The Great War

----==|+|==----
The Great War
----==|+|==----


Part 1: Prelude - “How the Moon was made.”
​

Back in the far beginning, before the Great War, matters upon Balaria were not entirely without flaw. The Preceptors were expected to ensure the safety of Balaria. Despite this, they could not control every evil. As such, many eons ago there was a particularly dark and foreboding presence that suddenly began to circle the world of Balaria. The Preceptors were able to sense this being, and they described it as a cold feeling down their spines, a sense of foreboding, a place so dark that no light could shine through. This darkness appeared to be observing the Preceptors, and their world. Where it had come from, and why - was unbeknownst to the Preceptors. Nonetheless, they knew that this was a being they should take particularly seriously. As they began to meet and create a plan on how to approach the situation, the being amassed an army. Dozens, hundreds, thousands of creatures swarmed the darkness like flies on rotting food. Black, inky shapes that were nearly impossible to focus on with the naked eye. It seemed this being was creating creatures, pulling life force from somewhere to design dark, twisted creatures.

Immediately, the Preceptors acted. A battle waged in which some Preceptors were lost. It was said that various planets were in harm's way - including Balaria. Such a situation caused destruction to both - debris forming a ring around Balaria. The Preceptors, upon weakening the ancient being and its army, decided that the fate of such a dark and twisted creature was immurement. They encased it in the debris, creating what would be then known as Balaria’s moon. This was only later known by the King, Queen, and the Preceptors - the Gods who ruled over Xyas with a fair, yet stern hand. The Queen and King later knew of this secret due to the tales being passed down the generations before them. Such caused unease and unanswered questions. Where had this thing come from, and were there more?

Part 2: The People of Xyas
​

In the beginning, there were only a handful of races which walked the lands of Xyas. The Lightfoots, the Kore, Selheo, and the Taniwha. Each kept to themselves, and did not intermingle with each other outside of trade. Grudges had long since been made between the groups, resulting in most of them vowing to remain away from one another; whether it be for trade-related or political instances.



The Kore:
Upon the land of Xyas, the Kore were known to be the creatures in which protected, defended, and maintained the balance and structure of nature. For as long as history can remember, they had sent their people to heal the land whenever needed, in any territory it required. As such, the other races maintained peace treaties with the Kore. When the other settlements had problems with the land dying, the crops not growing, or odd situations regarding flora and fauna, it was always the Kore who they called to aid. Though the Kore typically kept a friendly relationship with most settlements and races, they did keep their distance from the Selheo. Children were considered especially precious to Kore, and they thought of the Selheo traditions as dangerous and brutal. Nonetheless, they continued to aid them when needed.

The Selheo:
Upon the lands of Xyas, the Selheo were seen as some of the greatest warriors alongside the Taniwha. This was mostly because of their combat abilities and their general use of traditions and ceremonies not found to be typical by other settlements and cultures. If a Selheo felt wrongdoing had been done to them, common tradition would call for the Selheo to bring the offender to the battle arena. There, they would fight until one of them had given up or was unconscious. Back upon Xyas, it was a common tradition for Selheo to be trained from the time they were very young, thrown into battle camps to learn their way around combat. Some of the other races disagreed with this tactic, though it had always worked well for the Selheo.

The Selheo were well known for their capability in combat. Though not particularly traditional, and more aggressive, they thrived during battle. Instead of the weapons Lightfoots or Kore used, they used weapons such as spears. The constant bickering and conflict with the Kore brought the Selheo to stockpile weapons and ensure they would be ready for any battle. Instead of armor made of metal, the Selheo wore tough leathers and lightweight clothing. Their massive size helped serve as an aid in combat. The Selheo lived within Kedgan, which was a settlement within the desert. Kedgan’s housing was typically made of roughly put together tents and shacks, as the Selheo did not care for luxury, but more so, things such as loyalty and honor. If a Selheo decided to be by your side, their loyalty would be undying.

The Lightfoots:
The Lightfoots resided within the Capital of Xyas, Hillfar. They were quite a proud folk, quick to brag about their abilities in mass producing armor and weapons for their particularly large populace. The people of Hillfar got along better with the Kore, unlike the Selheo. Though they never would have merged with any of the other settlements, they respected their vast knowledge - something they were lacking. Whilst they were a populace of many, they did not have the libraries and knowledge that the Taniwha were known to have.

Despite the lack of knowledge, the Lightfoots did make up for it in one regard: Trade. Hillfar was the Capital, the very center of all things trade. Whilst they did look down upon the Selheo, they did not engage in combat as they did not wish to lose out on the gold they could make from their precious trade market. The markets at Hillfar traded everything you could imagine, from fruits and meats to silks and cloths and more, anything that one could ask for. Thus - making them the richest and most bustling settlement.

The Taniwha:
The Taniwha were not mentioned in most of Xyas history. Quiet and noble, the settlement of Xynnar was nestled at the base of an active volcano, far from the other settlements. Despite the treacherous placing of their home, the self proclaimed "part-dragons" did not mind it. The Taniwha found themselves to be the most comfortable in hotter areas. They also remained to themselves a majority of the time. Much like the older sibling of the races, they only stepped in once things had gotten particularly out of hand or conflict needed to be resolved. Though they did not intervene in most of the disputes unless bloodshed was beginning to happen. They were a particularly peaceful and wise race, and though they did enjoy some luxuries such as fine silks and cloth, jewelry and wine, they did not look down upon any of the other races of Xyas.

Though many claimed themselves the leaders of knowledge and wisdom, the true title was left to the Taniwha. Their history spanned further than all of the other races, precious knowledge of magic passed down from line to line. A vast majority of the Taniwha were able to cast magic before the Great War. Though - they did not use this to their advantage, as they doing so was something they were strictly against. They also did not seek to rule over others, though because of the other settlement's behaviors, they did not seek to share their knowledge. The Taniwha believed that much of the other races' squabbles were unnecessary, and peace and maturity was needed to create the atmosphere they wished to surround themselves with.

Part 3: A Shift in the Tides​

Something was changing. It started out small as signs, omens. The lands were rebelling against whatever force was making its way towards Xyas. A massive group of birds flying across the lands, hundreds of thousands of them, as if escaping. Soon the other signs began. Small, but significant earthquakes. A distinct lack of birds chirping in the morning when they woke, a lack of animals all together. It seemed, they were fleeing. A silence filled the lands of Xyas, and for the people, it was hard not to be afraid.

The omens and odd occurrences became more substantial and more people began to consider fleeing. Huge waves that swept across the land and set villages entirely underwater. Fires beginning in the more dry forests, by way of lightning storms that were ruthless. The King and Queen of Xyas emerged, both Lightfoots on the Silver Council. Isabelle and Godred Tourhan, had led Xyas for decades. They made the decision to unite everyone within the Capital. Fearful enough to toss aside their previous fighting and bickering, the Kore and Selheo quickly traveled across Xyas towards Hillfar. It was not an easy journey, many of their kind did not make it due to the incredibly dangerous storms and earthquakes occurring. Eventually, the Taniwha trailed after towards the Capital, albeit reluctantly; finally emerging from where they’d remained for hundreds of years. Hillfar, despite the loss of life whilst traveling, was now entirely overpacked. Individuals huddled on street corners and in hastily-made tents; awaiting a decision on what to do and explanation of what was occurring.

Part 4: The Uniting of the Races and the War​

Then, they came. One moment the night was unusually silent and the next, hundreds of thousands of creatures surrounded Hillfar and entirely destroyed other villages and settlements near to it. Though they waited to attack Hillfar, they destroyed everything near to it apart, ripping and tearing all signs of life. Where they had been, the land was blackened and dead, as if the creatures could suck the life itself out of the Xyas. Every sign of life around Hillfar was immediately destroyed, then, refugees who could not make the journey or had decided to remain at their homesteads with their families were wiped off of the map as the creatures expanded and spread further and further. Hillfar was surrounded by the swarm of terrifying, nightmare inducing creatures. Deep in their hearts, the mortals knew they did not stand much of a chance. If one of these creatures were to touch your skin, the skin would shrivel and die, as if the creatures themselves were death.

Appearing to receive a signal, or command; the creatures began attacking as they closed in on the city. Hillfar fought valiantly, attempting to keep the mass from fully closing in on them. As they swung their blades, they quickly learned that their weapons were for naught - nothing succeeded in destroying them. The Taniwha moved forward, using their magic that had been coveted for generations. Though it worked, mortals who knew such a magic were very small in numbers, and with the amount of creatures overtaking them, it seemed all for naught.

Then, the Council of Silver arrived. Masters of magic, they were incredibly powerful and able to ward off and destroy many of the creatures. That seemed to be the answer - magic, pure and good, seemed able to destroy whatever the life-sucking creatures were. It was not without consequence, however. Many of the Council was lost, overthrown by the huge hordes before they had the ability to properly defend themselves. If a single creature touched the immortal Preceptors, they were able to withstand it - though if a group of them were to get close enough to swarm them, they could, and would die. For this reason, more than half of the group of legendary teachers were turned into husks; corpses that appeared to have the life sucked dry from them. Eventually, the Preceptors were able to conquer the beings after a slow and bloody battle. Most of the mortals had died, as well as a handful of Preceptors. Nonetheless, the one who had created them was nowhere to be found. No one knew whether the master of these creatures had simply returned to the dark crevices of where it had come from, or, if it was only leaving to plot further in the dark.

Later, it had been determined that upon a meteor crashing into the moon, the dark, twisted beings and their master had been freed from their moon-shaped tomb from so long ago; and rained down upon the clueless habitants of Xyas. This was something that the Preceptors had not foreseen, and were not ready for. They were unsure why the creatures had attacked only Xyas, though it was speculated that the reasoning may have included that the Preceptors had decided to reside there for the time being.

The Aftermath & The Move to Elarya​

When all had died down, it was eerily silent. A vast majority of the populace had perished. Lands blackened, flora and fauna destroyed, and food sources were no longer viable. The biggest settlement to survive was the Lightfoots, as per their expansive numbers and supply stockpiles. Second was Kore, of which a decent amount of their population remained. A small group of Selheo survived, and even less Taniwha. Only a handful of the Old Preceptors had lived, lowering their numbers to a mere six Preceptors. Tired, worn, and mourning for the loss of so many, they vanished; assumed to be dead or in seclusion.

Not much remained from the ruins the people used to call home. Lacking supplies such as food and water; the remaining group of mortals decided to remain close together. Eventually, the mortals remaining after the war set sail upon a particularly shabby ship they built over the coming days and weeks. The land they had known as Xyas had been destroyed. They were unable to live off of the land any longer, and the Queen and King they had known and loved had perished in the War. With nothing to stay for, they sailed towards, hopefully, better horizons.

After many moons of sailing, when their resources and food were gone and they were hungry, wary, and had lost some hope of a better home - the group saw land upon the horizon. Upon getting closer they realized this land was lush, green, and beautiful; a safe haven with plentiful food and water. Arriving, they were welcomed into the nearby inns and taverns of Lambridge. Though surprised at the sudden influx of individuals, residents of Lambridge were rather welcoming. After some time, the mortals who had survived the Great War eventually began rebuilding a home for themselves. These were the lands called Elarya, in which the Capital was Lambridge. The mortals who had survived no longer cared about past disputes after what they all had gone through, and some of the mortals decided to remain together. The only ones who ventured on their own were the Taniwha. Though the Taniwha decided to create a home for themselves a bit away from Lambridge, they became a more social, though small bunch. Often they visited and continued trade with Lambridge.

The Exploration and Discovery of Races​

Soon after arriving in Elarya, the refugees from the Great War learned that other, odd and new types of people existed. Most that had survived the War agreed to be peaceful and not allow petty fights to separate them again, however. Along with those new types of individuals, other ones were slowly discovered to be inhabiting the lands of Elarya, and were revealed over time; such as Imps, Mirciem and half-races.