ADOM:History

History

The Birth

The universe and its binding seal, the planet of Ancardia, came into being some undefined time ago, more than a million years by the hazy forumlas of astromoners and magicians of the world. From the formless darkness of the time before, the stars burst into existence, given life and fire by some greater being which the current gods of the world only remember vaguely. This greater being, a monumental force of pure life and will, allowed the cosmic currents to flow and take shape through the darkness, speckling the void with stars and planets, all of which spent an infinite time finding the strength to exist and find their place in the universe.

When all was as it should be, Ancardia was created; a simple planet, much like the myriad other planets in the many galaxies, but created special, with a spark of life of its own, and blessed by the greater being to be the seal which would allow the universe to exist with life and balance, protected by the unknown beyond that surrounded it.

This world was Ancardia. Five elements were used to form it; Earth, the soil and stones of the world. Fire, the burning heat of life and the sun that warmed the surface. Wind, the cosmic currents given a more gentle and stable form, bringing an endless and life-giving change to the skies. Water, everpresent and the conduit for life itself, a rare substance in the cosmic all, and one of the most precious. Last was Mana, the very soul of the cosmic will, which allowed life itself to animate and control its existence.

It did not end there, however. The cosmic will that radiated from the greater being gave life to the elements itself, and from that the Five Pure Races were born.

The Races of Purity

From the purity of Earth came the Dwarves. Strong, enduring, stable, these beings came from the very rocks of the cooling earth, and the greatest of them became the first Dwarven Gods, seeking to move the continents and mountains so that they would forever be the crown of Ancardia, and its armor.

Out of the purity of Fire came the Gnomes. Small, hardy, sharp of wit and soul, they took the passion that fire gave, and used its warmth to help shape existence. The first Gnome Gods used their insights into the way of reality, and transformed it into rules and formulas, so that all things might hold an understanding of the cosmic laws.

With the purity of Wind came the High Elves, known then merely as Elves. Tall, beautiful, graceful and happy, they rose out of the forests and saw a world they were meant to experience, and would do so. The first Elven Gods brought music and dance, motion and speech, and helped all to understand what their emotions meant.

Risen from the purity of Water came the Hurthlings. Smallest of the races, and the most simple, the riverfolk stepped from the lakes and shores of Ancardia, and formed the first communities together. Their Gods sought ways to maintain the endless peace and flow of their born element, so all beings could prosper the most; they created the art of farming, and with the Elves, came to understand how nature worked and could be helped.

The last race was formed from Mana itself, and they were humans, meant to be the most balanced and simple of races, everpresent and everseeing, adaptable to all the walks of life and existence. Mana gave them life and motion, and they walked with all races across Ancardia, calling no one place their home. Their Gods were few, but they understood the most, a conduit between all races.

So the gods rose into the stars to watch, and their people touched down onto Ancardia, where they would wander and grow into an understanding for the reason of their existence. The greater being had left for places unknown, but all could feel its presence and mark within them.

It was unfortunate that this peace would not last for long.

The Beyond

It has many names, an endless number of which the whole can never be known to any mind, mortal or immortal. It is most commonly known as Chaos, for wherever it goes and comes from, all things are left changed, in a way that no soul can bear to live with.

None know where it came from. The gods could only guess that it came from beyond the edge of the universe, where there was no time and space, and they merely called that place the Beyond. Chaos came into the universe, changing everything as it inevitably worked towards Ancardia, the mindless terror seeming just sentient enough to seek out balance and harmony, so it could tear it apart and send it back into the primodial nothing from which it once came.

Chaos came first to the heavens, where the gods existed, and it struck with a monolithic fury devoid of any passion or reason, seeking to drive all life mad and into the depths of unliving change.

The gods did not react well.

Their own prayers to the greater being that birthed them was left unheard, and each god struggled in vain against the forces of Chaos. The darkness destroyed dozens of them, and dozens more were changed into hideous things that killed themselves when forced to confront their new existence with the last shred of sanity they had remaining.

More gods died. Ancardia grew weaker and darker, devoid of divine guidance. In the heavens, the war raged on, and for a thousand years the stars were a myriad of colors, and the sun was dim, and the sky itself remained an iron gray.

The remaining gods came into a desperate solution, knowing their defeat was near. They had all stood at balance, in harmony with the cosmic will that animated them, but were not strong enough to turn back Chaos. So they instead sought a new state of being -- an opposite to Chaos, something strong enough to oppose it as an eternal shield, no matter the cost.

So the state of Order was founded, and all the remaining gods that had not been killed or turned to Chaos assumed its icy mantle, becoming unchanging and absolutely pure, beings of nearly mindless divine will that would accept not even a single deviation, lest Chaos find a crack in their wall of stone, and break through. Those gods that refused did so wildly, and turned to Chaos, allowing it to control them wholly.

With one final strike, each side crashed into one another... and found stalemate. Balance was gone, and Order reigned in the heavens, a stasis of being that could never be broken, only obeyed. Each race now had only two gods to call on, one of frozen Order, the other of endless Chaos.

From this came a new age in the world, and with it, new races, born from the corruption of the five elements. Ancardia would be taken next, Chaos had hoped, through the efforts of the new races.

The Races of Corruption

Earth, cold and hard, devoid of life. Trolls came from this corruption, huge and hulking beasts, human in face and voice, but like the giants in form, with demonic features and a terrible rage they could not contain. They were savage and hungry, and sought to bring famine and violence to all things. Earth without life, fed only blood and flesh.

Fire, uncontrolled and hot, turning all things to ash. Orcs came from this corruption, strong and warlike, a military engine of might that would cover the world in flames, razing everything to the ground with sword and shield. Fire without control, burning any who came too near.

Wind, fast and blinding, sweeping away everything into the sky. The mockery of the Elves came from this corruption, known as merely Dark Elves, a race of darkness that could hide in the windless tunnels, murdering and commiting obscene rites in the name of Chaos. Wind without halt, tearing away order everywhere it goes.

Water, deep and dark, drowning everything and leaving it without life. The Ratlings came from this corruption, a million-race of plaguebearers that would greedily submerge all the lands under their claws, eating and killing everything they came across like vermin. Water without limit, murdering the very life it brings.

The last to be corrupted was Mana. Out of the cosmic will came its corrupted twin, something that refused to be as base and simple as everything else, something that would exalt the ultimate will and make it its own, becoming the rulers of the ruins. They had another name once, but it was buried with time and hatred by the other races. They are now known as the Gray Elves, a race more beautiful and magical than any other, longest-lived and supremely arrogant, willing to see anything murdered for defiance. Mana without humility, enslaving everything to its perverted power.

These five new races came, and they warred with the other five, seeking to dominate Ancardia and turn it over to Chaos, exalted by their own new gods, and their greater being, the endless change of the Beyond. Victory seemed inevitable.

The Defiance of Chaos

Something began to happen during the course of the war that neither side forsaw, across all levels of existence. The races of corruption, though hated and servants of Chaos, were still mortal, and so susceptible to mortal thoughts and feelings.

They formed relationships. Created ties and communities. Lived and died for Chaos and their war, which they knew would end with them all dying. The impact of this truth and what it would mean for the things that they had come to hold dear scared the darkborn races, and mutters of rebellion began to creep through the minds of them all.

The war began to die down. There was no victory, just an apparent stalemate initiated by the dark races. In some places, there was even quiet talks of peace. The forces of Chaos did not accept this slowing of the domination for long, and to each race sent their own lesser and corrupt creations; the cruel giants, manyfold kobolds, ravenous gnolls, hateful deepclaws, and many other things which sought to support the dark races, while also demanding they continue their assasult.

This was meet with unexpected resistance. Over the next thousand years, the five dark races began to break away from their Chaos roots, seeking to attain a life that, even if not peaceful, they could at least call their own. Trolls and Orcs, Dark Elves and Ratlings, even the cold Gray Elves all fought together, many with the pure races, to find freedom from Chaos.

The final day came when another war broke out in the Heavens, this time as some of the Chaos gods of the darker races sought to turn over to Order, so that their children on Ancardia could find peace. The clash was brutal, and millions died in the conflict, but from the ruins of the war rose the current form of the world; all ten races in a shaky balance, dark and light accepted as civilizations of their own, working together and sometimes fighting as they made the world secure for their works.

Chaos became suddenly quiet after one last struggle for dominance. It seemed to recede, leaving the Chaos gods to contend with the Order gods, trapped in a newer and stronger stalemate in the celestial skies. Another thousand years passed, and Ancardia was stable.

The Sage's Words

Things are starting to change again. The nations and races of the world are at relative peace, but there are signs of Chaos' influence once more. Winter comes earlier now. Animals are sick often, and attack in numbers. The degenerate races are growing in number, and even creatures such as Ogres seem to have gained an unknown hand guiding them to savage the lands. Times are getting difficult for everyone. One year ago, a human named Khelevastar, considered to be one of the greatest seers in the world, spoke of Chaos coming back.

Many scoffed at him, pointing to the divine quiet as a sign that Chaos was sill in recession, if not asleep forever. The sage seemed unfazed, and simply repeated his message as he walked the world. He said that Chaos had found a hole, a way into the world, and he had divined its location; a place named by mortals as the Drakalor Chain, a small valley in a remote mountain range than no map recorded. Khelevastar called for everyone, anyone, who had listened and heard the truth in his words, to seek it out and unearth the mystery he had predicted, that Ancardia might remain stable.

With that last plead, he vanished, leaving the people of the world unsure. But many had heard a truth in his words they couldn't explain, and so many set out from their homes, all races of all callings, all seeking where the sage had went, and the Drakalor Chain of which he spoke.