History of the Phoenix Isle

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## **The Distant Past**

The origin of the Phoenix Isle is shrouded in mystery, though many tales and legends about how it became exist. The most common of these myths and legends attribute the creation of the Phoenix Isle to eight ancient beings known only as the *Creators*.

It is commonly held by scholars and intellectuals of the *Empire* that this age was one of fire and turmoil, as the world we knew was formed. It was during this time that the older races, such as the *Elves* and *Dwarves*, became to be,.

There are almost as many legends about what happened to the Creators as there are about the creation of the world, but at some point during this age they left the Phoenix Isle and have not been seen since.

## **Age of Blood and Death**

This era started peacefully but quickly became known as the Age of Blood and Death. With the Creators gone, the younger races thrived. Their prosperity was not to last however, as soon into the age titanic beings appeared in the world and began warring over the remains of an old city, where an ancient race of humans lived.

The younger races, such as the *Elves* and *Dwarves*, initially caught up in the conflict, learnt to live, and stay, as far away from the ancient ruins as they could. Rumours abound of the battle itself, with up to three titanic beings being mentioned, along with reports of undead, living and metal machines.

The war between the beings lasted for the better half of a century, their battlefields leaving scars across the landscape. Then without warning, the warring stopped. The younger races could never understand the reason why, and any expedition sent into the ancient city was never seen, or heard from, again. The war became known as "*The War of the Titans*", and historians and scholar argue about the details to this day.

The second age had ended in blood and death, just as it had begun.

## **Age of the Empire**

It is accepted that the Third Age began with the rise of the *Empire*. The race of humans was one of the most numerous and they banded together against attacks from the other races. One rose amongst them to lead, her name is all that remains. She was called Kassandra Cabello and is widely agreed to be the first Empress of the Empire. With the humans united, she expanded her control to include the *Dwarves* and *Elves*, and a number of other younger races. This was known as the Period of Unification, and was far from what would be called a peaceful affair. Out of this carnage, a new home was formed on the Phoenix Isle.

The new Empire flourished. Trade prospered and Imperial citizens lived in peace, but the Empire was not without its problems. May of the conquered races harboured resentment to Cabello for her brutal methods, even while those races reaped the rewards of Imperial citizenship.

Even so the news of Cabello's death shook the Empire. More so as she had left no heirs and no chain of succession. Instead only instructions which explained that the next Empress would arise and she would be known by Cabello's own mark. Not a week after Cabello had been buried, a humble peasant woman entered the Imperial courts bearing a scroll sealed with Cabello's monogram.

The sealed scroll confirmed that it was Cabello's wish this person be the next Empress, and not wishing to jeopardise the peace of the Empire they followed Cabello's last wishes.

This became the tradition of succession in the Empire. A week after the burial of the previous Empress, a young woman arrives at the court with a sealed scroll indicating she was chosen by the previous Empress. Even after all this time, no-one has figured out how an Empress chooses her successor.

## **Epoch of Magic**

The Empire and the peace it brought thrived for centuries. Scholars agree that the Fourth Age began not with an end to that peace, but with a change in the world.

Magic had always been something which rare and talented individuals could use, but it suddenly started to become much more commonplace within the world. It flowed more freely within those who could use it before, and they found their powers growing; more and more people within the world found that they could draw upon it. The Empress quickly recognised the potential danger this posed and created the *Council of the Arcane*to help guide new magic users and help to regulate control the use of magic.

The Council served its purpose well within the Empire, but much of the Phoenix Isle was not encompassed by the Imperials, and in fact was home to many of the peoples and races that bore a long hatred towards the Empire. The new and ready access to magic gave those disgruntled people a new way to fight back against their detested foe. The Empire again found itself embroiled in war, only this time they had to contend with magically adept common folk. The Council passed laws to control magic users, but this caused hundreds of frightened Imperial citizens who had learned magic to flee the Empire and join the factions fighting against it. Realising their mistake the Council quickly repealed these new laws, but the damage had been done. Even today, some locations still place a heightened control on mages as a legacy of this mistake.

In an effort to amend for their mistakes, the Council started to train magic users to protect Imperial troops. This brought them time to investigate other means to protect their borders and they started looking at even more extreme solutions. Fortunately the Empires diplomats, under direction from the Empress, managed to negotiate treaties and terms with a number of their biggest enemies. Events returned to a more peaceful state of affairs.

It was during this time that the Elves own history was steep in bloodshed. Very little is known about what caused this or how it came to be, for their own histories are locked away deep within the floating city of the High Elves, and any Elves old enough to remember these events do not speak about them. What is known, is that as a result of these events the once proud Elvish people became three distinct people: High Elves, Wyld Elves, and Dark Elves.

## **Era of Spirits**

Peace may have returned, but the Council of the Arcane's paranoia about magic had not waned and they continued to research and look for answers. One of the places they looked was amongst ancient ruins.

Strange symbols drawn on old stonework were a common sight in the Empire; held to be the relics of a long forgotten culture or religion, and little thought was given to them.

Suddenly these symbols began to glow when approached and reports of a number of deaths were attributed to them by witnesses. This caused the symbols to become feared by common people, and the ancient ruins became taboo amongst them. The Council tried to learn more but discovered that no books or manuscripts survived that described these symbols or what they were.

While the Council was focused on this new mystery the Wild Folk (a term for those who lived outside the safety and "civilisation" of the Empire) became more aggressive and began attacking the Empire. This time they made some considerable success and managed to push well into Imperial lands, raiding and pillaging as they went.

The troops sent to intercept the Wild Folk were hard pressed to stop them, but quickly noticed that they bore symbols on their bodies that drew a striking similarity to those found in the old ruins. These symbols seemed to offer them exceptional strength and invigoration. It was even reports that seriously wounded individuals with these markings were seen to heal their wounds and rejoin the fight.

At the same time the Council learned that a new area they named the Spirit realm was accessible, and it was possible to summon spirits of the dead to ask for their advice and guidance. At the direction of the Empress, the Council used this new found power to learn of the symbols and how to use them. After that it was not long before the Wild Folk were driven from the Imperial lands and peace was imposed once again.

## **Present Era**

Scholars agree that the world is now in it's sixth age and once again, knows war. For several years there were disturbing rumours, there was hearsay that someone was trying to summon powerful *Demons* into the Phoenix Isle, even talk that Gods have been imprisoned and that the Creators have again been seen in the world. What followed, none expected. The Demon invasion took the world by surprise, three Demonic Lords and their howling armies strode across our lands, slaying all who stood against them and imprisoning any who didn't.

Some have managed to withstand the onslaught and still fight to expel the Demons back to the hell from whence they came, but much of the Pheonix Isle is now in flames.

A shadow lies over the continent, whether the races have the strength and will to throw it off remains to be seen. If the rumours about the Creators returning are true, that means that whatever is coming will change the world forever.