Long ago in the 13 Kingdoms, in the days that founded what we now know, there were tyrannical rulers.

Sadly, All of the first Four Founders begot children, most of whom only continued the despotism, making for a cruel world…

Maybe the citizens wouldn't mind so much if they were all of the same descent. But the towns across the countryside were integrated with other beings-more different beings.

Like Centaurs, Scorpion people, Tejinashi, Were-Animals, Myrrh People, Plant people, and the highly evolved People of the Wind.

And of course, where there are differences, arguments arise. Only, the ones that originated from the physical differences of the kingdom's denizens sprouted into anger, fierce hatred, and incomprehendable carnage.

First, the 'different' beings were forced from their homes, and anyone found harboring them would be murdered on the spot by the Royals' ferocious guards.
The fugitive races were prosecuted from their homes, were separated from their families. With nowhere else to go, they simply wandered, trying to scrounge food and shelter from anywhere available.

Too many were killed by gallivanting soldiers…still too many more were dead of hunger, and poor hygiene.

One great leader named Sir David Freemont, a Leonine, was tired of being pushed to the limit, and founded the Lost City…found lately and renamed the Castle of Relics. Since it was founded, it was known only to the 'impure' beings so they would always have a place of sanctuary, and will continue to be a college of higher learning for anyone who desires to excel.

Their numbers grew, and not all of the impure would fit in the small, hidden realm of the one castle. Groups of explorers were sent out to find new site where the 'impure' could be safe.

One of the groups was lead by Ignacious Donnelly. His group was of the Water-Trudgers, or the Lurii (their preferred name). His group scoured the ocean-sides to find a magical, secluded area for their children to grow in. They found it, and we know it now rests in the Gaia Ocean-The Lurii realm.

The next group was lead by Lota Stemille, the plant people, or Innihcuz, as we know them now. They searched for a forested area where they could plant their roots, so to speak, and where there was plenty of sunshine to warm their veins. They found it in the Life Tree, creating a tunnel to connect their new home to the Winding Road (the tunnel now well-known, though, no soldier of the Four Founders would journey forth in past centuries).

The next group was the Tejinashi. Independent always, and never ones to impose, they felt compelled to find an area where they could be alone with their studies, but could be available to the rest of their 'impure' brethren. Their leader, the deceased Circe, used all of her great wealth of strength to create a floating world where her people could be safe. All Tejinashi, or Scepters are forever in her debt.

The last group was lead by Raphael of the Wind Walkers, or the Nurii, as we now know them. He found an isolated mountain basin, above which he 'gathered' irregular cloud mass to create a world in the sky. These philosophical hearts will always shelter the weary traveler, in remembrance of their past abuse.
Now, you may be wondering, what were the Founding Four doing this whole time, just waiting? Lounging around? I don't think so. They had a team of their own out searching…for this and that. For the occasional glory…to finally rid themselves of the 'impure'…to find a long-hidden city (Youjutsusha, home of the Onde). (See Later Chapters)

This expedition founded the Kingdom of Wons. Way back then it was just a military outpost but has since sprawled, making it's own history and fame and also relinquishing their malevolent ways.

The four original Kingdoms were Heal, Sabers, Luau, and Disks. The first three have since relinquished their ways, finding themselves to be worse then any 'impure' person. All three have decreed that no person is above another for any reason-Heal runs a monastery founded by the People of the Moon, Sabers is a Democracy created by the people of Nie'Fell, and Luau is passive, once tribal city that was always thought to inhabit the island.

Two other mostly human towns were founded during the war, long after the Four Founders had their Kingdoms established. They've long since grown into prosperous Kingdoms themselves-The Land of the Theives, in the Great Desert (they welcome outsiders, but who would want to live there?), and The Kingdom of Cups.

Cups the most prosperous of them all, founded by a soon-to-be-evolved human dubbed Arthur. He and his people, of a higher intellect and moral standings, evolved to have transparent wings.
That leaves only one more Kingdom.

Alas, there is one Kingdom that still allows no 'impure' blood into their midst.

Travelers beware-Disk Kingdom, founded by the Rilgue of Mu'spell.

***

The Isle: Early Beginnings

The first people thought to have inhabited the entire Underworld were Männer die schaffen, or the Men that Create. Since there is no evidence of their existence, this tale is seen as a myth.

As you know, there was the Great Exodus, when many of our people migrated below the surface and became Subterrainians. There were still many species left Overworld side too, of course, so we needed a link to them, to give them a choice of coming or not.

The Ash Tree was our connection to the world above, and there was a blockade set there early on. Then Spectra and the Docks were created. Obviously all of us would not fit on such a small island. We moved several ships from above and Ghod, our first leader, designated teams for the directions of Underworld.

The team that reached the Celestial Continent got to their targets first since it was closest, and they returned to inform the others of such a great span of land. Many left for that land, but a band stayed behind to tell the other expeditions of their heading.

The Celestial Continent was perfect for the numbers of beings. Three of the Old Species settled their homes in each of the four areas of the Continent, Mu'spell, Nie'Fell, As-Kartel, and Vikelton. (See Celestial Continent)

Then there was Ghod's conquering of the Void (see Deism and Fables) for the people. That came to be when a second team returned with news of a great Gap or Void-Ginningagap. Many were lost over the edge, and a few of the ships that journeyed forth never emerged.

The team was taken to the Continent by the band that had stayed behind at the docks and Ghod met with the travelers. The man was outraged, especially at the tales of the monster residing within the Gap that were being told now.

He made up his mind and journeyed to the Void on a ship. It was said by the men--that manned the vessel Ghod took-that the leader took on the great monster valiantly, and killed it in the Void. The monster has never bothered Subterrainians yet, and thus Ghod is held in high respect.

Through all of this, the third and last party had been forgotten. The people left at the Docks yearned for the life on the Continent, and took off for them. This left no one to tell the other ships where to head if they returned.

To this day it is not certain the outcome of that voyage. It was thought that perhaps they went too far and fell into the Gap, or got devoured by the monster.
Still more intelligent folk thought that they might've returned late and simply missed the directions. They could be Overworld, walking among the humans.

Years and years later, more ships were sent that way, in an attempt to expand their territory. This expedition found the Isle of 13 and also some very intriguing artifacts. It reminded them of the people that had been lost many generations before, and also the monster that had supposedly lived in the Void.

There was no trace of people, so the troops that had found the place figured that the monster had eaten the people and the territory was settled.

More scientific minds, the early Binah, figured that there would have to be a settlement somewhere that the people would've lived in, otherwise they wouldn't have lived long enough to make the artifacts.

Thus, the story of the Lost City began. The Youjutsusha (thus the people had been dubbed due to the words found on their relics and pictures of sorcery) have never been found, nor has any other evidence been found of their existence.

Many fine Binah have had their lives wasted away by the thought of finding the City, and the long search it unquestioningly beckons.

***
The Four Founders

Long have the horrors of their despotism reigned over beings and then memories.

After the discovery of the Isle, it was dubbed shortly 'The Isle' due to the argument of who really had discovered it.

After a while, there were mass migrations of first the Moon People, or Volk Hisakata who had appeared mysteriously in Mu'spell around the same time as the first settlers, though they had not belonged to Overworld before. There was word they came from the moon, and no one could get near enough to ask them their real name, thus they were named Volk Hisakata, by the Nordic and Japanese elves, jointly. (See Origins unknown)

The Volk Hisakata founded Heal after long wanderings of, apparently useless land. They decided to settle in an area where a fountain had apparently sprung up from nowhere. They renounced their Volk traditions and developed their own. They all refused to discuss their 'disgustingly wrong' heritage, and have long forgotten what it was like anyway. No chance of finding out about the Hisakata that way.

Next to come, after hearing of the Volk's expeditions, the Rilgue decided that they should claim extra land before it was gone. (See Nationalities)
The horned people of Rilgue set sail for the Isle and found it. They claimed an area of land secluded and protected by a dark forest, now called Sotlat after the evil that it had once supposedly held. It was on land near a cliff overlooking the sea. They know when a new ship of people are coming into or out of the Isle, since that is the area closest to the Docks and Continent alike.

The Luau had apparently been living in the area for generations. At first it was thought that these were the Youjutsusha, but it turned out that they had come over in a small independent ship after the Great Exodus, and after the initial discovery of the Isle. The Dioscuri of Nie'Fell captured all of these people and their land for their own and integrated themselves into the Luau's culture.