The Story of Altairus

The Birth of Altairus

In the very beginning, long before the world of Altairus came to be, there were only two elements: Anima and Void. The only beings that roamed the endless expanse of void were creatures known today as fenghuangs. These magnificent beasts are composed entirely of Anima, the very essence of life that binds the world of Altairus together. And they shared this life with the universe, spreading their influence to create the stars and the planets. Out of nothing came a masterpiece of creation.

And it was the greatest and most magnificent of all the fenghuangs who fashioned the world of Altairus from the raw essence of magic. It started by splitting Anima into six different elements; Air, Water, Earth, Fire, Light, and Darkness. With these elements, it fashioned the land, the sea, the sky, everything that Altairus has to offer. It wasn't long before the energy of Anima imbued into this planet birthed life. Over the next thousand years, great forests spread across the continents, mountains rose and fell, and the beings birthed on the planet began to walk upright and form their own civilizations.

These ancient societies knew the fenghuang who gave the planet life as the Heart of Altairus. And for over two thousand years, the people of Altairus lived peaceful lives under the benevolent protection of the Heart of Altairus. It truly was the Golden Era of Altairus.

A Troubled Heart

Alas, not all was well in paradise. Over the years, the Heart of Altairus began to forget its mission to protect the world it had created. Indeed, it had come to appreciate the worship the people of Altairus bestowed on it. And it had developed quite an appetite for the offerings and sacrifices it received.

The Heart of Altairus abandoned its impartiality and began to curry favor with the people and societies who offered the best sacrifices. It was around this time when the Altairians learned of the land of the Flipside. The Flipside, you see, is an empty void world filled with nasty beings called the wendigoes. The polar opposite of fenghuangs, the wendigoes spend their days in endless misery and hunger, their only real joy coming from the magic of other worlds. And the Heart of Altairus, in its negligence, had left the door wide open to them.

However, not all was bad at this time. The Altairians quickly learned how to deal with these monsters, setting up temple schools across the world to train an elite force of guardians. These guardians would dispatch wendigoes wherever they appeared and send them back to the Flipside. Though the world was not as safe as before, there were always those willing to do whatever it took to snuff out the threats to their world. Hence began the Silver Era; a downgrade from the previous era, but nothing compared to what happened next.

The Fall

The year 2243 S. E. was when everything exploded. The War of the Wendigoes had begun on Earth. Stuffing themselves with the Earth dweller's magic, the wendigoes traveled through the portals and confronted the Heart of Altairus. Instead of trying to drain it, however, they began to sway the Heart to join their side. They promised all the worship and offerings it could imagine. All it had to do was accept their Null magic into its body.

The Heart of Altairus accepted. Without delay, the wendigoes poured their fell magic into the Heart of Altairus, poisoning it and twisting its form into something new. Something terrifying. The bright white of its form gave way to an inky black. The rainbow emanating from its form was snuffed out. Its eyes turned from light blue to a deep blood red. It cried out in anguish.

The Heart's greed and gluttony had led it to transforming into a horrific new beast. The Heart of Darkness.

Thus began the War of the Wendigoes in Altairus. The Heart had turned against everything it had sworn to protect as it drained the Anima from the world. Much of the land was drained dry and many died in the War.

It was only because of the efforts of six heroes that the Heart of Darkness was banished. Wielding the Six Fragments of Anima, powerful weapons bathed in the elements of Anima and designed to be effective against wendigoes, these Champions of Altairus succeeded in banishing the Heart of Darkness and sealing it in the Flipside. The very elements it had fashioned to create this world had ultimately become its downfall.

The Aftermath

After the War was over, Altairus struggled to recover. Ultimately, the portals between Earth and Altairus were sealed, marking the beginning of the Post-Separation Era. This era would bring many new changes to Altairus. The temples were converted into dojos, where anyone could study magic, including defenses against wendigoes. The nations of Altairus had never been closer, offering mutual aid to get through these rough times.

The Heart of Altairus no longer protects the world it created, but its people have more than taken up that role for themselves. This is their world, and they will stick together and protect it, no matter what.