World Lore

In the beginning, there was a seed, deep in the middle of the earth. Surrounded all in darkness, it grew into the most spectacular tree, and thus, the essence of life came to be. From the tree came the Phoenix, a manifestation of the world's own heart, and she longed to emerge to the surface. Under her wings, the great beast grew the spirits that came to be the first sentient life. As she ascended, the world outside became lush with vegetation from her mere presence. When the Phoenix finally broke free of the underground, she spread her great wings, and thus the First Civilization was created.

The First Men (and women) lived a happy and simple life. Their greatest fears were hunger and the rain, and their greatest loves were the Phoenix and the sun. They constructed simple towers and made offerings of berries and fish as thanks for all they were given. The feathers that shed from the Phoenix's wings sparked the first use of magic known to man. These feathers were sewn into clothing, and historians believe they were used to amplify natural strengths, like that of one's mind or brawn. The First Night was the beginning of the end for The First Men. Of course, it wasn't the first literal night, but it became known as such because it was the darkest and longest night ever known to them. We know about this from the writings they left behind, the few who lived through it and who fought until their bitter end. From the darkest, deepest crevices of ocean and land emerged beasts foul and hungry on that darkest of nights, and ever after, they preyed on The First Men until they were no more.

Some thousand years or so passed before sentient life rose up again, when the Phoenix made her great re-entry into the world. On her wings this time were The Ancients, who unknowingly picked up right where The First Men left off. At first, they inhabited the abandoned towers left behind by The First men, which gave them just enough shelter to fight back the beasts of the world. However, these simple shelters were not enough for this new generation. Their desire to understand and master the elements around them led them to create the great Stone City and hone their skills with magic and defensive technology. The city still stands, albeit weathered by time, and is used by residents of the area to this very day. The Ancients are considered visionaries of architecture and magic, and theirs was truly the golden era for both. Even so, as all good things must, their time came to an end eventually. The passage of time in the world brought with it new struggles. A blight upon the land that started as a single patch continued to grow to the size of a city, and it was not the only one. From these cursed spots came repulsive creatures that screeched and screamed and could not be killed with the arrow of flame that The Ancients had so perfected. Terrified, The Ancients were forced to admit their match had been made. And so, they were overrun, and eventually, no more.

And again, the Phoenix returned to her tree, sunken into the earth as a corpse alongside her precious children. There she lay for such a long time that the earth above had time to heal it wounds. Nature took over, growing over the blight and returned most of the land to its natural state. By the day, less and less of the horrid creatures that crawled and screeched and howled made their way into this world. When again, the great winged Mother rose, she carried with her those who would become The Titans, a generation of curious minds who would come to create the most technologically advanced cities ever known to these lands. Great walls that held within them the most amazing machines you could ever dream were the stuff of The Titans. Their thirst for knowledge and desire to push themselves even further beyond knew no bounds. Though some in the world still lived a simple life, the people of the Titan era by and large lived the most decadent life the earth had yet seen. However, even they were no match for the adversity that would rise up in their time. Historians believe the cause to be a great plague. It did not wipe the whole of the population, but it took enough that the Phoenix was again weakened and returned to her tree, the last vestiges of sentient life hiding in their remote forest homes above ground until She gained the strength to emerge once more just a few decades later.

And thus brings the reader to our current time. Though we have not been long thriving, we are well on our way, the greats reincarnated, some may even say. And so, we call ourselves reborn, The Risen, and this is our era in which to shine. May we do so for the longest of time, and may our great Phoenix bring good fortune upon us.