Tome II - The Continent of Bandu

Subject: Tome II - The Continent of Bandu Mon Feb 15, 2021 8:38 pm

TOMES OF OTHER WORLDS

Tome II

The Continent of Bandu

Term Sheet:
Jenjara = The World
Bandu = The Americas
Morte = Europe, Africa
Kasson = North America in this world
Perith = South America in this world
Forsum = The Yucatan Peninsula
Werlid = Eastern United States
Bendine = Western United States
Zepheme = Canada and Alaska

Naruen = High Elves
Nadiar = Drow Elves
Lunari = Wood Elves
Evargeist = Orcs
Grindar = Dwarves
Sapten = Humans

The continent of Bandu was born and rose from the seas. The children of the Godlike Beings known as the Ehlderkin, The Descendkin had traveled here after the failures to share the land of Morte with their kin and they set off to find another land. They found two. They named them Kasson and Perith. However, most people just refer to the whole land mass as Bandu.

On the Northern Continent of Bandu, they found it was quite expansive: from sprawling jungles, vast valleys, great mountain ranges and strange regions that were beyond description. They also found the land was abundant with life: strange creatures that their parents had imagined and brought to life and others that began to grow and evolve as the world changed. Their greatest discovery however was the existence of several primitive races that showed signs of intelligence. While most of the Descendkin moved on to live their own lives in seclusion. Those that would eventually make up The Order Of Light chose to help guide the new races, so that they would have a fighting chance in this strange and hostile world. In a region of rocky mountains, they built a small temple known as The Sanctum where they met regularly and discussed the politics of the world and how best to solve its ills.

At first, they taught them how to build their own societies and civilizations. They then made the choice to teach them a limited amount of their Arcane Arts that they had learned from their godly creators. Of course, the ability to cast and create the powerful spells the Ehlderkin used to shape the world were kept secret. They feared that if they gave this power to untested beings, it would only create more chaos than the gods had created. The Descendkin were in the midst of learning about this world as well. They found that the ability to use magic was possible because small microscopic creatures known as 'fey' lived in the atmosphere - like atoms, but denizens of this world were able to manipulate these fey by being exposed to Mana. Mana then became one of the most sought after resources on the continent of Bandu. However, when the Order of Light taught the denizens of Bandu the ability to use the Arcane Arts, everything changed.

The Naruen, who would later become known as High Elves quickly became the most powerful of the new races. They moved to the North of the continent and set up the land of Bendine in what would be The Pacific Northwest of Earth. At first, they believed in the sanctity of nature, but as their civilization grew - their focus became power. They were able to manipulate the natural world around them and build cities within the trees. They learned the Arcane Arts quickly and every young Elf was taught at an early age to use these tools. However, their nature to learn more is also what divided them. Within the Elvish Race, a handful of different sects began to form and would eventually form entirely new races. These new races would spread out through the land of Kasson and eventually the entire continent of Bandu.

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The Elves that chose to remain called themselves The High Naruen Empire. With each passing century, this race expanded not only their empire, but their knowledge of the Arcane Arts. They were even able to manipulate the Mana of the world into making themselves immortal as the Ehlderkin and Descendkin had done. They shared this knowledge with all Naruen in the hopes that it would create peace between the different clans that had formed. It is also possible that this is what caused the other races to hate the Naruen so much. Over time, as the Naruen evolved, immortality would become part of their genetic structure. However, as time passed the High Naruen Empire slowly diminished. Not only because their power decreased, but their population did as well. It is believed that their constant exposure to Mana had caused the race to become infertile.

The second most powerful group of Naruen were known as The Nadiar, also known as Drow Elves. The Nadiar, as they prefer to be called never did like nature and many suspect was the reason for their exodus from the Naruen Empire. First, they took to the mountains, instantly starting a war with the Evargeist (Orcs) and then moved underground, starting a war with the Grindar (Dwarves), but more on that later. The Nadiar inhabited the underground world in the Northern half of the continent while the Dwarves took the Southern half. The Nadiar survived both these conflicts with the Orcs and Dwarves because they favored a branch of Arcane magic that most did not - the Black Arts, creating a style of magic which would later become known as Necromancy. Over time, the Nadiar evolved into a subterranean species: their skin became lighter or had a blue shade to it, Other than the ordeal with the Orcs and Dwarves - The Nadiar choose to keep to themselves most of the time. They believed the gods the others worshiped to be false. However, what the other races saw as isolationism, was really them simply gathering resources in preparation for war. A cleansing. The purification of Bandu and then all of Jenjara.

A handful of other groups were formed and evolved into their own civilizations. However, most of them died because they weren't able to defend themselves. Of these other groups, the smallest, but somehow the only one that survived long enough to be born into the new world was The Lunari. A group of Naruen who believed that because they were becoming infertile, it was a sign from the gods that they weren't supposed to grow anymore. The only way this could be achieved was the complete separation of the sexes. The female Naruen that make up the Lunari moved into the jungles and created a civilization void of male influence. They instead favored nature, as their race had in the beginning. They became the most powerful of the elemental magic users and would go on to survive for thousands of years. While other less significant groups of Naruen would die off over time. Like the ill fated, and poorly named Fahlen Tribe.

On the Northern continent of Kasson, the Naruen were forced to share land with The Evargeist, also known as Orcs. They claimed land just opposite of the Naruen lands. They called their mountainous region home and began to make their own empire. While the Descenkin taught the Orcs the Arcane Arts, they had no desire to use it as the Elves had. Instead they saw a connection between Mana and life that no other races had. They believed Mana was the lifeblood of the Earth. They made it their race's purpose to prevent the use and manipulation of Mana by lesser beings. And when the Naruen began to split and move out from their homeland and into the Orc lands. The Evargeist saw it as a sign of war.

The Order of Light had made a pact among themselves when they started teaching these races, that they would not directly interfere with their conflicts, but instead try to steer them away from war and into peace. At first the Orcs listened and turned away from war, but when the Orcs saw what the Elves were doing with magic and their expanding kingdom into Orc lands - they saw no other choice but to fight back. For centuries, the Orcs had been stockpiling the fossilized form of Mana for select members of their civilization to use in desperate times. For centuries, the Orcs had been locating places known as Mana Pools where the large concentrated rivers of Mana have flowed for thousands of years. Over time, the Mana grows hard and is able to be harvested in the form of crystals. The exposure to these crystals forced the Orcs to evolve and develop an ability to absorb magic and create these crystals themselves (by scales that would grow and form crystals on their backs). The Orcs feared that the Naruen were after their massive stockpiles of Mana crystals. So when they found the Nadiar (Dark Elves) invading their mountains; what had only resulted in a few conflicts before had now turned into an all out war - The Endless War. A hatred still exists between Elves and Orcs to this day.

The Order of Light created a temple on the borders of Elf and Orc lands in an attempt to stop any wars from spreading. This building was simply called The Tower Of Light. It was first and foremost, a school. Children of all races were invited to come and learn not only the Arcane Arts, but to build a relationship with other races that would hopefully inspire and create a lasting peace. And while it never did put an end to the hatred of some races - it did prevent an all out genocide.. for the most part, but more on that later. Every hundred years, a new Headmaster of the Academy would be chosen. As time went on, the power of the major races diminished. The lands became more divided. Each territory became ruled not by an entire race, but by the most powerful wizard, sorcerer, necromancer or warlord in the area. The conflicts were on a small scale, but never the less had an impact on the world. Sometimes The Tower was forced to involve graduates of the school into quests that would sometimes save the lives of thousands. This is when the Order of Light began to define itself, not as a force to manipulate the world, but a group that would give the denizens of the world the chance to save themselves from those that would seek to alter the world to destructive ends.

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Around this time, among the Descendkin, a former member of the Order of Light developed the power to open rifts between alternate worlds. A power handed down from one of the Ehlderkin himself, the God known as Melikyte. This Descendkin opened a portal to another world and those who didn't agree with the Order of Light left this world and most were never heard from or seen again.

In the Southern continent, a land known as Parith was home to The Grindar (more commonly known as Dwarves). And even farther South was called Mendlans was home to the most primitive of all races, beings known as The Sapten (which looked a lot like humans). They had advanced to the stages of farming and civilization, but were seen by the Order of Light as being cruel and unable to be influenced by knowledge. For this reason, the Order of Light chose not to teach them what they knew. They would protect these beings in the hope that one day they would be able to learn. But that never happened. The World of Jenjara was on a collision course with destruction.

To the rest of the world, The Drow Elves seemed uninterested in the world above, as they continued to live underground for thousands of thousands of years. However, that came to an end when they declared war against The Grindar (Dwarves). The war lasted a thousand years and despite several pleas for help by the Dwarves, the other races refused to help them. The Drow were after the massive deposits of Mana that existed on the Southern continent. The Dwarves had no interest in magic and simply discarded this element - they were more interested in metals and crafted a great underground civilization filled with treasures and weapons the rest of the world had not even thought of. However, they did not have the numbers the Drow Elves had.

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The war didn't end until every last dwarf was slaughtered. They then turned their attention to the fledgling race of Saptens (Humans). The Order of Light soon discovered the Drow were being led by one of their own. One of the Descendkin they thought had left this world with the rest had chosen to remain behind and put an end to The Order of Light. A being that would become known as The Lost One. They only heard rumors of him and the Order did not know which of brothers this Lost One was, but they saw that he was just as destructive as their Ehlderkin parents. Less powerful, but still worth any two members of the Order of Light. Instead of fighting the Order head on, he turned the Nadiar into his army. He created a religion that would turn them into more than soldiers, but fanatics - who would not rest until their God's teachings became the only truth of this world.

insert the lost one art

His truth was this. Once he had control of the world, he would give the power that was taken away from them, back to them. The ability to make or unmake the world as they saw fit. Every being on the World of Jenjara would be able to make their own heaven. He even swore that he could make it possible for those that died to live on in the afterlife with the same promise. Needless to say, to immortal beings like the Drow, who above all else feared losing their immortality - a second immortality in the life after became what they desired. The Lost One commanded an army that did not fear death. They embraced it. And when they had control over the Southern Continent of Parith, they would turn North. However, they first went south to grow their numbers by slaughtering the infant race of The Saptens (humans) and enslaving them. That is when The Order of Light chose to interfere with The Lost One's plans. As he knew they would and he was ready. He managed to trap and kill several members of The Order. Then using the power of necromancy, he brought them back from the dead and turned them against their friends - the last remaining members of The Order of Light.

The War was devastating and last centuries. The ancient forests and temples burned. The great towers and halls that withstood thousands of years of conflict crumbled to the ground. The death toll was unfathomable and with each passing day the armies of The Lost One only grew. The most powerful wizards and warriors of the world clashed in a battle so great it caused rifts in the fabric of space and time. Entire cities were destroyed, once vibrant and lush landscapes were left desolate. It became obvious that this world would soon be coming to an end. It was in this moment that one of the Descendkin, a member of The Order of Light knew what had to be done.

At The Tower of Light was an Descendkin named Lady Yunefahl. Later, she would become the founder of InterCity's Church of Light. She knew she could not win a battle against The Lost One and his army, but she knew she had to save the history of her people somehow. Each member of the Order, as well as most of the remaining Descendkin, a handful of powerful Elf and Orc leaders and a smaller collection of powerful figures in the world were given a journey book. This book detailed the life, memories and the knowledge they had gained. When one of these people died, their soul was captured within a gem on the cover of the book. Over a span of fifty thousand years, the Order of Light had obtained thousands of these journey books and they were the recorded and living history of Jenjara.

insert final stand art

That is when she retreated into the dungeons beneath the Tower of Light. There she and the last of her Order laid down their lives to defend the massive collection of history books that she had amassed. If they could not save the world, they would at least save its memory. However, within the darkest corner of the dungeon she found a lost artifact that led to this world's beginning. It was known as The Star of Creation or The Amulet of Jenjara. She prayed to the Goddess Jenjara for which the world was named and pleaded with her to help save the world she herself helped create. Lady Yunfahl held the amulet in her hand and prepared to use its strength to fight off The Lost One's army. However, what happened would change this world and other worlds forever.

A blinding light erupted from the amulet, a massive earthquake began to tear the world apart. However, instead of destroying the world as a massive release of energy like this would have done. The Amulet of Creation had a different idea. It used all of its power to do what it could to save the world. Even if it meant fusing itself to another world that was also dying. And on another world, far across the span of space and time.. The same blinding light appeared.

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» Tome I - The World of Jenjara