The Era Primeval (Part 2)

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With nature at harmony with the world, and the only bitter souls being that of the Giants and Orcs, the Sylvayn would make the entire northern hemisphere of Gadelon into their most fantastic sanctuary alongside the Giantfolk and Elves: Sylvania, or the Northern Sanctuary, it was called, and it alone ushered in a time of peace and prosperity that Gadelon would never see again.

Lindoren: The Great Mistake 

As the Elves under the Sylvayn lived in perpetual harmony, due to their incredible lifespans, they grew tired of the monotony of a Sylvanian life. The Elves of the Northern Sanctuary wished for a land of their own, wishing so dearly to create just as their masters had with them. As such, the Sylvayn of Dawn led these Elves towards a gulf in the east, dispensing their Primeval magics upon their elders in order to begin civilization. Suddenly, the lives of Elves were far more exciting, working day in and day out to create a grand society that the Sylvayn could be proud of. The Elves inherited the Sylvayn system of beliefs as well, leading towards a system of pacifism.

Mere years into the making of Lindoren, strange extraplanar events transpired. Portals would open briefly at the beaches, people would feel watched in lonely forests, and the temperature rose very subtly by the day. Sooner rather than later, entire Outsiders were seen walking in Lindoren, some even witnessing ghastly murders by the invaders. Having no idea what to do and not wanting to be seen as a disappointment to their masters, the Lindorian Elves remained vigilant and stubborn, avoiding the creatures at all costs until push finally came to shove.

The Crimson Slaughter of Nierr 

Seen by the masses as the beginning of the War for Lindoren, the Crimson Slaughter was a nightmarish tragedy in which the capitol of Lindoren, the spiraling tree-city of Nierr, was raided mercilessly by the diabolical forces of Law and Chaos: the Devils and Demons respectively. Every Elf the fiends saw was a soul claimed for their dominion. Seeing the land of peace as a perfect battleground, the fiends dispensed their legions upon Lindoren in order to sustain a foothold on the Material Plane. When the Demons learned of the Devils planning to do so, they decided to stop them in order to take the land for themselves. The native Elves were forced to watch as a storm of hellish invaders took over their beautiful work, the few survivors remaining being taken in as slaves to be tortured and worked to death.

The Secession of Yorn 

It wasn’t long before word of the Crimson Slaughter traveled to Sylvania. Petrified and guilt-ridden, the Sylvayn and Firbolgs congregated to ward off the Sanctuary further, while the Goliaths demanded to take the fight to the fiends instead. Too afraid of the deaths of two of their prized allies, the Sylvayn forbade them, causing a massive riot among the Goliaths that led to them claiming a sprawling northeastern peninsula that would allow them to ply the waters to Lindoren. The second the first of their warships met the water, the Goliaths were met with an incredible boom. A blizzard the size of their land had began terrorizing the populace as the peninsula was swept off into the ocean; a message from the Spirit of Frost as to what would happen to those who rebelled against the Spirits. Frost continued to terrorize the Goliaths much to the shock of Dawn, although their relentless assault seemed to steel the Goliaths, rather than bend them. In this moment, Yorn was born as its own sovereign nation, but they would not survive without a strong leader against the long dark.

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The War for Lindoren and Secession of Yorn mark the end of the Era Primeval. Soon after these world-shaking events, the Coldsinger would arrive to Gadelon, heralding her masses of humanity and leading them to claim the land that would become known as Singsconte. Thus, the Era Imperia would begin, and man would make their mark upon the land never meant for man.

The Era Primeval (Part 1)

Gadelon, in eons past, was a bloated mass of land, a gargantuan island crowned by boisterous mountains and wayward vistas. It was a continent unknown to the world, undiscovered and untamed. The trees grew with no recourse, the rain fell as much as the rain desired, and the sun and stars above lit what they desired. By all accounts, it was a wonderland, a utopia of slow growing plantlife. But, as all secrets have a tendency to, tranquil Gadelon was discovered by the Spirits of the Sylvani. Some say that Gadelon found the Spirits; others say Gadelon made them. No one is certain on any fact except that Gadelon had become known to life greater than any tree that had found sanctuary in its soil previously. This was a seed that turned out to be so much more, a seed that would allow the branches of fate to be spread wide and to encompass all known and unknown time and history.

Dawn: Of Spirits, Giants, and Treefolk

The Sylvani Spirits were a league of manifestations, a conclave of vague and endlessly powerful ideas. Gadelon had no Gods, and no Gods had Gadelon. The Spirits were the closest thing possible to a deity the land had seen yet. The most powerful of these Spirits was the Spirit of Dawn, the notion of new beginnings. As such, it was the first to be made, and from it’s birth, creation exploded along the continent. Dawn created the first Spirits, and from their ceaseless chaos and creativity, sentient life would touch the untamed wilderness.

In the beginning, Dawn had created the Giants, their sentinels of tranquility that stood as tall as the trees they were to protect. But Dawn found that these Giants were hard to control; they were much too proud and self-absorbed to take orders from the intangible will of Dawn. The Spirit understood- it was an immense pride to be known as the first living beings amongst a land, and to be so magnificent at the same time. As Dawn had created the rest of the Spirits, they had also worked to create a much more relatable race: the Sylvayn.

The Sylvayn had bark skin and leaves for hair, filled with minuscule fragments of a Spirit’s life force. As their sole creator, Dawn filled the hearts of many of the Sylvayn, and with this benevolence filling them, their sheer purity filled their leaves. They turned pale and pink, edges scarlet to represent a most magnificent sunset. They were the pride of Dawn, and when the Giants had learned they had fallen out of their master’s favor, they retaliated. They felt betrayed, considering that several still bent knee to Dawn, and the Sylvayn were defenseless. The treefolk found life to be so beautiful that harming it was their anathema, even if said life was intent on crushing them. They worked on an incredible sanctuary of wilds, the trees beginning to mimic their pinked leaves, and the Giants demanded this land as a monument to their victory over Dawn. Dawn responses in the only way they knew: the creation of new life. As such, the first Humanoids of Gadelon met the earth as Dawn tasked the newly born Spirits of Warmth and Frost with their creation.

Giantfolk and the First War

The Giantfolk were a bridge between the humble nature of the Sylvayn and Giant prowess. Two breeds were made to assist the Sylvayn in their time of need. The Firbolgs, children of Warmth, were reclusive forest creatures and inherent protectors of the wilds who created farms for their Giantfolk to survive upon. The Goliaths, children of Frost, were destiny-marked crusaders of Dawn, given blessed weapons and magical powers to do battle with the Giants. Against the unity of the Giantfolk, the Giants were fended off in the brief conflict, abandoning Dawn entirely in search of new masters. After the war, the Sylvayn took kindly to their humanoid companions, offering them blessings and slivers of their infinite wisdom bestowed to them by the Dawn. They decided they would make the most beautiful humanoids to live amongst their sanctuaries, and to find love with the Giantfolk. The result of the Sylvayn’s first truly independent creation were the Elves, made to be genetically flexible with their environments and even passions. They were made to be living works of art, and they found much happiness among their Giantfolk protectors. 

Amidst the chaos and death of the war against Giants, the Spirit of Destruction was born of the Giants’ collective rage. With the touch of Destruction, the Orcs were born, a foul imitation of the Sylvayn’s Elves. Where they were made to love and to find happiness, the Orcs were bred to hate and bring death. They formed brutal tribes, praising the Giants that they had served under as a bargaining chip for Destruction. In order to seal the deal with the Giants, the Orcs were offered as soldiers for the Giants’ armies.

Intuition, Determination, and the Great Mountain 

The Spirit of Intuition was the first Spirit born of Dawn, and decided it would go its own path to allow Dawn to have as much land as they desired to themselves. In exchange, Intuition would have similar rights. Intuition, while the Sylvayn defended themselves against the Giants, scoured Gadelon for it’s desired canvas. It discovered a deep wound in Gadelon, a dent where a meteor had struck. Intuition hated this blight on the earth, and decided it was to mend this wound. Intuition made the Gnomes as a short race to challenge them. It was not through brute strength that the Gnomes would succeed, but brilliant intellect. As such, through their great struggle and discoveries, Gadelon’s greatest mountain was wrought atop the crater, and from Intuition’s masterful work, the Spirit of Determination was born. Determination witnessed the Gnomes, and knowing of their masterful hardship, created a race of which to offer them an immense home within the mountain. As such, the Dwarves were born, bulkier than the Gnomes, given an innate desire of gold and baubles to fuel their mining fervor. They became close allies with the Gnomes, sharing their home within the Great Mountain.

The Sea and the Hunt 

When the first Giant had felt hunger for the first time, and had an innate desire for sustenance, the Spirit of the Hunt was born. With their touch, wildlife exploded throughout the land. The Hunt explores every last nook and cranny of the land, bestowing life every last place it stepped foot. The Hunt found themself gazing before the great oceans of Gadelon at a loss, realizing they themselves were incapable of creating sea life. They wanted and desired such creatures so badly that the Spirit of the Sea was born, blessing The Hunt’s gaze with a magnificent display of underwater creatures at the western coast of the continent. However, where The Hunt was an eternal nomad, The Sea desired The Hunt’s presence despite the fact they lacked the same mobility. They stood in place out of stubbornness, awaiting The Hunt’s return. Every summer, The Hunt and The Sea reunite, and it is said this is why the fishing around these months is best.

Merrymaking 

As the Elves and Giantfolk peacefully lived their lives among the forests of Gadelon, the Spirit of Merrymaking was slowly born of their union. High off of it’s own infinite energies and bliss, they ran off to create their own art as the Sylvayn did. When they had reached the Great Mountain, they witnessed a Gnome in the corner of their eye. So endlessly excited by this new discovery, the Spirit of Merrymaking exploded into a shower of imitative shards which grew to become the Halflings. With an innate desire to spread joy, the Halflings traveled to the untouched land of the coast to create a beacon of recreation which would soon become the foundation of mighty Aldrenbough.

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