Within the chaotic maelstrom, sparks of light flickered and flared. At first, they were small, fragile embers barely visible in the vast blackness. But as time passed, the sparks grew in strength, their glow becoming brighter, fiercer, and more determined, until finally, from the heart of this boundless ocean, a cataclysmic explosion erupted. The force of it was beyond measure, so vast that it tore through the endless sea of chaos, yet still it seemed almost insignificant in the face of the infinite darkness around it.
From that tremendous burst of raw energy came the first sources of essence—the primordial forces of life and creation. These great beings, born of the collision of chaos and light, were the architects of the world to come. They were the Primordials, and they were four in number.
The first was The Dragonfly, a being of radiant light and swift movement, its wings shimmering with every hue of existence. It brought with it the concept of time and transformation, its influence weaving the threads of change that would define all things. It moved through the void like a flash of brilliance, leaving trails of life and death in its wake.
The second was The Leviathan, a colossal being whose body spanned oceans and whose power stirred the depths of all waters. It was the source of great wisdom and the embodiment of the seas' primal force, influencing the tides of thought, emotion, and fate. The Leviathan governed the ebb and flow of existence, guiding the deep mysteries of life itself.
The third was The Redwood, a towering being whose roots stretched into the very core of the earth, and whose branches reached up to touch the heavens. The Redwood represented growth, endurance, and the passage of seasons. It was the keeper of the land, the sustainer of all that would grow and live upon it.
And finally, there was The Giant, the most mysterious of them all. Unlike the other Primordials, the Giant’s role was short-lived, but it was also perhaps the most crucial. The Giant walked the earth, its steps forming mountains and valleys, its breath creating wind and sky. The Giant created a race in its own image—humans, beings who, unlike the other life forms, were unbound by the natural laws governed by the Primordials.
The beings of the Dragonfly, the Leviathan, and the Redwood were all bound to their creators. They were one with the forces of time, water, and land. Their lives followed cycles set by the Primordials—birth, transformation, decay, rebirth—forever tied to the will of the great entities that gave them life. But humans were different. The Giant, after creating them, died. It did not bind humans to its essence, and with its death, humanity was left untethered, ungoverned by any natural force except their own will. This freedom would become both their greatest gift and their greatest curse.
For many humans, this unbound state was terrifying. They were adrift in a world shaped by forces far greater than they, and without a primordial to guide them, they felt vulnerable. In desperation, many sought refuge by aligning themselves with the other Primordials. These humans merged with the essence of the Leviathan, the Dragonfly, or the Redwood, becoming hybrid beings—part human, part primordial. They gained powers over the elements of their chosen deity, but in return, they lost their autonomy. They were no longer fully human, their essence transformed by the will of the Primordials.
However, there were those who refused to bind themselves. A small group of humans exiled themselves, venturing far into the peaks of the great mountains, places untouched by the influence of the Primordials. There, in the solitude of the high places, they rediscovered the forgotten truths of the world—the Fundamentals, the raw forces that had existed before even the Primordials came into being. These exiles would come to understand that the chaos from which all things were born still existed within them, and that by mastering it, they could reshape the world in their image, without the need for gods or masters.
At the tail end of the First Age, the Primordials met their end, just as the Giant had before them. One by one, these great entities—the Dragonfly, the Leviathan, and the Redwood—died, leaving the world unbound from their influence. Their passing marked the end of an era, but with their death came a terrible price. For in the wake of their departure, a new vision of the world emerged: a vision of darkness, where the twisting of death itself became the means for power.
The absence of the Primordials left a void, and into that void crept corruption. Without the Primordials to maintain the balance of life, death, and the elements, a sickness spread across the land. It was a sickness not of the body, but of the very essence of the world. The fundamentals that had governed reality were twisted beyond recognition, warped by the ambition and greed of those who sought to exploit the remnants of primordial power. The land, the seas, and even the sky became tainted, polluted by the dark forces unleashed by those who sought dominion over all.
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Thus began the Era of the Great Corruption Wars—a desperate struggle against the dying light, the twilight of humankind. In this grim and forsaken world, a terrible darkness threatened to consume everything. The corrupted forces spread like wildfire, warping creatures into monstrous abominations, and turning the very fabric of the world into a nightmarish battleground.
It seemed as though all hope was lost—until the emergence of seven remarkable individuals. These seven heroes, whose origins were shrouded in mystery, arose to challenge the darkness. With courage, skill, and an unwavering sense of duty, they fought back the contamination that had taken hold of the world. They commanded armies, forged alliances, and carved paths of light through the darkness. Each of them was a force unto themselves, wielding powers that defied the natural order.
Together, these seven heroes pushed back the overwhelming forces of corruption. They stood at the vanguard of humanity’s final stand, their strength the only thing preventing the world’s complete annihilation. And when the last battle was fought, when the final blow was struck, the darkness receded. The Great Corruption Wars were won.
But the victory was hollow.
The end of the war did not bring salvation. It did not restore the world to its former state. The corruption, though beaten back, had not been fully eradicated. It lingered, festering in the hidden places of the world, waiting for another opportunity to strike. Contamination still threatened to wipe out all that remained, creeping ever closer to mankind's final bastions.
And worse, the seven heroes, who had saved the world, became divided. Once united in their struggle, they now found themselves torn apart by pride, ambition, and the same darkness they had fought to destroy. Elevated to the status of gods, they became embroiled in disputes over how the world should be governed, and their once-unbreakable bond fractured beyond repair.
It was in this moment of uncertainty that a new leader arose—a man named Lord Hayazaki, who wielded the power of the Divine Needles, an artifact of immense power that had the ability to repel the forces of contamination. Unlike the Primordials, Hayazaki was no god. He was a mortal, but a mortal of such incredible strength and vision that many believed he had transcended his human origins.
In the wake of the division among the heroes, Hayazaki issued an edict to the scattered remnants of humankind:
“Go forth and spread. Gather allies, conquer the darkness and the monsters that lurk within it. Plant the Needle of Law and Order on every piece of ground you seize, and in return, I will grant you a blessing. A blessing of sovereignty, a blessing that crowns you ruler.”
Thus began the Frenzied Expansion. The remnants of mankind spread across the shattered world, driven by Lord Hayazaki’s decree. They ventured into every corner of the land, from the poisoned forests to the corrupted mountains, and they conquered every piece of ground they could. Each time they did, they planted one of Hayazaki’s Needles, driving away the contamination and creating sanctuaries of purity where they could live without fear.
The Needle became the symbol of the new world—one of Law and Order, one where contamination could be held at bay as long as the sovereigns upheld the Emperor’s decree. The Needle drove away the monsters that had once plagued humanity, and in return, those who followed Hayazaki’s law were granted protection from the corruption that still lurked at the edges of the world.
This era of expansion was driven by one goal: to bring about the Great Renewal. A new dawn for mankind, one where they could finally be freed from the sins of their past, and from the corruption that had nearly destroyed them. It was a dream of a world reborn, purified by the will of the Emperor and the strength of the Needle.
Now, the world of Aquilora is governed by three great realms:
- The Spotless Realm, where the gods reside, untouched by corruption and decay.
- The Realm of the Lords, The high realm where the empire’s power is absolute.
- The Realm of Man, the land of origin, where most men still reside. Where most of the lands still ravaged and most of its history, still lost.
But there are whispers of a fourth realm, one hidden from the eyes of even the greatest sovereigns. A realm that defies the order set by Hayazaki—a realm that holds the last secrets of the Primordials and the power they left behind.
Today, the people of Aquilora entrust their souls to their sovereigns. Upon death, the souls of those who serve are transposed into the Great Needle, where they await the Great Renewal. When the time is right, and the world is finally free from contamination and corruption, those souls will be reborn, and they will once again swear their oaths to a greater being.
But the world has not yet been purified. The contamination still lurks, and the Needle’s protection is not absolute. The sins of the past remain, and there are those who whisper that even the Needle’s power cannot hold back the darkness forever.
It is ironic, however, that the mountain clans have come to dominate this new age and seek the divine oathship—that very thing that once bound us so long ago.