History

## The Time Of Creation

### The Primordials and the Dawn of Time (-15,000BE)

The universe had no beginning, nor is it foreseen to have an end. For as long as it had existed, the Primordial Gods existed with it. These nameless beings lived in a vast expanse of chaos, energy, and emotion. For reasons none fully understand, the Primordials entered a state of hibernation. It was during this state that they dreamed both time and matter into existence, as well as the Great Spirits. For millennia, these Spirits explored and brought structure to the universe. They fashioned the stars, the planets, and finally, as a crowning achievement, the world of Vela itself. They brought life to the depths of the sea and all the continents. They created many beasts both wondrous and terrible.

As Creation broadened and grew more complex, the spirits organized themselves into two groups. The first, the Celestials, believe in complete order, that goodness meant all things follow their preordained hierarchy. The Infernals, however, believe in freedom, that all beings must have the means to choose their destinies.

### The Age of Spirits (-5000BE)

Celestials wanted to attain greater dominance in the universe, and needed the belief of many other minds to do so. Yet they possessed not the power to dream living beings into life, so they fashioned crude matter and breathed life into it instead. Thus, Mankind was born. At first, humans could do nothing but follow the will of their creators. The Infernals could not abide that these new beings were not free to choose their destiny. One of their number, the trickster Avaria, entered the Celestial’s abode, the Opal Tower, and stole a portion of the Unquenchable Flame. He took it and fled to Vela, where he spread the Fire through the minds of mortals. Hence, humans gained the ability to dream. Incensed by this treachery, the Celestials placed a curse on human eyes. Henceforth, humans would always see Infernals not as beings of beauty and light but as monstrous, evil beings, ensuring that distrust would forever reign between the two races. The resulting bitterness between Celestials and Infernals soon turned to outright violence, a period known as the All Souls War. The war turned so destructive that it caused an upheaval in Vela. The waters churned and rose, drowning multitudes, and the land itself was reshaped.

At last, the Celestials and Infernals called a truce. How this was brokered was a mystery, but rumors swirled that their strife had somehow caused the Primordial Gods to stir in their sleep. Rather than unleash untold disaster by waking them, the two sides agreed on an uneasy peace.

### The Mortal Age (0AE - 800AE)

The ability to dreams bequeathed many gifts to humans. Some gained visions of dominion, and so forged kingdoms through war and conquest. Some dreamt of beauty and created great and lasting works of art. Others dreamt of the ability to move the elements and the universe itself to their will, and thus became the first mages. Fearing the loss of control over humanity, the Celestials introduced Divine magic, in a bid to bring them back to the fold. Not to be outdone, the Infernals introduced Infernal magic as well to entice Man to their ways. Both sides waged a proxy war through the mortal races.

### The Age of Mages (800AE - 1200AE)

With the dawn of magical power, mages grew ascendant. Magical colleges began in many areas of the continent of Elysia, each one focusing on a particular study of the arcane. Some turned their attention on manipulating magical energy, turning it into destructive and protective forces. Others focused on shaping the elements according to their will. Still others turned to shaping life itself: plant, animal and human alike. Still other focused on the creation of potions and magical artifacts. Thus came the mage schools: conjurers, the elemental shapers, the battlemages, and the alchemists.

Not all was well with the mages, however. Unfettered magical experimentation led to many catastrophes. Arnul Leviticus, a great life shaper and alchemist, attempted to create a superior race of humans to aid in the many wars fought among the Great Houses. His experiments to create more powerful humans led to the birth of the giants. His other experiments to create cunning, stealthy humans led to the goblins. In the aftermath of the wars, these demi-human races fled from civilization to begin their own tribes.

One of the greatest failures of the mages, however, are the attempts to resurrect the dead. One mage, Damian Sain, made a deal with an Infernal spirit to gain the power to return the recently deceased to the world of the living. He was only partially successful as his experiment inadvertently created an entirely alien state of being: undeath. The proliferation of these abominations led to widespread distrust of mages, and for many kingdoms to banish mage colleges from their capitals. The Celestials saw this as a grand opportunity. Through their human agents, they called for mankind to turn their backs on non-aligned magic and return to the holy fold. They instituted a new magic school: Paladinency, with a focus on Divine magic.

Paladins initiated a recruitment drive to bring as many as who would listen into their Holy Orders. Eventually, the most powerful and influential of these, the Solarian Order, instigated an Inquisition to hunt down and dispose of non-aligned mages. Inevitably, these events led to a downward spiral of chaos and violence that eventually became the Aether Wars.

## The New Age

### The Aether Wars. (1200AE - 1386AE)

The continent of Elysia newly destroyed and renamed *Nyx*, or simply *The Core.* A constant battleground between the mortal races fighting for their Celestial and Infernal god's.

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###### Additional information

* BE = Before Empire
* AE = After Empire