*This story was made with Worldbuilder and the Fall From Heaven modpack. Thanks Kael. 
Hear now of ages long past, of the days when survival was humanity’s greatest concern.
Hear of times when demons stalked the lands and our people fled in fear.
Hear of days gone when the land was empty of life for so long.
You enjoy magic, do you not? Do you enjoy the harmony of this life, where Leaf Friend and Earth Child may walk in peace? Where the just Seneschals of the Order maintains the peace? Where the Revenants, Warlocks, and Dreadlords of the Ashen Veil are but stories to tell children at night?
Surely you have heard of the hulking demons who could fry a man with a gaze, of the vile “mortals” who had summoned them? You have heard of the horrors the Octopus Overlords sent at us, but you also know they pale to the creations of the Veil…
Hear of the times when a dimmed world would become even darker…
The Drin Empire had once covered the whole of the massive continent of Nora. In the days of the Empire, knowledge had thrived greater than Death, Plague, or Famine. The people had given faithful prayer to the Earth Mother and the Sky God, Kael. Elves, dwarves, giants, and humans all lived with each other in peace. Ships were being crafted to sail across the Azure Ocean and into the unknown lands beyond…
But then, the Empire was destroyed. From nowhere, a ball of black, evil magical energy was heading towards the capital city *which was named Rhea*. The city’s sorcerers could not save their capital, and they knew that the fall of Rhea would end the golden age of the world. Realizing this unknown magical doomsday herald was intended to wipe out all life, they worked their best to spare humanity. They weakened the foul power and prayed for best.
Rhea was decimated. Empress Reanne was killed in the explosion as was most of her family. The greatest magi in the world died as well, and with them so much knowledge vanished. For many, many miles around the city, all that remained was desert and memory.
In the ensuing chaos, the Empire was ravaged by disease, hunger, confusion, and war. The kingdoms battled so much and with such force that many of the new “nations” simply withered and died from depopulation. Within 50 years, most of humanity* had been destroyed. Perhaps the enemy that had tried to kill them all would succeed after all.
One day, a light shone in the sky, and a benevolent, smiling face spoke one word. “Rebirth”. Suddenly, the few remaining people threw down their accursed swords, and fled to distant corners of the continent. The exact time and date of the face’s speaking of Rebirth remained etched in the memory of every living being, and it still is. Thus, the people called the year that began shortly after the First Year of the Age of Rebirth.
The few surviving peopled lived isolated from each other, and gradually knowledge of other peoples faded. The new peoples settled and began to rebuild humanity*. Gradually, they began to advance back into primitive technologies that had been lost, and it seemed that civilization had begun anew.
It is in one such kingdom, where a people called the Fey dwelled, that our legends begin…
The Fey Wars
In the year 90 of the Age of Rebirth, Fey was a thriving kingdom, which had been successful in mapping almost half of the continent of Nora, and was made of elves and humans. Both of these races followed a recently established religion called the Fellowship of the Leaves, and harmony with nature was the focus of Fey. Fey thrived and prospered...but it still was nowhere near the glory or advancement of the Drin Empire of old…
In 90 AR, strange creatures appeared south of the coastal city of Seren. These creatures were like walking dead, except that their remaining flesh was blue and they spoke, in a guttural language that sounded of choppy, untamed seas. These creatures were brutal, and the first patrol that found them escaped with only one life. He, however, killed one of these demons and brought it with him in his escape to Seren.
The Herald of War, painted by Ceras Noraias in 456 AR
The healer who examined the dead demon collapsed in shock when she saw her dead husband’s wedding ring upon it. Realizing that these were the reanimated bodies of fallen sailors and fishermen, these demons came to be called, “The Drown”. Though later it was discovered that only a fraction were actually lost sailors and the like, the name stuck.
The Drown attacked Seren, and the feeble warriors who defended the city were butchered. Seren was captured, and the Drown, instead of razing the city, kept it and enslaved the populace. The Drown, even more astoundingly, knew the Fey language. They proclaimed:
Fall of Seren
The Drown multiplied greatly by sacrificing humans, and they moved in vast number to besiege Loren, the only buffer to the capital of Aera. Countless Drown penned the defenders in the city. Every night, they raided, and the new axmen and elven archers rained death on them. But no matter how many Drown were slain, more appeared. For 11 years, the siege continued, with no end in sight.
The First Drown Forces at the Siege of Loren
7 years into the siege, the Drown massed and assaulted the city. Reinforcing archers from Aera initiated a “two shield defense”. The reinforcements fortified a hill and lured many Drown while the city garrison held off the rest. The strategy paid off, and the reinforcements were able to sneak in, and the mass attack that would surely have broken through was repelled.
After 11 years, the Drown abated to mass even more troops. The only reinforcements available were a single contingent of axmen. King Faran was not optimistic, and he feared that if Aera was not guarded heavily, and if Loren fell…that they would need all the forces they could muster to repel the Drown.
This last assault on the city by the Drown raged on for three weeks. Finally, the Drown forces were broken, and the long siege of Loren was lifted. The Fey army pursued the Drown and waged open war on the Drown territory. Careful not to raze everything, for this land must be reclaimed by the Fey, they meticulously battled the Drown and finally holed them up in Seren.
After a bitter three week siege, the city was retaken. The Drown were hunted down for the next year, and in 103 AR, King Faran proclaimed the end of the Drown War. Celebration exploded across Fey as the Temple of the Leaf dedicated to the Sentinel**, Ratai, was completed in the recaptured Seren.
Seren Retaken
Many pushed the Drown abominations to the back of their minds. But the Drown were but a symptom of a conflict that would span centuries and nearly bring about our destruction…
*Humanity is a term that refers to all living races of intelligence; dwarves, elves, humans, and the intelligent giant clans***.
** Ratai the Sentinel is the forest guardian, she could be compared to a war goddess, except she only defends the forests, she never conquers or moves to conquer.
*** There are 12 giant clans, 5 are brutal, warmongering, and unitelligent. 6 are intelligent, realitively peaceful, and one is a clan of intelligence, and all of its members are sworn to pacifism.
**** Kael, if you read this ever and see something you do not like, please inform me and it shall be edited (for example, if you didn't want giants to be intelligent at all, or if you wished all giants to be intelligent, or if the Green Gods go against the concept of the Fellowship of the Leaves, etc.)
Hear now of ages long past, of the days when survival was humanity’s greatest concern.
Hear of times when demons stalked the lands and our people fled in fear.
Hear of days gone when the land was empty of life for so long.
You enjoy magic, do you not? Do you enjoy the harmony of this life, where Leaf Friend and Earth Child may walk in peace? Where the just Seneschals of the Order maintains the peace? Where the Revenants, Warlocks, and Dreadlords of the Ashen Veil are but stories to tell children at night?
Surely you have heard of the hulking demons who could fry a man with a gaze, of the vile “mortals” who had summoned them? You have heard of the horrors the Octopus Overlords sent at us, but you also know they pale to the creations of the Veil…
Hear of the times when a dimmed world would become even darker…
The Drin Empire had once covered the whole of the massive continent of Nora. In the days of the Empire, knowledge had thrived greater than Death, Plague, or Famine. The people had given faithful prayer to the Earth Mother and the Sky God, Kael. Elves, dwarves, giants, and humans all lived with each other in peace. Ships were being crafted to sail across the Azure Ocean and into the unknown lands beyond…
But then, the Empire was destroyed. From nowhere, a ball of black, evil magical energy was heading towards the capital city *which was named Rhea*. The city’s sorcerers could not save their capital, and they knew that the fall of Rhea would end the golden age of the world. Realizing this unknown magical doomsday herald was intended to wipe out all life, they worked their best to spare humanity. They weakened the foul power and prayed for best.
Rhea was decimated. Empress Reanne was killed in the explosion as was most of her family. The greatest magi in the world died as well, and with them so much knowledge vanished. For many, many miles around the city, all that remained was desert and memory.
In the ensuing chaos, the Empire was ravaged by disease, hunger, confusion, and war. The kingdoms battled so much and with such force that many of the new “nations” simply withered and died from depopulation. Within 50 years, most of humanity* had been destroyed. Perhaps the enemy that had tried to kill them all would succeed after all.
One day, a light shone in the sky, and a benevolent, smiling face spoke one word. “Rebirth”. Suddenly, the few remaining people threw down their accursed swords, and fled to distant corners of the continent. The exact time and date of the face’s speaking of Rebirth remained etched in the memory of every living being, and it still is. Thus, the people called the year that began shortly after the First Year of the Age of Rebirth.
The few surviving peopled lived isolated from each other, and gradually knowledge of other peoples faded. The new peoples settled and began to rebuild humanity*. Gradually, they began to advance back into primitive technologies that had been lost, and it seemed that civilization had begun anew.
It is in one such kingdom, where a people called the Fey dwelled, that our legends begin…
The Fey Wars
In the year 90 of the Age of Rebirth, Fey was a thriving kingdom, which had been successful in mapping almost half of the continent of Nora, and was made of elves and humans. Both of these races followed a recently established religion called the Fellowship of the Leaves, and harmony with nature was the focus of Fey. Fey thrived and prospered...but it still was nowhere near the glory or advancement of the Drin Empire of old…
In 90 AR, strange creatures appeared south of the coastal city of Seren. These creatures were like walking dead, except that their remaining flesh was blue and they spoke, in a guttural language that sounded of choppy, untamed seas. These creatures were brutal, and the first patrol that found them escaped with only one life. He, however, killed one of these demons and brought it with him in his escape to Seren.
The Herald of War, painted by Ceras Noraias in 456 AR
The healer who examined the dead demon collapsed in shock when she saw her dead husband’s wedding ring upon it. Realizing that these were the reanimated bodies of fallen sailors and fishermen, these demons came to be called, “The Drown”. Though later it was discovered that only a fraction were actually lost sailors and the like, the name stuck.
The Drown attacked Seren, and the feeble warriors who defended the city were butchered. Seren was captured, and the Drown, instead of razing the city, kept it and enslaved the populace. The Drown, even more astoundingly, knew the Fey language. They proclaimed:
Drown Speaker said:
Fall of Seren
The Drown multiplied greatly by sacrificing humans, and they moved in vast number to besiege Loren, the only buffer to the capital of Aera. Countless Drown penned the defenders in the city. Every night, they raided, and the new axmen and elven archers rained death on them. But no matter how many Drown were slain, more appeared. For 11 years, the siege continued, with no end in sight.
The First Drown Forces at the Siege of Loren
7 years into the siege, the Drown massed and assaulted the city. Reinforcing archers from Aera initiated a “two shield defense”. The reinforcements fortified a hill and lured many Drown while the city garrison held off the rest. The strategy paid off, and the reinforcements were able to sneak in, and the mass attack that would surely have broken through was repelled.
After 11 years, the Drown abated to mass even more troops. The only reinforcements available were a single contingent of axmen. King Faran was not optimistic, and he feared that if Aera was not guarded heavily, and if Loren fell…that they would need all the forces they could muster to repel the Drown.
This last assault on the city by the Drown raged on for three weeks. Finally, the Drown forces were broken, and the long siege of Loren was lifted. The Fey army pursued the Drown and waged open war on the Drown territory. Careful not to raze everything, for this land must be reclaimed by the Fey, they meticulously battled the Drown and finally holed them up in Seren.
After a bitter three week siege, the city was retaken. The Drown were hunted down for the next year, and in 103 AR, King Faran proclaimed the end of the Drown War. Celebration exploded across Fey as the Temple of the Leaf dedicated to the Sentinel**, Ratai, was completed in the recaptured Seren.
Seren Retaken
Many pushed the Drown abominations to the back of their minds. But the Drown were but a symptom of a conflict that would span centuries and nearly bring about our destruction…
*Humanity is a term that refers to all living races of intelligence; dwarves, elves, humans, and the intelligent giant clans***.
** Ratai the Sentinel is the forest guardian, she could be compared to a war goddess, except she only defends the forests, she never conquers or moves to conquer.
*** There are 12 giant clans, 5 are brutal, warmongering, and unitelligent. 6 are intelligent, realitively peaceful, and one is a clan of intelligence, and all of its members are sworn to pacifism.
**** Kael, if you read this ever and see something you do not like, please inform me and it shall be edited (for example, if you didn't want giants to be intelligent at all, or if you wished all giants to be intelligent, or if the Green Gods go against the concept of the Fellowship of the Leaves, etc.)
