A History of the world
As told by Pagan Ironfist, Skyraider of the Crystal Mountains.
When the world was young the peoples were born from the elements, name-givers
they were, so called for they named all that they saw. Their numbers grew as
the years passed each born from the true-elements that had created the world,
earth, air, fire and water. Seven was their number, Human; versatile and adaptive,
Elf; Tall and agile, Dwarf; Short but stolid, Tsrang; The agile lizard, Windlings; The small air-sprites, Trolls; Honorable and powerful, Orks; Living life with passion
and Obsidmen; The Rockmen.
As the peoples explored the earth they discovered magick, the elements in
their infancy, magick being given to the peoples by the horrors that they might use
it and bring them unto the world.
As the peoples spread the world felt their feelings and the passions were born,
their feelings made real and given life by Gaia itself. The passions rose and gave
the peoples gifts in their toilings as they worked towards their ideals.
But the gift given by the horrors grew and use of magick spread as the peoples
feel prey to its easy power, in these twilight years the Kingdom of Thera was born
and it's mastered enslaved those that would oppose them to work their mines and
build their cities.
Centuries passed and all fell before the might of Thera as their skyships ruled
the air, unopposed. However the mages of Thera learned of the Horrors plans and
worked against it, learning that the true-elements could guard against them.
As the news spread of the coming of the scourge, the time that the horrors would
ravish the world and destroy all the peoples worried for only Thera offered them
the chance to be safe and this was under oath of eternal slavery.
The peoples contacted the great wyrms for knowledge of the way to protect
themselves, but the Therans reacted by attacking the wyrms lairs with giant
skyships vast flying rocks the size of cities, called behemoths, killing two of the drakes and wounding another,
an uneasy alliance was agreed between the drakes and Thera.
As the time grew closer and more and more Horrors broke the rift between their
world and ours the peoples agreed, save the elven court of the great wyrm wood, to the
Therans rule for knowledge on how to save themself. The elves believing they
would be safe in their wood with natures defenses to protect them.
The scourge raged 400 years, the horrors breaking the defenses of some of the
great underground havens, known as kiers, but some survived. In the elven
court panic errupted as the horrors penetrated deeper and deeper into the wood,
when all seemed lost a horrifying discovery was made; The greatest and most powerful
horrors fed on fear and pain, they must cause it. And so the greatest horror of the scourge
was woven as the magicians of the elven court wove the spell of thorns. The skin
of the elves in the wood bursting with thorns that pierced their skin, sending them
into terrible agony. The horrors, having nothing in the wood left for them withdrew, but at a
terrible cost.
At the end of the scourge the peoples emerged, some stay still in their Keirs,
waiting longer to make sure. And once again the might of Thera is rising, sweeping
the free peoples aside, claiming their lordship over the peoples for a ancient pact
signed because there was no other way.
This is the history of the world, I live in the crystal mountains. The therans have
killed and enslaved my people for centuries and now, after the scourge, they return
to loot and kill. We cannot stand against them, and victory is but a faint hope. But
while we can still draw breath we fight as we can.
We are masters of the sky in our skyships, we owe our loyalty to no-one but
ourselves. While we can draw breath we will live our lives amoungst the
elements and with the passions.
We are skyraiders and we are free.