The Ancient Gods

# Skulldria and the Ancient Gods

## Skulldria and the Begining

Before life there was nothing and before nothing, there were the Outer Gods.

Quite Basically there are multiple layers of Gods:

* Outer Gods, There is only one known as Skulldria but more than likely there are more. They are the most unstable and can split into the next layer.
* Hollow Gods, they are called so because they have no life and are usually the embodiment of either Good or Evil. Only 2 are known being Godriaz and Malothite. They are the most unstable Gods and they rapidly split into the next layer.
* Gods. Simply they are the most stable and are almost immortal. There are only 8 known beings: Sapriha, Zimba, Ophin, Plutus (*Markond*), Shiranjiah, Drakmir, Prime Evil, and Titanus. After this layer the Gods start breeding between each over making less powerful Demi-Gods.
* Demi-Gods. These are the children of The Gods and are now mortal and can be killed but are very stable and not as powerful as the higher layers of Gods. due to this they can interact with other worlds, mainly as rulers of the realms but can enter Arkania and even Exult. They can't be origins from the Dark gods as those daemons are just not as powerful to become "Gods"
* Eldens. Finally, the Descendants of Demi-Gods and angels are the human race and mainly command the Elden Blood. Although the more humans breed the more diluted the blood becomes and by the era of the story, almost 96% of the population don't have any elden powers

# The Stories of the Gods

## Ophin the Thunder Lord

The origins of Ophin are obscure. Some scholars suggest that he was one of the angels, others that he was a great human war chief who used strange artifacts to manipulate thunder and weather, and who ascended to godhood. Others yet claim that it was thunder itself personified, and which stood in opposition to everything which existed in the world.

While Ophin’s origin is the most obscure of the Great Four, his deeds later are among the best known. He was crowned as the Thunder Lord and he created the Rings of Power, Holding the Lightning one for himself. A temple or an altar dedicated to him was in almost every village or town.

Ophin stood for war and he invoked the great passion in men’s hearts. Legends say he led the charge in the great demon war himself, slaying thousands with each swing of his Large Sword, standing at the head of a huge army of humans. He fought dragons and earth-beasts, bringing thunder on the enemies of the humans. While it is often attributed to Lady Sapriha, the flame from his thunder was used by the early humans to manipulate fire and warm their homes. Along with this, Ophin whilst largely regarded as not actually being there, his thunder enchanted the early elden weapons and had sent supplies such as spellbooks and rings down to Arkania. Ophin is regarded as the Father of Humanity for this reason.

His relation with Drakmir is complicated. In general terms, Drakmir used his lust for war to put humans against each other, creating many conflicting nations, and human on human violence, but many legends make Ophin the only of the Great Four who was untouched by Drakmir’s influence. It was Ophin who decapitated Drakmir at the top of Mount Larahs in the Dry Mountains, freeing the world of his diabolical influence for thousands of years and hid his soul stone away in an undisclosed location.

Ophin was a true hero, but his soul was the only one that could be shattered – which is where the theories that Ophin was originally a human war chief come from. With Drakmir returning after his initial fall, Ophin sacrificed himself to stop it, but in doing so his soul shattered into millions of pieces. Supposedly, fragments of his shattered souls were imbued into a select group of people – who created the Order of the Thunder King, led first by Sir Alahamaz. Another theory claims that his shattered soul, influenced every single human in the world. While the outcome of the other Gods of the Great Four is shrouded in mystery, Ophin’s resting place was found underneath the halls of the Crystal Kings, deep underground, where a godly influence is strongly felt, and where many still make a pilgrimage. Ophin is the highest God ever to interact with the human world and is theorised as the most powerful of all Gods.

## ~~Markond The Lord of Wealth~~. Plutus The Lord of Greed

Markond was a God of great mathematical and logical intelligence, perhaps of the greatest there ever was, however, he always felt that his strength and power lacked in comparison to that of his siblings. While his divine brothers and sister took part in great hunts, Markond was the first of the Gods, great and minor, to take interest in the lowly humans on earth who were still rag-clothed and fed only on berries and on what they hunted in the time when rivers and mountains were still young.

Markond took care of a tribe of humans and taught them branches of mathematics, arithmetic, and logic. According to some legends, he taught them the skill of reading and writing, however, this is disputed due to the existence of literacy-related beings. What he certainly did introduce, however, is the idea of trade, and eventually currency. Humans could now trade their work and get paid for their profession. Fishermen could now trade their fish, and instead, try veal and other meats. Hunters hunted and traded their leather and meat for other goods they needed, that they could not access. Other professions arose – builders, labourers, and eventually – merchants. In fact, merchants were seen as a holy profession as they acted as priests to Markond. They travelled and carried goods to every corner of the continent, and always kept a fixed share of the profits to themselves. A coin from each trade. A sight of a travelling merchant with his horse pulling a wobbling cart filled to the brim with an assortment of delicious snacks, important metals, and valuable leather was always welcomed with a cheer coming from the local children in any village or town, big or small. Markond took a very active role in all this – as he controlled the early currencies and trade, making sure no one was left with a worse deal, and all people got paid fairly.

But Drakmir reached Markond, and under false pretences tainted this idea. While Markond had a great logical mind, his judgement of character was poor. Drakmir filled his head with ideas of every person being incredibly and insultingly rich. At first, it was just about keeping more of the wealth to themselves. With a small change, Markond did not even realise, that while some people got richer – others had to get poorer. Local tradesmen began to hoard their wealth, prices shot up. Some people started to get richer and richer quickly – and Drakmir made sure to only show these people to Markond. Markond began to feel foolish he did not do it before and feeling elated with power he changed his name to Plutus. He spent most of his time drinking wine with rich barons in their palaces and huge estate manors. And at the same time, streets began to fill with poverty-ridden people. Some people had enough money to last lifetimes of a few generations. Others, meanwhile, went whole days because they could not afford bread.

Living alone in his Emerald Temple in the Realms, Markond, now called Plutus, looked with marvel at the things people created with riches. And one day, like a fairy-tale tells, a merchant called Bronmil came through the doors and cursed the name of his own Lord. Bronmil was angry, furious even, and blamed Plutus for the existing poverty. He was angry at how he travelled through cities and saw children in rags not being able to afford a loaf of bread. And he was true, true as a merchant – because they stayed true to their rule of only one coin per any trade, while others got filthy with greed. Bronmil stood at the foot of Plutus’ throne, and with a pointed finger shouted abuse. Plutus was embarrassed that he let something like this happen, as he only ever had good intentions, but at that moment, tainted by Drakmir’s evil, he struck down Bronmil. His attendants stood shocked in the temple, with Bronmil’s lifeless body laying on the marble floor. Bronmil became a martyr and a patron of all travelling merchants, as well as an icon of bravery for standing up to an angelic being, and one of the four at that. One thing all tales appear to agree on is that Plutus run away after this, filled with guilt and shame, but after that, the story diverges again depending on the culture. Some say he committed suicide, if death was even a possibility for someone as powerful however is unknown. Others claim that his physical body was destroyed by intense feelings and his ethereal spirit could watch but not intervene in money matters anymore. The partially lost scripts of Gharlistan instead suggest that he went deep underground, and chained himself to stone pillars looking for atonement, but what came of him has since been lost, or never existed in the first place.

Bronmil’s act of defiance did not stop greed from happening – however it stopped the inference of Drakmir. Money and trade were left to humans alone, and greed was still far too common. But now it was seen as evil, as a sign of Drakmir and Plutus co-operating, while Bronmil’s ideals of fair trading were seen as virtues.

Bronmil became the Master Merchant and ruled over a region of Erinya. He perished in the was of Ozmia to an Orichian Titan who had been manipulated by druids to kill the Elden.

## Lady Sapriha the Goddess of trust and wisdom

The purest and wisest of the Four is Sapriha. Her paintings and statues are many across the countries, and she is often present in stories, songs and plays, as someone who saves the humans. While the other gods’ influence on the people has been great, Sapriha’s role goes far beyond that – as of a nurturing mother and a caring protector.

The initial push for humans to become a civilised, wise and brave race came from Sapriha – who used the magic of the pure sapphire to influence and mind of many. Thwarting Drakmir’s influence one by another, Sapriha was restless, and for thousands of years she ensured the safety of humanity – even if Drakmir’s taint seeped in occasionally. She was the subject of festivals and was, and is, a celebrated figure for all humans across the world.

Around this time, Sapriha married the great and powerful Lord of Thunder, Ophin. Together their kids became the demigods and their marriage a symbol of power. Ophin gifted Sapriha with the Medallion of Aron which inside of it trapped the Plague of Ages. Their marriage was also signified by the rings where one of their children, Lady of Metal, forged the power rings and the blood ring which were worn by Ophin and Sapriha respectively.

Lapis and Sapphire were her symbols and are still often worn and used as protection against demonic influence. However, it appears that this is all that is left of Sapriha now.

Seeking the Ancient Sapphire and its power – Drakmir tracked it down to the Hidden Temple of Emalya in the Lae mountain range. It was done through trick, as Drakmir used alloy magic to make himself look like Sapriha’s lover Ophin. Sapriha looked through the trick, however attempted to end Always-returning Drakmir once and for all. She engaged in a powerful magic fight with him, and shattering her own soul, trapped him in the Ever-glowing Gemstone of unknown origin. It is said that finding – and shattering that gemstone – will bring Drakmir back into the world. After their duel, The Medallion of Aron unleased the plague of ages upon Arkania, bringing death and grief to the world.

## Zimba Lord of Alloys

Zimba never concerned himself with humanity much – he considered himself and his brethren to be of much better quality. Unlike Sapriha or Markond, Zimba considered humanity to be alike to ants or bugs – he had no intention of harming their lives but did not care if he stepped on some accidentally. With that quality he was even unlike Drakmir – who himself often intervened in human affairs for fun or for diabolical reasons.

Zimba’s ambition was to be a great God-Lord, and it was only in the eyes of fellow gods, demigods and other powerful beings did he look for approval. And it was in Drakmir that he saw his biggest competitor.

Zimba eventually discovered the magical power of alloys and metals, which gave him great power and he was able to greatly influence the heavenly realms. However, metals were scarce there – remnants from old cosmic collisions, floating in the unclaimed realms. Zimba turned his eyes towards the lands of the humans.

For generations, Zimba mined and manipulated alloys, creating fantastic and all-powerful creations, and his new found powers now equalled those of all other gods. Unbeknownst to him – a group of humans began worshipping and imitating his magical alloy powers, however Zimba never even realised such matters. In a strange sense, his mind and power-lust was angelic and pure in a self-centred way, and shrouded by the influence of the alloys, he could not be tainted by Drakmir to act against other gods or humans. They were all something Zimba felt was beneath him. Instead then, Drakmir used his conflict and competitive nature to bring down Zimba.

Drakmir began to alter alloys and metal himself, bringing strange magic and powers out of them. He achieved this by persuading the Zimba cultists to join his side, and claiming that Zimba did not ever truly care about them (which was true). These people became the Dark Alloy Cultists. With new powers, Drakmir tainted certain alloys with evil and disease, and seeing this as a personal insult, Zimba challenged the Demon-King. Fighting with magic and power over the skies, the fight lasted for what was decades to the humans. Eventually, Drakmir used the abominable creation to slay Zimba – the sword of a thousand alloys – and decapitating him. The sword was of monstrous power, however its consistency meant that it was awfully unstable – and shattered on impact. A rain of alloys and metals destroyed the country underneath. His spirit escaped after the great war, and hid in the upper dungeon, before the Death Cultists destroyed what little was left of him.

However, as a side consequence, great metallurgy knowledge leaked to the humans, who began to manipulate metals and alloys for their own purposes – for both magic and practical reasons. However, the awful Drakmir cult remained, hidden in the depths, and is now one of the largest cults following Drakmir – and certainly the most loyal.

## Drakmir

Drakmir started his path of darkness by being birthed by Malothite alongside Titanus, Shiranjiah, Prime Evil and **the 4 Ancient Gods**. Drakmir, Known now as Drakmir the Beast, Started ravaging small populations of indigenous human tribes. Drakmir was alongside Ophin, the most powerful of Gods. Both had a mad thirst for war and both escaped each overs influences.

### Drakmir's Killing

As the Ringbearers came into power after Ophin gave the people the power, Drakmir was the first target as he was very vibrant about being in Emalya and had soon gathered a following of both friends and foes. Shinobi's and The 5 Ring Bearers entered the city of Mortania, Kania's capital, and gathered many master samurais and war monks to help them fight.

3 days later the Grandmaster lead the way into the freezing tundra. After locating Drakmir the Grandmaster came straight out into his nest, telling the people to follow with his battle cries. They waited as the Grandmaster told Drakmir that he wanted a standalone fight against Drakmir and nothing else. Drakmir, quite confused, summoned 5 Omen Knights and told the Grandmaster that demons are never fair and that he should surrender himself or it will hurt. The Grandmaster cried out that he will slice Drakmir's throat wide open as hundreds of powerful shinobis surrounded the hill upon where the battle was fought. Then stormed Drakmir and had quickly overwhelmed both him and his knights.

Only 3 people died and everyone was injured but in the end, The Grandmaster plunged his sword deep into Drakmirs throat and split it wide open. Then everyone began to massacre the corpse of Drakmir until it looked unrecognisable. The flame ringbearer burned the sign of eternal torture into Drakmir's Skull and then cursed his soulstone with endless suffering. Ophin ravaged the soul of Drakmir with the Thunder and slayed him with his great sword. Everyone believed he was gone.

### Drakmir's first revival

During the Age of bliss, Drakmir never came out of the soul stone and was deemed shattered. but this did not stop Apolhoki who used his dark powers to revive Drakmir's Soul. To achieve this, Apolhoki had to sacrifice his eye and leg to become the vessel of Drakmir, the dark lord then found a vessel in a human who was brought down by his influenced and transformed into the Dark Lord. Lord Drakmir had been set on the world once again.

### Dark Alloys

Drakmir saw just how powerful Zimba was with his Alloys and Drakmir created the dark alloys and influence a large number of Zimba Cultists to become the Dark Alloy Cultists. These cultists later diverged into the Cult of Chaos and Malothitists Respectivley depending on whether they sought the Alloys or Ambnaba as their source of power.

### Duel against Zimba

Zimba and Drakmir started to fight in the skies and fought for many decades, it seemed as though Zimba's Alloys and Drakmir's power were a match. This was until Drakmir used the sword of a thousand alloys and decapitated Zimba. Tainting the sky red for a century. Zimba had been defeated.

### Sapriha against Drakmir

Sapriha engaged with a powerful fight against Drakmir after he impersonated Ophin and seeked the ancient saphire and it's powers. Drakmir whilst powerful, was not ready for Sapriha's wrath.

### Ambnaba Magic of Darkness

The soulstone of Drakmir was destroyed and was unusable, but never fear, dark magic is here. Ambnaba Magic was made in the abyss and perfected by Shiranjiah's followers. Ambnaba Magic was one of the most powerful utilising the abyss's power and Drakmir's unused power of his soul swirling in the abyss.

### Drakmir's Resurrection

The Cult of Death started after some Shiranjiah followers grew confident in Ambnaba magic after stealing scrolls from Noz Maldos. The group took to the dangerously illegal and went to the table of Arodina and lined up the cosmos with Ambnaba and aligned the 3 worlds together after being separated for hundreds of years. The group also kill all the eldens they found around the city and when they went out saw the sky turning golden and red after that, the skies filled with dragons and angels.

Panic fell upon the whole world redirecting all the attention away from the cult and so they were able to steal a soul stone and clean it then put Drakmir's powers into it by using the leader of the cult as a portal between the abyss and the soul stone.

The Soul stone turned black and then started growing dark vines swallowing the leader's arms soon he had transformed into Drakmir.

### The Battle of King Feather's Grand Castle and the Horrors of The Albrajiah Massacre

Drakmir and his army came across The Grand castle and started the battle. Millions were killed. Many more were Isolated and left for dead. The small army was to fend off Drakmir and keep them outside of the castle. King feather and his Wife and Loyal Knight Fled to The lower dungeon. Protected by the Guards. Prince Feather, Olgra the Wizard and The Undying One Fled to the North with many more people and set up Last Man's Perch, one of the last civilisations left. Quickly Drakmir made advances and Hollowed The Hopeful One. Sir Albrajiah the brave lead the 80 days of the war in which he defended the castle for 80 days until most had fled and evacuated. Sir Albrajiah was then defeated and had to flee to the inside of the city. He then fought for 5 days, a miserable, depressing 5 days as it came to him that he was completely surrounded and had nowhere to go. He then went out and fought until he was slain by Drakmir. Drakmir ushered the end of the war and started the Albrajiah Massacre, a grim Holocaust.

### The Search for King Feather

Drakmir's Army searched far and wide to try to find the location of King Feather's Hiding. Unfortunately, The lower dungeon was found by Drakmir and he attacked. The 5 Guards harmed him as much as they could but to no avail, Drakmir, was wounded but alive, killed King feather, Queen feather and The Loyal Guard and Marked the End of The Age of Light.

Drakmir The Dark Lord, Ushered in the Age of Darkness and Era of Undeath as he defeated King Feather.

## Titanous Father of Titans

### Titanous' Birth

Titanous was born alongside Shiranjiah, Drakmir and Prime Evil. and at first, was quite weaker than the rest of his siblings. Although he had a thirst for knowledge and started a large scale combat style utilising large weapons and little armour. His skin grew thick and he soon became the father of a generation of Colossal Daemons who were undefeatable by humans until much later.

### Yong Oul and Giriki

Soon Titanous' sons Yong Oul and Giriki entered Arkania and went under the radar and landed in El Bire. The 2 Transformed the west of the island into the first Gore Nest and attracted rouge demons into the first invasion of Arkania.

### To Kill a God

After many centuries endured of Titans roaming Arkania. Titanous was found stationed nearby Crysthalisya and soon an influx of Celestial angels started many messages to the humans telling them to attack Titanous. After 3 days, over 50 of the most powerful warriors in the world including 3 of the ring bearers had all gathered in an attempt to strategically kill Titanous.

The raid started early next morning when heavenly beams came down smiting Titanous and soon he was on his Knees. The Grandmaster of Flame stared deeply into his eyes and sliced his head clean off his body.

### The Celebrations of Titanight

In celebration of the titan's death, they all burned his body to a stake in Arda Cozdrein and his skull is still intact as a symbol of victory against the Titans.

## Shiranjiah, Lady of Dark Arts

### Shiranjiah's Beginning

Shiranjiah, born alongside Lady Sapriha, is spiritually opposite to the Goddess herself. Whilst Sapriha is portrayed as a beautiful young woman, is wise and often interacts with the world in a more spiritual way, Shiranjiah is an atrocious old hag as some scholars say. Shiranjiah was thought of as dumb-minded and in general very mad with power.

### Shiranjiah the "Goddess"

During the first invasion of the Demons, Shiranjiah started a religion making herself look like the Goddess of love and instead lured wise samurais and shinobis of Kania and controlled them with her dark arts.

Whilst she is known as a catalyst of evil, Shiranjiah is still worshipped in the southwest of Kania and still controls old monks to this day.

### The Grandmaster against Shiranjiah

The Grandmaster looked down upon Shiranjiah and Master Joro as sources of pure evil in the world. So on the night of flaming knives, The Grandmaster sent his apostles towards the Shiranjiah Dojo and assassinated Master Joro. Due to this Shiranjiah, stupidly, sent herself after the great ring bearer herself and as a surprise to no one, was swiftly taken care of by the Grandmaster. He took her soul stone and dropped it into the Dry Mountains, never to be seen again.

## Apolhoki, Lord of Evil and Tricks

### Apolhoki part 1, the birth

Apolhoki was at birth the strongest and leanest of all Malothite Gods. He very quickly became known as the lord of tricks as ancient scholars say- "he often used his transformational powers to make puppet demons look like himself then made them attack an area leading all the powerful warriors straight to war. Whilst Apolhoki went to a different city and ravaged it's civilians."

Apolhoki was well known as the little brother of Drakmir as he would take Drakmir's ideas and twisted them to make them look like his own.

### Apolhoki part 2, the amusement

Apolhoki was very concerned as later he became the weakest of the Gods and even struggled when confronted by a Golden Angel whilst scurrying around in the abyss. All Gods didn't fear Apolhoki and even Birren the Bire Demon and Yong Oul had both been amused by the God's poor plans to become the "Scariest God". If anything he was the most underwhelming and probably could have been defeated by a good enough insult.

### Apolhoki part 3, the demons

Every God also had powerful offspring such as Shiranjiah's Succubi, Titanous' Titans and Drakmir's Gore Demons. Whilst Apolhoki only had Puppet Demons which were only known to inflict fear by transforming and tricking enemies but being too weak to ever kill anything without help. As such later on, they were the first Demons to be hunted to extinction by Demon Hunters.

### Apolhoki part 4, his resting place

Soon Apolhoki ran away into the overworld and hid his ashamed self inside the Dry Mountains and hid in a cave where his resting place was as he slowly crumbled away.

### Apolhoki part 5, The corpse

Scholars argue that Apolhoki was still at least somewhat alive whilst others insist on the fact that he died and his soulstone was drained to nothing and his body now lays there. All that is known is that no matter if Apolhoki is in fact dead or alive, his resting place is sure to be an attraction for evil spirits and as such Kania stopped all expeditions to find Apolhoki in its tracks.

### Apolhoki part 6

One thing is sure about Apolhoki is that if he were ever to awake, carnage will soon fall upon Kania.