Ancient Stories

## **Stories of History**

### The Dark Age of Dragons - Fall of Krawnak

In the distant past of the First Years Era, humanity was pushed to the brink of extinction by forces beyond their own mortal understanding. Untold souls perished in those tumultuous times as calamity after calamity hounded humankind like a curse, but the greatest of all these was the bloody reign of **Kraw’nak**, the most powerful of all the Helldrakes that came before him as well as those that came after. Known by his moniker, the Molten Death, this extremely vicious creature was the most dangerous beast the Nether had brought forth to plague humanity – a walking cataclysm engaged in a genocidal campaign with the sole purpose of wiping out any and all trace of humanity in the world.

Unwilling to let the dragon’s rampage go unabated, **King Regius**, the King of the Overworld who wielded the **Ultimate Rune**, gathered his most powerful warriors from across the Overworld to march against the greatest threat to their realm. Men and women from all over the land raced to the aid of their beloved king, and soon, King Regius had assembled the most powerful army the world had ever seen. With the king himself personally leading the charge, and with the Ultimate Rune in his possession, humanity allowed itself to believe that they were finally ready to end Kraw’nak’s reign once and for all. However, they severely overestimated their own power and the king’s army, unable to match the dragon’s power, fell to the winged beast’s fury.

With the defeat of King Regius and the loss of the Ultimate Rune to Kraw’nak, all hope, at that point, seemed lost, and humanity’s future became an uncertainty. Worse still, the Ultimate Rune itself fused with Kraw’nak himself after having eaten the king’s body, which only served to greatly amplify the dragon’s already terrifying power to god-like proportions. Nevertheless, there were those who refused to quietly slip into the night without a fight; and from the shivering masses, a single party vowed to stand up to the beast in a valiant last stand. Composed of a **Master Builder**, a **Master Engineer**, a **Master Magician**, a **Master Enchantress**, a **Master Augur**, a **Predator**, a **Ranger**, a **Hunter**, an **Arcanite Wizard**, and an **Earth-type** **Occultist**. They would forever go down in history as the **Epic Masters Party**, the legendary team that fought Kraw’nak to a standstill and gave humanity the time it needed to prepare when the winged catastrophe would once again return to claim vengeance.

Years had passed since their decisive victory against the hated destroyer, yet their stories are still sung in taverns and campfires the world over. As the story goes, with only their wit, determination, and skills honed from countless trials, the Party managed to knock the mighty Kraw’nak from the sky and trap it inside a massive ravine where the Master Builder and the Occultist, in all of their genius, collapsed a large portion of the ravine on top of the surprised dragon. Then, with the help of the other members, they began to quickly pile tons of ensorcelled earth upon the debris in a desperate attempt to entomb Kraw’nak. However, before the helldrake could be fully immobilized by the weight of the rocks and enchanted soil, it tilted its head and unleashed a deadly blast from its mouth. Molten and charred blocks, superheated air, and flames raced from under the structure into the dark sky, emitting a blast so bright that it was said to have rivaled the sun itself.

The Master Builder, who had been just a few meters in front of the party, as well as the Ranger, who had taken the lead and waited on a nearby perch just on the other side of the mouth of the ravine, were nowhere to be found. All that remained was a harsh, arid scent of charred metal and the smokey scent of glassed earth. The edges of the ravine glowed brightly as molten earth oozed down the sides.

As the flames reached the clouds, a cacophonous symphony of shrieks and inhuman cries were heard all throughout the nearby forest. Demons, vampires, and other creatures from the deep dark corners of the Nether rushed to attack, sensing the warm, fresh, pumping blood of the party and the hundreds of villagers in nearby towns, seemingly called in by the pillar of light that had become their beacon for slaughter. However, even after suffering the heavy loss of two members, the Party knew that the mission was far from over.

With the death of the Builder and the Occultist, their life force and Sensus became a red mist that began seeping into the cracks and crags of Kraw’nak’s now-destroyed earthen prison. All those with an affinity to the magical arts were aware of how dire the situation had become, but at the same time, it was an indication of how much damage they had caused the beast when even it would resort to absorbing another’s essence to replenish its own. Despite their plan’s failure, the overall ploy itself managed to drain the monster a portion of his power and even caused damage to him. The Party knew that this was their chance – whatever happened, they would finish it here.

The Arcanite Wizard began using his sorcerous powers to coat the armor of his comrades in protective spells while the Master Magician prepared his wands to cast whatever spells he could muster up despite his growing terror. The rest of the group continued to prepare for what came next, wholly intent of standing up to Kraw’nak despite the overwhelming odds stacked against them. The sky was now a dangerous red streaked with amber, and the rumbling earth told them all they needed to know as each of the remaining warriors prepared for their fight against the massive dragon.

Kraw’nak began to climb out of the ravine; the heat of its claws instantly turning his footholds into an ever-expanding sea of molten slag. Suddenly, the ground beneath the Party, weakened by their melted foundations, split in two and plunged the group down towards a fiery death. However, the Arcanite Wizard managed to use his last bit of magic to create a layer of earth just above the lava to catch the falling heroes and subsequently allowed them to seek shelter towards the nearby cliff face while the Master Engineer, anticipating Kraw’nak’s attempt to give chase, released a sortie of Mecha from his bag to delay the dragon as much as possible. Even so, such paltry tricks would only be able to hold off a living catastrophe for so long; they needed a plan – fast.

The Master Engineer carefully scanned his toolbox and hobbled together a crude plan. With the help of the Master Enchantress, he would use one of his Mechs to slam an enchanted iron rod deep into Kraw’nak and ask the Master Augur to call upon the wrath of the gods against Kraw’nak. In the meantime, the Predator, Ranger, Hunter, Arcanite Wizard, and the Master Magician would have the crucial role of stalling for time while the Master Engineer, Master Enchantress, and Master Augur would craft their respective spells and technology. It was a suicide mission for sure, but one the other members accepted without hesitation.

Without allowing the others’ sacrificial charge be in vain, the remaining Party poured all of their skill into their craft to create their finest work – a Mecha reinforced with an outer hull layered with Diamonds blessed with the scared machine oils of Energio; a metal Rod enchanted with Water that will never boil; and lastly, a Spell Scroll infused with the life force of the Master Augur himself – an offering to ask for the greatest miracle the gods could manifest in the mortal world at that point. These three items would come to be known as the **Magnum Opus.**

After dispatching the rearguard with some difficulty, Kraw’nak now stood at the edge of the crater, albeit wounded and leaking red-hot molten blood – the best evidence to the remaining members of the Party that their comrades fought valiantly to the bitter end. The obsidian plating covering the behemoth shifted loudly as he lumbered forward, causing sparks to fly off with every labored movement. Despite being severely winded from his intense battle with the Party members and the Mechs, he wasted no time at all and launched itself towards the group with preternatural speed. However, it was exactly what they were waiting for.

Legend says that right as the group stared the living calamity straight in its hell-streaked eyes, a shining Mecha darted from the dragon’s blind spot and slammed into the dragon with such force that it pushed the beast away from its linear path and straight into the side of a cliff. Once the Mecha itself broke apart from the sheer force of the impact, it revealed the Rod, glistening with pale blue energy, had been successfully embedded into the dragon’s side. Then, even before Kraw’nak could regain his bearings, a sudden thunderstorm manifested overhead and sent streaks of golden lightning directly into the furious beast like the fist of an angry god, through the Rod itself.

The helldrake roared in excruciating pain from the attack which ravaged its body from the inside out. Despite the abyssal damage that would have finally killed him, the powers of the Ultimate Rune he had absorbed allowed the dragon to limp away and escape the fight into lands unknown. Although at the brink of death and having lost all but the barest hint of his once-phenomenal power, he swore vengeance on the remaining members of the Party for their transgression. It was a pyrrhic victory, but a victory nonetheless; they won, and once again, the world would know peace without the threat of winged death looming over their heads.

## Spirit Stories

### Relations between Inexia and Iussus Pax

The gods Inexia and Iussus Pax have a bittersweet relationship, loving each other, but at the same time existing on opposite ends of the spectrum. Inexia is the God of Wonder and Chaos, loving to be wild and free and giving the world a sense of adventure. Iussus Pax is the God of Order and Justice. He keeps the world in check and balanced, believing that everything should stay in form and in place is how it should be. One god cannot exist without the other, just as chaos cannot exist in the world without order. The balance of the world affects which of the gods is the most powerful. When war is rampant and civilization is disturbed and changing, it is said that Inexia grows stronger and chaos reigns. However, on the other side, when empires rise and the civilizations prosper and expand, Iussus Pax grows stronger.

Many who worship the mother and father gods view the relationship between them as a scale, with one god on each side. For one to rise and gain power, the other must fall. Throughout history the balance goes back and forth and eras of peace and order are followed by disorder and chaos, over and over again.

### Creation of the Primal Spirits

Iussus Pax made strong elements: air, earth, fire, heat, water, energy, etc. But they were lifeless and limp without the touch of a Spirit. The air didn’t blow, the water didn’t roll, the earth wasn’t strong and solid underfoot. Very early on in the creation of the universe Iussus Pax noticed this and wanted to change it. He wanted to make the world feel alive and give the elements he had created in the universe more substance and movement.

To achieve this he took a small bit of each of the elements that he had made and he formed them in his hands and blessed them with life and power. He gave each a bit of himself, and asked Inexia to do the same. The beings he made were the Primal spirits or Greater Spirits, powerful entities made of rock/metal, air, water, and lava/fire respectively. Each Spirit had control and ruled over the element they were made of. They were a wonder and the gods loved what they had created, and even more- what the Spirits added to the world.

Now the waves crashed and roared, the wind swept across the land, the land was hard and strong and firm, and lava lava erupted from the earth and fire burned hot and bright. They gave the world its first taste of life and it was beautiful. Over time these Spirits would become stronger and stronger, and as they did gain more sentience and individuality. Over millions of years they developed their own personalities, rivalries and worshippers. Some of them even combined some of their energies to create Lesser Spirits.

### Conflict Between Aier’o and Terra

All of the elements in the world used to be much closer than they are now, especially air and earth. It is hard to imagine with our simple mortal minds, but earth and air used not to be separated as they are today. The Great Spirit Ignie was adored by all of the other great spirits, Aier’o and Terra especially, they both loved Ignie. However, this led to strife between the two of them, each fighting for the love of Ignie, until it broke into full-on conflict. Aier’o and Terra fought for thousands of years, locked in an eternal struggle. Eventually, the destruction that was caused by the two warring Spirits was too much and threatened the world.

Ignite was horrified by what they saw happening between the two Spirits, and wanted to save them from each other and themselves. Eventually, Ignie got between Terra and Aier’o and used her magic to try and pry the two of them off each other. Ignie was able to tear the two of them apart, but in the process, fragmented the two Great Spirits. Tiny bits of magic were broken off of Terra and Aier’o, as well as two other minor spirits- Inferna from Aier’o and Necrum from Terra. Both Terra and Aier’o were badly wounded by this and needed to be saved. Ingie asked the gods to help save them, and together they put Aier’o high into the clouds and Terra low into the earth and stone. This way they could heal and would hopefully not fight. It is said that when Ignie tore the two spirits off of each other, the explosion of energy that was created a huge volcano. Many believe that this mythological volcano has become smaller over the year, but that it still exists, and inside of it, the magic of old.

Upon safely saving the two Great spirits, Terra and Aier’o, Ignite set the world how it is today and saved it from destruction. Eventually, Terra and Aier’o healed from their wounds, but they have been separated for the safety of everyone living on the mortal earth. Although you can see the attempts of the Great Spirits to attack each other. Mountains rising from the earth and piercing the sky are Terra trying to break into Aier’o domain, and the caves that plunge deep into the earth and stone are an attempt by Aier’o to find Terra.

### Inferna and Necrum - The Dark Twins

Necrum and Inferna were born from the fight between Aier’o and Terra. So much power and magic were concentrated between the two spirits that when Ignie tried to separate the warring spirits, it released an explosion of energy. The two new spirits were created in this blast. Inferna is the combination of the two greater spirits: Ignie and Aier’o, while Necrum was a combination of Ignie and Terra. Inferna and Necrum are known as the dark brothers.

At first, the two Spirits were weak and frail, and the Primal Spirits were not even aware of their existence. When Ignie separated the earth and the sky they both fell to the earth where they began to grow stronger and stronger. Eventually, after a few hundred years, the twins had become powerful enough to be detected by the Primal Spirits. Ignie, recognizing who they were and where they came from, scooped them up from the earth and infused them with energy to help they become stronger.

### Creation of the Dragons

Inferna was one day caught stealing magic and elements from the other Spirits. Spirits were generally supposed to stick to their domains, and not interfere with the elements the other controlled. Inferna, knowing this, decided that it wouldn’t matter if he returned them. So by taking a bit of stone from Terra, fire from Ignie, and lastly, a bit of wind and air from Aier’o, Inferna planned to make something awe-inspiring to the others. Inferna didn’t think anyone would care and wanted to build something of their own, to release into the world.

However, Inferna was wrong, and the other Spirits did care. They were very angry with Inferna and the ones who he stole from brought Inferna before Issus Pax and demanded he do something. Issus Pax was going to banish the poor minor spirit from the universe, but Inexia stopped him. She had watched Inferna work from afar and loved what he had made. She insisted that the other spirits at least see what Inferna had made. Iussus Pax then looked down and saw the creature that Inferna had made, and while it was still made of stone, air, and fire, Issus Pax saw that it was beautiful, even more beautiful than some of the creatures that *he* had made.

Issus Pax then decided to make Inferna’s creation come to life, and he gave it magic and mana and life. The other Spirits then saw what Inferna had envisioned and forgave Inferna for his theft. Issus Pax also declared that this creature, the dragon, would be the last creature to be made with mana, the magic of the gods. He felt that it could not be topped.

### Exile of Kronis and Vale

Kronis and Vale both used to exist in the Spirit world with the other gods and Spirits, as well as being in the Vela Pact. Vale, who was a lesser spirit in the Spirit World  wished to ascend in power and inherit her own domain within the Spirit World. To do this, Vale hatched a plan. She would get Kronis to spike the drink of one of the Gods with Kronis’s potions, the famous elixir of the spirit kronis. Kronis could change the effect of the elixir at will and Vale believed it could be used to trick a god into giving the both of them power and domain. Vale convinced Kronis of her plan and he agreed to help. Vale slipped the elixir into the drink of Issus Pax during the great competition between Bacc and Pondus, but the spirit Ignie saw him do it and told the king of the gods about the great betrayal of the spirits.

Issus Pax was furious when he heard of the crime the lesser spirits had committed. He banished both Vale and Kronis to the Dark Spirit Realm and banned them from ever rejoining the Spirit World. Ever since then, the two spirits have resided in the Dark Spirit Realm.

### Human/Aetherian Creation

Like many other things they did, they competed to see who could make the best creation. Pondus who was a being of wisdom thought long and hard about what would be the best qualities to include. He even went and looked at every single creation he had previously made, its strengths, its flaws, what made it unique, what they shared in common. This began to take a very long time and before long Bacc on the other hand, had begun to put his creation together. Bacc focused more on making his creation be the best in terms of power and ability. In place of a life essence, Bacc sneakily used Mana and mixed it with Blood, Mana was an ancient energy used in the creation of Mythical beasts and had been prohibited from the Gods after the creation of the Mythical Beasts.

When it came time for the first showings of the creations at the Court of Gods, Bacc was the first to arrive. He showed off the might and power of his creation and declared that it would rule the land. As Bacc talked, a few began to look for Pondus but he was nowhere to be found. Would he fail to show up and forfeit the contest? Pondus himself had not planned to be this late for the event and even though the reasons are still unclear today, Inexia began stalling by asking Bacc to display the different things his creation was capable of. Bacc agreed and began to explain how he had gifted the creation with amazing abilities to outsmart and foe or conquer any enemy. The crowd continued to look in amazement while Inexia continued to convince Bacc to explain the intricacies of his creation and eventually the gods all observed and sent the first of them down to Earth. On Earth however, the beings simply looked to obtain the most resources from the planet. Once they had done this for some time they began to battle the greatest beasts they could detect, constantly.  This continued until the Earth had been almost emptied of the beast of the Sky, Land and Sea. Seeing the destruction, Bacc attempted to take the creation from Earth back to the court. His creation however even lashed out at the god and having obtained mostly all the strength the Earth had to offer at the time, The creation had gathered a considerable amount of power. Feeling confident, it challenged the God instead of returning and a battle ensued. The battle lasted for many days until Bacc, who was more than pleased with the progress he had seen, opened a space in the sky trapping the creation in a completely new dimension. Unable to gather power from the unknown surrounding, the battle began to come to an end.  Even though he was pleased with the result, Bacc knew that that could never happen again or the consequences could have been much worse had the creation been able to draw power from the new dimension or even worse, learn to duplicate the technique to enter multiple dimensions and draw infinite power. Bacc placed a limiter on his new creation that separates it from the power that dwelled inside.