Lightbearers

During the War of Ashes, there was only one organization that could stand up to the great armies: The Lightbearers. While most of the world fought for survival among the smoldering ashes of the First Firefall and in the wake of the battles of the great armies, some of the greatest inventors, leaders, mages, scientists, and warriors from the major civilizations of the world pooled their knowledge and resources to try and save the world. Many of its members never met each other due to the great distances between them, coordinating efforts via long range Magic or technology, but this didn't stop them from doing all they could to survive the end of days.

Each contributed their own unique resources and talents to crafts weapons that could pose a threat to the great armies. Many methods including powerful magical effects, terrible war machines, vicious bio weapons, incredible weapons of mass destruction, and complex systems that attempted to bend the power of nature to its will were all trialed in haste as the world burned around them. Some of these methods showed more promise than others, but, sadly, none would see a chance to be used.

One by one, the holdouts of these survivors fell to the apocalypse. It is believed that each put in last-second efforts to unleash their weapons, even if they weren't ready, but none were able to make a difference; except one. There is some dispute as to which was the last to fall, but whoever it was unleashed the weapon they had been preparing. In a flash of light as bright as the Three Suns seen through the ash and smoke from thousands of kilometers aways, the Lightbearers ended in a blaze of glory. Survivors still on the surface reported that the War of Ashes fell silent shortly afterward. The fires died and snow began to mix with the falling ash, ushering in the Age of Ice.

During the Age of Ice and into the Age of Reclamation, those that witnessed the efforts of the Torchbearers searched the wilderness for remnants of their weapons.