Days of Dawn

Appendix

The beginning of the world-

In the beginning, the world was a barren cloud adrift in an endless cosmos. While no life existed, natural forces still acted on each other in tumultuous ways. Two of the most powerful forces existed as opposites, keeping a fragile harmony about the formless world.

For reasons unknown, the more volatile of these two forces decided to break this harmony by willing itself a name - Nocturn - thereby separating itself from the others. In an attempt to regain balance, its counterpart also manifested a name: Arcana. The two forces coalesced themselves into singular beings, which indirectly coalesced the cloud of the world into a singular mass.

Again there was harmony, though far more fragile, until Nocturn again attempted to usurp her sister. She was equal in strength and will to Arcana, so she corrupted several lesser forces into a singular daughter. This daughter was loyal to her mother, with a presence so brilliant that it illuminated the world. Arcana, driven now by spite, created a daughter of her own that brilliantly shone throughout the cosmos. These two daughters escaped the world to chase each other through the cosmos, creating day and night.

Nocturn kept her defiance by corrupting the world to spawn multitudes of beings with wills of their own. These minuscule creatures came to be known as goblins, the first true race to exist.

Never one to be bested, Arcana crafted the gnomes - not only to bring the will of the world to her side, but to destroy Nocturn's goblins. So came the world's first war. Then came the race of orcs, then elves, trolls, giants, and so forth. Each new race was enough to turn the tide of the world consumed by war, but none ever served to win.

By now the sisters passionately hated each other, and several thousand years had seen victory for neither. It came to pass that the goddesses themselves confronted each other to duel in a single fight. Various sources depict the fight lasting from several days to several years, but both goddesses invariably met their end here.

As it turned out, Arcana lasted a few moments longer than Nocturn. Her last moments saw a will unchallenged, so she sought to upend her sister one last time. The dying goddess created a full race of caretakers to watch over her children in the eons to come - what modern mortals know as the gods.

When both sisters were gone, their bodies sank into the world and their souls settled to become arcane and dark magic. So ended the world's first epoch, the Era of Awakening.

Adria-

The country of Adria was once the southernmost region of a nation called Auralest. During the Ethereal Night, Auralest split into five different nations, none of which enjoyed the others' company. The two lands of Durost and Celedast became bitter warring enemies, but had little to do with their tiny southernmost counterpart.

During the initial rise of Malik Viss, the vast majority of ancient Adria's magic wielders were abducted and killed for his purposes. The purge was so thorough that magic entirely left their culture.

Today, Adrians keep to themselves but for trade and occasional mercenary work. History is shoved by the wayside even in the more scholarly arenas, and they do not care much for the current events of other lands. Their love of home is so ingrained that even the southwestern region and its gros inhabitants remain largely unexplored.

Paladin Brotherhood-

The Paladin Brotherhood are the remnants of the original royal guard of Auralest. When the nation imploded during the Ethereal Night, the Auralest Paladins cemented their camaraderie and shed their old identity with the singular purpose of ensuring the Ethereal Night will never again take hold over the world.