Battle of Driedal

As the climax of a 1000 year or so long war between the two "divine" beings of Atemnity, it was inevitable that tensions would come to a peaking point. Just as inevitable that the mortal races would get swept up in the battles and overall war.

This particular battle happened some 350 or so years ago and took place upon a stretch of plains within Chellearenth called "Driedal"; Driedal translating from Chellerin to mean roughly "wide open center". This "wide open center" place of Driedal sits fairly centrally on the main continent, below the Frals Depths.

While the divine beings battled over power, and who would control Atemnity as a whole, each thinking that their ideals were the only way to help life on Atemnity flourish. For the mortal races it turned into a bit of a religious war between followers of **Chaos** and followers of **Harmony**, each side attempting to lend their god of choice power in the form of devotion and even fealty.

One day as the mortals battle raged on something happened that would go down in history as a significant historical event -- for those that were not at the site and survived that is. As steel clashed with steel among mortals there was a sudden flash of yellow and dark purple intermingled light and then the battlefield was still. Bodies littered the fields and Chaos and Harmony, were gone.

### Chaos and Harmony

For Chaos and Harmony, it was if they were physically and magically torn away from where they had stood fighting. Both felt unimaginable pain to their core's at this moment. As if the very essence of their being was torn from them - at least in part.

#### Chaos

Blasted from Driedal by immense force, he landed in the middle of the **Cryst Plains.** From the point he landed, chaos and shadow spread, twisting the green plains their and the creatures that called it home into beings of pure chaos. It was some time before Chaos regained consciousness, but when he did he discovered that he felt weakened. Not powerless, he still had power, but his very essence, his substance, had been greatly diminished and so he fled to tend to his wounds, to attempt to discover what had happened. Some say he fled deep into Thallian, possibly towards **Mt.Zenith**.

#### Harmony

While Chaos found himself blasted into Caivia and the Cryst Plains, forever changing the landscape there. Harmony's "landing place" had a similar, but different, series of events. Harmony, found her self at the northern most point of the **River of Promises** within the **Forest of Mist**. And from the point that Harmony landed, very special flowers began to bloom. A 5 tear drop petaled white flower that glowed blue, flower. And wherever she trod, these flowers would spring up from the ground and grow. These have become known as **Heaven Petals** by mortals and followers of Harmony. And the River of Promises, up near the fork of the river in particular, Heaven Petals have bloomed ever since.

### Back on the Plains of Driedal

Back on the plains, those mortals who had not perished, or arrived afterward, were beginning to pick up the pieces left behind. And pieces did they find. For as Chaos and Harmony were blasted away from the plains, fragments of them stayed anchored to that place. The first attempts to touch or otherwise relocate these "fragments of divinity" were met with the death of more mortals. It was as they all sat around the fragments, arguing about what they were, and what to do with them that something no- someone else was created-- was born. The two fragments of their gods flared bright, and trails of their essence rose in the air, intermingled, flared once again so brightly that those assembled had to cover their eyes. And when they were able to look again slowly sinking down to the earth, faintly glowing a strange combination of white, yellow and purple light, was a new being.

Once they had settled on the ground it took a moment, but they began to stir slowly and sit up. What the mortals could see was a faintly glowing form that seemed to have both feminine and masculine aspects to it. The mortals hesitated to approach and at that hesitation the figure spoke, its voice soft and kind.

> *"Come closer, children. Don't be afraid. I will not harm you."*
>
>

The mortals questioned who this being was and, while they paused for a moment as if thinking about the question they replied:

> *"You may call me Equipoise."*
>
>

They determined what had happened at this place. That the warring divine beings in their, possibly, arrogance? In their misguided views had damaged themselves right down to their very essence of being. For the fragments left behind were just that, fragments of divine essence. And they were locked to the plains, waiting for their respective beings to come back and reclaim them. The mortals and Equipoise even discovered that it appeared that the fragments were softly calling out to Chaos and to Harmony. Wise Equipoise explained that this was event occurring would be ill-advised as if either being was able to reclaim their fragment even seconds before the other - that being would be all powerful over the other in such a way that they would be able to forever squash it's being out forevermore.

It was discussed that because the fragments could not be touched by mortal hands in their current state, nor would they be moved by anything less then a Chaos or Harmony touched being; that they would design a vessel of sorts to contain the fragments of divinity and take them far from the plains and hide them until such time as a more permanent solution could be discovered and/or constructed.

It was Equipoise who also volunteered that they would give up a fragment of their own power so as to not risk their own divinity putting the world in danger. Many of the mortal races questioned this, saying that if they were a being of true balance, need they sacrifice such a thing? Equipoise simply smiled and said,

They determined what had happened at this place. That the warring divine beings in their, possibly, arrogance? In their misguided views had damaged themselves right down to their very essence of being. For the fragments left behind were just that, fragments of divine essence. And they were locked to the plains, waiting for their respective beings to come back and reclaim them. The mortals and Equipoise even discovered that it appeared that the fragments were softly calling out to Chaos and to Harmony. Wise Equipoise explained that this was event occurring would be ill-advised as if either being was able to reclaim their fragment even seconds before the other - that being would be all powerful over the other in such a way that they would be able to forever squash it's being out forevermore.

It was discussed that because the fragments could not be touched by mortal hands in their current state, nor would they be moved by anything less then a Chaos or Harmony touched being; that they would design a vessel of sorts to contain the fragments of divinity and take them far from the plains and hide them until such time as a more permanent solution could be discovered and/or constructed.

It was Equipoise who also volunteered that they would give up a fragment of their own power so as to not risk their own divinity putting the world in danger. Many of the mortal races questioned this, saying that if they were a being of true balance, need they sacrifice such a thing? Equipoise simply smiled and said,

> *"Ah, but even a being created equally of light and dark, chaos and harmony - a balance between the extremes has the potential to become corrupted and swayed one way or the other and thus the balance of the world would be threatened."*
>
>

They determined what had happened at this place. That the warring divine beings in their, possibly, arrogance? In their misguided views had damaged themselves right down to their very essence of being. For the fragments left behind were just that, fragments of divine essence. And they were locked to the plains, waiting for their respective beings to come back and reclaim them. The mortals and Equipoise even discovered that it appeared that the fragments were softly calling out to Chaos and to Harmony. Wise Equipoise explained that this was event occurring would be ill-advised as if either being was able to reclaim their fragment even seconds before the other - that being would be all powerful over the other in such a way that they would be able to forever squash it's being out forevermore.

It was discussed that because the fragments could not be touched by mortal hands in their current state, nor would they be moved by anything less then a Chaos or Harmony touched being; that they would design a vessel of sorts to contain the fragments of divinity and take them far from the plains and hide them until such time as a more permanent solution could be discovered and/or constructed.

It was Equipoise who also volunteered that they would give up a fragment of their own power so as to not risk their own divinity putting the world in danger. Many of the mortal races questioned this, saying that if they were a being of true balance, need they sacrifice such a thing? Equipoise simply smiled and said,

They determined what had happened at this place. That the warring divine beings in their, possibly, arrogance? In their misguided views had damaged themselves right down to their very essence of being. For the fragments left behind were just that, fragments of divine essence. And they were locked to the plains, waiting for their respective beings to come back and reclaim them. The mortals and Equipoise even discovered that it appeared that the fragments were softly calling out to Chaos and to Harmony. Wise Equipoise explained that this was event occurring would be ill-advised as if either being was able to reclaim their fragment even seconds before the other - that being would be all powerful over the other in such a way that they would be able to forever squash it's being out forevermore.

It was discussed that because the fragments could not be touched by mortal hands in their current state, nor would they be moved by anything less then a Chaos or Harmony touched being; that they would design a vessel of sorts to contain the fragments of divinity and take them far from the plains and hide them until such time as a more permanent solution could be discovered and/or constructed.

It was Equipoise who also volunteered that they would give up a fragment of their own power so as to not risk their own divinity putting the world in danger. Many of the mortal races questioned this, saying that if they were a being of true balance, need they sacrifice such a thing? Equipoise simply smiled and said,

> *"Ah, but even a being created equally of light and dark, chaos and harmony - a balance between the extremes has the potential to become corrupted and swayed one way or the other and thus the balance of the world would be threatened."*
>
>

And so the Dwarves of Caivia, famous for their metal work and the Mystics of Stoniel, some of the most powerful Mages Atemnity had to offer, began to work on crafting special artifacts -- casings to house the fragments of divinity for not two but three essences. Once the physical objects were crafted the most powerful Chaos Mages and the most powerful Harmony Mystics began to pour power into each object as as they poured power into it as a chosen champion for each deity held the artifact for their deity out towards the essence. As the power poured into the artifact, the essences for Chaos and Harmony began to shudder slightly and move, as if magnetically attracted to the newly created artifacts until they touched and then entered them. It was at that point the mages switched to a sealing ritual, created just for this occasion, to prevent the essences from escaping outside of their new homes.

The **Chaos Amulet** glowed a dull purple colour, the roughly hewn crystal in its metallic housing thrumming slightly, the light pulsing. The **Ring of Light**, or Harmony artifact glowed a dull yellow colour, thrumming in a similar way.

For the Equipoise pendant, the **Amulet of Protection**, the chosen champion one chosen by Equipoise themselves, held this pendant out as Equipoise began to intone an incantation, murmuring to themselves as they physically pulled from themselves what looked like a ball of white light intermingled with threads of purple and yellow. As they pulled, the fragment of essence resisted, but they persisted and it soon came free which prompted them to quickly, hurriedly place the essence within the pendant. The same mages and mystics from before performed the same sealing ritual and the pendent glowed and thrummed slightly the strange amalgamation of colours.

And it was from then on the **Artifacts of Power** existed and were placed into the care of three orders of mortals whose solemn vow was to protect them until such time as a permanent solution could be conceived and constructed.

### Forever Changed

Something about the plains was forever changed that day, however. To this day, magic is wild there and has unexpected results when cast at any level, even the most basic. Even portalling into or out of the Plains can have unintended side effects. *Mechanics.*

Discovery of **Dunamancy**

## The Guardians

In addition to the three Order's established to protect the 3 Godly artifacts. A group of seven powerful "fighters", of arcane, divine and martial prowess, who were among those who somehow survived the Battle of Driedal itself was formed. These 7 people, all from different kingdoms initially, were of the first beings to "rise" after the climax of the battle. These "Hollow Ones" who came back changed, different, but still as powerful as ever - and seemingly unable to age; became the "Protectors of the Realm" - being tasked with ensuring that no beings would ever again threaten the world be they god or mortal.

It was this group that discovered the plot of Fexir the Soulreaper and for the initial binding of the chains that hold him.

The seven people initially part of the Guardians were:

1. Guardian Candice Rowland - Aquarin, Caivia (Human - Bladesinger Wizard) (she/her)
2. Azemar - Thallian (Drow - Storm Sorcerer) (he/him)
3. Aminta - Chellearenth (Human - Monk ) *Fallen* (she/her)
4. Sabean Kegbrand - Stoniel (Dwarf) *Fallen* (He/Him)
5. Laeroth Morphyra - Everagil/Feywild (Eladrin - ) (they/them)
6. Glimmer - Relarian (Gnome - Time Domain Cleric) (she/her)
7. Tarlo Starshot - Serelia (Drow - Echo Knight) (he/him)

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