(Updated 12/12/21)

(This contains major events that would be known as common knowledge. Many lesser-known details are excluded.)
 

Chapter Ten: The Cult's Return

Year 98-99 of The New Era

 

The Cult's presence has loomed large for many years, their hand felt in many events; the plague, the mesa war, and Itiris, to name but a few. Yet often their involvement was felt from the shadows, direct attacks on the Kingdom rarely made since victory in the Pact War. This was soon to change with their attacks on the ravine fort. Situated in a strategic location as a bridge between Falkvard and Barkamsted, numerous attempts were made by the Cult over a year to claim the site for themselves, each more brutal than the last. Grendels, Graveminders, Orators and more were brought to the fray, along with newer, ever-more-deadly creations; one, a living cannon, its firepower the bodies strewn across its battlefields. The Kingdom was hard-pressed to keep the fort from the Cult's hands, several brave warriors giving their lives to seize victory.
 

And yet, as ever, the Cult appears far from finished. Though the ravine fort remains safe, the Cult's forces swarm at the Crossroads between Falkvard, Barkamsted, Itiris and the mesas, with all travel and communication by this route utterly halted as a result. Even now, the end to which the Cult works is unknown. All that seems certain is that the threat they pose now looms larger than ever.

 

Chapter Nine: The Sons of Itiris

Year 94-98 of The New Era

 

The campaign in Acaedia was ultimately a success, the Avalti reclaiming their home as the Nest was freed from the clutches of witches. Though still present on Acaedia, many of the worst witches were stopped, while others seek to use and teach their magic for better ends. For a time, all seemed well. The respite was to be brief, however, as a new threat unlike any before was to descend on Saphriel: a year-long winter. At first the snows merely remained into the spring, the seasons seemingly slower to change than usual. Yet as the weeks went by and the cold showed no sign of abating, it became clear that winter would remain, though at first none knew how long for.

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Snow blanketed near every corner of the land, roads and grass suffocated under its mantle. The crops of farms refused to grow; plants outside wilted. Animals of the forest succumbed to the cold, and with them hunters in need of their next meal. Those without homes or warmth to spare slowly but surely lost their lives. At first, none knew what to blame this on. Some believed it to be a Cult plot; others claimed the winter was a punishment from the Gods from their sins. The Kingdom, after looking into the matter, announced that these long winters had precedent in history, and the snow would likely fade by the next spring. As for the winter itself, the worst of it was fortunately avoided thanks to the Kingdom's preparations. Food had been stockpiled, firewood and blankets were offered, and all did their part to help others through the winter. Even so, not everybody could be saved. It was a cruel time, and the people rejoiced as the next spring came and the snow finally faded.

Adding to these threats was a group naming themselves the Sons of Itiris, a militant faction dedicated to unique teachings on Aderoth. They view the Regent, though a champion of Aderoth, as a false ruler, and half-demons, tolerated by the Kingdom, as vile beasts to be slain. Worse, though none of their members are known to use holy magic, items and concoctions allow them to wield fearsome powers beyond the limits of mortals. The Sons had been active for years prior, though much of their efforts had been dedicated to occupying Itiris, known before the Pact War as a holy city dedicated to Aderoth's teachings. With winter's coming, did the Knights Order seek to reclaim Itiris, thus facing the group head-on. Itiris was taken from the Sons, though not without fierce battles first against them, then the Cult who sent an army of abominations against those holding the city. Victory was claimed, yet at a heavy price in lives.
 

For now, the long winter is over and the Kingdom holds Itiris. Yet the Sons of Itiris remain active, utterly dedicated to their faith as they seek to grow whilst attacking the Kingdom. Itiris itself, meanwhile, is host to numerous ghouls, with the forgotten secrets in the city's deepest reaches yet to be explored. With all eyes seemingly on the holy city, none can say what shall come of it in the end.

 

Chapter Eight: Pine Valley

Year 92-93 of The New Era 

 

After the wedding of King Regent Glaedwin and Lady Fairlin Remartiu, with triumphant celebrations held throughout Falkvard to mark the momentous occasion, Saphriel entered a period of relative calm for some years. Slowly but surely, however, a new threat made itself known. It began first as whispers; occasional reports of horrific deerlike monstrosities in the Pine Forest, or of a mysterious mansion tucked away among its trees. Some who went returned with life-threatening infection after inhaling spores in the area. As the warnings increased and the dangers grew greater, it became clear that the Pine Forest would have to be sealed to stop these horrors from escaping into the wider world. This task fell on the Knights Order, who for a full year stood guard at the forest's entrance, constructing defenses and warding off the beasts who sought to escape. These trials were exacerbated by the Cult, who sought to use the evils within the forest for their own ends.

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As the fighting went on, it became clear that the source of these troubles was that secluded mansion, with foul experiments being conducted within to create the forest's many newfound monsters. This included, it was learned, a Forbidden One, a being created outside the design of the Gods, which if allowed to exist would destroy all life. A group from the Hunters Guild was assembled to enter the mansion and put an end to the evil within. This took several expeditions, and in its last, two full months passed between the group entering the mansion and leaving. Yet they did; though some had died, and the truth of what happened was known to few, the terrors of the Pine Forest had been put to rest.

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This was but one episode of many as danger descended on Saphriel again. In the wake of the Knights' siege on the forest, the Cult sent assassins to dispose of crucial figures in the Kingdom. Earlier, a crop blight occurred that left farms devastated for the year. As for now, less well-intentioned witches once more seek to use the Avalti for their own ends, taking over their Nest and holding their people captive. With the Kingdom unequivocally siding with the Avalti, those who wish to aid them in reclaiming their home now journey to Acaedia, to face dangers new and unknown.

 

Chapter Eight: The Mesa War

Year 88 of The New Era 

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It would not be long before further war plagued the people of Saphriel. With the unexpected death of Chieftain Oomjor, a leader among the Orcs desiring further ties with western, Alliance races, a power struggle erupted that grew into an all-out war between those that sought ever-closer union, and those who wished for the mesas to remain independent of western interference, and then those who sought to begin the Pact War anew. The latter was a particular threat, aided as they were by the distant remaining Cult in undead men, monsters, and resources. While much fighting happened on the part of the Orcs, it fell to the Knights Order to aid the remnants of Oomjor's tribe, battered by the war and a new brutal leader who ruled for power alone.

 

After much fighting, they were victorious; the Cult once more pushed back, ties between some Orcish tribes and the Kingdom have, at least in theory, grown closer since. Yet even after the war, those Orcs that embrace change from the West are ultimately a minority; many Orcs remain that would prefer separation from Western ways, if not another war. Back in the west, the prejudices against the Pact races remain in the cities, the genocide of the Pact War understandably far from forgotten There remain some in both the East and the West who strive for mutual understanding to advance the Mesa and the Kingdom. Whether their efforts succeed, only time shall tell.

 

Chapter Seven: The Aceadia War

Year 82 of The New Era 

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A new threat, however, soon followed on its heels. It had been some eight years since they last made contact with Saphriel, but the race of cat-people known as the Ca'Liar attacked the city of Barkamsted, murdering soldiers and civilians alike. It was later revealed that they had meant to attack Acaedia, the jungle island, in the hope of freeing the Avalti from the proclaimed 'tyranny' of witches - casters of unique magic not gifted by Bothimir, who would kidnap Avalti to fuel this power. Many, however, were skeptical of this explanation. Though the Kingdom did not officially take a side in the war, mercenaries and diplomats from Saphriel sided with Aceadia, fighting against the Ca'Liar's attacks on the jungle as well as meeting with their generals in an attempt to broker peace. At first, there seemed little hope, many died to the armies of Einar, and the Emperor Ri'Shaka sought to kill the diplomats, his plan from the start being to conquer Acaedia completely, Avalti included. To this end he was prepared to sacrifice his own people, summoning a titanic demon when the mercenaries boarded his ship and freed the captured diplomats he had not executed. His plans, however, were foiled, the demon defeated and the Ca'Liar immensely weakened after the battle. After two years of fighting, the war was over. With this, ties between Acaedia and Saphriel grew closer, with many Avalti resettling in Saphriel after their homes had been taken from them. While no great tension exists between them and Saphriel's peoples, their presence is tenuous, many living in a small settlement just outside Barkamsted, and it remains to be seen how much further they will integrate.

 

Chapter Six: The Plague

Year 81 of The New Era 

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For a time, a period of relative peace emerged, Falkvard, though a shadow of its former self, being slowly rebuilt and becoming a populous city of all races. This density, however, was to prove its danger. After lurking in the shadows for years, the Cult made a two-pronged attack in the form of a plague and a curse. The first would kill in weeks, turning its victims into zombies that spread this plague even further; the second would devour memories of the Cult, and worse, it would cause holy magic to harm rather than heal, thus making both the plague and curse seemingly impossible to combat. Some holy mages thankfully managed to remain untouched by the plague; these few cured their fellow healers, and in turn the plague was fought against. Many civilians were quarantined as a result of the plague, but the response was thankfully swift, with few major casualties taking place before both the plague and curse were eradicated, hopefully for good.

 

Chapter Five: Fae Friends

Year 79 of The New Era 

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Throughout all of this, however, a race of creatures long-forgotten watched events from afar, only occasionally interacting with its actors. At first, it was a lone being known to most as the Mask, a benevolent creature that granted wishes in exchange for memories, possessions, or further gifts. As time passed, however, they would grow into a race of their own: the Fae. Born ages before mortals for want of a story, they were locked away in a separate realm by those who came before mortals when they proved too dangerous, and only a select few managed to escape over time; some, furthermore, were not as kind as the Mask. 

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Their first major threat emerged in the form of the Brazen Bull, a colossal beast born from the bane of the Fae, that sought to hunt down and remove any threat to their kind. It would take an army to see it brought low, but this was only the beginning. Soon enough, a greater enemy emerged; the Facetaker, a Fae that sought the key to the door between the realm of mortals and the world of Fae. Were this door to be opened, chaos would be unleashed. The Facetaker would claim many victims in its hunt for the key, but eventually it would be defeated, and the threat of the Fae largely eradicated. Though some remain to interact with mortalkind, for better or worse, it is said that most live in a remote land, where few mortals return from should they set foot there.

 

Chapter Four: The Void Tears

Year 78 of The New Era 

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Sadly, peace could not last forever back in Saphriel, and a new danger was to emerge. Ripples in reality and tears into an eternal darkness appeared throughout the realm with seemingly no explanation; rumors abound of extremists of Perities and Uldir fighting with each other, trying to snatch away chunks of the mortal realm for their respective gods. Uldir wished to create a realm for himself and his followers, and in doing so become a greater God than he already was. Constant battles and breaches in the fabric of realms resulted in damage to the veil that keeps these worlds apart, which were already quite weak from the demon gates of the past. Then came the emergence of dark beasts from the Void Realm. Mindless and alien, they threatened to devour all they came across; even when defeated, these ripples in reality that spawned them refused to close. Working together, the people of the realm fought against these creatures under the guidance of King Glaedwin, and eventually managed to discover weaknesses they could exploit to defeat these beasts of darkness for good. To see the rifts permanently removed, they would have to seal the veil between worlds once more, before further chunks of the worlds were smashed together or lost.

This, however, would not be as simple as it first seemed. Taking advantage of the damage to the veil, what little remained of the long-defeated Cult attempted to make a move, purposefully damaging the veil further in an attempt to control the creatures that leaked through. Even worse, they sought to resume their previous invasion from Hell through the attempted revival of Valis, their long-dead leader. Because of this, the kingdom was now forced to fight a war on two fronts. Thankfully the Cult was still in shambles, and with great effort they were again defeated, along with what was left of their followers. Only a handful managed to escape, most being forced far outside of the kingdom borders into the Bleak Lands.

With the Cult in shambles, the kingdom was able to make a move on the veil tears that spewed the creatures of darkness. Using a magical device known as a seal crystal, created by the kingdom's many alchemists and researchers, they were able to close these otherworldly portals to the abyss, eventually sealing them all for good. With the veil re-sealed and the gods no longer fighting, the threat was gone and stability returned to the world.

 

Chapter Three: Expansion and Exploration

Year 73 of The New Era 

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Since the end of the war, Orcs and goblins now walk freely amongst all cities of the realm, and half-Elves who were once frequently hunted down and killed by the Elves as a threat to the purity of their race, may now live out their lives as they wish as a result of much government reform after the wars. While prejudice still remains, it is far less than it once was. Trade has since flourished and the populace has grown. As the realm was rebuilt, many adventurers set out to recover what was lost during the wars, and then push even further beyond into the never before seen lands past that of the old world. Exploration soon sparked to life, and many expeditions to the east and far west overseas took place. New lands and peoples soon after came to light. The first being the war focused, feline-like beast folk known as Ca'Liar, who came from chains of once-unknown islands to the west, referred to by them as Einar, their homeland. Though it was actually the Ca'liar who found Saphriel first, one of their great war vessels crashed upon the shores of the realm after a great storm. Not long after, we came to learn more of their homeland, yet visits there are still rare to this day and can be quite dangerous. Then soon after there was the discovery of Aceadia, home of strange beasts and wielders of magic without Bothimir's grace, known as witches. Upon this jungle-covered island were also another unmet race of beast folk. They were known as Avalti, a primitive but peaceful bird-like people who lived atop the giant jungle canopies of the island. With many of these peoples, trade came to life, new and strange goods being moved back and forth between the lands.

During this time there were foreign conflicts and a long-standing civil war being fought amongst the Ca'liar, as well as a struggle between the witch factions of Acadia and their hunting of the Avalti for their witchcraft. The people of Saphriel were mostly absent for these events, but came to lend aid during key moments and become more involved during the later stages to help settle peace with these land's issues were able. But this came with a great deal of violence and battle overseas on these foreign shores. Thankfully some degree of 'peace' was brought to both lands, or at the very least an end to open conflict for the time. Though soon after the Ca'liar closed their borders to the eastern realm of Saphriel, and secluded themselves. Even trade began to fall away from their land and soon little contact was held between Saphriel and Einar.

 

Chapter Two: The Demon Gates

Year 72 of The New Era 

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Many times large portals open and hell-spawned demons pour out, inevitably resulting in catastrophe. At the cost of great effort and many lives, the source of the gates was found; a construct made by the hands of demons and Cultists, known as the Obelisk. The men and women of Saphriel knew that the only way to defeat this menace was to strike at the heart of Hell itself and destroy the Obelisk. The demons, however, had a plan of their own. They opened a colossal gate, far larger than any they had before, in an attempt to take the recently-reclaimed city of Falkvard. The people of Saphriel took their chance during this invasion. Two-thirds of their forces marched into Hell and through the portal, sneaking behind the invasion force. Meanwhile, the final third remained behind to hold the line against the demonic forces. Ghouls, undead, flame giants, imps, demons, hellhounds; all manner of abominable beasts came pouring through the gate. Though the forces of Saphriel held the line for some time, their barricades and defenses slowly but surely dwindled, and the creatures began to pour out in far greater numbers. The defending forces retreated to the walls of Falkvard, and for a time all seemed lost; they were dwindling on supplies, time, and hope. Nearing the climax of the battle, the tide then suddenly turned as allied orc raiders came pouring out of the forest, engaging the demonic armies. Taking this chance the soldiers that were defending the wall regained their spirits and pushed the demons back just long enough for the forces that had entered the gate to finish their work. They had held back the forces of Hell itself but had suffered many casualties along the way.

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On the inside of Hell, the army that entered was making their way to the Obelisk, taking on whatever resistance the demonic invasion force had left behind. They encountered powerful demons that halted them in their tracks along the way, but the size of their army was able to overcome and defeat most of the opposition they faced inside. Their greatest challenge, however, was to come upon reaching the Obelisk, where they learned that a price had to be paid for its removal. The portal could be sealed, but one person would have to stay behind and oversee its destruction. Many stepped forward to carry this burden, but in the end it was decided that Aster, a member of the Explorers Guild, would stay behind. Everyone still alive, besides her, escaped from Hell. But the ultimate fate of the valiant spirit who sealed the gates is unknown even to this day. With the portals between dimensions closed, it was finally time for the Realm of Saphriel to be rebuilt once more. An era of war closed, and from its ashes a time of peace began.

 

Chapter One: The Great War

Year 1 of The New Era 

 

Our story takes place in the Realm of Saphriel, home to the Elves, Dwarves, and Humans, each race at first keeping to themselves with their own city-states. However, trade was still abundant between them, despite some minor differences between the races. To the east, just outside of Saphriel's borders, lies the Bleak Lands, home of trolls, creatures of darkness, and other nightmarish beasts. To the south of the Bleak Lands lies vast expanses of deserts and mesas, home of the Orcish tribes. To the far east, past the mountains and deserts, rest the heavily-polluted swamps, which once served as home to many goblin tribes. For thousands of years, the races that inhabited this realm have lived in a state of relative peace, with the Goblins, Trolls, and Orcs living in their tribes to the east, while in the west stood the Human, Elf, and Dwarf cities. However, the eastern races resented those of the west greatly, for they had advanced far past them with their superior intellect and land. For all this hatred, however, they lacked the ability and leadership needed to make a difference and were forced to remain content with their lot. This all changed when a mysterious Cult appeared, consisting of a circle containing powerful figures who wielded forbidden knowledge and mighty artifacts left behind by the Frol. These weapons contained unmatched magical powers, well beyond that of any mortal weapon of the current era.

 

This Cult came to the races of the east to make a deal with them. If they agreed to march under a single banner together against the west, they would allow them to keep all the land and plunder that they earned for themselves; in return, they would help the Cult drive the western races to the brink of extinction. Though the Cult's motives for this were unknown at the time, the eastern races readily agreed to these terms, and formed what is now known as the Pact. The Pact, under the control of this Cult, marched from the east and against the other races, driving them from their lands and attacking their cities. In response to this assault the Elves, Dwarves, and Humans came together to form what was simply known as the Alliance. With the help of the Cult, and through the force of sheer numbers, the Pact waged war with the Alliance for nearly seventy years before the last cities of humanity fell. As the war continued on, the refugees fled to the last haven they had, a small bit of territory cut off from the rest of the continent, connected only by a sliver of land known as the Saltwater Swamp. There, the town of Barkamsted was founded by the nobleman known as Lord Barkam, one of the first refugees to flee to this land. Starting as a simple refugee camp, for over sixty-five years the city grew as more people fleeing the war came seeking refuge, and with these people forced from their homes came a desire for every citizen to take back their homelands. From this desire and determination, research into more powerful weapons began so that the Pact might be driven out. Outside of Barkamsted however, the devastating seventy-year war that crippled the races of the Alliance was virtually over. All of the realm was lost save for Barkamsted. The war had taken an equally large toll on the Pact armies, but in the end, they were the victors. Two years passed in this state; during this time, the last of the Pact reformed and began their march forward towards Barkamsted. The Alliance, however, had not sat idle; in this time the people of the city had finally completed the first prototypes of a new weapon, forged from a mixture of alchemies and metalwork the first cannon was created. Thanks mostly in part to the expert craftsmanship of their dwarven and human engineers. Using this new weapon, they had high hopes of reclaiming their homes and defending their city.

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Soon, the Orcs launched their attack on Barkamsted. Though the citizens were able to fend off the incoming hordes, many were injured, and the battle took its toll on those who risked themselves defending what they had left. But Barkamsted was far from defeated, and its people soon launched a counterattack on the Orc camps across the swamps. Taking them by surprise, they were able to devastate their numbers with the help of the cannons. The Alliance pushed the Pact back for over a year, claiming many footholds, including the ruins of the Dwarven capital Thonduhm, and through blood, tears, and sweat, the ruined Human capital of Falkvard. Finally, after many bloody battles, the last of Saphriel's people pushed the Pact back to the east and overthrew the Cultist castle, defeating the vast majority of them. But in the end, the leader of the Cult, Valis, left a dark omen of destruction and the rise of Hell before his death. With the Pact's defeat, things appeared to have grown peaceful at last. Sadly this peace was short-lived, and as predicted in the final moments of Valis it was not long before strange gates began to open around the realm, leaving many uneasy. The Cult's earlier threats soon turned out to be all too real; soon, these gates began to release vile creatures into the mortal realm, posing a far greater threat than Saphriel's people had ever faced before. For the first time in decades, the Alliance races had no choice but to ally with their longtime enemy: the Pact. For there was no way that either side could survive and see themselves through this dark period alone.