General Lore

While many mourned the loss of those who perished during the expedition, the Kingdom celebrated the expedition’s return and honoured their sacrifice. This celebration not only served to acknowledge those who went on the voyage, but also as the coronation of Queen Lilarmor of Falkvard. The Queens first act to establish the Kingdom of Saphriel as a matriarchy, where all houses henceforth would descend from the female line. Alongside the Queen’s ascension of the throne, two new houses of human nobility had been declared, House Eries and House O’Connell, given rule over the city of Barkamsted and the town of Brightfield, formerly Argys, respectively. It was then announced a couple years later that Queen Lilarmor Falkvard would be marrying one of her Royal Guards, Sir Peter who became King Consort following the ceremony and grand celebration. 

After the celebrations, the Kingdom continued to grow. Various works and construction would begin in cities and towns to improve and expand, a cleanup of old construction from before the war to improve the lives of the citizens throughout the kingdom. A longtime project was finally completed with the grand opening of the Glaedwin University in the town of Angel Creek, this completion was accompanied by several smaller schoolhouses built throughout the Kingdom to provide simpler education for free to the masses.

During this time, the guard had been undergoing an in-depth investigation and struck deep into a thorn in the side of everyone, the Rogues Guild. This group had often conducted large scale criminal operations and assassinations in the past, working alongside and for the Cult, and in general presented themselves as a danger to the people and Kingdom as a whole. Finally their headquarters and base of operations had been located in Barkamsted and was cleared out completely, scattering the illicit guild and disrupting their nefarious operations.

Shortly following the relief from the seemingly eternal winter, a friend of the researcher who had been investigating the strangeness of the ocean and eternal winter came forward and explained the situation to those who had been looking into the problem itself. She answered many questions and revealed the notes and information he had left behind, explaining he discovered an island in the far eastern Crimson Isles where an ancient Frol device had been influencing the world, heading out on his own in an attempt to quell the brewing disaster. With this newfound information the Kingdom and many volunteers prepared themselves, eventually setting off and setting sail on the multi-month long journey to follow the researcher and hopefully bring an end to the winter that threatened to return. 

Although the journey was long and the vessels that had set out encountered many strange threats, a colossal creation of solid ice, an entity claiming to be a lesser deity of Hope, and many other smaller odd creatures of the deep oceans. Eventually they arrived at the island, discovering the enormous frozen volcano which housed the strange Frol device. Inhabited by a group of fanatic zealots who worshipped the cold of the volcano, and avoided a direct conflict with them. The group proceeded deep into the caldera, finding frozen vents, strange alien mechanisms and odd occurrences to reality itself, eventually finding within the depths a pair of divine trinkets which powered the whole machine, incomplete and missing a 3rd component which resulted in the instability the world had experienced. Eventually the group freed the 2 trinkets and escaped as the volcano came to life, melting and eventually erupting as the ships rushed to leave the now fiery island.

Unfortunately, the expedition group had not seen the last from the island, and weeks before they finally arrived back to the mainland of Saphriel they were attacked by the zealots of ice and cold from the island who followed them to avenge the cold they had worshipped.. A fierce battle ensued and while they managed to fend off the attack and slay the leader of the islanders who wielded divine magics, it came at a great loss of life in the death of Sir Sydian Elsinire and Lady Nemirel of house Vodussi, both significant fighters and figures of the Kingdom.

Though the Kingdom had begun to recover from the various main attacks of the Cult, they continued to attempt smaller strikes. Eventually however a series of odd events began to emerge. Starting with a strangeness with ocean creatures around various coastal areas of Saphriel, odd artifacts and materials washed ashore and were found among them. Odd rainstorms grew in intensity and brought with them more strange creatures, items and people, one of these being a newly met people carried away from their homeland by the storms and oddity of the ocean, an aquatic beast-kin race known as the Kuroli. Known before by few and seen sparsely, this was the first interaction many had with them.

The strangeness of the ocean continued, the Kingdom sending out groups to investigate hotspots of activity, where odd water and ice formed and lured in strange beasts of the depths. From these sites they managed to recover odd magical devices made by the mysterious Frol among many other treasures, helping researchers discover and find further answers to the cause of the activity that the world was experiencing. These clues eventually lead many to seek out a hidden island town by the name of Vasserbunde. Through several trips to this mostly unknown whaling island, people discovered the islands involvement in slave trade, and eventually that the nearby sunken cathedral housed a large population of vampires all led by an ancient and long lost Prince, Sjeord of Falkvard. Although talks had been peaceful, tension was high for those that ventured to the island and met this old Prince. Through talks, those of the Kingdom of Saphriel managed to learn more information about the strange activity of the ocean, and of the researcher who had been investigating the events ahead of their visit.

Despite learning more, the Kingdom was still at a loss as to the cause of the strange activities of the ocean, and the weather only continued to turn for the worse. Where before it had come in bursts and sudden events, the temperature now continued to drop and winter suddenly set in. At first many assumed it was a short winter much like it had been in the previous years, but the snow remained and spread to regions that normally never experienced the grip of the cold and frost of winter, affecting the world as a whole and carrying on for several years spreading resources thin, thankfully through the combined efforts of those of the Kingdom and the help from servants of Kinos, the long winter was eventually banished from Saphriel after a few long brutal years, although the solution was temporary the realm was given a chance to heal and breath from the cold. Outside of the continent the grip of winter seemingly remained.

Before the end of long winter, and into the following spring the Crossroads, which had remained scarred and twisted from the Cult’s occupation years prior, was finally fully cleansed of that cursed and foul influence. Plant life renewed, and travel once again safe through the region. Following this, and with many seeking fresh land to restock the Kingdom’s stores that had been depleted through the years of cold winter, a new settlement and town quickly sprung up at the Crossroads itself, eventually claiming the name of Spire’s Cross.

Following a memorial on the hundred year anniversary since the start of the Pact War, invigorated and emboldened, the citizens of Saphriel began to prepare themselves for a difficult fight to come. Through aid provided by Elementals of Bothimir, the citizens delved into the sewers of the Barkamsted to place strange magical devices, eventually finding themselves facing a portal to the Realm of the Hunt which was used by the magical devices to allow magic to seep through and eventually break the anti-magic ritual that the Cult had created. Carrying on from this momentum, the Kingdom and its people pushed forward, fighting back and pushing the Cult further and further back. 

The Kingdom had pushed the Cult further and further from their small holds and attempt at establishing new points to attack the Kingdom, eventually a small strike force had snuck into the Crossroads and beneath the earth where a whole living abomination resided, fused with the earth and the source of the region’s twisted nature. It was this team of mercenaries and elven soldiers who had eventually taken out the core of the Cult’s creation, removing the greatest oppressive threat of the Crossroads and allowing kingdom forces to properly move in, eliminating the undead swarms and grendel armies and liberating the region once again. The land scarred and remaining twisted, it was no longer the threat it once was, still a danger to traverse through during this time, the Cult’s influence remaining.

While many forces pushed against the Cult throughout the rest of the land, the Dwarves of Thonduhm prepared once again to re-reclaim their home from hostile forces that had moved in. Through a bloody fight and tragic losses eventually those aiding the movement to reclaim Thonduhm succeeded in flushing out the opposition with the Kingdom forces moving in to help hold the city once and for all alongside the Dwarven people. While they had taken care of the lesser forces that resided in the city, the mysterious creature which had hypnotized and controlled the opposition that the Dwarves faced had fled from the mountain and into the wilderness.

The Cult’s presence has loomed larger and larger for many years, while many in the Kingdom knew they still remained and still grew in power, it wasn’t until the Siege of Itiris that many saw the true power the Cult had been hiding. Their involvement was felt more from the shadows and direct attacks on the Kingdom had been rare since the Pact War. This was soon to change as the Cult made an overwhelming assault on the Ravine Fort. Situated in a strategic location as a bridge connecting the road between Falkvard and Barkamsted, numerous attempts were made by the Cult over a year to claim the site for themselves, each more brutal than the last. Grendels, a species of pig-like abominations, Graveminders, dark-skinned and fire immune troll like beasts, and Orators, an odd lizard-like creature with vents and tubes throughout their bodies were brought to the fray among many other undead and dullahans alongside newer abominations, such as the Cult’s own an attempt at a living cannon which spewed gruesome bodies as its ammunition. 

The Kingdom was hard-pressed to keep the fort from the Cult’s hands, several brave warriors giving their lives during the assaults to seize victory. Yet, as ever, the Cult appeared far from finished. Though the ravine fort remained safe, the Cult’s forces swarmed the Crossroads, a region that acted as a connection between Falkvard, Barkamsted, Itiris and the Mesas. The Cult’s occupation of this area cut all travel and communication by this route completely. Soon the entire region was transformed into a twisted wasteland. Swarming with numerous undead, rising spires that housed living twisted engines and many more dangers, the Cult remained and used this new stolen territory as a launching ground to make many more attacks on the Kingdom and its lands.

As expected, many more attacks would come, with the Cult’s next major targets the various strategic points in Barkamsted and the Mages’ College. Despite a momentous effort of various volunteers, a strange ritual within the Angel Crater of Barkamsted seemingly succeeded, cutting off and disabling magic throughout the entire region. This left the space significantly weakened and vulnerable, the Kingdom preparing for an eventual greater assault from the Cult while others sought a means to restore magic to the region of the Barkamsted Peninsula. Such an attack did eventually come, but with enough time to prepare and warning from several advanced scouts noticing the amassing forces, the army of Barkamsted alongside many brave volunteers succeeded in repelling the assault. Defeated, the Cult retreated and proceeded to attack outlying settlements and fortifications in an attempt to rebuild their numbers, but was foiled by the Kingdom’s forces once again.

Soon enough however a new threat unlike any before descended upon the Realm, a year-long winter. At first snows merely remained into the spring, the seasons seemingly slower to change than usual. Yet as the weeks went by and the cold showed no sign of abating, it became clear that winter would remain, though at first none knew how long for. Snow blanketed near every corner of the land, roads and grass suffocated under its mantle.

The crops of farms refused to grow; plants outside wilted. Animals of the forest succumbed to the cold, and with them hunters in need of their next meal. Those without homes or warmth to spare slowly but surely lost their lives as shelters became crowded and shelter from the cold became sparse. Rumors and theories ran rampant, some believed it to be a Cult plot; others claimed the winter was a punishment from the Gods for their sins. The Kingdom would announce that these long winters had precedent in history, and the snow should fade by the next spring. While there was a loss of life, the worst of it was fortunately avoided thanks to the Kingdom’s preparation. Food had been stockpiled, firewood and blankets offered, and all did their part to help others through the cold. While not everybody could be saved during these cruel times, the people would come to rejoice as the next spring came and the snow finally faded. 

During this time, a new group rose up among the chaos of the year long winter. A militant faction dedicated to a unique teaching on Aderoth naming themselves the Sons of Itiris. They viewed the King Regent, though a champion of Adoerth, as a false ruler who was not blessed by the Light. They viewed half-demons, tolerated by the Kingdom, as vile beasts to be slain. Worse, though none of their members are known to use holy magic, they seemingly possessed items and concoctions which allowed them to wield fearsome powers and light beyond the limits of mortals. Active for years prior, it was only until recently where much of their previous efforts in occupying Itiris came to light when the Knights Order sought to claim Itiris, thus facing the group head-on. Itiris was thus taken from the Sons, though not without a fierce battle against them, and then an even more bloody battle from the Cult who sent an army of abominations against the Knights holding the city. Victory was claimed, yet at a heavy cost to life.

The winter eventually over, the Kingdom holding onto the ruins of Itiris. Yet the Sons remained active, utterly dedicated to their faith as they sought to grow, making a surprising large-scale attack on the Kingdom and Falkvard itself. Targeting various half-demons, cutting off the guard from assisting and giving them a chance in the confusion to kidnap various children and younger individuals from the city, leaving many families separated and in sorrow.

From a time of peace to a period of tension, a new threat began to spread from an unknown source. Beginning in odd whispers and rumors, the occasional reports of horrific deer-like monstrosities found within the Pine Valley. Hints of strange activity from a mysterious mansion tucked away among its trees, some who went returned with a life-threatening infection after inhaling spores in the area. As warnings increased and the dangers grew greater, it became clear that the Pine Valley would have to be sealed to stop these horrors from escaping into the wider world. This task fell on the Knight’s Order, who for a full year stood guard at the forest’s entrance, constructing defenses and warding off the beasts who sought to escape. These trials were exacerbated by the Cult, who sought to use the opportunity within the forest for their own ends.

As the fighting went on, it became clear that the source of these troubles was that secluded mansion, with foul experiments being conducted within to create the many newfound monsters and reports. This was later learned to include a type of creature dubbed as ‘Forbidden Ones’, creatures created outside the designs of the Gods, which if allowed to exist would destroy all life. A group from the Hunters Guild was assembled to enter the mansion and put an end to the evil within. This took several expeditions, and in its last, two full months passed between the group entering the mansion and leaving. Yet they did; though at the great loss of life of some of the group’s members. The truth of what truly happened was known to few, but the terrors of the Pine Valley and its forest had been put to rest.

This was but one episode of many during this time. In the wake of the Knights siege on the forest, the Cult sent assassins to dispose of crucial figures within the Kingdom, nearly succeeding in several instances but thankfully they ultimately failed. Meanwhile in Acaedia, various less well-intentioned witches once more sought to use the Avalti for their own ends, taking over their Nest and holding their people captive. With the Kingdom unequivocally siding with the Avalti, those who wished to aid them in reclaiming their home journeyed to Acaedia, facing dangerous new and unknown. The campaign to Acaedia was ultimately a success, and the Avalti fully reclaimed their home as the Nest was freed from the clutches of the witches. Though still present on Acaedia, many of the worst witches were stopped, while others sought to use and teach their magic for better ends. Slowly beginning to spread outward from the island and out into the wider world.

Although there was a time of relative peace once again, conflict found itself in the lands of Saphriel again. With the unexpected death of Chieftain Oomjor, a leader among the Orcs desiring further ties with the western Alliance races, a power struggle erupted that grew into an all-out war between the tribes, those that sought ever-closer union, and those who wished for the Mesas to remain fully independent of western interference, and then those few who sought to begin the Pact War anew. The latter was a particular threat, aided as they were by the distant remaining Cult in undead men, monsters and resources. While much of the fighting happened on the part of the Orcs, it fell to the Knights Order to aid the remnants of Oomjor’s tribe, battered by the war and a new brutal leader who ruled for power alone.

After much fighting, they were victorious; the Cult once more pushed back while ties between some Orcish tribes and the Kingdom have in theory grown closer since. Yet even after the war, those Orcs that embrace isolation from the west are ultimately a minority; those that remain preferring separation from the western ways, if not another war. These conflicts in the Mesas and the involvement of the Cult and some tribes who supported them did little to aid the prejudices against the Pact races in the western cities, the genocide of the Pact War understandably far from forgotten. Still, there are several in both the east and west who strive for mutual understanding to advance both regions; whether their efforts succeed, only time shall tell. 

Soon after the war in the Mesas concluded, the marriage between King Regent Glaedwin Arrynlocke and the elven Lady Fairlin Remartiu took place. A triumphant celebration was held throughout Falkvard to mark the momentous occasion and the victories that the Kingdom had experienced. Afterwards, there was a period of relative calm which followed while the Kingdom experienced mild hiccups and a year where a mysterious blight struck various farms, thankfully preparations and the Kingdom’s expansive infrastructure kept the following famine to a minimum.

Right on the heels from the Plague, a new threat presented itself from a surprising group. Nearly a decade after they had last made contact with Saphriel and its people, the race of beastfolk known as the Ca’Liar attacked the city of Barkamsted, murdering soldiers and civilians alike. Although it was later revealed that the assault was a mistake, their true target being the jungle island of Acaedia, hoping to free the recently revealed race of Avalti from the proclaimed ‘tyranny’ of the witches, some of who kidnapped the Avalti and their children to fuel their strange powers. Many, however, were skeptical of this explanation. Though the Kingdom did not officially take a side in the war that would follow, mercenaries and diplomats from Saphriel sided with Acaedia, fighting against the Ca’Liar attacks on the jungle as well as meeting with their generals in an attempt to broker peace. At first, there seemed little hope, many died to the armies of professional forces of Einar, while the Emperor Ri’Shaka sought to kill the diplomats and their attempts, his plan from the start being to conquer Acaedia completely, the Avalti included. To this end he was even prepared to sacrifice his own people, summoning a titanic demon when the mercenaries boarded his ship and freed the captured diplomats he had not executed. His plans, however, were foiled, the demon defeated and the Ca’Liar immensely weakened after the battle. After nearly two years of fighting, the war was over. 

With the war over, ties between Acaedia and Saphriel grew closer, with many Avalti resettling in Saphriel after their homes had been taken from them or lost to time. While no great tension exists between them and Saphriel’s people, their presence is tenuous, many living in a small settlement on the outskirts of Barkamsted, only a small few venturing out into the Kingdom at large to integrate with its society. Often wary of wild Witches at large, and butting heads with them regardless of their affiliation to those that had wronged the Avalti in the past.

It was also during this time, near the end of the Acaedian War, that a group from the Knights’ Order underwent an ancient trial that had been found deep in the wilderness. Completing the challenges of the trial, they met an old woman who revealed herself to be Princess Lilarmor, daughter of King Remus I, the last King of Falkvard before the fall of the city. The group from the Order escorted her back to the city where her claims would be confirmed and she was given a choice to return to her youth, at the cost of the memories she had of her time isolated in the forgotten chambers and giving her a second chance at a new life. With a true heir to the Falkvard throne found, King Glaedwin announced that he would be stepping down from the throne, becoming King Regent until Princess Lilarmor came of age to take up the throne herself.

For a time, a period of relative peace emerged. King Glaedwin announced the elevation of new human nobility to take up the duties around the Kingdom. Places such as Falkvard continued to grow, although a shadow of its former self before the war it was being slowly rebuilt and becoming the most populous city of all the races, a true capital for the Kingdom of Saphriel. This growth however was proven to be a danger. After lurking in the shadows for years, the Cult made their first major assault upon the Kingdom once again. A two-pronged attack in the form of a sickening plague and a spreading curse. The first would kill in weeks, turning its victims into zombies that spread this plague even further; the second would devour memories of the Cult, and worse a person’s memories of their entire life. It caused holy magic to harm rather than heal, thus making both the plague and curse seemingly impossible to combat. Some holy mages thankfully managed to remain untouched by either plague or curse; these few cured their fellow healers, and in turn the plague was fought against. Many civilians were quarantined as a result of the plague, but the response was thankfully swift enough and while there were many casualties which fell victim to the Cult’s attack, the preventative measures taken by the Kingdom prevented it from becoming an even greater disaster than it already was.

Although the new lords appointed by the King had done well with other officials of the Kingdom during this disaster, they unfortunately fell short of the expectations given to them after, stripped of their titles and leaving the Kingdom once again with only the King as the last remaining noble of the Kingdom of Saphriel.

Through all of the previous conflicts of the Void Tears, even as far back as the explorations through the lands, a strange kind of long-forgotten creature watched events from afar, only rarely interacting with its actors. At first it was a lone being known to most as The Mask, a benevolent creature that granted wishes in exchange for memories, possessions, or further gifts. As time passed, however, they would grow into a more prominent role and many more would come to know of these entities, the Fae. Born ages before mortals for want of a story, they were locked away in a separate realm by those who came before mortals when they proved too dangerous. Only a select few managed to escape over time; some, furthermore, were not as kind as the Mask, their story based on something different.

The first major threat of the Fae emerged in the form of the Brazen Bull, a colossal beast born from the bane of the Fae, that sought to hunt down and remove any threat to their kind. It took a small army to see it brought low, and only with great sacrifice. This was only the beginning of the threat of Fae however, and soon enough a greater enemy emerged, the Facetaker. This was a Fae that sought the key to the door between the realm of mortals and the realm of the Fae. Were this door to be opened, chaos would be unleashed upon the mortal realm. The Facetaker would claim many victims in its hunt for the key, but like the Brazen Bull it would eventually be defeated by a combined force of some of the Kingdom’s best warriors and surprisingly the aid of what remained of the Cult, who brought out a startling show of force to aid. Despite the pedigree of combatants, several lives would be lost in this fight a long time Fae Friend of the Kingdom. With the fall of the Facetaker however, and an eventual clean-up of its faceless minions, the threat of the Fae was largely eradicated. Though some still remained to interact and create stories with mortalkind, for better or worse. It is said that most live in a far off remote land, where few mortals return from should they set foot there.

Sadly, relative peace could not last forever in the continent of Saphriel, and a new danger would begin to emerge. Ripples in reality and tears into a realm of eternal darkness appeared throughout the Realm with seemingly no explanation; rumors abound of extremists of Perities and Uldir fighting with each other, trying to offer chunks of the mortal realm to offer to their respective gods. Seemingly Uldir wished to create a realm for himself and his followers, and in doing so become a greater God than he already was. Constant battles and breaches in the fabric of the realms resulted in damage to the Veil that keeps the various worlds apart, already weakened from the demon gates from the war and further torn apart from the conflict caused by Uldir. If the fighting between the deities and their followers was not enough, from the rips in darkness came living creatures made up of solid shadows, beings born from the Void, an endless realm between realms. Mindless and alien, these creatures threatened to devour all they came across; even when defeated, these ripples in reality that formed refused to close. However with the guidance of King Glaedwin and many other key figures, the people fought and eventually managed to discover weaknesses that could be exploited and managed to defeat the beasts of shadow for good. Beginning to seal the rifts permanently and patching up the Veil between worlds once more before the land was ripped apart and devoured for good.

This, however, would not be as simple as it first seemed. Taking advantage of the chaos and the damage to the Veil itself, what little remained of the long-defeated Cult reemerged to make a move against the Kingdom of Saphriel. Purposefully damaging the Veil further in an attempt to control the creatures that leaked through. Even worse, they sought to resume their previous invasion from Hell through a twisted attempted revival of Valis, their long dead leader. Because of this, the Kingdom was now forced to fight a sudden conflict on two fronts. Thankfully the Cult was still in shambles, and with great effort were once again defeated, seemingly alongside what was left of their followers and only a small handful managed to escape, forced deep into the Bleaklands.

With the Cult defeated once again and forced from the lands, the Kingdom was able to make a move on the tears in the Veil that sewed the creatures of shadow and darkness. Using magical devices known as Seal Crystals, created through deep research via alchemy, they were able to close these otherworldly portals to the abyss, eventually sealing them all for good. The damage patched up and the conflicts between the gods resolved, the threat was gone and stability returned once more to the world.

With the end of the war came great social reform. Orcs and Goblins now walk freely amongst all cities of the Realm. Half-Elves, who had once been frequently hunted down and killed by the Elven Empire, until now perceived to be a threat to the purity of their race, were now allowed to live in relative safety. While prejudice still remained, it was far better than before. Trade flourished once again and the population boomed. As civilization started to rebuild, many adventurers set out to recover what was lost during the wars, and then pushed even further beyond into lands hitherto unseen, past the expanses of the old world. Exploration sparked to life, and many expeditions to the east and far west overseas took place. Soon a new civilization was discovered, a feline-like beast folk known as the Ca’Liar, who crash-landed on the shores of Saphriel from an unknown chain of islands far to the west, their homeland which they called Einar. Many adventurers made the trip to visit these strange and distant lands, but even to this day travel between the two nations is rare, not to mention quite dangerous. Then came the rediscovery of Acaedia, home of strange beasts and wielders of an odd ‘magic’ that exists outside of Bothimir’s grace, these individuals are known as Witches. Deeper still within the jungle-covered island, among the treetops, was a yet unmet race of beast folk, the Avalti. A primitive but peaceful bird-like people who kept to themselves, and would continue to do so for many years until eventually met by the people of Saphriel in the years to come.

New and strange goods exchanged between lands, culture and new knowledge as well. It was not entirely peaceful, however, with the continuation of a long-standing civil war being fought in the Ca’Liar homeland and an unknown struggle between the various factions of Witches in Acaedia and their continuous hunting of the Avalti people to fuel their strange magic. While most in Saphriel went unaware of these distant conflicts, some few came to lend their aid during key moments to help settle with a temporary peace, an end to the open conflicts of the Ca’Liar civil war and agreements made between the factions of Witches. Eventually, however, the Ca’liar would close their borders to Saphriel entirely, with trade and communication fading from the secluded nation of Einar.

The hell portals became a threat that was far more dangerous than anyone could have possibly imagined, bringing forth horrible demons that brought with them utter catastrophe and threatened the whole world with the forces which passed through them. Eventually, after a great combined effort and the loss of many lives, the source of the gates was found within Hell itself; a construct made by the Cult using demonic energies and rituals known as the Obelisk. The men and women of Saphriel knew that the only way to stop these hell gates was to go into the heart of Hell itself and destroy the Obelisk within. The demons, however, had a plan all their own. With the aid of the Cult, they opened a colossal gate, far larger than any they had made before, in an attempt to take the recently reclaimed city of Falkvard. This gate spilled forth with countless demons and hellish creatures, but the people of Saphriel saw this as an opportunity and took their chances, heading into the depths of Hell itself. Two-thirds of the Alliance forces marched into hell through the portal, sneaking behind the invasion force while the rest remained behind to hold the line against the demonic forces. Ghouls, undead, flame giants, imps, demons and hellhounds; all manner of abominable beasts came pouring through. Though the forces of Saphriel held the line for some time, their barricades and defenses slowly but surely dwindled, and the creatures began to pour out in far greater numbers, forcing the defenders to retreat to the walls of Falkvard. All had seemed lost; they were dwindling on supplies, time and hope. It was then that near the climax of the battle, the tide suddenly turned as allied orcish raiders came pouring out of the nearby forests, engaging the demonic armies alongside the Saphriel army. Taking this chance the soldiers defending the wall regained their spirits and joined in the fray to push the demons back just long enough for the forces in Hell to finish their work. They had succeeded in holding back the forces of Hell but suffered many casualties along the way.

The brave souls who entered Hell marched on the Obelisk, the source of the demonic gates, taking on whatever resistance the demonic invasion force had left behind. Along the way they encountered many mighty demonic foes, but the size and resolve of the Alliance army was able to overcome and defeat the opposition they faced inside the bowels of Hell. The greatest challenge, however, was to come upon reaching the Obelisk, where the invading Saphriel army learned that a price had to be paid for the removal of the Obelisk itself. While the portal could be sealed from within, one person would have to stay behind and oversee its destruction. Many stepped forward to carry this burden, but in the end it was decided that Aster, a member of the Explorers’ Guild, would stay behind. Miraculously all who entered Hell besides Aster survived and escaped from the fiery depths, while Aster’s ultimate fate remains unknown to this day. With what seemed like the final efforts of the Cult squashed and the portals between dimensions closed, it seemed that from the ashes of war peace could finally begin, though with many questions and uncertainties remaining.

Starting their final march on Barkamsted, the Pact made their attack. The citizens of the Alliance however were able to fend off the incoming hordes, many injured and at a great loss of life to defend what was left, to keep their enemies from breaching the walls, and the Alliance succeeded. Tired, beaten but far from defeated, a counterattack was launched upon the Pact camps across the swamps. Taking them by surprise, they were able to devastate the Pact numbers with the help of the cannons. Working further from this sudden momentum the Alliance continued to push the Pact back further and further over the course of a year, claiming many footholds as they won battle after battle, first the Dwarven capital of Thonduhm, then eventually after a bloodied and hard fought battle, the ruins of Falkvard soon followed, falling back into Alliance hands. More bloodied battles continued, but eventually the combined forces of the Alliance eventually pushed the Pact back to the east and overthrew the Cultist castle, defeating the majority of the forces that still opposed them. In the end however, the leader of the Cult, Valis, left a dark omen of destruction before his death, a prediction of the rise of Hell that would come in the wake of the war.

After his death and the defeat of the Pact, things appeared to have grown peaceful at last, however it was a peace that was eventually short-lived and as Valis predicted strange gates began to open around the realm. Spilling forth vile creatures of Hell into the mortal realm which posed a far greater threat than the Alliance had ever faced. It was this combined threat that, for the first time, the Alliance had no other choice but to ally with their longtime enemy: The Pact. There was no way for either side to survive the otherworldly threats of hell alone.

Our story takes place in the western regions of the continent of Saphriel. Home to the Empire of the High-Elves of the forest of Manadh Calad, the Dwarven lands of the Thonduhm Mountains, and various Human city-states scattered throughout the realm as a whole. The times before the war were a mixed bag, with conflict just as abundant as trade between these disparate peoples and nations. To the north-east of today’s Saphriel lay the Bleaklands, home of an inhospitable and nightmarish darkness. . South of these mountainous and snow-covered lands is the Red Mesas, home of the Orcish tribes, and east of the red sands are found the vast expanses of the Eastern Desert which dominate most of the continent. Far to the south-east of the sweltering sands, beyond the reaches of civilization, is where one can find the heavily polluted swamplands, once home to many Goblin tribes. For thousands of years the continent lived in relative stability, with frequent small skirmishes or minor wars, political sabotage and tentative relationships. The Orcs and Trolls in particular held resentment to the rest of the various races who lived in the more prosperous lands to the west and were often taken advantage of, abused, ostracized, and greatly discriminated against for their differences compared to the kingdoms of the west, whilst Goblins remained almost totally isolated from the rest of the continent in their bogs. Being disadvantaged in resources and technology, alongside a lack of central leadership in the red mesas, there was little they could do to retaliate against this discrimination. This all changed when the mysterious group commonly known as the Cult appeared, bringing with them dark and forbidden magics, and strange knowledge and artifacts left behind by the Frol.

The Cult came to the eastern races, first the Orcs and later on the Goblins, with a tantalizing offer. If they agreed to unite under a single banner, they would destroy the Human, Dwarven, and Elvish nations, and in exchange the Orcs, Trolls, and Goblins would be allowed to keep the lands. . Although the Cult’s motives for this were unknown and left vague at best, the Orcs, Goblins and Trolls readily agreed to join forces with the leadership of the Cult. They formed what would later be known as the Pact and began their march from the east against the western city states and nations. At first the Pact was seen as little more than a nuisance, it was only until after the surprisingly sudden and suspicious fall of the grand city state of Falkvard did the other nations consider the Pact as a serious threat. Despite many efforts and a great loss of life, the Pact continued to take victory after victory, destroying cities and driving their residents from one refuge to the next as their scourge grew stronger and stronger with every step they took, led to victory by the schemes and dark magics of the Cult.

Having seen early the true strength that the Pact wielded, one individual left ahead of the chaos and destruction that they would eventually bring. A nobleman hailing from Falkvard led some of the first refugees far to the west, past the sparsely traveled and treacherous Saltwater Swamps in the far western reaches of the continent and to the safe haven that was the peninsula beyond. It was here that the city of Barkamsted was founded, quickly growing from a small refugee camp into a densely packed city which swelled as the years of war grew more and more bloodied. It was in Barkamsted that the Alliance was formed. Made up of the combined forces of the Humans, Dwarves and eventually even the Elves, eventually only Barkamsted stood as the last bastion of Alliance. Out of desperation, determination and a desire to survive, the races of the Alliance pushed themselves in developing new methods to combat the Pact and their overwhelming forces and might. After nearly 70 years of war, both sides had suffered greatly and were exhausted from the prolonged conflict, the Pact having all but won as they made their eventual final march on Barkamsted, having discovered the city’s hidden location. Thankfully, through the combined efforts of expert Dwarven and Human engineers came about the first cannons. Bought enough time by the devastating strategies of the Elven army, who as they were fleeing brought their ancient homeland down on their enemies’ heads in desperate scorched earth tactics, the Alliance was prepared to meet the Pact in a final, desperate battle for survival.. Despite the overwhelming forces that threatened their doorstep, many held high hopes of reclaiming what was lost and defending their new home.