History of Myriden

*Myriden is a ‘points of light’-style setting. Most of the concepts and cosmology introduced in the core rule books is applicable to the world of Myriden. The following material is mostly intended to be flavor text, to give players a feel for the game world. It is what differentiates Myriden from the ‘standard’ fantasy game world. This information has been adapted from various sources, and is either available to players either as a narratives they may have heard from scholarly mentors, or simply as an out of game resource to enhance their feel for the campaign setting*

## The Dawn War

What we know of creation, we know only from the tales of the Eldar, and their tales are formed from memories of what their masters and creators related to them. What came before…was simply chaos. Beings of enormous elemental power known as the Primordials, shaped the world out of that elemental chaos. It had not been the first such creation they had forged, and it was their way to create and destroy, in a chaotic cycle which did not permit life to flourish.

But in this cycle of creation came the Astral Court, the gods of the realm. Many scholars have speculated on the origins of the Astral Court. Some have suggested that the gods were created by the primordials, either as a remnant of a previous cycle of creation which was not completely destroyed, or as a random, yet inevitable outcome. Another theory, one which is considered blasphemous by some is that the Astral Court was formed out of some faction of Primordials. There are others which simply suggest that the gods are from somewhere else. The questions themselves represent thoughts some would consider blasphemous, as the gods are not predisposed to sharing their origins with mortals.

Regardless of their origins, the Astral Court sought to take the creation that was the World, and instill order and permanence upon it so that life might grow. A great conflict arose been the gods and primordials, and the Dawn War was fought for control of the new creation. So much of the war between the gods and primordials is speculation on our part. We can only surmise the details from fragmented records of tales told thousands of years ago.

No one is sure how long the Dawn War lasted, except that it may have been measured in eons. The gods we know of now may not have been the same gods who were present at the beginning. It is at once highly improbable that there would have been no casualties in such an epic war as it is possible that an inability to end the existence of the combatants is what dragged the conflict out for countless years.

Of course, we know that the gods were victorious. The primordials are bound within the realm of Elemental Chaos, rage in hidden prisons, or float, lifeless, through the Astral Sea, while the gods watch over their prisons from the Astral Sea, as they watch over us.

## The Eldar and the Races of Aspect

As with all things, the concept of armies began with the divine and with the First War. As the gods and primordials battled, they created the art of war. First came the sword, the shield, and the axe…tools which better enabled the gods and primordials to fight each other. But soon, came the soldier…beings created by the Astral Court and the Primordial to serve them and to fight on their behalf.

From the Astral Court came the Eldar. The legions of Angels formed the ranks of the divine legions, carrying their banners and wielding their might. Beside them strode the Illumians, beings formed from the very Words of Creation, who wielded its awesome power against the profane armies of chaos.

Standing against them were the Aspects of the Primordial. Savage Giants and Titans wielded the unbridled power and might of their masters, tearing through any who stood before them. Behind them, guiding their ferocity with a devious cunning were the Genasi warlords of Chaos.

All four of these races survived the Dawn War, although all were changed in some fashion or another. The servants of the primordial have lost their masters, and much of the unholy might which they were given. The angels split into two camps; those who continue to serve the gods as their Archons, and those that relinquished their divinity to become the semi-mortal Deva. And the Illumians…those poor bastards suffered a catastrophe of their own, which has guided their path throughout history.

## The Betrayal and the Divine Withdrawal

During the final battles of the Dawn War, the gods of the Astral Court saw the certainty of their triumph, and began to plan for its aftermath. The Court intended to shelter and foster the world and the life which they sought to sow there. But this consensus was not unanimous, there were five amongst them who desired that the world be filled with those who would serve the Divine.

As the Astral Court lay siege to the Crucible itself, these five gathered their strength. Once the final Primordial Masters had been bound in their prisons, they struck. They intended to destroy their brethren and take the spoils of the War for themselves. And their aim was nearly true, had it not been for Luna, eldest Daughter of Night, and Mistress of Secrets. She discovered their secret alliance and raised the warding call before the blow could be struck.

The Betrayal was unsuccessful, but it forced the Astral Court to withdraw from the World, else they be unprepared for further treachery of the Iron Six, as they came to be called. Though their touch is felt through those that serve them, the Astral Court may no longer act directly on the Prime.

## The Stone Kingdom

*The history of the world has been plagued by those who would seek to dominate and those who would rail against that control. It is the legacy of the Primordial that we are caught in a cycle of dominance and upheaval. (excerpt from unknown source)*

Much of the world’s history begins with the Stone Kingdom. The gods bound the primordials within the Elemental Chaos, but their servants pursued their own agendas upon Earth. The most powerful faction of these servants was that of the giants, who subjugated the entire world beneath their mighty heels.

Since most of the races had not developed a written language yet, we are unsure of how long the Stone Kingdom lasted. There is a Stone Calendar, but we have no idea of what Year 0 signified the end (or beginning of). Some suggest that it \*could\* mark the end of the Dawn War, but since we do not believe that the giants were in control of the world immediately following the binding of the Primordials.

In fact, we believe that they were only able to subjugate the world because the gods were beset with treachery from within. What is \*more\* likely is that Year 0 marks some pivotal event in the rule of a literate Giant King who understood that records might make his rule memorable. At least one other scholar believes that there is no ‘true’ Year Zero. The premise behind this assertion is that some semi-literate Giant King arbitrarily announced that they were approaching some thousand year mark.”

## The Arkohsian Empire

Most modern scholars place the demise of the Stone Kingdom at a point when the last of the Giant Kings fell in battle; a battle which both dragonborn and eladrin historians claim to be the other participant. Since there was no heir, several claims to the throne immediately rose up, and the Stone Kingdom fell into a civil war. No doubt, these were fueled by ancient rivalries, which only needed the smallest spare to ignite the fire.

300 years later, the Stone Kingdom was no more; no clan had enough strength to even continue the feud. While some of these clans still kept dwarves as slaves, these dwarves were soon liberated by their fellows. But the freedom of the dwarves was to be short-lived. As the dragonborn Empire of Arkhosia arose, it did so on the backs of other races, especially that of the dwarves. The dwarves were once again bound into slavery, this time to serve the dragonborn masters of the world.

## Bael Turath and the Circle of Thirteen

But as any good stonemason will tell you, a fortress is only strong when the stones beneath it support its weight. The Circle of Thirteen used the Arkhosian reliance on slaves against them by whispering in the ears of their servants. ‘Free yourselves’ they whispered, ‘appeal to the races of the fey to come to your aid’. “And so the Circle of Thirteen inspired the downfall of the Dragonborn Empire. They relied on the strength of the other races to weaken the dragonborn emperor. But this dark cabal of men had also embraced the promises of Asmodeus, forging infernal pacts which would give them the might to usurp the empire which the dragonborn had forged.

These proto-tieflings would rule for five hundred years from the spires of Bael Turath before they themselves turned on each other. Few fully appreciated this irony; that they would come full circle and be felled by the same infighting that they had fostered within their Arkhosian predecessors. Some think that they were betrayed by the dark powers they bargained with, that they had served their purpose, and that they could bring no more darkness to the world.

## Nerath

Nerath’s history stretches back to the dark ages which followed the destruction of Bael Turath and Arkhosia. It dominated world history from then until its fall five hundred years ago. The triumphs and follies of its 500-year-rule are well-told legends throughout the world today, though many details have been lost to the toll of unkind years. Many of you have heard stories about Nerath, but these stories have been colored and tainted by those who sought to enhance the reputation of whichever of the Emperor Brothers they served. There are few intact stories which survived these edits and the destruction of the capital at the hands of the Ruler of Ruin.

What scholars agree on is that Nerath enjoyed a meteoric rise to power by filling the cultural and economic void after the wars that destroyed the old empires. When Aldric Tarloth, the first High King of Nerath, solidified his rule over the Baron Lords, it was realized that he had the martial potency needed to solidify a kingdom. Scholars also agree that he was perhaps a bit naïve; being the son of a farmer. Some stories also depict him as a ruthless, bloodthirsty conqueror.

Through marriage to a forgotten baron’s daughter, his heir Magroth was born. Magroth’s story is one of legend; the flaws of his father were likely exaggerated to illustrate Magroth’s virtues. But as a Tylan paladin, he was certainly virtuous. At fifteen years of age, Magroth founded the imperial capital, lit the legendary Flame Imperishable, and led the growing Nerathi legions on decades-long marches of expansion which would claim most of the known world within his lifetime.

The empire began to spiral downwards after the demise of Emperor Erik V, known as Erik the Kind (or Erik the Fool, depending on which scholar you speak to). He was succeeded by three sons, Tomas, Gregor, and Tristan. They became known as the Brothers Emperor, because their father could not bear to choose one of them as his heir over the others, and chose to split his kingdom between them.

For years following their father’s death, the Emperors began to fight amongst themselves. First, their battles were fought through intrigue; each conspired to ruin the others, but eventually their conflict rose to the level of warfare. It is suggested that the civil war between the brothers weakened the Nerathi both in physical strength, but also in their nobility. Tales mark the first blood spilled as the beginning of the end for the empire. But the Nerathi did not truly meet its finish until the capital fell beneath the rending claws of a seemingly endless horde of gnolls and demons led by the mysterious Ruler of Ruin.

With the central government destroyed, provincial kings banded together to defend what remained of the empire. One of them, the just King Elidyr, took up the imperial crown and rallied a valiant defense of Nerath, but it was not enough. When Elidyr was slain, the Ruler of Ruin simply returned to the abyss, apparently content to leave the world in chaos. The remaining lords of the empire—fragmented, fearful, and desperate—fell upon one another for survival.

Commerce ground to a halt. Famine spread. Hope withered, and the Flame Imperishable became a funeral pyre for the world’s greatest empire. To this day, the core realm of the empire is a scorched wasteland littered with the crumbling shells of cities and noble villas which once gleamed like pearls beneath a hopeful sun. Swarms of flies obscure the day and the land is infested with savage gnolls, first among the Ruler of Ruin’s servants in the world.

The capital city still stands, though it has been transformed by the gnolls into a nightmare of its former glory. The soot-blackened walls are festooned with the flayed skins of defeated armies, and the sacred Flame Imperishable is clogged with the charred bones of the gnolls’ victims.

## Skyfall

Perhaps the realm of Freehold would have become the next great empire. A city built in concert by elves, dwarves, and humans, it promised harmony by its very presence. But in the summer of 484 CE, the event commonly referred to as Skyfall occurred. Stories tell of a shard of light slowly crossing the sky over the course of days. Sages referred to the shard as a comet which had been recorded as a recurring event throughout history. On the evening of July 17th, tales tell of how this comet struck the moon.

Daggers of fire descended from the sky, burning bright. When they struck the earth, the entire world shook. The commonwealth of Freehold was presumed to be the center of the devastation. Fewer than 1,000 refugees emerged from the clouds of devastation, but there is no record of any survivor being closer than 90 miles from Freehold.

To this day, the memory of that night, and the tumultuous aftermath that followed for months afterwards, still haunt people’s dreams. While many are not old enough to remember the actual event, one need only look at the night sky, and see the crack in the moon and the trailing debris, or just consider that an entire kingdom is no more to realize how much devastation was wrought.

It was not for many years that any explorers returned from the ruined lands. But after a time, those that did spoke of an overwhelming experience. The awe and power of viewing the aftermath of such a celestial event was debilitating for some, but empowering for others. These people began to gather and build a philosophy regarding the event and the mysteries surrounding it. Whether they believed that the event was punishment from the gods for the wicked acts of the world, an act of the primordials, or a random freak occurrence, they began to preach towards a moral center.

## The World Today

Wild, uncontrolled regions abound and cover most of the world. City states of various races dot the darkness, bastions in the wilderness built amid the ruins of the past. Some of these settlements are “points of light” where adventurers can expect peaceful interaction with the inhabitants, but many more are dangerous. No one race lords over the world, and vast kingdoms are rare. People know the area they live in well, and they’ve heard stories of other places from merchants and travelers, but few know what lies beyond the mountains or in the depth of the great forest unless they’ve been there personally.

Most monsters of the world are as natural as bears or horses are on Earth, and monsters inhabit civilized parts of the world and the wilderness alike. It is not unheard of for a goblin kingdom to exist less than a hundred miles from human civilizations, or for dire beasts to be found in forests ‘tamed’ by the elves.