View table: History

The Birth of Aurelion[edit source]

In the beginning, when Daathir awoke within the Primordial Void, the interplay of consciousness and imagination brought forth the Primordial Elements. Among them was Dharas, the Spirit of Light, whose awakening ignited the first light within the darkness of Astram. From this light, Aurelion was formed.

Dharas wove the first structures of Aurelion from the purest essence of light, shaping landscapes. Unlike other realms, Aurelion did not arise from material elements but from the very force of illumination itself, rendering darkness nonexistent.

The Dawn Wars and the Balance of Light[edit source]

As the realms of Adaris took shape, the balance between light and darkness became an essential force of existence. Arafia, the Spirit of Darkness, emerged alongside Dharas, as the counterpart through which contrast and perception could exist.

However, in the early epochs of creation, conflicts arose when the light of Aurelion threatened to expand unchecked, consuming realms beyond its own. Some ancient texts speak of a time when Dharas’s radiance nearly overpowered the fledgling cosmos, threatening to dissolve all into pure illumination.

In response, Arafia forged Noirra, the Realm of Darkness, to act as the counterweight to Aurelion. This established the Great Equilibrium, a cosmic principle ensuring that neither light nor darkness would eclipse the other.

The Age of Illumination[edit source]

With the balance restored, the first of the Lioris emerged, their forms sculpted from Dharas’s own radiance. These beings became keepers of cosmic knowledge, guiding souls and seekers toward enlightenment.

During this age, mortals across Adaris began to perceive Aurelion’s influence, leading to the development of cults and philosophies centered on light as truth. The art of weaving light itself, was first practiced in Aurelion, granting artisans the ability to shape illumination into physical forms, creating structures of light that could be carried beyond the realm.

The Celestial Veil and the Modern Era[edit source]

As Adaris evolved, Aurelion became more distant from the material world, separated by the Celestial Gulf, a luminous boundary that only the worthy can traverse. Some scholars believe this shift was intentional, a way to prevent the overwhelming purity of Aurelion from interfering too greatly with mortal affairs.

Caelum’s history is shaped by the creation of the atmosphere, the formation of its inhabitants, and the great storms that have influenced its balance.

Shasae came into being when Daathir, the Primordial Spirit of Earth, recognized the need for an atmosphere to create dynamism and life. Shasae emerged from the Primordial Void, creating the first winds and filling the world with air.

The history of Delmora is inseparable from its rivers. Early civilizations emerged along their banks, where fertile floodplains enabled agriculture and sustained the first permanent settlements. Over time, rivers became trade routes, linking communities across the realm and facilitating the exchange of goods, knowledge, and traditions.

The Ruvin were among the earliest engineers of Delmora, transforming the waterways into structured networks of canals, levees, and irrigation systems. In contrast, the Odrak developed a more reserved and enduring culture along the Great Lake, building stone cities that withstood both flood and time.

Archaeological evidence and submerged ruins suggest the existence of older, possibly pre-Ruvin cultures now lost beneath the lake and river deltas. Whether these civilizations were destroyed by floods or gradually absorbed into later societies remains the subject of both scholarship and myth.

According to mythic accounts, the world of Oras was the first domain, composed entirely of the physical realm. When the other primordial elements emerged, their arrival began to erode this eternal land. The process accelerated with the rise of the Ascendant Spirit of Time, Kyros, whose influence introduced decay and change.

The resulting conflict, known as the Great Erosion War, marked the struggle between Oras and the encroaching forces of the new elements. To defend the physical realm, Oras created the Orasians, beings said to embody his enduring essence. Despite their efforts, the war ended in retreat, and both Oras and the Orasians withdrew within the Citadel Mountain Range.

It is said that Oras then shaped the Citadel Mountains into nearly impassable barriers, concealing his final refuge. Legends claim that the Orasians remain within these circular mountain massifs, preserving the last essence of their creator.

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Orethil emerged during the early stabilization of Adaris, following the creation of time by the Ascendant Spirit Kairos. As the primordial elements sought to impose order on the chaotic void of Astram, Oras anchored the material world into place. From this anchor, the first lands and structures of Orethil coalesced—mountains, valleys, and the enduring crust of the physical world.

The intrusion of Jala into the forming plane led to the catastrophic event known as the Great Erosion, fracturing the borders of the elemental realms and forever altering Orethil’s structure. This marked the beginning of true geological memory, as layers of trauma and change became embedded in stone.

In the aftermath, Orethil became the site of balance and containment—a place where multiple forces converged but were held stable through the enduring will of Oras. It was within this realm that the first mortal civilizations formed, guided by ascendant spirits. Over time, these early cultures shaped the surface and subsurface of Orethil.

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Orrakar is a realm shaped by the slow and relentless march of time and carved by wind and water, its deep canyons and towering cliffs standing as testaments to erosion’s quiet dominion.

Throughout history, nomadic peoples, wanderers, and exiles have passed through Orrakar, seeking refuge in its hidden valleys and winding ravines. Among those who made the land their home, the Kuthar claimed the windswept mesas. The Drahari, by contrast, carved homes into the sheer canyon walls, their settlements hidden in the depths where the wind howls but the stone offers shelter.

Yet even for them, nothing remains unchanged. Time wears away even the strongest foundations, and both the Kuthar and Drahari have learned that to endure in Orrakar is to move with the land, never against it. The ruins of past dwellers—long-eroded cliff dwellings and sunken pathways—serve as quiet reminders that nothing in this realm is permanent.

The Age of Ascendance (c. BME 100,000-50,000)[edit source]

Following the stabilization of the realm, ascended spirits assumed dominion over the primordial earth, often working in pairs. Tehrum and Varunel settled in the valleys adjacent to the Domain of Oras, with Tehrum shaping the tangible qualities of the land while Varunel shaped its intangible aspects. Similarly, the spirits of caverns and greed fashioned subterranean regions and the forces that dwell within them.

The Great Migration (c. BME 50,000-20,000)[edit source]

During the Great Migration, humans departed their ancestral home of Awenelir and spread across Orethil. In Terasil, these settlers became known as the Duranthi and the Minthari. The Duranthi primarily inhabited the Sanctuary Vale and the Alta Wastes, while the Minthari settled in the mountain ranges known as Minthal. Over generations, both groups were shaped by the spiritual influences of their environment. The Duranthi developed stony skin, exceptional memory, and extended lifespans, while the Minthari adapted to subterranean life, becoming pale, blind, and translucent in appearance.

The Age of Deep Roads (c. BME 20,000-0)[edit source]

As erosion reshaped the surface, subterranean habitation expanded during the Age of Deep Roads. The Minthari constructed vast tunnel networks in cooperation with the Vemi, a worm-like sentient race long present in Terasil. These tunnels facilitated trade and cultural exchange with the Duranthi and allowed movement through previously inhospitable regions.

Modern Terasil (0 ME-Present)[edit source]

In the present age, Terasil remains defined by continuity and resilience. The Duranthi maintain traditions rooted in stone and memory, while the Minthari expand their subterranean networks in pursuit of wealth and resources. Alongside them dwell two additional sentient peoples: the Capamnos, an isolated goat-like race inhabiting the high mountains, and the Vemi, who occupy subterranean tunnels and are often associated with impulses of desire and greed, though they maintain generally amicable relations with other races.

Formation of Zanarak[edit source]

Zanarak was formed when the primordial elements of Shasae and Oras, combined, bringing forth Arenam, the Spirit of Sand and Glass. Unlike the Primordial Spirits, Arenam is the first of the next generation of Ascendant Spirits, emerging from the conscious concept of wind-eroded earth. Arenam represents erosion, illusion, and the ever-changing nature of the desert, symbolizing both destruction and transformation.

The Great Erosion[edit source]

The emergence of Zanarak marked a new era in Adaris, one where the interplay between elements created new forms of life and landscapes. The relentless winds carved out the desert from the land once connected to Terasil, leaving behind a vast, arid expanse. Over time, the desert expanded, its dunes shifting unpredictably, swallowing settlements and reshaping itself continuously.

Cultural Significance[edit source]

Zanarakis is both a physical and a spiritual realm, where reality often blurs with illusion. The desert’s inhabitants—the Gilaari and Galihi—have adapted to its unpredictable nature, developing cultures based on survival, movement, and the mastery of illusion and transformation.