TimeLine
- The Valar Create Valeria
- Reoryx creates 12 Gnome children (Noldir)
- King of Valar threatens to kill them
- Reoryx pleads for their lives; spared but cannot enter surface until Elves are born
- Birth of the Elves on Avondale
- Firstborn race, possess high magic
- Divisions: Sea Elves (sailors) and High Elves (contemplation)
- Reoryx creates the Dwarves
- Lack the magic of the firstborn (rule: older race = more magic)
- Faenor and the Elfstones
- Faenor crafts three Elfstones from the fruit of the eternal tree
The Dawn of Valeria: Creation and Early Races
The Rise of Darkness: Nyxara's Treachery
- Nyxara, Spider Queen and God of Darkness, covets the Elfstones
- Pretends to be friend to the Elves
- Steals the Elfstones and flees across the seas
- Faenor's Rage and the First Kinslaying
- Faenor seeks Sea Elves for passage
- Valar forbid departure; Sea Elves refuse
- Faenor kills Sea Elves (First Kinslaying) and takes ships
- Valerous (Sea Elf) and his crew survive
The Coming of Humans and the Vampire-Werewolf War
- Nyxara's Alliance with Humans
- Nyxara goes to human kingdom of Zylos
- Offers Queen Neferata immortality
- Neferata becomes the first Vampire
- Vampires enslave humans
- Faenor's Deception and the Birth of Werewolves
- Faenor offers power to humans with aid of Eldrinë (Moon Goddess)
- Faenor deceives Eldrinë, uses her power to transform humans into Werewolves (Lunari)
- Lunari revolt against Vampires
- Valerous Joins the Conflict
- Valerous aids the Lunari
- Helps overthrow Nyxera's rule
- Retrieves one Elfstone
- The Founding of Atlantis
- Faenor enraged when Valerous refuses to relinquish the Elfstone
- Valerous gives Elfstone to firstmate to hide at sea
- Birth of the underwater city of Atlantis
The Spreading of Races and New Settlements
- Human Migrations
- Many humans flee north to found Ninevah (crossroads of the world)
- Ninevah's geography: Sea of Sand (east), Cimmerian Sea (north), Western Sea (west)
- Legends of the Brass City (Dijinn)
- Humans sail from Ninevah to settle Azure (Athens/Rome) and Vespera (Spain)
- Lunari Discover the Netherworld
- Found the city of Lunaris at its entrance
- Dwarven Settlements
- City of Khaz'Abar
- Elven Migrations
- Other Elves settle in the Whispering Woods (Beleriand)
- Ruled by the Silvermoons (Wood Elves)
Faenor's Descent and the Moquendi Elves
- Nyxera's Seduction of Faenor's Children
- Promises them Elfstones if they follow her
- They are seduced by power
- Follow her to Desolate Peaks, become Moquendi Elves
- Found the city of Narazthul
- Faenor's Independent Path
- Does not trust Nyxera
- Becomes the Man on the Mountain, leader of snake cults and assassins
The Great War and the Sealing of Nyxara
- Valerous Forges Pact with Gods and Elder Races
- Go to war with Nyxera
- Victory and Sealing of Nyxara
- Nyxera and demons sealed into the Abyss
- Fate of the Elfstones
- Valerous captures another Elfstone in the war
- Takes it with him as he ascends to the heavens
- Elfstone becomes the Morning Star (holy symbol for Elves)
- Nyxera holds onto the final Elfstone, locked in the Abyss
Detailed Narrative Outline for Valeria: The Golden Age to 1000 Years of Darkness
Part II: The Golden Age and Rising Tensions (Post-Great War / Year 500 - 1000)
Chapter 4: A World Rebuilt and Expanding Horizons
Human Resurgence & New Capitals:
The Exodus from Zylos:
Description of the desperate flight from the horrors of the Masquerade-torn Zylos.
Focus on the sheer scale of the human diaspora, their fear, and their unwavering hope for a new beginning.
Highlight the stark choice: flee or be consumed by the Vampire-Lunari conflict.
Ninevah: The Crossroads of Resilience:
The arduous journey north, across treacherous landscapes and unforgiving wilderness.
The discovery of the fertile crescent – its strategic location as a natural nexus for overland trade and travel.
The founding of Ninevah: a city built from desperation and hope, rising as a beacon of human order and ingenuity. Emphasize its rapid growth and diverse population due to its position.
Expansion Across The Shimmering Deep:
Ninevah's burgeoning trade and the inherent human drive for exploration lead to the development of sophisticated seafaring technologies.
Pioneers and settlers, encouraged by promising tales of new lands, launch expeditions across the vast The Shimmering Deep.
Establishment of numerous smaller coastal settlements and trade outposts, securing human dominance over key maritime routes.
Azure: The City of Enlightenment:
Founding of Azure on a particularly fertile and strategically defensible coastline, destined for greatness.
Focus on its early development as a center for philosophy, art, and governance, symbolizing the rebirth of human civilization.
Architectural details: gleaming white stone, grand public spaces, academies dedicated to knowledge.
Vespera: The Guardian of the Straits:
Founding of Vespera at a crucial chokepoint or strait, emphasizing its formidable natural defenses and strategic importance for naval power.
Portray its development as a robust, militarily capable city, controlling maritime access and and protecting trade lanes.
Architectural details: imposing fortifications, deep harbors, and bustling shipyards.
Chapter 4: A World Rebuilt and Expanding Horizons
Knights of the Rose:
Birth of Chivalry in the South:
From the heartlands of Azure and Vespera, amidst the burgeoning Half-Elven kingdoms, the Knights of the Rose are formally established as a new order of chivalry and martial prowess.
Their founding tenets emphasize honor, justice, and the protection of the innocent, drawing inspiration from both human valor and Elven grace.
Early deeds focus on securing the southern territories, battling banditry, and policing the trade routes across The Shimmering Deep.
Northern Expansion and New Alliances:
The Knights of the Rose extend their influence northward, following the established trade routes and human settlements.
They establish strongholds and forge alliances with local lords and nascent communities, bringing their code of honor and protection to new lands.
Their presence offers a sense of security and stability, solidifying human and Half-Elven power in the northern coastal regions.
Seahaven: A Blended Bastion:
Their northern expansion culminates in a significant presence in Seahaven, a thriving coastal city strategically located near the ancient Elven island of Avondale.
Due to its proximity to Avondale and the influence of the Half-Elven royalty (descendants of Valerous's child), Seahaven develops a unique and prominent Half-Elven population.
This blending of cultures makes Seahaven a distinctive hub where Elven and human traditions, including the rising faith, intricately intertwine.
Rise of Monotheism:
The Search for Unified Faith in Ninevah:
In Ninevah, the crossroads city, amidst its diverse and often conflicting pantheons and philosophies, a profound yearning for a singular, unifying spiritual truth begins to emerge among the human populace.
Preachers and mystics speak of a single, all-encompassing divine entity, a stark contrast to the distant Valar or the darker, chaotic gods of other races.
This new understanding crystallizes into the worship of the One True God, a faith emphasizing righteousness, compassion, and unwavering divine will.
Prominence in Half-Elven Kingdoms:
The worship of the One True God gains immense prominence in the culturally blended societies of Vespera and Azure, often championed by the Half-Elven Kings themselves.
This faith provides a strong moral and ethical framework for these expanding kingdoms, influencing laws, social structures, and military conduct (e.g., the code of the Knights of the Rose).
Grand temples and cathedrals dedicated to the One True God are constructed, becoming central hubs of community life, learning, and spiritual devotion.
Theological Underpinnings and Contrast:
The faith establishes a distinct theological separation from the Valar, revering them as powerful, ancient beings, but positioning the One True God as the ultimate, singular creator and moral authority.
This shift provides a new sense of purpose and divine mandate for the human and Half-Elven realms, subtly fostering a sense of their own destiny apart from the elder races.
Its clear, unwavering tenets stand in stark contrast to the more ambiguous or chaotic spiritual practices found elsewhere in Valeria, particularly the dark pacts and ancient rituals of Nyxara’s followers.
Chapter 4: A World Rebuilt and Expanding Horizons
Lunari in the Depths:
A Retreat into Shadow: Following the initial, devastating outbreak of the Masquerade and the subsequent Great War, the Lunari, driven by primal instinct and a desperate need for sanctuary, were drawn to the hidden entrances of the Netherworld.
Lunaris: A Subterranean Refuge: At the vast, echoing maw of one of the Netherworld's most accessible entrances, they founded Lunaris, a sprawling city carved into the living rock. This subterranean haven allowed them to escape the relentless persecution of the Vampires and the judgments of the surface world, where their shifting forms were often seen as monstrous.
Forging a Unique Society: In the perpetual twilight of their new home, Lunari society evolved uniquely, their rituals adapting to the moon's unseen influence from above. They developed intricate tunnel networks, honed their senses for life in the dark, and established a brutal, yet deeply communal, culture centered around survival, the hunt, and a fierce loyalty to their pack.
Gnome Emergence and Alliance:
The Noldir's Patient Wait: After centuries of confinement beneath the earth, the Gnomes (Noldir), Reoryx's first, magically potent children, finally sensed the time was right for their emergence. They had meticulously observed the surface world from afar, patiently awaiting their epoch.
Settlement in the Stoneheart Mountains: They chose to establish their primary settlements on the fertile plains and foothills of the Stoneheart Mountains, a region rich in natural magic and ancient earth energies. This location offered both natural defenses and proximity to a kindred race.
Brotherhood with the Dwarves of Khaz'Abar: Their shared origin as children of Reoryx immediately fostered a deep and abiding connection with the Dwarves of Khaz'Abar. While the Noldir possessed an inherent, flowing magic that allowed them to manipulate earth and elements with natural ease, the Dwarves, born later of Reoryx's hand, lacked this innate arcane spark, relying instead on their unparalleled craftsmanship, tireless industry, and mastery of metallurgy. Despite this distinction, their mutual respect, forged through shared lineage and a love for the deep places of the world, led to an enduring alliance and unique cultural exchange.
Arcania's Ascendancy:
A Bastion of Arcane Power: The magnificent Arcania, the Wizards' Tower, rose as the unchallenged pinnacle of arcane study and magical prowess in Valeria. Its construction spanned generations, a soaring monument of polished crystal, gleaming silver, and intricate wards, located strategically east of Seahaven, north of Khaz'Abar, and west of the Whispering Woods.
The Deterrent of the Arch-Wizards: At its core lay the formidable might of the Arch-Wizards, who tirelessly studied and perfected powerful magical deterrents. These arcane barriers and immense, visible displays of power radiated from Arcania, effectively holding at bay the colossal Giants and ancient, fire-breathing Dragons of the Bitterfrost Mountains to the north.
Establishing Arcane Authority: Arcania's ability to contain such primordial threats solidified the wizards' reputation as the most feared and respected magical authority on the continent. Their presence cast a long shadow, a silent guardian of the Golden Age, yet their very success slowly sowed the seeds of a dangerous complacency and an insatiable hunger for even greater, perhaps forbidden, knowledge.
Eastern Powers & Nomads:
The Rise of the Jade Empire: In the far East, across vast, sun-baked plains and towering mountain ranges, the ancient and mystical Jade Empire rose to prominence. It was a civilization built on millennia of tradition, strict hierarchical order, and a profound reverence for ancestral spirits and celestial harmony, manifested in breathtaking jade architecture and intricate rituals.
Perpetual Conflict with the Golden Horde: The Jade Empire found itself in a constant, brutal, and often devastating state of warfare with the nomadic, formidable Golden Horde. These fierce horse-warriors, masters of the open steppes, launched relentless raids and sweeping campaigns, driven by a desire for plunder and dominion over the vast Eastern lands.
Centaurs of the Plateau Steps: Interspersed amongst the warring empires, the swift and proud Centaurs inhabited the expansive plateau steps. They were fiercely independent, often serving as skilled scouts, mercenaries, or guides for either the Jade Empire or the Golden Horde, their allegiances shifting like the winds across their homeland, valuing freedom above all else.
Western Goblins:
Emergence on a Distant Continent: Far to the west of the known continents, across the vast expanse of the Dragon's Teeth Sea, the Goblins established their unique and chaotic domain. Their presence on this rugged, new continent was facilitated by a primary surface exit from the Netherworld, allowing them to spill forth from the dark tunnels into the light.
Eccentric Artificers and Volatile Gadgets: These goblins were a peculiar and often unpredictable folk, characterized by their eccentric personalities and a surprising talent for artifice. They delighted in constructing intricate, often bizarre, mechanical gadgets, ranging from crude, steam-powered vehicles to ingenious but unstable clockwork devices.
A Love for Explosions and Netherworld Connection: Their genius for invention was matched only by their profound, almost childlike, fascination with explosions. Their settlements often bore the scars of failed experiments, yet their chaotic brilliance continued to churn out volatile creations. Despite their surface presence, they maintained a strong, if often dangerous, connection to the rest of Valeria through the shadowy, labyrinthine networks of the Netherworld, hinting at a larger subterranean presence.
The Hidden Masquerade:
A Simmering Conflict: Throughout this seemingly tranquil Golden Age, the brutal, underlying conflict between the Vampires of Zylos and the Lunari of Lunaris continued unabated. It was a secret war, largely confined to their shadowed territories, deep within forgotten ruins, or in the hushed corners of major cities.
Isolated Skirmishes and Clandestine Manipulations: While not openly threatening the burgeoning surface civilizations, their skirmishes were frequent and bloody, taking place in the dead of night or deep underground. Both factions engaged in intricate webs of clandestine manipulations, vying for influence, resources, and control over mortal populations without revealing the true scale of their ancient feud to the wider world.
Underlying Tension and Vulnerability: This persistent, hidden Masquerade served as a constant, subtle reminder of the world’s enduring fractured nature. It prevented true, lasting harmony, ensuring that even in times of peace, a profound tension simmered beneath the surface, leaving Valeria inherently vulnerable to a greater catalyst.
Part III: The Breaking of the World (The Cataclysm)
Chapter 5: The Hubris of Arcania
Overconfidence in Arcane Power:
For centuries, the Arch-Wizards of Arcania had basked in their unchallenged magical supremacy, their towering citadel a symbol of their dominion over the very forces of nature. They had successfully contained the monstrous threats of the Bitterfrost Mountains, turning back giants and dragons with casual displays of their immense power.
This prolonged period of unrivaled magical might fostered an insidious arrogance within their ranks. They began to view the natural laws of Valeria not as immutable principles, but as mere suggestions, ripe for manipulation by minds as brilliant as their own.
Their successes bred a dangerous complacency, convincing them that no arcane challenge was beyond their grasp, and no power too vast to be controlled, leading to a profound underestimation of primordial forces.
Forbidden Lore & Temptation:
Driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge that transcended mere understanding, the Arch-Wizards delved deeper into the most ancient and forbidden lore, locked away for good reason since the Great War.
Their research focused on the Abyss itself, the prison of Nyxara and her demonic legions, studying fragmented texts and channeling dark scrying spells to observe the potent energies contained within. They theorized that the very essence of chaos and destruction sealed there could be a limitless power source.
They convinced themselves they could establish a "controlled tap," drawing forth raw Abyssal magic without truly unleashing its inhabitants, believing their intricate wards and collective will could bind even pure demonic essence to their command.
The Rift Opens:
The culmination of their reckless ambition arrived with an experimental ritual, conducted in Arcania's highest, most magically resonant chamber. It was a symphony of complex incantations, meticulously arrayed runic circles, and conduits designed to channel planar energies.
As the Arch-Wizards poured their immense power into the ritual, the crystal tower of Arcania groaned, its very foundations trembling. What was intended as a precise, surgical opening instead became a catastrophic tear in the fabric of reality.
With a sound like the world itself screaming in agony, a colossal, pulsating rift ripped open above Arcania, not a controlled fissure, but a gaping, maw-like portal into the deepest void, bleeding shadow and unimaginable cold into the world.
The Demonic Scourge Returns:
Through the screaming maw of the rift, a tide of pure, unadulterated evil poured forth. Nyxara, the Spider Queen, freed from her millennium-long prison, led the charge. Her ancient malice, having festered in the Abyss, was now unleashed upon Valeria with a vengeance.
Her triumphant scream, a horrifying sound of ancient hatred and boundless power, cracked the very sky, silencing all other sounds of the burgeoning chaos below. Demons, vast and terrible, streamed from the portal, their forms blotting out the sun, their eyes burning with hunger.
Nyxara clutched the last Elfstone, its power now intertwined with her own, amplifying her already formidable abilities. With this stolen essence, she brutally asserted her dominance, bending the other escaped demon lords to her will, transforming them from chaotic rivals into instruments of her singular vengeance. The cataclysm had truly begun, its genesis rooted in the fatal flaw of mortal pride.
Chapter 6: The Cataclysmic War and Unholy Alliances
World-Wide Conflict:
The eruption of the Abyss above Arcania tore through the illusion of the Golden Age like a thunderclap, instantly shattering the fragile peace that had settled upon Valeria for centuries. From the gaping rift, the demonic tide poured forth, a living plague of malice and destruction that engulfed the surrounding lands with terrifying speed.
This unforeseen invasion ignited a vast, multi-front war across the entire known world. No corner of Valeria remained untouched, as the sheer scale of the demonic incursion overwhelmed all existing defenses and ignited long-simmering tensions.
The carefully maintained secrecy of the Masquerade—the hidden war between the Vampires of Zylos and the Lunari of Lunaris—burst forth into open, uncontrolled chaos. Old feuds were momentarily forgotten, or ruthlessly exploited, as both factions found themselves caught in a struggle for survival against the overwhelming demonic threat, forcing them into desperate, unlikely, and often violent confrontations with the surface world.
Gods, Giants, Dragons, Demons Clash:
The Valar's Desperate Intervention:
Witnessing the undoing of their creation and the unleashed malevolence of Nyxara, King Elysian could no longer remain aloof in the celestial spheres. With a grim resolve, he and his loyal Valar—the huntress Eldrinë, the nature-shaper Titania, and the fierce warrior Maeve—descended into the fray.
Their divine power manifested in breathtaking, devastating displays, as they directly engaged Nyxara, now amplified by the stolen Elfstone, and her most powerful demon lords. Their battlegrounds shifted across continents, ripping the very land asunder.
The sheer scale of these primordial clashes dwarfed all mortal wars, unleashing raw elemental forces and cosmic energies that reshaped the landscape with every blow, a desperate gamble to reclaim their broken world.
Unleashed Primordial Forces:
Arcania's magical deterrents, once unbreachable, shattered under the initial demonic onslaught and the sheer planar pressure of the open rift, leaving the northern lands exposed.
The colossal Giants and ancient, fire-breathing Dragons of the Bitterfrost Mountains, no longer held in check by Arcania's formidable magic, erupted from their lairs. They descended upon the world with a destructive fury, initially attacking all forces indiscriminately, their roars adding to the cacophony of war.
As the conflict raged, these primordial creatures were gradually drawn into the larger war, some fighting for territory, others forming uneasy, temporary alliances with various factions against specific demonic incursions, their allegiance unpredictable and often fleeting.
Races Forced to Choose:
The sudden onset of the Cataclysm forced every race across Valeria to confront the overwhelming demonic threat, pushing them to their limits and revealing their true nature.
The Elves (High Elves, Wood Elves of Beleriand, and even the besieged Sea Elves near Avondale), Dwarves of Khaz'Abar, and the magically adept Gnomes from the Stoneheart Mountains found themselves thrust into desperate, bloody alliances, fighting alongside or against their ancient neighbors.
Humans (the chivalrous Knights of the Rose, the disciplined armies of Ninevah, Azure, and Vespera, now led by their Half-Elven Kings) rallied against the demonic tide, often clashing with each other as much as the common enemy in the initial chaos. The Barbarians from across the Cimmerian Ocean, the mighty Jade Empire and Golden Horde in the East, and even the eccentric Goblins with their volatile gadgets, were all inexorably drawn into the struggle, some fighting for survival, others exploiting the widespread devastation for their own dark agendas.
Lord Valerius's Betrayal - The Neon Knight:
The Consuming Grief and Disillusionment:
Lord Valerius of Vespera, a direct descendant of the Half-Elven Kings, had once been a shining exemplar of his lineage, a beacon of hope and a respected Knight of the Rose. His world, however, had been irrevocably shattered by the brutal murder of his beloved human wife.
This personal tragedy, a calculated act of cruelty by certain Vespera nobles who deemed his spouse "unworthy" of his station, plunged Valerius into an abyss of despair. The very institutions he served—the Order of the Rose, the Half-Elven Crown, and the omnipresent One True God he had worshipped—seemed to have failed her, or worse, tacitly approved her demise.
His faith fractured, his honor corroded by an unbearable sense of betrayal, Valerius nursed a bitter, festering resentment against the world that had allowed such injustice, viewing its 'holy' light as a lie.
Faenor's Insidious Manipulation:
In the depths of Valerius's profound despair, a shadowy presence emerged: Faenor, the enigmatic Man on the Mountain. Having subtly established his influence and network of assassins across the lands during the Golden Age (perhaps even orchestrating the wife's murder to specifically target Valerius's loyalty), Faenor moved with chilling precision.
He whispered insidious promises into Valerius's broken mind, twisting the knight's righteous grief into a nihilistic rage. Faenor offered not solace, but true power and unbound vengeance against those he painted as the real culprits: the hypocritical nobility, the distant, silent gods, and the very ideals that had allowed his beloved to die.
Faenor presented himself as the ultimate liberator from false hope and divine abandonment, his philosophy of self-determination resonating with Valerius's shattered soul.
The Dark Pact and Transformation:
Consumed by an agonizing blend of grief, anger, and a desperate desire for retribution, Lord Valerius embraced Faenor's dark pact. The details of the ritual were horrific, involving the shedding of his former oath and a direct conduit to forces antithetical to his previous life.
As he accepted the corruption, his once-gleaming armor, a symbol of his chivalry, underwent a grotesque transformation. It began to pulse with an unnatural, cold, and eerie "Neon" glow – a spectral blue, sickly green, or harsh purple – a permanent, chilling manifestation of his fall from grace.
He emerged from the shadows not as Lord Valerius, but as The Neon Knight, a powerful martial champion whose strength was now drawn from the very despair and darkness he had embraced, his every movement radiating a corrupted, terrifying might.
Alliance with Narazthul:
With his transformation complete, The Neon Knight formally joined forces with the Moquendi Elves of Narazthul, the city of the Desolate Peaks, led by Faenor's corrupted children. This alliance brought an unprecedented martial power to the Moquendi's cause.
The Neon Knight became their feared enforcer, his cold discipline and ruthless efficiency a stark contrast to the demonic chaos, yet equally terrifying. He spearheaded brutal assaults against their former allies, embodying a devastating internal betrayal that fractured the already beleaguered forces fighting the demonic invasion.
His presence on the battlefield, marked by his haunting glow and unyielding resolve, served as a chilling symbol of hope's perversion, adding another layer of despair and complexity to the already overwhelming conflict that threatened to consume Valeria.
Chapter 7: The Sundering and the Age of Shadow
The Breaking of the World:
The culmination of the Cataclysmic War was not merely a series of battles, but a cosmic rending. The immense, conflicting energies unleashed by the warring Valar and demons, the unleashed primordial fury of giants and dragons, and the uncontrolled discharge of ancient magics (including the corrupted power of the Elfstone wielded by Nyxara, and the twisted pacts of the Neon Knight) reached a terrifying crescendo.
This maelstrom of power caused a literal "breaking of the world." The very geological foundations of Valeria fractured. Mountains split apart, vast plains buckled into chasms, and entire coastlines sank beneath boiling seas. The land screamed as it tore itself asunder, leaving behind an irrevocably scarred and fragmented geography.
Ecosystems, once thriving and balanced, collapsed in on themselves. Pristine forests were incinerated, vibrant rivers dried to dust, and fertile lands turned to barren wastes. The fundamental integrity of Valeria’s natural order was annihilated, leaving a landscape of ruin and unpredictable, volatile magical zones.
Civilization's Fall:
The grand civilizations of the Golden Age, for all their might and ingenuity, proved woefully inadequate against the forces unleashed by the Cataclysm. Major cities like Azure, Vespera, Ninevah, and even the formidable Arcania itself, became ground zero for the devastation, crumbling into rubble under demonic assault or geological upheaval.
Populations were decimated on an unimaginable scale. Entire kingdoms were erased from the map, their peoples either slaughtered in the war, consumed by the unleashed elements, or forced into desperate, leaderless migrations into the unknown. The societal structures that had brought a millennium of progress fractured beyond repair.
The once-proud cultures collapsed into a desperate struggle for survival. Knowledge and lore accumulated over centuries were lost in the fires, libraries burned, and ancient traditions vanished, replaced by a grim, day-to-day fight for existence amidst the ruins.
The Scattered Elfstone:
The final Elfstone, which Nyxara had wielded to amplify her power and dominate other demon lords, suffered a mysterious fate during the Cataclysm's climax. It was not overtly destroyed, but its connection to Nyxara, and the sheer chaos of the world's breaking, rendered its status profoundly uncertain.
It was either lost deep within a new, terrifying chasm carved by the Sundering, buried beneath mountains of rubble, or its essence was irrevocably fragmented, scattering its power across the shattered landscape, subtly influencing the broken world in unpredictable ways.
Its precise location and condition remained a lingering mystery, a hidden danger or a potential key to power, lost to the knowledge of the surviving races and forever tied to the memory of Nyxara's reign of terror.
The 1000 Years of Darkness:
The Cataclysmic War did not end with a decisive victory for any single side, but rather a slow, agonizing descent into universal exhaustion and unparalleled devastation. The demonic forces, though no longer an overwhelming tide, were scattered across the broken world, too numerous and insidious to be re-sealed completely.
The surviving Valar, their own divine energies depleted and their creation irrevocably scarred, retreated to their celestial realms once more, their direct intervention having taken a toll too great for sustained presence. They left Valeria to recover, if it could, from its self-inflicted wounds.
Valeria was plunged into a 1000-year Age of Darkness. This era was characterized by fragmented lore, shattered civilizations, lingering demonic threats, monstrous mutated creatures born of the cataclysm's wild magic, and a desperate, arduous process of survival. It was a time of fear, superstition, and slow, painful rebuilding amidst the ruins of a once-golden world, with the memory of past glories slowly fading into myth.
The Post Cataclysm World
- Population allowed to expand to all parts of the world during the Golden Age.
- Since the Cataclysm, roads are closed, communication is severed, and communities become isolated.
- Travel becomes extremely dangerous due to:
- Roads filled with bandits.
- Migration of orc tribes, giants, and other monsters southward.
- Following Faenor, the snake cults rise as the last great religion (though widely seen as a cult).
- Their distinctive towers rise across the world.
- They are particularly prominent in Ninevah and the East.
- Races grow increasingly apart due to the Cataclysm's aftermath.
- Southern humans view elves with growing suspicion.
- Dwarves largely retreat and hide in their mountain strongholds.
- Inter-racial marriages between humans and elves become less common.
- Seahaven is an exception, actively embracing its Half-Elven heritage.
- The Knights of the Rose become increasingly corrupt.
- The Clerics of the One True God also become increasingly corrupt.
- While a "Dark Age" for settled civilizations, it is a "Golden Age" for monsters and barbarians.
- They can now freely roam the world without fear of organized resistance (e.g., Knights).
- Orcs particularly flourish in this new world, establishing tribes all over the mainland.
- Magic is widely held in suspicion across Valeria during this era (initial phase of the Dark Age).
- This is a direct consequence of the mages of Arcania being responsible for awakening the Abyss and causing the Cataclysm.
- Oddly, the Goblins instigate a new renaissance.
- Their inherent amusement with technology and science becomes a driving force.
- This love for technology is passed on to the Gnomes (children of Reoryx, with inherent magic).
- Both races collaborate to bring about a new era of technology.
- This leads to the rise of a new school of magic: the Artificer, who blends technology and magic.
- This blend of technology and magic creates a new type of society.
- Over the course of the 1000 years of darkness, trade gradually resumes, though slowly and cautiously at first.
- Society begins to rebuild itself from the ashes of the Cataclysm, driven by ingenuity and necessity.
- Roads can still be dangerous, filled with lingering monsters, bandits, and tribal threats, but routes are re-established.
- While division and tribalism persist between communities and races, society is becoming increasingly interconnected once again, fostering new forms of cooperation and communication across the broken lands.
- Following the Artificer renaissance and its practical applications, magic gradually becomes more accepted in the current world.
- It is seen as far too practical and integrated into daily life to live without, moving past the initial post-Cataclysm suspicion.
- It has returned to being a fundamental part of daily life, particularly through the blend of technology and arcana.
- During the Dark Ages, the Gnome high families meticulously tracked and preserved their bloodlines.
- It was a foundational discovery that proximity to the source of magic (i.e., older bloodlines) directly correlated to the amount of magic one could wield.
- The 12 original Gnome families united their bloodlines through strategic intermarriage over generations.
- Kozzmo is the ultimate product of this careful genetic continuation, having united all 12 original family bloodlines within himself, making him a being of immense magical potential.
