disapproval, Asoamar and Eteliwyth realized that though effective in combat, these hanious monsters were much too hard to handle alone.  They could barely govern themselves and started killing more of their own rather than demons.  After deliberating amongst themselves, even Arerradan had her say; they decided to create a race that could lead the Lyrumu in combat.  The creation needed to be strong, but not slow, smart and cunning, but not over-bearing, from a form much like that of Asoamar and Arerradan, only much smaller.  Thus the Human Race, though Elfish history says they were the first, but in all actuality, they are wrong.  So says the tomes now locked away in Dra'che'aeq.

 

Yet sword and strength would not be enough and the demons wielded superior armor and weapons. Their tools of war--made from materials gathered from deep within the bowls of the world and infused with Demonic Magic--where no match for the mere iron that their army carried.  A race that was as graceful as they were intelligent where crafted, again in their image, to learn and wield magic.  Another, smaller, and stouter people, capable of living in the harsh underworld environment, held knowledge of the world and its makings, with an understanding of stone and metal.  Hence, the Elf and Dwarven races now populated Ine'iss along with the Humans, Lyrumu, Giants, and Dragons to fend off and defeat the Abyssal Armies.

 

It took several millenniums for these new creations to grow and prosper and eventually the tide of the war was turning.  During this time the three found that they were changing, infused with magic from the planes of light, shadow, and darkness and the constant worship of their children, they finally ascended, no longer requiring earth-bound bodies.  In time, they accepted the fact they had indeed become deities.  This however did not deter them from their goal, to remove Ves'beli's forces from what they now considered their world.

 

After sending another one-million-demon spawn to Ine'iss, Ves'beli decreed that no Lord would waste any more resources, secretly hoping that this final army would again gain control.  The loss of this world was a sign of weakness amongst the other Lords, which could potentially spark a civil war on the Abyssal Plane.

 

As the war progressed, the children of the “Three” built homes, cities, and lands divided by borders, each with kings to sit upon them, and eventually leaders were reborn.  Six rose to the top above the other kings, one of elf, human, dwarf, dragon, giant, and lyrumu.  The war finally won, driving most of the demons from Ine’iss, a unity formed amongst five of the six, declaring themselves the Great Kings of Ine’iss.

 

Of Dragons: Great King Ald'bel

Of Elves: Great King Coryn Baelathkai

Of Humans: Great Queen Nadia Fletcher

Of Dwarves: Great King Galbdin Harbfik

Of Giants: Great King Bofjak

 

Great King Garzak of the Lyrumu believed that only one true king should reign in Ine’iss, and determined to be that one, he fled to the mountains and turned against the other five.

The Age of Unity

Upon the day of unity, the “Three” formally declared the Age of Unity has begun, giving each of the five majestic crowns that granted each clarity, strength, charisma, and stamina.  After the crowning ceremony, the new deities decreed that the power of the Abyssal Demons was too vile for any mortal.  They had the ancient books of Abyssal Power and Magic brought to the Demonic Portal that sat deep in the bowls of the stronghold at Dra'che'aeq. 

 

Locking the chambers, they created a rune stone, symbolizing the five kings and races, with a centerpiece for unity.  This stone was the seal and key to this ancient knowledge, only to be opened in the darkest of times.  Additionally, after placing the enchanted stone in the seal, each race must place their palm on the correct gemstone that was set with the rune.  This assured a unified gesture, and if unity were true, the seal would allow entry.

 

In year four of the Age of Unity (shorten to AU) the Great King Bofjak decided it was time to free his kind on the land of Nalear'ch.  Building a navy of massive ships, several thousand giants along with Bofjak sailed across the sea to erratic all Demonic Rule.  That was the last anyone had seen him and his army in Ine’iss.

 

After the loss of Bofjak, the remaining giants became reclusive, living in the harsher regions of Ine’iss.  It was in the year 271 AU that a descendant of King Garzak struck a pact the giants, needing larger forces to fight the last four kings and their armies.  This uprising never truly elevated to a full out war, but instead consisted of several hundred battles along the more civilized lands.  Eventually, the Lyrumu and Giant armies failed and they retreated deep within the uncivilized lands of Ine’iss.  The families of the old Great Kings still ruled and determined that they could sacrifice these lands, as they were not suitable for any of the four races.

 

 

The Age of betrayal

This was how it was for over two millennia until the year 2285.  Humans, who’s life span was longer than that of they Lyrumu, but shorter than Elf or Dwarf, propagated faster than the others.  Their need for land expansion grew rapidly and Great King Dalen Orawrem of the human empire began a campaign against the Giants and Lyrumu in the northwestern portion of Ine’iss.  Convincing three Lesser Kings (Glosin Nunar of the Northern Dwarves, Queen Anelith Elriol of the Western Elves, and King Rygerri of the Northern Dragons) that the land was not as wasted and barren as all was led to believe, that there were mass minerals and other natural resources to be found and sold.  Therefore, under the promise of financial gain, greed drove them all to war.

 

The three remaining Great Kings could not allow such an uprising, their forces quickly deployed to the northern countries, allowing a hole in Dra'che'aeq protection to be noticed by the human army.  With the chance to take out the Great Kings, King Orawrem marched on the massive keep with his three commanders.  The battle was fierce, lasting nearly a fortnight, but Dra'che'aeq fell.  Orawrem, using a blade forged by King Nunar and enchanted by Queen Elriol killed the dragon Great King L'therrad the last living descendant of Eteliwyth himself, and his living family.

Enraged, Eteliwyth returned to the world in physical form and defeated the rebellious armies.

 

As they surrendered, Eteliwyth summoned all the power he could use to enact his justice.  First, he unlocked the sealed door to the Abyssal portal, removed the crowns of the Great Kings and surrendered them to the Abyss.  When done, he again locked the lowest chambers with the runic key, and then broke it in six parts.  For Queen Elriol, he merged her with her arcane creation, the sword that killed L’therrad.  Then banishing her remaining elfish army and generals to the sunken ruins of Pereull'a to never see the light of Dargothia or breathe the fresh air again, taking with them the elfish gem.

 

For the dwarven king, King Nunar, he gave him the dwarfish gem and locked him and his surviving army for eternity in the catacombs of the ancient demonic ruins of Bl'taset, sealing them in.  Banishing King Rygerri and his draconic followers to the plane of shadow, with out their piece, since placing them in an eternal stasis the gemstone would serve them no purpose or reminder.

 

Disgusted with the acts of Great King Dalen Orawrem, banishing him and his followers anywhere on this world was not enough.  Eteliwyth wanted them gone from his realm, out of his sight and away from Asoamar and Arerradan.  Giving Orawrem the deadly dragon-slaying blade and the human stone, he sent them to a far distant world. 

 

No one knows what happened to the six--Giants--piece.  Some say he sent it to Tin'peri on Nalear'ch the realm of the Giants and Demons.

 

Asoamar angered by this cast a spell on the broken stones, that should the holder of the stone redeem what was done in some from, the stone would return to Dra'che'aeq, as many that were banished.

 

Placing the Draconic stone in a massive grave on the grounds of Dra'che'aeq, he buried it until time was again for an age of unity.  Turning to the Elfish King Jolenal Baelathkai, he entrusted him with the Unity Stone, to be given to the first born of the freshly laid eggs.  Eteliwyth spoke, “The first born shall be named Ang'dra'aen and this child of mine shall rule this realm in my stead.  I abolish the great kings, recognizing not their power or authority.  Dragons shall watch over my lands, elves shall advise and teach them, dwarves shall armor them.  Humans will have no part in the ruling of Ine’iss, for they are greedy and manipulative.”

 

King Baelathkai did as he was ordered, enraging the humans of the realm.  Asoamar angered, but a witness to the war and betrayal by the humans, bowed his head and agreed with Eteliwyth.  Arerradan did not; she left the trinity, and enveloped herself with the realms of the dead and offered her assistance to the Lyrumu and Giants.

 

Ine’iss was in turmoil, humans turning their backs on the gods as did the gods turn on them, many turning to a new one god, which was Ves'beli himself, unbeknownst the human race.  Borders were drawn and battles fought until the humans fell to the rule of Ang’dra’aen.  Humans were treated well given equal shares of land, and the human kings were accepted in the halls of Dra’che’aeq, but still there was tension.

The Age of human reckoning

In the year 2705, a miracle occurred on the world of Dargothia.  The magic placed on the human stone worked and as a young man sacrificed his friends and family to save others on a distant world.  He was the stone-bearer, though he did not ascertain its true power or meaning, despite this, the stone brought Jeffery Richmond and his wife along with several hundred others home.

 

Richmond brought with him not only the stone in amulet form, but also the sword of Orawrem.  In a great festival he returned the sword to Ang’dra’aen and in return was given the honor of holding the human stone, named by the humans as simply “the medallion”.  The feast was the greatest since the dawn of the age of unity.  It was a sign that the old age could return.

 

Unbeknownst to all, the vile wizard who destroyed the world of Jeff Richmond known as Clinox Therziss was one of the several humans saved and returned.  Now undead, this mage quickly regrouped and with the assistance of a clever thief, he acquired the sword of Orawrem, which would soon be known as “Wyrm Hunter”.

 

Rallying many of the humans of Ine’iss behind him, war erupted once again on the land.  Clinox defeating dragon upon dragon, enslaving and torturing the elves and dwarves, until soon he was at the doorstep of Dra’che’aeq.  Besieging the castle, tossing soldiers at its massive walls until one day he broke through.

 

It was the day Eteliwyth returned to protect his heir from death.  Granting the five Baelathkai siblings and the last child of Ang’dra’aen –known as Nor’dra’ellyn--the ability to transform their appearance as to blend in with the humans and told them to protect her.

 

“There will be a day, when shadow walks the earth; the binds of the betrayers will break.  This young ones is the precursor to the dawn of the new age, watch for it, wait for it.”  After speaking, he sent them out into the realm of the humans, disguised.  He himself went for Clinox, but the undead wizard, using “Wyrm Hunter” slew him, creating a void in the Plane of Shadow.

 

Clinox took the throne; he imprisoned dwarf and elf, placing them in reservations and mountain fortresses.  He forbade all trade with these races, saying that would only rise to power again and once more toss the humans from Dra’che’aeq.  The humans, tired of rule by races other than their own were quickly to oblige.  Nevertheless, his reign did not last long, for a dwarven tactical unit struck him during a public speaking appearance.  His physical body was destroyed, the sword reclaimed taken by the dwarves, but Clinox’s soul, which was kept locked way in a soul jar was never found.

 

Realm of Shadow begins, in the year 258 Human Reckoning, a calendar that started the day Clinox killed Eteliwyth.  Humans still rule, but by council, elves and dwarves are still imprisoned, waiting for the signs.  Moreover, Clinox returns once more.