Lore
In the beginning there was only the Darkness, and the Darkness eventually came to know itself. And in knowing itself, it understood that it was alone; so it created the Essences. The Darkness imbued them with unimaginable power, and let them play. Play they did, in the only way they knew how; They created, and the Darkness delighted. Swirls of light, time, energy and sound emanated from the essences; primal forces burst forth from their will.
As the eons passed, the Essences grew slower and more ponderous. They had created so much, but they too were alone. They conferred with each other, and in secret they created the Titans, knowing that the darkness would be jealous that their affections were split. When the darkness realized what they had done, she was not angry, nor jealous, but concerned. The Essences had never created life before, and the Darkness knew well that it was a dangerous endeavor, for in her heart she knew that the created do not always do what’s expected.
For a time, all was good, the darkness watched the essences as they mingled with their creation. But as time passed, the Titans understood that they too were alone, unique in the cosmos. They knew everything there was to know, and grew impatient. They conferred with each other, and in secret they attempted to create life. The Essences found out, and tried to stop them. They do not know what they were doing, the essences thought, but the young do not always do what’s expected.
The Essences grew jealous, and discord swelled. They tried to restrain their creation, but the Titans were stubborn. The contest of wills gave way to conflict, and the Essences tried to erase their creation. The Titans fought back, and for millennia the battle raged across the young cosmos. The Darkness suffered as vast swaths of emptiness opened and caused great agony.
The Titans used their might to destroy the Essence Zaphiquess by forcing her into the cracks their battles had opened. The other Essences sensed the loss of their sister, and were enraged. With all their power they converged on the Titans, and the Apocalypse was set in motion. Mindless gods of fury rent the universe apart and laid low the Titans for all time. And when the final slaughter was done, The Essences withdrew to heal the damage their ignorance had caused the Darkness.
The Titans bodies lay strewn about the cosmos, and their blood saturated the ether. As eons passed their ruined forms congealed into the Prime. Their bodies are the earth, and their blood is the oceans. The cosmos are still young, and though the Titans are defeated and the Essences withdrawn, the symmetry of eternity is unbalanced, and a reckoning must abide.
The clan commanders are the heart of your force. They wield amazing powers that set them apart from your other warriors. Battle tested and ready for war, they optimize combat prowess. The right commander can lead a clan to victory over any force. Learn more about the commanders below.
Mordacai is the blind guardian of the temple of Anor, an ancient temple dedicated to the druids of the same name. This immortal watcher stands guard at the gates, and presides over the ruins of the once great druid temple. He is forever destined to haunt the world for his role in the first War of the Lands; a war in which he, along with the druids of Anor, took up arms against the Mythedin Adradai. Cursed and crippled, Mordacai’s gentle soul is the only thing that keeps him sane as the ages pass.
His gnarled body is covered in golden armor, a reminder of all that he has lost and hopes to one day regain. In the years that lead to his eternal curse, Mordacai became a celebrated warrior among his people, and when the first War of the Lands occurred, he stood with his old friend and clansmen Al Losa Marr against the forces of evil.
During the final battle, the druids of Anor and their champion Mordacai, sacrificed themselves to rid the world of the Dreadlord Adradai. When Losa struck the fatal blow against Adradai, arcane powers were expelled from her dying body in a final act of spite. The Druids and Mordacai sacrificed their bodies and souls to contain the eruption, and prevent the cracking of the world.
Losa, though greatly weakened from the battle, used his powers to sustain Mordacai during the eruption. Regrettably Adradai’s dark energies corrupted Mordacai’s body and infected the souls of the druids, forever binding them to the world. After the battle, Mordacai and the Druids retreated to the temple of Anor.
Ages passed and Mordacai faded into legend, for all but those unlucky enough to trespass near the ancient temple. He stalks the lands now, protecting the home of the druids, and relentlessly hunts those who dare desecrate its grounds.
One of the great rune stalkers, Rokh is king in the Fadesphere- a land of eternal darkness. He rules from a tower in his iron city, projecting his might across the entire dimension. His malevolence is matched only by his power, which he uses to subjugate the fiends of Fadesphere.
Originally from the Prime dimension, Rokh sided with Adradai, his lover, in the first War of the Lands. Upon Adradai’s defeat and subsequent death at the hands of Losa and the Druids, Rokh retreated to the Fadesphere; the others presumed him lost. After centuries wandering the wastes and battling the demons there, he formed the Iron city as a refuge. and as time passed, fiendly creatures sought his protection in exchange for servitude. the Iron city grew and expanded its influence to satellite towns. All the while Rokh fought the Dread creatures of the darkness and kept them at bay.
This continued for eons and many fiends died at the hands of the Dread. Seeing nothing but endless warfare on the horizon, Rokh sought the Dread queen-mother in an attempt to broker a peace. Their meeting was the stuff of legends, and before words could be shared the Dread mother attacked. For what seemed like an age, these two rivals battled each other, and slowly the struggle turned in favor of the Dread queen. Rokh, having tasted bitter defeat in the past vowed never to experience it again. He sought to destroy them both by unleashing his hate in a violent blast, much as Adradai had done upon her death.
Sensing this, the Dread Queen relented and offered Rokh peace. However, She said there would be price, to be paid in full when the time came.
Arahman is the fire sentinel who watches the world for the Living Gods. Along with his companion Feras, Arahman was created in the aftermath of the Titan apocalypse; the event which formed the world. He is the sentry that monitors the slain Titans, and all the nightmare creatures which roam their bodies. In times of great turmoil he will descend to the world and observe the goings-on.
Normally content to float above the world and burn his light across the sky, Arahman is at times quick to anger, and render low those who oppose his might. His fiery stare enlightens the darkest soul, and his powers rule the day. He circles the graveyard of the Titans that is the world, always vigilant.
When the Living Gods fought the Titans in the Apocalypse, the battle was tremendous, and tore the Darkness open. The resulting emptiness consumed the living god Zaphiquess, and enflamed the rage of the other gods. Their anger boiled over, and the Titans were slaughtered. Many were massacred, others were exiled to the nothingness in the spaces where the Darkness had opened. When the war was done, the bodies of the Titans coalesced to form the world, and their blood formed the oceans.
The Living Gods withdrew to repair the Darkness; to heal the omniversal fabric which has given them form, and Arahman was created to watch the grave of the Titans. He is the pure light on the world, woe to those who stands against him.
When the gods withdrew, they left Arahman to watch the Titans for eternity. As the eons passed, strange creatures emerged from the blood of the Titans. This shocked Arahman, who hastily informed the gods that the Titans showed signs of return. When the Living Gods came to see the new creatures, they were not afraid as they had been with the Titans; they were enamored. These curious creatures were the last remnants of the Titans’ dying thoughts, given form. What better tribute to the gods victory than to have these creatures worship their greatness.
Though intrigued, the Living Gods did not fully trust these creatures, so they created Feras to watch and guide them along a path set forth by them. Feras would teach the ones who could be taught, and commune with the ones who could not. He would spread his light across the sky, softer than Arahman, but no less important.
The sky was full now, Arahman would cause the day, feras would cause the night. Whereas Arahman’s rays would spear into one’s soul, Feras would bathe them in gentle quiet, and he too would watch.
Avrawn is one of The Eight, an immortal sorceress known by many names throughout time: The light of Aga Maz, the Yellow Witch, Arbiter of life, and the Sullen Phoenix. She wanders the world in search of war, and uses her powers to put an end to it with dramatic finality.
When the Living Gods lifted The Eight from the world and placed them in the Runescape, Avrawn was already studying the mystic arts. She had risen to a position of import in the creed of Arahman, a religious sect that brought hope to the slums of Tau Shanidar. She dedicated her life to brokering peace between the various factions in the Shanidrian capitol.
But despite a lifetime of work, it seemed that the harmony she sought could never be sustained, for each new group that rose to power would unbalance the gentle truce she’d worked so hard to broker. She grew old, and bitterness began to consume her. Why have I spent my life in this impossible pursuit, she asked? I am alone, I will be forgotten, and I have nothing to show for a life of service.
Years later, as she lay on her deathbed, The Sun Prince Arahman finally answered her question. It was the first time he’d spoken to a mortal, a job he preferred to leave to the moon Feras. “Come now , into the light dear child, for you will be the balance which you have sought”. He lifted her soul and presented her to the Living Gods. They would make her the first of The Eight. After an eon in the Runescape, Avrawn’s powers grew, and she gained mastery over life and death.
The Living Gods charged her, and those who came after her, with maintaining symmetry in the world. Upon her return to the Prime dimension, Avrawn founded the Order of Balance, created the angelic virtues, and imbued the other immortals with purpose. However, unlike the others, Avrawn dies every hundred years, and is reborn with a fresh look on the world so she may better judge it without the prejudices of the past.
“Come now, into the light my friends, for we will be the balance we have been taught.”
Originally known as the Joyous Spirit of the Fallen god, Zaphiqel is a bridge between the creatures of the Prime and the angelic virtues of the Balance. A deadly warrior in her own right, she leads the forces of the Balance when the world is losing symmetry. She was a general during the first War of the Lands, and fought alongside Rathos Enver, the great Mythedin of Tau Shanidar.
Together they lead the Virtues against the Heretic legions of Adradai in countless battles waged across dimensions. During the Battle of the Eternal Night, Zaphiqel found herself face to face with the tainted Mythedin Adradai. The contest was brief, for she was woefully outmatched, and before Rathos could come to her aide, Adradai poisoned her spirit. She turned on Rathos when he arrived with help, and together with Adradai they turned him back. As Rathos’ forces retreated, Zaphiqel slaughtered as many as she could, and her pure wings became soaked in blood. Adradai withdrew, leaving the battle in the hands of her new general, the Blood Angel Zaphiqel.
Even when the war ended she continued her rage filled hunt, always seeking Rathos, and killing anyone in her way. Deep down she resented that he hadn’t reached her in time, and perhaps killing him would grant her relief. Truthfully, she knew a direct confrontation with Rathos may well end her existence, but even that seemed like a welcome respite from the mantle of the Blood Angel.
Garynon the demon hunter is an Hesha’din warmaster that was drawn into the fadesphere by dark forces. He roams the broken lands, seeking a way home, a way back to the light.
Before his unfortunate exile, Garynon was an Achuelean hunter-killer. When patrolling the outer edges of the republic, he happened upon a small unnamed village. It was little more than a few stone buildings and a shop, but it seemed like a peaceful place. He made camp near the town that night, and as the dawn approached, screams emanating from the settlement woke him.
Strange creatures with shiny black skin, long spiked tails, and terrible teeth were attacking the village. Garynon sprang into action to defend his countrymen. The townsfolk were nearly overrun, and had it not been for Garynon they would have all perished.
The battle slowed, and Garynon stood toe to toe with the last of the enemy. As he dove in for the killing blow, a portal opened beneath the creature and spirited it away to the darkness from which it came. Garynon fell into the vortex, and found himself in the Fadesphere. The portal closed behind him, and he was stuck here. The creature turned to attack, but Garynon parried and then crushed his assailant. He spent the next 10 years wandering the wastes of the Fadesphere, always seeking a way home. Countless battles have warped his body and mind, and now he is far more dangerous than the creatures which ushered him into the dark dimension.
Issa was Zaphiqel’s lieutenant; and later became a general for the Mythedin Adradai during the first War of the Lands. Given extraordinary powers by her benefactor, Issa was a merciless warrior. She commanded legions of soldiers, and would use her icy powers to lay waste to entire cities. She, like Zaiphqel was born from the Angelic Virtues and later corrupted by Adradai. Before she became Issa, she was the virtue Fortitude.
In her role as Fortitude, she was responsible for helping people settle new lands. She offered them strength and guidance as they tamed the wilds. Before her corruption, she fought side by side with Zaphiqel and the pair were great friends. Her role as fortitude gave their armies great comfort, and lead them to many victories. Some think she allowed herself to fall under Adradai’s spell, in order to fight alongside her old friend Zaphiqel again. Whatever her motives, she has is a dangerous foe to many, and not to be trifled with.
Al Rathos Enver Zameen, Rathos was killed as a child protecting his sister from wolves. His bravery caught Feras’ attention, and the night spirit ushered his soul to the the Living Gods. Unconvinced that the child was ready for the Rune-stalker trials, they wiped his memory and put him back into the world. A real test of his character was needed, the test of life. He’d have an opportunity to prove his worth, or grow old and bitter like so many others.
As decades passed, Rathos delved deep into Druid magics, and became an expert in the mystic power that flowed through the earth. He used his powers to help farmers and feed the poor, and defended Tau Shanidar from evil spirits that managed to cross over from the Fadesphere. As his fame grew, he was eventually made High Druid of Shanidar, and given the title “Zameen-kar”, or “earth worker”. Years later upon his death, Feras returned and gave him back the memories of his childhood. He raised his soul up to the Living Gods, and they placed him into the Rune-stalker trails with another kind soul known as Genna Venn. And the two of them faced the trials together for many years. When they returned to the world, Rathos joined Genna as one of The Eight, the almighty Mythedin Rathos Enver Zameen
Ruta the destroyer, Earl of Iagar, was a warlord during the early fiefdoms of San Acheulon. Born to the family of Iaah in the north eastern settlements, she inherited a proud warrior creed; bound to the house of Achlenni. During the unification wars of the northern lands, she fought alongside a slave named Genna Venn. She was tasked with keeping an eye on him, as he’d defected from the enemy, and the King’s advisors did not trust him.
As the two fought side by side, they grew to admire each other. Ruta, despite her position, enjoyed spending time with the former slave. She taught Genna everything she knew about the sword, and how to command troops in battle. Using what she’d taught him, Genna led forces on several critical raids and won major victories for King Achlenni. For her role in these great battles, and her tutelage of Genna, Kind Achlenni made Ruta his first female commander. She would fight side by side with Genna in the final battle of the war, and pave the way for what would later become the Acheulean republic.
Skain is the Commander of the Januvian armies; despite being born in Acheulon. He entered the Januvian military when he arrived in En Janu as a young man, having recently been rescued by a caravan travelling between the two empires. He spent his youth patrolling the badlands in northern En Janu. He learned how to fight, how to focus his rage, and how to be a leader.
You see, Skain was on a mission; A mission to find the warrior who had murdered his wife and sons, and left him for dead by the side of an Acheulean road. Sheer luck had seen the caravan ride by and save his life. He used the next 15 years to become equal to the merciless warrior who had killed his family. Now, as commander of the armies of En Janu, he finally had the resources to find him.
Unfortunately, his actions resulted in the second War of the Lands, and Skain became known as Malek the world killer.
Unim is a demon lord from the Fadesphere. For millennia he ruled the Fadesphere with his demonic might, using his immeasurable power to subjugate the entire dimension. His debauchery is rivalled only by his need for power and destruction.
Unim was born during the Titan Apocalypse, hatred given form to be used as a weapon against the gods. But before the Titans had a chance to use him and the other demon lords, the war came to an end with their destruction. The Living Gods created the Fadesphere and banished the malevolent monsters to an eternity in the dark dimension. However, instead of suffering they flourished, and gave rise to all manner of minions. Dragons, fiends, ifrits, Jins, and other lesser demons were born.
As the millennia passed, Unim rose above his contemporaries through force of will. He formed his kingdom in the deep places of the Fadesphere, and forced his minions to fight for his pleasure. They called him “the unimpressed one”, for his endless and ever-growing lust for entertaining battles.
Vayda is a mysterious priestess from an unknown dimension. She simply appeared in the Fadesphere one day, made short work of the guards protecting lord Unims’ deep caverns, and enslaved the demon lord after an intense battle. She dragged him to the Dread queen-mother, and left him to her will. Upon delivery, she collected an item and then vanished into the ether. News of her victory over Unim spread through the Dim-sphere; and everyone realised there was a new power to mind.
This dimension hopping rogue was highly sought after for her skills as a huntress and assassin. She would appear throughout time, always in the shadow of major events, shaping the world in unseen ways, urged forth by concealed benefactors. History would be very different if not for the hidden hand of Vayda the Shadow Priestess. Now she’s appeared again, and no one knows exactly why.
Nasher is the leader of the Draycon people; a race born from the Dragons. When the demon lords created the Dragons, they had no idea how powerful the creatures would become. They quickly surpassed their masters and broke free, destroying several demon lords in the process.
The Dragons tore through the dimensional boundaries and travelled freely. After they explored the Omniverse , and learned of their place in it, they settled in the prime dimension. You see, the Dragons had something the demon lords didn’t: wisdom. And in their wisdom, they understood that their power would unbalance the world. They created the Draycon so that their essence would live on, and then entered a deep torpor for all eternity.
Nasher Red Fang, soul of the Crimson Dragons of old, was distinguished among his peers from a young age. He was a gifted orator, a fierce warrior, and a decisive leader. Having worked his way up the ranks of the Draconian military, Nasher lead his forces in defense of their territory from the Acheulean monarchies of old. His valiant defense of Sai Draca, the ancient home of his people vaulted him to a position of great power. He used his power to usher in an age of prosperity for the Draycon. An age of peace, power, and growth.
Every commander needs a strong fighting force. The warriors that make up your clan have many skills and attributes. When you build your clan you can choose to lean on magic, range, force, or stealth. Each warrior below has distinct advantages and drawbacks, and it’s up to you to determine your favorite clan structure. Learn more about your warriors below.
The knight is a powerful force on the battlefield. He's a master swordsman and uses his power and strength to outlast the enemy.
Archers are the backbone of a ranged clan. They can riddle the enemy with arrows as they approach, and form an effective quick response unit.
Assassins are fast and stealthy. They can move in without the enemy noticing them, and carry out covert maneuvers. In addition to devastating sneak attacks, Assassins are ranged combatants with deadly accuracy.
Paladins can wield holy magic, and deliver a powerful melee attack as well. She's a useful front line trooper that can also provide support.
Berserkers are tanks with a vicious attack. Their axe can turn the tide of a battle, and they can soak damage for other characters who need support.
Sorcerers are masters of the arcane arts and make for effective stand-off capable support troops. They are able to shape the events on the battlefield if used wisely.
Summoners can draw forth creatures from other dimensions and control them. They are effective multi-role magic users and offer a wide array of abilities.
Yea, that's a really big hammer; best not to be on the wrong end of it.
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