The Timeless Age

## The Timeless Age.png

A time before gods and mortals, the world slept in the stillness of unending twilight,

Before time itself, the world was bathed in a everlasting twilight, It was a colorless age, where life and death held no dominion, in this world, there existed only one entity, with two distinct essences — the very land itself and the perpetual dragons, and together they were the world itself.**The Perpetual Dragons**, whose existence was mysteriously entwined with the ceaseless flow of eternity were not rulers of the land, but the land itself – timeless, eternal, and indivisible. To understand the Timeless Age is to gaze upon the roots of reality ,for it was a time where the land, the world, and the **dragons** were as one, singing the song of eternity."

###### **Supossed Origins:**

'The Everlasting Land of the Dragons'

Before the concept of beginnings and endings, the world dwelt in an unending dusk. It was a realm of silhouettes, a landscape painted in shades of gray where neither shadow nor light claimed dominion. This era, lost to most tales, was the Timeless Age, an era where the linear flow of events held no sway.

    The very fabric of this world was woven from two threads — the land and the **Perpetual Dragons**. They were not separate entities, but instead were two aspects of a singular truth. The land stretched vast and infinite, a silent expanse, while the dragons moved as whispers across it, their every heartbeat echoing the rhythm of eternity itself.

These **dragons** bore no resemblance to the creatures of later we all know. Their forms were nebulous, constantly shifting between states of matter and thought. Their scales reflected the twilight, shimmering with an iridescence that defied the very notion of color in this age without hue. Their roars, instead of instilling fear, resonated like ominous chords, filling the silence with symphonies of existence.

Beneath them, the land pulsed, alive and sentient. Mountains breathed. It was said that the land's every contour and feature told tales of ages even before the Timeless one. But there was no one to hear, no one to witness, except for the dragons, who listened and understood something seemingly we couldn't comprehend nor understand as we are affected by time itself.

Over the span of an immeasurable duration, a symbiosis formed between the land and the **dragons**. They became intertwined in an eternal dance, each shaping the other. The **dragons** carved valleys and raised mountains, while the land bestowed upon them knowledge, secrets from the very core of reality.

###### **The Dark Fell-Star:**

But the Everlasting lands, would be forever transformed when a harbinger of change appeared. From the vast and muted skies, a dark star hurtled downward, tearing through the heavens with an aura of impending doom. As it pierced the horizon and collided with the realm of the Perpetual Dragons, the very fabric of their existence shuddered.

'Once upon a time, a dark star fell from beyond the stars on the everlasting land of the dragons'

The impact was cataclysmic. The ethereal essence that the dragons and the land had known was disrupted by the raw, unknown energy of the fell star. This intrusion introduced the realm to the relentless march of time. An ephemeral and foreign concept until now, its arrival was marked by the death knells of countless **dragons**. Where once they floated timeless and eternal, now they withered and turned to stone, becoming statues, monuments to an age gone by.

Yet, the devastation from the star's arrival was merely a prelude. From the smoldering crater left in its wake, an abyssal force emerged. The land, which had remained still for eons, now cracked and groaned as dark, tempestuous waters surged forth from the star. This was not the gentle flow of rivers the world knew but a torrential outpouring, an unending deluge that threatened to swallow all in its path.

The world was transformed. Vast expanses were inundated, the once serene landscapes now submerged beneath turbulent, storm-laden seas. The remaining dragons, desperate to escape the flood's wrath, took to the skies. But not all could escape in time. Many were ensnared by the rising tides, dragged deep into the watery abyss. Yet, even in their submersion, they did not truly perish. Their essence, intertwined with the land, allowed them to enter a deep stasis. At the ocean's darkest depths, they lay dormant, their forms encased in sediment and stone, dreaming ageless dreams, waiting for the time when they might rise once more.

Of the **Perpetual Dragons** that once graced the skies of the Timeless Age, only a handful now remained. The world around them had irrevocably changed, shaped by forces beyond their understanding. With the land altered and their kin lost to time and tide, these survivors bore the weight of their legacy, a testament to an age of unity and eternity, and the unpredictable force of change

###### **The Existence of Life itself is unleashed in the everlasting lands:**

In the wake of the devastation wrought by the fell star, a new malevolence emerged from its core, aviscous, dark sludge began to seep from the star's remnants, tainting the land with its corrupt touch. This was the Abyss, a primordial void that bled into existence, a cancerous force foreign to the Timeless Age.

'The First Battle of the World'

From the heart of this Abyss, nightmarish creatures began to rise. Where the waters had drowned much of the land, now from its depths emerged monstrosities of unimaginable design. Gargantuan cephalopods, their tentacles undulating with eerie grace, dwarfed the tallest peaks. Crustaceans, with shells as hard as the oldest mountains, trudged across the landscape, and fish, adapted to the inky blackness of the abyssal depths, swam through the now darkened skies with malevolent intent. They unleashed their sheer existence in the everlasting land of the dragons.

For the remaining Perpetual Dragons, this was the ultimate desecration. The sanctity of their ageless realm had been violated, and what was once a harmonious existence now teetered on the brink of annihilation. Driven by a primordial instinct to restore balance, the dragons rallied, preparing to wage war against these invaders from the Abyss.

The skies became a theater of cataclysmic confrontations. Where dragons roared, torrents of elemental fury were unleashed. Flames hotter than the sun's core, tempests that could tear the world asunder, and beams of pure energy rained down upon the abyssal monstrosities. Yet, the creatures of the Abyss were not without their own strengths. Their very presence seemed to warp reality, turning landscapes treacherous and unpredictable. And they fought with a relentless hunger, an innate desire to consume and expand.

The War of Retributions had begun. The balance of power was constantly shifting. With every dragon that fell, its essence would light up the sky, a testament to its sacrifice. But for every dragon lost, the abyssal titans paid a heavy price. Their colossal carcasses would litter the land, a grim reminder of the dragons' wrath.

###### **The War of Retribution:**

The War of Retributions raged on, echoing through the epochs as an unending symphony of destruction and defiance. The skies were perpetually awash with bursts of elemental fury, and the land was marred by the remnants of titanic confrontations. Every clash between the Perpetual Dragons and the abyssal creatures was a spectacle that would forever etch itself into the world's memory.

Yet, as the cycles of war turned, a pattern began to emerge. With each successive generation of abyssal creatures that rose to challenge the dragons, there was a distinct devolution. The once intelligent, humanoid monstrosities of the Abyss, that in their prime could strategize and form coalitions, began to degrade. Their once menacing visages and forms, which blended the horrors of the deep with a humanoid touch, became increasingly primal. Their features grew distorted, their limbs misshapen, and their intelligence waned.

    By the time the later generations emerged, they were but shadows of their ancestors. Gone was the eerie semblance to humanity, replaced instead by simple-minded, ravenous behemoths. Their existence was driven by a singular purpose: hunger. Yet, despite their diminished intellect, their raw power and tenacity made them formidable foes.

    Recognizing the changing tides of the war, the Perpetual Dragons took advantage of the situation. Using their superior intellect, they devised strategies to exile these mindless leviathans. Through a combination of force and ancient dragon magic, they banished the majority of these abyssal creatures to the depths of the world's oceans. A decree was established, a powerful geas imbued with the essence of the dragons themselves: these banished entities were forbidden to tread upon the land ever again.

The exile was so potent that the very essence of the decree permeated the primal minds of the abyssal creatures. Even as eons passed, they dared not breach their oceanic prison, for the fear of the dragons was deeply ingrained in them. It was said that the very waters of the deep resonated with the dragons' decree, a constant reminder of their subjugation.

###### **The Dark Abyss:**

Just as it seemed the world had settled into a new equilibrium, the Abyss, resilient and ever-adaptive, unveiled its most insidious weapon yet. Gone were the aquatic monstrosities and the primal leviathans; in their place arose beings of pure darkness, nebulous entities brought from the very essence of the Abyss itself.

These new adversaries were unlike anything the world had ever witnessed. They lacked form in the traditional sense, existing as shifting, undulating masses of dark matter. With a mere touch, they could corrupt, twist, and pervert the very essence of life. Stone Arch-Trees would wither and contort into grotesque parodies of themselves. The Newborn River and Oceans of the world, turned into sludgy, inky flows of despair. The land, wherever these beings tread, became blighted, and everything would succumb to the Abyss's touch.

But their most terrifying act was their ability to corrupt their former brethren. The abyssal leviathans, once banished to the ocean depths, were now dragged back into the conflict. Enhanced and mutated by the dark matter, they became even more formidable, their forms grotesque and their power amplified. The once mindless beasts now acted with a singular purpose: to spread the corruption of the Abyss.

The dragons, always the defenders of balance and order, faced their greatest challenge yet. As they clashed with these new adversaries, tragedy struck. Some dragons, overwhelmed by the sheer malevolence of the Abyss, found themselves ensnared by its grasp. Their majestic forms, symbols of purity and power, were perverted into horrific versions of their former selves. These corrupted dragons bore little resemblance to their original forms; their scales turned pitch black, their eyes glowed a sinister red, and their roars, once majestic and resonant, now echoed with anguish and malice.

For the Perpetual Dragons, this was a heartbreak beyond measure. The act of combating their own brethren, twisted and turned against them, weighed heavily upon their souls. Each corrupted dragon felled was a somber victory, a painful reminder of the Abyss's relentless quest for dominion. And as they grieved for their lost kin, the eternal guardians steeled themselves for the next phase of this unending conflict, knowing that the balance of their world hung by a thread.

###### **The Living Dragons:**

Even though, the war endured, the Everlasting Dragons, once timeless and indivisible from the world itself, began to experience a phenomenon previously unknown to them: birth. From their eternal cosmic essence, they began to lay eggs, crystalline and radiant, encapsulating the pure essence of the dragons,but the world they were born into was not the same as it was during the original Timeless Age. The Abyss's corruption had permeated almost every corner of the realm. As a result, the hatchlings that emerged from these eggs displayed a myriad of forms and features, some bearing clear mutations, while others exhibited unique and previously unseen characteristics but some few of them it is told, retained their full original form of a perpetual dragon.

Many of the second generation dragons bore the majestic visage of their forebears, but there were noticeable differences. Some had multiple enlongated necks and heads, while others boasted scales that shimmered like the night sky, reflecting constellations unknown to any eye. A few had no wings, or tails that ended in ethereal wisps, giving them an almost spectral appearance.

However, not all were born with such awe-inspiring features. Some bore clear marks of the Abyss's touch: scales that were fragmented and jagged, eyes that bore an empty void rather than the radiant glow of their kin, or wings that were tattered and torn, as though they had been ravaged by time itself.

Yet, despite their differences, these new dragons were just as resilient and formidable as the original Everlasting Dragons. They took to the skies, seas, and lands, each carving a niche for themselves in the changing world. Their diverse forms and abilities meant that they could adapt and thrive in regions that their predecessors couldn't.

Over time, as they spread and established dominions of their own, legends and tales of these varied dragons began to take root in different cultures and civilizations that emerged from the ashes of the war. In the snowy peaks of the north, tales were told of white, serpentine dragons that danced among the snowflakes. Desert tribes spoke of golden-scaled behemoths that soared above the dunes, while islanders told tales of dragons with fins and gills, ruling the depths of the oceans.

These stories, passed down through countless generations, became foundational myths for many societies. The dragons were revered, feared, and sometimes even worshiped. Different cultures interpreted their appearances and behaviors in varied ways, attributing to them characteristics that aligned with their own beliefs and values.

###### **Vaalthral, the Starborn**

Amidst the maelstrom caused by the fall of the dark star, which brought with it the inception of time itself, the Perpetual Dragons experienced a fundamental transformation. For the first time, they began to experience life, marking the birth of a new generation and cycle. Among these nascent dragons, emerged **Vaalthral**.

'Vaalthral emerges with the new flows of time, as the lord of the everlasting dragons'

His hatching was nothing short of miraculous. As the remnants of the dark star's energy swirled and reshaped the realm, Vaalthral broke free from his shell. Unlike many of his peers who were born with mutations, deformities, and abyssal alterations, Vaalthral and a rare few were birthed with the purity of their **ancient forebears**. From his very first moments, it was clear that Vaalthral was special.

With eyes that shimmered like the cosmos and a wisdom that seemed to span eons, Vaalthral's perspective of the world was unique. He viewed the world with a clarity and adepth that were reminiscent of the original Everlasting Dragons, yet his consciousness was deeply attuned to the unfolding flow of time.

The cataclysms that followed the fall of the dark star led to the emergence of the abyss and its abhorrent creatures. **Vaalthral's** insights during these dark times became paramount. Having an innate ability to anticipate the movements and tactics of the abyss, he guided many dragons to safety, quickly earning the reverence and allegiance of both old and new dragons.

But beyond being a beacon during wartime, Vaalthral sought knowledge. He deeply pondered their changed existence, the meaning behind the birth of new dragons, and the essence and intent of the abyss. He was convinced that understanding, rather than brute force, would be the key to survival.

As the war with the abyss intensified, Vaalthral’s strategic brilliance began to shine even brighter. Advocating for cunning over raw power, he unearthed patterns in the abyss’s behavior, securing multiple victories for dragonkind. Yet, he also felt an intrinsic need to understand the abyss, often embarking on solitary journeys to communicate with its depths.

When it became evident that the abyss was gaining ground, it was **Vaalthral** who made the heart-wrenching decision to unite the dragons for one final, cataclysmic battle at the abyssal capital. Fully aware of the consequences, Vaalthral spearheaded this assault, understanding that it might mean the end of many, including himself.

###### **The Great Thundering:**

Vaalthral, bearing the weight of eons, stood tall at the vanguard. The roar that emanated from him was not just a call to battle, but a mournful dirge for a world on the brink of rebirth or annihilation.

With **Vaalthral's** strategy, dragons manipulated the environment and terrain, setting traps and leading the abyssal forces into deadly ambushes. He cleverly used the nature of the abyss against itself, making it question its very existence and forcing it to clash with its own. But as time wore on, it became evident that the sheer numbers and relentlessness of the abyss were slowly grinding down the draconic defenses.

At the climactic moment, Vaalthral, with sorrow in his eyes, nodded to the assembled dragon lords. The dragons soared upwards, forming an immense spiral, channeling the world's elemental essence through their being. Their scales gleamed with the very fabric of creation, and their eyes shone with the finality of their purpose.

'The Everlasting Cleansing Fire of the Dragons'

Then, with a synchronized descent, they unleashed their cataclysmic elemental onslaught upon the abyssal capital. From the heart of the earth, molten magma erupted, painting the world in a furious orange glow. Blazes of fire followed, incinerating everything in its path, while torrents of spectral ice froze abyssal horrors in place, their twisted forms forever captured in crystalline tombs. Green streams of corrosive acid ate through the remnants, ensuring nothing could rise again.

As the elements raged, the world itself seemed to fracture and reform. Continents shifted, oceans boiled, and mountains crumbled. The sheer force of the elemental onslaught combined with the abyss's retaliatory might resulted in a cataclysm of unprecedented proportions.

In the aftermath, the land was scarred, and an eerie silence pervaded. The abyss, with all its horrors and abominations, was vanquished. But the cost was great. The dragons, including the wise Vaalthral, lay still, their life essence expended in the world-altering cataclysm they had initiated.

From this apocalyptic end, a new world began to take shape. The energies released in the battle seeped into the land, the waters, and the skies, giving birth to a world rich in magic, lore, and tales of the valiant dragons and their final stand.

**The Genesis of the Timeless Age**

A depiction of a Perpetual Dragon, dating back to the early days of The Colossal Age.'The Pillars of the Old World' famous modern Valantian painting depicting the Timeless Age.'Everlasting Watch' Old representation dating to the final days of the Colossal Age, said to be owned by Darios, the king of the gods himself..