Geschichte

Aus Heldenreich

Geschichte wird von den Siegern Geschrieben... so sei man stets auf der Jagd nach der Wahrheit und lese zwischen den Zeilen!

Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Zeitalter der Götter (God's Age) 1.1 Schöpfungsgeschichte 1.2 Aufstieg der Giganten 1.3 Der Fall Shiliens 1.4 Die große Flut 1.5 Der Fall der Giganten 2 Antike Geschichte 2.1 Das Zwergenkönigreich 2.2 Der Niedergang der Elfen, aufstieg der Orks 2.3 Bündnis der Menschen und Elfen 2.4 Niedergang der Orks 2.5 Bruch der Allianz und Niedergang der Elfen 2.6 Bündnis der Menschen und Orcs 2.7 Zerstörung des Zwergenkönigreichs 2.8 Bruch der Allianz Niedergang der Orks 2.9 Versteckter Aufstieg der Zwerge 3 Zeitalter der Pracht (Age of Splendor) 3.1 Aufstieg der Kinder Shiliens 3.2 Aufstieg Elmoredens 3.3 "Kreuzzug" gegen die Ungläubigen 3.4 Erschaffung des Siegel von Gnossis 3.5 Erschaffung des Siegels von Avarice 3.6 Interlude 3.7 Angriff der Kinder Shilens und das Siegel von Strife 3.8 Die Blutlinie und die restlichen Siegel 3.9 1. Krieg gegen Perios (Gracia) 3.10 Die Beleth Affäre 3.11 Abspaltung der Dunkelelfen 3.12 Zweiter Gracia Krieg, Niedergang des Kaiserreichs Elmoreden und Fall Perios 4 Zeitalter des Chaos (Age of Chaos) 4.1 Aufstieg Elmores 4.2 Aufstieg Gracias 4.3 Aufstieg Raouls des Vereinigers 4.4 Tod Rauls, Krieg und Frieden 5 Der Bruch der Siegel 5.1 Gnossis 5.2 Avarice 5.3 Strife 5.4 Vengeance 5.5 Awakening 5.6 Calamity 5.7 Descent 6 Was gerade passiert... Das Ende ist nahe! 7 Was kommt auf uns zu? 8 Quellen

Zeitalter der Götter (God's Age)

Schöpfungsgeschichte

Vor langer Zeit, in einer Zeit noch vor den ersten Gedanken, gab es nur einen Globus in dem die gesamte Schöpfung vermischt war. Es gibt nichts womit es zu vergleichen wäre, zugleich groß und klein, dunkel und hell, alles und nichts.

Über einen Zeitraum von 100.000.000 Jahre begann der Globus zu wachsen und schließlich nahmen langsam zwei Mächte darin Form an. Während sie wuchsen entwickelten die Kräfte Bewusstsein, sie erlangten Kenntnis von ihrer Individualität und trennten sich in weißes Licht und Dunkelheit. Das weiße Licht formte eine weibliche Gestallt und nannte sich Einhasad. Die Dunkelheit formte sich als Mann und nannte sich Gran Kain.

Mit vereinten Kräften brachen die beiden aus aus dem Globus, welcher in Scherben jeder Art zersplitterte. Aus den Scherben formte sich die Welt, die Pflanzen und Tiere, und die Schöpfungskreaturen wie die Giganten, aber auch die 4 Riesenschildkröten Cruma und die Arachne wie Nerupa und Orfen. All jenen gemein war ein Langes Leben und großes Wissen.

Kurz darauf heirateten die beiden. Diese Verbindung gebar bald darauf 5 Kinder:

• die älteste Tochter Shilen
• den ältesten Sohn Pa'agrio
• die 2. Tochter Maphr
• den 2. Sohn Sayha
• die jüngste Tochter Eva

Als Göttin der Schöpfung formte Einhassad viele Formen, leer zu beginn welche ihre 4 ältesten mit ihren eigenen Kräften leben einhauchten.

Shilen hauchte der ersten Form, die ihre Mutter erschaffen hatte, den Geist des Wassers ein. So wurde die Rasse der Elfen erschaffen.

Pa'agrio hauchte der zweiten Form, die ihre Mutter erschaffen hatte, den Geist des Feuers ein. Auf diese Weise wurden die Orks erschaffen.

Maphr hauchte der dritten Form, die ihre Mutter erschaffen hatte, den Geist der Erde ein. So entstanden die Zwerge. Sayha hauchte der vierten Form, die ihre Mutter erschaffen hatte, den Geist des Windes ein. So entstanden die geflügelten Arteias.

Durch Einhasad's Schöpfung inspiriert wollte ihr Ehemann Gran Kain auch eine Rasse erschaffen. Leider hatten ihre Kinder die besten Essenzen schon Einhassad gegeben und alles was übrig blieb war der Geist stehenden und fauligem Wassers, der Geist vergehendem Feuers, der Geist öder und verseuchter Erde und der Geist wilden und verletzendem Winds. Mit diesen erschuf Gran Kain die Menschen nach seinem Abbild. [Anm. Die einzige Rasse die nach dem Aussehen eines Gottes erschaffen wurde] Natürlich waren diese Geschöpfe schwach, dumm, hinterlistig und feige. Alle anderen Götter schauten auf Gran Kain herab und von der Schande seines Fehlschlags überwältigt wand er sich von seiner Schöpfung ab und zog sich für eine Weile zurück.

Nun passierte etwas interessantes. Die Rassen welche Einhasad erschaffen hatte vergassen sie schnell und wählten ihre Kinder als schützende Gottheit. Orks beteten Pa'agrio an, Zwerge Maphr und so weiter. Im verbotenem Buch "Zwergischer Schöpfungsmythos", welches nun in der geheimen Bibliothek in Rune aufbewahrt wird steht, "Am Anfang war die große Schöpferin Maphr ... Mit der Hilfe Maphrs wurden die Zwerge erschaffen, die Rasse der Erde. Maphr lehrte den Zwergen Handwerk ...". Oder anders gesagt, wurde Einhasad als Einfluss kaum beachtet von den Zwergen, sie wird überhaupt so gut wie gar nicht genannt.

Aufstieg der Giganten

Von allen Schöpfungskreaturen waren die Giganten die herausragendsten. Sie waren weithin bekannt als die Weisen, denn ihre Intelligenz war ebenso groß wie ihre Stärke. Die Giganten versprachen den Glauben an Einhasad und Gran Kain in ehren zu halten, denn es waren die Aktionen dieser beiden Götter, welche sie und die Welt erschufen. Einhasad und Gran Kain waren zufrieden mit den Giganten und ernannten sie als Herren über alles Leben. Dies war zu einer Zeit als es keine Unterwelt und kein wahres Paradies gab und somit waren sie die Herren über alles außer den Göttern.

Die Rasse der Elfen war weise und war der Magie Fähig. Auch wenn sie weniger Weise als die Giganten waren. Daher erlaubten die Giganten ihnen bei Politik und Magie-bezogenen Aktivitäten zu dienen.

Die Rasse der Orks war Stark. Sie besaßen unerschöpfliche stärke und große Willensstärke. Dennoch waren sie nicht so stark wie die Giganten. Daher erlaubten die Giganten den Orks ihnen in Sachen Kriegsführung zu dienen. [Anm. Es ist unbekannt gegen wen Krieg geführt wurde. Vermutlich zwischen den Giganten selbst.]

Die Zwergen waren begabt. Sie waren gute Ingenieure, begabte Mathematiker und stachen hervor in feiner Handarbeit. Die Giganten erlaubten den Zwergen ihnen im Bankwesen und bei Bauarbeiten zu dienen.

Die geflügelten Arteias waren freiheitsliebend und besaßen endlose Neugier. Die Giganten wollten sie einfangen und unterwerfen, doch sobald ein Arteia in einen Käfig gesperrt wurde verlor er seine Stärke und starb. Die Giganten hatten keine Wahl, als sie frei fliegen zu lassen. Die Arteias besuchten die Städte der Giganten und erzählten Neuigkeiten aus allen Teilen der Welt.

Menschen hingegen konnten nichts gut und wurden so die Sklaven der Giganten. Sie mussten alle arten niederer Tätigkeiten erfüllen. Das Leben eines Menschen war nicht mehr Wert als das eines Tieres.

Der Fall Shiliens

Gran Kain ist ein freizügiger und hemmungsloser Gott. So war er anfällig dafür Fehler zu begehen. Sein größter Fehler jedoch war es seine Tochter Shilen zu verführen. Die beiden hatten eine Affäre versteckt vor den Augen Einhasads. doch als Shilen schwanger wurde fand Einhasad alles über die Affäre heraus und der Zorn übermannte sie.

Als erstes enthob Einhasad Shilen ihrer Position als Göttin des Wassers und verbannte sie von dem Kontinent. Da Gran Kain sich nicht einmischte in die Situation wurde Shilen mit ihrem Schicksal alleien gelassen.

Die schwangere Shilen floh nach Osten. In dem Gebiet, welches heute als Dark Forrest bekannt ist kam die Zeit ihrer niederkunft. Während jeder schmerzhaften Wehe verfluchte sie Einhasad und Gran Kain.

Ihre Kinder, geboren aus Schmerz und Hass, trugen Hoffnungslosigkeit und Zorn im Herzen und wurden zu Dämonen. Uner ihnen waren die stärksten Kreaturen die Drachen.

6 Drachen wurden mit Verwünschungen gegen die 6 Götter geboren.

• Antharas, the Dragon of Earth
• Valakas, the Dragon of Fire
• Fafurion, the Dragon of Water [Anm. Soll inzwischen tot sein]
• Lindvior, the Dragon of Wind
• Aulakiria, the Dragon of Light [Anm. Lebt heute mit Shilen zusammen in der Unterwelt]
• Bael-Zael, the Dragon of Darkness [Anm. Lebt heute mit Shilen zusammen in der Unterwelt]

Shilen war erfüllt von Zorn gegen Einhasad, welche sie verbannte und Gran Kain, der sie verführte und dann fallen gelassen hatte. Sie versammelte ihre Kinder um sich und erschuf aus ihrer Stärke eine Armee um die Götter zu strafen.

Die stärksten Drachen sollten an vorderster Front kämpfen. Als Aulakiria dies hörte betrachtete sie ihre Mutter mit traurigen Augen und sprach:

"Muttter, du weißt nicht was du tust! Willst du wirklich ewige Zerstörung über die Götter Bringen? Willst du wirklich dass deine Mutter, dein Vater und deine Verwandten in Seen ihres eigenen Blutes ertrinken?"

Aber sie konnte Shilens Entschluss nicht ins wanken bringen.

So fielen die Dämonen in die Heimstatt der Götter ein und ein erbitterter Kampf entstand. Die Drachen zerstörten alles im Palast der Götter, selbst die Götter waren eingeschüchtert von der unglaublichen Kraft der Drachen. Die Schlacht schien ewig zu währen, doch wenn der KRieg nie zu einem Ende käme würde die Welt aufhören zu existieren und alles Leben würde ausgelöscht werden.

Zahllose Boten der Götter und Dämonen fanden ihr Ende. Jeden Tag erschütterte Donner und Blitz die Himmel, als die Armeen aufeinander prallten. Die Giganten und alles Leben auf der Erde bibberten vor Furcht, als sie den schrecklichen Kampf im Himmel beobachteten.

Der erbarmungslose Kampf ging über viele Jahre, doch letztendlich begann sich die Schlacht leicht für eine Seite zu entscheiden. Trotz der Leiden und vielen Verletzungen hatten Einhasad und Gran Kain die stärkeren Kräfte und vernichteten viele Dämonen.

Die Drachen kämpften unerschütterlich weiter, auch wenn sie tiefe Wunden hatten und übersät mit Narben waren. Nach einer Weile sah es so aus, als würde die Schlacht mit der Vernichtung von Shilens Armee enden. Kurz vor dem Ende breiteten die Drachen ihre Flügel aus und flohen zur Erde um zu entkommen. Alle Dämonen die überlebt hatten folgten ihnen. Die Götter versuchten die fliehende Armee zu töten, doch ihre eigenen Verletzungen hinderten sie daran. So konnten sie nichts anderes tun als zuzusehen wie die Drachen und Dämonen flohen.

Als Shilens Kinder eines nach dem anderen dahin schied überfiel sie endlose Traurigkeit. Die Traurigkeit überwältigte sie und sie nahm all jene Kinder die gestorben waren zu sich und erschuf so die Unterwelt. Und Shilen herrschte über sie.

Unter Aufwendung aller ihrer Macht Verbannte Einhasad Shilen für immer in die Unterwelt um sie so zu bestrafen und ihre Rache auszuüben.

Die große Flut

With no goddess to rule over them, the spirits of water were without purpose and began to wander aimlessly. Too much water flowed to one place, part of the continent suddenly sank into the ocean or a new island suddenly sprang out of nowhere. Both on the continent and in the ocean, all the living creatures were suffering. Due to the floods, countless giants and living creatures departed to Shilen's world. On behalf of all the living creatures, giants petitioned the gods for help. Einhasad and Gran Kain searched everywhere in the continent and finally found the lake in which Eva was hiding. Trembling with fear, Eva ended up surrendering to her mother. When Eva took over her authority to adjust the waters, the disasters gradually ceased.

Der Fall der Giganten

The giants began to harbor skepticism in their hearts. Gran Kain had already proved his own stupidity by making a lowly living creature called human. In addition, due to Gran Kain's lewd conduct and Einhasad's jealousy, The Underworld was created and various demons came into existence. Due to Eva's weakness and incompetence, the continent was badly out of shape. Seeds of doubt began to sprout in the minds of giants. Did such gods deserve their worship? Besides, the giants began to think that their power was equal to that of the gods.

And thus the giants set out to become gods. They began to experiment by modifying living organisms to create new forms of life. Giants called the magic to make such miracles possible 'science.' Intoxicated by power, the giants organized a strong army to fight against the gods despite the failure of Shilen.

The gods saw the preparations and were enraged. Einhasad, who claimed the sole right to create life, was speechless with fury. She swore to destroy all giants along with the continent and the entire world. Gran Kain pleaded with her to remain calm. "Much as you are the Mother of Creation," he argued, "so is destruction my responsibility. You know too well what I had to go through when I coveted your task." Einhasad compromised in the end. In order to punish the giants, she decided to borrow Gran Kain's hammer - known as the Hammer of Despair. Due to its great destructive power, even Gran Kain had never used the weapon. Yet in her fury, Einhasad lifted the hammer high above her head and brought it down in the center of the giants' city.

Only when red flames rained from the heavens did the giants realize that they had committed a foolish error. Countless giants and other races were instantly crushed. A large hole was left in the earth and immense waves covered its surface. Those giants who managed to live fled to the east to avoid Einhasad's anger. Their route paralleled that of Shilen in her earlier flight. Einhasad continued to hunt them down and burned the giants to death one by one with bolts of lightning. The remaining fugitive giants trembled in fear and prayed to Gran Kain. Gran Kain suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of pity for these poor creatures and thought that the giants had suffered enough for their transgression. He lifted up the deepest waters of the southern seas and blocked Einhasad's path.

Einhasad shouted in anger, "'What is this?! Who dares to interfere with me?! Eva, my beloved daughter, rid the water that blocks my path this instant or be ready to follow in the footsteps of your elder sister!" Eva feared Einhasad and immediately returned the waters to the sea. Einhasad continued to chase the giants, killing them one by one. The giants cried out to Gran Kain again. Gran Kain lifted up the earth on which the giants stood. Fearful at Einhasad, Maphr tried to lower the earth, but Gran Kain stopped her. "Einhasad, why do you not give up? The whole land knows your anger and trembles before your wrath. The wise but foolish giants feel their wrongdoing to their very core. See for yourself! The race of proud and noble creatures -- that at one time ruled the earth — are hiding on a narrow strip of land and shaking in fear as they seek to escape you! No longer can they challenge the gods. This place will eternally be the giants' prison. Calm your rage, your revenge is complete."

Afterwards, Einhasad rarely interfered with happenings on Earth, as she had been deeply disappointed in the Earth's beings. Gran Kain also agreed not to show himself on Earth. The age of the gods was coming to an end.

Antike Geschichte

Das Zwergenkönigreich

After the fall of the Giants the Dwarves, who had worked as bookkeepers and engineers for that great race, established their own kingdom far in the north of the continent. The Dwarven Kingdom consisted of two provinces - Mlan, where the capital was located, and Schuttgart - as well as the Spine Mountains Mining Area. The Dwarves, being under a constant military threat from the other races, had started early on to exploit the rich deposits of coal and mithril in that mountain range, manufacturing truly excellent armor and weapons to make up for their lack in physical size. At the same time, the Dwarves also started to mine precious jewels, often with magic properties, which they used to craft special Earrings and Necklaces that gave them protection against the battle spells used by their enemies.

Der Niedergang der Elfen, aufstieg der Orks

After the fall of the Giants, the Elves were first to take control of the situation, as they were the race responsible for politics during the time of the Giants. But as time passed, it became apparent that the Elves did not have the same ability to rule that the Giants had. The first to stand against the Elves were the Orcs: "Are the Elves stronger than we? No! Do the Elves have the right to rule over us? No! We cannot bear that those who are weaker than we dare to stand above us!"

The Orcs were skilled soldiers, fearless and proud, and, having lived only in peace, the Elves were no match for them. Most of the land became Orc territory in an instant, and they set up their capital at Rion, in the northwest of what is now known as the land of Elmore. That made the Orcs direct neighbors of the Dwarven Kingdom. Well paved roads connected Rion both with the Dwarven capital at Mlan and the industrial town of Schuttgart, and via those roads the Dwarves supplied the Orcs with high grade weapons and armor, receiving payment in animal products and medicinal plants. The Dwarves needed the big leather skins of Kasha Bears for the bellows in their forges, and the antidote that could be produced from the highland herbs was of vital importance to counteract the noxious gases in some of their mines. This was a well working business relationship where Orcs and Dwarves both benefited.

Bündnis der Menschen und Elfen

But then the Humans stepped into the light of history. Those lowly, ape-like creatures approached the Elves, promising them help in their war against the Orcs. In a barely veiled barter trade the Elves were to teach the Humans magic to pay them for their military support. The Elves, being rather desperate, agreed to that trade. They told themselves that this request was no threat; the Humans were too weak, and they themselves certainly could not defeat the Orcs without help. Then the Humans quickly absorbed the ways of magic, learning much faster than the Elves had anticipated. The Human bodies, though not as strong as those of Orcs, had been strengthened through constant labor and infighting among their kind. They were adept with their hands and could skillfully wield weaponry, and more than anything else, their numbers were huge and impressive. In a short amount of time, the Human army became a formidable force.

Niedergang der Orks

Soon the Human-Elf alliance began to win more and more of their battles against the Orcs.

As the tides of war turned in favor of the alliance, the Dwarves shifted allegiance from the Orcs and began to craft battle supplies for the Humans. With the stronger armor and sharp Dwarven weapons, the Humans could now overcome the Orc army, even without the aid of Elven forces. Eventually the war ended with the victory of the Human-Elf alliance. The Orcs were forced to sign a humiliating peace treaty and quickly retreated to their ancient heartland around Rion and the Immortal Plateau.

Bruch der Allianz und Niedergang der Elfen

The leader of the orcs laughed as he departed, "Foolish elves. This victory is not yours, but that of the dirty humans. How do you propose to control these monsters of your creation?"

True to his bitter words, the elves now faced a new threat - the humans. But after the long battle, the elves were left too weary and weak to fight. In contrast, the humans with their new powers of magic, were strong. And thus, the humans rose up against the elves.

Too late, the elves realized they had taken under their wings the offspring of dragons. A fierce battle of magic versus magic once again shook the land. But the elves were too weak to suppress the forces of the humans. The elves were slowly pushed back until they were forced to retreat to the safety of their forest. From their secure position, they prepared for the final clash against the humans. Elven magic was strongest in these woods and they sought to use this advantage to victory.

The elves dug deep dungeons that quickly echoed with the clanging of swords and shouts of battle. But the ultimate victors in the three-month siege were the humans. Neither elven pride, nor the magical powers of the elven woods, nor even the superior magic of the elves could stand against the endless stream of human armies. The elves suffered great damage and eventually escaped deep into the forest. In retreat, they cast strong barriers around their woods to prevent the trespassing of humans and other races.

And thus, humans became the conquerors of all the land.

Bündnis der Menschen und Orcs

While Humans and Elves soon started to squabble among themselves, the Humans driving their former mentors back into the forests and becoming the virtual rulers of the continent, the Orcs slowly recovered their strength. Their numbers increased again, which naturally put a major strain on their economy. The northern lands are not suitable for agriculture, and apart from gathering wild fruit, people must survive by hunting. Once there were more hunters than animals of prey, a downward spiral started - the tribes were fighting among each other for the best hunting spots, then killing more animals than were born every spring, and often still could not feed their families at home. The game population dwindled, making the hunt ever more difficult.

Orcs being a warlike race to start with, the level of aggression within their society rose to a level that started to endanger the stability of the country. A solution had to be found. Since the food supply could not be increased from within the Orcish Kingdom, they decided to go to war against their neighbors. Their last defeat had taught them that Humans, in spite of their apparent weakness, were formidable foes. Dwarves, on the other hand, had good military equipment, but by far not the fighting skills of Orcs. In particular, the short people, being rational engineers, did not possess any shamans or wizards to provide them with support magic in battle.

The decision was taken. The Orcish tribes were going to war again. Young fighters were drafted into the army, shamans were trained in combat magic, and then, learning from past mistakes, the Orcs sent messengers to the Humans. It was agreed that there was to be a coordinated attack, the Human army marching from Goddard on the Dwarven provincial capital of Schuttgart, an industrial town the Humans were very much interested in, while the Orcs would take Mlan, wreaking revenge on the Dwarves for having betrayed them in the last war.

Zerstörung des Zwergenkönigreichs

First the Human hordes swarmed up from Goddard and razed the provincial capital of Schuttgart to the ground. What had once been a thriving city of industry and commerce, famous all over the world for its Hanging Gardens, vanished from the map. In its stead the conquerors built a Human sized war town on the pattern of Goddard, with strong fortifications and even in times of peace only accessible via long stairs.

At the same time the Orcish armies marched in a pincer movement from Lansk and Rion on Mlan, the capital of the Dwarven Kingdom.The Dwarves fought heroically but to no avail. While trying to make a last stand, the Dwarven King fell before the gates of Mlan. He did succeed, however, in buying his people time to escape. The surviving Dwarves abandoned their old home and vanished into the huge subterranean labyrinth that connected the Town of Mlan with the mining areas in the Spine Mountains to the east. They made it to the Strip Mine there and settled nearby, in the place now known as Dwarven Village.

Bruch der Allianz Niedergang der Orks

The Orcs could not enjoy their victory for long, though. As soon as the Humans had gained a firm foothold in the Schuttgart area, mopping up the scattered groups of young Dwarves who tried to organize a resistance movement, history repeated itself. Like after the last war they had turned against their Elven mentors, the Humans under Emperor Baium now turned against the Orcs, their armies marching over the old trade road on Rion. The Orcs were no match against the superior numbers of the Humans. They had to give up their capital and to retreat to the safety of the Immortal Plateau.

The refugees built for themselves a fortress-like village in the westernmost corner of the Immortal Plateau, in a place sheltered by high mountains from the ocean winds. There was nothing the Humans wanted on the Immortal Plateau, so they left the Orcs alone. Technically part of Schuttgart Territory, Orc Village only has to pay a reduced tax rate and is otherwise not a major factor in the power struggles within the Kingdom of Elmore. The tribal chiefs are wise enough to keep their distance from the Humans, no matter whether they are followers of Einhasad, Shilen or Triol.

Versteckter Aufstieg der Zwerge

Immediately after their arrival, through the mining labyrinths things were quite chaotic. The King was dead and no-one knew what had happened to the royal family, so the Dwarves found themselves suddenly without a ruler. But since many centuries there had already been all sorts of commerical and artisans' guilds in place, literally hundreds of them, which gave structure to the life of the average Dwarf, providing schooling and apprenticeship, arranging marriages and taking care of the elderly. After the war, the six biggest guilds joined in the Elder Council and took over the role of "stewards" for the absent King.

This was not a properly legitimzed government however. Guild tradition, which is always subject to long-drawn discussions among the Elders, can not be a substitute for a clear-cut written law or the iron will of a king. Soon, the absence of a powerful central rule made the Dwarves an easy prey for the other races who were exploiting them wherever they could. Especially after Shunaiman had established the Elmoreden Empire, the true oppression of the Dwarves began. Their young men were forced to serve as guards in the northern castles, and every year the tax collector from Rune carried away the fruits of their labor. But there is a legend handed down among the Dwarves that the son of their King survived the slaughter at Mlan. They are firmly convinced that one day a descendant of the Dwarven King will appear, expel the invaders from their lands and lead them to a new Golden Age. Therefore the Elder Council in Dwarven Village calls itself a "temporary affair", merely taking care of the day-to-day administration until the Dwarven Prince returns. The Six Guilds are:

• Silver Scale Guild (trade)
• Golden Wheel Guild (trade)
• Gray Pillar Guild (construction and mining)
• Iron Gate Guild (banking)
• Black Anvil Guild (engineers and craftsmen)

In theory all of them are equal, but in reality it is the Iron Gate Guild, the biggest and most powerful among the Six Guilds, which controls Dwarven Society. This guild boasts a tradition of close to 1000 years; the borders drawn by Humans, or any of their laws, are of no relevance to them. From the snowy fields of Lansk in the northwest of the continent to the faraway land of Kandeef across the ocean, they do business with anybody who is willing to pay their prices. The other races all look down on the Dwarves, superciliously claiming that they think of nothing but money all day long. In reality, however, it would be safe to say that it is the Dwarves who run the economy of the continent, everybody being dependent on them. In other words, the Dwarves have spread their rule, their Kingdom without King, over the whole world.

Zeitalter der Pracht (Age of Splendor)

Aufstieg der Kinder Shiliens

After the Fall of Giants, the Elves, Orcs and Humans fought endless wars for domination of the continent. Many thousands died on the battlefield. Confronted with that kind of unprecedented destruction, the sentient races realized that death was an inseparable part of life, something nobody could escape. Of course, falling into an empty nothingness was something only the strongest among them could face. Most of the common folk, however, were yearning for a next world, some place where they could continue to exist in some way. Like the Orcs, who believed that the souls of brave fighters were consumed into the fires of Pa'agrio, the Humans also felt the need for a promise of reprieve after death. Having been considered as a failure and abandoned by their father Gran Kain, and since Einhasad, the source of all life, had not been involved in their creation, they began to direct their prayers to Shilen who had never been completely forgotten among them.

These devotees, often obsessed in a somewhat unhealthy way by thoughts about death and the afterlife, called themselves the Children of Shilen. Originally just a cult among soldiers accepting and embracing death, the new religion soon started to spread to other professions - farmers who had troops trampling their fields, merchants who had their wares looted, everybody found the idea of a next world quite appealing. When the Humans finally emerged victorious from the fierce wars between the races which had laid the whole continent in ashes, the Children of Shilen had become an important part of their society.

It was Lilith who in the early years of the Elmoreden Empire guided the Children of Shilen in the construction of their underground temples, later called "Catacombs", and whole cities under the earth, the so-called "Necropoli", which served both as a safe place to live and as military strongholds. The worshipers of Shilen believe that the Necropoli are located in places that are precisely in the middle between this life and the next life and that for this reason they will not die when they are killed there. The Necropoli were built in a style that was derived from the construction style used widely for temples and official buildings in the early years of the Elmoreden Empire. As can be seen from the irregular layout with standardized rooms connected by labyrinthine corridors, the Necropoli were constructed over a longer period of time, with new rooms being added again and again. Although the Necropoli were built by devout followers of Shilen, they do not contain any statues or frescoes of the goddess. In this respect Lilith was still under the influence of the old Giant culture, where the direct depiction of religious matters was frowned upon. Instead, a great number of statues showing guard soldiers were put up, which served as magical protectors of the underground cities.

Aufstieg Elmoredens

The youngest of the nine children was Anakim, who mostly assumed the form of a woman with three pairs of wings. Einhasad is said to have regarded her youngest daughter as her voice to carry her will to the creatures of the land. Anakim is an agent of light, surrounded in the flames of spirits, bringing down the power of revelation to the land, or to be more precise, acting as Einhasad's liaison with Emperor Shunaiman. By giving Shunaiman her own blood, she bestowed upon him the power to control the Nephilim combat machines, and by kissing him on the forehead she enabled him to communicate with the Grail of Splendor, in other words, to wield the power of light. In a religious sense here manifestation at Shunaiman's coronation was a "miracle", but it is also a historical fact. It was Anakim floating down from the sky, apparently giving Shunaiman's rule a "holy blessing", that provided the Emperor with the authority to rule over he continent, persecuting anybody who dared to speak up against him. For Shunaiman, Anakim was a weapon as important as the magic of light.

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Not being worshipped any more is the worst thing that can happen to a deity. Gods live in the minds of people - if people don't think about them any more, they cease to exist. Einhasad urgently needed to do something. Trying to remind the races she had created that in fact she was their mother, that without the forms she had created, Orcs, Dwarves and all the others would never have come into existence, that would have been too much like whining for attention. So Einhasad adopted a different strategy. The Humans had been abandoned by Gran Kain in the wilderness, they had no way to communicate with their creator. Therefore they had developed a shamanistic religion that consisted in offering sacrifices to self-made gods of the Four Elements and worshiping their forefathers, conducting rites at their graves, imploring them to watch over their descendants. That was a situation Einhasad could make use of. When the Humans crowned Shunaiman, the leader of one of their clans, as emperor of the Elmoreden Empire, she sent down her daughter Anakim to give that enthronement her "divine blessing".

Being an extremely intelligent man, Shunaiman immediately seized the chance that was offered to him. He made Einhasad the patron deity of the new state, declaring her religion to be the only true faith while all other belief systems were denounced as heterodox cults, their adherents mercilessly persecuted. In all major towns of Elmore and Aden temples to Einhasad were built, with a statue of the goddess wielding her iconic sword in the back and the priests performing their rituals in front of her, under her eyes. Einhasad had given him political power, he gave Einhasad the worshipers she needed.

Having become the state religion, the Einhasad cult soon developed a momentum of its own. The clergy, keeping its lower ranks under control through a strict hierarchy, was on the side of the ruling class since the beginning, receiving their protection and donations, and indoctrinating the population in exchange, teaching the believers that the present feudal system was what the goddess wanted and approved of.

Of course not everybody shared that point of view. First of all there were the Children of Shilen, who refused to accept the blatant lie that mankind was not created by Gran Kain but by his wife. As a religious organization the Children of Shilen were subject to severe persecution, and most of them retired in the end to the continent of Gracia in the west. Their place was taken by the Revolutionary Army of Dusk, followers of Shilen who are waging a bloody war against the Lords of Dawn, as they call themselves, striving for the control of Shunaiman's Seals.

And there are also heretics within the Einhasad clergy, like for example Preacher Sla who has left Giran for the Plains of Dion where she has collected a considerable number of followers who want to reform the Einhasad Church, maybe not from within, but from the fringes.

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During the long battles against the orcs and elves, the humans began to form primitive kingdoms among their numbers. The central group was composed of the Athena clan and humans skilled in magic. They protected their numbers with their power, kept order through threats, and occasionally became involved in small and large battles.

Order was resolved quickly when the Athena leader, Shuniman, united the regions currently known as Aden and Elmore. He called his kingdom Elmoreden and enthroned himself as emperor. The tree branch crown adorning the brow of his ancestors became a gold crown with glittering jewels to set upon his brow.

Shunaiman, the leader of the Athena, was not only a renowned mage but also a gifted politician. Through a combination of negotiations and threats he succeeded in uniting the regions currently known as Aden and Elmore, calling the new kingdom Elmor-Aden (later contracted to "Elmoreden") and enthroning himself as Emperor.

During the coronation ceremony a miracle happened. A girl with three pairs of wings came down from the heavens surrounded by holy fire. With a clear, bright voice, she explained that she was Anakim, envoy of Einhasad and that she had come to the land to bring the blessing of the gods to Shunaiman, the leader of all Humans. Shunaiman immediately realized the chance that was offered to him. There was no more necessity to justify his bid for power with political reasons; all he needed to do was to claim that he had united the continent out of a religious fervor. Anakim walked up to Shunaiman, who was kneeling on the ground with bent head, and whispered into his ear the promise that he and all his descendants would by Einhasad's will forever live under the Blessing of Light. Then she spread her wings and flew up to the sky again.

Shortly afterwards the newly crowned Emperor announced that mankind had been created by Einhasad, Einhasad supported him as the leader of mankind, and in his Empire the worship of Einhasad was to be the one and only true religion; all others were heterodox cults. Shunaiman's religious reforms did not stop at the theoretical level, at civilized academic debate. He declared an all out holy war on anybody who dared to point out the blatant falseness of his claim, especially on all those who worshipped Gran Kain, who was opposed to Einhasad, and Shilen, the daughter Einhasad had disowned. Everybody at the time knew fully well that mankind had in reality been created by Gran Kain, cooked together from the leftovers and refuse that remained after the other races had been shaped, but that was a fact that was hard to accept. The Einhasad version gave Humans far more self-esteem. As a consequence the Einhasad religion quickly spread through the lands, especially since the nobility found it to their advantage that they could claim to rule with divine blessing and on divine orders, therefore fully supporting Shunaiman who could in this way constantly expand the power base of the imperial family.

"Kreuzzug" gegen die Ungläubigen

But not everybody was willing to bow to the Emporer's might. Especially the Children of Shilen proved to be a major problem, persistently refusing to surrender to the Imperial Army. Knowing themselves to speak the truth, they were able to constantly recruit new members, in spite of the systematic oppression and regular pogroms. The Children of Shilen were far more numerous and fanatical than Shunaiman realized. Accepting death as an inevitable part of life, they were fearless fighters, not in the least awed by seemingly overwhelming numbers of their opponents but joyfully sacrificing themselves in fierce attacks, knowing that when they got killed they would be united with Mother Shilen in the Underworld.

In order to deal with this insurrection, Shunaiman created with the divine power that was bestowed upon him by Einhasad's daughter Anakim an army of robot-like soldiers. These warriors of steel were moving with the force of light, wearing giant, almost impenetrable suits of armor. They were called "Nephilim", which means "army of strong angels on the earth". In a long war of attrition, the followers of Shilen were repeatedly defeated by the overwhelming power of the Nephilim, a great part of them returning into the fold of their Mother. In the end, the Children of Shilen as a religious organization had to disband, their members scattering throughout the land or hiding in ancient temples deep underground. Most of the remaining "heretics" were burned at the stake or evicted beyond the borders until the Emperor and the Einhasad Church were the undisputed rulers of the continent.

As outside threats eventually dissipated, Emperor Shunaiman applied his efforts to consolidate Elmoreden internally. In the ten years that followed, the new Empire became strong, controlling the entire continent through large-scale development and territorial expansion. Castles were built and lords appointed, taxes collected, and the economy steadily grew. Around this time, some Children of Shilen who had escaped the previous pogroms proclaimed again their faith among the populace. The Emperor, who had always remained alert to a reawakening of the Shilen cult, ordered his lords to punish them, but they were unable to drive these zealots from the lands of Elmoreden since the Children of Shilen received considerable support from the simple people. Though many died in these campaigns, on both sides, the Emperor would not relent. Shunaiman mobilized the Nephilim Army again, ordering them to track down the heretics. During their search-and-destroy missions, the Nephilim discovered the six underground temples the worshippers of Shilen had secretly established.

Shunaiman called these underground temples the Catacombs, because he fully intended them to become a graveyard for those who rejected the new Einhasad religion. In his crusader vocabulary the Emperor gave the six Catacombs the following names:

• Catacomb of the Heretic
• Catacomb of the Branded
• Catacomb of the Apostate
• Catacomb of the Witch
• Catacomb of Dark Omens
• Catacomb of the Forbidden Path

Erschaffung des Siegel von Gnossis

Shunaiman's armies, with the Nephilim in the front line, incessantly attacked the underground temples where Shilen's devotees were hiding. However, victory was not an easy thing to obtain; each time the soldiers penetrated deeper into the Catacombs, they were faced with defeat and had to withdraw. In order to protect the temples, undead warriors called "Lilim" were swarming up in tremendous numbers, quickly overcoming the government forces. The Lilim had been created by Lilith, Holy Mother of Darkness by using the dark magic of Shilen, and they were not in the least impressed by the Nephilim. As they were unafraid of death, having already died, these undead knew not how to retreat on the battlefield.

After an extended and all-consuming campaign, Shunaiman's army finally succeeded in defeating the forces of Shilen, but the imperial troops were severely decimated in the process. Countless corpses of the Lilim and Nephilim, as well as those of their allies, the Lith resp. Gigants, were scattered about the underground temples.

When he was certain that no-one was able to challenge his authority any more, Shunaiman cast a Seal of Gnosis on all the Catacombs. This first of the Seven Seals was so-named because it was a miracle achieved through divine knowledge, in the old language called "gnosis", revealed to the Emperor by Anakim. Entombed deep underground, the groups of undead that followed Shilen began to disappear from memory.

It is said that in the process of casting the Seal of Gnosis, Emperor Shunaiman had gained the ability to know the future, both for himself and for all his descendants. Perhaps this was derived from the power of Einhasad, that of Shilen, or from Gran Kain who had in truth created mankind. Some even say that Shunaiman had pressured Einhasad into giving him that power, offering the goddess in exchange to prevent Shilen from returning to the world of the living. However that may have been, soon after the Seal of Gnosis was cast, the ceremony just over, the followers of Einhasad witnessed a black snake slithering on the ground. This was a sign of an unfortunate threat soon to be revealed true.

Erschaffung des Siegels von Avarice

The adherents of Shilen thrived under Lilith's leadership, greatly enhancing their forces and reestablishing the army of Lilim in the eight underground cities of the Necropoli: - Necropolis of Sacrifice - Pilgrim's Necropolis - Necropolis of Worship - Patriot's Necropolis - Necropolis of Devotion - Necropolis of Martyrdom - Saint's Necropolis - Disciple's Necropolis

Safely entrenched in the Necropoli, the followers of Shilen performed ceremonies to call forth their goddess from the Underworld. The Emperor soon came to know about this, but having lost the majority of his army in the fight for control of the Catacombs, Shunaiman was unable to force his citizens into war, yet again to deal with the forces of Shilen. In this situation a Dwarf appeared before the Emperor. He introduced himself as representative of a Dwarven guild called "Merchants of Mammon" and offered Shunaiman to lend him funds to form a new military. The suspicious Emperor asked about his motives. The Dwarf from the Mammon Guild explained that his group had been supporting the Children of Shilen, but the stars overseeing the fate of times had changed. Therefore, they decided to do business with the forces of Einhasad, who were newly foreseen as the victors. Although this mysterious Dwarf group seemed untrustworthy, the Emperor could perceive no falsehood in the Dwarf's words. The weapons and armor he offered were of such high quality they were difficult to refuse. So the Emperor and the Merchants of Mammon signed a contract: the Merchants of Mammon would supply Shunaiman with funds and military equipment, and in return their trading with all sides in this conflict would be left unhindered.

Knowing fully well that the Merchants of Mammon were also trading with the enemy, Emperor Shunaiman nevertheless made himself sponsor of this guild. With their help he was able to form a new Nephilim Army and launch an attack on the Necropoli. That he was able to lead such a holy war was thanks to none other than Anakim, the representative of Einhasad. In the darkness of the underground temples, the government troops and the forces of Shilen fought fiercely. Blood scattered in all directions, filling the rivers, seas, and even the skies with a red energy. The people trembled when they saw that, but the Emperor with his abilities of divination realized that a new era was beginning. Silently, he waited until the time was right.

Eventually, Lilith, daughter of Shilen, cloaked herself in the power of Darkness and arose, but Anakim came forward to block her. This girl of pure white floated in the air on three pairs of wings. The final victor of the battle was neither Anakim nor Lilith, however, but Shunaiman. After the armies of Light and Darkness had entered into the Disciple's Necropolis, some distance to the north of the imperial capital at Aden, Shunaiman installed deep down in there a set of four sealing devices arranged in a circle, many of his men dying in the process and the Emperor himself getting severely wounded. Anakim succeeded in luring Lilith into the circle, engaging her in a fight. But then the Emperor induced an adventurer who had traveled through time from the future to activate the sealing devices while Anakim was still in the circle, creating a magical force field that entombed Lilith along with Einhasad's daughter. This force field was later called the Seal of Avarice. One might guess this is due to the secret contract between the Emperor and the Merchants of Mammon. Although whether it was the Merchants' avarice or the Emperor's avarice is open to discussion. Fact is that the adventurer who had activated the Seal had used the selfsame teleportation device the Merchants of Mammon used for traveling between the various Catacombs and Necropoli.

Interlude

While Lilith and her army of undead were imprisoned in the Disciple's Necropolis by the Seal of Avarice, the Children of Shilen remained above ground, retreating for the time being to the continent of Gracia. And apart from that organization there were a great number of other persons who rejected Shunaiman's religious reforms: those who still clung to the belief of the Giants, black magicians who worshipped demons, Elven tribes that returned to Eva, Dark Elves who had always followed Shilen, they all challenged the absolute authority of the Einhasad priests. Some of them insisted they had received a revelation from Lilith, others appeared to have come into possession of huge treasures, so it can be safely assumed that although Lilith herself was imprisoned, her agents were very much active in the Elmoreden Empire.

Emperor Shunaiman could control the enormous area of the Empire because he had harnessed the power of Sacredness by communing with the Grail of Splendor, an item that had originally belonged to the Giants. Feeling secure in his position as the ruler of the biggest Empire on the continent, being at the same time the supreme leader of the Einhasad Church and firmly holding the power of the two Seals, Shunaiman started to teach his aides the secret of interacting with the Grail of Splendor so that he could rule his dominion more efficiently. With the same aim in mind he established a new administrative system that divided the Empire into several Territories, each with a castle and a fortified town at the center - Gludio, Giran, Dion etc. Through this system Shunaiman's power reached to the most outlying areas of the Empire and he had absolute control over everything that went on within the borders of Elmoreden.

Angriff der Kinder Shilens und das Siegel von Strife

It is recorded that during all the years spent reorganizing the Empire, Shunaiman did not age at all, an effect that is commonly assumed to have been caused by the power of the Seals. Being the undisputed ruler of the whole continent, being granted a seemingly eternal life - one could almost believe that Shunaiman was literally a god on earth. But then, perhaps as punishment of the real gods for Shunaiman's arrogance, the Children of Shilen, who had, unnoticed beyond the ocean, constantly gained strength, took the West Sea Bridge that connected Gracia with the continent near Gludin Village and invaded the Elmoreden Empire. When the commanders of the Imperial Army first saw that raggedy gang of invaders, made up of barbarian warriors and undead, they scornfully laughed. And in fact, the Children of Shilen, having no experience in large-scale siege wars, seemed unable to take the castles. Then, however, Gludio fell within one single day, and Dion soon followed without having put up any serious resistance. Shilen's devotees had inexplicably found a way to control the Grail of Splendor from the outside and using that holy relic to their advantage when laying siege to the castles of the Empire.

Die Blutlinie und die restlichen Siegel

Later on, Shunaiman cast four further Seals, the Seal of Awakening, the Seal of Vengeance, the Seal of Calamity, and the Seal of Descent. It is so far not clear what effect precisely those Seals have, but scholars assume that the Seal of Awakening might have something to do with awakening hidden skills in warriors, and the Seal of Descent might be connected to the advent of a goddess, possibly Shilen.

Emperor Shunaiman, who had the power to control all seven Seals, was like a god on earth. Yet, he knew that all this incredible power could drive the world to ruin, if held by only one person. Toward the end of his rule, Shunaiman was seeking for a way to pass control of the Seals to his successors. After considerable research he finally found out that those linked to himself by blood could inherit the power to control the Seals. This is the "Secret Held in the Imperial Bloodline" referred to by the Fighters of Dawn. For nearly a thousand years after Shunaiman's death, the firstborn of each generation of the Imperial House of Elmoreden was born with the power to control the Seven Seals. Each scion was, as he grew up, thoroughly educated in the methods of using that power.

1. Krieg gegen Perios (Gracia)

While Emperor Shuniman and the Elmoreden kingdom grew and prospered, the Gracia region across the sea still rumbled with turmoil. The geography of Gracia was varied and dangerous and while many human groups battled for control, no strong power had emerged to unify the government. Small kingdoms dotted the landscape, claiming parcels of land as their own and conducting minor skirmishes and greater battles as they struggled for dominance.

The day came when Elmoreden's strong army invaded the land through the western sea bridge and the kingdoms of Gracia were forced to ally in their own defense. Much of the land's royalty and aristocracy were slain in the process. The surviving aristocracy grew in power. In the end, the Elmoreden invasion was repelled, yet it served to create a foundation for a unified kingdom of Gracia. This kingdom was named Perios.

Thereafter, Perios and Elmoreden became locked in an ongoing struggle for domination. Elmoreden, which had first established a unified kingdom and possessed great military power, was far superior. But Perios had advantages of its own. First, the sea separating the kingdoms limited Elmoreden's pathways to attack. Also of great importance, the people of Perios possessed powerful relics left behind by the giants that could be used to their military advantage.

Even with their overwhelming might, in the end the military of the Elmoreden kingdom could not conquer Perios.

Die Beleth Affäre

The kingdom of Elmoreden was home to the Ivory Tower, an institution for learning magic. The mages working within the Ivory Tower labored to recover, study, and improve upon the magic of the ancient giants. The magical prowess of the tower's scholars was great, and at one time their influence in the kingdom was near that of the Elmoreden emperor.

Among those from the Ivory Tower was Beleth, the strongest mage of all and one of the greatest geniuses to ever walk the earth. He became obsessed with the magic of the giants and managed to acquire nearly all of their strengths. But the power of the giants was a cursed power unfit for humans, and having attained it, Beleth's ambition and thirst for control grew rampant. Alarmed, the kingdom and the mages of the Ivory Tower combined forces to rid themselves of Beleth. But Beleth held extreme strength and power in the dark arts.

Finally, the Ivory Tower magicians used forbidden black magic to succeed in suppressing Beleth's powers just enough to trap and seal him in the dungeons below the tower. Yet despite the knights and magician's guarding the seal, Beleth succeeded in breaking the seal and escaping. He fled to Hellbound Island to recover his strength and continue in his ambition to conquer the land.

The black magic cast to trap Beleth had another lasting effect. The southern portions of the region now known as Gludio were laid waste by the black magic, and many humans were killed when the spells were cast. The kingdom blamed this on Beleth and spread the word that Beleth was a devil among men.

Abspaltung der Dunkelelfen

A great change occurred in the Elven woods around this time. Having lost control of the continent to the Humans, the Elves gradually lost their confidence. They all but forgot their ambition to rule the land and became content with their peaceful lives in the woods.

There was a group known as Brown Elves who were dissatisfied with the complacency of the Elves. Possessed of a strong ambitious streak, they insisted that battle with the Humans must continue - even if it meant the use of banned black magic. However, this stance met with violent opposition from the other Elves.

During this time, a Human magician appeared among the Brown Elves and, approaching their leader, spoke.

"King of the Brown Elves - you desire power. But the weak Tree Elves and their supporters fear you attaining the great power you deserve. They only worry about whether you will attack them or bring on even greater plague by provoking the Humans. It is those weak thoughts that have created the current weakness in the Elven race."

The Brown Elven leader responded warily, "Who are you, Human magician? What goal do you have to fool us?"

"My name is Dasparion and I am a mere magician. But I possess the strength that you desire. I can help you acquire your ambitions in return you must give to me that which I desire."

"That which you desire? And what may that be?"

"Your youth. The secret to eternal life." A slight smile touched the corners of Dasparion's mouth. "Though I may be skilled in magic, I am still Human and my lifespan is not even one hundred years. So, King of the Brown Elves, what is your decision? We can help each other attain what we desire."

Seduced by the powers of the black magic that Dasparion possessed, the Brown Elves accepted his proposition and learned the dark arts under his tutelage. Dasparion in turn acquired the knowledge of immortality and left the woods satisfied.

Learning of these events, the Elves banished the Brown Elves, who had abandoned Einhasad and came to follow Gran Kain. A battle ensued among all Elves. The Brown Elves, acting on a plot of Dasparion's, used a deadly spell to annihilate the Tree Elves. But the Tree Elves, with their dying breath, laid a curse upon the Brown Elves. The curse rotted the woods of the Brown Elves and they became a race of darkness. Thereafter, Brown Elves were known as Dark Elves.

Zweiter Gracia Krieg, Niedergang des Kaiserreichs Elmoreden und Fall Perios

The golden age of Elmoreden came about a thousand years after its establishment, during the reign of Emperor Baium. With great charisma and leadership skills, Baium created the strongest army in the history of the kingdom. This army drove the orcs, who had considerable influence in the northern parts of Elmore, into the black woods, known later as the Orc Kingdom. In addition, Baium's army led repeated attacks against the kingdom of Perios, and eventually occupied the southern parts of Gracia.

In his later years, Baium lost interest in conquests and used his kingdom's forces to begin construction of an elaborate tower rising into the clouds.

"My name inspires fear in every corner of the continent. Tens of thousands of lives can be lost or saved by the movement of my hand. My power is absolute. That I can only have this power for a few decades, I cannot bear! No -- I shall obtain everlasting life from the gods and rule my kingdom forever!"

The magnificent tower of Baium's design took thirty years to construct. He intended to use the tower to climb to the residence of the gods and obtain the secret of everlasting life. When he climbed the tower, the gods objected to his plans and gave him this response:

"Child of lowly humans, and a lowly human yourself: You dare to soil our abode for your own everlasting life? Have you learned nothing from the lesson of the giants? Very well, if eternal life is what you desire, we shall grant you your request. But you shall never leave your tower."

Having brought the fury of the gods upon himself, Baium was trapped for all eternity at the top of his tower. After the sudden disappearance of the emperor, a fierce competition broke out among members of the royal family as each vied for ascension to the throne. Numerous aristocrats also seized the opportunity to stake their claim to the throne, leaving the entire kingdom of Elmoreden enmeshed in internal conflict. The costs and labor requirements for construction of the tower had already weakened the kingdom. The added conflict and backbiting over the vacant throne was the last straw. The resplendent kingdom of Elmoreden, powerful on the continent for more than a thousand years fell into rapid decline. Within a mere twenty years, the kingdom was in shambles.

While the demise of Elmoreden worked to slow the fall of the Perios kingdom, nothing could stop the oncoming plagues from the Gracia regions to the south, nor the devastating cold that swept through from the north. Like Elmoreden before her, Perios disappeared into the dusty tomes of history.

After the fall of these once-great kingdoms, the land was embroiled in a horrific turmoil, and the dark times evoked memories of the aftermath of the Great Plague. The Human aristocracy fought amongst each other for supremacy and some even granted lands to non-humans in exchange for military might. The Orcs seized this opportunity and gaining a foothold, brought their strength to bear. Reorganizing their armies, the Orcs once again waged their campaign to dominate the continent. Their armies were mighty and they soon occupied the northern parts of Elmore, but fighting between the noble orcs and the lowly orcs weakened their power.

Zeitalter des Chaos (Age of Chaos)

Aufstieg Elmores

In this time, a dominant Human faction emerged, known as the Elmore kingdom. Their claim to be direct descendents of the Elmoreden emperor, whether truth or myth, was widely accepted, for they had the truth of strength and the truth of steel behind their words. The Elmore army clashed with the Orcish army over many terrific battles. The war waged on for many years, costing each side heavily. The armies were evenly matched, for although the Humans outnumbered their enemy, the sheer strength of the mighty Orcish army made for a formidable foe. In the end, however, badly defeated, the Orcs were again driven back to their own lands to bide their time and plot their vengeance. As for the Dwarves, what few remained were banished from the Human continent into the depths of the Spine Mountains.

With its now diminished military force, the Elmore army finally gained control of all the northern lands and marched south in the quest to reunite the continent under the Elmore flag. But unification of the divided continent was not to be. The Oren, the most powerful of the southern kingdoms, fended off the invading army with their strong magicians and well-trained soldiers, and the Elmore could not match the ferocity of an army out to defend its land.

The various southern kingdoms prospered under the protection of Oren and together began to take the form of a nation. These kingdoms maintained balance amongst themselves, and grew strong and prosperous.

Aufstieg Gracias

The many wars lasted through numerous generations, and out of the chaos, Gracia became the first to thread together the strands of unity. A man called Paris, with his military prowess and tremendous strength brought glory to his people, winning many battles and claiming lands in the name of Beheim.

Paris achieved legendary status when he and his army faced off against the vicious highlanders of Quaser. In a desperate fight against Tor, Quaser's mightiest warrior, Paris struck a decisive wound. Having never before lost a fight, legend has it that the wounded Tor uttered, "Can you really be Human? Such strength, such speed!"

Standing before his enemy, Paris looked out over the battlefield and replied, "I desire that much to unify this land... Brave warrior of the North, pledge me your loyalty, and together we shall conquer all who oppose us."

Thus Paris led the White Hawk Knights, the Wind Knights, and now the newly allied highlanders across the lands of Gracia and achieved many military victories. The lands of Beheim swelled to more than five times its original borders, and as for Paris, he staged an uprising against the royalty and ascended the throne.

Aufstieg Raouls des Vereinigers

Meanwhile, the southern lands were also bursting with activity and many were concerned with news of the turbulent tidings from Gracia and Elmore. A charismatic leader named Raoul appeared, and led his own campaign to amass a personal force under his flag. A fiery speaker, Raoul defeated those who opposed him not with weapons but with words. One of his speeches usually went like this:

"Lords of the land! Do you not see what is happening beyond our borders? Formidable enemies march down on us as we speak! The kingdom of Elmore has long sought our wealth and our lands and is only waiting for the right time to strike. If the Gracia region across the sea should also decide to move, we will be overrun! There is no other option than to join our armies together under one flag and to prepare for war."

Raoul used persuasion to steadily tie the southern lands together. But the perceived threat of the Elmore kingdom was not as great as it appeared, as they were too busy dealing with the mass uprising of the orcs to focus any attention on Aden.

Nonetheless, Raoul first combined forces with his loyal ally Innadril, and together these lands established the kingdom of Aden. Unlike Paris, Raoul waged a bloodless campaign and he easily progressed west to acquire Giran and Dion.

It was in Oren that Raoul first met upon resistance to his plan. Oren claimed itself to be the leader of the southern lands and did not accept any leader other than their own. Eventually, the two kingdoms came to blows, but the Aden kingdom maneuvered a remarkable victory. The Gludio kingdom, witnesses to the might of the Aden army, voluntarily chose to ally itself with Aden, completing Aden's unification. Thereafter, Raoul became known as the Unification King.

Tod Rauls, Krieg und Frieden

Soon after the unification of Aden, Gracia solidified its own lands when the last remaining opposition, the Hwuh, fell into the hands of Paris. Paris moved the capital to Arpenino and reorganized his kingdom's structure. Newly powerful Aden proved themselves a force to be reckoned with in their successful defense against Elmore's advance. However, a new page was turned in Aden's history when tragedy struck Aden with the sudden death of Raoul. Sensing the moment to strike, Elmore repeatedly invaded into the northern lands of Aden. Raoul's successor, Trabis was able to fend off the invaders, but he soon passed away from a mysterious illness. The next in line for the throne was a sixteen-year-old boy named Amadeo.

Upon hearing the news, Paris exclaimed, "The heavens are aiding our Gracia kingdom! A sixteen-year-old king? That will be the downfall of the Aden kingdom!"

But Paris gravely underestimated the young Amadeo. The boy king succeeded in brilliantly defending a large-scale Elmore attack and Paris sensed his opportunity to conquer Aden was slipping away. Ignoring the advice of all, including his trusted right hand man Dillios, Paris launched a massive attack on Aden by land and sea.

The results were disastrous.

Asteir, the ousted king of Elmore, had joined forces with Aden, his father's long time enemy.

"Have you no shame? You should fall on your own sword for standing at the side of your father's enemy!" shouted Paris in anger.

Asteir brushed off the comment and replied, "The cub can be taken care of later, but for now you are my main prey."

The battle of Giran proved to be the turning point in the war, and the Gracian troops, beaten and demoralized, retreated to their own lands. The failure of the Aden invasion left a deep wound in Paris's pride, for he had never known defeat. Eventually, Paris became ill and died soon after.

The Gracian heir was a frail man named Carnaria, whom many deemed unfit to rule the kingdom. In opposition, Cucarus challenged Carnaria's claim to the throne. Backed by Paris's once-trusted advisor Dillios, Cucarus gained popularity with the Gracian people, and he and Carnaria split the kingdom into two factions. North and South Gracia became bitter enemies and their struggle would consume all their energies.

This was the best news for Amadeo, and he used the break in fighting to strengthen the Aden kingdom. Through his efforts, Aden, Elmore and Gracia entered into a peace treaty and an uneasy age of peace came to pass.

Amadeo = Tiberius der I. auf hr ?

Age of Splendor?

Der Bruch der Siegel

With the downfall of Baium, the Imperial House of Elmoreden lost forever the power to control the Seals. The so-called "Age of Chaos" broke out. Soon, however, it became apparent to the various groups that were chasing after the Secret of the Seals that this power had not disappeared, but rather lay, in the form of "Seal Stones", hidden in the bodies of Lilim and Nephilim. By gathering a great number of Seal Stones, one could gain the power to control the Seven Seals. After ancient documents had been excavated from the Tower of Insolence, those who had first discovered this secret formed their troops into the Revolutionary Army of Dusk and the Lords of Dawn. They dispatched expedition forces to all the Catacombs and Necropoli, fiercely competing with each other about who could gather the most Seal Stones. This is how the strive between the two groups to control the Seals began …

Gnossis

Hier sind wir Spieler schuld, egal ob wir nun den Dusk oder Dawn geholfen haben.

The Seal of Gnosis was used to seal the Lilim within the Catacombs, created through the might of Shunaiman. The following is written about the seal of Gnosis: As outside threats eventually dissipated, Emperor Shunaiman applied his efforts to strengthen his empire internally. In the ten years that followed, the new empire became strong, controlling the entire continent through large-scale development and territorial expansion. Castles were built and lords appointed, taxes collected and the empire economy steadily grew. Around this time, some proclaimed the faith of Shilen among the populace. The Emperor ordered his lords to punish them, but they were unable to drive these zealots from the kingdom. Though many died, the Emperor would not relent. Following Anakim's gnosis of the gods, the emperor mobilized the Nephilim and discovered the six underground temples of the worshippers of Shilen. Shunaiman called these underground temples the Catacombs, for they were the final resting places of those cult members who rejected the worship of Einhasad. Shunaiman's military attacked the gangs of Shilen who had already faced defeat at the hands of the Nephilim. However, ultimate victory was not an easy task to obtain. New enemies appeared, called the Lilim. The Lilim were created from the dark magic of Shilen, and they were unaffected by the Nephilim. As they were unafraid of death, these warriors knew not how to retreat on the battlefield. After an extended and all-consuming battle, the emperor finally subdued the six Catacombs, but his forces were decimated in the process. Countless corpses of the Lilim and Nephilim were scattered about the underground temples. Certain there were no other forces to challenge his authority, Shunaiman cast a Seal of Gnosis on all the Catacombs. This first of the seven seals was so-named because it was a miracle achieved through Anakim's gnosis. Entombed in the deep underground, the groups of immortals that followed Shilen began to disappear from memory. History of the Empire 1731, from "The Hidden History of Elmoreden" as recorded by Historian Mateo of the Ivory Tower

Avarice

Das Siegel von Avarice (Verlangen), wurde wahrscheinlich so benannt wegen der Ereignisse die um seine Entstehung stattfanden. Dieses Siegel sperrt Anakim und Lilith sowie deren Truppen in die Necropolen ein. Folgendes wurde über das Siegel von Avarice geschrieben: In the process of casting the Seal of Gnosis, Emperor Shunaiman and his followers are said to have gained the ability to tell the future. Perhaps this was derived from the power of Einhasad, that of Shilen, or from the gods themselves. Soon after the Seal of Gnosis was cast, the followers of Einhasad foretold of a black snake slithering on the ground. This was a sign of an unfortunate threat soon to be revealed true. The followers of Shilen thrived under Lilith's leadership, greatly enhancing their forces and reestablishing the army of Lilim in the eight underground cities of the Necropoli. They performed ceremonies to call forth Shilen from the afterworld. The emperor, having forfeited the majority of his army for control of the Catacombs, was unable to force his citizens into war, yet again to deal with this new threat. A Dwarf appeared before the emperor. As representative of the Dwarven guild called the Merchants of Mammon, he offered to lend the king funds to form a new military. The suspicious emperor asked about his motives. The Dwarf of Mammon explained that his guild had been supporting the Children of Shilen, but the stars overseeing the fate of times had changed. Therefore, they decided to do business with the forces of Einhasad, who were newly foreseen as the victors. Although this mysterious Dwarf group seemed untrustworthy, the emperor could discern no falsehood in the Dwarf's words. The weapons and armor he offered were of such high quality they were difficult to refuse. The emperor and the Merchants of Mammon were said to have signed a contract of unknown details. Few records of the Merchants of Mammon exist, but they recognize the Mammon and tell that the future of wealth and business flow with the movements of the stars. It is known they were expelled from the Dwarven kingdom. Surprisingly, this guild is said to survive even to this day. Emperor Shunaiman was the sponsor for this guild. He was able to form a new Nephilim army and launch an attack on the Necropoli. That he was able to lead such a holy war was thanks to none other than Anakim, the representative of Einhasad. In the darkness of the underground, the armies of light and death fought fiercely. Blood scattered in all directions, filling the rivers, seas, and even the skies with a red energy. The multitudes trembled, but the emperor saw that a new era was beginning. Silently, he waited until the time was right. Finally, Lilith, the daughter of Shilen, cloaked herself in the power of darkness and arose, but Anakim came forward to block her. This girl of pure white flew through the sky on three pairs of wings. But the final victor of the battle was not Anakim or Lilith. Emperor Shunaiman cast a spell of sealing as the forces of light and death entered into the Necropoli, entombing the forces of Shilen, along with Anakim and the Nephilim. This second seal was called the Seal of Avarice. One might guess this is due to the secret contract between the emperor and the Merchants of Mammon. History of the Empire 1731, from "The Hidden History of Elmoreden" as recorded by Historian Mateo of the Ivory Tower

Hier sind wir Spieler schuld, egal ob wir nun den Dusk oder Dawn geholfen haben.

Strife

Hier sind wir Spieler schuld, egal ob wir nun den Dusk oder Dawn geholfen haben.

The Seal of Strife was created to control the possession of the Castles, to prevent the Children of Shilen from taking them. The following is written about the Seal of Strife: Lilith and the forces of Shilen were imprisoned underground by the Seal of Avarice, but the Children of Shilen remained above ground. Those who rejected the revelation of Shunaiman, the black magicians that worshiped the god of death, and the Elven tribes that returned to Eva and followed Shilen, all challenged the absolute authority of Einhasad. Some of them insisted they had received the revelation of Lilith, but since they collected huge treasures, it is certain they received some assistance. Emperor Shunaiman controlled the enormous territory of the empire because he harnessed the power of Sacredness by communing with the Sacred Article. The emperor widened his control to the outer reaches, demonstrating more absolute power than ever before. The emperor taught others in his employ how to commune with the Sacred Article as well - a decision he would live to regret. During this time, the emperor did not age, an effect that was tied to the power of the seals. Perhaps as punishment of the gods for Shunaiman's arrogance, the Children of Shilen took the West Sea Bridge and invaded the empire. At first, Shilen's army seemed unable to attack the castles, but Gludio and Dion were soon taken. Somehow, the followers of the god of death had learned the mysterious powers of the Sacred Article and were employing it in their sieges. Finally, after the fall of Giran Castle, Emperior Shunaiman made a fateful resolution. He cast the magic of a seal that would tie up the power that controlled all the castles of the territory. As a result, although he gave up most of his control, the enemy forces could not control the castles they had gained. His army counterattacked and recovered the castles, successfully pushing the forces of Shilen out of the empire. A third seal was created, given the name Seal of Strife, which controlled all castles and territories on the continent. History of the Empire 1731, from "The Hidden History of Elmoreden" as recorded by Historian Mateo of the Ivory Tower

Vengeance

Angeblich durch die Aktivitäten der Menschen bereits gebrochen. Leider habe ich keinerlei Infos dazu finden können. Wer was weiß immer reinschreiben.

Awakening

Die Kraft des Siegels nimmt beständig ab. Das Auge Shilens, welches immer Häufiger den Mond zeichnet ist ein gutes Beispiel davon. Wird es erst gebrochen sein wird Shilen gänzlich erwachen und ihr Auge stets über die Welt wandern auf der suche nach brauchbaren Opfern um ihre Wiederauferstehung zu beschleunigen. Ihr Atem wird die Städte und Dörfer in Panik versetzen und Rot von Blut wird es vom Himmel regnen. [Anm. Teilweise wohl übertriebene Überlieferung vgl. Offenbarung des Johannes]

Calamity

Es ist nicht viel über den Zweck dieses Siegels bekannt, nur dass der Bruch mit einem großen Unheil einhergehen wird.

Descent

Es ist nicht viel über dieses Siegel bekannt, allerdings wird sein Bruch mit dem wiederkehren einer Gottheit verbunden, vermutlich Shilen.

Was gerade passiert... Das Ende ist nahe!

Because of the humans, four of the seven seals have been opened. As the fifth seal begins to waver and tremble, Shilen opens her eyes after a long period of dark slumber. She regains consciousness and immediately begins to search for ways to open the remaining seals. But, in order to regain her full power, Shilen must defeat Einhasad. Shilen understands that a great sacrifice must be made before she would be able to challenge her mother.

First, Shilen sacrifices the followers of the Catacombs and Necropolis, and creates the Moon of Shilen to be her eyes so that she could watch over the world as she continues looking for the object of great sacrifice that will help her regain power. Soon after her eyes open, Shilen lets out a breath full of a deep red color, which tarnishes the sky into the color blood, enveloping the world in confusion and terror.

With the Moon of Shilen she is surveying the world, assiduously searching for "sacrificial animals" which are suitable to be slaughtered in order to achieve her resurrection. No-one can hide from Shilen's probing eye. Under a sky dyed blood red, fear and terror are creeping into the world, unrest starts to spread in Aden and Elmore.

The first people to understand that Shilen is awakening are the Dark Elves. They know from Kaysha's Revelation that the appearance of the Moon of Shilen, sacrifices performed in the Catacombs and Necropoli, and the blood red sky are all signs and portents for the imminent resurrection of Shilen. The Dark Elves gather in their ancestral village and began to pray for Shilen's arrival.

Among all the other races, the Moon of Shilen is causing an eery tension, an unspeakable trepidation. King Amadeo Cadmus of Aden, at the moment the mightiest ruler on the continent, can not help but notice what is going on among his subjects. Carrying the burden of responsibility for all of them, he summons the most famous scholars of the continent to the royal castle at Aden and charges them with conducting research on the goddess of death. At the same time he is organizing an army which shall oppose the approaching forces of Shilen. Amadeo Cadmus is coming to realize that the endeavors to analyze the behavior of the goddess are quite futile.

In that situation the great magician Einhovant, who is by now several hundred years old, appears and predicts that the continent will have to repeatedly undergo bitterness and pain. But Einhovant also says that if some persons could obtain the power of the Giants, who had once challenged the gods and dared to fight with them on an even footing, the destruction of the world might be delayed. He suggests that the heroes of Aden and Elmore immediately start seeking the power of the Giants.

Although Einhovant is a mage of great renown, there is something vaguely disquieting about the old man. King Amadeo Cadmus is carefully pondering his suggestion, sitting there sunk deep in thought. Then Einhovant raises his voice: "Only by obtaining the power of the Giants, which is equal to that of the gods, the supremacy of mankind, its very existence, can be ensured!" Will the prophetic hero appear soon ?

Was kommt auf uns zu?

The Goddess of Destruction dropped and broke an item called "E Sagira" in order to release the spirit of the Giant Hermuncus from within. Shilen and the Giants went back a long way: She had once approached and persuaded the Giants, a tribe that desired to become gods, to steal power from the god Einhasad.

However, the Giants incurred the wrath of the God and brought themselves to ruin. Their last survivor, Hermuncus, hid Einhasad's power somewhere deep in a lost dimension, after realizing that his tribe had been used by Shilen's evil conspiracy. Shilen dropped E Sagira, hoping to seize Einhasad's power, which had been hidden by Hermuncus, while inevitably giving the Giant a chance to revive his tribe.

Hermuncus, thus awakened, laughed at the gods that had ended up confining themselves while struggling for power against each other. Determined to release himself from his shackles and reclaim the world from his nemesis, the gods, Hermuncus made a proposition to the panicked Humans, who, at the verge of the end of the world, were unable to communicate with their gods. The Humans reluctantly accepted his proposition: to help him revive his tribe, in return for which he would awaken their latent power.

Quellen

www.lineage2.com/background Die inzwischen leider nicht mehr existente elli belly wiki