The war was over.
From the scarlet mists of the Crimson Verge, they returned—435 million souls out of the three billion who had once stood to defend Ardentis. Silent, steady, and weathered by loss and courage, they stepped once more onto the soil they had bled for.
All around them, the world waited.
First came the Elves (Elvari / Elvyn)—graceful, long-lived beings, deeply attuned to magic and nature. They had aided the blessed humans off the battlefield with healing and sustenance.
The Dwarves (Durnir / Stonekin) emerged next—proud and steadfast, their armor gleaming with the very metal they had poured into billions of blades. Their forges had burned for warriors they would never meet—crafting nearly 500 million weapons daily. Now, their eyes glowed with silent pride.
From shaded glades and quiet hills, the Halflings (Lurelings / Hearthfolk) arrived—some barefoot, some cloaked in shifting enchantments. Once underestimated, their clever enchantments and stealth had turned the tides in places unseen.
Soft laughter followed like windchimes as the Fae (Myrrhkin / Liltwraiths) appeared—mischievous, ancient, and elusive. Masters of illusion, contracts, and fate, they had sown chaos in enemy ranks, setting clever traps and turning deception into art.
Then from above, descended the Celestials (Seraphiir / Aetherians)—winged beings marked by glowing veins of starlight. Their wings folded with reverence, their presence resonating like a hymn. Wielders of raw celestial energy, they had shown the warriors their paths through darkness and kept the legions united across vast distances.
The ten Legion Commanders stood shoulder to shoulder, cloaked in silence. Around them gathered the survivors—every race, every clan, every warrior. Even the four Heavenly Dragons stood still, wings folded like ancient monuments.
All eyes turned to the sky.
High above, the clouds parted.
A great silver glow spread across the firmament as Chronarix descended, his vast wings shimmering like eternity itself. Upon his back stood Kaerith Val'Dragan, cloaked in wind and blood, his expression soft with gentle smile—his eyes tired, yet at peace.
Behind him soared the Eleventh Legion, riding in perfect formation on the backs of gleaming wyverns.
As Chronarix touched down upon Ardentis, a hush fell—deep and reverent.
A silence heavy with awe and unspoken gratitude.
Eyes glistened. Hearts swelled. Banners lowered. Even the eldest of warriors bowed their heads.
In that moment, Kaerith was no longer merely a commander.
He was a symbol—a beacon of survival, the embodiment of sacrifice, unity, and unyielding will.
As his feet touched the earth, the five Heavenly Dragons bowed low, their immense heads dipping in solemn respect.
Their ancient souls, carved by time itself, acknowledged the mortal who had carried their legacy through fire and ruin.
The wind stilled. The world paused.
No words were spoken. None were needed.
In that silence lived everything: grief, honor, love, and a promise that what they had built, they would never lose again.
The sun rose slowly over Ardentis.
Not the sun of battle or of fire-split skies—but a gentler light, one that crept quietly over the hills, spilling gold through the broken canopies of once-blackened trees. Dew clung to petals that had not bloomed in years. Birds, long silent, tested the morning with cautious song.
Among the ruins of the last battlefield, flowers had begun to grow.
No voices stirred. No orders rang out. Only the rustle of wind through grass, and the soft thump of footsteps from those wandering through a world trying to remember how to breathe.
Scattered across the land, people gathered. Some to mourn. Some to rebuild. Some just to stand in the warmth of the sun and know that they had lived to see it rise again.
Kaerith Val'Dragan stood at the edge of a vast, open field once scorched by war. His cloak brushed gently over the earth as he knelt—pressing his palm to the soil. It felt warmer now. Softer. As if the world had forgiven them.
Behind him, the remnants of the Eleventh Legion waited in silence. Not for orders—but simply to be with him.
Even the five Heavenly Dragons descended in their human forms, standing in solemn silence upon the sacred soil of Ardentis. There, the Hundred Pillar Sanctuary was forged—not by mortal hands, but by the dragons themselves. Upon each towering spire, the names of three billion warriors who answered the final call were carved—nearly 2.5 billion of whom never returned.
The Birth of the Six Continents
In the age following the Great War, Ardentis was divided into six great continents. Thirteen mighty empires and thirty-eight independent nations arose across five of these lands, shaping the fate of the realms.
The sixth continent, however, remained sacred—a hallowed domain reserved for Kaerith Val'Dragan and the four other clan heads who had, alongside him, reached the legendary fifth stage of the Heavenly Eye. These five transcendent warriors stood as patriarchs of the newly forged Five Great Families.
Valtherion – Central heartland of the world, home of the Republic and founding 5 Families.
Zephyraas
Drelmora
Nytherra
Thar'Zuun
Elarithae
The Five Great Families
Family Val'Dragan (Abyssalor)Led by Kaerith Val'Dragan — Masters of Spirit and Unseen Energies
Family TempestrisLed by Vaelros Tempestris — Keepers of Swift Storms and Justice
Family PyrotharLed by Sylindra Pyrothar — Bearers of Flame and Renewal
Family TerrakhanLed by Draegor Terrakhan — Pillars of Earth, Endurance, and Strength
Family ZephryssLed by Calyndor Zephryss — Guardians of Ocean Secrets and Ancient Wisdom
From the original eleven great legions, six merged with these five leaders, giving birth to the Five Great Families—each led by a warrior patriarch whose strength and wisdom reshaped the old order. With their rise, the ancient clan system was dissolved, freeing others to choose their path among the thirteen empires or independent nations.
The Nine Realms of Ardentis
Connected through ancient Realm Gates, these diverse realms intertwine their fates with Ardentis.
Sylvaris — The Realm of the Elven Kin
Enchanted forests and shimmering lakes shelter the Elven Kin—graceful, long-lived beings gifted with arcane mastery and a deep bond with nature.
Traits: Arcane mastery, harmony with nature, ethereal beauty.
Thal'Kor — The Realm of the Seafolk
Beneath crashing waves and rugged coasts lies the realm of merfolk, tritons, and sea witches—masters of tides and ancient oceanic magic.
Traits: Aquatic adaptation, oceanic magic, wisdom of the seas.
Gorundar — The Realm of the Stoneborn
Rugged mountains and labyrinthine underground kingdoms shelter dwarves, gnomes, and earth elementals known for endurance and craftsmanship.
Traits: Endurance, craftsmanship, stoicism.
Vyrenth — The Realm of the Skyborne
Floating islands and towering peaks house winged races such as Aarakocra and Griffon Riders, renowned for flight and speed.
Traits: Flight, speed, vigilance.
Nythralis — The Realm of Shadows
A twilight realm inhabited by shadow elves and phantoms, masters of stealth and illusion.
Traits: Stealth, shadow magic, mystique.
Nimbreth — The Realm of the Feywild
Ever-shifting landscapes of wild enchantments, home to sprites, dryads, and trickster spirits where magic flows unpredictably.
Traits: Illusion, nature magic, trickery, boundless creativity.
Fen'Thalor — The Realm of the Beastfolk
Dense jungles and vast savannas where beastfolk tribes—werewolves, feline humanoids, centaurs—live in harmony with primal nature.
Traits: Physical prowess, primal instincts, tribal bonds.
Aetherion — The Realm of the Celestials
Suspended between skies and cosmos, home to Seraphiir and Aetherians—winged beings glowing with starlight, embodiments of cosmic wisdom.
Traits: Flight, celestial magic, light manipulation, transcendent wisdom.
Etherealum — The Spirit Realm
A parallel plane of spirits, ethereal entities, and celestial beings intersecting Ardentis at sacred sites, source of spiritual energy and otherworldly wisdom.
Traits: Intangibility, spiritual energy, otherworldly wisdom.