Prehistory (Northeros)

The Myth of Creation

The Golden Gods of Chaos

Ancient tomes tell a tale from the dawn of creation, far before any life or even Medivo itself existed. It is the tale of three almighty and immensely powerful beings, whom are only referred to as the Chaos Gods. Depictions portray them as gigantic beings, fully clad in golden armor that brims with their awesome power. The three were known as Bel’akl (the aspect of ambition), Mal’ael (the aspect of reason), and Ignul (the aspect of curiosity) and they traveled the BrikVerse seeking new challenges wherever they went. They were said to be the ones who shaped the world of Medivo when it was nothing but a fiery cauldron of raging elements. Ironically, their work brought order to chaos and made Medivo into the form it is known today. They did this for no particular reason or higher command; they enjoyed creation for the sake creating and saw it as a display of their formidable cosmic powers.

The Beast of a Thousand Maws and Bel'akl's Betrayal

Medivo was not completely barren when the three arrived. The planet had an eldritch, primordial entity latched onto its surface; a gigantic parasite stamping out any attempt of life to set foot on the world. The Chaos Gods knew that they needed to vanquish this creature if they wished to create their perfect world, which they accomplished through a cataclysmic battle that lasted for weeks and scarred the land. The shattered body of the Beast was disintegrated, save for a small shard Bel'akl kept as a trophy, affixed to a golden pendant around his neck.

As the shaping of the world went on, Bel'akl felt a dark influence gnawing at his mind. It made him want to become the ultimate entity of chaos and creation with this world as his ultimate prize, the testament of his magnificence. To achieve this goal, he used trickery first. He successfully schemed against his brother Ignul by exploiting his insatiable curiosity and, when his inquisitive brother investigated and let his guard down, Bel'akl treacherously stabbed him to death. Bel'Akl then absorbed the fading Ignul's essence, his power increasing a thousandfold.

Mal’ael was aware of Bel’akl’s treason, as she felt the agony of Ignul's death due to the three's symbiotic relationship. She immediately questioned her brother’s actions and only received a simple reply: kill or be killed. This infuriated Mal’ael and she knew there was no other way. Madness had gripped her brother and she would have to prepare to battle him. She visited the shattered remains of Ignul where the last shred of her brother's spirit gave her a silver pearl, his final creation. Both surviving gods withdrew to arm themselves.

Soon after they arrived at a contested piece of land specifically created for the battle, called the Isle of Conflict. Bel’akl armed himself with a polearm-like weapon, aptly christened as 'God-Slayer.' Mal’ael forged a sword, which she named the 'Blade of Tears' in honor of her fallen brother. The two gods clashed and fought for several days, their destructive blows slowly unmaking the battleground beneath their feet. Despite all of Mal’ael’s efforts, her power-hungry brother, bolstered by Ignul's essence, was stronger. Bel’akl stabbed and killed Mal’ael with a final thrust of the God-Slayer. In turn, Mal'ael stabbed Bel'akl, cutting his locket in half and channeling all her energy into him before collapsing and falling into the ocean. As Mal’ael’s body fell and sank, her armor blackened and crumbled away.

And so there stood Bel’akl, as the last Chaos God of Medivo. However, he only felt emptiness in his victory, despite swelling with power. It was then when he realized that it was the trophy of the Beast that had done this to him. He was getting weaker and weaker with every passing moment now that Mal'ael had freed it. It burrowed into Bel'akl's wounds, feeding on the three's combined essence.

Bel'akl's Progeny

Blinded by rage over being tricked, as well as his inevitable demise, Bel'akl used his rapidly waning powers to have the last laugh on the creature before he disappeared from existence. He made the shapeless, nameless black mass (whose sole purpose was to ensure that the world would never be able to thrive) the prisoner of its own body. Using his power, Bel'akl anchored an incomprehensibly powerful spell within the creature that created a forcefield around the planet, essentially quarantining the beast and resulting in the unique radiation field that disables and hinders advanced technology throughout Medivo and its vicinity.

The reborn void creature regained its form, that of a massive and amorphous monstrosity with a thousand maws. Emerging from Bel'akl's shattered shell, it immediately went on a rampage, wiping out most of the then primitive wild and plant life of on the planet until it was reduced to barren wastelands and seas.

It then bore itself deep underground and used its tremendous energies to spread and fester beneath the planet's surface. The Beast's body dried up and solidified as years went by. It became one with the very land it was sworn to keep sterile and its immense psyche fragmented into separate entities over time, fighting for control among themselves. In its hubris, however, it failed to notice that life was not completely erased.

Ignul's pearl turned out to be an artifakt called the Lifeseed. Mal'ael had transferred the remainder of her powers into this artifakt in her final moments. Embedded in the bottom of the sea, the Lifeseed activated as soon as the last living being on the planet, the Beast, went into reclusion. The artifakt unleashed the power stored within, letting flora and fauna spring to life again and develop naturally as years went by.

The Early History of Dwarves and Elves

Thousands of years later, life thrived upon Medivo, especially on the continent of Northeros. Here, sentient races were emerging. Elves and Dwarves were the earliest to emerge.

The War of the Clans

The Dwarves chose to live in the northern mountains of the continent, which they named 'Karak-Nar' (simply meaning "homeland" in their tongue). The Dwarves formed three clans: the stout CrimsonBeards, the grim IronGuts, and the inventive OakBraids. While the OakBraids were peaceful and tinkering, their other brethren were much more warlike and battled each other for decades over the control of the mountains. Ultimately, these wars ended with the CrimsonBeard victorious, offering an alliance for their IronGut brethren. Even though their pride was tarnished, the IronGut Clan would accept and pledge loyalty to the lord of the CrimsonBeards, Thane Mithrilfist.

The Oakbraid Exodus

The OakBraids never cared for petty power struggles. They lived on the surface and the rolling hillsides of the mountains, coming up with newer and newer contraptions and technological advancements. This drew the ire of the Elves, however, as the Dwarves would regularly claim lands from the Evergreen Woods (ancestral homeland of the elves) and chop down their fabled, centuries-old trees. Having had it with the Dwarves' greed, the Elves launched an offensive to drive the Dwarves out of the forest once and for all. Even though the Dwarves had golems and cannons by their side, they were easily overwhelmed and forced to abandon their homes. They retreated into the mountains and pleaded with Thane Mithrilfist for refuge. Even though the OakBraids had neglected their brethren for many years, the Thane saw potential in their technology and agreed to welcome the OakBraids into his ranks. Thus, all clans were united unto a single rule and remained so ever since.

The Great Hunt

The Elves chose to settle in the northeastern corner of Northeros, cut off from the rest of the world by the dense woodland of the Evergreen Woods. Back then, these lush forests were a dangerous place, swarming with BeastMen who would constantly harass Elven homesteads. The Elves decided to make a stand and claim the forest for themselves. They would rally under a united banner and dive into the woods, slaying all BeastFolk who stood in their way. The Beasts were many, but disorganized; they fled in terror from the grand army. The Elves kept pushing them ever southward, an event which became known as the Great Hunt in their history books.

The Eternal Vigil

Eventually, the Beasts were cornered. They fled to the Amazon Basin, a vast jungle valley south of the forest. The Elves did not chase them any further. However, they realized that the creatures had to be kept in check, lest they return. For this task, a cadre of elite warrior women offered to watch the boarders of the woods. They would become known as the Amazon Elves, a border patrol force with a reputation as fierce fighters, while their appointed task became known as the Eternal Vigil.

The Beasts would not find the Basin empty, however. It was the home of the Soleki, native reptilians who ruled the dense jungle and built a vast empire. They revered their Sun God Solek in peace and tranquility. The Soleki were caught off guard by the fleeing Beast forces, who claimed territories for themselves and plunged the Soleki empire into chaos and disarray. The reptilian empire would not recover from this event for nearly a century.

The History of Nehekara and Mankind's Fall from Magik

Long ago, mankind lived on the southwestern peninsula of Northeros, which was a lush verdant land. Humanity had a natural affinity and talent for magik, some more than others. These seers became the heads of their tribes and great rulers later on. The land was named Nehekara, meaning "land of kings" in their ancient tongue. Many small kingdoms were formed, led by powerful MageKings. Under their rule, mankind thrived, magik was regulated, and illustrious temple city states were raised. Strongest of all MageKings was Ere'ut, whose kingdom was vast and enjoyed the aid of the dragon Aetheros.

Yet Ere'ut's heart soon fell to sadness as the queen, his beloved wife, passed away due to a sudden and unforeseen illness. Not even a powerful MageKing like Ere'ut himself could prevent it. The king became desperate to find a way, any way, to undo his love's demise. Other MageKings saw this as an opportunity to usurp and claim Ere'ut's kingdom. Soon the borderlands were raided and outposts fell; with the king still lost in his meditative trance seeking answers, his army was paralyzed.

However the king's search was not in vain, as someone did hear his pleas through the Astral realms. The entity manifested itself to him and introduced itself as Al-Azim, a djinn. He would help Ere'ut regain his beloved but first the king would have to summon him across the divide. With that, the pact was sealed, and the MageKing returned with a new found ally to defend his people just in time. With Al-Azim and Aetheros at his side, the king vanquished the invaders with ease.

Yet Ere'ut was not satisfied. Al-Azim's words influenced him to fight back, subjugate the lesser MageKings, and reroute all magik to his seat of power. Aetheros could not agree with such a mad quest, which would lead to his demise. Brandished as a traitor, Ere'ut shackled the powerful wyrm and drained him dry of his magik through a long and torturous ritual, suggested by Al-Azim himself. In his death-throes, as his essence was drained into a focusing crystal, Aetheros swore that he would exact harsh vengeance upon mankind for this most vile of betrayals. With Aetheros' power, Ere'ut conquered one city-state after the other, sweeping their armies away and letting Al-Azim deal with their defeated MageKings. In truth, Al-Azim was a SpellWraith, an astral parasite feeding on magik. His real agenda was to eliminate the MageKings and rule over mankind once he had pooled their power into one place. Blinded by hope, Ere'ut was easily swayed to do Al-Azim's bidding, under the guise of helping him consolidate his power.

With the last rival MageKing slain, Ere'ut returned triumphant to find his queen alive and well, waiting in his throne room. Yet as he approached her, she crumbled to sand and all Ere'ut could hear was the mocking laughter of Al-Azim, showing his true colors at last. Al-Azim raised the dead warriors of all the rival MageKings' armies and encircled the city, readying them to strike. He thought he could easily overwhelm the broken-hearted Ere'ut. What he did not expect, however, was that Ere'ut was about to have the last laugh. While the spellwraith gloated, Ere'ut cast a powerful spell that would become known as The Unbinding. He overloaded all ley lines and focus points, as well as himself, before Al'Azim could lift a finger. This resulted in a cataclysmic series of explosions and firestorms throughout Nehekara, instantly wiping out Al-Azim's army and leaving nothing but charred remains. Ere'ut exploded upon the wraith and, with his final words, mockingly told it to gorge upon the unleashed energies. With that, the last MageKing vanished in a white hot explosion that leveled his temple palace and swept away Al-Azim, critically weakening him in the process. The crystal housing the dragon's power was lost and not recovered until centuries later.

Those who survived this catastrophe found themselves in a broken, barren desert, a husk of the once proud kingdom. It was inhospitable for mankind, who found that they could no longer feel and shape the winds of magik with ease. These survivors banded together into many different tribes and migrated north, to the heartland of the continent, leaving the fallen kingdom of Nehekara behind for good.

The History of the Human Tribes of Northeros Before the Foundation of the Empire

In the beginning, humanity lived in tribes, scattered and weak. During these times, many things (natural, unnatural, and supernatural alike) threatened the minifigs. Humanity almost faced extinction. Then, a hero emerged. His name was Zahru.

Zahru’s origins fade to the past. Only one thing is certain: with his emergence, humanity could survive its early years. Zahru wandered around the world, always helping those in need of aid. Many tales are told about his great deeds. In one, he saved a village from a BeastFolk warband by teaching them how to use bows and arrows so the villagers could cover him while he fought. In another, he fought against a dozen trolls, slaying them all by himself. During the fight, he bathed in their blood and gained troll strength as well as the ability to regenerate. His left arm was warped and became troll-like as well. Apart from these stories, he slowly began to elevate from a warrior hero to a divine being in the public consciousness.

His greatest deed was the legend of vanquishing the evil spirit known as Warhead; for this he gathered the best warriors from everywhere and forged an army. With their aid, Zahru defeated the dark hordes and severely wounded Warhead, sealing him within a mountain. The survivors of the battle were given demigod-like powers by Zahru, who left Medivo behind afterwards. Zahru’s existence is still a matter of debate, but many hope that when humanity faces great danger that would threaten its existence, Zahru will return from the past and kick ass.

After the tribal ages, humans reached a medieval tek level, and thus began the Age of Factions.

The Age of Factions and the War of Unification

Many different houses and clans ruled in these days. Loose alliances were made and broken every day. It was a time of strife and confusion. Humanity's new foe was itself. Many houses became powerful nobility later, such as the Lionmanes, the Wolfbanes, and the Crowclaws.

This age of strife ended with the coming of the Majistik. They were mighty wizards, all of them masters of different domains. They gathered some of the lesser houses, and reformed them as their own army: the Dragontalons. Aside from men, Majistiks had dragons; mighty green firedrakes. With an army of their own, the Majistik declared war on all factions. Thus began the War of Unification.

While the war was raging, the Majistik did many things. They created ley lines of power with which they could tame and channel the streams of magic. They also built countless monoliths throughout the world to serve as focus points where magik energies could be stored. Also, they left behind many laboratories, many of which haven't been rediscovered so far.

The War of Unification ended with a Dragontalon victory. However, instead of making everyone their vassals, the Majistik united the houses and established the united human kingdom, which would be known as the Empire of Northeros. After that, the Majistik mysteriously left, giving the reins of fate unto Imperial hands.

The Drakhirri

The Drakhirri, a group of ruthless mercenaries who always ally themselves with the highest bidder were the descendants of the almighty Dragontalon army, which was forged by the Majistik during the War of Unification. Many of those who were united under the banner of the Drake did not find their place in the world after the war was over and the Empire was founded. They feared that they’d be separated from their comrades once enlisted as Imperial troops and reassigned into different regions of the land. Furthermore, the thought of peace and simple guard duties on backwater posts terrified many, especially those who became somewhat addicted to constant combat and adventure. While most Dragontalon soldiers reconciled and chose to serve the Empire, a former group of elite swordsmen, led by Aurelius Drakhelm, decided to defy enlistment and went 'rogue.'

Aurelius was a nobleman when the Dragontalons were founded, one with great martial expertise. Thus he was assigned to lead those who possessed similar talent in swordfighting. They were given longblades, thin but balanced swords, which handle almost as if they were of Elven origin. To perfectly wield the longblade, strength and discipline is required. In skillful hands, it can be a very deadly weapon, capable of tearing a man in half with a mighty blow.

Those who remained loyal to Aurelius rallied under his banner and moved to his fortress, close to the south-western borderlands. People lived in fear under Fort Drakhelm’s shadow, as occasional raids were not uncommon in the beginning. However, those responsible for these raids were swiftly punished. Aurelius led his men with an iron fist and created a code for his warriors, which they were obliged to follow.

Aurelius also inherited some of the mighty Majistik firedrakes from the Great War; those which were born without wings and thus viewed as imperfect in the wizards' regards. However, their speed and ferociousness made them still useful and even better than conventional mounts. Those who were daring enough slowly tamed the beasts and mastered riding them; thus the first wyrmraiders were born.

The defiance of Aurelius was a big thorn in the young Empire’s side. Aurelius was stripped of all his titles and his men were considered outlaws by an Act of the King. This decision was made to set an example for those who intended to desert the Empire in the future.

Aurelius knew that without his rights, he would have to find alternative ways to fund his men. That’s when he made the decision to become a mercenary. He would offer his men to those in need, something which could come handy for outposts near the borders. Despite being illegal, many Ork raids were beaten in the past because the regional guard always had a handful of Drakhirri longblades on their sides. However, this does not help their reputation throughout the Empire.

Aurelius died without any direct successor. Instead, he gave command to his right hand man, Nikolai, who was a simple farmer in the early beginnings. This tradition lives on even in the present day among the Drakhirri hierarchy.