RECORDS OF RHUNEARTH
Record Four
Prelude to War
2066 A.D. - 2100 A.D.
The Year was 2066 A.D... Around this time, people began to notice that President Duncan, around 70 at this time, had not been aging. Many believed that he struck a deal with the Naruen, trading science for the secrets to immortality. Duncan also sought the dismantling of The Arcanduit Gates. The vast distance teleportation machines he built while he was enslaved years ago, to aid the Naruen in their war against the Evargeist. It was feared that forces greater than the Naruen and SANCTUM would use the Gates for some evil purpose and the Naruen gave up the control of the Gates, but not for nothing. Despite also being the President of Duncan Industrial, one of SANCTUM's most powerful corporations; it would clearly be bias to sell all contracts to himself. He commissioned the dismantling of the Arcanduit Gates to SOR Global. The Naruen went behind the back of Orlen and made a second deal with SOR Global. They'll give them all the keys to the Gates only if they get a nuclear weapon in return. It took a few years to develop the nuclear device, as well as to track down and dismantle the Arcanduit Gates, but not all of them. SOR Global saw a chance to have a foothold in every corner of the world. The keys were given to SOR Global and the nuclear device was given to a High Warlord of the Naruen by the name Strigol. As the Neonauts aboard the Wander were flying along Demortus' (Africa) Northern coast, a monster best described as a demon began to chase them. Whenever they attempted to explore an area and left their ship. A swarm of monsters came after them, led by this demon. They got as far inland as Cairo, Egypt and saw the Pyramids were still standing. But the farther inland they got the more hellish the landscape became - literally. An ash covered terrain, dotted with random small volcanoes and rivers of lava. They assumed the rest of Africa was the same and planned to at least explore the coast, but the demon returned. It chased them across the Middle East and North into Russia; the land the Naruen called Behedor. It had the same fog as The Whisperlands and they even came across another giant that seemed to prevent them from entering certain areas. Whenever they'd approach a location, this massive figure would charge them and force them to find another route and it would find them and chase them away again. This carried on until The Wander reached what was known as China. The last report from Edward d'Coma and his crew aboard the exploration vessel The Wander; was that they came across a series of radar stations and they were active and transmitting somewhere. Massive towering structures that stretched into the sky, each fixed with blinking blue lights.
They were never heard from again.
The Year was 2075 A.D. A mysterious force began to take hold of The Gorath Wildlands (Midwest) Thousands of evil creatures and monsters never before seen began to head north from Avorene and with them came a plague. Every living thing that could move seemed to join this horde: from the largest dragon, to the smallest insect - as if they were being controlled. The Nadiar Necromancers began to raise the dead. They broke into tombs, graves and underground cities long abandoned by the humans and any corpse that wasn't skull and bones suddenly started to move. It is now theorized that the Wildlands, while their current destination was not their main target. They were simply using the plentiful resource of living creatures in Gorath (the most abundant place in the world, filled with more animal life than anywhere). The Lunari were the first to do battle with this horde. The Lunari were a tribe within the Naruen: all female, nature loving and left the Naruen years ago because they didn't agree with the way they were using the Arcane Magics. The Evargeist (Orcs) lived in the Western Wildlands in what was once the Rocky Mountains. Their capital city was known as Kardai. And while they hated the Naruen and even their cousins, the Lunari. They knew something had to be done. They gathered their armies together and began to march towards what was once the American Midwest. At the same time. Duncan was finally able to convince the NeoCity Senate and Congress to help The Wildlands. But instead of sending forces into the dangerous jungles that had consumed the Midwest. They sent forces South, along the Northern border of what was once Mexico, in an attempt to slow the enemy advance. The Evargeist joined alongside their enemies the Lunari and fought against the nightmare-ish creatures of Avorene. That is when ECHONIM also sent forces to help clear the Wildlands of this evil. Around the same time. The once quiet gates of HAVEN opened. It was thought to be great news at first. Finally, their human brothers chose to help them fight off these evils. An army of people, mixed with machines came forth and headed North. They began to burn and kill everything that wasn't human. Hundreds of Elves and other creatures died brutal deaths. These humans had only one thing in mind. To restore the world to its natural order. Unfortunately, they were slightly outmatched with all these strange beings against them, but the forces of Avorene didn't want them around either. The army of HAVEN was simply making its borders known. They carved out a land as far North as Maine, as far West as Ohio and as far South as North Carolina. This region is now known as The Angar Wasteland. They farmed every tree. Consumed every resource. And burned and destroyed any trace of Rhungarian life. It was clear their only goal was the restoration of Earth. However, the nearby citizens of Neo-Tokyo (New York City), kept to themselves and for all Haven knew - were also a pure-human society. The Year was 2080 A.D. At the same time, across the Pacific. After charting much of The Sorai Islands, the crew of The Pariah were ordered to set up a permanent settlement on what was once Hawaii with the sole purpose of spying on CITADEL. Over the years they gathered more radio signals and they pieced together a general outline of what this growing metropolis was. The rumors were half right. They were the remnants of the Chinese, Russian and Korean's EUG (Eastern Union Guard). They were building an army. They would not stop until they had complete control of the entire world. They were humans who were obsessed with technology that they tried to implant it into every part of their being. When the Pariah was able to capture an enemy ship. They got answers out of their prisoners and the following was learned. The city isn't a city at all, it spans the entire coastline of China and Korea and is assumed to extend as far South as Hong Kong, but nobody has ever seen the other side or end to it. It is estimated the entire city together is about the same size as the country of Mexico. The Year was 2085 A.D. The War in the Wildlands was still waging. Monster-like machines from HAVEN were being built and shipped out to the front by the day. They burned the ancient forests, they destroyed temples and sacred lands, they restored and "liberated" human cities and talks of their cruelty to anything non-human struck fear in the minds of Naruen and Evargeists. Humans joined them and returned to HAVEN out of fear. It is believed they use a form of brainwashing to get what they want. However, they made an enemy of the Nadiar as well and they could be just as inhuman as these humans were being. ECHONIM sent newly trained Archmages into the jungles to fight the machines. Wave after wave of Evargeists left their home in Kardai to join the fight. As for Avorene, their army only grew. For every dead Elf, Orc and Human, they were raised from the dead and joined the ranks of the ungodly Necromancers of Avorene. The war in Wildlands was one of the bloodiest and longest in the new histories of this world. Nobody could have predicted what happened next.. The Year was 2090 A.D. A massive eruption of light was reported around the Evargeist Capital City of Korai. A Naruen High Elf claiming to be a representative of The Naruen Nation, named Strigol, had weeks earlier appeared in truce at the city's gates and offered a gift. A holy relic known as A Naruen Star. They said it was a massive source of Mana encased inside metal crafted from an meteorite rock. It was meant to be a truce in a time of war, as the Evargeist coveted mana and hated the Naruen's misuse of the element. It was also given in thanks for helping their cousins, The Lunari. They gladly accepted and displayed the star proudly at the main temple, deep in the caverns of the Evargest Capital City.
The elf has since been recognized as Strigol, a Naruen terrorist who once acquired a nuclear device from SOR Global. And he had just given his hated enemy a nuclear bomb, armed and ready to go off. He told them it was a gift for them helping their cousins the Lunari fight off Avorene. That they wished to put an end to this rivalry. And while they couldn't exactly stop using Mana (which is one of the reasons for this whole Endless War between the two races). They swore they would restrict it to those who used it wisely. And in return, the Evargeist would grant Strigol access to their scrolls. The Order of Light gave each race Arcane Scrolls. Some of the more legendary spells known to exist. Each race was given different ones, so that none would know all. But Strigol said only a small handful would learn the spells and they would only be used to combat these evils spreading in the world. The Evargeist took the deal and the Naruen Star. Strigol left the city with several hundred ancient scrolls and when he was a safe distance away, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a detonator and set off the bomb. Over a million Evargeist Orcs were gone in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, every Evargeist at war in The Wildlands was now an endangered species. From that moment on. Whenever an Orc killed an Elf in battle. They would carve the symbol of a star into the heads of their fallen enemies. The Year was 2100 A.D. Summary of things learned so far...
What once was known as Mexico and Central America has become Avorene, a place filled with undead abominations which are controlled by Necromancers.
South America has reclaimed its rainforests and is teeming with abundant life. The native vegetation has blossomed back and in some cases has cross pollinated with their magical counterparts resulting in, for example, carnivorous Tangle Trees. Many strange, beautiful and sometimes deadly plants are flourishing and many are yet to be discovered.
What was known as the British Isles and Europe is now called The Whisperlands. It is protected by a cloud of fog so dense that any human that enters it is never heard from again. Technology dies and never works on this land.
The continent once known as Asia is now called CITADEL. This territory has become by far the world's most technologically advanced. This is one of the few places left where science still rules supreme.
Africa has befallen a mysterious fate. Shortly after the joining its borders were somehow magically sealed. Travel in or out of this continent is rare. Those who have visited or escaped refer to it as Demortus and tell of great evil within.
Japan, the Phillipines, Hawaii, and other Pacific islands and countries were overcome by massive tidal waves which reached, in some cases, 3000 feet high and a mile wide. These waves toppled Japan's great cities, killing millions and devastating the magnificent land and culture. Today it is a little cluster of islands with one or two large cities.
The fate of Australia is unknown. Numerous rumors abound. It is believed by some that the whole island continent is destroyed, others think it is still intact but with no one alive to contact, yet others believe it is a paradise without pollution or racial strife. But the Solotans claim that the sea and their underwater city of Sotham now rests in its place.
The poles, including Antarctica, are a complete mystery, but it is assumed they melted down somewhat as the ocean levels have risen, the Earth has warmed, and weather patterns have changed, resulting in such as longer, more humid summers and temperate winters worldwide.
The Oceans are home to the sea serpents of wives tales, along with the beasts already native to the old Earth, such as whales, sharks, and octopi. Toxins from the war unfortunately settled in the briny deep and caused mass extinction of many species of sea life as well as mutating others. Many people have come to fear the great seas and ocean travel is almost unheard of. There are rumors of vast underwater civilizations and pirate run floating cities, but few dare to investigate for themselves.
What was known as North America has been divided into four lands most completely consumed by wilderness.
From the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachian are known as The Wildlands. Beasts and monsters off all kinds such as bears, gryphons, moose, unicorns, centaurs, wolves, etc.. are abundant here.
The region of Canada is now known as Amncrom. It is said that Dragons have claimed much of this lands icy peaks as their homeland.
To the far West are the deserts of Emnest. This vast desert runs up much of the Pacific coast and is populated by small tribes and bands of Elves, High and Dark alike, along with packs of wild raiders and other creatures known as Deathworms that can swallow entire towns within minutes.
To the East Coast, HAVEN (Pittsburgh) to Neo-Tokyo (New York City), The Angar Wastelands are spreading.
A lot has changed and much has stayed the same. By destroying two worlds, a new one was born. Neither populace knows what wonders lay undiscovered by their kind or what lost secret waits to be found. Even now after three centuries the quest for knowledge remains strong. Many find the chance to explore and see new places irresistible . Others learn only what they need to survive. No matter which category you fall into... A whole new world of mystery and adventure was born.. And we haven't even scratched the surface. And now.. The Greatest War either world has ever seen is upon them.