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The Beginning:

In the beginning, there was nothing but the void. Then suddenly, a doorway appeared and through it Grythis entered. Grythis was a grand, proud dragon with scales as pure white as the new fallen snow and so large it made Aelryth look like a speck. To this day, no one knows for what purpose but with one movement of the dragon’s mighty talon, the universe was created. However, before the doorway could close, another being came through. This one was a formless beast wreathed in darkness with a burning hatred for the dragon, for he believes Grythis had disturbed the purity of the void. However, this formless creature needed a host, so it waited in the darkness for the next 30,000 years.
The dragon, Grythis, went on to create the sun and the moon as well as a third round object that he set to orbit around the sun, Aelryth. He later put the moon into orbit around Aelryth. On Aelryth, the dragon drew the landscape: Great oceans, mountains, valleys, rivers and ravines. Next, he created life and, therefore, death. Cows, pigs and sheep were raised from the ground. Yet, out of all the different life forms on the world, he chose three to rule his new creation: The Men, the Dwarves, and the Elves.

They were all similar but very different at the same time. He spoke to the three chosen races and told them that they would divide and care for a specific part of the world three ways. The Elves would care for nature and the wild beasts of the world, the Dwarves would care for the mountains and caves, and the Men would be taught the love of exploration and adventure.
The dragon then told them that the world was named Aelryth and that his own name was Grythis. Over a millennium passed and the races lived in harmony. The humans continued to conquer new lands, some of the Elves and Dwarves did this too but mostly kept to their sacred lands.


The Death of the Dwarves:

So Aelryth was peaceful for a time, the Elves nurtured the forests and the beasts within while the Humans forged a mighty Kingdom. Though the Dwarves did not partake in those events, they grew greedy for more gold, iron and diamonds. They dug deeper into the earth, far deeper than any Dwarf had dug before, a colossal mine that would stagger even the most veteran miner. Though they dug too deep, for in the bowels of Jornheim slept another being, the Goddess of Spiders, Arachne. The Dwarves dug into the borrow of Arachne, of which would ultimately lead to their doom. Arachne in fury unleashed her colony upon the Dwarven Kingdom of Gultar-Rah. King Rodzin Fireheart immediately ordered the closing of all Dwarven entrances into their Kingdom, closing off the outside world in an attempt to contain the colony of spiders. The Elves and Humans over time grew worried for their ally, “what has become of them?” they would often say in diplomatic councils, one or more would often yell over the others “Ram down their doors I say! Its been too long!” Though the nation leaders could not allow such an act of hostility against their friends, and for centuries, they waited.

200 years passed, the Dwarven Kingdom was silent, still the Elves and Humans opened their ears for even the slightest inclination that the Dwarves were around, though the Dwarves had not been seen or heard of in two centuries. The Humans could not take the waiting any longer, they did not have the patience their immortal friends had, the King Charles Rodrickstad ordered a battalion of soldiers to march to Jornheim, if the Dwarves did not answer their calls, they were to knock down their doors. Their came no answer, the soldiers spent days attempting to ram down the doors of Jornheim though they were built far too strong. The order was called off by the King after weeks of trying. The Elves and Humans were afraid, even when the rams smashed against the gates of Jornheim, no answer came, no warhorn, no call to arms, only the echo of empty halls. The King ordered the battalion to strike elsewhere, Brythonic, a small Dwarven city situated on the Northern coasts. As the soldiers rammed down the mighty doors they were greeted with a dreadful sight, the skeletons of dead Dwarves as far as the eye could see.

After years of searching many other Dwarven settlements, the Dwarven race seemed to have perished. The capital city, Jornheim is still yet to be searched.


The Coming of Nerull

The Three Day Eclipse in Aelryth occurred, as such per every thousand years. Aelryth was plunged into darkness for three days.
Long forgotten, the void creature saw this as it's chance and descended upon the world. He went to the Human King and introduced himself as Nerull. He promised the the King power and riches beyond imagination, as well as immortality, which Grythis refused to grant him. Lust for power overtook the King and he accepted Nerull into his heart.
The King was then changed and given the power over the dead. The once King reanimated the corpses of the local cities and settlements that were near the dark kingdom and forced them to attack the settlements of Aelryth. Men and Elves from the surrounding kingdoms joined Nerull's forces, they were given promises of riches and power...and power they did receive. Nerull taught them dark chaotic magic. They gave up their life and became undead necromancers and foot soldiers of Nerull. Some even embraced the void completely and they became creatures of the void, now known as "Endermen". Some Elves and Men saw the threat immediately and banded together to defend their kingdoms. The war raged on for two centuries until the Arcane Order of Qualin, a Guild of Mages, created a device, known as the Wraith Well, that would keep Nerull trapped inside of it. The Elven Prince, Aerae Longbow, was the one that lured Nerull into the Ordrek caves where the device was hidden. As soon as Nerull was in the right place, the Human soldiers collapsed the earth under Nerull's feet and he fell into the darkness of the Wraith Well. The mages put the Wraith Well's seal on it and then they left it there... in secret. The undead vanished from the land, the necromancers and the followers of Nerull were slain, though some were said to have escaped.


The Rise of the Hobgoblins

The Elven Prince Celeion Ealodiir of the Ealodiir tribe, discovered an ancient magical artifact in a cave within Ral-Kurath, he thought to use it against another tribe of which they had long feuded, He used it against the Longbow tribe. The artifact was very powerful and even though the elders warned him, the Prince continued to use it against the other tribe until he slaughtered every last one of them. The new Elven capital was consumed by this artifacts power, they sought out new enemies, quickly becoming barbaric and forgetting their Elvish traditions. The magic was so strong that it woke the great dragon Grythis from his slumber. He was greatly angered that the Elves had abused his ancient gifts and he quickly scorched Ral-Kurath in a magical flame that did not burn but cursed the land, drying out the soil and hardening the earth, he then sunk the once beautiful city of Nelyvnm into the sands and with it, the ancient artifact. The flame mutilated and disfigured the Elves and soon they were no longer the pale, perfect figures of the Elf. A new race rose from the sandy dunes, Hobgoblins, a tall ugly people with a barbaric and brutish culture, though they are honorable and show some forms of intelligence.


The Arrival of the Ilaqari:

In the year of the coronation of Bethilda Bellecote of Aldricstad, a great earthquake was had in the snow-storm regions of Falgorth, the earth shook as thunderous roars were heard, though they did not sound like the thunderous roars of the earth but that of thousands of beasts. Adventurers from all nations gathered by the start of a small mountain, they looked down into what seemed to be the largest known cavern in Aelryth, though this cavern was not dark and moist as usual, it was full of flame and war, the adventurers stepped back in shock as they saw thousands of spells cast as a tall unknown species fought valiantly against an enemy 10 times their height. From the eyes of one of the many adventurers, there appeared to be a portal of which demonic beings stretched and broke through, these beings were not normal, their skin was red and black, steam rose of their shell like skin while about their legs skittered the smaller demons. The adventurers watched in awe and fear at the might of these two races fighting against the other. A warhorn sounded off the cavern walls, the sound itself was strange, “Hnnnnnnn!” the warhorn blasted throughout the cavern walls. What seemed to be an organised army of warriors charged at the demonic beasts, slaying them left and right, though when the warriors collapsed to their knees a bright light would shine and engross their body, the light itself was pure white, though the warrior had moments ago crashed to his knees, he seemed to be fully revived and stood back up to fight once more, the people of Aelryth had not seen such magic before. A great hymn was heard throughout the cavern as a collective of what appeared to be Mages and Wizards concentrated together, aiming their wands, staves and hands at the cavern walls, suddenly the obsidian veins broke of the cavern walls and began to form itself into an obsidian wall, holding off the demonic hordes. Runes and wards were cast about as the demons retreated. The adventurers slowly descended down into the cavern to see who these people were, the adventurers huddled close together, fearful of these strange people. They were 7 to 10 foot tall with strange blue skin, bright blue eyes without pupils and an arrangement of horns protruding from their head. An ancient figure walked out from the crowd in magnificent robes of red, purple, gold and black, his hair was pure white and his beard reached his hips. He looked into the eyes of the adventurers and bowed deeply, suddenly all of the strange people were bowing, they all began to speak as one “Duruntis, kon Aura peni”. The man whom seemed to be the leader looked up into the eyes of a specific adventurer, pointing to him, the man came close, as the man was within arms distance, the old robed man quickly took a firm grip of the mans forearm, suddenly blue light streamed out of his arm and into the robed mans, suddenly he spoke “I am Archmage Cataris, these are my people, we are the Ilaqari. We pray to Aura you give us sanctum on your world”.


Present Day:

Written by Monk Verdum

The world is now divided into four kingdoms that each of the races inhabit. The borders have been blurred by war but current relations between the races are fairly good. The Ilaqari have managed to stay out of the wars and hide within their cavern, keeping the portal secure. The world is ever expanding with new cities and ancient lost places being uncovered. Some that should have stayed lost. Recently I sense the dark creeping into the world again. I have noticed a foul wind blows from the ruins of the undead strongholds. There is rumour of necromancers performing dark rituals in the caves and forests of Aelryth. There are also sightings of undead creatures prowling the dark alleyways of the many settlements of Aelryth at night. Though these sightings are rare, they are unsettling to hear about. It makes me fear that there was a traitor among the few who fought in the deep dark of Ordrek. If this was true, then Nerull has a new host. Though that is not the only thing troubling, the Ilaqari have reported more frequent attacks from the demonic hordes coming through the portal and fear their walls may not stand much longer. I fear that the inhabitants of Aelryth will not be able to live another decade lest they band together, united as one, though old feuds are hard to forget...