Age of Arcanum
Over time, some of the people o f Exandria grew arrogant.
Seeing their arcane gifts as proof that the gods
held no sway over their fate, a belief developed that, with
enough understanding, they too could become as powerful
as the gods. Many began to shun faith in favor of
their own pursuits. Though this hurt and surprised the
Creators, they understood the willfulness of their children
and endured out of love and hope for redemption.
Great kingdoms sprung up across Exandria. Castles
were built in a day, accelerated by the arcanists' newfound
power. Erudite cities hovered and drifted through
the skies, shifting under the direction of scholarly magi
to wherever their interests took them. Even though
magic could be used to complete the most difficult
tasks with hitherto unknown speed, magic-users strove always to innovate. As mages practiced and perfected
their powers of creation, they soon unlocked the secrets
of life itself, giving birth to wondrous, dangerous new
creatures and power. Powerful archmages such as
Vecna the Whispered One and Halas Lutagran began
to carve their paths into history during this era of unbridled
magical experimentation.
The advent of the arcane seemed to be the key to a
bountiful age of plenty but also proved to threaten it,
as prosperity soon gave way to greed. Petty squabbles
erupted over resources and wealth among the elite,
while the rumor of immortality through perfected arcanum
began to drive the greatest mages wild with a lust
for unending power. One mortal mage, her name either
lost or struck from history, crafted now-forbidden rites
to challenge the God of Death, felling him and taking
his place among the pantheon, making her the first and
only mortal to ascend to godhood. The archmage Vespin
Chloras was inspired by this display. Driven by his hunger,
he sought the guidance and power of the banished
gods, rending open the gates of their prisons and releasing
the betrayers into the mortal world.
During their imprisonment, these gods of hatred
and despair twisted their prison into their own image,
spawning unthinkable horrors that lived only to transform
peace into suffering, and righteousness into arrogance
and greed. The Nine Hells and the Abyss began
to push their way into Creation. The Betrayer Gods and
their hateful children discovered a world unspoiled,
save for the avarice of mortals. The urge to ruin was
now replaced with the desire to dominate, and the Betrayer
Gods began by turning on the mage who freed
them, making Archmage Vespin their first thrall. This
corrupted divinity sought out the remnants of their offspring,
scattered across the world, and created a mighty
and terrible new kingdom on the plains of Xhorhas, at
the far end of the world from Vasselheim-Ghor Dranas.
In this land of evil, where the twisted power of the
lower planes seeped into Exandria, the lords of darkness
tainted the minds of mortals, hungrily welcoming
those who had lost their way, and offering great promises
and boons to hearts easily swayed. These poisonous
seeds found fertile ground in the hearts of mortals
obsessed with the unlimited power of the arcane. With
a legion of the damned behind them, the Betrayer Gods
soon made their presence known to the world with an
assault on Vasselheim itself.
Though much of the city was reduced to rubble, Vasselheim
weathered the initial assault, saved by the intervention
of the Prime Deities themselves, who descended
to trade blows with their former brethren. The battle
between divinity and mortals, between heroes and
demons, raged ceaselessly for twenty days and nights
until the dark forces, their surprise attack thwarted,
were finally forced to retreat.
Evil was repulsed momentarily, but with the revelation
of such a terrible foe, a dangerous arcane arms
race began. Trust was shattered indefinitely: if mortals
could fall under the sway of the Betrayer Gods, who
was an ally? If ruin like this could be unleashed under
the watchful eyes of the gods, how were they relevant?
Not trusting any but themselves, the self-interested and singular humans reforged their instruments of celebration
into instruments of incredible power-artifacts
that could be wielded by worthy heroes. The dwarves'
fascination with rock and earth turned toward isolation
as they burrowed deeper into the mountains, using their
divine gifts to animate legions of autonomous golems
to protect their ancestral halls. Elves used their understanding
of creation's beauty and intricacies to weave
spells of unimaginable destructive force, the likes of
which Exandria had never seen before.
For the first time since the Primordials were destroyed,
the focus of magic was warfare. The gods themselves
agreed to join their children on the field of battle,
descending from the heavens to take up arms once more
for the war now referred to as the Calamity.
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