Story of Florenelle
Exposition of Florenelle of the Setting
Age of Primordials
Creators and Creations
Florenelle began with the Creators collaborating together to design a massive world. With time, trial and error, creations were born once all the pieces were in place. To add greater depth, realms such as Haven, Inferna, and more were incorporated to the cosmos to add greater depth to the lives of the creations.
During this time, Kordgelle documented the process more than he created so as to allow his kindred to recall previous methods and configurations. Life was rather cozy for him.
Genesis War
Once Florenelle was completed, the Creators were uncertain of their next move. So they grew attached to their creations, watching as they go about their lives. Some were even gifted the innate power of the Creators, thus causing the origin of magic to occur. There came a complication when the creations of one Creator favored a different maker. Jealousy was quick to brew among the Creators and so they lashed out at each other with the backing of their own creations.
Because of the vast devastation Creators could cause, this alarmed the creations into turning on their makers to ensure that Florenelle would have a chance of surviving. One such example was a vast flood that swarmed over a continent, thus creating the Islands of Oceania. Kordgelle was desperate to insist to every being that all of this fighting was nonsense and could erase everything. No one listened. As a consequence, a fatal blow was struck to Garena, one of the Creators. From her wound came a volatile and warped creature that warped or destroyed whatever was in sight.
Alone in the Astral
Kordgelle was spared from the wrath of the creations purely because he did not intervene or act in the Genesis War. If anything, he gathered up whatever became of his kindred, sequestering their hollow forms into discreet tombs. But that Gathering of wretched spawn. He imprisoned the creatures into the Entropic Void until he could come up with a means of healing his kindred.
Ever since then, Kordgelle remained in hiding with his loyal creations, ensuring that Florenelle would stay stable from whatever threats lurked beyond. This became the ultimate test of Florenelle’s ability to stay intact without too much Creator intervention for the first time.
Age of Precursors
Before the Storm
Many years after the Age of Primordials, vren, elves, dragonborn, and more all may have only vaguely heard of each other as they went about their lives exploring what the world had going for it. When the vren had their Arcane Renaissance, that is the time when the world became explored a bit more. Because of this obsession with the ways of magic, there came a concrete understanding of how it operated. Schools of magic were slowly being formed as they saw patterns with how certain spells worked in a sense of their utility. For example, fire and ice bolt spells both do damage so they would simply be classified under evocation magic.
Necromancy, The Last School
Nerivus was one mage who was curious about the ways of magic. One thing he saw missing was toying with life and death. To further understand this, he met with the Nameless Host at one point. Through that malevolent thing, he learned that the dead could be animated but the former creature would be far from there. Determined, Nerivus experimented every which way to truly restore life. After many questionable and brutal experiments, life was restored.
Thrilled to showcase this measure, Nerivus brought his research to the Consulate and showcased the new school of necromancy. It meant that death would never have to be feared anymore. We all could live happily with our loved ones as long as we wished. The Consulate did not take kindly to it.
Necromantic War
The darkest age of Florenelle has arrived. Nerivus fled to those who supported his work. He even sought out varying nobility, telling them that the secret to their eternal reign would cease to exist if they did not fight back against the Consulate. As Arkengrath found allies, so did those hunting him through elves of the Feydom Confederacy and the Dominion of Argatok.
The first theater and ultimate test of necromancy was in the vast fields of Elvarid. Nerivus led the assault himself along with gnolls as the core of the army. Through a walloping defeat on the Feydom, Nerivus was deemed Arkengrath, King of Wrath, over the Arkonian Order, his vast kingdom dedicated to necromancy.
This Necromantic War became a global, if not a slightly cosmic, fight of survival between those who praise necromancy and those who dread what it can do. The fear and hatred of those involved swiftly became desperate to defeat their opposition. The only way this nightmare would end is where it all began on the Continent of Cyorrin. Having carved his way through and reached his home, Arkengrath sought to eliminate the last of this coalition. However, he underestimated them as he got cut off from his own and overwhelmed by an ambush. On his defeat, the Arkonian Order swiftly lost morale as he was one of the core reasons of their success.
By the War’s end, all that remained for the defeated and victors were ashes. They could only look on in horror what their desperation had brought to them and their enemy. The only phrase the survivor’s forced on their children was this phrase.
How far are you willing to go to defeat your enemy?
Age of Restoration
Rebuilding from Ashes
The Coalition powers could have taken a few more decades to hunt down every Arkonian but both sides agreed that there has been enough suffering inflicted. As a “mercy” for the Arkonians, many of them were banished to the Shadowfell as it is believed undead thrived there. For the rest of the Precursor powers, they saw in horror what became of them.
The elven homeland of Elvarid had been blighted by the Arkonian Plague. As a result, they fled to Thracallia to establish a refugee colony of sorts known as the Province of Regalia. For in Florenelle, the disease is far less volatile.
The dragons of Argatok faced many brutal civil wars eventually. Mother Maratha had revealed to them dirty secrets of their peers and they became outraged amongst each other, questioning loyalties of others. Many fingers were pointed on who let down their people the most as adding in bruised egos only made it worse. It would be later on in the Restoration Age that Kraven would force his hand onto others of his kindred to play nicely.
The vren were paranoid of the eventual invasion of their home continent. As a result, they had made countless potent arcane traps, even a violent storm that still surrounds their home island. They became isolated and could only travel via teleportation spells to reach the outside world. Eventually they would find a way of hiding protective runes onto ships to ensure that damage is made minimal should it cross to the area. Even then, there are still the worries of what arcane traps have still yet to be sprung.
The Empire of Coatala was a shaky ally with the Arkonian Order. After all, anything that did not bear a snake-like appearance was deemed undesirable to them. It was the work of Salazar Kiver that undid their entire empire in one fatal blow. It was showing them that an impure creature such as he could manipulate the mind of their renown Speaker. In a sudden system shock, many Coatalans were busy trying to rationalize how this came to be to where many divides came to be. Because slaves were also a core part of sustaining their rule, revolutions sprung up like wildfire to exploit their distraction. Their presence now only dwells on their home continent, still to this day fighting on which approach should be taken to restore what once was.
Restored Peoples
Those from the continents of Calvora, Prageria, and Yanping are classified as “Restored” regions due to the fact that they did not really endure the core of the Necromantic War’s destruction and prospered far better compared to those of the Precursor Era. The main reason is that the Arkonian Order did not hold concentrated campaigns in those regions.
With this advantage, the Calvoran powers became dominant because they did not face any damages from the Empire of Coatala unlike the other two regions. They explored around the world, curious about what was lost. With time, they would establish colonies to assist in further exploration but would soon become homes for families soon enough. Though, because rivaling powers of Trinidad and the Triumvirate are the founders, well, it was only a matter of time before border disputes became a thing, sparking the Colonial Wars. Where fighting was far from the homeland, it would soon spread there to cut the head of the enemy or an excuse to fight rivals regardless.
What Happens Now?
Primordial Perspective
Kordgelle is the unspoken king of the Primordials. Elemental domains of creation as well as those of the Abyss and Paradise cannot deny their origin. As such, some, like the cruel Nameless Host, have their own objectives and seek to make their influence on Florenelle. The elemental powers are lost without their Creators and have been trying to define their own purpose in the grand cosmos of things.
Nowadays, there is a discreet curiosity if it is possible for the Creators to return.
Precursor Perspective
With it being so late in the Restoration Age and so many old wounds have either healed or scarred at best, each of the Precursor powers have their own predicament.
Arkonian Order
The hand given to them has been unfair in their eyes. Stuck in the Shadowfell with no way out years later has festered the populace. The Arkonians are restless and still hold a bitter grudge as they hear word that those in Florenelle get to prosper and breathe new life. It will not stand. Only through Arkengrath’s return can enough inspiration and morale be made to free them of this predicament! For if they don’t, many fear slipping into despair and die off from hopelessness.
Coatalan Empire
How could they possibly rebuild? There are countless voices and proposals all suggesting they know a method that will bring back the empire. All of it mere words when the actions needed are just one step on a path with millions. Some vow that Slethehosk’s ways will still bring glory while others suspect he was the one who brought their downfall. Like the drow, backstabbing and constant intrigue is the typical way of snakes.
Dominion of Argatok
Only about 15 years have passed since there was infighting among dragons. Kraven holds a shaky kingdom of squabbling dragons still with bruised egos and a desire to prove themselves worthy of their subjects. Using techniques of governing from these Restored folk has sufficed decently. The dragons now rule their own domains and should their people approve of their leadership, that should warrant their honor restored. Kraven can only hope this method works as a permanent solution.
Feydom Confederacy
Elvarid has been cleansed enough in core areas of the provinces that it is livable enough to have a safe lifestyle but any space for more will take more time. For now, the eladrin have been getting rather comfortable in the Province of Regalia. The only gripe they have are with their Calvoran and Ilshmaric neighbors. Some would try living in Undarid but living in vast underground caverns where backstabbing is a normal day is far from palatable.
Vrexen
Cyorrin only has a little less clutter of arcane traps. A fair amount of losses have been as a result of the project. Regardless, they are the heart of arcane studies and so it only stands to reason they assist in teaching others of it responsibly. Thus, through the Arcane League, only then can we ensure we don’t have another Arkengrath incident.
Restored Perspective
Calvorans
The Colonial War can vary as a tedious skirmish at sea or flare up into devastating campaigns if given the chance. The Kingdom of Trinidad and the Triumvirate Alliance are intent on defeating their opponent and possibly become the first superpower.
Pragerians and Yanese
These two Restored groups were dominated by the Empire of Coatala long ago. Because of their brave rebellions, they could finally recreate the past taken from. Though, some still keep a few Coatalan sites as reminders of what happened so that it could never occur again. Regardless, they both have a blossoming culture for themselves and now hope to have the confidence to catch up with the Calvorans.
Comments