History & Races

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History & Races

 

 

Ancient History

In the beginning, when there was naught but emptiness, the Creator brought forth creation from the depths of the Void; seas, mountains, valleys and hills were made in an instant, and Aegis was born from his sheer will alone. This sprawling world was full of beauty and life, yet it was empty, for there were none to appreciate its majesty. So the Creator took the earth in his hand and molded it into the shape of a man, and breathed life into it, but he too was alone. Seeing this, the Creator then made a companion for him – the first woman – and from them came four children.

 

The first of their offspring was Malin, born in the deep primeval forests of Aegis, and he came to be wise and tall and bore sharp features; he would be the father of the elves. The second was Krug, born in the parched desert sand, and he was fierce and relentless and grew to be strong; he would come to be the father of the orcs. Thirdborn was Horen, born in the sprawling fields and plains, and he was ambitious and versatile; he would come to be the father of the human race. And last of these was Urguan, who was born in the deep unlit caverns of the world, and was enduring and adept in many earthly crafts; he would come to be the father of the dwarves. 

 

So the four brothers had their children and each formed a tribe, each settling in a corner of Aegis; yet they were united and there was no ill will between them. Yet the Archdaemon, Iblees, sought to destroy descendant-kind, and wove an insidious plot to do so. 

 

He came to the descendants in the form of a man, befriending the brothers and promising them many gifts. Malin, Horen, and Urguan were quickly charmed and welcomed Iblees, but Krug was reluctant to trust the disguised Daemon, and when he was offered gifts by the deceiver, he declined them. This enraged Iblees, and he challenged Krug, revealing a monstrous form of shadow and fire.

 

The battle was fierce, and many blows were exchanged. Krug charged at the terrible form of Iblees and was scarred by its dark fire, burning his skin and disfiguring him and all his descendants. The other brothers cowered, fled, or were weak of will, and it seems that all the world would fall to ruin in the face of Iblees. 

 

But then distant trumpets blew, and a vanguard of Aenguls arrived upon the shores of Aegis, seeking to vanquish Iblees, that perilous foe. By their divine and holy light, the Archdaemon was cast into the deepest pits of the earth to be imprisoned in the nether for all eternity. Yet, before the last seal was placed, Iblees rebuked the Four Brothers and all their descendants, cursing them thus: 

 

“To Malin; you shall grow infertile and sparse. May your woods be devoid of mirth, their forest halls forever silent and your hearts heavy with sadness.”

 

“To Urguan; you shall become squalid and ugly. Your greed shall consume you, and you shall retreat to the deepest corners of the earth to hoard your treasure.”

 

“To Horen; you seek immortality? You shall have the opposite; you and your kin shall grow old and die before they see their life’s labor bear any fruit.”

 

“And to Krug; you, most wretched of all descendants, shall have a lust for war. You shall pillage and murder your brothers, and they will despise you.”

 

With a final shriek of dark fire, Iblees was banished from Aegis, but his words were seeded forever within the souls of the Brothers and their tribes, and weighed heavily upon their hearts as they began to manifest. 

 

However, not all was lost, for from the host of Aenguls came a figure who lamented that they could not undo what had been done, but could at least provide blessing. Stretching forth a marble hand, they said unto to each:

 

“To Malin, may thy forests be a place of peace and your kin long-lived.”

 

“To Urguan, may your descendants be hardy, strong-hearted, and strong of mind.”

 

“To Krug, may your people show valor and honor where none exist.”

 

“And to Horen, may you and your children one day explore the Seven Skies.”

 

And with a final bellow of an ethereal horn, the legion of Aenguls vanished, and the descendant tribes each scattered to every corner of Aegis. Indeed, now they bore the seeded curse of Iblees, as would their children, their children’s children, and generation of their line until the end of ages. But that does not make their tale one of despair; for it was by such an event that they now bore new gifts, and thus would come to weave a tale far greater than anything they had imagined before …

 

The Descendant Races

Each of the Four Brothers came to have children, which came to appear less and less similar to one another with each successive generation, until they eventually formed the Four Races they are known as today. 

 

Humans are the children of Horen. Cursed by Iblees to live short lives relative to the other descendant races, they may never see their life’s work finished with their own eyes and must leave it in the hands of the next generation. Yet humans are by far the most diverse in both appearance and culture. 

 

Human subraces come in the forms of the industrious and urban Heartlanders, the pale and rugged Highlanders, as well as various groups of diverse Farfolk encompassing human populations from places far off. Lastly there are the gray-eyed Adunians, a group descendant from man and elf which has endured for so long as to diminish the typical consequences of such a mixed heritage.

 

Elves are the children of Malin. They are cursed to be infertile. Yet they are blessed with long lives and tranquility, and should they wish it, may use their lengthened lifespans as a means of gaining much wisdom. All elves tend to possess sharper features and most are tall relative to other descendants, though there are some disparities in their genealogy.

 

Three subraces divide the Elves, being the ash-skinned and mysterious Mali’ker or Dark Elves who look ever to their ancestors for guidance, the noble and pallid Mali’aheral or High Elves who cherish magic and purity, and the tanned Mali’ame or Wood Elves who seek to thrive and coexist with the natural world. 

 

Dwarves are the children of Urguan. Their race is cursed to be generally ugly and short, and possess an intense avarice for gold, jewels, and other riches. This race is, however, hearty and full of mirth, and though they often dwell deep beneath the earth in mountains or caverns, their mines and halls ring with song and cheer. Dwarves are also incredibly resilient and can be hard-headed at times, yet their innate skill in craftsmanship is one which few of other races could dare hope to achieve.

 

The Dwarven race, as with the others, divides itself into several subraces. The pale and hardy Mountain Dwarves, who thrive upon the tallest peaks and in the harshest of conditions, the ashen Cave Dwarves who toil beneath the earth and carve their kingdoms from solid stone, and the tan-skinned Forest Dwarves who find their place amongst the trees and upon the land. Lastly there are the Dark Dwarves, a curious blend of Dark Elf and Dwarf, made cohesive over time much like the Adunians; they are characterized by their ashen or obsidian skin, and the fiery glow of their eyes.

 

Orcs are the children of Krug. They are scarred by the wounds their forefather, Krug, gained in the first battle with the Archdaemon Iblees, and thus appear grotesque and unsightly and possess great tusks which can often make their speech seemingly brutish. They are also cursed to have an insatiable thirst for blood that drives them to slaughter without mercy or relent. Yet Orcs are by far the most honorable of all other descendant races, and prize honor and glory above all else. It is this righteous struggle to balance their bloodlust with their honorable disposition that makes their race so noble, and yet unfortunately, so misunderstood. 

 

Orcs are amongst the most varied of the races, with three distinct subraces defining their number. Largest of all are the Ologs, colossal beings of great strength and greater hunger, but who lack significantly for the wits of any other race or subrace. Smaller than them but still greater than any man are the Uruks, most numerous of the Orcs, known for their strength, honor, and ferocity in battle. Smallest are the Goblins, sharp of wit and inventive by nature, and not so different in scale than a human; of all their kin, they are the most intellectual.

 

Check out an overview of all the races on the wiki or check out the detailed racial lore.