Idalos History
What Legends Tell
There have been many legends told of how the Immortals came to be. Some say they've always been in constant battle since the beginning of time when they were born from the shadow of light. Others say that it was the world, Idalos, that created them. Though truthfully, their roots are much deeper than any mortal man could comprehend.
In the beginning, before the waves ever touched the coasts of Ne'haer or the wind caressed the skies above, there were eight beings who occupied this world. Their creation was unknown as well as their purpose in existence however, each being possessed abilities that influenced the world around them. They never could understand it, but their abilities- no, their very existence- was bound to the world and the harmony and balance within it. They did not become aware of this connection until it was too late. You see, these eight beings were much like humans in a sense that they craved life, for challenges, for obstacles and the thrill of overcoming them. At the time, none of them understood these very mortal emotions. All they understood was the fact that, even together, they were lonely and became restless. These eight began to push the line of balance by creating copies of themselves, designing each copy with a specific purpose and ability. Before long, there were many copies wandering the lands of Idalos, creating, manipulating, and ultimately, destroying themselves.
As the legends tell, these eight were never made to procreate. The more copies they made further disturbed the cosmic balance that ruled Idalos. So, to correct the balance and restore harmony once more, all but one being shattered. There was no warning, no signs of their doom. Like a mirror, they cracked, each copy they had created caused a shimmering scar on their bodies till they shattered. Delana, the only survivor of the original eight, was scarred with only one shimmering crack on her flesh. Some legends assume that the crack was a scar of a copy she made, others claim that it is a symbol of her triumph over death. Though, there was no mistaking something sinister lurked within her...
When the news of their creators' deaths reached the copies, panic erupted. Each copy who had abused their abilities could feel the imbalance they had caused begin to correct itself. For some, the news reached them too late, for others, the news was their death sentence right before they too shattered. Needless to say, this was a time of great sorrow and bitterness. The copies that remained, the ones who suffered through this agony... They are the ones we call Immortals.
When Revolution Comes
The mists of sorrow enveloped the Immortals, each affected by the loss of their creators with little resistance to the bitterness of death. The Immortals didn't understand how to handle death because none of them had ever seen it or experienced the loss of someone they loved. This was a new emotion to all of them, something that crippled most. However, with the fall of the original beings came the rise of the humans as they quickly spawned on the plains of Idalos and began their evolution. To correct the balance the Immortals' existence had caused in the world, humans, from the essence of the deceased original seven, were created to balance out their other worldly counterparts.
Many years had past in the world of Idalos before any of the Immortals took notice of mankind, but when they did, fear drove tensions high as they observed the mortal beings. Some of the Deities were fascinated by the humans; they were thankful for the mortals' existence and for providing purpose to the Immortals. But the other Deities were far from pleased as each passing day they watched their brethren study and interact with the humans. This only served to provoke anger from those who disapproved of such actions, viewing the mortal scum as the sole reason why their creators shattered. It was when the Immortal, Daia, was slain at the hands of humans did the Immortals reach physical conflict. Faldrun was among the first of the Deities to threaten them into submission, commanding his brothers and sisters to rid the human scum from Idalos lest the other Immortals wanted to meet the same fate as Daia. Out of fear, some of them succumbed to his will. Out of noncompliance, others left, choosing to remain silent but observant to the rest. And out of moral value, others rose up against Faldrun. It was then, when wrath and righteousness collided, that their heavenly world began to crumble along with the lands of Idalos and the humans that resided within it.
War was unleashed. Immortal against Immortal, fighting for the existence of a race that provided balance and purpose for the Deities. As they fought, the Immortals quickly realized that no matter how they tried, they could not kill one another. Only through pulling out the heart of their brother or sister could an Immortal incapacitate their brethren. By the time these powerful beings realized that humans were more useful than they thought, they had returned to Idalos to gather their human forces, only to discover that the lands were breaking apart, burning and dying from the Immortals' neglect. Along with the land, a lot of the humans had perished in the fires of the world. So begrudgingly, some of the Immortals went about fixing what they could, resurrecting not only the life of the land but the people as well. However, when the humans were resurrected, not all of them came back the same. This is how the different races came to be.
Many years have passed since those gruesome events, yet the war rages on as if unaffected by time.
The Trials We Face
45 Vhalar 112
Daylight is finally here, or maybe it's just the forest ablaze that makes it seem so bright outside. I can't tell... It's been a mess since the sunset the night before. Honestly, I can't remember why I'm here, on this field, sitting around the dead bodies of soldiers who might have thought the same thing I wonder right now. I can see a man, his eyes are flat and blue, but they look more alive to me than anything I've seen tonight. He reminds me of you, grandpa, with the grey beard and mouth wrinkles. I wonder if I'll be seeing you soon..?
A week ago our company had received word of an Immortal residing in the neighboring city. It wasn't long before government officials employed the Aukari for tracking purposes. Just like dogs, those soulless freaks scoured the city looking for whoever might have been there. I had hoped for the sake of peace that they didn't find anything but when our company was assembled along with many others for a strategical meeting in the Sanctum, a stone building meant for agriculture purposes, I knew to expect the worse. We had planned to assault the city from its eastern wall, its weakness and less guarded point. After we took down the wall, we were required to kill all enemies before moving to the docks on the southern side of the city. From there, we were to wait for our commander, Toran of the Ykel, before moving any further.
We barely made it past the wall before the forest surrounding the city caught fire. From the forest, I could see dozens of people running, their bodies covered so brightly in fire that I didn't understand how they were even moving. But they did. Even when their feet touched the ground, that too caught fire. And I remember seeing them grabbing soldiers as if to hug them, only to burn them to death. Then there was battle... Something none of us had truly prepared for. Humans, Ithecal, Aukari... Both sides were equipped with weapons to kill the other and so, they did till there were only a few remaining from our company. After that, they began to move into the city but I stayed. I stayed because I couldn't look at another person who's lifeless expression I had caused. Even from outside the stone fortress, I could hear the screams of people and metal as they invaded the city.
I don't know how much time has past now. Shit, I don't even know how long I've sat here, next to this guy. But for some reason, the thought of moving forward was... unwanted. I don't want to move forward with a life like this. The war... this war we've been forced into... I can't will myself to accept that this is how things are. That fighting and killing is how we live. Why must each day be a trial or life or death? Why do the Immortals do this to us?
So, grandpa, I'm writing this to you. I know you tried to tell me about them at one point. How good some of the Immortals are. Sometimes I find that hard to believe but maybe this war will end soon, maybe it'll end with peace. I just hope that where ever you are, you're okay and that where ever I go... I'll be okay too.
Until I see you, rest in peace.
Eyron