History Lore

## The World of Demeo

The world in Demeo as it exists in the 5th age that has come to pass. Our champions are part of the World of Demeo along with the various races, factions, and evils therein. Below we will outline events in near as chronological order as possible that took place prior to the 5th age that shaped the current world of the World of Demeo.

## Ages of Time and Creation of the World

The actual creation of the world itself is debated amongst and between the races, they bicker and can not reach an agreement, so instead, they practice different beliefs somewhat accepted by each other. What has been established, though, is the length of each Age based on ancient scrolls. It is believed that the 1st Age lasted for roughly 10.000 years. But, it is not consistent - some Ages are longer, and some are shorter due to different reasons, as kings, queens, and leaders have needed a new start to unify the people. But from the 4th Age and onwards, a set time of 1000 years per Age is standard.

No races see The First as deities in any way, but many (Humans and Elves mostly) believe that The First stems from those who created the world. Those creators are called Aiíts, consisting of seven powerful beings originating from the heavens above. Together they created the world and planted a seed where The First blossomed after cocooning for three centuries. It is believed that the Aiíts willingly left the world once it was created but are observing from above. A majority of humans still believe in the Aiíts and maintain traditions tied to this belief. For elves, a small minority still worships the Aiíts, as a majority abandoned the Aiíts during the 2nd and 3rd Ages and took to the teachings of Peth Muran instead, seeing him as a demi-God, or at least a saint in hindsight.

Dwarves have a different idea about earth's creation and only believe in one God, or rather a force. It has no proper shape or form and can therefore never be depicted in any way. This God is called Eílm, meaning "everywhere." Eílm is believed to be omnipresent and unintentionally created the world as Eílm dreamt about it, and it managed to flee its consciousness. But as Eílm woke up, it liked what it saw and kept the world as it contained beauty. To keep it safe, Eílm became one with it, devoting itself to its protection. A keyword for the dwarves when it comes to their belief is "gratitude," as they consider life to be precious and a gift from Eílm.

Goblins lack any proper belief system as their language is far more limited than the other races. Their belief is more based on fear. They see the Sun and Moon as two sides of the same God, aiming to not anger either of them. One typical feature is that if the "Moon" is angered and something terrible happens during the night, the "Sun" can not be outraged as it rises due to the fact that they are always the opposite of each other, but the next day might be the opposite. The Sun & Moon God is simply called just that, and goblins- much like the dwarves - are heavily focused on gratitude, but in abundance, as they believe that their Sun & Moon God is a vengeful God.

## Ages of the World

### The 1st Age

Little is known about the 1st Age, but what has been determined is that the world's creation came before it. Different races believe in a variation of Gods and creeds, but the actual creation - or creators - behind it all is unknown. It is also agreed that the 1st Age was longer than those following, but there is some debate whether something existed before the 1st Age or not. It was only during the early period of the 2nd Age that a form of simplistic scholars aimed to document history so far. Only as some of those scrolls were discovered have people learned about "The First".

The First was the very first humanoid living being to walk the earth. Its appearance and any type of language it used held in mystery, but what is known is that they seemed to live in a smaller communities, constructed tools, and built modest housing. They hunted and fished but did not grow crops. It is from The First that all other races stems, evolving into what would become humans, elves, dwarves, and goblins - all with an evolutionary step between them and The First.

The 1st Age was rough, indeed a time for "survival of the fittest". Muscle and speed trumped over intelligence and the Orakósh, who later became the goblins, ruled the world. They were superior in strength and anyone who stood in their way was seen as a threat. Their language was far less evolved than the other races, but words held very little importance for the goblins.

The ancient scrolls also mention a war, later dubbed "The First War". What has been understood from the writings is that some force had been infecting the world, and all of civilization was under threat. The scrolls mention that the war ended upon the discovery of the "Relic of Kahl" - an unknown artifact that, in some way, brought peace once again. The name Kahl is mentioned as a goblin ruler of the time period, but it is unclear whether he simply found it or crafted the relic himself.

The 1st Age ended with almost all races reaching their current physical state and the Orakósh. goblin empire, declining as the other races both grew in numbers and conducted warfare in a vastly complex way beyond just swinging a stick.

### The 2nd Age

As the 2nd Age began and the 1st Age ended, all races had transitioned into what they are today: humans, elves, dwarves, and goblins. The world itself stood on two legs, one being stuck in a world that still was violent and dark and the other in a world that began to awaken and grow more structured.

The elven philosopher Peth Muran established the Elven Philosophy and introduced the tone for other races regarding belief systems and Gods. Simply put, the world began to question its harsh and simplistic past.

The world was also divided, and provinces and borders were established. The 2nd Age was an Age of wonders, where things fell in place. Towards the end of the 2nd Age, Goblins had withdrawn to Vakmaar, and instead, the Elves took place as the top race, being far more intelligent and developed on all frontiers than the other races. Scholars started to document the world’s past with the very first excavations of ruins and the creation of archives and libraries.

#### Birth of Elven Philosophy

As the 1st Age ended and the 2nd Age began, elves started to become what they are today or were. It was a race developed far beyond anything else living at the time - with long life expectancy, higher intelligence, and a knack for engineering and technology. But it was also a scattered race without unity or direction. Yet one man would change that; Peth Muran. Born into a humble home, he early on sought something more; a kinship and a way of life. He started to study those few ancient texts still preserved, learning the almost forgotten tongue from the 1st Age. He studied their history, the Great War of the 1st Age, and where the elves stemmed from; the Heoms.

The Heoms evolved, stemming from “the first,” of which little is known. From “the first,” races evolved, and what is now the elves started with the Heoms. They were nomadic folk who acted autonomously from each other, living in smaller tribes. They often quarreled and could fight over territory, food, and other resources. After a while, they started to settle down, becoming elves. Humans and dwarves were far behind, seen as lesser, and there was little or no interaction between the races.

Peth Muran saw the lack of unison and camaraderie and, to some extent, a loss of identity among his fellow brothers and sisters. So he aimed to mend this. He started writing what would be known as “The Scrolls of Peth Muran,” or later: “The Ancient Scrolls of Peth Muran,” where he described the basis of a philosophy revolving around: Unity, Gratitude & Belief, and Being one with nature.

* **Unity**
Without unity, the elves could not continue to prosper and grow. Peth believed that unity was the key to finding solace and ending disputes. Together they were more substantial, and they could benefit from each other. His idea was not without problems as he believed in establishing unity by referring to “us” and “them” - whereas “us” being the elves, and “them” being humans and dwarves, and, in a way, seeing them as not just less evolved, but also “bad.”
* **Gratitude & Belief**
Being thankful was a trait stronger than any, and Peth wanted his people to feel gratitude. He built an entire belief system with Gods and traditions, as he did not want anyone to be grateful towards something living or that you could touch. He felt that that would harm the idea of unity if one stood above others. So even if they had leaders, even those leaders should be grateful towards something else. This also created a belief system, starting to form a collective identity. Elves began to see what they had instead of seeing what they lacked.
* **Being one with nature**
The Heoms lived in rural habitats, feeding of nature, drinking its waters, and eating the animals. But it was a symbiotic relationship, where the Heoms did not hunt more than they needed or destroyed the land. To a certain extent, Elves had shied away from that mentality, but Peth hoped to bring it back. This was to be done so by integrating nature into their structures, houses, and lives. Not forgetting where they came from and instead turning to nature when problems arose. He fused this together with his belief system, establishing The Fountain of Faith, The Elven Blaze, to name a few.

Initially, Peth gained just a small following, but as the current magistrate (for there were yet to be monarchs) - Fhal Sora (namesake of Fhalgor is named after him) - started to pay the teachings of Peth Muran some thought, his beliefs gained traction. Decades later, the way of life established by Peth Muran had been fully incorporated into the life of the elves.

### The 3rd Age

The major event that came to define the 3rd Age was the massive eruption of Mount Búch during the very late stages of that Age. The mountain located in Nurmaar was by far the tallest mountain. Little was known about the mountain and the fact that it was actually, a volcano came as a surprise. Tremors had been felt, but few understood what was coming. The massive eruption was initially considered a "just" tragedy for those living nearby in the province as villages, houses, and forests got eviscerated as the lava poured down the mountain.

#### The Eternal Night

However that was not the worst of the tragedy. As massive amounts of ashes that spewed out Mount Búch and began to block out the sun and became known as the "Eternal Night". At first, scholars and scientists believed that the cloud of ashes was temporary, but as days, weeks, and months passed this proved untrue. All four races had to adapt to the darkness as years went by, and after a decade, the Eternal Night was the new norm. As wildlife and crops succumbed famine spread and then the fighting started across the provinces. Many tried desperately to flee the mainland and hope for another life across the sea or even at The Exile.

Many died, those born often suffered defects, and life expectancy became severely shorter. Precisely what caused the ash to scatter is unknown, but the world needed to heal. As a result, it was decided to end the 3rd Age and start the 4th Age, which caused the 3rd Age to be the shortest of them all.

#### Founding of the Druids of Drych

Orphaned early in life Erígh was lucky because an orphan in the Third World was more or less already considered dead. His father and mother had been part of a rural and early form of parish, involved with local druids who often partook in rituals and funerals of their time. As Erígh lost his parents he joined those druids showing quickly a skill for mysticism and a keen interest in books. As he grew older he himself became a druid with a burning urge to not just accumulate information, but also to share it with others. Taking his fellow druids' blessing, he headed out into the world in the pursuit of knowledge.

For decades he traveled discovering new things to study and new ideas to share. However during his travels there were tales and whispers of a terrible evil dubbed the "Root Lord". Some told their stories of this creature squat in a tavern drunk, others as bedtime stories for their children, and yet still others claimed to have seen it with their own eyes. No matter how the tales were spun each had similar traits: this being had been around for eons, it could assume any shape or form and blend in with anything or anyone, and its sole purpose seemed to be to feed upon the lives of others. A terrible predator that could seemingly never be caught. Erígh became mesmerized by this. . . creature, this Root Lord, soon he made it his lifelong goal to find a way to apprehend it. Over many years he studied to obtain the deep understanding of mysticism to succeed. Finally after tracking the creature to the Drych Forest as night fell the Root Lord emerged.

The fight was a long and grueling duel of strength and will, but Erígh stood victorious managing to entrap the Root Lord by binding it to his own mind. As months went by Erígh lived in solitude deep inside the Drych Forest. Yet the mental toll of being tied mentally to the creature proved to be strenuous so he sent for help. He reached out to the the old druid commune that had been his home asking them to join him in the Drych Forest. There they determined that the Root Lord was a danger that could never be unleashed out into the world. The druids made the Drych Forest their home and cursed it to protect themselves from outsiders - or rather outsiders from the Root Lord. Deep within the forest, forever chained to the current leader of the Druids of Drych, the Root Lord now bides its time.

Later in life, to pass on his accumulated wisdom, Erígh wrote a book upon his deathbed called The Sirrdíom. In which he tells his story, in his own way with his own words, filling it with spells, enchantments, and other sorcery. Before he passed, he also fused certain pages with powerful magic - his last breath if you will. A millennia later, Erígh is forever remembered as the founder, a legend, and martyr of the cause.

### The 4th Age

Just years into the 4th Age, the first dragon was spotted in the sky. Exactly where they came from was debated, but it was agreed that they were unleashed from the earth's inside due to the eruption of Mount Búch. The dragons' only aim was to survive by any means possible. They set towns ablaze and ate and killed whatever they could.

In the beginning, chaos reigned. There was no order nor strategy to handle this new menace. But the first step to defeating the dragons was to define them, count them, give them names, understand them and study to learn more. All-in-all there seemed to be approximately sixteen dragons. They were fast, strong, and far more intelligent than initially believed. They had strongholds hidden inside mountains and caves, but they were still made from flesh and blood so could be killed.

This was the first time that all races truly joined together to overcome a common foe. All pulled their weight, whether it was engineering skills, strength, ingenuity, or resources. For roughly two decades, the "Dragon Wars" took place, with people living in fear. Residing underground, with "sky searchers" spread across the land who were to warn if day suddenly turned into night.

By ambushes and enclosing dragons in their own strongholds, it was doable to defeat them, and the world could rejoice once more. Besides the death of the dragons another welcomed outcome of this joint effort was the creation of The Council and the construction of the Rí Bastille. All four races had proven that they could work together and accomplish remarkable feats. The world turned more civil, and law and order were the new norms.

So with the 4th age came the establishment of known provincial borders and peace amongst the races.

### The 5th Age

The age of the World of Demeo and current time period of the world within Demeo. Since the borders established in 4th age have remained constant into the 5th age, the naming convention is still in use thus the World of Demeo, even though voices have been raised, calling for a new name, a set name that shows that this is the earth everyone needs and wants.

Just a few centuries into it, the current Age was initially a calm Age, but as Rackarn started to seep into this realm, violence and criminal activity began to spike. Corruption reigns, and what is coming is so far unknown as it is only Helmaar that is affected. But that is only the beginning...

## Historical Characters

### Kahl

* Age: 1st
* Race: Orakósh (pre-cursor to Goblins)
* History: The 1st Age was a barbarous age; the Orakósh (pre-cursor to Goblins) held power with muscles rather than words. While the 1st Age is still somewhat unknown it is well known that a huge war was raging. Kahl was the leader of the Orakósh his two commanders - Rekk and Talakk - at his side there was no obstacle he would not overcome, no enemies too fast or any army too great. Legends also tell of a relic, either obtained or forged by Kahl, this 'Relic of Kahl' is considered to be what provided Kahl with his immense strength and the reason for his many victories. What happened to Kahl and his relic is unknown, but some say it is still to be found, sitting upon capabilities not fit for mere humans, dwarves, elves, and goblins.

### Peth Muran

* Age: 2nd
* Race: Elven
* History: A humble man who saw the lack of unison and loss of identity among his fellow Elves and wished to bring them to together. He began writing what would be known as “The Scrolls of Peth Muran,” or later: “The Ancient Scrolls of Peth Muran,” where he described the basis of what the Elves would become through his philosophy revolving around: Unity, Gratitude & Belief, and Being one with nature.

Gwynn says, *"Learn more about the Birth of Elven Philosophy in the 2nd age."*

### Thygo Ashiloman

* Age: 3rd
* Race: Dwarven
* History: The dwarves have had many capable leaders, but none greater than Thygo Ashiloman. During the 3rd Age, he rose as ruler, completely revolutionizing mining. Before his time, dwarves made due with what they had, but Thygo made sure they could mine and gain a surplus to be sold to the other races. When it came to engineering, his skill as an engineer bore fruit as mining, up to that point, lacked a truly effective procedure. Thygo stemmed from a long line of artisans, using his knowledge to create thygolian steel, a metal more robust than regular steel, it could be sharpened yet more than other metals, and it was light as a feather. Thygolian steel quickly became the epitome of metal among blacksmiths. Thygo was also a fair ruler and kept loyal towards his people. However, Thygo was a lonely man. Duty came before all; he had built Castle Hollowmark - an impressive construction - but lacked someone to share it with. Suddenly years had crept upon him, and he died beloved by many but buried in a single tomb instead of a family crypt.

### Alag Stíhl

* Age: 4th
* Race: Alag (Human)
* History: During the Dragon Wars of the 4th Age, Alag (human) rose as a legend that people told stories about at campfires. He was the ultimate anti-hero, drinking too much, never backing down from a challenge, but always aiming to do good. As the Dragon Wars roared, he was known as “The Madman of Gilmerra,” heading into battle without a thought in his mind of the perils he might face. If an ally was in jeopardy, he would dive into a burning tar pit filled with crocs if that was the only way to save him. Finally, he fell under a dragon tail. In the Town of Veda, a statue has been raised to commemorate his contribution.

### Archer Master Mílt

* Age: 4th
* Race: Elven
* History: Elven archer legend, born during the 4th Age. He carried a bow before he could run. He dropped his first stag before he began his education. Even before Mílt became the Archer Master he later grew into, he had a knack for archery. But where he differed is where he approached archery with a holistic approach, considering it not only being about aim, but also the type of tree used for your arrows and what cord to use for your string. As he grew older, he wrote “An Archer’s Song,” the cornerstone of The Art of Archery and a must for all who strive to come close to Archer Master Mílt’s grandeur.

### Vesta Sahl

* Age: 5th
* Race: Elven
* History: Known as 'The Architect' as she constructed the Elven Necropolis, ordered by Rúhn Berim, the Elven Queen. She adored death and everything surrounding it, incorporating the feeling of death and decay into her plans.

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Provided directly by Resolution Games Writer Julius