The Tomes of Other Worlds
The Lands of Rhungara & Avorene
50,000 Years Ago
The continent of Rhungara was born and rose from the seas. The children of the godlike beings known as the Ehlderkin, The Descendkin had traveled here after the failures to share the land of Modera with their kin. They set off to find another land. They found two. They named them Rhungara and its Southern Lands separated by a small sea and swampland - Avorene. On the Northern Continent of Rhungara, they found it was quite expansive: from sprawling jungles, vast valleys, great mountain ranges and strange regions that were beyond description. They also found the land was abundant with life: strange creatures that their parents had imagined and brought to life, others that began to grow and evolve as the world changed. Their greatest discovery however, was the existence of several primitive races that showed signs of intelligence. While most of the Descendkin moved on to live their own lives in seclusion. Those that made up The Order Of Light chose to help guide the new races, so that they would have a fighting chance in this strange and hostile world. At first, they taught them how to build their own societies and civilizations. They then made the choice to teach them a limited amount of their Arcane Arts that they had learned from their godly parents. Of course, the ability to cast and create the powerful spells the Ehlderkin used to shape the world was kept secret. They feared that if they gave this power to untested beings, it would only create more chaos than the gods had created. The Descendkin were in the midst of learning about this world as well. They found that the ability to use magic was possible because small microscopic creatures known as 'fey' lived in the atmosphere - like atoms, but denizens of this world were able to manipulate these fey by being exposed to Mana. And Mana then became one of the most sought after resources on the continent of Rhungara. However, when the Order of Light taught the denizens of Rhungara the ability to use the Arcane Arts, everything changed.
The Naruen, who would later become known as Elves quickly became the most powerful of the new races. The moved to the North of the continent and set up the land of Amngath. At first, they believed in the sanctity of nature, but as their civilization grew - their focus became power. They were able to manipulate the natural world around them and build cities within the trees. They learned the Arcane Arts quickly and every young Elf was taught at an early age to use these tools. However, their nature to learn more is also what divided them. Within the Naruen Race, a handful of different sects began to form and would eventually form entirely new races. These new races would spread out through the land of Amngath and eventually the entire continent of Rhungara.
The Elves that chose to remain called themselves The High Naruen Empire and would later be referred to as The High Elves. They above all else desired power. With each passing century, this race expanded not only their empire, but their knowledge of the Arcane Arts. They were even able to manipulate the Mana into making themselves immortal. They shared this knowledge with all the Naruen tribes in the hopes that it would create peace between the different clans that had formed. It is also possible that this is what caused the other races to hate the Naruen so much. Over time, as the Naruen evolved, immortality would become part of their genetic structure. However, as time passed the High Naruen Empire slowly diminished. Not only because their power decreased, but their population did as well. It is believed that their constant exposure to Mana had caused the race to become infertile. The second most powerful group of Naruen were known as The Nadiar, also known as Drow Elves. The Nadiar, as they prefer to be called never did like nature and many suspect was the reason for their exodus from the Naruen Empire. First, they took to the mountains; instantly starting a war with the Evargeist (Orcs) and then moved underground, starting a war with the Grindar (Dwarves) but more on that later. The Nadiar inhabited the underground world in the Northern half of the continent while the Dwarves took the Southern half. The Nadiar survived both these conflicts with the Orcs and Dwarves because they favored a branch of Arcane magic that most did not - the Black Arts, creating a style of magic which would later become known as Necromancy. Over time, the Nadiar evolved into a subterranean species: their skin became lighter or had a blue hue to it, Other than the ordeal with the Orcs and Dwarves; the Nadiar choose to keep to themselves most of the time. They believed the gods the others worshiped to be false. However, what the other races saw as isolationism, was really them simply gathering resources in preparation for war. A cleansing. The purification of Rhungara and then all of Ehumera. A handful of other groups were formed and evolved into their own civilizations. However, most of them died because they weren't able to defend themselves. Of these other groups, the smallest, but somehow the only one that survived long enough to be born into the new world was The Lunari. A group of Naruen who believed that because they were becoming infertile, it was a sign from the gods that they weren't supposed to grow anymore. The only way this could be achieved was the complete separation of the sexes. The female Naruen that make up the Lunari moved into the jungles and created a civilization void of male influence. They instead favored nature, as their race had in the beginning. They became the most powerful of the elemental magic users and would go on to survive for thousands of years. While other less significant groups of Naruen would die off over time.
On the Northern continent, the Naruen were forced to share land with The Evargeist, also known as Orcs. They claimed land just opposite of the Naruen lands of Amngarth. They called their mountainous region Forsam and began to make their own empire. While the Descenkin taught the Orcs the Arcane Arts, they had no desire to use it as the Elves had. Instead they saw a connection between Mana and life that no other races had. They believed Mana was the lifeblood of the Earth. They made it their race's purpose to prevent the use and manipulation of Mana by lesser beings. The Orcs favored living off the the land and had a lifestyle much akin to the Native Americans and Japanese Samurai of Earth. And when the Naruen began to split and move out from their homeland and into the Orc lands. The Evargeist saw it as a sign of war. The Order of Light had made a pact among themselves when they started teaching these races, that they would not directly interfere with their conflicts, but instead try to steer them away from war and into peace.
At first the Orcs listened and turned away from war, but when the Orcs saw what the Elves were doing with magic and their expanding kingdom into Orc lands - they saw no other choice but to fight back. For centuries, the Orcs had been stockpiling the fossilized form of Mana for select members of their civilization to use in desperate times. For centuries, the Orcs had been locating places knowing as Mana Pools where the large concentrated rivers of Mana have flowed for thousands of years. Over time, the Mana grows hard and is able to be harvested in the form of crystals. The exposure to these crystals forced the Orcs to evolve and develop an ability to absorb magic and create these crystals themselves (by scales that would grow and form crystals on their backs). The Orcs feared that the Naruen were after their massive stockpiles of Mana crystals. So when they found the Nadiar (Dark Elves) invading their mountains; what had only resulted in a few conflicts before had now turned into an all out war - The Endless War. A hatred still exists between Elves and Orcs to this day. The Order of Light created a building on the borders of Amngath and Forsam to attempt to stop any wars. This building was simply called The Tower. It was first and foremost, a school. Children of all races were invited to come and learn not only the Arcane Arts, but to build a relationship with other races that would hopefully inspire and create a lasting peace. And while it never did put an end to the hatred of some races - it did prevent an all out genocide.. for the most part, but more on that later. Every hundred years, a new Headmaster of the Academy would be chosen. As time went on, the power of the major races diminished. The lands became more divided. Each territory became ruled not by an entire race, but by the most powerful wizard, sorcerer, necromancer or warlord in the area. The conflicts were on a small scale, but never the less had an impact on the world. Sometimes The Tower was forced to involve graduates of the school into quests that would sometimes save the lives of thousands. This is when the Order of Light began to define itself, not as a force to manipulate the world, but a group that would give the denizens of the world the chance to save themselves from those that would seek to alter the world to destructive ends. This of course, angered the rest of the Descendkin. But they chose instead not to cause conflict. Among the Descendkin, a former member of the Order of Light had the power to open rifts between alternate worlds. A power handed down from one of the Ehlderkin himself, the God known as Melikyte. This Descendkin opened a portal to another world and those who didn't agree with the Order of Light left. Never to be seen again. In the Southern continent, a land known as Avorene was home to The Grindar (more commonly known as Dwarves). And even farther South was called Mendkhan was home to the most primitive of all races, beings known as The Sapten (which looked a lot like humans). They had advanced to the stages of farming and civilization, but were seen by the Order of Light as being cruel and unable to be influenced by knowledge. For this reason, the Order of Light chose not to teach them what they knew. They would protect these beings in the hope that one day they would be able to learn. But that never happened. The World of Ehumera was on a collision course with destruction.
To the rest of the world, The Drow Elves seemed uninterested in the world above, as they continued to live underground for thousands of thousands of years. However, that came to an end when they declared war against The Dwarves. The Southern Continent of Avorene became the first major battlefield on Rhungara. The war lasted a thousand years. And despite several pleas for help by the Dwarves (Grindar), the other races refused to help. The Drow (Nadiar) were after the massive deposits of Mana that existed on the Southern continent.. The Dwarves had no interest in magic and simply discarded this element - they were more interested in metals and crafted a great underground civilization filled with treasures and weapons the rest of the world had not even thought of. However, they did not have the numbers the Drow Elves had. The war didn't end until every last dwarf was slaughtered. They then turned their attention to the fledgling race of Saptens (humans). That is when the Order of Light broke their vow to not interfere. The Order of Light soon discovered the Nadiar were being led by one of their own. One of the Descendkin they thought had left this world with the rest and he had chosen to remain behind and put an end to The Order of Light. A being that would become known as The Lost One.
They only heard rumors of him and the Order did not know which of their brothers this Lost One was, but they saw that he was just as destructive as their Ehlderkin parents - only less powerful, but still worth any two members of the Order of Light. Instead of fighting the Order head on, he turned the Nadiar into his army. He created a religion that would turn them into more than soldiers, but fanatics - who would not rest until their god's teachings became the only truth of this world. And who is to say he was wrong. His truth was this.
Once he had control of the world, he would give the power that was taken away from them, back to them. The ability to make or unmake the world as they saw fit. Every being on the planet of Ehumera would be able to make their own heaven. He even swore that he could make it possible for those that died to live on in the afterlife with the same promise. Needless to say, to immortal beings like the Nadiar, who above all else feared losing their immortality - a second immortality in the life after became what they desired. The Lost One commanded an army that did not fear death. They embraced it. And when they had control over the Southern Continent of Avorene, they would turn North. Only the death of the other occupants of the land stood in their way - The Saptens (humans). That is when The Order of Light chose to interfere with The Lost One's plans. As he knew they would. And he was ready. He managed to trap and kill several members of The Order. Then using the power of necromancy, he brought them back from the dead and turned them against their friends - the last remaining members of The Order of Light. At this time, the headmaster of the Academy of Adengard and Order of Light was named Lady Yunfahl. Later, she would become the founder of Neo City's Order of Light. She knew she could not win a battle against The Lost One and his army, but she knew she had to save the history of her people somehow. Each member of the Order, as well as most of the remaining Descendkin, a handful of powerful Naruen and Evargeist leaders and a smaller collection of powerful figures in the world were given a journey book. This book detailed the life, memories and the knowledge they had gained. When one of these people died, their soul was captured within a gem on the cover of the book. Over a span of fifty thousand years, the Order of Light had obtained thousands of these journey books and they were the recorded and living history of Ehumera. With each member of The Order that falls, a new book of history is written. That is when she retreated into the dungeons beneath the Academy of Adengard. There she and the last of her Order laid down their lives to defend the massive collection of history books that she had amassed. If they could not save the world, they would at least save its memory. Within the darkest corner of the dungeon she found a lost artifact that lead to this world's beginning. It was known as The Star of Creation or The Amulet of Ehumera. She prayed to the Goddess Ehumera for which the world was named and pleaded with her to help save the world she herself helped create. Lady Yunfahl held the amulet in her hand and prepared to use its strength to fight off The Lost One's army. And that is when the world changed forever.. again. A blinding light erupted from the amulet, a massive earthquake began to tear the world apart. However, instead of destroying the world as a massive release of energy like this would have done. The Amulet of Creation had a different idea. It used all of its power to do what it could to save the world. Even if it meant fusing itself to another world that was also dying. And on another world, far across the vastness of space and time.. The same blinding light appeared.