Council of Three

*"Morality, Might; Civilization, Knowledge; Life, Death. It is not hard to comprehend why the Council of Three rules over the other Gods; their domains are endless and all-consuming."*

*-A Brief History of Divinity*

The Council of Three were the premier Gods since their defeat of the Primordials many milennia ago. They are credited with creating the Material Plane as it is known today and establishing rules of law and nature which lead to the growth of populations and civilization. They represent order in an otherwise chaotic world.

#### Members

* Bahamut, God of Morality and Might
* Erathis, Goddess of Laws
* The Raven Queen, Goddess of Life and Death

#### Creation

Many milennia ago, the Primordials ruled all the planes. They delighted in chaos and destruction. Their magics, and their temperaments, made it impossible for any except their children, the Genasi, to survive in any long-lasting or meaningful way. However, eventually, forces rose up to challenge Primordial rule. Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, the leader of all Dragons; Erathis, Goddess of Laws, whose knowledge was boundless; and The Raven Queen, who could twist the very fabric of life itself to her will. These three banded together to overthrow the Primordials, which they did, and to establish new universal norms.

#### Rule and Position

Many others rose to divinity in the time after the defeat of the Primordials. Some sought to challenge the Council of Three, but none ever succeeded. "If it were a Council of Two, I'd have made it a Council of One by now," Asmodeus once said grudgingly. Something about the strength of the bond between the three made them unbeatable by anyone. The other Gods deferred to their judgment and followed their laws.

#### Cyric

After the Council defeated the Primordials, they thought they had closed that chapter of history. However, that was not the case. A new enemy, representing the dead Primordials, rose up to fight them. Over the years, they fought multiple times, until the Council finally defeated him.

#### Creation of Vuul'kira

In the time after the Primordials, the Council of Three attempted to reason with the Genasi. However, it became clear the Genasi would not stop opposing the Gods. Therefore, they created an entire new plane of existence, which they called Vuul'kira. They banished the Genasi there.

When they defeated Cyric the first time roughly 200 years B.C., they banished him there, as well. But the prison did not hold him for long.

#### 2nd Imprisonment of Cyric and Loss of Divinity

The Council created an interdimensional prison inside a gemstone. When they faced Cyric again, roughly 50 B.C., they defeated him and locked him inside the gemstone. They hid the it in a cave deep in the Freezing Wastes of the Material Plane, where no one would look for it...they thought.

Unfortunately, Cyric was able to break through and communicate to the outside world. He made contact with Gramorn Duskfell and poisoned his mind. Gramorn hired a group of mercenaries to retrieve the gem (see Episode 0: Frozen) and enacted a ritual which freed the Void God.

Soon after Reclamation, Cyric came back, this time with a vengeance. During his time in the gem, he had realized a new power: the power to take the power from others. He stripped the Council of their divinity - something thought impossible - and banished *them* to Vuul'kira, along with two of their followers, Eldak and Rakeesh.

#### Episode II: Oasis

The Council found themselves lost in Vuul'kira with no way to return. They ran into the Sandstriders and joined their efforts to defeat Maron and aid Daneida's rebels. They fought beside the Sandstriders when they assaulted the Oasis Tower. During the Events at the Old Gate, they escaped Vuul'kira, hoping that their divinity would be restored.

#### Temple of the One

Unfortunately, that was not the case. When they figured out they would not get their full powers back immediately, they took refuge in the Temple of the One, lying in wait and gathering strength to protect it from Cyric. In this, they also failed. Cyric defeated them and disappeared through a rift in spacetime along with Jenova and Laz Ursulus.

While the Sandstriders entered the Rift, the Council left the Temple to join Coalition efforts in the Astral Civil War.

#### Aftermath

After the events of the Chamber of the One, the Council was not given their divinity back. Instead, Quen decided to give their mantles to those she deemed more worthy. Reduced to mortal creatures - powerful mortals, but mortals nonetheless - the Council decided to retreat into seclusion. They entered the Temple of the One and lived out their long days there, keeping up the temple and contemplating their existence.