With the delicate balance of the world established, the Age of Dreams began. This was a period of magical and psychic expansion. The state of the world remained balanced. On Lothgar, the kingdoms of Dogol, Bel`Aq, Beltizhan, Kailang and Caeron were the longest-standing. On Mologan, the seven kingdoms to the south and east united in an empire known as the Southern Kingdoms ruled over by the High King who was elected by the Royal Council consisting of the Kings of each of the kingdoms. On Anterre, the Emporer Kroll ruled with an iron fist. The Chaos Current continued to rage in the Moralay Archipelago. Puntas, long hidden by the Myst, has been all but forgotten as has the moon.
During this time, many organizations and societies have risen to prominence. The most ancient and secretive of these are the Wanderers. The most learned of sages are unsure exactly of the origins of this group. They operate always in the shadows, behind the scenes. They are organized into Lodges, each run by a Huntsmaster. It is known that they have carried different names throughout history but most agree the oldest of these names, likely the original name, is the Wardens. Although what it is or was that they are warding against is lost to the sands of time. They are not strictly a tribe, but certain families are prominent although even the most learned of sages are uncertain to what degree. It is believed that the very highest strata of the organization is controlled by the descendants of the original Wardens so they are often considered a tribe of sorts.
The Jiorti live on the island of Jiorta. Although they maintain a tribal structure, they are largely recognized as among the oldest of societies and among the most powerful. They were instrumental in freeing the people from the oppression of the Kol Draahl. They withstood the constant depredations of the Emperor. Many believe it was Jiorti tribal elders that had a hand in the creation of both the Soul Riders and the Beast Masters. Every Jiorti who ever lived, save one, possesses either magical or psychic ability. That one is the bard Madigan, whose exploits will be explained later. With the birth of a Jiorti tribesman, a small cache of a unique organic metal is found. This is known by the Jiorti as being "claimed by Jiorta". At the child's coming of age ceremony, that metal is forged into a knife and tied to the new tribesman by some means both magical and psychic and possibly more. Thereafter, the knife is known as a Jortai and it acts as a focus for the tribesman's magical and/or pyschic abilities. So long as the tribesman lives the Jortai will never tarnish or dull and upon their death, the Jortai will quickly corrode and eventually dissolve. Jiorti culture is very art-centered for through music, song, stories and art the Jiorti maintained their culture during the long hard years of oppression by the Kol Draahl.
Another tribal group of ancient origin, the Gloanoq have various homes throughout the continents of Geis. A warrior culture, they focus on the complete mastery of but a few weapons. Some are born within the tribes that have magical or psychic ability. These are not estranged for they view magic and psionics as natural tools of combat, little different than a hand or sword. All are trained from a young age in the ancient art of combat, called simply the training.
After the fall of the Kol Draahl, a schism in the Gloanoq tribe was formed. A perfection of the art of combat was sought, resulting in different paths. A group that believed a perfect warrior could use any weapon well splintered off, they became known as the Merebal tribe. None of their number has ever been born with magical or psychic ability. It is unknown if this is by design or just a natural progression. Another group believed that only by focusing on one weapon could perfection be achieved. This group became known as the Nazd clan. Whereas the Gloanoq and Merebal depend upon actual bloodline affiliation, the Nazd eschew that for talent and training.
The last of the most ancient of tribes is the Mixtali. Every member of the Mixtali are psychics of varying degrees of power, and though infrequent, mages are not uncommon. They are a nomadic people, whereas once they used wagons in massive caravans they now live in large groundships.
Members of these tribes may be found in any kingdom and most place a higher loyalty to their tribe than to their kingdom, but as always individuals may vary.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Geis Basics: Timeline - The Age of War
Freedom had been won for the people of Geis. Their escape from tyranny had been bloody and long. During the purge, things were done that shamed them in retrospect. The rage born from centuries of debasement, abuse and oppression was released in a blood bath of violence resulting in effective genocide.
The effect on the newly freed population could not be overstated. People who were ashamed of their actions isolated themselves from others, some even killing themselves. Many struggled to face their reflections. Society regressed as none lived who understood what was required to form a civilization. Lacking any other form of loyalty, people drew together in family groups. It was truly a dark age and one that modern sages do not name except as the "dark times" following the fall of the Kol Draahl. None are really sure how long it lasted or what it was that ended it.
Cloistered in family groups, society again reformed. Families strong in the use of magic and psychic abilities grew in power and influence eventually forming groups. One such group claimed the lands forming the high plains in the eastern mountains of Lothgar. This group, strong in psychic might, became the kingdom of Baenor. In the mountains northwest of them a kingdom of mages gained power, calling themselves Verellia. None alive now truly know how it started, most sages believe it was the result of a pending marriage that would unite the kingdoms falling apart but however it happened, the two kingdoms started warring. This was the first of the Psi-Mage Wars. It ended with Baenor utterly destroyed.
The hand of Master of the Undead was first played during these turbulent times. It is known that in an effort to gain control over life on Geis, the Master created his first Avatar. The resulting war of dead on the living became known as the Rise of the Fallen. The Seven Kingdoms on Mologan, not yet unified under the High King, struggled against the horde of zombies, skeletons, ghosts and other forms of undead that threatened their very existence. In response, the Creator's Seekers unified into an army for the first time. They were able to put the dead back into their graves, but ever since the undead have been a blight upon the face of Geis.
On Anterre, a man named Kroll unified a great army under his command and started a campaign of conquest. Aided by a woman known as Lady Vreilla, he equipped his army with the very best in magical equipment. He started in the southeast, taking over the kingdom there quickly, then spread east.
At the same time the second Psi-Mage war raged as Prince Torano, leader of Fallen Baenor, rallied the remains of his people and attacked the Emerald Cardinals that formed the leadership of Verellia. In a daring raid, the Tower of Verellia fell and the Cardinals' power was broken. The toll on the attackers was high; the prince had fallen and the leadership of the scattered forces of Baenor were unable to keep the people united.
A force of people suspect of the influence of magical and psychic power united on Jorton Mountain and immersed themselves in the study of the body and the hidden abilities locked within not only it but within nature. These alchemist warriors became known as the Orian Barve.
Portions of the psychically strong Baenor forces remained united and sequestered themselves in the study of psionic ability. They unlocked incredible ablities, eventually forming into a formidable force known as the Moragai.
On Mologan, the Master of the Undead refused to be defeated. His Avatar united the hordes once more and the Creator responded with a powerful leader, a Seeker of incredible faith known as Allyndra Thorindrel. Under Allyndra's leadership, the army of Seekers again pushed the undead back into their graves and in a final act of sacrifice, she killed herself to destroy the Master's Avatar.
Kroll's army had defeated the outer nations of Anterre and he set his sights on the center of the continent, seeking to unify his rule at the very center of the nation. His army had grown in size to include battalions of mages and psychic warriors. Rumors of Kroll spread like wildfire. Some speculated that he was the last remaining member of the Kol Draahl and the Trioka had sacrificed themselves so that he might create a new stronghold on Anterre. There was much evidence to the contrary. All that was really known was that Kroll had been leading his armies from the front for well over a hundred years with Lady Vreilla at his side. It was believed by his army that Kroll was immortal.
The third Psi-Mage war broke out on Mologan, in the northeastern forests. The Moragai had grown in power and influence and sought to create their own kingdom of psychics. Two forces of mages arose in response and prevented them from gaining control of the region; sword wielding sorcerers and armored wizards. United under Marok De l'Argent, the mages prevented the Moragai from establishing their desired kingdom. As a result, the Moragai split into two forces; one vowing to never again seek political power and the other vowing declaring that the true power of psychics lie in secrecy and they became masters of intrigue. This second group became known as the Doeneik.
Kroll unified his rule on Anterre, celebrating his success by raising a massive mesa at the very center of the continent and creating his castle atop of it. This became known as Krolspoint and it was from here that Kroll ruled over his empire. His first attempt at spreading his rule was targeted on Jiorta, a large island off the southeastern coast of his new empire. His forces faced defeat for the first time. It became a trend that would mark the entire rule of Kroll and eventually spell his ruin and that of his empire.
The fourth Psi-Mage war took place again on Lothgar, this time the battle raged across the Moralay Archipelago and onto Mologan. The two magical forces from the third war had grown in the interim into the mercenary Spellswords and the De l'Argent. This time, the kingdom of Bhletizhan's mages and Wyvern Riders sought to unite Lothgar under their rule. They made forays into the kingdom of Bel'Aq, their neighbor to the east who had become a stronghold for the new Morgai forces. The Moragai rebuffed the Wyvern Riders time and again, but it was the mage Ugden Toffmarr, a foreigner who had risen in the ranks of the mage army of Beltizhan, who ended the war. The Wyvern Riders penetrated into the heart of Bel`Aq and destroyed the Moragai headquarters. The mage council sent their agents throughout the world, seeking to totally eliminate the remnants of the Moragai order. Ugden had seen the corruption of the leadership on his side and sought to end it. His destruction of the mage council established him as a powerful magical presence on Geis and ended the fourth Psi-Mage war. He established the Toffmarr academy and opened his doors to mages of any national origin, seeking to train them in the proper use of their ability and create a safeguard on the seeking of power. Never again did he want to see magical power used for anything other than the betterment of the peoples of Geis.
Rumors had started on Mologan that the Kol Draahl had not been destroyed. The near-mythical Myde Laethe had been seen by farmers. These rumors spawned the fifth Psi-Mage war. Gloanoq tribes in the northeast portion of Mologan had been attacked by people claiming they had no idea why they attacked. Unable to find an enemy to respond to, the Gloanoq simply migrated out of the area. In the vacuum created by their absence two powerful Gloanoq, Nerevan and Aelok, sought to seize control of the region. Originally the psychic and mage, lifelong friends, sought to create a kingdom of both psychics and mages united in common purpose. The first few years went well, but the constant influx of rumors of a Kol Draahl presence plagued them. Every lead that they followed resulted in a dead end. A schism was created between the friends and the two factions that followed them became increasingly polarized. Civil war broke out. It is ironic that the fifth and final Psi-Mage war was unlike the others in that this time, there were mages and psychics on both sides. The area had long been home to powerful Manitou and these beings of incredible puissance and ability fought one against the other for the first time.
The result was devastating. The Nerevans and Aelokians soon destroyed themselves but the immortal beings they had brought to their respective sides continued the struggle and escalated it. Power unlike anything seen since Arcdawn were unleashed. Two Manitou destroyed each other in the midst of the battle and the energies thus unleashed took on a life of their own. Immortal beings of concept disappeared from the face of Geis. The resulting release coalesced into a storm. A living storm of energy related to both magic and psionics bearing an unfathomable intelligence and drive. The Maelstrom was born. At that very moment, on the opposite end of the world in a small town in the Moralay Archipelago, a child was born. Brother to the Maelstrom, his birth heralded a change in magic on Geis. The lands where the Maelstrom started became equally bellicose and maleficent, an almost living land where few could live and those that did were forever changed. They became known as the Madlands and none venture there without courting death.
The Maelstrom still rages, sometimes espoused as a small cloud and at other times a powerful hurricane. It wanders the face of Geis and any touched by it are forever changed. Many, the vast majority, die or disappear, never to be heard from again. Others, the very few, live on forever changed in ways unable to be understood by the sages.
The Madlands are a place of mystery. Entire cities disappeared. Lakes and rivers move about. Some say the very stones themselves speak. It is a place devoid of Manitou, where there is no direction or guidance for the raw energies that are normally contained by those spirits.
The child grew to become a man. He alone knew, instinctively, that if left unchecked the Maelstrom and the Madlands, his brothers, would grow and destroy until they eventually claimed the entire surface of Geis. He traveled with his friends and helped them in their adventures, always seeking to control the forces both within him and the world. Soon after aiding his companions in establishing the kingdom of Kailang, he traveled to the high plain that had one time been the site of the first Psi-Mage war. There, he created another opposing force to the Madlands. Where the Madlands was a rocky barren land devoid of life, he rose a place of life. Where the Madlands were uncontrollable he balanced it with a place of control. Just as he balanced out the power of the Maelstrom, Sairao Goldriver rose the Forbidden Forest to balance the Madlands.
With the undead forces of the Fallen balanced by the power of the re-established Church of the Creator, the power of the Empire balanced by the solidarity of the Southern Kingdoms and the Forbidden Forest and Sairao himself balancing the Madlands and the Maelstrom, an uneasy peace was at last reached. The Age of War was ended and over 850 years did it last.
The effect on the newly freed population could not be overstated. People who were ashamed of their actions isolated themselves from others, some even killing themselves. Many struggled to face their reflections. Society regressed as none lived who understood what was required to form a civilization. Lacking any other form of loyalty, people drew together in family groups. It was truly a dark age and one that modern sages do not name except as the "dark times" following the fall of the Kol Draahl. None are really sure how long it lasted or what it was that ended it.
Cloistered in family groups, society again reformed. Families strong in the use of magic and psychic abilities grew in power and influence eventually forming groups. One such group claimed the lands forming the high plains in the eastern mountains of Lothgar. This group, strong in psychic might, became the kingdom of Baenor. In the mountains northwest of them a kingdom of mages gained power, calling themselves Verellia. None alive now truly know how it started, most sages believe it was the result of a pending marriage that would unite the kingdoms falling apart but however it happened, the two kingdoms started warring. This was the first of the Psi-Mage Wars. It ended with Baenor utterly destroyed.
The hand of Master of the Undead was first played during these turbulent times. It is known that in an effort to gain control over life on Geis, the Master created his first Avatar. The resulting war of dead on the living became known as the Rise of the Fallen. The Seven Kingdoms on Mologan, not yet unified under the High King, struggled against the horde of zombies, skeletons, ghosts and other forms of undead that threatened their very existence. In response, the Creator's Seekers unified into an army for the first time. They were able to put the dead back into their graves, but ever since the undead have been a blight upon the face of Geis.
On Anterre, a man named Kroll unified a great army under his command and started a campaign of conquest. Aided by a woman known as Lady Vreilla, he equipped his army with the very best in magical equipment. He started in the southeast, taking over the kingdom there quickly, then spread east.
At the same time the second Psi-Mage war raged as Prince Torano, leader of Fallen Baenor, rallied the remains of his people and attacked the Emerald Cardinals that formed the leadership of Verellia. In a daring raid, the Tower of Verellia fell and the Cardinals' power was broken. The toll on the attackers was high; the prince had fallen and the leadership of the scattered forces of Baenor were unable to keep the people united.
A force of people suspect of the influence of magical and psychic power united on Jorton Mountain and immersed themselves in the study of the body and the hidden abilities locked within not only it but within nature. These alchemist warriors became known as the Orian Barve.
Portions of the psychically strong Baenor forces remained united and sequestered themselves in the study of psionic ability. They unlocked incredible ablities, eventually forming into a formidable force known as the Moragai.
On Mologan, the Master of the Undead refused to be defeated. His Avatar united the hordes once more and the Creator responded with a powerful leader, a Seeker of incredible faith known as Allyndra Thorindrel. Under Allyndra's leadership, the army of Seekers again pushed the undead back into their graves and in a final act of sacrifice, she killed herself to destroy the Master's Avatar.
Kroll's army had defeated the outer nations of Anterre and he set his sights on the center of the continent, seeking to unify his rule at the very center of the nation. His army had grown in size to include battalions of mages and psychic warriors. Rumors of Kroll spread like wildfire. Some speculated that he was the last remaining member of the Kol Draahl and the Trioka had sacrificed themselves so that he might create a new stronghold on Anterre. There was much evidence to the contrary. All that was really known was that Kroll had been leading his armies from the front for well over a hundred years with Lady Vreilla at his side. It was believed by his army that Kroll was immortal.
The third Psi-Mage war broke out on Mologan, in the northeastern forests. The Moragai had grown in power and influence and sought to create their own kingdom of psychics. Two forces of mages arose in response and prevented them from gaining control of the region; sword wielding sorcerers and armored wizards. United under Marok De l'Argent, the mages prevented the Moragai from establishing their desired kingdom. As a result, the Moragai split into two forces; one vowing to never again seek political power and the other vowing declaring that the true power of psychics lie in secrecy and they became masters of intrigue. This second group became known as the Doeneik.
Kroll unified his rule on Anterre, celebrating his success by raising a massive mesa at the very center of the continent and creating his castle atop of it. This became known as Krolspoint and it was from here that Kroll ruled over his empire. His first attempt at spreading his rule was targeted on Jiorta, a large island off the southeastern coast of his new empire. His forces faced defeat for the first time. It became a trend that would mark the entire rule of Kroll and eventually spell his ruin and that of his empire.
The fourth Psi-Mage war took place again on Lothgar, this time the battle raged across the Moralay Archipelago and onto Mologan. The two magical forces from the third war had grown in the interim into the mercenary Spellswords and the De l'Argent. This time, the kingdom of Bhletizhan's mages and Wyvern Riders sought to unite Lothgar under their rule. They made forays into the kingdom of Bel'Aq, their neighbor to the east who had become a stronghold for the new Morgai forces. The Moragai rebuffed the Wyvern Riders time and again, but it was the mage Ugden Toffmarr, a foreigner who had risen in the ranks of the mage army of Beltizhan, who ended the war. The Wyvern Riders penetrated into the heart of Bel`Aq and destroyed the Moragai headquarters. The mage council sent their agents throughout the world, seeking to totally eliminate the remnants of the Moragai order. Ugden had seen the corruption of the leadership on his side and sought to end it. His destruction of the mage council established him as a powerful magical presence on Geis and ended the fourth Psi-Mage war. He established the Toffmarr academy and opened his doors to mages of any national origin, seeking to train them in the proper use of their ability and create a safeguard on the seeking of power. Never again did he want to see magical power used for anything other than the betterment of the peoples of Geis.
Rumors had started on Mologan that the Kol Draahl had not been destroyed. The near-mythical Myde Laethe had been seen by farmers. These rumors spawned the fifth Psi-Mage war. Gloanoq tribes in the northeast portion of Mologan had been attacked by people claiming they had no idea why they attacked. Unable to find an enemy to respond to, the Gloanoq simply migrated out of the area. In the vacuum created by their absence two powerful Gloanoq, Nerevan and Aelok, sought to seize control of the region. Originally the psychic and mage, lifelong friends, sought to create a kingdom of both psychics and mages united in common purpose. The first few years went well, but the constant influx of rumors of a Kol Draahl presence plagued them. Every lead that they followed resulted in a dead end. A schism was created between the friends and the two factions that followed them became increasingly polarized. Civil war broke out. It is ironic that the fifth and final Psi-Mage war was unlike the others in that this time, there were mages and psychics on both sides. The area had long been home to powerful Manitou and these beings of incredible puissance and ability fought one against the other for the first time.
The result was devastating. The Nerevans and Aelokians soon destroyed themselves but the immortal beings they had brought to their respective sides continued the struggle and escalated it. Power unlike anything seen since Arcdawn were unleashed. Two Manitou destroyed each other in the midst of the battle and the energies thus unleashed took on a life of their own. Immortal beings of concept disappeared from the face of Geis. The resulting release coalesced into a storm. A living storm of energy related to both magic and psionics bearing an unfathomable intelligence and drive. The Maelstrom was born. At that very moment, on the opposite end of the world in a small town in the Moralay Archipelago, a child was born. Brother to the Maelstrom, his birth heralded a change in magic on Geis. The lands where the Maelstrom started became equally bellicose and maleficent, an almost living land where few could live and those that did were forever changed. They became known as the Madlands and none venture there without courting death.
The Maelstrom still rages, sometimes espoused as a small cloud and at other times a powerful hurricane. It wanders the face of Geis and any touched by it are forever changed. Many, the vast majority, die or disappear, never to be heard from again. Others, the very few, live on forever changed in ways unable to be understood by the sages.
The Madlands are a place of mystery. Entire cities disappeared. Lakes and rivers move about. Some say the very stones themselves speak. It is a place devoid of Manitou, where there is no direction or guidance for the raw energies that are normally contained by those spirits.
The child grew to become a man. He alone knew, instinctively, that if left unchecked the Maelstrom and the Madlands, his brothers, would grow and destroy until they eventually claimed the entire surface of Geis. He traveled with his friends and helped them in their adventures, always seeking to control the forces both within him and the world. Soon after aiding his companions in establishing the kingdom of Kailang, he traveled to the high plain that had one time been the site of the first Psi-Mage war. There, he created another opposing force to the Madlands. Where the Madlands was a rocky barren land devoid of life, he rose a place of life. Where the Madlands were uncontrollable he balanced it with a place of control. Just as he balanced out the power of the Maelstrom, Sairao Goldriver rose the Forbidden Forest to balance the Madlands.
With the undead forces of the Fallen balanced by the power of the re-established Church of the Creator, the power of the Empire balanced by the solidarity of the Southern Kingdoms and the Forbidden Forest and Sairao himself balancing the Madlands and the Maelstrom, an uneasy peace was at last reached. The Age of War was ended and over 850 years did it last.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Geis Basics: Timeline - The Kol Draahl
No one knows exactly how it happened. There was a period of time, just over a century by best guess, where Elbareth slowly faded. The Manitou of the Library had disappeared. Its calming influence was lost and the diverse peoples separated. The peninsula upon which Elbareth stood had been shaken to the core by the great efforts there. Slowly to mortal reckoning but much faster than nature could ever hope to, the peninsula sank beneath the waves.
With that great kingdom gone, the rest of Geis settled into their own separate ways. For the next few centuries there was no great war for the people had grown weary of it. A tired peace settled upon the land. People started dreaming of world peace.
On the continent of Mologan, a new kingdom rose. The origins of it are lost to the civilized world. They were not considered a threat of any significance. Indeed, compared to the Dragon Kings they seemed benign! It wasn't until four neighboring kingdoms fell that the name Kol Draahl came to the ears of the various sovereigns around the face of Geis.
Like a tide growing in might, the Kol Draahl conquered the entire continent within two decades. From there, they spread to Lothgar, which they conquered in ten years. The Moralay Archipelago fell in two and Anterre in five. The Beast Masters, the strongest opposition to the rising threat, maintained strongholds on each continent throughout the conquest. The Kol Draahl pursued their goal with single-minded intensity. They didn't bother with the few isolated castles until they had completed their conquest. With only the small island of Jiorta remaining, the Kol Draahl turned their sights on the Beast Masters and finished them. It took nearly three decades for Jiorta to fall. Two and a half centuries after defeating the threat of the Dragon Kings, the Kol Draahl succeeded where they failed. They had taken over the whole of Geis.
Their rule was oppressive. The Kol Draahl treated all others as slaves. Each person's abilities were discerned then put to use for the greater glory of the Kol Draahl. Rebel groups rose and fell quickly throughout the first century but none of any note. 125 years after their conquest, the First Rebellion rose. From the grips of slavery they came and freed the eastern portion of Anterre before they were put down a decade later. The Kol Draahl sent a message to the rest of the people: they killed the rebels to the last man.
The spirit of freedom cannot be long denied and another rebellion rose two hundred years later. This Second Rebellion lasted longer than the first but gained less ground, only a small portion of Lothgar was freed. Almost three decades it took for the Kol Draahl to eradicate them, and eradicate them they did. Again they showed no mercy, killing all who rebelled as well as their children and family members.
The resolve of the people hardened. They prepared longer. In great secrecy they trained. Led by a union of Jiorti and Gloanoq and fortified by the Mixtali, the Final Rebellion started. They had no interest in gaining land. The pursued the Troika, the ruling council of the Kol Draahl. They knew only be severing the head could the beast die. The effort cost many lives, but like a phoenix rising from the ashes the rebellion succeeded finally in cornering and destroying the leadership of the Kol Draahl. As more people gained their freedom, they took out over a thousand years of oppression and mistreatment upon their captors. They were eliminated entirely. Over twelve hundred years did the Kol Draahl exert their harsh rule over the people of Geis and none have ever forgotten.
With that great kingdom gone, the rest of Geis settled into their own separate ways. For the next few centuries there was no great war for the people had grown weary of it. A tired peace settled upon the land. People started dreaming of world peace.
On the continent of Mologan, a new kingdom rose. The origins of it are lost to the civilized world. They were not considered a threat of any significance. Indeed, compared to the Dragon Kings they seemed benign! It wasn't until four neighboring kingdoms fell that the name Kol Draahl came to the ears of the various sovereigns around the face of Geis.
Like a tide growing in might, the Kol Draahl conquered the entire continent within two decades. From there, they spread to Lothgar, which they conquered in ten years. The Moralay Archipelago fell in two and Anterre in five. The Beast Masters, the strongest opposition to the rising threat, maintained strongholds on each continent throughout the conquest. The Kol Draahl pursued their goal with single-minded intensity. They didn't bother with the few isolated castles until they had completed their conquest. With only the small island of Jiorta remaining, the Kol Draahl turned their sights on the Beast Masters and finished them. It took nearly three decades for Jiorta to fall. Two and a half centuries after defeating the threat of the Dragon Kings, the Kol Draahl succeeded where they failed. They had taken over the whole of Geis.
Their rule was oppressive. The Kol Draahl treated all others as slaves. Each person's abilities were discerned then put to use for the greater glory of the Kol Draahl. Rebel groups rose and fell quickly throughout the first century but none of any note. 125 years after their conquest, the First Rebellion rose. From the grips of slavery they came and freed the eastern portion of Anterre before they were put down a decade later. The Kol Draahl sent a message to the rest of the people: they killed the rebels to the last man.
The spirit of freedom cannot be long denied and another rebellion rose two hundred years later. This Second Rebellion lasted longer than the first but gained less ground, only a small portion of Lothgar was freed. Almost three decades it took for the Kol Draahl to eradicate them, and eradicate them they did. Again they showed no mercy, killing all who rebelled as well as their children and family members.
The resolve of the people hardened. They prepared longer. In great secrecy they trained. Led by a union of Jiorti and Gloanoq and fortified by the Mixtali, the Final Rebellion started. They had no interest in gaining land. The pursued the Troika, the ruling council of the Kol Draahl. They knew only be severing the head could the beast die. The effort cost many lives, but like a phoenix rising from the ashes the rebellion succeeded finally in cornering and destroying the leadership of the Kol Draahl. As more people gained their freedom, they took out over a thousand years of oppression and mistreatment upon their captors. They were eliminated entirely. Over twelve hundred years did the Kol Draahl exert their harsh rule over the people of Geis and none have ever forgotten.
Geis Basics: Timeline - The Dragon Kings
The Dragon Kings struck out from their base on the continent of Puentas. On the southern part of the continent of Lothgar, Vipak, Humanity, Centaur and Sroloc sages besought the Manitou of knowledge and established a stronghold. They named the citadel Elbareth and established a great Library there that became the repository of all knowledge, dedicated as it was to the Manitou of knowledge. The great mages of the time united and utilized a naturally occurring mana geyser to create a fighting force capable of standing against the might of the Dragon Kings. A crystal was forged, combining magical and psychic might. An artifact of such power to alter the living bodies and souls of those who followed the ceremony.
The Soul Riders were formed. They successfully repelled the Dragon Kings in several mighty battles the likes of which have not been seen on Geis since. Several centuries passed in this manner of constant warfare. During this time, possibly as a result of the Soul Rider Crystal's energies, the dog-like race of the Grenis and the cat-like race of the Malacore arose from the peninsula of Elbareth. As the battle raged, the Soul Riders established strongholds in the Moralay Archipelago as well as on Anterre and Mologan.
The Dragon Kings had ever been proud, too proud to work together. Their lack of central command eroded their war efforts. While the rest of the world perceived them as a unified force, the Dragon Kings were in reality separate forces working to their own ends. They were warring as much among themselves as they were the rest of Geis. One arose among them, a massive dragon with a warlock Drakus ally, that realized the dangers posed. Seeking aid from the Manitou of dragons, they formed a link more powerful than a mage and its familiar and unified their minds and wills in a unique way not found elsewhere in Geis.
Together, they unified the diverse Dragon Kings into a single force and set about systematically pursuing their greatest enemies, the Soul Riders. First to fall was the closest stronghold in the Moralay Archipelago. Then the citadels on Anterre and Mologan. As each stronghold of the Soul Riders fell, the area soon fell to the Dragon King forces. The greatest mages and psychics feared the worst and gathered together at Elbareth, the final stronghold of the Soul Riders, to seek an answer. They created another fighting force, bound this time not by a crystal but rather by a simple stone column. The Beast Masters were formed and sought to aid the Soul Riders while the answer was sought.
They found it. It was an answer calling upon staggering power. A solution that would forever change the face of the world. As they began the ceremony, the Dragon Kings attacked the final citadel of the Soul Riders. The battle lasted months, bolstered by the fledgling Beast Riders the Soul Riders were able to push the Dragon Kings to the seas. Each side suffered staggering losses. Eventually, the Dragon Kings realized what was happening. They gathered their strength in a final assault upon the Soul Riders, seeking to eliminate them once and for all before they set their sites on Elbareth proper.
The Soul Riders, long thought to be the invulnerable enemies of the Dragon Kings, fell to the last man. The Beast Masters had been routed. The Dragon Kings gathered around the Soul Rider Crystal, the great artifact that could recreate a new army able to oppose them, and prepared to destroy it.
At that moment, the Great Ceremony completed at the mana geyser within the Steel Circle underneath the Great Library at Elbareth. Seven hundred seventy seven archmages, warlocks and high sorcerers working in concert cast the most powerful spell in existence. Energies pulled from the very center of Geis itself reached out into the heavens, drawing even more power from the very mages involved in the casting and struck the lone moon surrounding Geis.
The resulting cataclysm shattered the moon, creating a cloud of dust and rock particles that appeared to those on Geis as an arch reaching across the sky. The Dragon Kings, simultaneously casting their own spell, were instantly teleported from where they were. The Soul Rider Crystal joined in the casting and disappeared, possibly destroyed, no one knows for sure. For a period of three weeks, the skies of Geis were dark. The sun appeared as only a dim light in the heavens. The very air was coarse and difficult to breathe for a full day. When the air finally cleared, the Dragon Kings had disappeared. No one could say for sure where they went. Eventually, Elbareth sent out expeditions to Puentas and they encountered a mighty Myst that was impenetrable by magic or psychic or physical means.
The time of the Dragon Kings was over. The Arc Dawn had eliminated the threat. Elbareth, once the shining jewel of the free realms, was dark. The Great Library lie dark and dead. Every last mage involved in the Arc Dawn had died from the effort. After nearly two and a half millennia of oppression, freedom had been won for Geis at great cost.
The Soul Riders were formed. They successfully repelled the Dragon Kings in several mighty battles the likes of which have not been seen on Geis since. Several centuries passed in this manner of constant warfare. During this time, possibly as a result of the Soul Rider Crystal's energies, the dog-like race of the Grenis and the cat-like race of the Malacore arose from the peninsula of Elbareth. As the battle raged, the Soul Riders established strongholds in the Moralay Archipelago as well as on Anterre and Mologan.
The Dragon Kings had ever been proud, too proud to work together. Their lack of central command eroded their war efforts. While the rest of the world perceived them as a unified force, the Dragon Kings were in reality separate forces working to their own ends. They were warring as much among themselves as they were the rest of Geis. One arose among them, a massive dragon with a warlock Drakus ally, that realized the dangers posed. Seeking aid from the Manitou of dragons, they formed a link more powerful than a mage and its familiar and unified their minds and wills in a unique way not found elsewhere in Geis.
Together, they unified the diverse Dragon Kings into a single force and set about systematically pursuing their greatest enemies, the Soul Riders. First to fall was the closest stronghold in the Moralay Archipelago. Then the citadels on Anterre and Mologan. As each stronghold of the Soul Riders fell, the area soon fell to the Dragon King forces. The greatest mages and psychics feared the worst and gathered together at Elbareth, the final stronghold of the Soul Riders, to seek an answer. They created another fighting force, bound this time not by a crystal but rather by a simple stone column. The Beast Masters were formed and sought to aid the Soul Riders while the answer was sought.
They found it. It was an answer calling upon staggering power. A solution that would forever change the face of the world. As they began the ceremony, the Dragon Kings attacked the final citadel of the Soul Riders. The battle lasted months, bolstered by the fledgling Beast Riders the Soul Riders were able to push the Dragon Kings to the seas. Each side suffered staggering losses. Eventually, the Dragon Kings realized what was happening. They gathered their strength in a final assault upon the Soul Riders, seeking to eliminate them once and for all before they set their sites on Elbareth proper.
The Soul Riders, long thought to be the invulnerable enemies of the Dragon Kings, fell to the last man. The Beast Masters had been routed. The Dragon Kings gathered around the Soul Rider Crystal, the great artifact that could recreate a new army able to oppose them, and prepared to destroy it.
At that moment, the Great Ceremony completed at the mana geyser within the Steel Circle underneath the Great Library at Elbareth. Seven hundred seventy seven archmages, warlocks and high sorcerers working in concert cast the most powerful spell in existence. Energies pulled from the very center of Geis itself reached out into the heavens, drawing even more power from the very mages involved in the casting and struck the lone moon surrounding Geis.
The resulting cataclysm shattered the moon, creating a cloud of dust and rock particles that appeared to those on Geis as an arch reaching across the sky. The Dragon Kings, simultaneously casting their own spell, were instantly teleported from where they were. The Soul Rider Crystal joined in the casting and disappeared, possibly destroyed, no one knows for sure. For a period of three weeks, the skies of Geis were dark. The sun appeared as only a dim light in the heavens. The very air was coarse and difficult to breathe for a full day. When the air finally cleared, the Dragon Kings had disappeared. No one could say for sure where they went. Eventually, Elbareth sent out expeditions to Puentas and they encountered a mighty Myst that was impenetrable by magic or psychic or physical means.
The time of the Dragon Kings was over. The Arc Dawn had eliminated the threat. Elbareth, once the shining jewel of the free realms, was dark. The Great Library lie dark and dead. Every last mage involved in the Arc Dawn had died from the effort. After nearly two and a half millennia of oppression, freedom had been won for Geis at great cost.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Geis Basics: Timeline - The Sroloc Empire
Geis is a relatively young setting. There are 6 epochs defined by the sages of Geis, although not all agree on them for various reasons; the Sroloc Empire, the Dragon Kings, the Kol Draahl, the Age of War, the Age of Dreams and the Rune Age. The 'current' epoch of the majority of the books is the Rune Age.
The Sroloc Empire
Even the Sroloc do not have much information about their own glorious history. Theirs is the oldest and longest established civilization in Geis. Time reckoning starts after the First War. Only a few sages and leaders of churches are even aware of the First War but they have only vague details. For this reason, they do not commonly start to account for time until after the end of the First War. The Sroloc refer to this time as the "dark days" when the dragons had left them to wage their war against the Owaha. It comprises a thousand years of constant warfare until the creation of the Helguar race.
That started a time of peace which had the unfortunate effect of separating the Sroloc and Helguar races. The Owaha, their presence on land virtually eliminated by the presence of the Merfolk, plunge into the depths and isolation from the world of daylight. Surface sages are largely ignorant of what the Owaha have done in the ensuing years. All that is known has come from the Merfolk who also reside in the depths. In recent times, the advances of rune enchanting have opened the undersea world to the eyes of those who dwell on the surface. Merfolk cities are clustered on the edges of the deepest trenches and the Merfolk yet maintain their purpose and forever separate the Owaha from the surface folk.
The Sroloc have diverged into three sub races over time. The first split was between those who sought to continue to war and those who sought to embrace the peace that was given to them. Those who sought to continue the fruitless war on the Owaha developed permanent changes, becoming consumed with thoughts of revenge they devolved into a brutish, savage and strong amphibian people. Long, heavily muscled tails extend from their backsides and propel them easily and quickly through the water. Their frames, heavy with sinew, have hunched over. So absorbed were they with their pursuit of war that their society degenerated into one based on brute strength and brutal logic. They have lost much of their higher thinking and are now among the most brutish of races, called the Crocus.
The others embraced peace and eventually their intelligence rose as they sought out the higher paths of thought. They created an empire that spanned the entirety of Geis. But for the scattered settlements of Helguar that grew on and within the land, the Sroloc were by far the greatest civilization during the time. For hundreds of years they lived in peace, settling themselves to higher pursuits of magic, philosophy and religion. Their culture grew and as it did, so did the differences within them.
The first Sroloc civil war created a great schism within the elder race. The reasons behind it are still lost to antiquity, but the result was the creation of a regulatory force that educated and policed magic and mages. It was as a result of this war that some dragons chose to return from their self-imposed exile. They partnered with the Sroloc and developed a strong and lasting bond. As always, power corrupts and soon enough the regulators soon became the rulers. Those without magical ability were shunned at first then ultimately oppressed.
Enraged, the Manitou of magic beseeched the Creator for aid. The Creator responded and created the races of Humanity and the magically resistant Minotaur as well as the Ancilene, whose magical might rivaled that of the Sroloc themselves.
This was the rise of the Dragon Kings. Their allies worked closely with them. Magic and alchemy was worked to strengthen them. The Dragon Kings sought to overcome the Vipak and Centaur under their rule. The Helguar fought back alongside an army of Sroloc who had no magical ability, seeking to throw off the chains of the oppressive rule. Humanity, Minotaur and Anciliene also joined in the fray, their fledgling civilizations learning the arts of war from the elder Helguar and Sroloc. Freedom was won but the Dragon Kings were not destroyed, only defeated. The ensuing war waged for over a millennium and during the conflict, more changes were wrought within the Sroloc race. Some sages have been able to learn that it was through sacrificing the young of both dragons and Sroloc that the Dragon Kings sought to create a greater race. This was the final schism of the Sroloc. From this were created the Drakus and Chameus sub races. The time of the Dragon Kings began in earnest, some five thousand years after the rise of the Sroloc race.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Geis Basics: Religion
Geis has a limited pantheon. There are four worshiped gods, whose names are known by their followers but never used out of respect for the sacred nature of the names. Instead, they are commonly referred to as the Creator, the Destroyer, Death and the Master of Undead. All except the Master of the Undead have or had spouses but they are not worshiped. The Creator, the Destroyer and Death are collectively known as the divine siblings.
The most popular of all is the Creator. The Creator is regarded as just that; the Creator of Geis and all the attending Realms. He is commonly thought of as the driving force behind all things Good and Pure. His biggest ally is his wife who is known by many names; Mother Nature, the Goddess and Geis are but a few. Both the Creator and his bride act through many spiritual agents, those of the Creator usually take on forms of animals like the a bear or mouse or bird, while those of the Goddess are usually forces of nature such as the North Wind or Summer or the sea. Popular belief has them having five children, known collectively as the Great Manitou and they represent the five elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit. These Great Manitou have, in turn, created severeal other Manitou, each of them representing everything in Geis from the physical to mere concepts. The Manitou aren’t worshiped like the Creator is, but many pay their respects to them, asking for blessings. The Midewin order concerns itself with the Manitou; caring for them and working with them.
On the opposite end is the Creator’s brother, the Destroyer. The Destroyer opposes everything the Creator stands for. The Destroyer seeks to bring the Abyss back and eliminate all of existence. He seeks to end all that the Creator makes. For him, a death is a step closer to his ultimate victory. This is viewed as why those who serve the Creator excessively beyond what he asks rarely die, but often are removed from the Realm of Geis and can return when needed next. The Destroyer gains power with the souls of those who worship him by deed, especially by those who die before fulfilling the Creator’s purpose for them. If a person succeeds in the purpose the Creator gave them, their Soul does not power the Destroyer. The Destroyer also has many agents who have reached diety status as well. The most powerful of these fall under the general name of the Seven Pits of the Destroyer. They are Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Rage, Greed and Sloth and are directly opposed by the Seven Pillars of the Creator; Faith, Hope, Charity, Fortitude, Justice, Temperance and Prudence. Popular myth also has the Destroyer exerting influence and power over the elemental children of the Creator as well. These may be different factions within each element, or a conflict over the elements themselves, it is unknown.
Then there is the mysterious entity known as Death. She revels in the removal of life by any means. She does not gain souls when they die, but rather seems to be in charge of the transfer of souls as happens at birth and death. She is the sister of the Creator and the Destroyer, though not necessarily believed to be as powerful as either one. Her followers are the fish-men of the deep sea and usually assassins and mercenaries or warmongers. She is known mostly as the being that is feared most, and the only prayers sent her way by non worshipers beg that she not visit them. Her Priests and Priestesses know her husband as the Great Judge who determines a Soul's path after death. Death is completely neutral in her dealings with all the other entities, she is as much a part of the Creator as she is the Destroyer.
The least understood of all is the entity that is known only as the Master of the Undead. This being created the first Vampire and directed the Maelstrom to create the Death Knight. An enemy to both the Creator and the Destroyer, he cheats Death as well. All undead beings fall under the Master’s power and he can make them stronger or remove their undeath from them, sending them into oblivion. If the Creator and the Destroyer are opposing forces, then it can be said that Death opposes the Master of the Undead.
For all beings of Geis, the Soul is immortal and oblivion is the worst punishment. The Destroyer will empower the souls of his most powerful to join him after they die in his eternal struggle, as does the Creator. Death's provenance is the transfer of those souls to where they should be, and the Master binds his followers’ souls to the Geis Realm. It is the fear of oblivion that drove Obsidia to the Death Knight and the Master. Most sages and theologians agree that the deities can be thought of as a pyramid, with the Creator, the Destroyer and the Master forming the three points on the base and Death sitting removed from them all at the top.
The Creation
In the beginning, the Creator, his wife, the Destroyer and his wife and their sister Death and her husband were all of one accord. Working together, the made the world of Geis. The Creator created the animals and birds, the plants and weather, the Destroyer created the insects in their infinite variety. Death assisted all of them in their work and breathed life into their creations. It was then that the Siblings created the first intelligent beings. Working together again, they created the Owaha (Fishmen) who worshiped Death, the Sroloc who worshiped the Creator and the Kr’tchk (Insectmen) who worshiped the Destroyer.
A discussion of their creations led the siblings to pursue matters further. The intelligent beings were widely recognized as their greatest creations but they needed trials in their lives whereby they might learn and grow. Forces needed to be created and control over those forces would be made available to all of them. The three primary forces were magic, mental and physical prowess. It was decided that creatures embodying the best of these primal forces and design for these creatures were given over to the siblings' spouses. The Creator's wife made the Griffons who were the embodiment of the great mental abilities available to all their intelligent creations. The Destroyer's wife made the Dragons that embody magic. Death created the Jortons who could utilize their spirit to enhance their physical abilities to the extent where they could stand on even ground with the psychic Griffons and magical Dragons. All three were given intelligence whereby they could instruct and advise the Owaha, Sroloc and Kr'tchk.
It was after that when the Destroyer and his wife started the First War for reasons that are unclear but it is suspected that it was to prove whose creation was the stronger. The Kr’tchk set about killing the Owaha and the Sroloc. Those beings fought back fiercely. The Sroloc and the Dragons forged an alliance based on their commonality and together they exterminated the Kr’tchk. In a pique of rage, the Destroyer killed his wife. He hid her body, and when the Creator found it, the Destroyer blamed him for her death.
Thus started the great enmity that now exerts such influence over the fate of Geis.
Death, distraught at seeing her brothers war, removed herself from them and set herself up afar from them. Left to their own devices, the Owaha waged a bloody war against the Sroloc. The Dragons, sensing that their Goddess was no more, withdrew themselves in mourning. The Creator, hearing the prayers of his faithful, split them into three sub-races; the amphibian Crocus, the dragon-like Dracus in remembrance of his brother's dead wife and the Chameus who worked so closely with the forces of Mother Nature. The Jortons and Griffons, realizing that they would disrupt the delicate balance of the world, also withdrew from humanity.
Over time, Death and the Creator worked together to end the war between their creations. They created the Helguar to ensure the two would not wage war again and as a peace offering to their brother, whose creations had been destroyed. He refuted them and rebuked them, swearing vengeance on them both. By some unknown means, he brought the Master of Undead to the Geis realm from where it is not known. He had hoped that the Kr'tchk would be raised from their state but the Master ever has his own agenda. Betraying the Destroyer, he rose their bodies and tied their souls to them to serve him. The Master desired the realm of Geis to add to his collection. With the Owaha and the Sroloc unwilling to work together and the Helguar outmatched, Death and the Creator realized that they needed another race, one that would be adaptable and fast breeding enough to thwart the designs of the Master. Thus was the human race born.
Eventually, the Ancilene, Minotaur, Grenis and Malacore races were made as offshoots from the Human race. The Elder races saw their societies decline. The Midling race, Humanity, spread widely across the Geis realm. The Younger races rose and fell, unable to match the Humans' progression and adaptability. Death withdrew from the constant conflict upon the Geis realm by the machinations of the Destroyer. The Creator's wife beseeched her husband to give all the races purpose. So it was that each race came to represent both a Pillar of the Creator and a Pit of the Destroyer for he always seeks to oppose his brother in all things. The Helguar represent both Prudence and Gluttony, the Ancilene Charity and Lust, the Sroloc Hope and Envy, the Grenis Justice and Greed, the Minotaur Temperance and Rage, the Malacore Fortitude and Sloth and Humanity, Faith and Pride. Once this was done, no more did the siblings create for their efforts had been enough.
The most popular of all is the Creator. The Creator is regarded as just that; the Creator of Geis and all the attending Realms. He is commonly thought of as the driving force behind all things Good and Pure. His biggest ally is his wife who is known by many names; Mother Nature, the Goddess and Geis are but a few. Both the Creator and his bride act through many spiritual agents, those of the Creator usually take on forms of animals like the a bear or mouse or bird, while those of the Goddess are usually forces of nature such as the North Wind or Summer or the sea. Popular belief has them having five children, known collectively as the Great Manitou and they represent the five elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit. These Great Manitou have, in turn, created severeal other Manitou, each of them representing everything in Geis from the physical to mere concepts. The Manitou aren’t worshiped like the Creator is, but many pay their respects to them, asking for blessings. The Midewin order concerns itself with the Manitou; caring for them and working with them.
On the opposite end is the Creator’s brother, the Destroyer. The Destroyer opposes everything the Creator stands for. The Destroyer seeks to bring the Abyss back and eliminate all of existence. He seeks to end all that the Creator makes. For him, a death is a step closer to his ultimate victory. This is viewed as why those who serve the Creator excessively beyond what he asks rarely die, but often are removed from the Realm of Geis and can return when needed next. The Destroyer gains power with the souls of those who worship him by deed, especially by those who die before fulfilling the Creator’s purpose for them. If a person succeeds in the purpose the Creator gave them, their Soul does not power the Destroyer. The Destroyer also has many agents who have reached diety status as well. The most powerful of these fall under the general name of the Seven Pits of the Destroyer. They are Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Rage, Greed and Sloth and are directly opposed by the Seven Pillars of the Creator; Faith, Hope, Charity, Fortitude, Justice, Temperance and Prudence. Popular myth also has the Destroyer exerting influence and power over the elemental children of the Creator as well. These may be different factions within each element, or a conflict over the elements themselves, it is unknown.
Then there is the mysterious entity known as Death. She revels in the removal of life by any means. She does not gain souls when they die, but rather seems to be in charge of the transfer of souls as happens at birth and death. She is the sister of the Creator and the Destroyer, though not necessarily believed to be as powerful as either one. Her followers are the fish-men of the deep sea and usually assassins and mercenaries or warmongers. She is known mostly as the being that is feared most, and the only prayers sent her way by non worshipers beg that she not visit them. Her Priests and Priestesses know her husband as the Great Judge who determines a Soul's path after death. Death is completely neutral in her dealings with all the other entities, she is as much a part of the Creator as she is the Destroyer.
The least understood of all is the entity that is known only as the Master of the Undead. This being created the first Vampire and directed the Maelstrom to create the Death Knight. An enemy to both the Creator and the Destroyer, he cheats Death as well. All undead beings fall under the Master’s power and he can make them stronger or remove their undeath from them, sending them into oblivion. If the Creator and the Destroyer are opposing forces, then it can be said that Death opposes the Master of the Undead.
For all beings of Geis, the Soul is immortal and oblivion is the worst punishment. The Destroyer will empower the souls of his most powerful to join him after they die in his eternal struggle, as does the Creator. Death's provenance is the transfer of those souls to where they should be, and the Master binds his followers’ souls to the Geis Realm. It is the fear of oblivion that drove Obsidia to the Death Knight and the Master. Most sages and theologians agree that the deities can be thought of as a pyramid, with the Creator, the Destroyer and the Master forming the three points on the base and Death sitting removed from them all at the top.
The Creation
In the beginning, the Creator, his wife, the Destroyer and his wife and their sister Death and her husband were all of one accord. Working together, the made the world of Geis. The Creator created the animals and birds, the plants and weather, the Destroyer created the insects in their infinite variety. Death assisted all of them in their work and breathed life into their creations. It was then that the Siblings created the first intelligent beings. Working together again, they created the Owaha (Fishmen) who worshiped Death, the Sroloc who worshiped the Creator and the Kr’tchk (Insectmen) who worshiped the Destroyer.
A discussion of their creations led the siblings to pursue matters further. The intelligent beings were widely recognized as their greatest creations but they needed trials in their lives whereby they might learn and grow. Forces needed to be created and control over those forces would be made available to all of them. The three primary forces were magic, mental and physical prowess. It was decided that creatures embodying the best of these primal forces and design for these creatures were given over to the siblings' spouses. The Creator's wife made the Griffons who were the embodiment of the great mental abilities available to all their intelligent creations. The Destroyer's wife made the Dragons that embody magic. Death created the Jortons who could utilize their spirit to enhance their physical abilities to the extent where they could stand on even ground with the psychic Griffons and magical Dragons. All three were given intelligence whereby they could instruct and advise the Owaha, Sroloc and Kr'tchk.
It was after that when the Destroyer and his wife started the First War for reasons that are unclear but it is suspected that it was to prove whose creation was the stronger. The Kr’tchk set about killing the Owaha and the Sroloc. Those beings fought back fiercely. The Sroloc and the Dragons forged an alliance based on their commonality and together they exterminated the Kr’tchk. In a pique of rage, the Destroyer killed his wife. He hid her body, and when the Creator found it, the Destroyer blamed him for her death.
Thus started the great enmity that now exerts such influence over the fate of Geis.
Death, distraught at seeing her brothers war, removed herself from them and set herself up afar from them. Left to their own devices, the Owaha waged a bloody war against the Sroloc. The Dragons, sensing that their Goddess was no more, withdrew themselves in mourning. The Creator, hearing the prayers of his faithful, split them into three sub-races; the amphibian Crocus, the dragon-like Dracus in remembrance of his brother's dead wife and the Chameus who worked so closely with the forces of Mother Nature. The Jortons and Griffons, realizing that they would disrupt the delicate balance of the world, also withdrew from humanity.
Over time, Death and the Creator worked together to end the war between their creations. They created the Helguar to ensure the two would not wage war again and as a peace offering to their brother, whose creations had been destroyed. He refuted them and rebuked them, swearing vengeance on them both. By some unknown means, he brought the Master of Undead to the Geis realm from where it is not known. He had hoped that the Kr'tchk would be raised from their state but the Master ever has his own agenda. Betraying the Destroyer, he rose their bodies and tied their souls to them to serve him. The Master desired the realm of Geis to add to his collection. With the Owaha and the Sroloc unwilling to work together and the Helguar outmatched, Death and the Creator realized that they needed another race, one that would be adaptable and fast breeding enough to thwart the designs of the Master. Thus was the human race born.
Eventually, the Ancilene, Minotaur, Grenis and Malacore races were made as offshoots from the Human race. The Elder races saw their societies decline. The Midling race, Humanity, spread widely across the Geis realm. The Younger races rose and fell, unable to match the Humans' progression and adaptability. Death withdrew from the constant conflict upon the Geis realm by the machinations of the Destroyer. The Creator's wife beseeched her husband to give all the races purpose. So it was that each race came to represent both a Pillar of the Creator and a Pit of the Destroyer for he always seeks to oppose his brother in all things. The Helguar represent both Prudence and Gluttony, the Ancilene Charity and Lust, the Sroloc Hope and Envy, the Grenis Justice and Greed, the Minotaur Temperance and Rage, the Malacore Fortitude and Sloth and Humanity, Faith and Pride. Once this was done, no more did the siblings create for their efforts had been enough.
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