Downfall of the Erlithmanil
After Azowyr restored the Erlithmanil, these fallen gods ruled over humanity for untold eras. Humanity was subject to the whims of the Dark King Zalikar and his unpredictable, mass eradications. Luxis wept for their children, turning their attention to one of their most faithful believers. This hero, Accia Syltharis, rose from the ashes of Zalikar's last purge, driven to put an end to the dark one's atrocities. Luxis granted him a unique and terrifying power: shape shifting. Accia travelled Emynea, gathering magic forms, training with these abilities and selected ten beasts to fight alongside him. He shared his gift with these beasts so they could better aid him in the battles to come, their combined power bordering on the divine. Along this journey, Luxis also united the hero with an unlikely ally. Princess Sylthari herself, daughter of the Dark King, swore herself to aiding the hero and worked alongside him to put an end to her father's tyranny.
Sylthari and Accia waged a campaign against the fallen gods, the elemental demons. Whether by cunning or by combat, they destroyed the bodies of the Erlithmanil one by one, Sylthari sealing their immortal souls into her mysterious crystals. With every success they gained more allies, amassing a formidable following. Through the sacrifices of these allies, the gifts of the hero and his beasts and the aid of the first Aethid, this legendary party faced down and defeated the Dark King and the rest of his kind, freeing the world of his grim influence.
by Lee Stepp
In the wake of this incredible but devastating war between humanity and the gods, the people looked to their hero for guidance. Sylthari continued to guide him in this new era, using her wisdom and experience to establish order and stability in Eluziar. Sylthari repurposed the city of Accia, once her childhood home, and moved it to the heart of the Eluzian Valley. Sylthari and the hero established Accia as the capital of their new kingdom, adopting his name for their new home—they founded the Kingdom of Accia. Over the course of their journey, the hero had won the heart of The Celestial. Together, they sire the Syltharis royal line which continues to reign over Accia to this day. Their matron would come and go over the centuries, maintaining the divine bloodline.
As for the fallen gods themselves, they were confined to their sealing crystals, unable to regenerate their bodies in this state. Only Sylthari herself can destroy these crystals but this doesn't mean the Erlithmanil are wholly compromised in this state. When the hero began to succumb to old age, he entrusted the crystals to his ten beasts. He charged them and their descendants with the protection of these artifacts.
After his death, each of the elements began whispering promises of immortality to the beasts, tempting and corrupting these once sacred guardians. They formed unholy unions with these beasts or their descendants, transforming them into Elemental Familiar. These defiled beasts scour the world to this day, seeking to free their masters from imprisonment. They taint the weak willed with these demons' influence, seeking to find a host body for their master and abusing the hero's gift. They offer frightening abilities and even immortality to these fools, forever staining their souls. These new, corrupted Shape Shifters are the harbingers of the Erilthmanil, bent on returning humanity to the Dark Era. They walk among us now, stealing our magic and working in the interests of their demonic patrons.
Summary
by Lee Stepp
This is the widely accepted lore of the downfall of the Erlithmanil, the founding of the Kingdom of Accia and the mythos of the elemental familiars and their shape shifting partners. Essentially, Luxis grants a hero with shape shifting. He shares this gift with ten beasts and works alongside Sylthari, The Celestial and daughter of Zalikar, to defeat and seal away the Erlithmanil. After many legendary battles and deceptions, they seal each element away. In the wake of these devastating battles and newfound freedom, Sylthari and the hero establish the Kingdom of Accia in the Eluzian Valley and marry, establishing the Syltharis royal bloodline. After the death of the hero, the Erlithmanil enact pacts with the ten beasts guarding their sealing crystals, the beasts becoming the ten elemental familiars. They scour the world for potential host bodies, changing unsuspecting humans into shape shifters. The legend ends with a warning, claiming shape shifters seek to restore the Erlithmanil to power, tempted by power and immortality.
Historical Basis
by Lee Stepp
These events did in fact occur but some of the details have either been lost to time or altered to favor Accian narrative. Most of the beginning of the legend is true. Luxis chose a faithful hero, gifting him shape shifting. He did tame and share his shape shifting with ten beasts and Sylthari did aid him in the downfall of her predecessors. However, some of the less honorable battles (like their attack on Cihuateopan) are omitted and Sylthari is not framed as a betrayer as many of her own kind view her to be. Sylthari is framed as being wise in her decisions when in reality, she came to view her actions as hasty, blinded by youth and blind faith in Luxis. She came to regret her actions.
The legend also omits much of the history and transition of power between the Greco-Roman empire which had thrived under the eye of the Erlithmanil, avidly worshipping the elements. This caused a massive schism between those still living within their homeland and those displaced by the new kingdom, especially those ejected from the city of Accia. Most of those displaced either returned to their homeland or made a new home within the canyon complex of the Fulgurant Mesa.
Finally, there is a massive distortion of the nature of the Erlithmanil as demonic fallen gods and assumptive, fearful lore about shape shifters. The Erlithmanil did in fact form pacts with ten different guardian beasts. See Elemental Familiar and Shape Shifter for details. However, most shape shifters weren't 'weak willed' people tempted by immortality. Most shape shifters aren't given a choice and their willpower has nothing to do with their suitability. And while they are a transitive tool for the Erlithmanil's return, they are closer to victims than intentional harbingers. The 'tainted' and 'corrupted' terminology of the lore is also inaccurate. While their actions can be extreme, the Erlithmanil are not inherently evil or corrupt. This is an Accian way of viewing their origin as a nation. Either way, most Accians have come to fear and mistrust shape shifters as a result of this and similar legends. The continuation of this legend and its historic counterparts are still being written, the Erlithmanil still attempting to return.
Spread
This is the founding mythos of the Kingdom of Accia and is extremely widespread, even in outside countries. The downfall of the Erlithmanil affected all of Emynea.
Variations & Mutation
Some outside countries have their own variations and differing views over the downfall of the elements, many countries worshipping these beings whether this be a whole pantheon or one particular element. However, since the downfall Aethids have risen to godhood in their parents' absence. Some still view the kingdom's actions as blasphemous.
In Literature
There are many 'historical fictions' written on these events, some going into the details of the downfall. There are even some personal accounts and records carefully guarded within the royal library. These legends even have a place in fictional stories within Accia. It is the most celebrated legend within the kingdom.
In Art
The legend has a place in all art within the Kingdom of Accia as their founding mythos.
Date of Setting
3791342 DE - 6 FE
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