The Three Ages

Before the existence of time, order, and even the Keeper himself, the vast expanse known as the Astrogon encompassed the swirling mass of matter and energy that we now recognize as the universe. Within this nameless and formless realm, beings of immense power, known as the Astrogon, resided. They were beyond mortal comprehension, capable of both creation and destruction, perpetuating an eternal cycle of order and chaos. The Keeper, a mysterious figure whose true origins remain unknown, embarked on a momentous journey into the heart of the Astrogon. Witnessing the ever-shifting balance of creation and destruction, the Keeper experienced a mixture of repulsion and fascination. While the Astrogon existed outside the confines of time, the Keeper possessed a radiant nimbus of light that intrigued and attracted them, drawing them toward his presence.   Enchanted by the Keeper's luminous aura, certain Astrogon eagerly sought to bask in his radiant warmth and be blessed by his halo. Unbeknownst to them, their desire to partake in the Keeper's light became their ultimate downfall. They pledged their loyalty, believing that the Keeper would create a new realm, the Celestial Realm, where they could dwell and faithfully serve alongside him.   Guided by the visions and wisdom of the Athervannir, seven creatures of immense wisdom and power created by the Keeper, the universe began to take shape according to the Keeper's desires. The Athervannir possessed great insight, their vision serving as a tool for the Keeper to bring order to the chaos of the Astrogon. Together, they molded the Celestial Realm, a realm of pure order and light, from the raw material they found within the Astrogon.   However, concealed from the Astrogon was the Keeper's true intent. In parallel with the creation of the Celestial Realm, the Keeper secretly constructed a second realm known as Damnation, a dark void intended to ensnare those Astrogon who had pledged their fealty. Blinded by their attraction to the Keeper's light, the Astrogon remained oblivious to their imminent descent into Damnation.   Thus, the synthesized timeline entry presents the narrative of the creation of the universe, starting from the nameless and chaotic Astrogon. It encompasses the Keeper's encounter with the Astrogon, their attraction to his radiant light, and the subsequent creation of the Celestial Realm with the guidance of the Athervannir. It also reveals the hidden agenda of the Keeper, constructing Damnation as a trap for those Astrogon who had fallen under his spell.   * The dates here are guesses by the Carathene Order but are almost certainly wrong. In truth, most of what is described here cannot be thought of as existing within the confines of time at all. 

As the Age of Perfection unfolded, the Keeper found himself confronted with an unexpected dilemma. Along the very edges of the Celestial Realm, new forms of life emerged spontaneously—a result of the Athervannir's universe-spanning vision. These beings, known as the Tralanvannir, seemed to arise from chaos itself, contrary to the Keeper's plans for a meticulously ordered universe. Deeply threatened by their existence, the Keeper resolved to deceive the Tralanvannir, claiming himself as their creator and presenting them as his children.   The Athervannir, although aware of the Keeper's deceit, were powerless to challenge or criticize their master. The burden of upholding the deception took its toll, corrupting and distorting their once pure and ordered minds. Madness gripped the seven Graces, driven by the strain of preserving the Keeper's lie.   The Tralanvannir, flocking to the light of their supposed celestial father, remained unaware of the truth that lay veiled behind the Keeper's words. Within the Keeper's heart, doubt still lingered, fearful of the day when one of the Tralanvannir might uncover the deception. In response to this fear, the Keeper created enforcers known as the Shuravai. These beings, identical to the Tralanvannir, covertly lived among them, listening for any hint of doubt or dissent. When such challenges inevitably arose, the Shuravai carried out their assigned duty, eliminating those who questioned the story woven by the Keeper.   As the number of disappeared or slain Tralanvannir grew, a sense of dread spread among their ranks. Fearing that Celestium itself had been compromised, some of the warrior Graces who manned the mighty Banthakh fortresses returned home to the Celestial Realm. They believed it was their duty to protect their brethren from the hidden threat that lurked within their midst. Meanwhile, the Athervannir engaged in impassioned debates, torn between revealing the truth of the Iskravannir and exposing the presence of the Shuravai. They understood that such revelations would inevitably lead to an open war with the Keeper, risking celestial anarchy. The path of living under a tyrant's rule was equally unthinkable, leaving the Athervannir teetering on the precipice of rebellion.   Amidst the turmoil, Y'Thaladican, a Tralanvannir warrior and one of the great captains of the Dread Watch, sensed that there was more to the deaths of his comrades. Convening a council at his domain of Malakhand, known as the Council of Thaladican, he revealed to the assembled Tralanvannir and Ovrathe the truth of the Shuravai. In a dramatic display, Skythar, the cunning Iskravannir, slew one of their own, showcasing the metallic blood that flowed from the wound as evidence of the Keeper's deception. This revelation served as their rallying cry for war against their master.   Simultaneously, the forces of Damnation besieged the Banthakh fortresses, sensing the Keeper's vulnerability. One of the fortresses, Apraxasus, stood on the verge of falling. Meanwhile, the Lotharvannir, growing increasingly suspicious and resentful of the Keeper, embarked on creating new worlds and realities, hoping to conceal them from their master's gaze.   Embarking on a path of defiance, Thaladican gathered a war council of like-minded Graces who believed in the possibility of overthrowing the Keeper. They recognized the necessity of the Athervannir's aid for success.   Their goal was to establish a new council of Celestium, one that would rule the Graces justly and expose and cast out the Shuravai. The Iskravannir, seeing an opportunity to further their own agenda of intertwining Celestium and Damnation, lent their support to Thaladican's cause, hoping to secure a place within the envisioned new order.   As an army assembled at Malakhand, Thaladican summoned the majestic Stormbyr eagles of Aucas, magnificent creatures capable of carrying the assembled rebel forces to the Keeper's throne at Asavaa Tao. Word of the impending assault reached the Keeper through the Shuravai, and he awaited the arrival of the rebellious Graces. Sensing the precariousness of his position, the Keeper prepared himself, knowing that his downfall could be imminent.   When Thaladican led the Ovrathe to confront the Keeper and demand justice for their fallen brethren, the Keeper feigned shock and outrage. He ordered the execution of several Shuravai before the rebel Graces, claiming that they had only ever been intended to discover any intrusion from the Legion into Celestium. Unbeknownst to the Keeper, among the rebel Graces stood Iskravannir, their true identity still concealed.    Thaladican turned to the Athervannir, seeking their support in finally toppling the Keeper. However, just as the Keeper faced his greatest peril, the skies above the Celestial Realm darkened, crackling with a terrible, burning red light.   A colossal entity known as the Devourer had arrived, its destructive aim targeting both the Celestial Realm and Damnation. Realizing the opportunity to survive, the Keeper called upon all the Graces to unite, setting aside their disputes. He dispatched emissaries to Damnation, seeking the support of its rulers. In the depths of his mind, the Keeper contemplated how he could exploit the looming war to annihilate his enemies once and for all.   The stage was set for a cataclysmic conflict that would decide the fate of the Celestial Realm. As the Keeper prepared to face the impending war, the rebel forces, their intentions to expose the truth and liberate Celestium burning within their hearts, stood ready to storm Asavaa Tao and challenge the might of their once-revered master.

The Devourer War erupted, bringing chaos and darkness to the previously serene Celestial Realm. The Keeper and his loyal Graces found themselves facing a relentless force of destruction that emerged unexpectedly, threatening both Celestium and Damnation. Realizing the magnitude of the threat, all the Graces united under the Keeper's banner, and emissaries were sent to Damnation to forge an alliance with its rulers.   The Oatraedin Sea, once a bastion of defense, became engulfed in chaos during the war. Many of the fortresses were abandoned, and the Tralanvannir and Sentinels stationed there were ordered by the Keeper to withdraw and protect Celestium. The Lotharvannir, recognizing the importance of the forts as a barrier against Damnation, saw the folly in the Keeper's command. They called upon the Ungai-To, a people they had secretly created, to sail the great oceans and continue the fight against the Legion.   However, instead of rewarding the initiative and loyalty of the Lotharvannir, the Keeper sent the Shuravai to destroy the hidden worlds they had created under the shadow of the Devourer War. Reality itself fractured, and some fortresses were ripped from their foundations and flung into Damnation, offering refuge for the surviving Graces.   Amidst the chaos, the climax of the war arrived as the Keeper, armed with the Wheel of Fire crafted by the Athervannir and Lotharvannir, confronted the Devourer. Utilizing the knowledge gained from his previous entry into the creature's form, the Keeper dealt a mortal blow, forcing the Devourer back towards a doorway created by the Lotharvannir, sealing it within a new reality that acted as its prison. Witnessing the Devourer's absorption into the matter of the new universe, the Graces closed the portal, but not before tears in the fabric of reality allowed the Oatraedin waters to pour into Damnation, giving life to unimaginable creatures and creating its black seas.   In the aftermath of the war, tensions between the Keeper and the Thaladic Graces, who had rebelled against him, reached a breaking point. As the Thaladics prepared to confront the Keeper's loyal Graces, the skies darkened, signaling the arrival of the Devourer. The Thaladics and the Phalanx Graces set aside their differences, uniting against the common threat. However, the Keeper, fearing his own downfall, orchestrated a trap that led to the betrayal and slaughter of the Thaladic Graces.   Some Thaladics turned traitor, joining forces with the Legion and becoming known as the Maskanathar. Others were imprisoned, subjected to torments that drove them to madness. A few were aided by the Lotharvannir, who revealed a hidden doorway to the Vestenard, a vast maze between worlds. The surviving Thaladics crossed the Vestenard, facing battles against the Legion, and eventually found a doorway into the Mortal Realm.   Thus, the Devourer War left the Celestial Realm shattered and the Thaladic Graces scattered, their ultimate fate uncertain as they ventured into the new and mysterious Mortal Realm.

The Hidden Age: An Overview

  The fugitive Graces hoped that the Keeper had no knowledge of their escape or that he might have forgotten about them. They scattered across a new and unfamiliar universe, inhabiting different worlds and as they journeyed through the Mortal Realm, they sought to learn why the Keeper had created such a place. The worlds they inhabited slowly began to fill, most unexpectedly, with life. On the world of Hermia they saw mountains and oceans form, watched as life grew and finally as humans, Fey, Firg, the Jaraki and other forms of sentient creatures emerged. Throughout the many millennia of the Hidden Age that the renegade Thaladic Graces existed in the Mortal Realm, some used their immense power to guide and shape civilisations. The first of these great civilisations was that of the Fey, who found an instinctive affinity with the Thaladics. The Keeper and the Shuravai waged many centuries of war against the Fey, who were also secretly helped by the Athervannir and Lotharvannir. When the Fey civilisations went into decline, the Shuravai looked to humans, whose civilisations were first emerging to replace them as the dominant society in on the three continents of Hermia. During the last war against the Fey, an unexpected enemy, from the darkest edges of Damnation came to the Mortal Realm, calling itself The Marshal of the Night, and the combination of his attacks on the Fey realms and that of the Shuravai led to their fall.   When the Lotharvannir understood what kind of prison the Keeper had wanted them to create, they understood that the dimension in question could not fail to produce life. The question for the Lotharvannir was what form that life would take. Some of the great crafters demanded that the new universe create life in their image, but Ekyres, the leader of the Lotharvannir believed that it was not for their kind to recreate the same mistakes that the Keeper had and try to be gods themselves. Instead, they accepted that the new universe was a living being in its own right and could produce life without their interference.   When the Thaladics became the Syadthe, they entered the magical weave itself and it was there, in their own pocket reality called Hyamasus, that they saw the arrival from the mists of the first Fey. They recognised that these beings, both fair and beast like, were the spontaneous products of the universe that they dwelt in, just as the first Tralanvannir had been many eons ago in the Celestial Realm. Determined not to repeat the Keeper’s mistakes, the Syadthe embraced the new life that had emerged and told them the full truth of their creation. They Syadthe cautioned the Fey that they were not gods and should not be worshipped, instead telling the first lords of the Fey that the Syadthe were simply wise friends who were old in the ways of the world already.   The Shuravai and the loyal Graces visited humans, giving them the power to form mighty civilisations. It was this guidance that saw the rise of the Vannic Empire and the beginnings of the Aruhvian religion; the hidden purpose behind both these institutions was to prevent the Thaladic Graces from having any role in the world or from building up resistance to the Keeper in the Mortal Realm. The Keeper relied on the Athervannir to use their sight to find the renegade Graces, but the Seven actually deceived the Keeper that they could no longer see their children.   As the Athervannir descended into madness, Tharaxes, known as the Wayfinder Grace found the deception too great a burden to bear and his consciousness fragmented into countless shards, dissipating into the Mortal Realm. Aspects of Tharaxes emerged in countless different worlds, but in Hermia, manifested themselves as various powerful entities, including the Old Man, the great sea god worshipped by the people of the city of Gol. Many of these shattered avatars slept in eternal slumber, but some re-awoke during the time of the Sundering. Some of the Thaladic Graces, unaware of the protection from their Athervannir parents, were too fearful of the Keeper to risk being seen. They used the fragments of magic they could draw from the weave that were not in the control of the Keeper to protect and hide themselves or pass themselves off as mortals. The Keeper was still suspicious that his enemies might still live and sent his enforcers and assassins, the Shuravai. They infiltrated the Mortal Realm and searched relentlessly for their master’s enemies. Some Graces formed cults, factions and other secret organisations to protect themselves, to further their own goals and to uncover the secrets of the Keeper, hidden across Hermia and the Shuravai responded by corrupting mortals with their own metallic blood, spawning the Stahlka, their secret army of metallic monstrous helpers.

From the dawn of the Fey to their twilight, five great realms known as the Oonaliedh spanned from Ty’Zan to the continent of Aestis. The first and most magnificent among them was Tydas, a seafaring realm where the Syadthe welcomed the Hariedthe kings and queens to the Mortal Realm. Tydas remained the most prosperous Fey kingdom throughout the three ages, but over time, its rulers grew apart from the lands of Melechare (now Aestis).   Thyuscaphe, the mightiest of the Fey kings, had the ability to commune directly with the Syadthe. They urged him to caution his people, especially regarding the use of magic. Thyuscaphe enacted strict laws governing magical practices among the Fey, yet he couldn't fully grasp the magnitude of the threat they faced. Knowledge about the Keeper was limited among the Fey, despite the curiosity and speculation of their sages and philosophers who sought answers about their world's origins from the Syadthe.   Some Fey believed the Syadthe to be the creators of all things, but it was only when they discovered the tomb of Nyarbarran, an esteemed servant of Olbrathan, that they learned the truth of their existence.   At the Ultimatum of Zuland, Thyuscaphe received the demand from his brothers Nenescare and Orascade, as well as his sister Araneniel, for answers about their origins. The Syadthe revealed the story of the Keeper, awakening the Fey to his potential as a deadly enemy.   However, Haaronathe, an architect among the Fey, believed he could negotiate with the Keeper and sought to overthrow Thyuscaphe to present the Fey as loyal servants. Haaronathe's vanity and folly attracted the attention of the Shuravai, who quickly realized his misguided ambitions. The Keeper, now aware of the thriving life in the Mortal Realm, planned a war of annihilation, recognizing the threat posed by the Lotharvannir's creation, the "song."   Despite Thyuscaphe's love for his siblings, Nenescare, Orascade, and Araneniel, they fled from his control. Nenescare established the realm of Magogh, Orascade settled in Elieash, and Araneniel created the kingdom of Asturan, which became the target of the Keeper's armies. Thyuscaphe's fleet moved to destroy his siblings but ultimately decided to let them depart, driven by love rather than the desire to protect the Fey from the Keeper's wrath. Unbeknownst to Thyuscaphe, war was already imminent.   On the island of Skor Baradh, between Tydas and the Fey's new settlement lands, it was agreed that four realms would be established with four rulers. Nenescare became king of Magogh, Orascade established Elieash, Araneniel ruled Asturan, and Nenescare's daughter Neniel founded Yeshurah.   Araneniel, fueled by resentment towards Thyuscaphe, sought to build the greatest Fey kingdom. She defied Thyuscaphe's prohibitions and imbued stones with the power of the song. In her quest for grandeur, her craftsmen stumbled upon a long-forgotten chamber where the ancient Thaladic Graces slumbered.   Araneniel woke the Graces, unknowingly setting events into motion. Thyuscaphe, learning of this, crossed the ocean with his armies, aware that war was inevitable. Among the awakened Graces, Y'Dradan became a close confidante of Araneniel and fell deeply in love with her.   The Keeper, in the form of Yogondath, unleashed his wrath upon learning that the Thaladic Graces had survived and defied his purge. Transforming himself into a colossal entity of flame and hatred, he created a fiery conduit from the heavens to the Mortal Realm, allowing a vast army of the Shuravai to pass through and invade the southern lands, known as Vire in present times. Haaronathe and his brothers, who had been hiding in the mountains, joined the Shuravai, believing they could secure their position as loyal servants to the Keeper.   Thyuscaphe's deepest fears materialized as he witnessed a slender burning thread connecting the heavens and the earth, and a burning black cloud signaled the arrival of the enemy. Thyuscaphe and his armies, along with the Thaladic Graces, engaged in a battle against the invading forces in the Ladreida, also known as the Kheyun Marshes. Fey and Grace blood saturated the earth as Thyuscaphe faced imminent destruction.   However, Neniel, Nenescare's daughter, and her beloved knight Raganwe led a courageous charge against the Phalanx Grace general Y'Sheruvan. Aspharyx, a master of the song, summoned a powerful wave that crashed upon the marshes, devastating the enemy.   Araneniel engaged Y'Sheruvan in combat and emerged victorious, but she was fatally struck by a poisoned Shuravai arrow. Witnessing the death of their general, the Phalanx Graces retreated, occupying fortresses in the southern mountains and awaiting the Keeper's commands. Araneniel's demise marked the end of the first age of the Fey, and the second age would be characterized by devastating turmoil.   The realms of the Fey were now threatened by the Keeper's wrath, as he aimed to obliterate the power of the song created by the Lotharvannir. The surviving Fey faced a future filled with darkness and the impending war that would determine the fate of their kind. The bonds among siblings were shattered, and the once united Fey were divided into separate realms, each facing its own challenges and battles against the forces of the Keeper.   As the second age unfolded, the Fey would experience great hardships and sacrifices, forging their own destinies amidst the turmoil and uncertainty that surrounded them. The tale of the Fey would continue to unfold with epic battles, personal struggles, and profound choices that would shape their world and the Mortal Realm itself.             Re

During the tumultuous Second Age of the Fey, a new and formidable figure emerged known as the Marshal of the Night. Initially believed to be a separate entity, it was later revealed that the Marshal and a cunning manipulator named Eratheon were one and the same. Eratheon had aligned himself with the Keeper, the ultimate antagonist of the Fey, and sought to exploit the divisions among the Fey Kingdoms to further his own agenda.   Eratheon's arrival as the Marshal of the Night brought devastation to the Fey Kingdoms. He led the Phalanx Graces and the Shuravai, unleashing relentless attacks on the Fey realms. Asturan, Yeshurah, and Magogh were left in ruins as the Fey fled from the onslaught. Desperate and facing annihilation, some Fey refugees established a new city called Anagol (later known as Gol) as a last bastion of hope.   Neniel, a key figure among the Fey, discovered an artifact—a mirror that allowed her to peer into Damnation and witness the true face of the Haunter, Eratheon himself. The revelation drove Neniel to madness for a century, but she eventually regained her sanity with the help of her lover, Raganwe.   When the Marshal of the Night learned of Neniel's discovery, he directed his armies toward Anagol, intent on eliminating her. However, the timely arrival of the Tydan fleet saved the city from destruction. The Fey, led by Neniel, took the fight to the Arching Mountains, encircling the Marshal and inflicting defeat upon his forces. Only the intervention of rogue Sentinels prevented the Fey from achieving a complete victory.   As the threat of the Marshal of the Night receded, the Five Kingdoms of the Fey were once again established, divided into a southern and a northern realm. However, the Keeper, enraged by his defeats, attempted to enter the Mortal Realm himself, causing reality to fracture and unleashing devastating reality storms that ravaged the land. The Fey Kingdom of Tydas was particularly devastated.   To protect the Mortal Realm, the Athervannir, masters of sight, intervened, using their powers to force the Keeper to retreat back to Celestium, preserving what remained of reality. Meanwhile, a fully restored Neniel emerged as a leader among the Fey, with her trusted Saasku general, Zauru, by her side.   Within the Fey Kingdoms, two twins named Kyrade and Kyralith played a crucial role. Suspecting the true identity of Eratheon, they created the "seeing places" to unite the Fey Kingdoms and prevent them from falling into war with one another. Unfortunately, their efforts were met with tragedy as Eratheon killed Kyralith, leaving Kyrade to go into hiding.   A civil war ensued among the Fey Kingdoms, resulting in heavy casualties. However, Neniel eventually exposed Eratheon's true nature and unveiled his connection to the Marshal of the Night. The Fey cast Eratheon out before he could reform the armies of the Marshal, effectively thwarting his manipulative schemes.   Eratheon's role as a deceptive and cunning figure added complexity to the conflicts within the Fey Kingdoms during the Second Age, emphasizing the delicate balance between loyalty and betrayal in the face of a powerful adversary.

At the dawn of the Third Age of the Fey, the once-mighty Fey Kingdoms faced their gradual decline while humans emerged as a formidable force in the Mortal Realm. The Keeper, realizing that brute force alone could not defeat the resilient Fey, devised a new strategy: manipulating humans to become agents of their own destruction. The Keeper understood that humans possessed a susceptibility to new ideas and were driven by ambitions of domination and conquest, making them the perfect instrument to undermine the Fey.   The Phalanx Graces Y'Ghoran, Y'Vyath and Y'Traya, faithful servants of the Keeper, discovered humanity and began to shape their development. These Graces, known as the Trinity, presented themselves to the early human civilizations, teaching them the ways of empire and religion. Through their influence, the Trinity planted the seeds of domination and power, gradually squeezing the exhausted Fey out of their territories.   In the region that would later be known as Oloris, the first peoples emerged, forming tribes and establishing their own lands. Among these tribes were the Heldar, the Verandi, and the Myrthos. Each tribe had its own leaders, such as Elandor of the Heldar, Mara of the Verandi, and Vorian of the Myrthos. These tribal leaders played pivotal roles in the unfolding events of the Third Age, leading their respective tribes in the face of the encroaching human dominance.   The Trinity, the Graces who appeared to the early humans, adopted the name the Sacred Veil. They presented themselves as emissaries of the Keeper, bearing the gift of knowledge and guidance. The Sacred Veil manipulated the humans, instilling in them the beliefs which would eventually form into the Aruhvian Faith, a religion centered around the worship of the Keeper as the supreme deity. The simplicity of this faith's name reflected its core tenets—devotion to the Keeper's authority, the pursuit of dominance, and the subjugation of all other beings.   As the Fey Kingdoms waned, the humans under the influence of the Sacred Veil thrived, establishing vast empires and conquering new lands. The rise of human civilization marked the final phase of the Hidden Age, with the Fey forced to retreat to hidden realms and become a fragmented, scattered people.   The Third Age witnessed the transition of power from the fading Fey to the ascendant humans, with the Sacred Veil and the Aruhvian Faith playing crucial roles in shaping the destiny of the Mortal Realm.

The long conflicts in the Celestial Realm weakened the Keeper, starting with the Devourer War and the betrayal of the Thaladic Graces. As the Keeper grew weaker and faced challenges from the entity known as Levanto, the Astrogon named Onikyass who had been hiding as the Keeper's shadow since the birth of the universe saw an opportunity for freedom and vengeance. He sensed the vulnerability of the Keeper and dreamed of his eventual defeat.   Exploring the Keeper's mind, Onikyass discovered the Hall of Stars, a chamber filled with magnificent orbs of incomparable beauty. His obsession with returning to the Hall consumed him, but each attempt to find it proved futile. Onikyass developed a deep hatred for the Keeper, driven by his denied longing for beauty.   When the Sundering occurred and the Athervannir, together with the Phalanx Grace Y'Tran-a-Khul, momentarily allied against the Keeper, Onikyass saw his chance. Concealed within the Keeper's form, he remained hidden from their sight. As the Athervannir attacked, Onikyass frantically searched the Keeper's mind, eventually uncovering the Hall of Stars.   Using a blade called Elkhoram, crafted from his and the Keeper's essence, Onikyass removed seven stones from the Hall of Stars. He swallowed five of the gems, causing a devastating shockwave that tore the Keeper apart. In the aftermath, Onikyass and the two remaining gems were expelled from the Celestial Realm, hurtling towards the Mortal Realm alongside Y'Tran, who would soon become known as The Khul.