The Age Before Time

At the Doom of Valandia, the realm was devoured by the Elemental Chaos. Fires, jagged rock, flooding waters and raging storms feasted on and entombed the remains of Valandia. The elements pushed and pulled and fought for supremacy. As one world was destroyed, another one filled the void in this new land they had created.

Through the ether came the Creator Gods, both old and new, to tame and shape this land into something beautiful and worthwhile, or to bend it to their will. When they had something they were proud, they sought to populate this land with their own living creations. And thus, elves were born unto this land - as beautiful and graceful as the land they now inhabited. Then a second creation was given life: the dwarves - a hearty people intent on taming the land, filled with a desire to craft and invent. A third people were wrought: the humans - given hearts of passion that burned as brightly as their spans of life were short, and infused with need of laughter and celebration.

As more time passed, other creations followed as the gods were inspired by the things they had accomplished. More races of people, beasts of land, sky, and sea, more flora and fauna. The Children of Creation walked the land and, as their knowledge grew, attempted to build on it. But this land was not ready to be ruled by mere mortals. The elements from the Chaos that had made this realm, now turned upon it, fighting to return this land to whence it came. Fire erupted from the land, seas thrashed, swelled and swallowed, mountains quaked, winds blew and toppled what had been built. Elementals descended on the creatures of the land with fury.

The gods looked on in sorrow as their creations struggled against a land that did not want them, and the children looked to their creators for guidance and protection. Thus, the gods gave to them gifts, lending their own power to their children to create and shape the world around them; these were the first divine magics.

With these magics, the various peoples learned to bend the angry earth to their will: to temper the flames that burst through the ground, to tame the floods that threatened their abundance, and to turn seedling into fruit and beast into meal. Language became commonplace, culture was born, and governance replaced anarchy. The Creator Gods, the divinity beyond the skies, saw progress and saw that it was good, yet fragile and in need of guardians.

Thus were born the first protectors: The Sentinels, metallic dragons who safeguarded the gentler races. Along with these protectors, the gods put into place strict laws, both of nature and for their peoples. The realm grew quieter, the people multiplied, and new beings were given form and life. As culture grew, and the people further understood the world around them, they also looked up to their creators and gave them worship, gave them form, gave them title and purpose.

Though, now presumably safe, the gods could see many of their creations longed for freedom. The opportunity to push beyond the confines the gods put in place for their protection. This made god and creation alike long for something more, something different. The constraints and law were too tight. Surely there was space between the chaos and the order for balance and harmony.

Before they were able to advance on their new aspirations, tragedy once again struck the realm. For beneath the surface of this seemingly tamed world, unknown to the Creator Gods beyond the skies, lived ancient beings who had already claimed this world. Beings who were there in Valandia at its doom, now twisted abominations and aberrations and beings from out of the elemental chaos, the Primordials. The Primordials tore through the lands, opening a gateway for the cursed Valandians to prey open those they saw as invaders.

Some gods were so full of grief and anger that they wished to leave this world behind and start anew. They tried to convince their divine kindred to join with the Primordials, allowing chaos to reclaim the realm. Other gods wished to remain and subdue the Primordials, to tame the land for the sake of their creations. Thus was created a divide among the gods. Celestial sentinels once dedicated to battling the chaotic forces of the Abyss now fell to hate and tyranny, forging new hells under a fallen angel now claiming lordship over all the realms of sulfur and brimstone. They became known as The Forsaker Gods.

The Creator Gods that remained, wishing to salvage their home, their creations, and their realized selves, were forced to take up arms and learn to protect that which they valued most. They organized their followers and taught them how to draw from the powers of creation on their own: to build, to change, and to destroy, all without the aid of divine power. Mortals learned to defend themselves through practices such as alchemy or by bending the very fabrics of existence, though on a smaller scale than that of their creators. This gift was the knowledge of arcane magic.

The Creator Gods, together with good and remaining Children of Creation, now armed with both divine and arcane magics, and The Sentinel dragons drove away their traitorous kin, banished The Forsaker Gods to their own prison-like planes, and ultimately destroyed the Primordials, scattering the chaotic elements to their own planes of existence. It was not without a grave consequence, however. Many people, many gods and most dragons were lost to the War for Creation.

The only gods to remain where Aenariss, the chaotic goddess of fertility, weather, and joy, and Odythir, the god of order, justice, and the dawn. Together, they decided, was the only way forward. Chaos and order in balance and harmony. And so, a celestial union was formed and two gods became one. Separate but yoked, a marriage and duality of spirit, mind and power. Now, working as one, with seemingly limitless power, they set out to reform their world for what peoples remained. They created landscapes more beautiful than had previously been seen. They combined the stoic mountains with the rushing rivers. Allowed the wind to push through the trees. Allowed the oceans shift and tides to come in again and waves to rage in parts of the world. Allowed the fire to bubble below the surface of the rock and allowed it to spew forth and remind the world of its power.

When finished shaping the land, AO invited other gods in to share in their creation and to better care for their peoples who had varied interests. Behind those gods, they created The Shroud - a celestial barrier as a hedge of protection around their world. It’s purpose was to keep out gods and terrors that might wish destruction upon the land.

This became known as The Taming - the time when the world finally relented and accepted these gods and their mortal creations.

The people rejoiced at their new world, anxious to settle and explore it. They bowed down and worshipped their new god, their protector and provider, who they named AO.

The world was at peace for the first time since its creation, and the first real civilization took root and grew into a grand city called Provenance. The Fount of The World. The Advent City.

Culture developed anew, the races ventured forth to discover and explore their own lands, and great music filled the air to give a name to this world once and for all: Aondor.