Netherime
The Rise and Fall of the Netherime: Harbingers of the Second Age
The dawning of the Second Age was heralded by the creation of the Netherime, celestial entities crafted by the divine hands of the Empyreals. Their banishment to the High Halls marked the age’s bitter end, a somber epitaph for a fractured world.
The Birth of Immortal Vessels
The Netherime were not born, but forged—empty vessels imbued with purpose. Lacking souls of their own, they housed the collective essence of mortals, each entity a prison of lives. When one of these ethereal guardians perishes, a soul within is extinguished forever. In their prime, the Empyreals replenished these spirits, ensuring the eternal vigilance of their creations. Yet with the gods’ disappearance, this sacred renewal became an impossibility. Each death now tightens the noose on the Netherime’s waning power, forcing them to tread cautiously amidst the growing darkness.
Divine Patrons of Mortal Magic
The surplus of souls within the Netherime grants them a unique power—the ability to bestow divine magic. By forging an indelible bond between one of their captive souls and a mortal whose ideals resonate with theirs, they empower the chosen with the ability to channel celestial might. However, this gift is not without limits. A Netherime must retain one soul for its own survival, capping their ability to create bonds at ninety-nine. The loss of even a single soul diminishes this number, a grim reminder of their dwindling legacy.
Gods Among Mortals
In the Netherime’s infancy, they walked the earth as protectors, their radiant forms a symbol of hope for Tariel’s people. However, the absence of the Empyreals fostered ambition among them. Some deemed mortals unworthy of self-rule and proclaimed themselves God-Kings, lording over the realms with celestial dominion. These self-appointed rulers clashed fiercely with their kin, who believed such arrogance defied their divine purpose.
Amidst the chaos, agents of the Starborn wove their corruption into the veil of existence. The ensuing conflict sullied the world, and when the Empyreals returned, they found their creations embroiled in a cataclysm of pride and ruin. In their wrath, the Empyreals decreed the Netherime’s exile, sealing them within the High Halls. Those who had sought to rule were marked by failure; their wings, once shimmering with celestial light, turned black as night. They became the Netherzine, outcasts among the forsaken.
Shackles of Divine Judgment
Though the Empyreals are gone, the magic that binds the Netherime remains potent. Mortal mages have devised means to temporarily summon them to the Material Plane, though such rituals come at great cost. Whispers grow of the Netherzine’s hunger for reclamation, their blackened wings a harbinger of tyranny. Some mortals have already succumbed to their influence, establishing theocracies that claim communion with these fallen entities. Whether truth or delusion, these regimes wield power as if guided by the Netherzine’s will.
The Shadow of Their Return
The Netherime’s presence lingers in the hearts of mortals—a memory of glory tarnished by hubris. As the High Halls echo with their despair, questions linger: Will the Netherzine break their chains and return to Tariel, casting shadows of their rule once more? Will their fractured kin rise to stop them, or has the light of their purpose dimmed forever?
The Second Age was their crucible, but the embers of their influence remain, smoldering in the corners of the world and within the hearts of those who dare to seek them out.
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