The Forsaken Era
The Rise of the Unbound
When the Weave fractured, it was not simply a loss of magic—it was the loss of all order. Without the Weave to bind reality, some beings discovered they could wield magic without the limitations imposed by the cosmic structure. They were no longer constrained by the natural laws that governed existence, and this newfound freedom allowed them to shape reality to their will.
Some entities had always existed on the fringes of reality, their power kept in check by the Weave’s structure. Others, once benign or neutral, were twisted by the unraveling of the fabric of the universe. Together, these beings became known as The Unbound—a chaotic force threatening all existence.
Among the most feared of these Unbound entities were:
- The Rakshasa Lords:
Ancient and malevolent, the Rakshasa were demonic tricksters, once bound by cycles of reincarnation. With the loss of the Weave, they were freed from the constant rebirth and the restrictions on their power. These lords of illusion and manipulation could bend the minds of mortals to their will, and their dark schemes threatened to unravel entire kingdoms. They thrived on chaos, using their newfound freedom to wage wars of deception and corruption. - The Leviathans:
These primordial sea titans were not merely colossal beasts—they were the embodiments of the oceans themselves. Born from the very essence of creation, the Leviathans could reshape reality by sheer force of will. With the collapse of the Weave, they grew even more powerful, able to command the oceans and skies, warping reality with their movements. Their roars caused continents to tremble, and they were capable of tearing apart cities or summoning catastrophic storms with ease. - The Unshaped:
These entities were not beings of flesh, but creatures of pure entropy. They existed between states of reality, their forms ever-changing and impossible to define. They were chaos incarnate, constantly evolving and shifting, unable to be bound by any laws of nature. The Unshaped could drain the very essence of existence, erasing memories, identities, and entire civilizations in moments, leaving behind only empty voids where once-thriving cultures had existed. - The Nameless Choir:
A disturbing cluster of fallen celestial beings, the Nameless Choir was made up of entities that once served higher cosmic purposes. After the Forsakening, their divine voices were distorted and turned into instruments of destruction. Their tongues spoke in forgotten, forbidden languages that unraveled the fabric of reality itself. Every word they uttered echoed through existence, pulling at the threads of creation, causing time to fracture and space to warp around them. Their very presence brought madness, as the boundaries between worlds began to collapse.
Uneasy Alliances
Faced with the rising threat of the Unbound, the forces that had once fought bitterly against one another were forced to put aside their enmity. The balance of the cosmos hung in the balance, and the only way to survive was for ancient enemies to forge alliances in a desperate bid to contain these unstoppable forces.
- Demons and Devils:
The eternal Blood War between Demons and Devils had raged for millennia, with both sides committed to their own visions of chaos and order. But when the Unbound arose, they put aside their rivalry, temporarily abandoning their centuries-old conflict to join forces. Demons, with their primal chaos, and Devils, with their strict order and cunning, formed a fragile alliance, united only by the threat they faced. Together, they sought to banish or imprison the worst of the Unbound, though neither side trusted the other. Their cooperation was born of necessity, not friendship. - Angels and Valkyries:
Celestial beings who had long adhered to strict codes of order and divine law found themselves in an impossible situation. They were forced to ally with their ancient enemies, the Valkyries, once fierce opponents, but now a necessary ally in the war against the Unbound. The Angels brought their wisdom and order, while the Valkyries contributed their ferocity and strength. Together, they sought to hold the fabric of existence together, preventing the complete collapse of reality. - Primordial and Celestial Forces:
Even more shocking was the alliance between the Primordials—the ancient entities of the elements—and the Celestial beings who had once opposed them. For eons, the two groups had fought over the nature of existence itself. But the threat posed by the Unbound was greater than any ideological differences. The Primordials, with their raw elemental power, and the Celestials, with their divine wisdom, joined forces to weave new seals, new wards, and new prisons to contain the worst of the Unbound. They worked tirelessly to create powerful artifacts and spells capable of binding these creatures, but even they knew that the war would cost them dearly.
No faction fully trusted any other, but the alternative—total annihilation—was a future none could afford.
The Great Sealing
Over the course of the next 4,000 years, the war to contain the Unbound raged on. Realms fell, civilizations were sacrificed, and unimaginable costs were paid in blood, resources, and lives. The Weave had been broken, but the forces of order—the remaining gods, mortals, and celestial beings—fought desperately to regain control.
This war culminated in the Final Convergence, a decisive battle where the remaining Unbound were either:
- Sealed in dimensional vaults, deep within void-tombs that were designed never to be opened again. These entities were bound by powerful magics and hidden away in realms that even the gods feared to enter.
- Cast into realms beyond existence, where time and space had no meaning. These were places where even the gods dared not tread, where the Unbound could no longer influence the material world.
- Annihilated, though scholars debate whether true destruction is even possible for these beings. Some theorists believe that the Unbound could not be truly destroyed, only contained or banished to realms beyond comprehension.
The Great Sealing ended the war, but it left deep scars on the fabric of existence. Many of the seals and vaults created to imprison the Unbound were made of unstable magic, and over time, cracks began to form. The forces of order knew that they had not won—only delayed the inevitable.
The Betrayal of the Netherese
The Netherese, once the greatest allies of the Matron, fell victim to betrayal during the war.
The Netherese were the first masters of magic, and their civilization had long been revered for its mastery of the arcane. Their ancient knowledge had allowed them to reshape reality itself, and they were invaluable allies during the war against the Unbound. But after the Forsakening, the Netherese’s power was seen as a threat.
Their understanding of magic was so profound that many believed they could eventually control or even harness the chaos brought about by the breaking of the Weave. Fearful of their potential to tip the balance of the world toward destruction, the celestial and primal forces turned on them.
Despite their loyalty to the Matron and their central role in the Great Sealing, the Netherese were hunted to extinction. Their cities were destroyed, their libraries erased, and their knowledge scattered. Many of their greatest mages were imprisoned, or worse—erased from existence entirely. The betrayal was swift and brutal, leaving the Netherese civilization in ruins.
What remains of the Netherese is little more than legend—a shadow of their once-great legacy. Their knowledge, their cities, and their people were lost to time, leaving only whispers and fragments of their influence scattered across the world.
The Final Betrayal: The Dragons, Phoenixes, and The Lock
The war against the Unbound had stretched over millennia, and in the end, it was not only gods, mortals, and primordial beings that fought to seal away the final unchecked threat. The dragons and the phoenixes, the last creatures capable of wielding true magic—magic unbound by the Weave—played a pivotal role in the war’s conclusion. Their immense power and ancient knowledge were vital in containing the worst of the Unbound, and they were seen as the last hope for reality itself.
However, the ultimate betrayal came when the dragons and phoenixes, despite their sacrifices, were abandoned. It wasn’t simply out of fear, but out of necessity. The mortals, the gods, the devils—all feared they could not overcome the final unchecked power, a force from deep within the Far Realms, a place where reality itself warps and bends beyond comprehension.
To prevent this final entity from destroying everything, a drastic and painful decision was made: the Dragons and Phoenixes—the last bastions of true magic—were betrayed by their own allies. The mortal races, led by the Dragonborn—who had once revered their dragon progenitors—had grown fearful and envious of the dragons' power. They saw the dragons as both protectors and potential destroyers, and their true magic could, if left unchecked, obliterate all of existence.
The Lock was formed—a mystical barrier sealing the entire Dragon Realm and Phoenix Realm away, sending them into the Far Realms. It wasn’t just about fear of power, but the realization that no one, not even the gods, could overcome the final threat that lay dormant in the Far Realms. The dragons and phoenixes were the only beings capable of standing against this incomprehensible power, and the decision was made to send them into exile, where they could guard against this entity’s return.
The Lock itself was a grand, cosmic prison, one that isolated both realms in a dimension beyond time and reality. It was a place where the laws of the universe collapsed, a space where even the dragons—with their immeasurable magic—were trapped, unable to leave or act beyond the Far Realms' twisting chaos.
The Rage of the Scholar
I am a scholar, a sage, someone who has spent my entire life seeking the truths of the cosmos, decoding ancient texts, and piecing together the history of our world. And yet, there is one thing—one thing—that has eluded me, a detail buried so deep that even the most learned minds of the Arcane Citadel refuse to acknowledge it.
This truth—the one that could explain everything—has been locked away for centuries, hidden even from those like me who are supposed to understand the past. There is a single book, a manuscript so coveted, so secret, that only the Grand Sage of the Citadel may access it. This book contains the name of the final unchecked power, the being that the dragons and phoenixes were sent to guard against in the Far Realms. The name of this entity is known to only a few—and to those few, it is a name that must never be spoken.
And yet, the Grand Sage has refused to share this knowledge with me. I have begged, I have pleaded, I have spent years trying to convince him to let me read it, and he still refuses.
Why? Why has he kept it hidden from me? What is so dangerous about this name, this being that even the gods feared?
I’ve heard whispers, yes. The name is said to be erased from all but the deepest tomes, and even then, it is only referenced in cryptic fragments, too vague to give any sense of understanding. I’ve seen scholars speak of it in hushed tones, their faces pale, as if speaking its name could summon its very essence. But why? What is it about this being that has left the gods and mortals alike trembling in fear?
This is the greatest betrayal of all. Not only were the dragons and phoenixes abandoned by their own kin, but the true enemy, the one they fought so fiercely to contain, is a secret so dangerous that it has been deliberately hidden from us. What monster could be so powerful, so terrible, that even the grandest of sages are afraid to speak its name?
I am enraged. I am frustrated beyond belief. There is no knowledge more important, no truth more pressing than this. And yet, I am denied it. The Grand Sage alone holds the key to this mystery, and he will not share it. Not with me, not with anyone. And to this day, the name of this unchecked power remains locked in the vaults of the Citadel, buried beneath layers of secrecy.
A World Without the Dragons, Phoenixes, and the Netherese
The betrayal of the dragons and phoenixes was not just a political act—it was the final betrayal of the entire world. The Lock ensured that the realms of the dragons and phoenixes would remain isolated in the Far Realms, forever beyond reach. And with them went the last source of true magic, a magic that could have been used to preserve or restore balance in a world teetering on the edge of chaos.
Yet, the betrayal did not end with the dragons and phoenixes. The Netherese, once allies of the forces that waged the war against the Unbound, too met a tragic end. Their once-glorious civilization, with its unparalleled mastery of arcane power, was reduced to ash and whispers. The Netherese were not just swept aside in the grand scheme—they were hunted down and wiped from existence. The mortals and the gods alike feared their potential, for their ancient knowledge was so vast, so dangerous, that it threatened to unravel everything. When the war ended, and the dragons and phoenixes were sent to guard the Far Realms' hidden horrors, the Netherese were condemned as a threat too great to be allowed to survive.
Their libraries were purged, their cities vanished, and the magical prowess that once set them apart was lost to time. Those few Netherese survivors who remained were hunted mercilessly, their once-great artifacts and knowledge destroyed to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. The Matron, who had once been a staunch ally, abandoned them. And the world, in its fear, allowed their extinction.
What remains of the Netherese legacy is but fragments—bits of arcane knowledge scattered across the world, hidden deep within forgotten tombs and ruins. Only a few still dare to speak their name, and fewer still know the true extent of their power. As for the dragons and phoenixes, their exile in the Far Realms serves as a grim reminder: they were the last line of defense against the final unchecked power, a being that even the gods could not defeat. They were betrayed not out of malice alone, but out of necessity, as the mortals and the gods feared that no force could stand against the entity from the Far Realms, a threat so incomprehensible that even the most powerful beings in existence could do little more than imprison it in a place where time and reality no longer held sway.
Now, all that remains are the fragments of the Weave, the scattered threads of magic that hold together the fragile balance of the world. The mortals, the gods, and the devils continue to struggle in the aftermath of the war, but they cannot escape the truth: they betrayed the very protectors who could have saved them, locking them away in the Far Realms, while the Netherese were erased from history and all that was left were the questions that no one dared ask.
The Lock, a barrier between worlds, and the betrayal of the dragons, phoenixes, and the Netherese remains a haunting chapter of the world's history, one that echoes in the fractured world we inhabit today.
