The God Who Broke The World
There was a god, who broke the world.
Upon setting the divine order, deep within a cavern in the land of the gods, a fresco called the Toikō was created by the Ä’Mäním as a means for them to keep watch upon their realms and the gods who managed them. In addition to acting as a watch piece, the Toikō also told the story of the world as it unfolded. The elves, the dwarves, the fey, humans, and all other creatures of the realms also had their stories pictured in the Toikō. The Toikō's source was the Feiros, which was a beautiful crystal that reflected all the colors in their brilliance. The Feiros held a great amount of the power that the creator used to create the world, so a guardian was created to stand guard over it. This guardian was a great dragon named Ouphäntés. Due to his proximity to the Feiros, Ouphäntés' scales shone with the same multicolor radiance.
Not long after, the Ä’Mäním created the deities and set them over their dominions. One of these gods, named Heios Pereiän, was charged with the lights of the world. Pereiän befriended Ouphäntés, helped keep him company, and brought him treats from all over the world. Ouphäntés told Pereiän tales of the peoples and creatures that were told in the Toikō. The many crafts of the dwarves, the love the elves have for the living things, the coming of the humans, and the ordering of all their peoples. At first Pereiän enjoyed his time with his friend, listening to Ouphäntés' stories, and the treats they shared; but soon his desire to look upon the Feiros‘ radiance became the real reasons for his visits. This was a light that he could not control, and he longed to wield its power.
Finally, Pereiän decided to act. He would often pace along the Toikō, pretending to gaze at it while Ouphäntés told him tales. This time his wandering led him to the Feiros, and before Ouphäntés realized what was happening, Pereiän had the Feiros within his grasp. Pereiän pulled with all his might and had to use all of his power over light to keep himself from being consumed by the Feiros‘ brilliance. The Feiros resisted his efforts and gave off great pulses of power to thwart Pereiän's efforts to dislodge it from the Toikō. Ouphäntés drew in a deep breath, ready to destroy his one-time friend with a blast of pure energy and fire, but at the very moment when he was to release his fury Pereiän managed to pry the Feiros from its footing within the Toikō. As the Feiros left the Toikō, Ouphäntés' attack was cut short and he collapsed into slumber. The Feiros darkened, the Toikō stopped recording, and the Ä’Mäním's vision over the realms blurred. Pereiän dropped the Feiros into his bag, and as he did so; he saw his left-hand wither. It would be forever damaged from his prolonged battle with the Feiros.
It was then that he realized the extent of what he had done. This was unforgivable, but the power of the Feiros was his; and he would not give it up willingly. He stood for a long while in front of the Toikō. Waiting for retribution to come. The wrath of his friend, the pronouncement of judgement from the Ä’Mäním, or even destruction sent upon him from the Creator. But nothing came. This emboldened Pereiän. He finally looked upon Ouphäntés, and his collapsed body, which was now not in its own form, but in that of a man. Pereiän quickly left the cavern and as he fled a plan formed in his consciousness. He would do anything to protect himself from the consequences of his actions. He steeled himself and forsook the power of good.
Pereiän knew he would need allies. The Feiros was his and he would use it to force people to be his shield and sword. He broke 4 small pieces from the Feiros, each one turning a different color as it broke free of the whole. The red gem he named Roumpíní, the green gem he named Smärägdí, the blue gem he named Zäfeirí, and the clear gem he named Daimäntí. The Feiros that remained continued to shimmer with different colors as before, although diminished into more of a glow rather than a radiance. His plan began to take shape.
The gems had power, but not like the Feiros. Pereiän found that he could control the gems, and to some extent all those who possessed them and yielded to their beauty. He corrupted the gems and set them to control each of the four species, then he gave one of the four gems to a leader of each of the people groups that the gem controlled. The gem would allow this leader to control his own people, and Pereiän would in turn control the leader that possessed it. Pereiän's possession of the Feiros also gave him some power over the elements of Ä’Resh, but he could not control the Feiros directly. It would give him power, but it would not yield to his desire to control it.
He had his most success with the fey, as they were the most susceptible to the Feiros‘ power. It was to a certain band of hobgoblin, called the Telkí, that he entrusted Roumpíní, the red gem. They were organized, powerful, and cunning. Fey creatures that used to be friendly to humanoids became wary, and some even became hostile to them as they succumbed to the gem's influence. The Telkí also unified the fell species of orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, trolls, and ogres to his side. Through Roumpíní he controlled the Telkí, and through them he controlled the rest. Then partnering with the sinister god, Skōtäs, he used the Feiros' power to enhance Skōtäs' rituals to create the ōrüks and gnolls to bolster his forces.
To the humans he gave Zäfeirí, the blue gem. He found their desire for control to be their downfall. They would use Zäfeirí to control others, and when that failed, to dominate them. They formed a kingdom and built a walled city to control their people and to protect themselves. They made war on others who refused to yield to their authority and instead held to the old ways. These barbarians called on the Kingdom of Ral'Ēon for help, and it was able to overthrow the evil men, and hid the gem from those who would seek to enslave others. One such people are the Eshkätär. They hail from a large island and are mighty warriors. Their entire society is dedicated to war and its craft. They recently heard rumors of the gem that can control people groups and have begun to listen and heed these tales.
To the dwarves he gave Smärägdí, the green gem, for their weakness was greed. They used Smärägdí to improve their craftsmanship, which now gave them the power to work even the most stubborn metal. Their eyes turned to their work, and they cared not for the problems of the world or others, but only in the wealth of their craft and in what others would give for it. These dwarves darkened and became the Düergär. The other dwarven kingdoms had little to do with the selfish and corrupted Düergär.
To the Bä’Er Elō’Em (elves) he gave Daimäntí, the clear gem. Most of the Bä’Er (elves) shunned Pereiän, for they sensed something not right in him. They called him Näpel, the Fallen. But to some of the He’Ōr (elves that chose to live among the Vé'lyn), they believed his lies and set off with Daimäntí in a quest for their lady Bäzíel, to bring her the greatest of lights. Along the journey, the folly of their errand was realized. Some in despair, called the Ä’Bé, fell to Näpel’s evil, forsook Bäzíel, and went to live in the caverns deep in the world apart from the other elves and the light of day. Their leader, Dä’Red, possessed Daimäntí and passed it as an heirloom to his family. Those who did not follow Dä’Red, called the She’Bä, persevered and continued in the light of Bäzíel, although they did not return to their people in the land of the gods, but instead settled among the Te’Hōm.
The other gods finally began to realize Pereiän’s treachery. Hexfäs came to the cavern to check the Toikō, to see what was leading the peoples on the path of immorality and evil. He found the darkened Toikō, and the collapsed form of Ouphäntés. Hexfäs was not able to revive Ouphäntés, though he was able to verify that the old guardian was still alive. Hexfäs gathered the other deities together in a council. By this time Pereiän was able to sway some of the other gods, which prevented the council from acting against him. Unable to contact the Ä’Mäním, the gods that embraced the power of good chose to act indirectly through the peoples. They joined the Bä’Er in calling their enemy Näpel and then gathered followers from all the races. Most became clerics, who spread the power of good using the deities’ divine power. The rest became warriors, divided into monks and paladins, who wielded the divine power for battle against the forces of evil. The gods that chose Näpel's path would soon follow suit, and gathered clerics, paladins, and monks of their own.
It was not long after the council that a new race was discovered. The dragon-born fully embraced the power of good and seemed to know that Näpel was the real enemy. They swore oaths to bring him to justice and sought to brighten the world that had been darkened by his treachery.
I feel the end is now drawing near. Näpel is gathering his forces for a final showdown with the power of good. The Telkí have amassed a massive army of fell races, and plan on completely destroying all forces of good and the innocent. The only way to stop the annihilation is to gather the 4 gems, restore the Feiros, and then place it back into its place in the Toikō. One can only guess what will happen after that.
