caelumcreative

[caelumcreative]

We who keep the vigil, The Vigilants

Long ago, Caelum was plunged into Darkness and fear as the wider universe collapsed around it. The Dark Gods had been banished to their prisons and the Elder Gods thought all was right, leaving the Ancient Ones to guard their creation. But upon the fall of Caelum's protectors, new guardians were needed to fill the void left by the scars of the Traitors. The remaining Ancients bound the will and powers they could on the greatest warriors of this age, transforming them from mere mortals into the grand warriors of the Gods..The Vigilants. These warriors would devote their lives to the protection of all within Caelum and thus no longer held any former political or cultural ties to their former life in service to the peoples of Caelum. They swear to uphold the Creed of the Ancients, to root out the Darkness that arises to release its masters from the Elder Gods prisons, to swear no pure loyalty to any nation, and to defend all people of Caelum from threats, be they mortal or divine. These first vigilants would tie their very souls to the primordial Weave, the very magic from which the Elder Gods shaped the universe, giving them incredible powers beyond anything a normal mortal could understand. Their bodies were given cherubic youth, a radiance of authority, crimson red eyes, and angelic wings. No longer would these beings dwell in the shadows of mortality. but instead rise above to the heights of a celestial. They wield weapons and armour made from Celestial steel, gifted to them by the Ancient one Tourghrim the Crafter, their movements are akin to lightning across the sky, they can withstand the greatest of magical powers and not wither, and may only be killed in the heat of battle no other mortal force may slay a Vigilant. When a Vigilant dies they return fully to the Primordial Weave to be reborn at a later time or transfer those powers to a new worthy mortal who may ascend. But with great powers came the weakness of their former mortal forms, their bodies had so rapidly evolved into their new celestial greatness that the mortal blood that once pumped in their veins needed to be refreshed.....often. Though they possess the greatest of restraint, many have fallen to the one curse the servants of the dark could bestow them, the need to taste fresh blood consumes these angelic warriors overtime consuming their mortal minds as they live on for centuries with this thirst. The first Vigilants argued relentlessly over how they should enact their mission across Caelum and It was decided that so long as they uphold the Creed of the Ancients then their own followers could choose who to follow and the Creation of the Orders was begun. The Vigilant's today are powerful champions of Order among the mortal nations of Caelum, keeping out of many of their affairs. It maintains heavy numbers of both Vigilants and lay servants who have devoted themselves to their cause, as many view the Vigilants as demi-gods or divine and believe that a paradise will be achieved in serving the Angels of the Vigil.

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The Super Continent of Fenril, each region is divided by the larger ecology of the area.

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Codex Arcana, Law of Magic

The World of Caelum is a world that is naturally attuned to the energies of magic and the many races within it have no issues wielding it. But those who have not been taught the proper ways risk the threat of annihilation. Magic must always have a source and for most mages this source is their own energy reserves or the natural energies of Caelum itself and the spells there in are maintained by ones own skills. But the more complex the magic the more dangerous it gets, magic in its rawest form is extremely volatile and mages were viewed by many cultures, especially among the youngest race of humans, as dangerous and untrustworthy. But over the centuries of learning and evolution of magical techniques the use of magic would be condensed by the great God-emperor Caspar the Hierophant and he would create the Codex Arcana, or law of magic. The Codex would be spread throughout the empire's territory and taught in all schools of magic. The Codex would become the law of the empire and begin the transition to mage rule over the Casparian Empire, the Codex designated only those born with the advanced magical talent were worthy of being leaders and as such deserve the power. The Codex splits magic into three (four) distinct forms, the first and the simplest to control and hardest to fully master is the Magic of Enchantment. This magic is the infusing of objects with ones own magical energies and the limits of creation of these objects is limited to the internal battery of the mage wielding it. The Ancient Thanatari were masters of this magical art and led to it's extremely advanced civilization and technology. Enchantment very rarely leads to Annihilation, the negative effects of magical overuse or exertion, and as such is the most common form of magic among all species. The next magic is that of Spiritis, the magic of the Veil or after realm. This magic draws on the magic of the veil directly and is used primarily for religious purposes, altered states of mind, non malicious forms of necromancy, and the more mystical arts. This form of magic is not prone to annihilation however, those who draw too much or too close to the Veil risk permanent possession by spirits, severe rapid aging, or even the lose of the mages own soul to the Veil. The final and most volatile form of magic is that of Sorcery, the magic of the cosmos. Sorcery is a power that is extremely advanced and as such can create marvels beyond measure, it can level entire mountains, create seas out of deserts, rain down comets from the sky, and many other powerful spells each limited to the spell crafting of a particular mage. Sorcery spells often require multiple mages, complex and long incantations, and channels the direct energies of the cosmic realm, the Aether. This realm is the domain of the Elder gods and the Ancient ones and as such is extremely prone to accidents when mortals use it, even the most experienced and learned of mages can suffer the disastrous effects of Sorcery gone wrong. There also exists ae fourth form of magic, that of Dark Magic, the Codex strictly forbids the use of Dark Magic as it draws energy directly from , what the Codex notes as,the Chained Deities or the Corrupted Source. Dark Magic is forbidden due to its incredibly easy use and allows the user to wield the powers of sorcery and more with no repercussions such as Annihilation. But it does come with a price, drawing power from the Corrupted Source slowly also corrupts the mage, their skin bruises and growths form on the skin and appendages also commonly grow. Should a mage become fully corrupted by dark magic they become what is known as a Spawn, a living mound of flesh, dark magic, and ooze. It is extremely hard to kill due to its own magical defenses and requires a united effort from all the other forms of magic to finally kill. The mind of a Spawn is also fully given over to the whims of the Chained Deities or its base instincts and as such fully removes the conscious mind of the former mage. As such most cultures follow the Codex Arcana or at least some cultural variant of it

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The Wild Woods, Home of the Red Mask

There are many unsafe places in the land of Volstein, the region is often plagued by rock slides and the most brutal of winters. But nothing is more dangerous than what hides in the shadows. Volstein is a human kingdom world famous for its culinary traditions and amber trade, making the Dukedom a popular destination and wealthy trade hub. The City boasts games, festivals, and wood working artwork like no other, but upon the time of the harvest the city is locked and the villages hide in their hovels. Over the years, the merchants of Volstein have learned to stay away from the roads and make travel plans very infrequently but...for those who do not know..well..they face a far more gruesome fate. In the Daylight the road is threatened by your usual band of bandits, you can pay them off or run away with slightly fewer goods than before. But the night, that is a time to be deeply afraid. It begins with a simple humming, a melody like that of a mother singing to her child, but the voice grows louder and more voices join in and a mist rolls in previously unseen. A merchant driver is suddenly pulled from the reins and his organs ripped from his belly by the hulking monster. As passagers look out of the carriage that find not simple bandits, but men and woman all doning dark blood red masks, wolves, foxes, rabbits, elk, the many creatures of the wild, all come to feast upon those who trespass in the forest. They will be pulled from their carriages and be made a part of a terribly gruesome scene, those who manage to hide are hunted and found and no one is left alive...usually. Those who wear or make the sign of the Red Mask are left untouched, villages along the woods will make effigies and shrines of the Red Mask and their supposed Wyrd Witch, the horrible being that leads the group and uses the blood of their victims to cast wicked spells and serve a dark master. It is said that this witch created the Bear-woman, the massive hulking woman that leads the Red Masks in their raids, she wears the bloody flayed skin of a bear and wields an axe the size of a grown man. Some say she and her followers are angry spirits of the forest come to take back what the merchants and nobles took from the wilds, others say that it is a group of former mercenaries hired and betrayed by nobles of the Ducal court, and others still say they serve a dark god who longs to consume all in Volstein. But the Villagers know the tales of the forest and the ways of the lands and they keep the shrines and tend the twisted crafts of bones found throughout the wilds and craved above them in the trees, a twisted symbol of a Red Mask.

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Decaying Evolution, The Scorn

There are many horrid things that exist in the lands of Caelum, some more threatening than others, some eat to survive, some kill for sport, but only one kills to learn. The Scorn, the slayer of evolution, come from the hyper bioworld of Carnorus a land that was marked by some of the largest creatures known to the universe and others which wielded god like strength. But none of Carnorus were feared like the scorn, unlike many other creatures of this world The Scorn were unique, they could think, build, advance. Beginning life as nothing more than simple microbes they advanced by watching the way viruses attacked cells and prey and began to mimic this pattern, overtime being able to overcome entire species. The Scorn melted these creatures into a biotic fuel from which the first of the builders came. They were as a large as a man, had multiple arms, and chitinous skin that covered their entire body. These builders would erect pools from which they could harvest the Biofuel, the milk of life, a never ending fountain from which new life could be acquired when needed by the Collective. The Scorn acted as one unit, each hearing the same messages and signals of the Greater will, the hive mind that controlled them and gave their commands. It did not take long for the Scorn to rapidly advance against the other creatures near them each being brought down by the force of raw evolution, each being brought to the Pools and fed to the rest of the swarm caused it to change and add the best traits from whatever it fed on. The Soldiers came next, massive and almost twice the size of the Builders with razor sharp claws and fangs that dripped with a toxic film. They would move further from the pools and clear the forests and jungles of all life that was not the Scorn and in each clearing arose a new monument to the Scorn's biofueling machine. But in the time of the Collision everything would change, the worlds were collided and even the Scorn could not be prepared for the changes that would befall the greatest of all species. Awakening in deep cavernous, lost, confused, and most horrifying of all....silence. The Greater Will had gone, the Scorn had no orders no will...no...purpose. The Scorn did not take long to adapt to their environment but as they awaited the return of their god voice some grew impatient and the more animal instincts of their previous evolutions bared their heads and turned on the other Scorn ripping them to shreds and causing a rift among them. The Scorn drove out the beastial members when the new biofuel produced a great new weapon for them, a Matriarch. These new Scorn held a small piece of the Greater Will and could restore order among the lower forms of Scorn but only those of the Matriarchs own spawning pools, any others would remain rebellious or become savage in response to no hive mind control. But even with the Matriarchs each Scorn was still driven by this need, a call that all the Scorn feel, to find their Greater will once again and return to the domination of worlds.

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Kirenii Conclaves, the Children of the Wyld

"Let their blood nourish the soil, let their bones feed the worms, for our sacred mother mountain has tested these outsiders and found them wanting."

The Ildreth of the earth are not like many other creatures of nature, they do not swing in the trees and glades and sing songs of the unity of nature...no. They dwell in the dark corners, the bones of the earth, the mountains and caves that are numerous throughout the northern realms of Caelum. There deep within, you will find cities of stone and crystal that can rival any even among the Thanatari. These Ildreth have embraced their new home readily, birthed from the womb of the land itself along with all her other creatures. The Kirenii are closer to beast than man, they view all outsiders as threats to the sacred land they guard and they will make sure all outsiders know when they have trespassed. The Kirenii, from centuries under the stone, are a pale color and can resemble ghosts or wraiths in their way. Their hands bare claws and their teeth are fanged. Unlike the other Ildreth, who still honor the ancient elemental gods of their ancestors, the Kirenii have embraced the native Ur-Spirits of creation. The most important of which is Vah'leth, the great mother of the mountains, she who coils through the core of the land. Vah'leth is often depicted, like many of the Ur-spirits, as an animal but unlike most Vah'leth is described as a massive serpent with a woman being birthed from its mouth. Vah'leth is at the heart of all the Kirenii do, they hold the veins of the earth to be the most sacred places under the mountains and only those blessed by the mother, the Vathrik (Blessed by the fangs). These mages are uniquely tapped into the ways of the Ur-spirits and the primal connection of the earth element, they frequently grow horns on their bodies in a variety of sizes and quantities due to this connection. The Kirenii are most famous for their flesh crafting or Vahlikir (The Shape of Life) and the creations that the Kirenii are capable of making are horrifying for many outsiders to witness but they view it as a natural process being guided along, an advanced evolution. The creatures guard the sacred veins and entrances to the mountain homes of the Kirenii, the Ghaulik, stone stalkers, are a creature made from the flesh of mountain cats and the deepest dwelling reptiles, the Kirenii frequently ride these creatures into battle during their raides on neighboring human kingdoms or passing Tarrandai groves. The Kirenii are not mindless savages however, they do not attack without reason and they never do so unprovoked though what they consider provocation varies from Conclave to Conclave. One of the most important markers of Kirenii society is their scars, the many markings that cover a Kirenii throughout their lives. They are enchanted with crystalline dyes and glow even in the deepest darkness, and each are unique to their role in the Conclave. Each Conclave is organized into clans or Mekh'na and each of those Mekh'na provide a service to the Conclave. The Kirenii,though brutal to their neighbors, do not wage war on one another and instead resolve conflict through a sacred contest known as the Raekhal, this is a series of trials headed by a neutral conclave to resolve the dispute of two others, The Kharaz-Vorak or Test of Wills is a mock battle, competitors fight in an arena and work as a team to remove the Fle, a hair braid that all Kirenii warriors wear, from the other team. The Kharaz-Va’leth or test of spirit is a test of magical ability where the two chosen Vathrik willingly become possessed by spirits of fear and see who is able to remove the spirit first. and finally the Kharaz-Thal the Test of Stones, competitors carry massive stone slabs across dangerous terrain or are forced to wrestle a powerful flesh crafted creature whichever the overseeing Conclave decides. The winner of the Raekhal is final and accepted by all, afterwards the two apposing sides must cease all conflict and renew ties to one another in a Marak'Thal or Stone Binding a ritualistic marriage between the two Conclave Leaders who swear on the Mountain mother to stop all conflict for an allotted time.

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Ildrenaku, Peoples of the River

The Tribes along the many streams of the Azure Valley descend from the Ildreth, the beings from the world of the elements that separated from their non-water aligned kin throughout Caelum after the Collision. The Water aligned Ildreth came to the shores of the Obsidian Ocean and established the first Hearth, the dwelling of the people. These Ildreth, those had come to be known as the Ildreni, had plenty on the shores of the ocean and an ocean to align them to their sacred home before the great Collision, they could not ask for more. But there were some among them that longed to see the lands to which they had landed and others feared what would become of them should they drift too far from the comforts of the sea. There was great debate among the people and it was decided that an agreement could not be met and so those who desired to leave left never again to see the ocean and those who stayed dove deeper into the crushing arms of the sea, creating the cities of coral and sand. Those left found themselves in the fertile Azure Valley, the land of a thousand streams. The Land was cloaked in a wash of green as temperate rainforest and rocky cliffs covered all of the valley and those who left the ocean would now be known as Ildrenaku, the people of the river. Each of the tribes settled along the different rivers and it said that each river hosts its own tribe, the people dwell in all lands that the river touches and gifts to its children. Each Tribe derives its name from the river it survives off of and each tribe builds stilted houses to avoid flooding and predators that can often make the rivers its home. One of the most famous aspects of Ildrenaku life are the Pondwalkers, massive amphibious salamanders that the Ildrenaku have a deep bond and ride along the river bed. The River tribes have a bond between all Ildrenaku, the confederation that binds each to one another. This bond includes shared ceremonies and traditions such as the night of colors, a festival dedicated to the various lifeforms of the river, and the Tide Watcher's Gathering a meeting between all chiefs of the tribes and other leading members of their communities meet to discuss issues and settle disputes. The Ildrenaku are often at odds with the human kingdoms that have established themselves along the river's and many tribes raid their villages for plunder and warnings that a particular kingdom is settling to close to their lands. Some humans have also fully integrated the tribes into their political life, many having alliances and relying on the river tribes superior boat building and deep knowledge of the river and surrounding areas. The Tribes are fiercely independent and will fight to the end against any foe who wishes to pull them from the sacred River.

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Vakarethis, The Enduring Vigil

"We Guard the Silence, the sacred oath, We keep the Vigil." The sacred words of the Zoreskai, the traditionalist, those who keep the ways of Zoreska, the Duskborn. Unlike their cousins The Draka,who wander the south lands, the Zoreskai built their homes in the clifftops and hollowed walls of the southern land in the Torrid Highlands. The place of bones, the Duskborn who hail from these lands keep all the most sacred traditions of old Zoreska before the time of the Collision. They hold that the ways of their ancestors are the only way to continue forward in the lands of Caelum. They hold a reverence for the dead that borders on the insane and in many cases, ubseen, mummifying their ancestors corpses within Houses of Silence or Cairns and are treated as if they are still living members of society. In the lands of the Zoreskai the dead have more rights than many of the living and undeath is common place. The Zoreskai are often avoided by the wider world, viewed as corpse worshipers, and that's just the way they like it. The city states of the Zoreskai are not aligned to one another and can often have conflict but are often allied in their shared ancestry and traditions, they often swap revered ancestors' vessels to maintain peace, often called Corpse Hostages by outsiders. In their homeworld of Zoreska, the Duskborn souls could be ever present in their undead bodies so long as they were kept in the shadowed lands but upon reaching Caelum after the Collision, the Zoreska were cut off from their most revered elders. Leading to the creation of the Nadrevhazi, the order of necromancers and death priests that lead the many city-states of the Zoreskai, who allow the sacred spirits and ancestors to inhabit vessels that without souls after death. The Nadrevhazi are unable to exactly locate the specific ancestor without significant magical force so it is reserved for sacred elders and important figures in their history. Most bodies end up the vessels for lesser spirits and they maintain and guard the Cairns and crypts of the Zoreskai, this is a great honor for those of lower caste but those outside of the major cities are instead simply buried within the House of Silence in the village, usually guarded by a simple undead. Zoreskai life is dedicated to the most revered figures of ancient Zoreska, The Seven Sages, each being the embodiment of a Zoreskain virtue. The most important of which is Silence, the reverence for the end of life, and keeping what is known as the vigil. The Vigil is they code by which all of the Faithful Zoreskai follow, One must always honor the Ancestors and treat the sacred undead with all due respect of a living. One must always known that life is fleeting and should be grasped always. One must always honor the Cairns, for the loss of a House means the breaking of Silence and the end of the Ancestors. One must always be mindful of Spirits and to not fear them, for those who are mailined are simply lost and should be shown the way. and One must always be vigilant for those who would misuse the gift of Silence and disturb the Rest of the Ancestors unduly. The Vigil guides all life among the Zoreskai to break it is the invite the wrath of the Dead.

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Varenza, The Kingdom of the Gulls

What can be said of the Lords of Shipwreck Hall, their ships can be found in every port from all along the Emerald Coast and the southern isles, they are the masters of the oceans. A Varenzan can be trusted with only three things, sails, songs, and sonnets. Some of the most beautiful poetry and melodies come the Kingdom of the Gulls but it doesn't stop their sailors from being some of the most ferocious plunderers on the seas. The Nation itself is often synonymous with piracy, though they claim to just have a simple problem with telling ships apart. Its not surprising when one looks into the history books of Varenza, it is filled with privateers, adventures, and sea monsters. House Varenza itself comes from the Obsidian Isle, a known hub for pirates, and they were kings among them. Though being a king among criminals only gets you so far, Queen Korina longed to be legitimized and have real power over a land. Her wish would be granted when the far kingdom of Vara was threatened by a leviathan, conquered by a dark cult on the Coast of Vara who had been angered by the King. The Monster was formidable and when it managed to destroy all the ships sent to kill it, the coastal city feared they would be drowned and consumed by the creature fully. Queen Korina knew this was her chance, she made a deal with the King of Vara that if she and her men were able to slay the monster she would become his queen and be made a legitimate noble. The King agreed and the pirate forces went out to find the creature. The Queen and her ship, the Red Kraken, searched for days to find the creature but it never came. The Queen consulated the seafoam oracle, a divining hermit that lived on the Obsidian Isle on what she should do and why the beast had not appeared to vanquish them. The oracle told her they it was the Cult that controlled the monster and it only comes out when called by the Cultists. Korina knew what had to be done, she and her men went to the coastal dwelling of the cult and claimed to be new followers offering a navy to overthrow the king and when she and her captains were given a place among the cultists, she quickly pulled her sword and cut down each and every member. From this moment the leviathan was never seen again, believed to be forever wondering the ocean floor until called again by the dark rituals of the Cult.

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Fenril, the Wolfs maw

The Great Continent, the land of worlds, the Prison of the Ancients. This is the massive continent of the world of Caelum, though there are three continents on the world Fenril remains the primary land which hosts the many peoples of the Elder Gods. Fenril is divided by the Thanatari in the time of their ancient Empire into nine provinces.

The first province is the Land of Karavas, the land of riches, the province was at one time the hub of Thanatari mining and stone. The Mountains are filled with old ruins and mine shafts of the ancient times. Next is Urash, or the infinite Plain, the home of much of the human kingdoms and states of Caelum but the Duskborn have claimed these lands as their home since the time of the Collision. The next land is Namarak, the lake of fire, this land is a vast desert and home to the oasis cities of the Zarenth and the wandering Turaen warlords and clans. The region known as Riverbend was once the homeland of the Thanatari prior to their empire but now is the home of the Ildreni Kingdoms, the raiders of the lakes and seas, as well as many riverside human settlements. The Ironmount is a land steeped in blood and gold, with the largest point of the Worlds Eye reaching the peak in this province and the former site of the Thanatari Capital, the region is now a mess of storms and forest and around every dark corner is a misty ruin of the ancients. Sadural, the Tongue of Frost, is the northern most province and is not but snow and ice but those who dwell there are some of the most self-reliant and resilient people in all of Caelum. Sunfall, the land of the Duskborn, this is the land that houses the most of the Duskborn and their cities of light and dark, the region is rocky and barren but has pockets of absolute beauty abound. Duren, the oceans Pearl, the coastal region of the Thanatari empire, here there are gorgeous views and dark secrets hidden beneath the oceans and flooded ruins. Finally, is Rakum or the Shattered Lands, these are the lands that have been consumed by the Dark magics used by the Ancient ones during their wars amongst each other and the land is mutated and everchanging with the chemicals and energies that now pollute its soil.

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Humanity, Born of the Collision

Humans, Those who roam the world, the children of the void, the Divine Accident, the forsaken of the Elder Gods. When the world began there was nothingness, and from that came the Elder Gods. But alongside them was their elder sibling, the Void. This was the place that would keep all that the siblings discarded, including their parent the nothingness itself. For the ages of creation the Void sat alone, watching, waiting, hoping that they could one day make their own creation. With the time of the Collision rushed upon the many worlds of the Elder Gods was a confluence of energy and power, all of which slipped into the Void. From this void came a gentle voice, and then another, and another, and another, before the voice was a chorus of sound and song. The Void was astounded by the sudden creation that now voiced throughout them and needed a place to put them. It opened a wound in its side and from it fell all of humanity onto the world of Caelum. From the beginning, humanity was a lost people in a foreign world, but their time in the Void made them resistant to the elements, magics, and adaptable to all places. Humans wondered and explored reaches of Caelum that the Elder Races could not or refused to, for though they are not immune to the powers of Dark Magic, they deterministically continue on. For now they have spread throughout Caelum and many lands now bare human cities and cultures a plenty when the time of the Ancients was done.

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The Duskborn, Those wander light and Dark

Before the time of the Collision, the Duskborn hailed from the world of Zoreska, a land bathed in eternal light and eternal night. The light touched all the lands to the west and bleached the world to its foundations and the creatures that lived there were born of this great light surviving on the scrapes that burned in the light. The night encroached on all of the east and devoured all living things that could not match its strength and ferocity, with horrifying twisted creatures. Between them laid the Twilight realm, this was the home of the Duskborn those who come from both light and dark. The Duskborn could not venture out of their homes for to step into either the light or the dark could cause their deaths, but each Duskborn could feel a natural draw to one or the other. The Duskborn were masters of the way of the Arcane, creating new modes of magic to survive and traverse their harsh world. But the Collision would cause they beings of Zoreska to be plunged into a world of both light and dark, eternally changing. The Duskborn could no longer be contained to their home in the Twilight realm and instead found an open world ready to venture and explore. Those who saw their new home as an opportunity to see new things decided to wonder it forever, always chasing the newest possibility they would be known as the Khavar, those who look to the horizon. Those who chose to remain with their sacred traditions created settlements along the southern realms, never venturing far from their landing on Caelum. These would be known as the Vaelar, those who do not stray. Each of the Duskborn acclimated quickly to their new world and would developed new strange magics all on their own. The Duskborn, due to the harshness of their original world, were found to have a natural affinity to Dark Magic, that which mutates and manipulates other beings. The Duskborn grew to find a new duality to follow in the shadow of, instead of day and night they now follow the Light and Dark, stretching the line further than other cultures between what is good and what is evil. For all magic can be used by a people who have known the greatest of hardships, and can find the beauty even in the darkest of places.

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The Tarrendai, the children of the Groves

There are many within the Lands of Caelum who have forgotten the worlds from which their peoples come from. Lost to the whims of time and the many ages that have passed since the time of the Collision. But the Tarrendai do not, for a Tarrendai never forgets. The Giantkin, the calf-folk, the Children of the Groves, The Tarrendai are all that remains of the ancient garden world of Tara. Long created by an Elder God who wished to see how large and wonderous she could make her world, and such she created the first Giants. Each a different of her favorite colors, each with a different job, The Red Giants would protect all other Giant kind from all threats and enforce her will, the Blue Giants would watch the skies and make sure the weather was always fierce but productive, the Black Giants always made sure that the spirits of Giant kind would be respected and move on to the sacred groves, and finally the Green Giants which watched over all of the living creations of Tara. These are where the Tarrendai find their origin, for they are people of the leaf and petal not that of sword and axe. The Tarrendai and their Green Giant kin watched over the sacred groves, maintaining their grand stocks and stems, each holding the seed of a Giant spirit. But the war of the Shattered Gods would shake the very foundation of all on the Garden world, as they suddenly collided violently with another , one which they were ignorant of. The many large beings of Tara died upon the shattering of their world, which now combined within Caelum, and others who survived were amassed by the sudden madness and darkness of the war around them corrupting them from within and making them no better than mindless beasts creating the many ogres and titans that now terrorize Caelum's hills and deep forests. Only the Tarrendai, those who were the smallest of the Giants, survived the Collision unharmed. They did not adapt like so many other survivors of the Collison, instead they planted their feet into the ground and waited for the end as their world was gone. But a hope would arise for the Tarrendai, as suddenly Living Groves began to appear all over the northern realms of Caelum but these groves migrated all over the territory growing new seeds and looking for the remnants of Tara. With this new development, the Tarrendai began their migrations as well following the Living Groves as they search forever on to whatever remains of their world clinging to the hope that one day Giant seeds shall birth forth a new Tara.

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The Ildreth, Children of the Elements

In the time before the Collision there existed many worlds, all of which were in different states of advancement. Each being the pinnacle of their own creation. One of these worlds spawned the Ildreth, a people so closely tied to the elemental poles of the world that it shaped their very being. Their homes were on a multitude of worlds, and they shaped stars and planets around their sacred elements. They held all in the highest regard, their kingdoms spanning all of the space between them all. The Ildreth gathered any peoples who aligned closely with one of the many elemental worlds and incorporated them fully into their realms, making them Ildreth. But upon the war of the Traitors the Ildreth were suddenly thrust into a war against the very universe itself. At the end of this war, the Collision, saw the Ildreth thrust onto a world they did not know and scattered across the world of Caelum in some of the harshest environments, each being shaped by one of their ancient elemental worlds. The spirits of the land, sky, sea, and flames did not speak to them in the same tongues they had before and most others could not find any other Ildreth in these new lands. Those who found themselves in these new lands learned to adapt quickly, using the elemental magics of their home to survive and eventually thrive in this harsh clash of worlds. The Ildreth had not contacted one another for near two thousand years and when they were finally reintroduced to their fellow kin, they no held their ancient pristine forms instead they clung to their respective element too strongly and each were shaped by the magics of the old worlds and were forever changed and separated. The Ildreni built their kingdoms amidst the spray of the sea and within the deepest pockets of ocean they could, the Kirenii took their peoples deep within the jungles and forests of the lands of Caelum and removed themselves in underground fortresses, the Shireni fled to the mountains and the rising summits of the flouting hills, and the Turaen now wandered across the deserts of Caelum looking to restore their once united selves.

[caelumcreative]

The Ancient Ones

The Children of the Elder Gods, those who are the guardians of the world the Gods of all mortals. These are the Ancient ones, they who dwell within the worlds and beyond. They watched and guided over all of mortal kind, each worshiped and praised by those below them as they minded their duties for the Elder Gods. For nearly two thousand years the Ancient ones protected the earth from the corruption of the Shattered Gods and waited for the return of their creators, but when they reached out to the universe they were met with only silence. Many Ancient ones saw this silence as a final straw, the final insult to their very existence, if the Elder Gods would not return then they shall find gods who will answer their calls. These Ancient ones searched for the source of Dark Magic, that which comes from the Shattered Gods and learned all they could from the ancient sources before their creation, taking many of the Thanatari with them on their search for power. Those who remained loyal to the Elder Gods continued their duties, weary of the return of their brothers and sisters, and others soon drifted not for power but for the answer to their questions and were left in the void of the universe searching for their makers. The divide would be made when a Thanatari General known as Ikthim the Sunderer made the first strike against the loyal Ancient ones, casting down the Ancient one of his lands and corrupting and mutating their form. Creating vile abominations and inventions from the flesh of an Ancient One. From then on, the wars between the Loyal and the Betrayers began. The War was devastating, entire peoples would be obliterated by the Thanatari and their betrayer Gods, the land was blackened with soot and ash from the weapons wielded by the Thanatari and the magics wielded by the Ancient Ones was horrible. The War would see its end when the Thanatari unleashed a weapon unlike any other, one that threatened to destroy all of Caelum, but they were stopped, causing the destruction of the entire Thanatari empire. They were never seen again, only those who dwelled in the farthest lands of the empire survived but without their advanced minds and technologies that made them masters of the world. The Betrayers too were pushed from their realms above the world by the loyal Ancients but not without massive losses. The Ancient ones were now no more than a handful in number and they knew their influence was waning, so those who remained decided to let the mortal world settle its own grievances be that for ill or good. They would do as they were first commanded, be the Gods of the world and await the awakening of the Shattered Gods and the end of times that comes with it.

[caelumcreative]

The Thanatari

when the Worlds collided many new beings would come face to face for the first time. Most were not prepared for the event but there were some who adapted far better than others. One such people were the Thanatari, those who come from the world of Thanar whos Elder God gave them the gift of craftsmanship and ingenuity. The Thanatari were the most populous of those who existed during the time of the Collision and they were quickly to establish cities of gears and steam all over Caelum. It was the Thanatari who first learned the ways of magic on Caelum, remnants of the Elder Gods powers, but they quickly outgrew the need for such powers as they could create magnificent structures and crafts that no other being in the world could have conceived. It was said that the Thanatari were so effective at road building, one could be in one end of the empire to the other in an instant. They wielded weapons made of near indestructible metal and created construct sentinels that guarded them from those still recovering from the Collision. The Thanartari viewed the Ancient ones, those who watched over the mortals of Caelum in the absence of the Elder Gods, as sibling children of the Gods. While other mortals viewed them as Gods, the Thantari viewed them in high regard but no greater than themselves. For nearly two thousand years the Thanatari and the Ancient ones guided mortals and awaited the return of the Elder Gods but they never came. Many Thanatari had begun to heavily question the Elder Gods plan and whether there ever truly was a threat from so called Shattered Gods. The Ancient ones were quick to take sides in these arguments and many felt the same, the Thanatari were the first to strike in this conflict, using their superior technology to slay an Ancient one. The War of the fallen would be bloody and last nearly a hundred years and would see the entire Thanatari people reduced and left nothing but ruins and a lost civilization that would never be matched again.

[caelumcreative]

War of the Traitors

The Anointed served for years, knowing their feeble magics could not be any use against the Elder Gods so they waited for the moment to strike. One Elder God, he who has always been the lowest of the children of Nothingness, watched the Anointed and saw through their mask of loyalty. This Elder god came to their king and said to him "You wish the power to slay a God small one? Then you must listen to me and devote yourself fully to my orders, for you have found yourself a slave and shall be offered your freedom." The Elder God made a portion of himself for all the Anointed to see and commanded them "Eat of my Flesh, draw from my strength, and you shall know only power." The Anointed all quickly consumed the Elder God, slashing his flesh and ripping it between their teeth. The group dropped to their knees in agony as the being ripped them from within, changing them. Their own flesh changed in color and texture, limbs separated and breaking to form new shapes and sizes. Some grew immense and others lost form all together but in the end their goal was achieved, they had been changed forever and created the great enemy Dark Magic. It was not long before the Anointed turned their new powers on their masters and war was brought throughout the universe in all is massive splendor. The Wrath of the Elder Gods was merciless and terrible but it did not matter for with each Anointed felled another Elder God joined them, connected for all time like all Children of the Nothing. The Elder Gods saw their folly and knew only one way to save themselves and their many worlds, they took their worlds and combined them all within their heaven, Caelum, creating one world one universe for all the exist and trapped each of the Anointed in different dimensions and planes or within the deepest recesses of the world. The Tired Gods knew that their prisons would not hold their enemies forever so they created new beings, the Ancient ones, to watch over and guide the mortal races that now found themselves upon the collision of the worlds and to prepare for the return of what they now called the Shattered Gods. The Elder Gods then departed, exhausted from their creations and imprisoning the Shattered Gods, slipping into the fabric of reality and joining the Nothingness again to rest, heal, and hope their mistakes never return.