Setting the Stage
Our setting is the continent of Aygess on the world of Eldridth. The universe is fairly young still, with the material plane only forming some 66,000 years ago. In its first age Eldridth the surface of the world was the playground of Gaia, where she first crafter her Gnomes and Treants. She opened the world to magical travels to the other realms, allowing a diverse world to develop around her, and her Gnomes to travel onward. Arriving first were the Dwarves, who began digging into the planet. Next were the Humans, who arrived in small numbers, and made small communities. Last to migrate were Elves.
During the First age, the Upper Planes were in the Celest Era, and were ruled over by the Celests by which the universal Era of the time took its name. They grew bored with the imperfect universe, and embraced a promise of a new universe in the next life. This lead to the Second Era, the Dark Celest Era, for only the pure could transition to the next phase to maintain its perfection, and the Dark Celests grew angry, and darker, and began to reshape the universe in their desires.
The Second age Eldridth experienced was the Age of Azar, which lasted a little over 4,000 years. It left its scars both figuratively and literally upon the world. Azar was a Infernally empowered Primordial, who brought in Tieflings to rule the land, Drow to rule the subterraing Dwarves, and Orcs to dominate the mortal races. Azar demanded regular sacrifice to feed his ever growing flames. And the forest world that once gave birth to the Treants, burned to cinders, and the Races who once co-exisited in small numbers, were enslaved and forcably bred for both labor and sacrifice. The Old Ones were the Dark Celests, and once were but corrupted by the chaotic and evil energies from the lower planes. The Old Ones forced all divine to return to the Outer planes. The Old ones wanted to re-craft the upper planes into their own image for them. The Material worlds fell to the primordials, and Eldridth specifically fell to Azar, the Fire Primordial. Its thick woods, and multitude of mortal races was perfect for his designs. Eldridth became a world of flame and ash.
Azar was a tyrannical lord of the world, demanding constant sacrifice to his flames. Dragons themselves were cowed to the Power of Azar, and the world fell to darkness. Azar opened portals to allow the arrival of Drow, Tieflings and Orcs from the other planes. He welcomed the Tieflings as part of a pact he made for greater power with Asmodeus, who retained much power in the world in exchange for regular sacrifices. The Tieflings became the leaders of the surface world, and the Drow the rulers of the underworld and masters of the enslaved Dwarves. The Orcs who respected only true strength, served Azar in life, to be hardened and readied to serve Grumish in Death. The Orcs were the enforces of Azar's will, and the slavers of the other mortal races, primarily now human to whom Azar believed the most useful of his slaves.
Azar ruled Eldridth for a little over 4,000 years, which compared to the Divine rule of Gaia was nothing, but in that short time he had un-done the beauty and majesty of the world. It was a dark time that ended when Edric Paloma became a hero, and lead a revolt against the Tiefling and Orc masters, praying unto Gaia, in what is now the city of Debraso. Gaia answered this prayer, and empowered the strongest and nobelest among them, which was Savras Lasgoby. Gaia, Phaestus and Vashnar returned, and engaged into battle directly with Azar. This battle raged for decades, which to gods and primordials is likened until days in these kinds of moments. While this took place, the slaves revolted against the Tiefling, Orcs and Drow.
The Dwarves defeated the Drow into retreating either into the Shadowfell or back to the surface. The Humans and other mortal races pressed the Tieflings and Orcs back into the southeastern side of the continent, but the war continued to rage. To summarize the History of the War against the forces of Azar, it was a tough fight, that lasted past the life of the first King of the Mortal Races, Edric. It ended when Azar, facing inevitable defeat, broke his bond with with Asmodeus, and threw in his lot with demonic forces. Who attempted to spring into action. This betrayal, and act of utter cowardous enranged Aegis, who Vashnar had pleaded with to join the fight to ensure victory. Aegis who loved watching battle, joined the fight with his Goliaths Joining the mortal races, He broke the world into three contienets and assisted his divine breathern in sealing Azar in the core of the world. Aygess which was the center of the continent, mostly populated by Humans and the Dwarves under ground. Shodra, which was the South east of the super Continent, this would become land essentially ceded to the Tieflings, Orcs and Drow. The Northwestern Part of the continent broke off to become Vashten, named for the deity the residents of the land worshiped, Vashnar. The world was divided by more divine power. Making travel across the sea and air to the other continents an extremely dangerous and arduous journey more likely to claim your life then deposit you in a different land, and magical teleportation magics nearly impossible. Though there were exceptions, empowered directly by Gaia, allowing a strong connection between a particular section of the Feywild called Prismer, allowing migration into Aygess of some Elves clans, and several other Fey Creatures.
For a time, several divine would dwell or visit among the Mortal Races of Aygess. Until almost 1300 years ago, when Pentharion declared that Mortal Races would shape the future of Material Plane, and ordered all Divine to cease further direct influence on the three Inner Planes, unless the influence of the Primordials attempt to return.
I wish I could tell you that the utopia the Divine had helped form remained but it did not. It was not long into the this new Era that tragedy befell the City of Ionia, where it vanished in a massive explosion that could be seen across Aygess. Magic was blamed, and heavily persecuited in several lands. Esspecially Fire Magic, for fear it was Azar. Wars were fought over hatred of magic, while others built new magical cities. A great war against the Host of Goblinoids aslo occured during the early part of this age.
The most world defining historical event occured about 350 years ago, the refuge crisis of the Dwarves. When the Reavers, horrifying giant humanoidish monsters that began emergering from deep within the planet, destroying and demolishing there way through the Dwarven Tunnels dug deep into the world The Dwarves were forced to retreat to the surface, and had to adapt to a new life on the surface.
A large portion of them settled into the Oryn Empire, who was much more welcoming to the Dwarves than other nations, besides Bugtussle which was far to chaotic for many of the dwarves more lawful nature. Its been long enough that almost no dwarves left alive today were born in a true dwarven city. Even fewer can remember much of their subterranean life even if they were born there. Because of these events, the worlds primary inhabitants are Human and Dwarves.
In the past seven years, a big development has rocked the world, but has actually gone by not nearly as violently as would be expected. A new set of refuges arrived, Tribes of Orcs. It is not known how they arrived, they only settled small settlements around the continent, and have been seeking peaceful relations with the nations they settle in. Many feel this indicates a larger invasion, and do not want to tolerate the Orc's, though much of the leadership in the world, in attempting to avoid hostilities are allowing them to form these settlements unobstructed.
Most recently, the Orcs who settled along the Springoa Mountains were granted offical regency over their settlement and the surrounding lands, provided the road between the Queendom of Thena and the Oryn Empire remains open for travel. This has been met with differing reactions from those who in the surrounding areas. But due to the dangers of the Colreeg Wilds the Orcs decided to settle amongst, any attempt to subdue those wilds in welcome by the surrounding nations.
During the First age, the Upper Planes were in the Celest Era, and were ruled over by the Celests by which the universal Era of the time took its name. They grew bored with the imperfect universe, and embraced a promise of a new universe in the next life. This lead to the Second Era, the Dark Celest Era, for only the pure could transition to the next phase to maintain its perfection, and the Dark Celests grew angry, and darker, and began to reshape the universe in their desires.
The Second age Eldridth experienced was the Age of Azar, which lasted a little over 4,000 years. It left its scars both figuratively and literally upon the world. Azar was a Infernally empowered Primordial, who brought in Tieflings to rule the land, Drow to rule the subterraing Dwarves, and Orcs to dominate the mortal races. Azar demanded regular sacrifice to feed his ever growing flames. And the forest world that once gave birth to the Treants, burned to cinders, and the Races who once co-exisited in small numbers, were enslaved and forcably bred for both labor and sacrifice. The Old Ones were the Dark Celests, and once were but corrupted by the chaotic and evil energies from the lower planes. The Old Ones forced all divine to return to the Outer planes. The Old ones wanted to re-craft the upper planes into their own image for them. The Material worlds fell to the primordials, and Eldridth specifically fell to Azar, the Fire Primordial. Its thick woods, and multitude of mortal races was perfect for his designs. Eldridth became a world of flame and ash.
Azar was a tyrannical lord of the world, demanding constant sacrifice to his flames. Dragons themselves were cowed to the Power of Azar, and the world fell to darkness. Azar opened portals to allow the arrival of Drow, Tieflings and Orcs from the other planes. He welcomed the Tieflings as part of a pact he made for greater power with Asmodeus, who retained much power in the world in exchange for regular sacrifices. The Tieflings became the leaders of the surface world, and the Drow the rulers of the underworld and masters of the enslaved Dwarves. The Orcs who respected only true strength, served Azar in life, to be hardened and readied to serve Grumish in Death. The Orcs were the enforces of Azar's will, and the slavers of the other mortal races, primarily now human to whom Azar believed the most useful of his slaves.
Azar ruled Eldridth for a little over 4,000 years, which compared to the Divine rule of Gaia was nothing, but in that short time he had un-done the beauty and majesty of the world. It was a dark time that ended when Edric Paloma became a hero, and lead a revolt against the Tiefling and Orc masters, praying unto Gaia, in what is now the city of Debraso. Gaia answered this prayer, and empowered the strongest and nobelest among them, which was Savras Lasgoby. Gaia, Phaestus and Vashnar returned, and engaged into battle directly with Azar. This battle raged for decades, which to gods and primordials is likened until days in these kinds of moments. While this took place, the slaves revolted against the Tiefling, Orcs and Drow.
The Dwarves defeated the Drow into retreating either into the Shadowfell or back to the surface. The Humans and other mortal races pressed the Tieflings and Orcs back into the southeastern side of the continent, but the war continued to rage. To summarize the History of the War against the forces of Azar, it was a tough fight, that lasted past the life of the first King of the Mortal Races, Edric. It ended when Azar, facing inevitable defeat, broke his bond with with Asmodeus, and threw in his lot with demonic forces. Who attempted to spring into action. This betrayal, and act of utter cowardous enranged Aegis, who Vashnar had pleaded with to join the fight to ensure victory. Aegis who loved watching battle, joined the fight with his Goliaths Joining the mortal races, He broke the world into three contienets and assisted his divine breathern in sealing Azar in the core of the world. Aygess which was the center of the continent, mostly populated by Humans and the Dwarves under ground. Shodra, which was the South east of the super Continent, this would become land essentially ceded to the Tieflings, Orcs and Drow. The Northwestern Part of the continent broke off to become Vashten, named for the deity the residents of the land worshiped, Vashnar. The world was divided by more divine power. Making travel across the sea and air to the other continents an extremely dangerous and arduous journey more likely to claim your life then deposit you in a different land, and magical teleportation magics nearly impossible. Though there were exceptions, empowered directly by Gaia, allowing a strong connection between a particular section of the Feywild called Prismer, allowing migration into Aygess of some Elves clans, and several other Fey Creatures.
For a time, several divine would dwell or visit among the Mortal Races of Aygess. Until almost 1300 years ago, when Pentharion declared that Mortal Races would shape the future of Material Plane, and ordered all Divine to cease further direct influence on the three Inner Planes, unless the influence of the Primordials attempt to return.
I wish I could tell you that the utopia the Divine had helped form remained but it did not. It was not long into the this new Era that tragedy befell the City of Ionia, where it vanished in a massive explosion that could be seen across Aygess. Magic was blamed, and heavily persecuited in several lands. Esspecially Fire Magic, for fear it was Azar. Wars were fought over hatred of magic, while others built new magical cities. A great war against the Host of Goblinoids aslo occured during the early part of this age.
The most world defining historical event occured about 350 years ago, the refuge crisis of the Dwarves. When the Reavers, horrifying giant humanoidish monsters that began emergering from deep within the planet, destroying and demolishing there way through the Dwarven Tunnels dug deep into the world The Dwarves were forced to retreat to the surface, and had to adapt to a new life on the surface.
A large portion of them settled into the Oryn Empire, who was much more welcoming to the Dwarves than other nations, besides Bugtussle which was far to chaotic for many of the dwarves more lawful nature. Its been long enough that almost no dwarves left alive today were born in a true dwarven city. Even fewer can remember much of their subterranean life even if they were born there. Because of these events, the worlds primary inhabitants are Human and Dwarves.
In the past seven years, a big development has rocked the world, but has actually gone by not nearly as violently as would be expected. A new set of refuges arrived, Tribes of Orcs. It is not known how they arrived, they only settled small settlements around the continent, and have been seeking peaceful relations with the nations they settle in. Many feel this indicates a larger invasion, and do not want to tolerate the Orc's, though much of the leadership in the world, in attempting to avoid hostilities are allowing them to form these settlements unobstructed.
Most recently, the Orcs who settled along the Springoa Mountains were granted offical regency over their settlement and the surrounding lands, provided the road between the Queendom of Thena and the Oryn Empire remains open for travel. This has been met with differing reactions from those who in the surrounding areas. But due to the dangers of the Colreeg Wilds the Orcs decided to settle amongst, any attempt to subdue those wilds in welcome by the surrounding nations.
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