Etherius: A Small Summary, and the Setting of Ezekel



The universe. Our universe. Etherius, is one of the many that was created before the 1st era. This era was appropriately called, the "Dawn of Etherius", or "The Dawn of Mer", or "Man". Many like to make up their own understanding of the known universe, to make up something that's right in their minds... but it seems as though we'll never know how it, and we were created... Information about what the world was like before is mostly missing, leaving it all up to speculation, but just about everyone knows the general history of it, whether you're a "Human", or not.

Our universe's creation is unknown, as we already know. But that doesn't stop a Mer's mind from being curious. People say a mystical, god-like being, or even multiple beings created it. Some say dimensions fused to create our universe, or universes, as we know it today... maybe even all of those. There are even people that think the universe created itself, but that depends mostly on ones religion or belief.

But, what we do know, is that the thing that dictates our world, the Life Stream, or the Kreierung in the language of the Axel, exists. It is the unknown force called "Magic" inside the world. It's how it makes the plants, the clouds, and life itself. It creates, but it doesn't control. Instead, this power can be harnessed by the ones it creates. Just about anything can tap into the Life Stream, and is able to use a small portion of its energy for themselves. Magic though, can be a very creative, or destructive power...

The practitioners of Magic, called "Mages", have created their own specific guilds and theories on how Magic works. The most basic idea, is that every living thing has a soul. A soul that the Life Stream created. As a soul, you're able to harness a portion of power from the Life Stream to create beautiful.. or destructive effects. But, the more you keep using Magic, the more you waste your "Energy", or "Mana", as a soul, and after that... you either pass out, or die. Of course, not using Magic for a certain amount of time can refill your soul's Mana, depending on what type of Magic is in use. The Life Stream is tied to the planet though, and if anything Magic related is tossed out of the atmosphere and into the void of space, the Magic element will evaporate completely.

Magic can be used in many ways. It can be used to cure, or heal. It can be used to control what we call nature and even create advanced technology. Magic can be used for many other endeavors, such as enhancing your body or tools to make them stronger, or sharper. It can be used to create "Runes", a type of magic that can be placed onto an item for specific effects, like giving the item a fire enchantment, or to make a chest unlock-able with a certain item only. But, this isn't the extent of what Magic can do. It has been stated and even proven that Magic is able to change basic or even complicated rules of the world... but only the fearless and insane travel this path...

The earliest known history of this world is the 1st era, 11th year. There, as you may know, are 3 main races on our planet, Arsiel: The willed but frail Humans, the balanced and graceful Elves, then finally the magically adept but near emotionless Axel. Each race has it's own kind of "sub-race" and people with different traits, but this was never the case before, as studies have shown that early fossils of Mer were very similar to each-other. But, nonetheless, Humans today have different heights, traits, and mentalities. For example: One of the Human races is called "Kokai", meaning intelligent, or sea traveler, depending on the many languages of Humans. The Elves, on the other hand, have specific kinds of magic that they specialize in for each type, and the Axel are similar, except with a deeper connection to the Kreierung, but a downside of not being able to feel many emotions. Around this time, the continents we know today weren't there, but they were all connected instead. This super-continent is called Jooral. All of the races had different languages, cultures, and religions, but never knew of each other's existence for a time, but of course, they had to meet eventually...

In the 1st era of the 92nd year, the 3 original races of the old super-continent, Jooral, waged war for each other's land. Oh they did try to co-exist, but as you may already know, war will always come eventually... The great war was rumored to have shook the world, magic clashing, and blades cutting. Swords, spears, maces, and other practical weaponry were impaling troops and innocent civilians, who where trying to escape the bloodshed...

The war was rumored to last more than 100 years, but nobody has any true recordings on how long it lasted. But, it is theorized near the end of the war, the continent shook so much, that it broke into three parts of the gigantic continent, and drifted them away from each other, making the 3 continents we know today. This may be relatively true, as it isn't unheard of for magic to destroy even mountains...

After this event, years past without any recorded history. This era was called the "Blank Era". The only gathered information of this time was that other than new found minerals that we know today, and new tool inventions were created. Another bit of information many believe, is that "sub-races" started to appear slowly years after the continental split, as the separation of Jooral must have theoretically had an effect on the Life Stream, or Kreierung, itself, cutting off practically most things it created from using magic. It can still make and give birth, but it now cannot give its power to certain beings it created. This changed the environment drastically, creating mountains, lakes, and even lava pools. It slowly mutated the animals around the area, turning them into either harmless creatures, or dangerous beasts. The early races of Mer theoretically must have had to adapt to their new surroundings, forming the sub-races we know today... but some mutated... and turned into beasts themselves...

The next big piece of history that was recorded is in the 3rd era, the 56th year, the "Era of Technology" for the Elves, and the turning point for the Humans.

After over 200 years since the war, the Elves was the first to create transportation on water, ships. They were powered with concentrated magic that was able to be put into anything for power, called Remnants. This magic was later studied and finally got the permanent name, runes. The voyage started, and the Elves found many islands and one continent... the Human homeland, Palegia. The two opposing forces once again waged a bloody war for land, not learning their lesson on what they can do to the world, some not even remembering their own history, but still fight because of the same reasons, power. This time though, the Elves pushed back the Humans, as the Humans at the time didn't have great weaponry, where as the Elves had multiple advancements in technology.

The war waged for 20 years, much less than the great war, but it was destructive. The Humans were hit the most in the continental split out of the 3 races, after all. Chaos was brought onto the land on who to rule, which led to numerous small battles on who to be leader of Palegia. Even worse, Humans were the only race to slowly loose their magic, because of the separation of the giant continent, Jooral. This was when a decision was made.

While the Humans were on the brink of extinction, their land taken, their kin and children dead, it was said that the last Humans that had an outstanding skill in magic and who still had a somewhat stable connection to the Life Stream banded together, and was said to create a whole portal that released terrifying creatures from another universe out of thin air. Out of the portal, came a giant castle-looking structure. It is now known that this castle is called the Netanel Dungeon, summoner of Beasts from another realm. These days though, we call them Mortal Beasts in the history books.

In here, the Mortal Beasts were created to fend off the Elves, and they did just that, with a deadly cost... the toll of spawning the dungeon was too much for the Human Magi... and with that, Mortal Beasts appeared onto our plane from another world, but the remaining Humans that created them disappeared, leaving the remaining Humans without magic from the Life Stream.

The Mortal Beasts came in all kinds, and since the Elves didn't know how to fend off the beasts, they ultimately decided to separate the floating dungeon from the continent, and let it drift away from the land, and so they did. They cut off the dungeon from the mainland, letting it drift away.

But, some of the beasts remained, and forced the Elves to retreat. But, it wasn't a Human victory either. Without any control from the now supposedly dead magic users, the beasts got out of control, attacking the Humans. Years past since then and it's now the 4th era, the 19th year. Humans fend for themselves now in fear of the Mortal Beasts, and since there was no control over the land, they fled. They created rafts and boats, some learned to control the remaining ships that the Elves left, and set out to sea.

The Humans arrived at the island where the dungeon was, but while the years past, the dungeon was sealed off in rocks and mountains, forcing the Mortal Beasts to be trapped inside. Some Humans settled there, and built up their settlements. The settlements, soon became a united empire. In the 4th era, the 96th year, the Humans have built up towns and a main castle there. Humans lived on the island for awhile and thrived. Making a kingdom and finally settling on the very first Human king. King Erick of the new island, Ezekel. Word got out to the Human homeland, Palegia, which got the rest of the Humans come rushing into Ezekel. Thus, the trading hub of Etherius was created.

Years past, and the Humans finally had some ground, even able to fend off weakened Mortal Beasts, and most even got taken out of Palegia. Everything seemed peaceful for the Humans, until by sheer luck, or simply fate, the 3 races meet on the island once again. Another war. Another war with bloodshed. Another war with their own kin dead. Another useless war in just obtaining land, and King Erick wanted to stop it before it even began, again. He believed in true peace, peace that was once there in Ezekel, and he wanted to keep it. He made a decision, to attempt to finally make peace, like they tried doing Eras ago. After a long and difficult meeting, the treaty was successful, and it was made on the 5th era, the 1st year. New islands are discovered since then and Ezekel became the massive trading hub it is today. In the treaty, rules were set for each of the race's benefits, and the land was split. The Humans taking the docs and grassland where the mines are located for control of the economy, the Elves taking the forest and creating the "Krow Reyth" or the "Krow Tree", a fully rune-binded magical tree that was able to transport the Elves back to their homeland, but for anyone other than Elven to be placed into randomly generated, horrifying traps, or so the Elves say. Finally the Axel took the mountains for tinkering and experimenting, helping with the new advancements of technology.

From this day forth, there was no war, and only peace. From the 5th era to the 6th era was called the "Era of Advancements". Humans were taught to use rune-bound weapons, even making magic schools to help ones magical capability with a weapon. Festivals were hosted in celebration to the treaty, and even tournaments for the magically adept. New weapons were made to use rune-bound weapons more effectively, and so the crossbow was invented, displaying what rune-bound weapons could truly do. The Elves were the political fronts of everything, keeping the island's economy running while the Humans made the advancements. Finally, the Axel were the ones supplying the necessary materials and magic to create the technology that is used to this day. This is what happens when Mer gather together in unison and live in peace.

This, was a unified empire.

But of course, even a unified and prosperous empire can't escape their own roots, and one small slip-up can make everything crumble. Poverty struck the land though in the 7th era on wards, as the mineral depression started. The blame was on the Humans, as they were in charge of the mines. A small war broke out, but shortly ended in a span of a couple months. But, after the war, the 3 races hated each other even more. Racism arose, which led to even more hatred, and this didn't help as the Human kings didn't have as much power as they had before, allowing the Elves to take most of the control of the island. At this point, it would have been dishonorable to even speak of the festivals and celebration of the treaty.

Over time, towns got ripped apart, with rubble and corpses everywhere. It was at this point bandits and racial separation among the Humans to arise as time went on, separating them even more. It is now the 17th era, the 1st year. The Humans only have three major areas left, the docking town Heinscove, their mining village Lainsgroove, and their main capital, Tenthal. Guilds were created in the capital to secure and help for different things, and to keep the already poor living conditions from getting worse. It didn't help that during this time, back in Palegia, a large terrorist bandit guild called the Palegia Kings arose, forcing refugees into Ezekel. But, unbeknownst to them, and even the other races on the island and even the world, the bigger threat that could possibly spread to the other lands...

17th era, the 2nd year... They arose from the mountainous area of the Axel, stronger, more powerful... Mortal Beasts. It is now the present, and a new war is starting...