The Grand Era: Beginning of the End

In the beginning of this world there were two entities. Powerful deities whose central natures opposed the other. One, the Ordered Xalbus, the other, the Aberrant Drishca. One peace and harmony, the other chaos and destruction. The Xalbus sought to create more in this world and so he created the elementals: Fire, Earth, Water, and Air. He created them to help shape the barren existence into a veritable bounty of wonder.

Drishca grew envious of what Xalbus was creating and so he created beings of his own. He started with the fiends, dark creatures whose ranks consisted of demons and devils. Seeing the newly created threat of Drishca’s hoards, Xalbus responded by creating the warlike races of giants, hobgoblins, goblins, and orcs.

They defended Xalbus’s creation, and as he built the world and the races, new potential arrived in the Elementals. From Fire and Water came Storm that fed the crops. From Earth and Fire came Magma which created new lands and fertile soil. From Magma and Water came Metal which equipped the armies and workers of the humanoid races. From Metal and Water came Blood who, in tandem with Xalbus, created the animals and beasts and every other thing living in this world. From the creations of Blood and Fire, Ember was created which was used to smoke meats and cook meals. Finally, from Air and Water came the chill of Ice who brought about the cycle of the seasons with the annual freeze. As he traveled fighting off the Abberation’s armies, the frost followed, killing crops and freezing waters. Despite this, his frost bred hardened soldiers, and his skill in battle was unparalleled, second only to Fire and Xalbus.

As the war progressed Xalbus’s creation grew outward and at the center of this new realm, there he founded the city of Celestis. Though surrounded by war, this center of his domain, like the eye of a great storm, the Central Realm had grown so peaceful, Xalbus decided to create the more advanced Mid-born races of Humans, Elves, Dwarves and Halflings; each of which met a purpose in the new world. However, Drishca had been creating new breeds as well. Monstrosities and creatures, the sight of which would send all but the experienced warrior into a raving panic. To combat these monsters, Xalbus created the ten breeds of dragon, one for each of the elementals.

The War of the Two raged for centuries. For every one soldier in Xalbus’s army, Drishca had five. Though even with this difference in numbers, the Celestial’s army made progress, driven by more than the endless bloodlust of Drishca’s hoard, they had drive and devotion to their cause, gaining ground and winning battles with the aid of the Elementals, the giants, and the dragons. But then, as his claims diminished, Drishca made elites of his own. Dark Lords, each powerful in a unique and equally devastating way. One created wild magics that would turn the dead into violent killers, undeterred by any loyalties they had in life, only following the entity that created them. Another would spread webs of discord and lies through enemy camps, tearing through the minds of the soldiers, turning them against each other, turning a close-knit community into a blood-soaked patch of dirt in a matter of days. There were but twelve of them, but that was all Drishca needed to turn the tides, as he began to decimate the opposing force wherever these Lords appeared, some of them strong enough to overpower one of the Elementals. These entities became known as the Horns of Drishca, serving his cause the same as Xalbus’s Elementals. Though they were powerful, some of the Dark Lords fell in battle fighting the Elementals, but even now it is unknown which of them remain.

In a last stitch effort, Xalbus erected a barrier at the central axis of the world, dividing it in two, a realm of Order, and a realm of Chaos, forever preserving his creation.

To ensure the security of his realm, Xalbus stationed the Ten Elementals around the border and, to reward them for their service, gave them each providence of a borderland, created a race, and gave a name. Fire became Gadrar and was given the Drakens. Water became Altel and was given the Merfolk. Air became Carrik and was given the Winged folk. Earth became Atemu and was given the Gnomes. Magma became Mysan and was given the Magmish. Ember became Firyin and was given the Shade-born. Storm became Vediel and was given the Sadier. Metal became Fadil and was given the Ore-soul. Blood became Iranar and was given the Chaw-grin. Ice became Golgoth and was given the Hide-men. These ten races became known to the War-races and the Mid-Born as the Outer-Born.

In time, to fill the bountiful realm he created, Xalbus created the diverse New-Born Races: Lizardmen, Serpent-bloods, Shellbacks, Satyrs, Dryads, Feys, Centaurs, Light-bloods and many others. He blessed the mortals with magics and these led to the guilds. 5 guilds in which mortals could study and further the potentials of magics. The Alchemists, brewing potions from rare and mythical ingredients. The Artificers, crafting weapons and equipment of unique power out of valuable materials. The Golem Crafters, creating life from the inanimate. The Druidic Biomancers, breeding new life from the bounty around them. And the Necromancers, a cultic organization dedicated to researching the mysteries of death and resurrection. To maintain and limit the populations of beasts, bandits, and lower-level monsters like the undead that could arise naturally, a sixth guild was formed; the Hunter’s Guild. All one needs to join is know how to fight in one way or another. The members can turn in bounties for money from the Guild, the funds for which come from trading with the Alchemists and Artificers for the rare materials that the members get from their kills.

However, in creating dozens of mortal races and sculpting the Central Realm, Xalbus’s power had been drained to the point of exhaustion, and he made plans to rest until a time came when his guidance and might were needed once again. In order to ensure the peace remained, Xalbus founded an order of warriors and mages to work in tandem with the six guilds. This order welcomed members of any race, skillset, or previous affiliations and background; so long as they worked for the cause of peace and order; governing the Central Realm and eliminating threats to the peace, be they beasts, thieves, or warlords. The Platinum Guard. And so, it has been for the last five thousand years, an era of peace, the Grand Era..