Age of Origination
In the beginning there was a single plane of existence made of ethereal forces. In this, the first beings that were known as Créators (Cree-ah-tors) roamed. Their thoughts and power was beyond measure and it made them able to create and master almost all existence. There was one, however, who ruled above them. Her name was Adé'ryn - and she was The First One; the First Light; the Light of Life; the Life Giver. She was the most powerful to have ever existed and she was beautiful beyond anything in existence. Her presence was worth more than anything that creation could ever promise. The other Creátors all knelt before her, for without her they had no purpose or power. When they were made her light shone more brightly than ever before as she divided her thoughts and made the other Creátors, each with their own unique purpose. The endless and ever dark expanse of the universe shook, and light soared across the void until the edge of creation could no longer expand. They were Umbral'ogh; Creátor of Death, Terras'doro; Creátor of Land, Caélum; Creátor of Skies, and Mare'neptuna; Creátor of Seas.
The Créators
Each were a part of Adé'ryn's thought, an extension of her will and each were what she decreed to be one of the fundamentals of creation. Each were the beginning of everything to come. Umbral'ogh's purpose was for the end of life that could not last forever, and the other three for the foundations of the world to come. She bestowed unto them her power of creation and imaginations, and entrusted to them a task to bring about the fabrication of the world that her children would walk upon. Terras'doro, Caélum and Mare'neptuna took up the task without question. Umbral'ogh, as the counterpart to her own existence, was not so vehement. Umbral'ogh questioned his purpose - if she was to create life and existence, why was he damned to take it and end what had once lived. Adé'ryn took her light and touched his soul, she let it surge through him and explained "all life wilt endeth, thee wilt take the light of life bef're it grows weak and smothers the land." Umbral'ogh then arose from Adé'ryn's presence and followed the other Creátors. Together they conversed and practised, exchanging words of wisdom through thought and inconceivable sound. For a time, Umbral'ogh felt that his purpose was true.
Purpose
One by one they came to Adé'ryn with their first creations. First it was Terras'doro with a belt of stones that circled between his palms. They condensed into a sphere, smooth on all edges and warm in the centre. Adé'ryn approved, moving next to Mare'neptuna, who had brought her a plain of water to walk upon. What began rough became calm and silent. With her gentle hum she moved then to Caélum, who brought a breeze and a blue hue to the space around them. Adé'ryn's vibrance grew and finally came Umbral'ogh, who stewed for the longest over his own thoughts. Wanting so much to impress The First One he snuffed out Caélum's sky and turned Mare'neptuna's water grey. When he turned to Terras'doro, the Creátor of Land's sphere cracked. It was obvious then that Umbral'ogh lacked what the others had at birth. He had not the purpose of creation, and he had nothing yet to reap life from. His power took form as destruction and not endless sleep. Adé'ryn suddenly realised that she had been wrong, that there were many more foundations needed for creation, and that she wanted death to not just be the end, but to be a moment still forever. In her misunderstanding of Umbral'ogh's sorrow she convened with the Creátors and by their watch she gave birth to new beings, the Servotar, to support them. They were 8 in number and of almost equal power to the Creátors, and would be guided by the Creátors to create a world for Adé'ryn's visions of life. In the same moment, she created a perfect land called Fallanor. There the fields gleamed gold and trees stood tall and silver. Water flowed like twilight and the sky was forever day. Here the Creátors and Servotar would practise. Adé'ryn, taking pity on Umbral'ogh, spawned the Ephron'ir, a globe of light that would spawn insignificant life to roam Fallanor and was the source of Fallanor's eternal day. It would adapt according to Fallanor's shaping and creations, and Umbral'ogh's task was to watch. Watch and foresee the end of a life and wisp it away in it's greatest, final moments. Perhaps, she thought, when he understood his purpose, his powers of creation would grow. She had wanted him to see the beauty in it. It was his purpose to fill the sky with stars, they would be his creation. "Each life shall dot the sky with a new star" Adé'ryn decreed, "and once thee has't all proven that mine own wills art true, we shall maketh the world."
Aviin
Time passed and they all delivered to the Light of Life, learning from the Ephron'ir and the sprites of life it had made on Adé'ryn's behalf. Umbral'ogh watched and waited, always diligent in choosing what must end, learning in the end that taking life when it was most bright was most heart breaking, no matter what he could create. But Adé'ryn was pleased and ever grateful. For this she let them continue into the endless expanse and build the world around Fallanor. Mare'neptuna caused surging tides to burst outwards, and Terras'doro caused earth to climb from the deepest, darkest depths. Adé'ryn took the Ephron'ir and pushed it far, far away, where it became the sun. Caélum, seeing a sky so bright yet surrounded in darkness, cast his hue across the world. All emptiness was filled with air and the sky above filled with blue. The world, to be named Aviin, was so far young and far from finished, not even a globe. But Adé'ryn would watch from her seat in Fallanor, where she began the growth of the Great Tree, Eála, after Elodi wove it's seed. Within it, she planted the life of her children to come that would roam Aviin when it was ready. From Eála's sap would they birth, and in Fallanor would they first learn of life, and from it's shores she intended for them to depart.
As the creation of the world continued, Umbral'ogh grew tired and doubtful. For a world with so much creation he had little part. Where the land was most untouched he roamed and practised, bringing about magic, chaotic energy not approved by Adé'ryn. He discovered that his capabilities extended beyond his purpose and desired to use them. In time he approached Adé'ryn and showed her his magic, he had made sprites with the souls of the spirites that died. A cycle, he thought, but Adé'ryn did not believe so. She saw yet again where she had failed in her creation of Umbral'ogh. "I bethought mine owneth reflection was enough. But I wast wrong." Adé'ryn explained, "thee too longest for mine own purpose." The Light of Life's face, so full of light and beauty, dulled. Umbral'ogh was wrought with confusion and Adé'ryn was not glad or filled with joy to see him create, but was instead doubtful of her own will. Umbral'ogh protested, causing a surge of affliction. Fallanor shook and the Great Tree waned, in his presence all things began to slow. She ordered him to wander far away, opposite the sun and to a realm all of his own so that he might not cause the world destruction with the magic he possess. If she was true to herself, she would admit she was afraid of his chaos, scared that it would break her order. By her single touch, Umral'ogh was sentenced a prisoner in a realm for himself to become known as the moon. There he would be forever in the light of Adé'ryn and could only watch Aviin become a world that the Creátors would care for. Adé'ryn still believed such a punishment would in time force him to learn the purpose she set out for him.
The Servotar
For time to come, the Servotar remained in Fallanor, doing now as the Creátors had once done, learning their own will and using it as the will of Adé'ryn. First was Elodi; the Seed-maker. She was given power to sew the land with life that Terras'doro had created. By her hand the Gardens of Elodi were created on Fallanor, covering the golden ground with green. Second was Manlúln; the Wanderer. He was given Adé'ryn's will to see all and endure hardship. It was for Manlúln to learn the world of Aviin and tell it's story through word and scribe. He would often observe what was created and would offer his insight, having much to say. Third was Norsóm; Lord of the Hunt. He was the greatest hunter and his purpose was to teach that nothing must be taken in greed, only in need. It was he that worked most closely with the fourth Servotar. She was Érom; Lady of Beasts, twin of Norsóm. Adé'ryn gave her her will to see the world be lived on by creatures of nature and her brother saw that predator and prey made a cycle of balance in the animal kingdom. Norsóm later became well acquainted with Mare'neptuna, and they both enjoyed solitude. One, meditating in the deep ocean, the other in the heart of thick forests. Fifth was Era; she who was given the will of change. By her thought came the seasons of the world. Era and Manlúln accompanied each other often, walking together through Fallanor watching as her seasons changed the land he had already seen, now in a different light. Sixth was Lady Eredir, yet to have purpose, but was close with Norsom and Elodi. She wandered the wilds of Fallanor, often caring for the sprites of life born from the Ephronir. Seventh was Mythril, Terras'doro's greatest student. Eighth was the final Servotar of Adé'ryn's first thoughts, she was Deimors the adviser. She was closest of all the Servotar to their creator, moving with her wherever she went.
When Adé'ryn thought them ready, she sent them out into the world that the Creátors had shaped and begun to reside. Before long, the world was filled with wildlife and vegetation, running water and breathable air. At first there were but two seasons. Rise and Fall. One for all of the life to grow and advance, and one for them all to rest and wilt by Umbral'ogh's thought. But Era grew curious of the Creátor in the sky, in the prison barely visible in the ever blue sky, often out-shined by the light of Adé'ryn's sun. She went to him in secret and learned more of his plight. He was a Créator that could only reap life, it was his hardship to end what was life at its most beautiful. It filled her with grief to see him like this and so the seasons of Aviin began to change. Thus came winter. A period when life could no longer grow and must then lie in wait until the next Rise. Adé'ryn was aware, and thus gave purpose to Lady Eredír, who was bestowed the Light of Life's will to heal and nurture what was hurt or diseased. Eredír brought about the spark of life in Era's seasons. From this came Spring, and Rise became Summer, Fall became Autumn, always after would come Winter and thereafter Lady Eredír's Spring. Adé'ryn soon went to Era and warned her never to commune with Umbral'ogh again. Though it pained her, she admitted he would bring not the timeless preservation she had originally intended, but instead would bring chaos and destruction.
The Endless War
Eventually came the time that Adé'ryn almost saw the world ready for her children, but all was forced to a halt when the moon turned black and no longer shone with the light of her sun. First to know of Umbral'ogh's escape was Caélum, who fought with Umbral'ogh for some time in the sky. The Creátor of Skies was defeated, but not slain in a bid to force him to join Umbral'ogh's ranks. When he asked what Umbral'ogh had meant, the Creátor of Death revealed his own creations, known to be the Átondar, manifestations of Umbral'ogh's will, just as the Servotar were extensions of Adé'ryn's will, equal in power, but more chaotic in nature. Umbral'ogh stole the Ephron'ir and its power, plunging the mainlands and Fallanor into eternal darkness. Only then did he reveal his creations. They were Colussar; Lord of Suffering. Malth'ar; the Witness, and Shelnor; She who whispers. Caélum was saved by Terras'doro and Mare'neptuna, and all the Servotar were ordered back to Fallanor with them as the ocean became a maelstrom. Era's betrayal was revealed to Adé'ryn when all other Servotar were present except the lady of change. Whether Adé'ryn had known all his anger no one knew, but Umbral'ogh was no longer an extension of Adé'ryn's will like the others. He was now known to be chaos incarnate, he who has abandoned purpose. For much of the time that followed, the Endless War began and stretched across a section of the mainlands of Malynor known as Rag'aer-band. Era also revealed to the Créator of Darkness the location of a second Great Tree, named Manamár in the young mainlands. For the time that then began to pass he attacked from the north with all his force in the hopes to eventually take the tree for himself. For the first half of the Endless War, the armies of Adé consisted of elementals, creatures without a soul that battled on behalf of each of the Créators. The armies of Umbral were made up of Demovar, soulless manifestations of darkness born from the corrupted Ephron'ir, commonly known as demons.
The Death of Ade'ryn
The most climactic part of the War between Adé'ryn and Umbral'ogh was when the Light of Life was fatally wounded in the Assault of Manamár (known in history as Hallow's End) and her power stolen by Umbral'ogh, who crafted it into a mask of light, a power source that he could use for his own will, far more powerful than even the Ephron'ir. With this new power Umbral'ogh had finally become the greatest evil known, stopping at nothing to eradicate the Creátors and plague the world with his magic and create the world in his own image. This moment shook the great expanse just as her birth of the Creátor's had at the beginning of time. The backlash threw Adé'ryn across the land, and Umbral'ogh's devastating corruption also destroyed much of Eastern Malynor, scorching the life away from the land. Manlúln used much of his power to stretch the distance around Umbral'ogh, making reality as though the Créator of Death traveled endlessly, temporarily, Umbral'ogh had become a prisoner once again. Elodi and Eredír did their best to tend to Ade'ryn and rushed her back to the Great Tree on Fallanor. Meanwhile, Norsóm, Mythril and Érom lead the search to hunt down remaining demovar and capture or destroy the Atondar in the mainlands. Manlúln lead the hunt for Era, who presumably had the corrupted Ephron'ir. It was around this time that Deimors; Lady of Wrath, discovered her purpose. For a time Deimors roamed Fallanor, she excepted the company of none and was oft' heard wailing from the distance. In the eternal darkness Umbral'ogh had wrought onto the land she heard only whispers that brought more rage and despair. But when Adé'ryn's life began to wilt Deimors could take it no more. With Deimors' wrath came great fury which leaped the distance of Manlúln's power and thrust Umbral'ogh back into Manamár, a blow which corrupted the great tree with Umbral'ogh's essence. Her own fury was so much that her time on Fallanor alone latched onto the Great Tree, Eála, changing some of it's sap. The two battled, scarring the land around Manamár for some time, until Collusar forced Deimors to reluctantly retreat to the west. Umbral'ogh seized this moment to claim Manamár for his own. This tree was meant for the Servotar to weave their thoughts into, but instead, Umbral'ogh wove his own thoughts into it and stole the thoughts of his Átondar too. Not long after Era revealed herself from hiding, but she no longer hand the Ephon'ir in her possession for she had fallen in a battle of words and wisdom with Manlúln. But Umbral'ogh no longer cared for it, as he had now the power of Adé'ryn and the Great Tree Manamár. Era was the only Servotar to be allowed to weave her thought freely into Manamár because of her loyalty to the Creátor of Death, regardless of her failure. This was the birth of Umbral'ogh's Morn'fal children. These would later come to scatter across Malynor whilst the Demovar became older and rare - yet absolutely more powerful.
By now, the world was succumbing to darkness and all that had once been was slowly tearing and drifting into the great expanse beyond the world. The Creátors and Servotar retreated to Fallanor in mourning. There, Manlúln returned with the waning Ephron'ir. Adé'ryn held onto it and prepared to bid them her final goodbye. Her last wish before entering eternal sleep was for the Creátors to use all they had learned to shape some of her children, and give them what they need to know in order to survive. She knew she had been wrong in trying to create perfect children, that was what she had learned with the corruption of the Creátor of death. With her death would come the end of the elementals, and the armies of Adé would be no more. However her essence would fill the Ephron'ir once more to eventually bring light to the world one final time. The other Créator's would have to make an army all of there own, though it pained her to admit it, to defend the world for light to return. The three Créators then weaved wisps of their thought into the branches of the Great Tree, Éala. Before she said her final goodbye, however, the Light of Life turned to Deimors, asking the Lady of Wrath if she regretted her actions. Deimors knelt low to the cold ground, begging forgiveness. She had learned from the error of her brash, thoughtless reaction. Adé'ryn forgave her and said "thou shall no be alone... be patient." And soon after Fallanor dimmed and Adé'ryn was absorbed into Éala. The gold, pristine fields became dull and the silver trees waned.
The untouched children were then born, Adé'ryn's Arta'fal; High Elves. They glowed a brilliant gold and silver. They lived and matured on the land of Fallanor for what could be a millennia. The Créators defended Fallanor with all their might... all except Mare'neptuna, who sacrificed himself to a life of solitude in the ocean to cause a surging tide so strong nothing could pass. It was only once his children were born from the sap of Éala that he parted the ocean and called them to pass. These were the Helwa'fal, and no time did they spend with their sibling elves. Over time, Mare'neptuna would part his ocean again, calling out the names of Deimors and Norsom.
The End Days
After almost a millenia since it's creation, the catastrophic tides calmed at Mare'neptuna's command. This was when the High Elves finally left Fallanor to follow their brethren to Rag'aer-band, a land north of Manamár that Umbral'ogh had once controlled before defeating Adé'ryn in battle. By now the Helwa'fal had built a great city called Tarminos, with rivers that stretched far and wide, to other bastions equipped to decimate the new threat. Umbra'fal. Deimors' had been leading a battle against Collusar's forces of Gantua'fal and Umbra'fal in the West of Rag'aer-band, and Norsom was pushing head-first unto the forces of Umbral from the north, creating a great border. In this time to pass the forces of Helwa'fal and Arta'fal joined together to force the armies of Umbral back to Manamár, where hope finally looked possible. That all changed once Umbral'ogh managed to corrupt the Servotar, Mythril, known as The Demiurge. He was known for forging the weapons of Adé with Terras'doro's great Hammer; Vólig. But for ages the whisperer, Shelnor had perverted his mind from beyond Mare'neptuna's raging tides. With Mythril now under his control, Umbral'ogh forged tremendous weapons of power, turning the tides of war in his favour, pushing the forces of Adé all the way back to Tarminos. When most seemed lost... Norsom used his great spear of endless flames to purge the land of all evil. All races fled the inferno that titled this war the War of Flames. Norsom almost destroyed himself as he continued to release more and more uncontrolled power. Norsóm stood before the general of Umbral'ogh's army, and all finally seemed won. But the armies of Umbral were not finished, Umbral'ogh's final command ordered the burned dead to rise once more in servitude to the Créator of Death. The sky shook with his laughter as he dared to mimic the Light of Life's ability to create life. The dead managed to walk through the fires raging at the border of Rag'aer-band and soon they would threaten Tarminos with defeat. But Mare'neptuna then put out a warning to the Arta'fal. He ordered them and the other Créators and Servotar to retreat. As all fled the land of Rag'aer-band, Mare'nuptuna and his Helwa'fel put up one final fight. As the risen armies of Umbra descended upon Tarminos, Mare'neptuna brought the sea upon the land, causing cataclysm. Tarminos fell, and with it, all the Helwa'fal, much of the Umbra'fal armies, and reportedly Shelnor.
As the destruction began it brought such sorrow that it is said the cries of Adé'ryn's soul could be heard wailing from the Great Tree, Éala. But with it two more Servotar were born. Cassiel, the Still and Silent was born first from the echo of Ade'ryn's soul, her title given to her after she descended into the war with the now rejuvenated Ephron'ir held above her. Light filled the sky as Cassiel appeared upon the sinking land of Rag'aer-band and all around her words ceased and action stopped. She had created stillness - and in that motionless silence - all stopped to look upon her. Manlúln then observed that Cassiel was the guardian of death that Ade'ryn had wanted, but failed to make in life. Cassiel reaped the undead even as the sea collapsed in all around her. Gadireel was born second, he was the manifestation of war and was the one to pursue Adé'ryn's attackers most strategically. These two were the Twins of the End Days, and Umbral'ogh's armies feared them most of all the Servotar, excluding Deimors, and perhaps more so than the Creátors themselves for they had not the weakness of pity. Deimors, the Lady of Wrath, has often since been known as the third Servotar of the End Days, joining forces with Cassiel and Gadireel in bringing vengeance in Adé'ryn's name. After this event, Gadireel devised a plan to rescue Mythril from Manamár. It was during this time that the Créator's began to bequeath their greatest artefacts to the Servotar, Mare'neptuna handed down his bident to Norsóm, and Caélum bequeathed his globe of air to Manlúln. Terras'doro sought to free Mythril and bring back his mind with the power of Volig.
The Arta'fal then worked closely with Gadireel to infiltrate Umbral'ogh's bastion and take back their missing Servotar. When Mythril was rescued he was accompanied by none other than one of the Átondar, Malth'ar who had been seen even more rarely than Shelnor. He had come to them and he plead beneath the feet of Terras'doro, Caélum and Mare'neptuna for forgiveness and told all the secrets that Umbral'ogh had bequethed to him. As Umbral'ogh's Witness, he had seen once the purpose he was given by the Creátor of Death, but no longer believed his purpose true. As Witness, he watched the world change and die. He watched Umbral'ogh become blind with rage and darkness. He no longer saw any kind of redemption within the Creátor of Death. He was brought back to Fallanor and stood before the Great Tree to face his prosecutions before Éala. It was then that the Atondar of Witness was forgiven by the voice of Adé'ryn that came in the form of warmth and noise in his mind. She also apologised, for she was the monster to create the Darkness now trying to consume the world. She gave Malth'ar new purpose, decreeing that he shall be renamed Gevurah, the last Servotar of Judgement, for he had witnessed and seen right from wrong, and had known pity and shame. He was then commonly called the Grim Reaper, or the Great Judge. It was his purpose to expect Cassiel who would bring the souls of the dead that died after wilting. He would pluck their soul and read their history as it played out before him. By his hand, he would dot the sky with them as bright and precious stars, or he would deem them unworthy and toss their souls into the nothingness beyond Adé'ryn's creation. Adé'ryn learned where she was wrong once more, that not all life had to be taken at it's brightest moment. The only beings who knew of Malth'ar's change of heart was the Creátors themselves and the Servotar of the End Days. This resulted in the rare appearance of Gevurah startling the other Servotar, who would later always be un-trusting.
Answers
The end of the war came when the three Creátors sacrificed themselves, creating a vessel in which to keep Umbral'ogh imprisoned for all eternity. The vessel was Aviin, the world they created together. It became round and compact, imbued with the essence of the Creátors so that their will might continue to nurture the world. At the same time, the Mask of Adé'ryn was scattered across the world. In the last moments of the Age of Origination, the Servotar hunted down the Átondar whilst their power remained. The scattering of Adé'ryn's Mask had caused the Servotars' power to slowly decline. Eventually, they became victorious, mostly in thanks to Deimors having single-handedly charged through the weakened armies of Umbral'ogh. Deimors' final battle was with Colussar and was cataclysmic - Deimor's then suddenly vanished, suspected to have felt peace and moved far, far away to die. The Servotar, in grief of their lost Creátors and Deimors, returned to Fallanor and saw the rest of the Children of Éala awaken from the Great Tree, from a distance, in the time to pass.
Instead of joining them, the Servotar decreed to stay distant, believing these children to be stronger without them as they silently protected Malynor- ready for the Children of Éala to arrive. They prepared it, renewed it slowly over time. The rest of the High Elves were born, and the previous High Elves became known as the Highborne, those that would guide the new races into the future. The third race to be born was Terras'doro's Thornon'fal, Dwarves, who ascended from Éala's roots. Then lastly Caélum's Veo'fal, Humans, were born from it's leaves. These children were given a dream by the remnants of Adé'ryn, their purpose in the world. It was for the dwarves to nurture the land, to protect the prison holding Umbral'ogh, and it was for the Humans to explore and discover all, just as Caélum once did too. Yet they did not know their hidden purpose - for that would perverse Adé'ryn's wish. The last of the sap that did not give birth to life was taken by Elodi, who believed one day it would have purpose. She later planted the sap like seeds on the land of Malynor and, in another age, gave birth to the Halflings.
As the land of Fallanor slowly began to decline, the Arta'fal journeyed across the ocean and came into contact with an unknown land, a coastal region surrounded by a line of mountains, crowned with a golden light from the rising sun. This was the fabled continent named Malynor, known to the Higborne from the End Days. This northern region became known as Tal'rond. Their journey followed the mountainous coastline east until the mountains opened to a river mouth named Ethirwen, the Maiden River. This lead to the realm of Laédin, named after the Highborne that lead the Fallon to these lands. This soon became revered by the Arta'fal, and only the Véo'fal and Thornon'fal continued to traverse Tal'rond until settling in their own realms not long after Laédin's crusades. The Véo'fal traveled south through the realm known as Rondór, feeling compelled to explore, whilst the Thornon'fal traveled west to Míredur, drawn to the earth.
It was here that the timeline of recorded history began, with the crowning of the Arta'fal king, Laédin, in the realm of his own name in the north of Tal'rond. It was during this time that new threats arose in Tal'rond, born of the second Great Tree, Manamár. These were led by none other than Era, the Lady of Change. Because of this the forces of Arta, Thornon and Véo Fallon united to purge the land, rarely guided or watched by the weakened Servotar, for they waged their own hidden war against Era and Shelnor.
Ade'ryn - The First One, after her battle with Umbral'ogh.
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