The Geminos

The coolass stuff about the Geminos summary

An Abrupt Arrival

The Geminos claim one of the oldest lineages in Eldara and are said to carry bloodlines that can be traced back to the time of the Eldar’ai. Though they bear a striking resemblance to many of their kin in the Elvari line, their story is unique and holds many secrets that set them apart from the other current residents of Tellaria. The most prominent features are their skin, which can range from shades of red, purple, to blue. Their tails and horns are especially unique, mostly because they claim to have no connection to any of the Wild Gods and that they were a gift with a divine purpose. Most Geminos tend to have a natural inclination toward magic, but not all are born with the potential to become proficient in any of the magical traditions on Tellaria.
Their story begins like many of the other mortal races: a tale of a great exodus. Their arrival on Tellaria was abrupt, unexpected, and with catastrophe in pursuit. The Humans, Elvari, Rith, and Geminos all have slightly different stories about what exactly caused them to flee their home, but when they arrived in Ash Asari, they were quick to make new allies. At the time, Novallia was a series of warring kingdoms, which was perfect for the Geminos to insert themselves into. They allied themselves with a group of nobles and their burgeoning Empire, which would go on to win the succession war, granting the newcomers a permanent place within the human domain.
The new empire, now formally known as Novallia, would bring an age of stability, perfect for the proliferation of culture, the arts, and progress. The Geminos were the first of many to bring their unique knowledge to the new empire. Novallia prospered as a trade hub for the entire world. It became a center for diplomacy, academics, and cultural exchange. After many generations of this, Novallia began suffering from the growing pains of hosting so many, and conflict began to emerge once again. Within the Geminos, their story tells of a terrible civil war, the likes of which tore their entire civilization apart from within. This memory, though distant, still carried weight with many of the Geminos' leaders. In the midst of the Novallian unrest, their prince, Renard the Red, made the decision to leave their home once again, but this time, on their own terms. They ventured east along the shores of the Wyndra and arrived in Northmark, long after the War of the Peak had stabilized the region.

To The North

When the Geminos arrived, the Rith and the Sartharon happily welcomed their gifts of wealth and friendship. After a short stay in Groldar, their hosts encouraged them to explore the Chantor Valley for a new home. The valley was lush with resources and was only unsettled out of an assumed ownership by either the Twilight Elvari or the Rith. The Geminos were quick to begin constructing their own magnificent city and enlisted the aid of their new Rith allies, who were renowned as Stonemasters. Within the lifetime of the prince, Cassalo was a thriving city of beauty, riches, and prosperity.
During the time of expansion, the Geminos would lay claim to all corners of the Chantor Valley. As they began to create settlements across the landscape, it became very apparent that the confusion in ownership was not the only reason for the unsettled land. The pathfinders uncovered a series of ruin sites that trace back beyond even the memory of the long-lived Elvari. The Rith are known for their deep archives of stone, and upon request by the prince, the lords of Groldar formed an expedition within their ancient vaults to uncover any reference to the previous residents of the valley. In the deepest hall and the most ancient corners, they found a mysteriously empty shelf of tablets, with one single tablet remaining, concealed under rubble nearby, that told a fragmented piece of the mystery. It identified a civilization that spanned from the Chantor Valley down towards Novallia. Though not much was recorded about these lost people, it confirmed that there were souls older than even the elder races within the mortal realm.
Interesting as this was, it did not illuminate the previous residents for the Geminos in any real way, so the mystery would have to remain as such during these days. Time passed, the Geminos continued their expansion, and reached the edges of their new land. In the north, near the Scar of Artheus, wild magics tugged at the forests and altered the creatures. Over time, the forests became struck with an eternal darkness. This nightfall was similar to the one found in the Twilight Starwoods, but it did not come with the wonders of a majestic night, only the horrors. Monsters, cultists, and abominations began spilling from within its dark heart, and the Geminos were besieged by the first real threat they faced since arriving on Tellaria.

A New Enemy

A nobleman by the name of Lord Commander Florian Marset led an effort by the northern cities to defend their border with little success. The Geminos were powerful mages and had a strong command of the arcane arts, but the darkness of the forest twisted arcane magic into the beasts of the woods, mutating them into gargantuan creatures that were immune to most magical spells. They were poorly equipped for the kinds of enemies that were at their door, and much of the north was evacuated. It took nearly ten years to organize a real offense to reclaim the blighted land, but the entire population of the valley contributed to the war effort in one way or another. The Lord Commander once again led the offense to the north, cleansing villages one at a time. This time, the Geminos enlisted the mystical arts of the Novallian paladins to bolster their ranks. They swept northward, consecrating as they went, until they pushed the evil back to the dark forests it came from.

The Darkness will come for us again. It learns from us. It grows more powerful after each battle, my lady. If we do not follow it into it's lair, it will rise up to cut our throats while we sleep!

— Lord Commander Florian Marset

After they retook their land, the people enjoyed a well-earned victory, and a valley-wide celebration was held for nearly two weeks. Refugee northerners moved back to their former homes, and many of the soldiers returned home. For the Lord Commander, the victory was not complete. He advised the current ruler, Princess Ardé of Cassalo, that a force must be sent into the darkness to stamp it out. If it was not cut out entirely, it would return once again and ravage their land much the same as it did under her father's rule. The Princess agreed, supplying him with the most fearsome warriors and relics that were collected during the recent war effort. The Lord Commander created the Hasswin Hunters, a force that would venture into the woods, slay monsters, protect the periphery towns, and attempt a generations-long quest to find the source of the evil.
Elsewhere in the valley, the Geminos continued to expand their knowledge of the arcane and built a powerful relationship with their Elvari neighbors to the south. The bond continued to grow, and the two peoples would often exchange many students to each other’s grand schools and orders. Due to the relative peace the Geminos have enjoyed, and their alliance with the Elvari, they have had the luxury of expanding their cities to be places of art, academia, and arcanocraft. Their schools are the source of many of the most powerful mages within Tellaria, and they offer their help freely to any of the eastern kingdoms in their never-ending pursuit of building strong relations with the realm they stumbled into many generations ago.