Vandimion History, Part II: The First Era of Man

## **Chapter ll – The First Era of Man, year -2310-0**

The world laid abandoned from any intervention of higher beings after the exile of Aezrya, left to find its own way forward without a benevolent hand to guide its way. What had once been a united world under one leader would find itself splitting into many smaller empires, kingdoms and provinces. The most prominent of the worlds factions would rise on the continent of Vandimion, and specifically so in the western half.

Valor, West March, The Reach and Merrhen were the largest and most powerful kingdoms of the known world. Though, the continent also held the abandoned kingdom of Gúrthad, and the deserts and wastelands of The Great Desolation to the east. South of Vandimion laid unruly and troubled wastelands and mountain ranges that were mostly left under the dominion of savage tribes of different races. These lands held little value to the kings of Vandimion because of their nature and was simply referred to as “the Badlands”.

Most of Vandimion was left in a state of despair once the realization set in of Aezrya’s demise, the proof of which was the Shrieking Maelstrom that had shattered the land on the northern coast of the continent. None which ventured too close would return, and rumor quickly spread to stay away from the cursed place.

In Vandimion there intelligent races that had existed for millenia, notably so were dwarves, orcs, giants, goblins and the minotaur. However, the most prominent races of the world were the woodland elves and the industrious humans.

There were quarrels between the elves and the humans. The elves had lives that could span thousands of years and sought power, knowledge and wisdom of the magic arts over all else. The humans had different ambitions, being driven by greed and reckless dabbling into behemoth magic in an attempt to uncover what Aezrya once had; the secret to immortality. These fundamental differences would eventually lead to military escalation between the races and a battle for supremacy to rule.

Four human kings, whose names have mostly been lost to time, found themselves at peace with one another despite their differences in the face of the woodland threat. Suffering a huge disadvantage in both experience and training the humans were forced to search for strength elsewhere. Their unrestricted access to the darker and more destructive schools of magic that the elves religiously forbade gave them the edge, as well as their far greater number of soldiers.

Eventually the escalation would lead to an all out war between man and elf that would last three decades before a peace agreement was drawn to end the bloodshed, leaving neither side victorious. In the span of the war the elves had sieged and sacked the cities of West March on the borders of their woodland realms, but the humans had repelled them with use of deadly magic and sheer numbers. Both sides suffered tremendous casualties, but it was another threat that forced peace in the end.

The decimated kingdom of Gúrthad in the far east laid in ruins. It’s once great cities and wealth reduced to nothing and had slowly been reclaimed by nature. If you travelled there you would find its entire population perished, only skeletons would remain after nearly a generation had passed since Aezrya’s purge. Chances are you would never live long enough to leave the haunted place however.

### The Demon

Unintentionally and unknowingly Aezrya had suffered the world dire consequences following Wregrim’s destruction. The great release of power had sparked new twisted and foul magic that the world had never seen. This new power had given new life to all the evil which Aezrya once destroyed in her holy crusade. The purge had also sparked life in a new race that would rival her ascended Trovohin in power; the demon.

It should be noted that demons weren’t inherently evil by nature. They were twisted spirits left behind by the genocide of Wregrim’s people, powerful enough to take the shape of humans, elves or other creatures. The demons would shapeshift by using their dark magic, a form of magic that came naturally to them. They, like the behemoths of old, nourished themselves on sources of magic, and the more hungry and greedy they saw themselves becoming for sustenance, the more evil and twisted they became both physically and psychologically. You will find records in history of demons who managed to stay sane, who helped those in need and attempted to avoid bloodshed, albeit extremely rare.

### Corruption Spreads

The evil spread like a plague throughout Gúrthad and festered unchecked during the 33-year war between man and elf. Three decades following Wregrim’s destruction, evil had stretched its tendrils across the Great Desolation, far enough to corrupt the forests of Merrhen and touch the great city of Volk. Further north the city of Bleakmore would also see its population suffer the fate of the same corruption.

At first the threat was not taken seriously, though eventually it became undeniable and forced a negotiations between mankind and elves to end their bloodshed to investigate the spreading corruption. The races of Vandimion would see themselves working together to identify and crush the evil.

Mankind would be the first to send scouts across The Great Desolations wastelands and abandoned plains to seek answers in the ancient kingdom. These scouts were also the first to encounter the new demon force in the world. They would encounter a demon going by the name Sarielle, a demon in the shape of a female human. Sarielle would turn out to be Vandimion’s greatest weapon in the coming war as she agreed to help the scouts uncover the truth of Gúrthad.

A powerful spell laid on the ancient kingdom, a spell powerful enough to conceal all the creatures which inhabited it from the human eye. The demon aided mankind's scouts to see through the spells effects and reveal the horrors within the ruins of the kingdom’s capital. Only a few of these scouts would return from Gúrthad alive, making the journey back to civilization across the vast expanse of the Desolation.

Upon returning to Volk the demon helped convey to the human king and the lords present in court that day the gravity of the situation. This day is marked in history as it was the day the greatest alliance Vandimion has ever began to forge. All the creatures which had been spared Aezrya’s crusade years ago were called upon to fight in the great war against corruption, and the antagonist of mankind known as Galgoroth the Blackguard.

### Power of Evil

Galgoroth the Blackguard was a demon necromancer spawned in the wake of Gúrthads annihilation, and had taken a monstrous shape. Galgoroth dwelled inside the ruins of the ancient kingdom from where he channeled his powerful spells of concealment as he brought forth the summoned forces of evil. Through his necromancy he resurrected King Wregrim, whose ghoul form later became known as Wregrim the Shade.

Sarielle knew of Galgoroth and showed the forming alliance the reality of the evil they faced, and agreed to continue her efforts to help mankind. Using her influence she would help in the capture and recruitment of further demons, and aided in the strategic plans to eventually siege Gúrthad.

After the decimation of men and elves in the recently concluded conflict there was little that stood in the way of Galgoroth’s mindless host as it swept in from the easy, sieging Volk and Blakemoore and eventually seeing the destruction of both cities.

The alliance between men, elves, dwarves, orcs, giants, goblins and the minotaurs were named after Aezrya and solidified after the destruction of mankind’s cities, and over the next three hundred years the alliance desperately defended their homelands as Galgoroth remained untouched in his stronghold. The forces of evil raided and pillaged Merrhen, The Reach and the woodland realms unmatched in power.

The evil host lead by Wregrim the Shade clashed with Aezrya’s Alliance on the plains of Merrhen in the year -1935, near the west coast of Lake Eforat. This was the battle on which all life depends. Legend tells us that hosts general Wregrim was crushed together with his horse by the swing of a battle axe wielded by the minotaur lord Marmox. Wregrim’s magic was diffused following his defeat and the evil host quickly crumbled on the battlefield.

Though victorious, Aezrya’s alliance had been crippled following the great battle at Lake Eforat and was in no shape to start the year march across the Great Desolation to lay siege to Gúrthad. They instead recaptured Bleakmoore and Volk to rebuild whilst licking their wounds.

The Alliance had learned a valuable lesson despite their great losses at Eforat however, that the evil host were only held together by the magic of their masters. This allowed Sarielle and other demons like her to construct convoluted spells to protect the borders of the human kingdoms against further incursions by Galgoroth.

It would take years before Aezrya’s Alliance had recuperated enough to gather their armies on the western borders of The Great Desolation and start the march across the wasteland. It was the greatest army ever assembled with nearly three million soldiers in its ranks. The Alliance made an uncontested march upon Gúrthad and laid siege to the ancient kingdom, a siege that would come to last 9 years, but would see to Galgoroth’s inevitable demise.

Galgoroth would fall on the field of battle to Sarielle’s magic and was banished from the living world for eternity. The destruction of the necromancer scattered the forces of evil that survived the second purge of Gúrthad, these evil hosts would find refuge wherever they could across the vast continent of Vandimion, laying in wait for their lord to return.

Peace once again returned to the kingdoms of Vandimion. Man and elf vowed never to wage war upon each other again and agreements were made to limit the research of certain schools of magic. Furthermore a military outpost and garrison was established in Gúrthad to keep watch for the return of evil.

The second great peace descended upon the world, and certain demons would see themselves integrated into society.