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Post by David on Jul 17, 2012 22:54:59 GMT -8
The Accord
The World once existed in a sort of simple harmony, half bathed in light, half forever in darkness. This Accord between the the two great Powers (the sun, Lux, and the deep shadow Umbra) had lasted from time immemorial.
Through the ages of the Accord, the denizens of the realms of Lux and of those of Umbra had little to do with one another. Each realm had its own kingdoms, empires and intrigues, history divided by the Vespers, the line where light met dark. Each group feared to travel to the realm of the other, for Lux and Umbra were harsh to those not of their own land. Lux would burn any Dark creature that dared enter its territory, while Umbra would chill the bones of the creatures of Light.
When the Light and Dark races felt the need to converse, it was generally through intermediaries. Most of the time, these emissaries would be the dwarves, who lived beneath the surface and feared no light or shadow in their realm. Less often, a message would be entrusted to the twilight races who ranged along the Vespers, for they were thought too changeable, and unworthy of trust.
This truce between Light and Dark was shattered by the Cataclysm. According to legend, an object of great power called the Magus stone fell upon the World amid the Vespers. Each group blames the Power of the other for what came next, as Lux and Umbra began to shift their realms slightly, seeking to envelope this new power within their realm. And so the sun began to wander...
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Post by David on Jul 17, 2012 22:56:40 GMT -8
Before the sun's new mobility had become common knowledge, before day turned to night for the first time, whispers and rumors spread like wildfire. Hushed voices spread news of newfound powers manifesting among the people of the Vespers, magics that came neither from Lux nor Umbra, but seemed tied, rather, to the elements. These manifestations were most widespread around the Vulnus Chaos, the deep valley carved by the fall of the Magus stone.
People came from far and wide, from Lux and Umbra, to observe the exploits of these new sorcerers. At first, they were greeted with amazement and awe, but the situation soon turned sinister. Somewhere along the way, a sorcerer died, or was killed, and it was discovered that the power he held remained behind when he died, transferred to those nearest him.
A new power held by a few unique individuals was a curiosity, but a new power that could be transferred to anyone was a cause for war. The races of Lux and Umbra raised their armies and marched on the Vulnus Chaos. Alliances were formed and broken in the coming months, grudges begun that would shape generations to come.
As the tide of the new war ebbed and flowed, so too did the light surrounding the battlefield, Lux and Umbra warring alongside their people. The Vespers no longer rested in twilight, but alternated with a day-night cycle that grew both in length and in geographical breadth. More and more of the World began to experience alternating (and lengthening) periods of day and night.
Under these circumstances, the war was unsustainable. Civilian populations of Lux and Umbra began to migrate, fleeing the changing of the day. Finally, six months after the fall of the Magus stone, the entirety of the World, pole to pole, experienced a day-night cycle that lasted a full two months. This was the first Long Day.
After the Long Day, the region of alternation began to recede, and the days grow shorter once more. However, the people of Lux and Umbra discovered, to their horror, that the steady regions growing out from the poles had the wrong light. Lux made its new home over the polar city of Umbra's former region, and Umbra settled over Lux's domain.
Driven thusly from their ancestral homes, the civilizations of the Light and Dark races fell.
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Post by David on Jul 17, 2012 22:57:23 GMT -8
It is not known whether the new races appeared during the time of the Dawn War or during the chaotic years that followed. When they did appear, the Humans and the Thri-kreen brought with them strange advanced weapons and vicious semi-sentient automata known as Warforged.
Much of the early history of these races is not generally known, isolated as they were in their own war. Nor is it clear where exactly they originated.
What is known is that in the years that followed, the World left its mark on these new races. As segments of the population drifted away, joining the the now migratory Light and Dark races, new subspecies arose: Kalashtar, Shades, and Shadarkai from the humans, and the more bizarre Shardminds from the Thri-kreen. Interbreeding of humans with nearby Elf and Dwarf settlements has produced the first half-Elves and Muls.
While transients are not unheard of, the Humans and Thri-kreen are among the few races other than Dwarves to build large settlements. These settlements are avoided by other races, and guarded by what remains of the races' strange weaponry.
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Post by David on Jul 17, 2012 22:58:15 GMT -8
The year is now CML211, the 211th switching of the realms of Lux and Umbra.
No one has seen or heard of a true sorcerer in generations, though remnants of the power flare up in a few individuals known as Genasi. Genasi come from all races, manifesting their elemental nature during childhood, though few are born to human or Thri-kreen parents.
Of Humankind's three great cities, two, called Jericho and Anchorage, have survived. The path of many migrant Light and Dark races passes through their lands each year, making the human cities prosperous. The humans themselves, however, are reclusive. Few non-humans are allowed within the city walls. When they are discovered, Kalashtar and Shades are generally exiled from human communities.
The dwarven city of High Haven is place of refuge along the high road traversed by the migrant races. During the Long Days each year, the members of the Light and Dark races will alternately take shelter in the subterranean city. High Haven is the last stop on the road north of the Vulnus Chaos, so is used by the travelers as a supply depot as well as a place of safety from the surface conditions. As such, High Haven is one of the most diverse communities on the World of Lux and Umbra. Members of all races can be found among the permanent and transient residents of the city.
It is here that our story begins.
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