Fantasy 𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐒: 𝐀 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 ( Lore )

[Nothingness]

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔻𝕚𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘
​

A war of Archons, a rebellion of mortals, and a wound that forever scarred the world.
The Divine Sundering did not start off as a war. It started as a rejection.

Luthiris, the Archon of Fire and Liberation had never embraced her role as a ruler. She despised the idea of chains—both in the literal and metaphorical sense. To her, the rule of the Archons was nothing more than another form of bondage, a cage draped in divine authority. She denounced the idea that the Archons had the right to rule and dictate how the mortals should live their lives.
To some, her words were blasphemy, while to others—especially mortals—they were a revelation. Her words had inspired a movement—one that started off as whispers and rumors which eventually grew into open defiance.

From there, The Sovereign Rebellion was born.

At first, it was nothing more than a struggle of ideals, open vocal protests and a conflict of words. But the moment one of the Archons had struck down a defiant mortal, the first moment an Archon's wrath fell upon those who rejected them—war was inevitable.
From there, the Rebellion rose in fury, and in response, the Archons prepared for war.

Some Archons sought to crush the rebellion outright, believing that if it were to let fester than it would mean the unraveling of order. While others questioned this judgement on whether or not it would be wise to simply kill mortals who simply seek to be free. These conflicts between the Archons would only rise as the time for war drew ever closer.

The war was unlike any other. It was not simply a battle between mortals and the Archons but it was also the Archons against one another. It was a conflict that shook the very fabric of reality itself. The Divine Sundering was not simply a war—it was a catastrophe. Entire regions were reshaped by the Archons' power against one another—mountains crumbled, rivers boiled away in their divine wrath, the tides of the ocean rose to immeasurable levels, the skies were split, even the stars and celestial bodies shifted and recoiled from the devastation.

The war end on for years. By the time it was over, the Archons themselves were forever changed, some had perished, others vanished, and those that remained were echoes of their former selves.

The Divine Sundering had not free the mortals, nor had it preserved the rule of the Archons.

In the end, there was no true victor.

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔸𝕣𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕟𝕤
​

• Archon ofLightning
• Archon of Water/Ice
• Archon of Earth
• Archon of Fire
• Archon of Growth
• Archon of Wind

• 
  
  
  𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 - 𝐀𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐝, 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 [𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞]
  
  The ruler of Valkyros, a skybound kingdom consisting of floating islands just above the clouds. Revered once as a war-goddess amongst her people, during times of conflict, the people of Valkyros would call upon Astrid for strength before and during combat. Considered to be a beacon of justice and strength, she ruled Valkyros with an iron will and a sharp mind. Unlike her fellow Archons, she did not view herself as a distant deity among the mortals but rather as a guardian over them, it would not be unlike her to descend from her throne to fight alongside her people.
  
  In the days before the Divine Sundering, Astrid was known for her unyielding sense of honor and devotion to order. Many believed that she was the only Archon who genuinely loved the world she ruled, and the storms that followed were signs of her fury as well as her protection. However, this same sense of passion made her prideful, stubborn, and unbending. She struggled with compromise, believing only in strength and conviction could maintain order, to her hesitation was a weakness and mercy was a dangerous luxury. She expected loyalty, respect and honor from her people, yet refused to demand worship while punishing those who dared to show dishonor during combat even against an enemy of hers.
  
  Unfortunately, after the Divine Sundering, Astrid changed. The loss of her fellow Archons, and the rising rebellion of mortals left deep scars on her. She no longer knows who she is meant to be—a goddess meant to protect her people or a tyrant that should crush and dominate them before they can destroy her. The once glorious kingdom of Valkyros whose people had always looked up to her were now divided; some believe she is still the last true god of order while others believe that she is an old lost relic who refuses to allow the world to evolve beyond divine rule.
  
  While the rebellion grows stronger day by day, Astrid has become more volatile, she is still the unstoppable warrior she always has been, though her thoughts and judgement are now clouded with doubt and rage.
  
• 
  
  
  𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐳𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 - 𝐍𝐞𝐥𝐲𝐫𝐚, 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫/𝐈𝐜𝐞 [𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝]
  
  As the silent guardian over the sea and the ruler of Glacivaris, a kingdom of towering glaciers, endless surrounding tundras and a frigid ocean that stretches throughout the world of Ethellis, Nelyra is an Archon of dual natures—both of natural beauty and merciless destruction. She is the embodiment of the endless cycle of the tides and ice, soothing weary sailors or swallowing entire fleets beneath the frozen seas. While Astrid has been an Archon of war and strife, Nelyra is the cold and patient tides, inevitable and inescapable.
  
  Unlike her fellow Archons who sought either conquest or dominion, Nelyra preferred silence and solitude, letting time shape the world as it always had. She was wise and reserved, speaking little but always watching, always listening. Those who sought of her wisdom had to endure brutal trials of endurance and determination against her unforgiving seas. Those who triumphed over her trials would be eventually greeted with calm seas and safe voyages while the weak-willed would freeze and be swallowed into the abyss of the frozen waves.
  
  Even with her calm demeanor underneath it was a terrifying ruthlessness. Nelrya was neither merciful nor was she cruel—she simply did what must be done. To her, the world was like the ocean; ever-changing, untamed, and indifferent to mortal desires. Those who dared to defy the natural order of the world would be crushed beneath the weight of her tides.
  
  After the Divine Sundering, Nelyra vanished, no one knows of her current whereabouts, not even the other Archons.
  With her disappearance, the balance of the seas was disrupted. Without her, the once-controlled tides now rage wildly, swallowing towns and cities that are situated too close to the shorelines and freezing the oceans for unknown periods of times. Travelers who attempt to monitor the weather before traversing the seas come to find that the tides can be calm one moment before turning into ruthless storms the next without any warning whatsoever.
  
  Similar to Astrid, with her disappearance, the people of the kingdom have become divided. While some believe that she had fallen during the Divine Sundering and that the reaction of the seas was her power fading. Others claim that she fled beneath the frozen abyss and was waiting for the world to return to a peaceful state before she would decide that the world was worthy of her return. Some even fear that she has become something entirely different, due to the Divine Sundering being such a cataclysmic event she had become a forgotten goddess, corrupted by the very abyss she once ruled.
  
  
• 
  
  
  𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 - 𝐎𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐡𝐧, 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 [𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞]
  
  Considered to be the foundation of civilization, Orvahn was not only the Archon of Earth; he was the Archon of stability, endurance and unyielding will. Where the other Archons wielded raw power, Orvahn was the embodiment of permanence, a foundation on which civilization was built upon. He was the protector of mountains, and the keeper of ancient oaths. He ruled over Durnhollow, a colossal kingdom of which was a fortress city carved into the heart of a massive mountain where the greatest smiths, warriors and architects call home. The citizens of Durnhollow and even many smiths and miners outside of the kingdom call upon Orvahn for his blessings when they create new weapons, praying that each piece of gear or weapon they forge shall never break or shatter while miners pray for endless ores from the mountains they carve into daily.
  
  Unlike the storming wrath of Astrid and the cold patience of Nelyra, Orvahn instead was a silent, steady force, and rarely ever gave into impulsive actions. He believed that true strength was never in destruction but rather in endurance—to hold firm and strong against the storm and any and all odds.
  
  Unfortunately, due to his views his unwavering resolve would make him stubborn to a fault. He struggled and refused change, refusing to accept that his old views of the world would eventually crumble around him. To him, he believed that humans needed order and structure, not freedom and chaos. His sense of justice was absolute and unyielding—if a kingdom was weak and corrupt, it would fall underneath its own weight, if the ruler was unjust then they would be crushed underneath their own sins.
  
  Orvahn did not destroy nor did he protect. Instead, he simply let the world run its course, the strongest of foundations would endure while the weak would crumble.
  
  Ever since the Divine Sundering, Orvahn has become an Archon out of his time.
  The world around him has moved on, the people he once watched over have either abandoned their Archon or their faith has started to waiver with their growing skepticism over the need for the continued rule of deities. Many of the cities that he had helped build still stand but the people no longer worship him as they once have. The kingdom of Durnhollow has begun to fracture, its halls emptying as more and more of its people leave in search of new lands and new ways of life. The mountains run more and more dry of its precious minerals as fewer and fewer miners come to work each day.
  
  For the first time in his immortal existence, Orvahn begins to wonder if he was left behind, has the world outgrown the need for Archons, what is a mountain to do when time wears it away. While he is still considered the immovable one, even the strongest of mountains erode over time.
  
• 
  
  
  𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 - 𝐋𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐬, 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 [𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝, 𝐈𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠]
  
  The Archon of freedom and rebellion, Luthiris. Once ruler of the kingdom of Pyremorne, a thriving kingdom far off to the east surrounded by natural hot springs and tropical weather, now known as The Ashen Wastes—cities and towns once full of life now a desolate wasteland of dead trees, blackened earth and grey skies as far as the eye can see. Although Luthiris was born of fire, she never found it for war—she was meant to be a liberator, a force of passion, freedom, and relentless ambition. Fire was not meant for simply destruction in her eyes—it was renewal, the force that burned away stagnation to give birth to something much greater.
  
  Unlike Orvahn's rigid laws, Nelyra's cold patience, or Astrid's tempered wrath, Luthiris was an Archon of rebellion. She absolutely hated chains both in the literal and metaphorical sense, she believed that no mortal, no nation, nor Archon should hold absolute power over others.
  She watched as the world evolved over time, all of which was built on the power of control over others—empires shaped the weak, mortals bowed before the Archons, rulers tightening their grip around those beneath them and punished those who had different views. The sight of this made her wonder; what if the Archon were wrong, what if they were the chains that needed to be broken to free the mortals.
  
  And so, with these questions in her mind, she led the rebellion against the Archon with those who would rally behind her and support her cause. While Luthiris was no monster, she did not want to burn the world simply for the sake of destruction, but she could no longer sit idly by, she found that the Archons were no better than tyrants, shaping the world around them in the image they wanted it to look like rather than given mortals a chance at making their own choices. While some would call it a rule by worship and loyalty, she considered it a rule by fear. Fear of their divine wrath.
  
  This was the start Divine Sundering.
  
  With the failure of her grand rebellion, Luthiris was cast out from the Archons, this was due to the Archons refusing to kill one of their own, but exile was not her only punishment; her name was burned from history and her kingdom of Pyremorne was shattered to ashes.
  Even being cast out Luthiris was never the type to surrender, even though she was now hunted, and even her followers had abandoned her, her fire still burned bright.
  
  She now roams Ethellis as a nameless exile, moving between shattered kingdoms and ruined lands. Whispers speak of a woman wreathed in embers, appearing before the downtrodden, inciting rebellions in dying nations to bring them back from the brink of destruction to rise again.
  
  While she may no longer be an Archon, she is still a force of change and if the world does not change soon...she will burn it all down and start again.
  
• 
  
  
  𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞 - 𝐒𝐲𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐲𝐚, 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 [𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝, 𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧]
  
  The Blooming Mother as some called her; the Archon of Growth to others. Sylvaya was not only just an Archon of nature—she was nature itself.
  
  She was the whispers of the leaves, the growth of the roots through stone, she was the embodiment of the endless cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Where Oravhn was the unyielding stone and Luthiris was the all-consuming blaze, Sylvaya was fluid, ever-changing, ever-adapting.
  
  The kingdom she ruled was known as Evermere before the Divine Sundering—a seemingly endless vast forest that spread throughout practically all of Ethellis. She did not have specific followers or cities under her rule, instead all the plants, animals, and weary travelers were her 'followers' as she was not an Archon of conquering but rather a keeper of balance. She would not stop a hunter from taking the life of it's prey, nor would she stop nature from reclaiming abandoned ruins. Even so, she would never allow life nor death to become too powerful on its own.
  
  She was kind, but not gentle, for life was not gentle. Storms were required to clear deadwood and wildfires were needed to nourish the soil. Predators must hunt to keep their herds from starving.
  
  Even with all her attempts to keep the balance, the Divine Sundering would shatter this balance.
  
  During the Divine Sundering, Sylvaya did not side with one side or another specifically, she instead fought for both sides—against the Archons who sought to keep their thrones, as well as against Luthiris who threatened the world with her flames to burn it all to ash. She did not want any specific side to win, instead she simply wanted the war to end; to bring back balance to Ethellis, but war did not care for balance.
  By the time the dirt and ash had cleared, Sylvaya was found dead in the midst of the battlefield between the Archons. No one knows exactly who had dealt the killing blow, some believe it was Astrid's storm that had split her great tree in half. Others whisper it was Luthiris who burned her heart to cinders. Some say it was at the hands of Oravhn who crushed her beneath stone, in fear of what she may become.
  
  No matter who had dealt the blow, Sylvaya was a causality. Her death was not silent. It was a calamity. When she fell, the land itself screamed. The forests of Evermere withered, its rivers ran dry and eventually an unnatural silence fell over Evermere. The once untouched paradise was now barren, the animals that once thrived here either died or fled for other lands, what was once known as Evermere was now called The Withered Wilds. With Sylvaya no longer in check of the balance over nature itself, occasional earthquakes occur randomly, plants die even when they are cared for and populations of predators and prey have become unbalanced in numbers.
  
  However, even with her supposed death, something still lingers, while her body may have fallen, her roots run deep and beneath the ruined remains of the forest, something still stirs...
  
• 
  
  
  𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐔𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐫 - 𝐙𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧, 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐝 [𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞]
  
  The Laughing God as some like to call him or as his renowned title as the Archon of Wind, Zephiron.
  
  Just like the very wind itself—ever-moving, ever-changing, never lingering in one place for long—Zephiron was never meant to be tied down.
  While the other Archons ruled over their grand cities, Zephiron never built any throne, instead, his kingdom of Aetheria was a land of floating isles similar to how Astrid's fortress floating islands were. However, rather than be primarily focused to be a fortified stronghold of a city which was structured, orderly and unwavering, Aetheria was freely drifting through the skies and its people had endless freedom, a place where no laws nor rulers could bind or chain them down.
  
  Zephiron believed that change was the natural state of all things. That people, nations, even Archons should never grow stagnant, to be still, was to die. He encouraged freethinkers, wanderers, and explorers to embrace the unknown and follow the flow of the wind rather than to resist it.
  
  Of all the Archons, Zephiron was the most easy-going of all the pantheons, he was playful, mischievous, and rarely took anything seriously—until it truly mattered. When he would take anything serious, his playful and laid back demeanor would change to one that produced howling storms, winds that tore through anything and anyone that attempted to cage him or bring harm to those he protected.
  
  During the Divine Sundering, Zephiron did not stand with either side of the Archons, he refused to stand and help the Archons maintain their control nor did he join Luthiris and her grand rebellion, as he believed that her flames would eventually consume everything, not just the tyranny. Instead, he attempted to quell the conflict and guide the winds away from the war, but the storm was too strong and it had forced Zephiron to eventually flee.
  
  After the dust had settled from the aftermath of the Divine Sundering, he watched as to how the remaining Archons clung to whatever power they could, he saw as how the mortals they once attempted to rule over started to stop worshipping them and even despise them. Rather than stay to help with the rebuilding of what was lost, Zephiron decided to wander the world, some say he now guides lost souls back onto their paths before vanishing again.
  
  All while Aetheria now begins to drift aimlessly without the rule of Zephiron to help with guiding the floating isles on safe passages. Just as the other Archons' citizens of their kingdoms, the people of Aetheria have become divided—some resent him for leaving them, while others see it as a final gift of sorts—the ultimate freedom, to be bound by no nation, no ruler, no Archon.
  

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤
​

• The Sanctum of the Divine
• The Sovereign Rebellion
• The Prophets of the Fracture

• 
  
  
  𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐞
  
  After the Divine Sundering and with chaos emerging throughout Ethellis due to the loss of the Archons and many of their followers forming resentment as well as withdrawing their worship of them. A new group arose, known as The Sanctum of the Divine—a fanatical religious order, believed that the chaos that their world currently experienced was a punishment for the rebellion against the Archons. To them, the world was in turmoil because mortals had strayed too far from the natural order that the Archons had set in place and their goal is to restore the divine rule, no matter the cost.
  
  The order originated in the kingdom of Valkyros due to how it was once ruled by the Archon of Lightning; Astrid, who demanded order, loyalty and honor amongst her people and had been able to keep her people both safe and content with an iron will. Though as the years have passed, the order has been able to expand to many other nations, forming inquisitions, and political strongholds wherever their influence reaches.
  
  While their views of the Archons are as supreme rulers of Ethellis, they believed that the Divine Sundering was a test rather than a disagreement amongst the Archons, they believed that Luthiris' betrayal, and the instability of the elemental forces that now spread throughout the land was all punishment for those that were faithless toward the Archons. Any and all that dare seek to separate themselves from the rule of the Archons are considered blasphemers and would be struck down by the order to 'save the world'.
  
  While the Sanctum is a religious group, they resemble both a church as well as a military inquisition. This is only further proven by the fact that the group is not led by one leader but two; The High Inquisitor, a warrior-priest who enforces divine law through strength. The Grand Prophet, a spiritual leader who claims to receive divine visions from the Archons themselves.
  
• 
  
  
  𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧
  
  Where The Sanctum of the Divine's ambitions is to return the rule of the Archons to the world, their opposition are The Sovereign Rebellion; a revolutionary faction that rejects the rule of the Archons, believing that the Archons have no right to dictate the fate of mortals.
  Founded in the aftermath of the Divine Sundering, it was born from the chaos of shattered kingdoms, broken faith, and a realization that mortals no longer needed to live in fear of divine authority. They fight not for the Archons to give them freedom but rather they fight for the people of Ethellis, they believe the world belongs to those who inhabit it, not those who wield absolute power.
  
  While Luthiris' rebellion against the Archons was an important step, the Sovereign Rebellion is not her creation. It has grown far beyond what she once dreamed of. It not only consisted of the people of the kingdom once known as Pyremorne but rather, it united the mortals from all corners of Ethellis who seeked liberation from divine control.
  
  To the Rebellion, the Divine Sundering was proof that the Archons were neither invincible nor were they the perfect beings that loyalists preached them to be. If they could fall, then they could be challenged and replaced.
  
  Unlike the rigid hierarchy of The Sanctum of the Divine, The Sovereign Rebellion operates independently, allowing independent leaders and cells to function throughout Ethellis. Even so, there is still one commanding group within the Rebellion known as The Council of Free Sovereigns, they consist of six individuals, each from different backgrounds and each from different nations but they all share the same goal of overthrowing divine rule and achieving absolute freedom for the people.
  
• 
  
  
  𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞
  
  The Prophets of the Facture are the final faction of Ethellis.
  A secretive group that formed after the Divine Sundering just as the other two factions had, however, unlike The Sanctum of the Divine or The Sovereign Rebellion which are both publicly known throughout the world, The Prophets of the Facture are more of a myth and only whispers of their existence spread amongst the people.
  
  It is said that they believe the Divine Sundering not only severed the rule of the Archons but it had awakened something much older and much stronger than the Archons themselves. They believe the battle between the Archons had caused a fracture to form in the very fabric of reality itself.
  Unlike with religious Sanctum of the Divine and the rebellious Sovereign Rebellion, The Prophets of the Facture believe that the true destiny of both mortals and Archons alike lies beyond the known world, due to this, their followers are obssessed with unlocking the secrets of the fracture—unseen wounds in reality that claim to hold forbidden knowledge, lost power and entities beyond mortal comprehension.
  
  Unlike with either of the two opposing factions, The Prophets of the Fracture have no clear leader. Instead, they simply have fanatical followers, the most anyone has rumored to have seen or heard of from this mysterious group are those that are called 'Factureseers', individuals that claim to have gazed beyond reality and have had their minds completely altered because of what they have seen, these individuals are apparently considered similarly to oracles or advisors within the faction.
  

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕕𝕠𝕞𝕤
​

• Valkyros
• Glacivaris
• Durnhollow
• Pyremorne/Ashen Wastes
• Evermere
• Aetheria

• 
  
  
  𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐲𝐫𝐨𝐬
  
  Valkyros, the Kingdom of Lightning, ruled by the Archon of Lightning; Astrid. The fortress city was a bastion of order, discipline, innovation and unwavering strength. The kingdom consists are multiple floating isles all connected to one another by chains and sky bridges built by the people there known as Valkyrians with the help of their Archon. Underneath each of the isles are massive crystals that absorb the natural elemental energy in the air before converting it into lightning energy to keep the islands afloat.
  
  Valkyrians are known for their ironclad discipline, martial prowess, and their devotion to the ideals of strength and honor. From birth, citizens are trained in combat, strategy and elemental control, believing only the strong could safeguard the weak.
  Due to Valkyros reliant on their storm-powered technology, they are considered one of the most technologically advanced kingdoms throughout all of Ethellis. Prior to the Divine Sundering, they had provided their knowledge and technology advances to many of the other kingdoms for them to also be able to evolve, making Valkyros being one of the main reasons as to how Ethellis has grown as technologically advanced as it is to this day.
  
  Because of their advancements, their military is also one of the most powerful throughout the world making their kingdom well admired for their strength but also feared for their uncompromising rule. Some fear that the kingdom is more similar to an unyielding empire—one that valued order over freedom.
  
  With the Divine Sundering, in its aftermath, Valkyros was thrown into chaos. The people of Valkyros had become skeptical of the Archons and that their old ways had failed, that the Archons had failed, Astrid had failed. More and more as Valkyrians became divided, Astrid would eventually vanish from the public eye, with her disappearance, the skies and storms had become unpredictable and much more violent. The kingdom of Valkyros, which originally could detect storms and live amongst them had now been striking into the hearts of the city inconsistently. One moment the skies would be clear and the next it would be dark with horrendous winds and lightning strikes landing in the middle of the streets rather than being directed to the many lightning rods scattered about.
  
  Without their Archon's guidance, the once might kingdom began to fracture. The Council of Stormlords—politicians who worked beside Astrid struggled to maintain order as many citizens saw them as unworthy replacements for their Archon.
  
  With the divide growing amongst the people, while some still held out faith that eventually their Archon would return, others have abandoned their faith and some have even become warlords and sky-pirates.
  
• 
  
  
  𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬
  
  Glacivaris, a kingdom sculpted by the embrace of both the frozen and flowing waves of the endless sea. The kingdom was surrounded by large walls of glaciers as well as flowing waterways that ran through its city walls. Even with its unforgiving coldness, the city holds a boundless beauty and at the heart of it all was the people's eternal guardian; The Archon of the Frozen Tides, Nelyra. The people revered her as both a motherly protector as well as an unwavering judge just as how the tides could bring forth life as well as pull it away just as quickly.
  
  The people of Glacivaris have long followed a philosophy known as the Cycle of the Tides, in which it means that all things must rise and fall, as all things freeze and thaw to maintain balance in the world. Their culture reflects this belief in all aspects of life such as their artisans craft the most graceful ice sculptures that almost appear ethereal at times, their sailors brave the bitter cold and ever changing seas and their scholars seek wisdom within the deepest trenches of ancient frozen archives believed to had been lost to time.
  
  Despite their isolation, Glacivaris held an essential place in Ethellis, due to their mastery of the oceans, their naval force is unmatched. Many of the sea vessels that traverse the world have had some component that was originally crafted by a Glacivarian. Their froststeel weapons and gems are also items that many merchants seek after throughout the world as well.
  
  When the Divine Sundering occurred, the balance between the flow of the waves and the frozen tides was shattered. The tides rose uncontrollably, and the ice had frozen beyond nature's limits. At the heart of it all, Nelyra had vanished from her people. Some believed that she had fallen in battle during the fighting between the Archons, others believe she had been sealed away within an eternal glacier and lost to the abyss. Without their Archon to guide them, Glacivaris was forced to face the unstable and relentless world. Ice had frozen over much of the city, sometimes faster than many of the workers could hope to chip away at, the tides had become unpredictable, and parts of the city had either been frozen beneath the waves or risen up into jagged peaks of permafrost.
  
  As time had passed, smaller factions had formed from the people of Glacivaris; a group known as The Frostbound continue to hold out faith in Nelyra, that one day she would return to restore balance, these people continue to remain in parts of Glacivaris that had not been yet consumed by ice or the tides. Another group known as the Tideforged believe that Nelyra is gone, they believe that she had fallen during the Divine Sundering and believe that rather than staying in a kingdom that has no hope of being restored to its former glory, have decided that they would live amongst the shifting tides, forming large floating settlements as nomadic fleets—many of these people become either merchants, mercenaries, or explorers. The final group that had formed are known as The Hollow, these individuals normally have fallen into the faction group known as The Prophets of the Fracture, though rather than follow in that faction's exact beliefs, they believe that Nelyra is trapped in a Fracture, they venture deep into ice caves, sunken ruins, and dangerous Fracture anomalies in search of clues as to the disappearance of their Archon, in hopes to bring her back.
  
• 
  
  
  𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰
  
  Durnhollow, a kingdom carved directly into the heart of a colossal mountain, it stands as the unbreakable heart of Ethellis. It was a kingdom of unyielding resolve, unwavering tradition, and unmatched craftmanship. At the core of it all stood the Archon of the Earth, Orvahn. Not only was he an Archon of the very stone but he was one of the forge, industry and war. He was a lord of discipline, strength and honor. He was revered by his people as the ultimate embodiment of resilience, to stand tall and firm through the worse storms that nature ever formed. It is said when he strikes his hammer on his anvil, the very sound of his hammer hitting the anvil was like that of rolling thunder and his presence alone was as immovable as the mountains themselves.
  
  The people of Durnhollow, known as Hollowborn, lived by a code of duty, labor and loyalty. The kingdom consisted mainly of three different groups; the Stoneforgers—blacksmiths, miners and architects that built indestructible fortresses, intricate underground tunnels and unmatched weaponry. The Stonebound Sentinels—elite warriors of Orvahn that defend Durnhollow and its people, their strikes carrying the force and weight of the very mountains. The Hollow Scholars—keepers of ancient runes and the text of old, ensuring that the history and wisdom of Durnhollow is never lost to time.
  
  Though Durnhollow was a kingdom of warriors and forgers, they were not conquerors. They believed to gain strength is through hardships and resilience, not through conquest. They were proud but not reckless, strong but not cruel. To them, war was a test, not a means of destruction.
  
  When the Divine Sundering came, the very mountains shook.
  The skies roared with ceaseless and unforgiving storms, the earth itself trembled underneath the weight of the battle between the Archons. Durnhollow, the kingdom that was once known to be unbreakable was now fractured, with ruined peaks collapsed tunnels, and endless storms at what remained of the top of its mountains.
  
  Worse of all, Orvahn vanished.
  With their Archon nowhere to be seen or heard from, Durnhollow was thrown into chaos with some of its people believing that he was killed during the Divine Sundering, while others say that he was sealed within one of the great mountains, waiting to be freed.
  Though one thing was clear, Durnhollow had fallen. While some had decided to stay, many of the forges fell silent, their flames lost to time as many others had left the kingdom in search of a different path now that their Archon and their kingdom had been lost. Just like Glacivaris, the peple of Durnhollow had become divided and separate factions had formed.
  
  A new group that formed was known as the Stormforged Legion—traditionalists who decided to stay at Durnhollow and had rebuilt it to the best of their ability. Relighting the forge and attempting to keep the old kingdom alive. They believe that Orvahn still lived and they simply needed to wait for his return, that his absence was a test of his people's strength without him. While they keep the forges of Durnhollow burning bright, they hunt down traitors and deserters, believing that only the weak would abandon their duties.
  The second group that had formed were known as the Hollow Wanderers—they believed that Durnhollow was lost and Orvahn had either been sealed away or had been killed during the Sundering. They seek to find a new home where they can forge a new future for themselves and their families. Many of these people have either become wandering blacksmiths, traveling merchants, or mercenaries. They believed that Orvahn's legacy was not in the stone of Durnhollow but the strength and resilience of its people.
  
• 
  
  
  𝐏𝐲𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞/𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐬
  
  The land of the unshackled, Pyremorne. A kingdom that in a completely different sense altogether. It had no ruler, no ruling class, no laws, not even Luthiris ever considered herself as a queen, empress or even ruling Archon over her people. To her, those titles were of control, which she spat upon the idea of ruling over others. To Luthiris, ruling over others were like shacking them as though they were slaves and she had no interest in binding herself—or others—to such things.
  
  Instead, Pyremorne was a kingdom and land to free spirits, warriors, explorers and rebels. It was a place where laws were meaningless, and no one commanded another. There were no lords, no noble houses, no rulers, only those who burned bright enough to carve their own path. Luthiris was no ruler, she was a force of nature itself, she was a guiding flame to the people of Pyremorne, she was a symbol to her people, she fought alongside them to protect their land, their homes, but yet never claimed a throne for herself, for the moment she did, she would become the very thing she hated most.
  
  The kingdom was built upon volcanic plateaus, there were rivers of molten gold that ran through the kingdom constantly, towering obsidian spires and buildings erected all throughout the kingdom. The kingdom's buildings would constantly rise and fall as the flames the people built them upon were never meant to be permanent, as their beliefs were that everything that the flames consumed would eventually rise again, greater than it once was.
  
  Even with the freedom of Pyremorne, the people of the kingdom, known as Emberborne still held a sense of peace amongst one another. Criminals, and fugitives that went in seek of refuge in Pyremorne's lawless lands were called Infernal Exiles. Even if Luthiris would not bring justice to these criminals, she would not stand by if any of them were to attempt to take slaves amongst the poor and weak. Even if her views were that the strong would remain free, she was still against having anyone being chained down or ruled by another.
  
  When war came, Luthiris did not fight to protect Pyremorne—she fought because she would not be tamed.
  Luthiris cared not for thrones, territories, or divine order. She fought because the war itself was an attempt to bind the world in chains, and she would not bow to any force that dared to impose control over her or her people.
  But the Divine Sundering was not just any war, it was a cataclysm, a battle that would shatter the very foundations of Ethellis.
  While the structured kingdoms called upon their legions and fortified their defense; Pyremorne erupted into an inferno. The warriors did not fight together as an army, but rather scattered like wildfires, igniting the battlefields wherever they roamed. All while the Infernal Exiles who had finally found a place where they belonged, fought to the bitter end, knowing no other land would accept them.
  
  Pyremorne did not fall because it was conquered, it fell because Luthiris refused to kneel.
  In her final act of defiance, she unleashed a fire like no other before it—one that would not only burn flesh but reality itself. A fire that could not be tamed, a fire that consumed everything. Pyremorne burned, Luthiris with it.
  
  Where Pyremorne once stood, now were the Ashen Wastes.
  A land that eternally smolders, a cursed infernal that refuses to die. Embers dance in the wind, rivers of molten glass carve through the blackened land. The flames burn without fuel, the ground consistently shifts unpredictably, rejecting any attempts for those to settle upon it. No one lives in these lands, though treasure hunters and scholars are drawn to these lands for wisdom of the past and old relics from Pyremorne.
  
  Stories have been told by those who have wandered these lands that creatures of pure flame and shadow linger the lands, neither living nor dead, attacking strangers as they appear to be in search of something they have lost. Survivors of Luthiris final act called the Ashborn are forever altered, their bodies consumed in never-ending flame, leaving them between existence and oblivion. Then there are the Cindershades, phantoms of warriors who fell during the final burning, appearing only the deepest parts of the wastes as they whisper of Luthiris' last stand.
  
  Those that fled have had mixed opinion regarding the Divine Sundering, some believe that Luthiris had died with her final flame while others say that she still lived and now wandered the land assisting other nations and smaller settlements with problems of being threatened by local bandits of corrupted rulers. Either way, they all agreed that her final flame was an act of ultimate freedom.
  
• 
  
  
  𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐞
  
  Evermere was not a kingdom of stone and steel. It was not one with borders or walls.
  There were no grand cities, towering castles, nor armies marching under a ruler's banner. Instead, it was a boundless, living sanctuary—a kingdom where nature itself was its sovereign, its flowing rivers, and towering trees were its borders and its citizens were the animals that roamed its forests.
  
  It was a place where the wilds and the world's rhythmic patterns existed in perfect balance. The forests stretched endlessly, its canopies woven so thick they seemed to appear like a second sky. Rivers carved through the land with a will of their own, never tamed but yet never destructive. Animals roamed the free, neither as pets nor as prey, but as equals in the great order of Evermere.
  
  At the heart of it all was the Verdant Keeper, the Archon of Nature; Sylvaya.
  She did not rule from any throne, nor did she seek conquest against any mortals. Sylvaya was a presence, a force as natural as the winds that whispered through the leaves, she embodied the harmony of the wilds, ensuring that life and death, prey and predator, growth and decay—always remained in perfect balance.
  
  It was a paradise.
  
  Then came the Divine Sundering.
  Evermere had withstood the rise and fall of empires. It had survived famines, wars and the greed of humanity. But this war was not one of mortals, it was a war waged by the Archons.
  When the Archons fought, the heavens themselves cracked, the laws of nature fractured, and Evermere had felt the wounds directly into its roots.
  
  The war was not fought with the clash of ordinary steel and humans fighting over petty disputes, it was not one of armies marching through the trees. It came in fractured, twisted, and unraveling magic. It came in slow, agonizing corruptions of everything that Sylvaya had ever tried to protect. The conflict caused a sickness, a plague of sorts to descend upon Evermere, causing the once-vibrant flora to wither and decay overnight. The once-balanced wildlife grew unstable, their forms being twisted and warped by the corrupted magic that seeped into the land and their food and water supply, they soon grew savage, as if the order that once bound them had been broken.
  
  Sylvaya fought, not with steel nor with destructive force.
  She poured every ounce of her energy and strength into the land itself. She became the vines that sought to mend the cracks, the waters that that tried to cleanse the corruption and extinguish the flames that Luthiris spread, she became the whispers in the wind, urging the world to remember its balance.
  
  Once the Sundering had ended, Evermere was no longer the paradise it once was.
  Sylvaya was slain. Her death caused the very forest and land to cry out. The once towering luscious trees withered overnight, their barks cracked and crumbled like dried husks. The rivers, once clear as crystal were now sluggish and dark, carrying with it a stench of decay. The plants that did survive now vicious and dangerous, lashing out at any and all who dare approach it carelessly. The animals that had been warped by the Sundering now caught in an endless cycle of shifting forms, their minds shattered.
  
  The once paradise known as Evermere had now become the Withered Wilds.
  
• 
  
  
  𝐀𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚
  
  A kingdom of wandering skies, a place of drifting wonders. Aetheria was not a kingdom of walls, borders, fortresses nor rulers. Aetheria was a kingdom of drifting isles floating freely through the sky, like great ships upon an endless sea of clouds, ever-changing, ever-moving, never bound to a single place.
  At the heart of the kingdom was the Unbound Archon of Wind, Zephiron.
  
  Despite being an Archon and the weight of his titles and responsibilities weighing him down to one place, Zephiron was a free-spirit, a wanderer, the very winds themselves given form—and so too was Aetheria, a land that reflected his very essence.
  
  While similar to Luthiris' kingdom, Aetheria had no rulers that dictated how its people should live, unlike Pyremorne those that in Aetheria did not fight to see who was the strongest nor were there criminals that lived here, it was a kingdom of peace and freedom. Those that lived on Aetheria was called Skyborne, the very winds themselves guided them, drifting between the floating islands however they pleased. Some built airships to soar through the skies as explorers or traders, others carved homes into the very clouds weaving floating gardens and wind-swept sanctuaries, many others even chose the nomadic life, embracing the ever changing nature of Aetheria into their lives.
  
  Unlike many other Archons, Zephiron did not demand worship in any sense. He was a presence—sometimes like a whisper in the breeze, other times could be the howling gale of a storm that called for adventure. Either way, it wouldn't be unexpected for strangers to had viewed Zephiron as just another citizen of Aetheria since he would commonly walk amongst his people, not as a ruler, but as an equal, sharing in their joys, and their struggles.
  
  The only law of Aetheria was freedom.
  
  When the Divine Sundering came, Aetheria did not fall as how many of the other kingdoms beneath its clouds did.
  
  The war between the Archons never truly reached the floating isles, nor did any of the sieges or bloodshed plague its lands. But even the skies were not safe from the chaos. Shockwaves from the battle between the Archons shook the very core of the isles ripping through reality of Aetheria.
  The winds of once tamed by Zephiron had become wild and unpredictable, the uncontrollable gusts pushed the islands apart further than they had ever been before, separating them from one another. Some of the isles reality had become so fractured that the skies which had once been serene had become unstable, riddled with fractures where reality and gravity became twisted and abnormal.
  
  Zephiron fought—not for conquest, nor for power. He fought for the freedom of his people.
  Some say that during the Sundering, Zephiron had attempted to tether Aetheria together, struggling against the chaos to keep the isles from scattering apart, others say that he had embraced the chaos and instead of trying to stop the separation and risk the isles crashing into one another, he allowed them to freely drift apart while entrusting his people to find their own way.
  
  Now, Aetheria is more scattered than it has ever been before. The floating isles now drift freely amongst the skies with no anchor, no center. The kingdom that was once known for its unity was now one of wanderers, nomads and those who have lost their way.
  While there Aetheria still exists and there still are isles that continue to remain tranquil as before, there are others that have become dangerous, ravaged by eternal tempests left in the wake of the Sundering. It has become so well-known that there are regions of the Aetheria's floating isles that have been given nicknames such as the Skygrave—isles that have been caught in an endless crosswind of unpredictable gravitational shifts and the Hollowed Temptests—isles that are constantly being swirled around within an endless raging storm, seeing these isles from a distance almost appears like a giant black wall of a hurricane spiraling in one place, never-moving while multiple islands swirl within it, almost like a scar upon the sky itself.
  

 

[Nothingness]

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕​

• Magitech
• Ethellis
• The Fracture

• 
  𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡
  
  Since Ethellis is a world where everyone is born with a specific elemental affinity, technology would naturally evolve to incorporate elemental energy as a primary power source. Unlike traditional industrialization, where steam or electricity dominates, Ethellis would rely on elemental conduits, catalysts, and engineered magic to drive innovation. The power sources that the world of Ethellis uses is called Elemental Cores, these cores are either naturally occurring crystals or artificially created constructs that store and release elemental energy, as a form of 'battery'. These cores can be used in numerous different ways such as for airships, tide-power ships, and even rail networks.
  
  Many of the floating isles such as those once ruled by Astrid or Zephiron have massive crystals created originally by the Archon that generate a near infinite amount of their respective elemental energy which keeps the isles afloat to this day.
  
  Other forms of use for the technology is that of Elemental Automatons—robotic golems that have been known to be used as workers, warriors or even guardians. Unfortunately, after the Divine Sundering and the disruption of magical energy, it has been rumored that some of these golems have gone on rampages and have somehow discovered a will of their own to attack their owners and now wander the world aimlessly.
  
• 
  
  
  𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐬
  
  Ethellis, a land of both breathtaking beauty and lingering scars—a world shaped by the hands of Archons, shattered by their wars, and left to be rebuilt by mortals. It was a realm where elemental magic flows like river through all living things, where vast kingdoms rise and fall, and where the echoes of the past still linger in the form of ancient ruins, forgotten power, and the fractures left behind by the Divine Sundering.
  
  From the moment of birth, every being in Ethellis is tied to an element. Lightning, Water/Ice, Earth, Fire, Nature, Wind—each person is born with a mark of a fundamental element within them, shaping their abilities and destinies.
  The energy of this world is referred to as Aether. It flows through all things, binding the land and sky together. Before the Sundering, the Archons harnessed and controlled this power, acting as divine rulers over their respective elements and keeping the balance of the world with their mastery over it. But now, with some fallen and others vanished, balance has been shattered and the world's magic has become unstable and unpredictable.
  
  Due to the balance of Aether energy being disrupted due to the Sundering, anomalies have formed known as Fractures—cracks in reality where magic behaves erratically. These places are often dangerous and unnatural, as they are the remnants of the divine conflict and the lingering energy of a lost Archon.
  
• 
  
  
  𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞
  
  The Fracture is not simply a single wound in reality—it is a network of unstable, ever-expanding distortions that seep into the land of Ethellis, twisting the world in unpredictable and dangerous ways. Due to the Fractures being practically literal wounds in the world, visible cracks lingering in the middle of the sky or grassy plains is not uncommon. Many scholars argue that these cracks are a portal to another realm, while others claim that it is simply the unraveling of existence itself due to the aftermath of the Divine Sundering.
  
  Where the influence of the Fractures are most strongest—time, space, and even life itself becomes unstable. These places are feared and most avoid it, while the Prophets of the Fracture believe they hold forbidden knowledge and a path to true transcendence.
  
  The Fracture not only twists, warps and corrupts the land but it also distorts life itself. The Fractureborn are creatures that have either spawned from the depths of the Fractured cracks in reality or are existing beings that have been corrupted and consumed by its energy. Some examples of the Fractureborn are:
  
  • Echo Wraiths - These are fragments of lost souls, caught between worlds and trapped in an eternal loop of their final moments before death; never being allowed to pass on to the afterlife, their souls suffer agonizingly. Some whisper prophecies, others can be heard screaming in pain as they relive their endless torment, while others attack in fits of rage. These trapped and corrupted souls can be freed once someone defeats them in battle once more.
  • Hollowbeasts - Once ordinary animals, now have had their entire beings hollowed out by the energy from the Fracture. Their bodies twisted, mangled and corrupted. The husks of their bodies emitting a purple voidlight and crystalline growths all over their bodies. Their instinct for survival gone and only now attack any and all of those who they spot.
  • Fractured Sentinels - Ancient guardians, warriors or constructs of an unknown material. Their forms all differ but their bodies all appearing to be made of the same mixture of black, red, and purple crystalized material. They are left to wander aimlessly around Fractured cracks, mindlessly serving their duty to protect the Fracture. Some believe they hold memories of a forgotten civilization.
  • The Unseen - No one has ever been able to truly describe these beings, all that has been said by those who have witnessed anything even remotely connected to them are glowing eyes within the cracks of the Fracture. They are said to dwell beyond the Fracture, waiting.
  These are just a few of the known Fractureborn that have eyewitnesses. It is believed that within the Fracture itself, is another realm all-together, one that holds many other unspeakable and corrupted creatures.
  
  Due to how the Fracture disrupts and disturbs the natural reality of everything around it. There are also unpredictable surges of Fracture energy that can appear in highly unstable areas that have multiple Fracture cracks. These are called Fracturestorms and unlike ordinary storms, these do not bring rain—they bring the impossible. Some examples of Fracturestorms are:
  
  • Time Distortion - Past, present and possible futures blends together. You may end up fighting against echoes of your former self, or what you could've been. Battle against old adversaries long dead, or relive a moment over and over again.
  • Spatial Warping - Entire regions may shift—mountains may end up be floating, villages may be upside down, pathways may lead to nowhere, doors may lead to completely different areas altogether.
  • Elemental Corruption - The laws of nature break. Water may burn, fire will freeze, lightning will flow like water, and the earth itself may become weightless.
  • Fractureborn Manifestations - Some of the most powerful and never before seen Fractureborns can only be witnessed within a Fracturestorm. It theorized that Fracturestorms are another gateway into the Fracture realm because of this.
  • Veil Echoes - Disembodied voices, glimpses into forgotten pasts or uncertain futures. Fracturestorms can and will peer into the memories and emotions of those trapped within them. Manipulating their pasts and possible futures, causing those trapped within to see visions of things that should not be nor should ever happen, even causing the individual to hear something another person they may know to ever say.
  Fracture storms are a test of will, skill and luck. Only the strongest are capable of passing through a Fracturestorm unscathed and their minds intact.
  
  There are areas of Ethellis where the effects of the Fracture are also at its most powerful. These specific places have been called Fracture Zones due to how unstable the energy in these areas are. Due to their unpredictable, dangerous and mysterious nature of these places, they have been given specific names by the people of Ethellis.
  
  • The Sunderscar - A massive canyon that eventually leads to a large crater. It is said that this is the first place where the Fracture had manifested as this was the place where the first strike to spark the Divine Sundering occurred, causing the formation of the crater. Time moves differently here—some say you can meet versions of yourself that never existed.
  • The Hollow Abyss - A deep chasm where all light vanishes, and the sky looks as though it was from a different world altogether. Those that enter here have either been known never to return or have returned twisted or just not the same in someway or another.
  • The Wailing Tundra - A frozen wasteland where the snow itself whispers in voices that no one recognizes. The voice seems to hypnotize those who enter, causing them to see illusions of things that may not be happening before their own eyes. Some travelers have said to have seen themselves die, only to awaken outside of the Tundra hours later, completely unharmed.
  • The Unmoored Isle - An island that appears and disappears across the oceans, seemingly appearing in multiple places at once. Those who have attempted to sail toward the island before it disappears have said that no matter how much they attempt to get close, it almost appears as though they never get any closer toward it.
  These zones are of great interest to the Prophets of the Fracture, as they see them as keys to unlocking the truth of the world.