Fathmori Legends
Contents
The legendary Fathmori Lovelette Jovanavuc is the author of the manuscripts that led to the production of this Tome and the first human historian to maintain written records detailing the history of Jord. A bard by profession, Fathmori traveled the world of Jord from the time of adolescence, obsessed with ancient lore and tales of mysticism and the supernatural. A neutral party to every major event that shaped the coruse of history, Fathmori was privy to sights and information like no other mortal. Demons, angels, gods, and dragons - all have welcomed Fathmori into their lairs for a sit down and a chat.
A hero to historians, Fathmori wrote hundreds of texts and books, and another unknown number of scrolls over the course of his immeasurable life. It was rumored that the texts of Fathmori, if stacked atop one another, would reach into the heavens vast. All of that is lost today, as only a handful of Fathmori's documents remain. At an undetermined point in history, a great and ancient god - 'The One Who Must Go Unnamed' is fabled to have been the subject of one of the Fathmori texts. Angered that a mortal had come to realize the his true identity, The One Who Must Go Unnamed reportedly struck down the great historian, setting fire to many of the historical documents. Those parchments that did not burn were scattered across the world of Jord in the explosion that obliterated Fathmori and his legendary library.
Over the centuries, single pages as well as small compilations of texts have been discovered across Jord. These rare texts have been gathered and collected by Yuluk. Yuluk maintains a section of scribes whose sole purpose is to translate these ancient texts so that the world may once again know the power of the Fathmori Legends and the history of the world.
Chapter 2. The Seed of Njor
Ages ago, the world of Jord was but a single continent. Long roads connected the kingdoms together, and these roads were controlled by the hordes of King Arivan, ruler of Kara'sa. During this reign, the lands of Jord were embroiled in bitter struggles over an ancient relic handed down from the gods called the Seed of Njor. The seed is claimed to have been given to the mortals by a long dead god named WoWiWe. The Seed is fabled to have given the mortals a common language through which all the races could speak to one another an open up trade and the exchange of ideas. The WoWiWe hoped that this would aid in the evolution of mortal beings into something greater than each individual could accomplish on their own.
As with any gift from the gods that would greatly enhance the standard of mortal life, the Seed also came with a curse. Though originally intended as a product for trade and ascension, another creator god, also long dead and disappeared from the realm of the modern Parthenon, saw fit to lay a curse on the Seed. According to legeng, Pron, the evil deity, Pron, cast upon the Seed the curse of greed and vanity. WoWiWe was fiercely angered by his god-kin's actions.
Pron spoke, 'Mortals are doomed, for they shall be unable to resist the temptation to own and control all that is not theirs.'
WoWiWe was taken aback by this declaration, believing in the goodness of childlike creations, the mortals of Jord. In an act that has since doomed all generations, WoWiWe agreed to allow the curse to remain, confident in his children's ability to resist the temptation the cursed Seed offered. He was wrong.
The children of Jord soon learned that the owner of the Seed of Njor controlled all that is. The power of the Seed divided the mortals into two distinct classes - the emprites, to whom all things were gained, and the ruffins, to whom all things were taken. Who-so-ever controlled the Seed of Njor ensured that their kingdom remained the sole centralized focus of the known world. From this curse sprung the first War of the Black Rose.
Chapter 3. The War of the Black Rose
For centuries the Seed of Njor remained in the hands of the tyrannical ruler of Kara'sa, King Arivan. As King Arivan held the relic, so did the legendary capital of Jord prosper for centuries under the mage-king's rule. However, other kingdoms longed for the power of the Seed and joined forces in what became known as the Order of the Black Rose. Led by the powerful general of the Kingdom of Sardaukar, General Shandlar, the Order of the Black Roses army laid waste to much of Kara'sa's empire.
The kingdom of Kara'sa had its own champion, Lord Otholem, who if the legends are to be believed, wielded the mighty Blade of Ascension. Several times during the war, Shandlar's forces were decimated by the awesome power of Otholem and his sword. This back-and-forth struggle went on for generations, resulting the countless casualties on both sides. No end could be seen. It was not until a young Prince Degrance I was elevated to the ruler ship of the rebel kingdoms that the world of mortals dared to hope for peace.
Wise beyond his years, King Lucius Degrance I sought the aid of the Creators, the immortal successors of WoWiWe, to seek their guidance in bringing an end to the war. Answering Degrance's supplication, the Creators were saddened by the condition of the world. Entire cities lay in ruins. The blood of thousands stained the earth. Unspeakable evils and forgotten horrors roamed unchecked throughout the world, freed by the warring kingdoms to fight for them. The Great Council of Creators decided to intervene, setting into motion the Cleansing.
Chapter 4. The Cleansing
The Cleansing, also known as the Cataclysm and Great Sundering, was a plan by the Creators to use the greed of the mortals to decide the future of Jord. The Creators offered the mortals of Jord untold power if they could construct the unique relic known as the Armageddon Clock. Unable to resist the promise of ultimate power, the mortals readily, and greedily, pursued the construction of the artifact.
Upon completion of the Armageddon Clock, the world stopped and life as it was known ended. For the Creators, this time was but the blink of an eye, and during this freeze they descended from their thrones in the godlands and struck down the vile ruler of Kara'sa, cursing he and his followers to forever wander the very capital that once ruled the world. There, the spirits of the Karasans were damned to forever lament their greed, unable to quench their thirst or pacify their hunger. To deter future conflicts, the Creators sundered the land, splitting the lone continent into several smaller ones.
In their greatness, the Creators saw fit to save the kingdom of King Degrance, who had requested their aid in the first place. They left the continent of Thordfalan untouched, and left Bal Harbor as the sole safe harbor along the treacherous coasts of the landmass. When the Creators allowed time to resume, survivors flocked to Bal Harbor for safety before once again venturing out into the new world to explore. During the reign of King Lucius Degrance I, the world remained in an unsteady peace as trade grew stronger and heroes walked the land slaying the evils that lurked in the shadows.
However, not long after the end of the Cleansing, a mysterious plague began to spread across the land, striking down the venerable King Degrance. Rotting in his own dying body, Degrance I had no choice but to relenquish his kingship to his only male heir, Lucius Degrance II. A spoiled brat of a child, the young Degrance II began his rulership by reforming the long dismantled army from the time of the War of the Black Rose.
Chapter 5. The Rise of Degrance II
Longing to raise the Degrance house back to the glory it held during the first War of the Black Rose, Degrance II called upon his army to seek out and recover the ancient Seed of Njor and return it to Bal Harbor. With the Seed in the possession of Bal Harbor, Degrance II hoped to ensure the prosperity of his family name for generations to come.
What will come of this decision? How will the reappearance of the Seed and its curse affect the future of Bal Harbor, Jord, and the inhabitants of both? Only time can tell.....
