Baconhands
The Traveller
Every battle was lost by Arbuzs’ kin, and soon his mortal kingdom faced destruction.
While it was never mentioned, Kadri always felt like her forefather would have tried to sue for peace, seeing how desperate the tale describes the war had gotten.
The lineaged of Arbuzs, as written in the Saga, cried out for deliverance, as their enemy was soon to destroy their kingdom in its entirety, besieging their final city. Arbuzs answered, crafting an Artefact of such great power that the besieging army was scattered in a day and his mortals were able to reclaim all land lost and soon it was Nixhem’s country that was facing destruction. Pride always swelled within the young lineaged as she read this chapter, but also a great sadness.
Arbuzs’ success worried the other Aspect Dragons; Awramaar, Aspect of Arcana and oldest of the siblings, and Selta, Aspect of Ice and the calmest of them all, tried to intervene and mediate a peace. But other forces were at work. Olikah sensed an opportunity to permanently reset the balance of power in his favour and joined Arbuzs in creating an Artefact for his mortals to use. Three others took after him, forcing the hands of five others, who took to the mortal plane to stop the destruction of their people.
All ten of the Aspect Dragons were soon embroiled in conflict, leading their people in war against each other. The final chapter culminated in a battle where all ten clashed.
The description of this battle always disappointed Kadri, for it was vague and broad in its scope. But the moment the siblings realized their folly always made Kadri take pause. The story ended with the continent shattering, and whole armies and cities falling into the abyss that the gashes in the world created.
As she placed the book down, Kadri always wondered if the Artefacts were still out there. Could they be found? Could they be used? What would happen if they fell into the wrong hands? The lineaged shook her head, and nestled herself down into the pillows that made up her makeshift bed. As she closed her eyes, she chastised herself - of course they weren't still around. If the Aspects couldn't trust themselves with such power, why would they trust the mortals, or even their First Born? Her conscience already slipping, she could not shake the question from her mind: what if they were still out there?
The Nineteen Island were not always this way. Eight hundred and twenty years ago, they were one; a continent named Euross. Following an event known as The Dragon War, in which weapons of mass destruction called Artefacts were used, Euross was shattered, and the mortal civilizations fell into political and technological dark ages that were to last at least three centuries. Where the blood of the Aspect Dragons fell, the climates shifted dramatically, and new mortal civilizations came to the fore.
The Nineteen Islands are divided between five civilizations: the Empire of Alba, the Kingdom of Volk, the Commonwealth and its colonies, the Phoenix Kingdom, and the Sapphire Islands. They share an intertwined history of war, trade, and exploration, and they all share a common religion: The Ten Aspects.
The ten Aspect Dragons, and their respective Aspects are: Awramaar (Arcana), Sidabrinis (Luck), Zalvaris (Earth), Nixhem (Metal), Bakrit (Light), Olikah (Poison/Medicine), Sendrin (Fire), Selta (Ice), Tamsus (Darkness), Arbuzs (Lightning)
