Fantasy Andros - World and Race Lore

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World Lore

History of Andros and the Astrians.

Until not too long ago, the world had forgotten the Astrians. They were a group of ancient races blessed with godlike powers. They were the high-born races, weavers of magic, and rulers over the low-born races and the universe as a whole. Beings created by the gods.

Initial research suggested that Astrian lives were similar, but still foreign in culture, to the modern-day people of Andros. What their research found most disturbing was the evidence of just how common war amongst the Astrians was. Ruins revealed how they had fought each other so many times, for so long, and with such brutality that they drove themselves to extinction. It found that before the last Astrian war ended, many of the lower races fled to more peaceful land to begin life anew. There was no doubt that now that they were no longer tangled in the constant wars of the Astrians, the lower races were able to thrive and build empires of their own in the new lands they called home. Since the low-born races never saw the Astrians after that their existence faded first to legends, then myths, then into obscurity. After centuries of rebuilding civilization, the lands they had settled were beginning to seem small. The low-born races began to expand outward back across the mountains, valleys, and seas they had crossed so long ago.


There they found the remains of the once great and powerful Astrians. For the most part, they found nothing but skeletons and buildings half-buried under dirt and rock, but some began to stumble on relics from the past. Items still teaming with the mystical energies the Astrians had used to destroy themselves. Expeditions to the Astrian ruins in search of these invaluable items grew popular. Diggers recovered everything from silver that never tarnished, candles that never burnt down, blades that could cut stone, and armors that had barely even a scratch from the weight of piles of boulders on top of them. Some even more rare ones had spells locked within, but nothing compared to a discovery made after thousands of these artifacts had been recovered. The Astrians weren't dead. By what could only be pure chance, a young digger pulled out a precious jeweled locket, whispered how beautiful he thought it was to it, and then kissed it. Those actions awakened an Astrian, lying dormant inside the item, and bound them together. The Astrians were back, but this time they were controlled by the mortals, as the gods had left.


As it is known now, some of them hid at their end and sealed their essences in artifacts. Only by unique cryptic actions could the seal be broken to reveal the Astrian inside. But not all artifacts have Astrians inside them, and not all Astrians are ones anyone would want to be released from their slumbers. Regardless, everyone now dreamed of acquiring and bonding with one of these rare Astrians. For some, they were a means to wealth, some a symbol of status, and for some a weapon to direct at their enemies. The question is, how will you use your Astrian if you have one? How would do you react to the world now that most people do and you may not?

Spoiler: Map Without Borders

Spoiler: Map With Borders

 

[Roman]

Human Lore
In the reckonings of most worlds, humans are the youngest of the common races, late to arrive on the world scene and short-lived in comparison to dwarves, elves, and dragons. Perhaps it is because of their shorter lives that they strive to achieve as much as they can in the years they are given. Or maybe they feel they have something to prove to the elder races, and that’s why they build their mighty empires on the foundation of conquest and trade. Whatever drives them, humans are the innovators, the achievers, and the pioneers of the world.

Humans are the most adaptable and ambitious people among the common races. They have widely varying tastes, morals, and customs in the many different lands where they have settled. When they settle, though, they stay: they build cities to last for the ages, and great kingdoms that can persist for long centuries. An individual human might have a relatively short life span, but a human nation or culture preserves traditions with origins far beyond the reach of any single human’s memory. They live fully in the present—making them well suited to the adventuring life—but also plan for the future, striving to leave a lasting legacy. Individually and as a group, humans are adaptable opportunists, and they stay alert to changing political and social dynamics.

Where a single elf or dwarf might take on the responsibility of guarding a special location or a powerful secret, humans found sacred orders and institutions for such purposes. While dwarf clans and halfling elders pass on the ancient traditions to each new generation, human temples, governments, libraries, and codes of law fix their traditions in the bedrock of history. Humans dream of immortality, but (except for those few who seek undeath or divine ascension to escape death’s clutches) they achieve it by ensuring that they will be remembered when they are gone. Although some humans can be xenophobic, in general, their societies are inclusive. Human lands welcome large numbers of nonhumans compared to the proportion of humans who live in nonhuman lands.

Humans who seek adventure are the most daring and ambitious members of a daring and ambitious race. They seek to earn glory in the eyes of their fellows by amassing power, wealth, and fame. More than other people, humans champion causes rather than territories or groups.

The humans have split their territory into three. Two kingdoms and a queendom. Whilst the other two never specified that their rulers have to be a man, the queendom has made it obvious that their leader will always be a woman. Aside from this, the names of these territories are Rudoras, Estermead, and Elysia. Rudoras is led by King Alistair. This kingdom has the strongest military out of the three, producing formidable knights who excel in physical and weapon-based combat. Estermead is led by Siegfried, the magician king. Estermead is known for producing the most powerful and intelligent of human mages. Elysia, the nation led by women, is known as the queendom. They're also well-known for their art and commerce. Most merchants and artists come from or learn here. Being closest to the ocean, pirates are often known to dock here and they have a strong navy here too. The three human kingdoms are in agreement with one another to help fend off a nation if one of them were to be attacked by an enemy.

Source Material/Taken From

 

[Roman]

Elven Lore

Elves are magical people of otherworldly grace, living in the world but not entirely part of it. They live in places of ethereal beauty, in the midst of ancient forests or in silvery spires glittering with faerie light, where soft music drifts through the air and gentle fragrances waft on the breeze. Elves love nature and magic, art and artistry, music and poetry, and the good things of the world. With their unearthly grace and fine features, elves appear hauntingly beautiful to humans and members of many other races. They are slightly shorter than humans on average, ranging from well under 5 feet tall to just over 6 feet. They are more slender than humans, weighing only 100 to 145 pounds. Males and females are about the same height, and males are only marginally heavier than females. Elves’ coloration encompasses the normal human range and also includes skin in shades of copper, bronze, and almost bluish-white, hair of green or blue, and eyes like pools of liquid gold or silver. Elves have no facial and little body hair. They favor elegant clothing in bright colors, and they enjoy simple yet lovely jewelry.

Elves can live well over 700 years, giving them a broad perspective on events that might trouble the shorter-lived races more deeply. They are more often amused than excited, and more likely to be curious than greedy. They tend to remain aloof and unfazed by petty happenstance. When pursuing a goal, however, whether adventuring on a mission or learning a new skill or art, elves can be focused and relentless. They are slow to make friends and enemies, and even slower to forget them. They reply to petty insults with disdain and to serious insults with vengeance. Like the branches of a young tree, elves are flexible in the face of danger. They trust in diplomacy and compromise to resolve differences before they escalate to violence. They have been known to retreat from intrusions into their woodland homes, confident that they can simply wait the invaders out. But when the need arises, elves reveal a stern martial side, demonstrating skill with sword, bow, and strategy.

Most elves dwell in small forest villages hidden among the trees. Elves hunt game, gather food, and grow vegetables, and their skill and magic allow them to support themselves without the need for clearing and plowing land. They are talented artisans, crafting finely worked clothes and art objects. Their contact with outsiders is usually limited, though a few elves make a good living by trading crafted items for metals (which they have no interest in mining). Elves encountered outside their own lands are commonly traveling minstrels, artists, or sages. Human nobles compete for the services of elf instructors to teach swordplay or magic to their children. Elves take up adventuring out of wanderlust. Since they are so long-lived, they can enjoy centuries of exploration and discovery. They dislike the pace of human society, which is regimented from day to day but constantly changing over the decades, so they find careers that let them travel freely and set their own pace. Elves also enjoy exercising their martial prowess or gaining greater magical power, and adventuring allows them to do so. Some might join with rebels fighting against oppression, and others might become champions of moral causes.

There are three subraces: Dark, Wood, and High.
Dark elves, also called Drow, have skin that resembles charcoal or obsidian, as well as stark white or pale yellow hair. They commonly have very pale eyes (so pale as to be mistaken for white) in shades of lilac, silver, pink, red, and blue. They tend to be smaller and thinner than most elves. They are also the only subrace of elves to live underground.

Wood elves’ skin tends to be copperish in hue, sometimes with traces of green. Their hair tends toward browns and blacks, but it is occasionally blond or copper-colored. Their eyes are green, brown, or hazel.

High elves have bronze skin and hair of copper, black, or golden blond. Their eyes are golden, silver, or black. Sometimes they are much paler, with alabaster skin sometimes tinged with blue. They often have hair of silver-white, black, or blue, but various shades of blond, brown, and red are not uncommon. Their eyes are blue or green and flecked with gold.

Elven society has what is known as a high council. Their government consists of those who have shown to have high intelligence and respect amongst their fellow elves. These elves are selected from royal elf families in particular. They come from all different subraces as the elves work together to better themselves as a whole, though this does exclude dark elves who live underground. The dark elves have a monarchy. Their queen has been apart of the same royal family ever since their society was created. Worshipping the Astrian known as Sylas, this royal family considers themselves to be the chosen ones, handpicked by their creator himself.

Source Material/Taken From

 

[Roman]

Orc Lore

Orcs survive through savagery and force of numbers. Theirs is a life that has no place for weakness, and every warrior must be strong enough to take what is needed by force. Orcs aren’t interested in treaties, trade negotiations or diplomacy. They care only for satisfying their insatiable desire for battle, to smash their foes and appease their gods.

In order to replenish the casualties of their endless warring, orcs breed prodigiously (and they aren’t choosy about what they breed with, which is why such creatures as half-orcs are found in the world). Females that are about to give birth are relieved of their other roles and taken to the lair’s whelping pens. Orcs don’t take mates, and no pair-bonding occurs in a tribe other than at the moment when coupling takes place. At other times, males and females are more or less indifferent toward one another. All orcs consider mating to be a mundane necessity of life, and no special significance beyond that is imparted to it. At 4 years old an orc is considered a juvenile, and by age 12 it is a fully functioning adult. Most orcs don’t live past the age of 25 due to battle or illness, but an orc can live to about 40, remaining healthy almost up until the end. Young orcs must mature quickly in order to survive their perilous upbringing. Their early years are fraught with tests of strength, fierce competition and nothing in the way of maternal or paternal love. From the time a child can wield a stick or a crude knife, it asserts itself and defends itself while learning to fight, to survive in the wild, and to fear the gods. The children that can’t endure the rigors of a life of combat are culled from the main body of the tribe. A fully grown orc warrior is well prepared for a lifetime of combat.

Orcs appreciate physical prowess and formidable combat ability in any form. As such, they might accept other creatures into their ranks from time to time. A group of orcs can be dominated by evil creatures of immense power, and they accept this subservient role either because they are forced to or because it offers them a measure of security while they engage in their savagery. Green dragons, for instance, sometimes use orcs as sentinels or shock troops. Orcs are sometimes attracted to the service of frost giants or fire giants, who then “reward” their loyalty by turning them into slaves. If a tribe is defeated and driven from its lair, the survivors might come under the sway of a strong but dimwitted creature, such as a hill giant or an ogre. It is also not unheard of for an exceptionally strong and charismatic evil human to lead stray orcs that no longer have a tribe to call their own. An orc tribe typically has no more than a few hundred members, because a larger group would need a prohibitive amount of resources to remain strong. As a rule, a tribe is violently hostile toward any other tribe it meets, seeing the rival orcs first and foremost as competitors for food and victims. On some occasions, though, tribes that have a common concern band together. The result is an orc horde — a sea of slavering killers that washes over the countryside and leaves vast tracts of devastation in its wake. Such an event is rare in the extreme, but its consequences can lay low entire nations that are unable to stand against the wave.

Orcs have no real government system, and instead, all under one powerful leader. While there may be different tribes, they still report to one. The orc chief takes up residence in the central stronghold. To decide on their leader, an orc is allowed to challenge the chief to a battle to the death. Winning results in a change of leadership, losing this battle, the current chief keeps his place. When the orc is finally old enough, they will battle their fellow orcs and whoever takes their life will be deemed the new leader.

Source Material/Taken From

 

[Roman]

Dwarf Lore

Dwarven kingdoms stretch deep beneath the mountains where the dwarves mine gems and precious metals and forge items of wonder. They love the beauty and artistry of precious metals and fine jewelry, and in some dwarves, this love festers into avarice. Whatever wealth they can’t find in their mountains, they gain through trade. They dislike boats, so enterprising humans and halflings frequently handle trade in dwarven goods along water routes. Trustworthy members of other races are welcome in dwarf settlements, though some areas are off-limits even to them. The chief unit of dwarven society is the clan, and dwarves highly value social standing. Even dwarves who live far from their own kingdoms cherish their clan identities and affiliations, recognize related dwarves, and invoke their ancestors’ names in oaths and curses. To be clanless is the worst fate that can befall a dwarf. Dwarves in other lands are typically artisans, especially weaponsmiths, armorers, and jewelers. Some become mercenaries or bodyguards, highly sought after for their courage and loyalty.

Dwarves can live to be more than 400 years old, so the oldest living dwarves often remember a very different world. This longevity grants them a perspective on the world that shorter-lived races such as humans and halflings lack. Dwarves are solid and enduring like the mountains they love, weathering the passage of centuries with stoic endurance and little change. They respect the traditions of their clans, tracing their ancestry back to the founding of their most ancient strongholds in the youth of the world, and don’t abandon those traditions lightly. Part of those traditions is devotion to the gods of the dwarves, who uphold the dwarven ideals of industrious labor, skill in battle, and devotion to the forge. Individual dwarves are determined and loyal, true to their word and decisive in action, sometimes to the point of stubbornness. Many dwarves have a strong sense of justice, and they are slow to forget the wrongs they have suffered. A wrong done to one dwarf is a wrong done to the dwarf’s entire clan, so what begins as one dwarf’s hunt for vengeance can become a full-blown clan feud.

Bold and hardy, dwarves are known as skilled warriors, miners, and workers of stone and metal. Though they stand well under 5 feet tall, dwarves are so broad and compact that they can weigh as much as a human standing nearly two feet taller. Their courage and endurance are also easily a match for any of the larger folk. Dwarven skin ranges from deep brown to a paler hue tinged with red, but the most common shades are light brown or deep tan, like certain tones of the earth. Their hair, worn long but in simple styles, is usually black, gray, or brown, though paler dwarves often have red hair. Male dwarves value their beards highly and groom them carefully.

Dwarves are the exact same as humans when it comes to humans. They have a king/queen who rule over them.

Source Material/Taken From

 

[Roman]

Half-Elf

Walking in two worlds but truly belonging to neither, half-elves combine what some say are the best qualities of their elf and human parents: human curiosity, inventiveness, and ambition tempered by the refined senses, love of nature, and artistic tastes of the elves. Some half-elves live among humans, set apart by their emotional and physical differences, watching friends and loved ones age while time barely touches them. Others live with the elves, growing restless as they reach adulthood in the timeless elven realms, while their peers continue to live as children. Many half-elves, unable to fit into either society, choose lives of solitary wandering or join with other misfits and outcasts in the adventuring life.

To humans, half-elves look like elves, and to elves, they look human. In height, they’re on par with both parents, though they’re neither as slender as elves nor as broad as humans. They range from under 5 feet to about 6 feet tall, and from 100 to 180 pounds, with men only slightly taller and heavier than women. Half-elf men do have facial hair, and sometimes grow beards to mask their elven ancestry. Half-elven coloration and features lie somewhere between their human and elf parents and thus show a variety even more pronounced than that found among either race. They tend to have the eyes of their elven parents.

Half-elves have no lands of their own, though they are welcome in human cities and somewhat less welcome in elven forests. In large cities in regions where elves and humans interact often, half-elves are sometimes numerous enough to form small communities of their own. They enjoy the company of other half-elves, the only people who truly understand what it is to live between these two worlds. In most parts of the world, though, half-elves are uncommon enough that one might live for years without meeting another. Some half-elves prefer to avoid company altogether, wandering the wilds as trappers, foresters, hunters, or adventurers and visiting civilization only rarely. Like elves, they are driven by the wanderlust that comes of their longevity. Others, in contrast, throw themselves into the thick of society, putting their charisma and social skills to great use in diplomatic roles or as swindlers.

There are three types of half-elf; Dark, Wood, and High.

Source Material/Taken From

Half-Orc

Whether united under the leadership of a mighty warlock or having fought to a standstill after years of conflict, orc and human tribes sometimes form alliances, joining forces into a larger horde to the terror of civilized lands nearby. When these alliances are sealed by marriages, half-orcs are born. Some half-orcs rise to become proud chiefs of orc tribes, their human blood giving them an edge over their full-blooded orc rivals. Some venture into the world to prove their worth among humans and other more civilized races. Many of these become adventurers, achieving greatness for their mighty deeds and notoriety for their barbaric customs and savage fury.

Half-orcs’ grayish pigmentation, sloping foreheads, jutting jaws, prominent teeth, and towering builds make their orcish heritage plain for all to see. Half-orcs stand between 5 and 7 feet tall and usually weigh between 180 and 250 pounds. Orcs regard battle scars as tokens of pride and ornamental scars as things of beauty. Other scars, though, mark an orc or half-orc as a former slave or a disgraced exile. Any half-orc who has lived among or near orcs has scars, whether they are marks of humiliation or of pride, recounting their past exploits and injuries. Such a half-orc living among humans might display these scars proudly or hide them in shame.

Half-orcs most often live among orcs. Of the other races, humans are most likely to accept half-orcs, and half-orcs almost always live in human lands when not living among orc tribes. Whether proving themselves among rough barbarian tribes or scrabbling to survive in the slums of larger cities, half-orcs get by on their physical might, their endurance, and the sheer determination they inherit from their human ancestry.

Source Material/Taken From

 

[Roman]

Tieflings

To be greeted with stares and whispers, to suffer violence and insult on the street, to see mistrust and fear in every eye: this is the lot of the tiefling. And to twist the knife, tieflings know that this is because a pact struck generations ago infused the essence of the most evil Astrians into their bloodline. Their appearance and their nature are not their fault but the result of an ancient sin, for which they and their children and their children’s children will always be held accountable.

Tieflings are derived from human bloodlines, and in the broadest possible sense, they still look human. However, their infernal heritage has left a clear imprint on their appearance. Tieflings have large horns that take any of a variety of shapes: some have curling horns like a ram, others have straight and tall horns like a gazelle’s, and some spiral upward like an antelopes’ horns. They have thick tails, four to five feet long, which lash or coil around their legs when they get upset or nervous. Their canine teeth are sharply pointed, and their eyes are solid colors—black, red, white, silver, or gold—with no visible sclera or pupil. Their skin tones cover the full range of human coloration, but also include various shades of red. Their hair, cascading down from behind their horns, is usually dark, from black or brown to dark red, blue, or purple.

Tieflings subsist in small minorities found mostly in human cities or towns, often in the roughest quarters of those places, where they grow up to be swindlers, thieves, or crime lords. Sometimes they live among other minority populations in enclaves where they are treated with more respect. Lacking a homeland, tieflings know that they have to make their own way in the world and that they have to be strong to survive. They are not quick to trust anyone who claims to be a friend, but when a tiefling’s companions demonstrate that they trust him or her, the tiefling learns to extend the same trust to them. And once a tiefling gives someone loyalty, the tiefling is a firm friend or ally for life.

Source Material/Taken From

 

[Roman]

Aasimar

Aasimar bear within their souls the light of the heavens. They are descended from humans with a touch of the power from a Astrian of the divine realm. Aasimar were created to serve as champions of the Astrians, their births hailed as blessed events. They are a people of otherworldly visages, with luminous features that reveal their celestial heritage. Aasimar are placed in the world to serve as guardians of law and good. Their patrons expect them to strike at evil, lead by example, and further the cause of justice. From an early age, an aasimar receives visions and guidance from celestial entities via dreams. These dreams help shape an aasimar, granting a sense of destiny and a desire for righteousness.

While aasimar are strident foes of evil, they typically prefer to keep a low profile. An aasimar inevitably draws the attention of evil cultists, fiends, and other enemies of good, all of whom would be eager to strike down a celestial being if they had the chance. When traveling, aasimar prefer hoods, closed helms, and other gear that allows them to conceal their identities. They nevertheless have no compunction about striking openly at evil. The secrecy they desire is never worth endangering the innocent. An aasimar, except for one who has turned to evil, has a link to an angelic being. That being provides guidance to the aasimar, though this connection functions only in dreams. As such, the guidance is not a direct command or a simple spoken word. Instead, the aasimar receives visions, prophecies, and feelings. The angelic being is far from omniscient. Its guidance is based on its understanding of the tenets of law and good, and it might have insight into combating especially powerful evils that it knows about.

Despite its celestial origin, an aasimar is mortal and possesses free will. Most aasimar follow their ordained path, but some grow to see their abilities as a curse. These disaffected aasimar are typically content to turn away from the world, but a few become agents of evil. In their minds, their exposure to celestial powers amounted to little more than brainwashing. Evil aasimar make deadly foes. The radiant power they once commanded becomes corrupted into a horrid, draining magic. And their angelic guides abandon them. Even aasimar wholly dedicated to good sometimes feel torn between two worlds. The angels that guide them see the world from a distant perch. An aasimar who wishes to stop and help a town recover from a drought might be told by an angelic guide to push forward on a greater quest. To a distant angel, saving a few commoners might pale in comparison to defeating a cult. An aasimar’s guide is wise but not infallible.

Source Material/Taken From

 

[Roman]

Blasphemies are the result of the mixing of diluted fiend and celestial blood, often crossed in the intermingling of human bloodlines. These folk look human, but their mixed blood has a clear effect on their appearance. Blasphemies often have pale to grey skin and piercing eyes. Some may even have small horns or tails. They are often eerily beautiful, but there is something unnatural about them that makes others uncomfortable or distrusting. These beings can live up to 160 years old and mature at the same rate as humans. They also have similar builds as humans, coming in all shapes and sizes in that range.

Their souls are pulled in all directions, and are often caught in the conflict between good and evil, may it be from without or within. This is a result of their dual nature, causing their souls to be naturally conflicted. Both the forces of good and the forces of evil seek to use them as powerful tools for their purposes or seek to destroy them for being a blasphemous corruption.

When it comes to the population of this race, you won't see them too often. The Aasimar and Tieflings don't often come into contact with one another and when they do, it more than likely won't end well. Those who do give birth to Blasphemies, they often go into hiding. Keeping their child away from the rest of the world until it is old enough to fend for itself. There's no telling what would happen to it if other Tieflings or Aasimar would do if they got their hands on one.

Source Material/Taken From

 

[Roman]

Dragonborn

Born of dragons, as their name proclaims, the dragonborn walk proudly through a world that greets them with fearful incomprehension. Shaped by draconic gods or the dragons themselves, dragonborn originally hatched from dragon eggs as a unique race, combining the best attributes of dragons and humanoids. Some dragonborn are faithful servants to true dragons, others form the ranks of soldiers in great wars, and still others find themselves adrift, with no clear calling in life.

Dragonborn look very much like dragons standing erect in humanoid form, though they lack wings or a tail. The first dragonborn had scales of vibrant hues matching the colors of their dragon kin, but generations of interbreeding have created a more uniform appearance. Their small, fine scales are usually brass or bronze in color, sometimes ranging to scarlet, rust, gold, or copper-green. They are tall and strongly built, often standing close to 6½ feet tall and weighing 300 pounds or more. Their hands and feet are strong, talonlike claws with three fingers and a thumb on each hand. The blood of a particular type of dragon runs very strong through some dragonborn clans. These dragonborn often boast scales that more closely match those of their dragon ancestor—bright red, green, blue, or white, lustrous black, or gleaming metallic gold, silver, brass, copper, or bronze.

To any dragonborn, the clan is more important than life itself. Dragonborn owe their devotion and respect to their clan above all else, even the gods. Each dragonborn’s conduct reflects on the honor of his or her clan, and bringing dishonor to the clan can result in expulsion and exile. Each dragonborn knows his or her station and duties within the clan, and honor demands maintaining the bounds of that position. A continual drive for self-improvement reflects the self-sufficiency of the race as a whole. Dragonborn value skill and excellence in all endeavors. They hate to fail, and they push themselves to extreme efforts before they give up on something. A dragonborn holds mastery of a particular skill as a lifetime goal. Members of other races who share the same commitment find it easy to earn the respect of a Dragonborn.

Similar to orcs in their terms of leadership, Dragonborn are a lot more civil. They don't fight amongst one another, but simply choose their leaders through status and respect, and also their intelligence. They'll always choose someone who they feel can lead them to a better place and can bring progress to their nation.

Source Material/Taken From

 

[Tobi Naefaerne]

Astrians

In the beginning, there was only darkness. There was no life. No color. The gods were the only thing that populated the known universe at the time and their company amongst one another was the only thing keeping them from losing themselves. As time went along, the gods would begin to create, using their abilities to create a world to fill in this empty void that was the universe. First came light. After the sun, the stars were created and soon those stars merged and formed the sun. As a result, they were forced to create more, but that wasn't an issue for them. This simply gave them something to do in the meantime as they planned their next creation. With a universe no longer plagued by complete darkness and nothing, they began to populate it with multiple planets. Some acting as tests for a project they would eventually come to perfect. This project would be life, and when they created the planet Earth, they perfected their creation of life as they created a planet habitable for the thing they had created. Calling them animals. There were various kinds of animals in the beginning. Able to become self-sustaining with what the gods had provided on the planet. Once it was complete, they simply watched the creation to see where it would take itself in time. What it would do and accomplish on their own without their intervention.

As time would go on, these animals that they created would eventually begin to form their own system. A pecking order, if you will. Apex predators who sort of ruled overall. The scariest and most fearsome of the animals. Anything under that category was simply food for them. More time would pass and the planet eventually became unstable. The core within the planet was on the verge of exploding. Something the gods cared too little about stopping. As a result, it caused nothing but trouble as eventually, the earth would begin to crack. The heat from the core causing for extreme temperatures on the surface through said cracks. Volcanoes began to burst. Lava spilling and the colder areas of the planet beginning to freeze over as temperatures in those areas began to drop below temperatures that were considered inhabitable.

Once the earth finally settled and the catastrophe was over, the gods reformed the earth. Making it even better and the core stronger than before. This time the planet was perfect... But they didn't create anything. Leaving it a blank slate. Instead, the gods wanted to try something different. Each of them would begin to cast off shards of themselves onto the planet. This was the beginning of what the world now knows as, Astrians. The Astrians would begin the world anew in terms of bringing life to it. Some Astrians would go and create animals, some were so attuned to nature that they were able to draw the natural magic from nature there. Their power didn't rival the gods they were cast from, but in comparison to the life they created on the planet, they were the gods. Astrians would go about creating mortal races to populate their world. Some giving them freedom. Some creating them as slaves and servants. Others simply creating them as friends, someone to keep them company if they were lonely. Through this, the mortals began to worship the Astrians. Pushing their complexes to even farther heights. Around this time, the gods who created the Astrians wanted nothing more to do with them. Astrians who thought themselves gods were simply a lost cause in their eyes. The gods would go on to a different realm and spend their time there ignoring the mortals and Astrians as a result.

With more time, the Astrians would be plunged into an all-out war against one another. The battles scarring the earth and forcing mortals into hiding. Unfortunately, Astrians weren't capable of death and this is where they would learn their existence doesn't allow for it. What they weren't aware of upon creation is that, upon "death", an Astrian is forced into an object that they cared deeply for or something closely related to them. Unable to be freed unless a mortal, their own creations, freed them in the form of a contract, making them servants to their very own creations. Generations would go by before the first Astrian was summoned and a contract was formed. Kingdoms were forged from these very pairings, and mortals thrived again, but this time on their own. Some Astrians forming contracts with not just one mortal, but bloodlines, simply to keep themselves from being forced back into the dormant state they were once in after the Astrian War.

Present-day, Astrians are still hard to come by, but they are a lot more common than they once were. Finding one, you would gain immense power, but you may just end up with a target on your back. Guilds may try their hardest to recruit you into their ranks. Things aren't as dangerous as they were back then, but that doesn't mean they're easy. Some people are out to use these powers to change the world for the worst, make it better, or simply rule over it with an iron fist. Be careful who you trust, but be even more careful who you decide to make a contract with. Some Astrians can be very convincing in terms of how you go about handling things... Some being the little devil on your shoulder, making you do the worst. Some being that little angel that you may need to keep you on track.