The Forge of Souls

The Eternal Realm

There is a realm, vast in size, known as the Twilight and home to the Immortals. No one remembers, where they came from, but the Immortals began to gather and form tribes for war and protection. One tribe among the countless dreamed of more, and in their wisdom settled the first Immortal city, Heaven.

Tribe after tribe came to Heaven and it grew and grew until its glory was undeniable. In time, selfishness and disorder set Immortal against Immortal. It became necessary for the Righteous to contain the Wicked. A prison, Hell, built in the reflection of Heaven was formed. With but a single gate, guarded and sealed to prevent those within from escaping. As the order of Heaven and Hell was established, the disorder outside of it in the Twilight was deemed a threat.

Two brothers, princes, sought to bring peace to the Eternal Realm beyond the walls of Heaven. They would be known as the King of Dust and the King of Ashes. They began with the wild Immortal tribes who called themselves Titans.

Together, they made peace with the like-minded tribes of the Twilight and drove those bent to destruction to the outermost darkness of the Eternal Realm. The great titan chieftains sealed an eternal peace with the princes and exchanged armaments as a sign of mutual protection and trust. With the aid of the Titans, the princes turned to the elements, capturing the Primal Realms and binding them to the Order of Heaven's light.

The Age of Creation and the Forge of Souls

Birth of the Mortal Realm

For their service, each prince was given a section of the wilderness to protect. The Outer Realm was given to the King of Dust and the Inner Realm to the King of Ashes. At a nexus of the four Primal Realms, the King of Dust siphoned off the power of the captured elements and built his castle. A fortress in the wilderness to protect the Eternal Realm, he called it Kiaden.

Between the King of Dust's castle and Heaven, the King of Ashes built a road. So that all of Heaven could venture out and see all of the Eternal Realm in safety. He walks the road and protects travelers never staying in one place for very long.

The King of Dust looked upon his realm and felt a threat on the horizon he could not see, and so he returned to his forge and created guardians from the essence of the primal planes and mixed it with the spark of the Eternal Realm. He called his guardians dragons and charged them with keeping watch over the realm. The first word of the first dragon changed the King of Dust. The dragon called him Father. Filled with joy and purpose All-Father looked at his realm and smiled. There was work to do.

Mixing Water and Fire, Air and Earth, and finally a spark of the Immortal, All-Father made life. Changing the mixture, again and again, marveling at the wondrous and diverse life to be made. He invited all the Immortals to come and sculpt in his realm. He called these beings Mortals and this would be their home, the Mortal Realm. The joy and purpose All-Father felt grew, and many of the other Immortals began to feel it too. The spark of the Immortal in each mortal burned bright and provided something wonderful to the Immortals, Faith. It made them strong, filled them with purpose and power. The stronger the connection an Immortal had to a mortal the more faith filled them with power.

When the first mortal died, the Immortals wept, but then when the Light of Heaven arrived the next day the immortal spark of the mortal separated from its form, purified and stronger from its life.

It was drawn into the Eternal Realm to join them forever as a new Immortal.

The Road of Souls soon became packed with those traveling to Heaven and chaos once again disrupted the Realm Eternal.

Many mortals had become something wicked or disruptive, some even primal.

Mortals had been given choice and could serve whichever force called to them.

The King of Ashes was given the power to act as judge over All-Father's mortals.

Sending them into the realm which they should reside, whether it be Heaven, the Primal Realms, into the wilderness of the Twilight, or if necessary the Prison of Hell. To reassure Mortals, the Gate of Heaven would remain open and souls would not face judgment until they reached its shinning gates and the court of the King of Ashes. All judgments will be made when the King of Ashes returns to Heaven after his yearly travels.

For taking up the eternal task of judge and for his niece's birthday, All-Father forged the Moon from the purest waters of Maelstrom, brightest diamonds of Core, the coldest of The Winds, and lit its halls with the brightest fires of Inferno, as a palace and gift to his niece, the Daughter of Ashes, the Moonlit Maiden.

Every year, when the King of Ashes visits his Daughter, she lights up the Moon and blesses the world, lighting up the night with the light of his welcoming party but at the same time drawing the warmth of the world to her palace to make him comfortable.

With the Mortal Realm in order, the All-Father looked down at his creations with pride. His gaze blessing the top of his creation with a gentle warmth at the Crown of the World.

The First Dark Age

The threat long perceived by All-Father was proceeded by seven red stars. The CREED had found the Mortal Realm, drawn to it by the faith of mortals.

All-Father and his army fought a war in the heavens above the mortal realm sending great fireballs streaking through the sky. The light of heaven burned red with the anger of the gods. Every Black Ark of the CREED burned away before they could make it to Kiaden and the Mortal Realm was safe. The CREED came and went, only to return as their strength renewed. Again, All-Father protected the Mortal Realm.

The night the red stars appeared on the third passing, dragons twisted by the CREED's dark promises, razed the mortal world, and brought doom before the All-Father could react. Weakened by the loss of mortal life and faith, All-Father was wounded, losing his eyes in the battle with the CREED.

Defenseless, Darkness and Evil seeded the world.

The CREED made the world its own, their Black Arks crashing to the ground causing a catastrophe, releasing demons through glowing fissures, windows were torn into reality to someplace else, and plunging the world into an ash-filled dark winter.

The light of Heaven was cut off as the gates of the Eternal Realm closed for its own protection. The souls of the dead, trapped in tormented lingering slavery to the CREED. The Devastation unleashed by the CREED broke the chains of the elemental planes and the elements ran free in rage against the Mortal Realm.

In time, the elements calmed and gazed upon creation, it was as much their child as it was All-Father's and for the first time, they felt and accepted the strength of mortal faith.

Sensing a threat to their conquest, the CREED and the Elements fought for the world. With the aid of the Primal Realm, mortals once again had hope.

Hope led to faith, and mortals once again could feel the All-Father and the Eternal Realm. While the Eternal Realm could not intervene, mortals learned to harness faith through whispered guidance from afar. They took up divine power as a sword and fought back the darkness with the aid of the elements.

Eight mortals found the All-Father's gate at the Crown of the World and walked the Road of Souls while still alive. The King of Ashes was approached by the mortals seeking Heaven's aid. If not for them, then for the All-Father, so he could restore order to the world. While unable to act, for it would leave Heaven undefended from the CREED, The King of Ashes would send aid. Tearing his own eye out, the King of Ashes bid them return it to their fallen lord, and restore his sight.

Once again able to see his creation, All-Father fought back.

With a single eye and the aid of the heroes the All-Father restored the light to the world and ended the suffering of the mortals.

Pleased with his heroes, he granted each a place in his Court and they joined him in the Eternal Realm to defend the world from the CREED. For a time, there was peace. The Age of Renewal

The Second Dark Age

Betrayal of the Forgotten

For many years the CREED was defeated, if only through the constant vigil of the gods and heroes.

Then the Lord of the Lost found a CREED touched dragon queen. Twisted and many-headed. He captured her and bound her in a prison to interrogate her and find out the enemy's plans.

For years he listened to the creature and slowly it twisted his thoughts, planting dark desires and twisted madness.

So when the time came, the Lord of the Lost moved against All-Father and the Court of the King, allowing his twisted queen dragon to unleash her children on the world without interference.

Returning to the Court of All-Father, the Lord or the Lost attacked his brother the Lord of Shadow tearing him away from his lover, the Lady of Light, dragging him away toward the gates of Heaven

The Lord of the Wild moved to the Lady of Light's side and stayed with her as a protector.

Through the Twilight to the heart of Heaven, the Lord of the Lost moved and in his madness shattered the gate to Hell and released Immortal Evil into Heaven itself. Heaven struck out at its attacker, maiming and driving him away. Freed, his brother was empowered and sent to run him down and bring him to justice.

As the Lord of the Lost returned to the presence of All-Father, he moved against the Court, until at last the Lord of Shadow caught him and in a climactic battle the shattered his form, the Lord of the Lost was cast away from the Court to be Forgotten, forever denied the light of Heaven.

The Lord of Shadow bravely took the madness from his brother and opted to imprison himself away from those he loved and sacrificed himself for everything beneath the gaze of All-Father.

The Lord of Time has become his warden and guards his Prison at the bottom of a well filled with the tears of The Lady of Light.

The Lady of Light, Remains near All-Father, seeking comfort for her loss, at least until the Lord of Time looks the other way when she sneaks close to her loves prison whispering her affection and comforting his madding cries.

The Lord of War continues his vigil on the right of the All-Father.

The Lord of the Wild now walks the Road of Souls, protecting travelers, but never straying from the path to look for lost souls.

The Lady of Justice stands to the left of the All-Father, protecting his blindside and his eye of judgment reporting to the King of Dust and acting as prosecutor of the dead.

The Lady of Glory now stands to watch over the All-Father, comforting him and assuring him, seeing where he cannot.

The Fate of Mortals

The Second age of woe began much as the first, but with all of the host of heaven embroiled in betrayal, the mortal realm had once again to call on the ancient elemental forces for aid.

The titans and dragons of old also came, each bringing gifts to mortals.

The titans brought the secrets of metal craft and star metals and the knowledge of cold steel to forge weapons able to wound the demons the CREED let loose.

The dragons had spent years uncovering the weapon that would become known as arcane power. Taking only those they deemed worthy, they taught mortals the first lessons, then watched as the mortals unlocked magic's secrets at a freighting pace.

Gifted with spell and blade, mortals prevented the demons from unleashing the destruction of the first Dark Age, but still, untold mortals fell to the all-consuming CREED.

Suddenly, aid arrived in the most unexpected way. Chased to the mortal plane; nine of Hell's prisoners, freed by the Lord of the Lost betrayal, penetrated through the eternal night. Spurring mortal faith that the gods had not forgotten them.

This brief taste of faith infused the Nine and they quickly taught the mortals the tyranny of Hell and the blessing of slavery to unloving gods. The power of the Nine began to turn the war, but when titan and elemental sought an alliance the greedy devils turned on them, and once again the world fell into disorder.

True hope first appeared when Heaven's hunters came for the Nine. Only moments behind for immortals, in the mortal plane the Nine had gathered much power and slain half the heavenly host before they understood what was happening. Another four were captured, with only three able to escape.

Separated, each sought what allies they could.

Archon found the mortals still awaiting All-Father's return, Angelus fell in with the primal followers of the elements, and Azata with the wild titans.

With Heaven's power flowing into the Mortal Realm, even in the absence of Heavens Light, slowly Mortals gained ground against both the CREED and the Nine, pushing back the darkness.

Then Ascension Day, the day the Lord of Shadow sacrificed himself. Striking down the forgotten in a blinding flash that ripped the CREED away from the Mortal Realm and flung it away like some forgotten trinket. He gave his very sanity for wisdom and power beyond anything that the great enemy could counter.

Without the eternal night, the CREED soon found the armies of Heaven joining the Mortal Realm and the power and vengeance of the All-Father crushing them and bringing freedom back to the world.

So ended the Second Dark Age.

The Age of Forging

Strengthening of the Mortal Realm

Teachings for Today

• Our actions are seen and judged. Nothing is truly hidden.

  “Their gaze is always upon us.”

   Before the court joined the All-Father

  “His gaze is always upon us.”

• Life is called the...

  “the Forge of Souls.”

• Living is the tempering your soul goes through to prepare it for its place in the Eternal Realm. Those seeking entry into the afterlife are said to be...

  “Polished”

   one of the last steps in making a sword.
• The CREED has returned several times but never landing a Black Ark large enough to bring about the long night. But the terror of their coming always brings turmoil. They will return again.

  “The night always comes.”

• By the decree of All-Father, those touched by madness are placed in protection and guarded. For they see things we cannot and should be heeded as speakers of prophecy or agents of disorder. Both must be taken care of.

  “Blessed are the mad, Beware”

• By the decree of All-Father, Mortals may worship as they may but will be judged and dealt with as they deserve.

  “Live as you like, my deeds are my own.”

• The dead cannot begin down the path to the Realm Eternal until morning, so the dead are often toasted...

  “Tonight we drink our last, tomorrow we take different roads!”

• Undead fear the light and they are drawn to Heaven's judgment by it. Those who fight them often call out.

  “Out of the Shadows”,

  or

  “Face your judgment!”

• Undead are referred to as...

  “Those who linger.”

• The burning of bodies is often done to the dead, seen as offering the Lord of Ashes his due. It also helps prevent the rise of the undead. As the fire is set,

  “Time to pay the King's price.”

• Maiden's Feast. The annual month-long ritual at the winter solstice of feasting and gift-giving. Normally no one works and all stay indoors by fires, friends, and family; venturing out only for food and festivities. Many families reunite or meet at a single location to reconnect. The perpetual bright moonlight and cold of the Moon seems to keep peace most years.

  “Bless your fire!”