The God King

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. Before the Dawn of Man, gods ruled over all mortals and immortals alike. In the fourth millennia, the gods rendered chaos and strife amongst the inhabitants of the domain. Orcs had been left to the whims of the god, Hildern, in the mountains of Norr. Inside the mountains, they were forced to forge armaments for their deity. After centuries of serving the god of despair, an orc culling surrendered the will of their entire race to Hildern’s possession. The strongest willed orcs were slain, while the remainder became foot soldiers. Forming an army, sworn to Hildern alone. The vast numbers of Hildern’s army casted grave concern for their sibling gods. Dwarves and elves were driven into hiding after the swift onslaught, never before had they been outnumbered against a foe thus powerful. With their followers depleted by the mass assaults, the dwarven god, Bolgard, and the elven god, Eriana, fell to Hildern’s power. The god of man, Feyra, had foreseen the coming storm and sought out a champion of their own. Travelling throughout the realms of man, Feyra challenged the candidates by tests of will, strength, and wit. Many engaged in Feyra’s trials, however, only one passed. A young orphaned lad by the name of Alder Cain. He followed Feyra through the mystic pools of Delphi and there they met with the Seven Sages. The sages wrapped Alder in cloths and soaked him in the primordial waters. Enchanting the pools, the sages gifted Feyra’s champion with the might of a demigod. Believing their champion to be fit for the task, Feyra challenged Hildern to a duel. Two champions to face off and determine the fate of man. Should Hildern’s champion win, Feyra and the realm of man would fall and swear fealty. Should Alder defeat his opponent, Hildern would release the orcs and stripped of their power. The duel between gods took place at the peak of the Norr mountains, the Sky Helm. Hildern’s champion was a brute orc that had been cursed with tremendous strength. Horns has begun to protrude and curl out of its temples, while dark blood trickled from its mouth and tusks. Cladded in armor, it stood almost a foot taller than Alder and casted a shadow over him. The mutant orc swung its greatsword from over its shoulder and tried hacking Alder in half. Within a mere moment, Alder swiftly dodged the first move. He drew his sword and slashed upward in a simple motion. At first, it appeared as if Alder’s counter had missed. The monstrous orc stepped forward and let out a groan. Falling backwards, the orc’s armor revealed to have been cleanly cut through. As if it had been made from goats butter. Hildern grew enraged by the results of the Feyra’s challenge. Swearing that they had been played by a rigged challenge, Hildern was stripped of their power. The orcs now free, after millennia of servitude. Feyra now stood as the most powerful of the gods. Unfortunately, due to their desperation in dethroning Hildern. Feyra empowered Alder Cain without any true oversight on the limits of his power. Impervious to lethargy, unchecked strength, unmatched intellect, and a terrifying skill of magic. Seeing a throne for the taking, Alder drove his blade through Feyra’s back. Absorbing the power they had claimed from Hildern, Alder casted Feyra from the Sky Helm. In his victory, a premonition clouded Alder. Showing him a woman that would gain more power than himself and seize his domain. The realm began to tremble as Alder crafted the Sky Helm into a fortress and opened the maws of Norr. From the fiery depths of the mountains’ stomach, dragons were released to scour the realm for any who would usurp Alder’s throne. Claiming the orcs for his own, Alder, the now God King, sent them out to enact his will and maintain order amidst the realm of man. Shortly after asserting his Domain, Alder revisited the Seven Sages at the mystic pools and destroyed the catalysts that bestowed such horrendous power upon him. Ending the rule of the gods, Alder begun the Era of Cain.