Tag: great elvish dominion

#Lore24 – Entry #340 – Sci-Fi Month IV #5 – The Calling of Demons

Transcribed From the Personal Recording Implant of Andra Ganim, Chronicler of the Codex Infinitum

RV:  “I am most certainly NOT saying that, Ms. Ganim.  I am saying that I was responsible for discovering the methods of contacting the realm of demonkind and developing the methods by which we could gain access to their power.  Any irresponsible use after that cannot be placed upon my shoulders.”

AG:  “Of course, of course.  Could you explain how this line of research came about?  What were you researching at the time?”

RV:  “Interdimensional, planar travel, even the concept of parallel realities, the “multiverse” if you will; truly few minds were capable of grasping the concept in that era.  My initial research had focused upon improving the ability to transport our soldiers and supplies long distances through magical gateways, in concordance with the use of scrying to perhaps arrange for surprise attacks upon our enemies.  For as idiotic as they are, the aerians were wise to our methods, thanks to their kerryn allies, primarily, so finding a workaround to their detection and countermeasures was naturally a priority. 

It was during my studies of a particular draconic ruin and the ancient portal there that I pieced together the early concept of my multiversal theory and began to theorize that perhaps the dragons that we have so long sought could have not only left Andyllion and our galaxy, but they could also have left our reality entirely.  My unique brilliance has led me to many such radical theories over the centuries, and I have, more often than not, been proven correct.”

AG:  “Were you the first person on Andyllion to make contact with the demons, then?”

RV:  “I was, yes, quite possibly the first outside the Demon Barrier and the Demon Sector, in fact, but that’s something we’ll have to circle back to later.  It was during one of the many jaunts I took through the planes during that time.  I had taken precautions, of course, to hide my trail, and had not shared my ability to shift amongst the planes with my fellow arcanists at the time.  In those days, you see, only the priests were considered capable of such a thing, should they travel to the realm of their gods, and that was seen strictly as a reward for their devotion.  What I did then transgressed the commonly held beliefs at the time, for it was assumed that all magic called upon the “aether” present in the world, that elementals were summoned from the four elements, that sort of thing.  I could go on at great length about ancient arcane theory, but I don’t think that’s what you’ve come for.

To answer your question more thoroughly, I had found a trail of corruption in certain planes and realms I had visited, and with some deduction and insight, I followed that trail and puzzled out the particular ritual methods that must be performed in order to bridge the gap into the demonic realm.  Not knowing any particular demons at the time, I was fortunate to have encountered only a minor one that was well within my ability to slay, for it was quite hostile with me.  My future attempts to contact them would be within the most controlled of environments, with strong wards and multiple layers of protection spells designed specifically to deal with beings not native to our reality.”

AG:  “How did matters escalate to the point that the demons were allowed to invade the world?  Did something go out of control?”

RV:  “Only the ego of my people.  Once I had solidified my knowledge of planar shifting and the rituals required to deal with the demons, and a mostly concrete understanding of their hierarchy and ways, I revealed my knowledge to my fellow arcanists and the leaders within the Elvish Dominion.  By this time, things had escalated to full blown war between our forces and our allies and those led by the aerians and kerryns, and the tide had already turned against us.  I will admit that my attention was elsewhere, and I had not paid due attention to the situation.  It was a decision I made in the interests of self-preservation of myself and my kind.

We originally sought only to augment our forces to fend off the advance of our enemies, to push them out of our lands.  But, once the full extent of what I had learned in the intervening centuries was understood, a plan was formulated that would break our enemies and see the Elvish Dominion returned to its proper place atop the world.  So, instead of using the demons directly as our soldiers, we would discredit our enemies and tear them apart from the inside.

Through a series of planar jumps, we were able to infiltrate deep into enemy territory without their knowledge, and once we had established our base of operations beneath the kerryn capital of Shinsei Daitoshi, we enacted our plan, coordinating with the lord of demons known as Suzu’retani, the Queen of the Succubi, the Bringer of Calamity.  Oh, don’t give me that look, Ms. Ganim; she was destroyed thousands of years ago; if any demonkind still remembers her name to even hear it uttered, they can do nothing about it within my domain. 

Now, then, the invasion started subtly enough, with her forces causing all manner of disruption amongst the enemy.  A deal was made with the demons; in return for elvish dominance over Andyllion, they could have all the aerian and kerryn souls they could possibly want.  Though I led the initial operation to bring the demons to Andyllion, I would be well away from Shinsei Daitoshi when the Demonfall occurred.  I must admit, even I was caught by surprise when Suzu’reitani subverted the kerryn faith and managed to capture Saressh.  Even I don’t know exactly how she managed that feat, but it was the madness that filled the kerryn priesthood that signaled the beginning of the Demonfall, and soon enough, the beasts ravaged our enemies, taking souls as if they would never end. 

Their taint spread, and soon enough those who had once allied with the aerians and kerryns turned to us, and against them.  The aerians, without the help of their longtime kerryn allies, were wiped out and driven from our lands.  However, though the Elvish Dominion had made a clearly defined bargain, we had not taken into account the nature of the corruption that spilled forth from their incursion in the kerryn capital.  The very essence of the demons began to corrupt and taint the world, and seemed to affect the elves more quickly and fiercely than other races.  This was initially how we garnered so much sympathy from our former enemies, in fact, for we played it off that the kerryns had summoned forth the demons, set the corruption against us, and then lost control of the monsters they had brought forth.

My own corruption was significantly lesser than my peers due to the time I spent in realms beyond our own, though even I could see that something had to be done to reverse course.  I’ll admit that I played my part in the atrocity, but I likewise did what I could to save Andyllion from the destruction that my overeager brethren had wrought upon it.  I would find myself in strange company in this endeavor, for the being known as Marcon Shadowmist would seek me out to right the situation.  Not even I can understand his way of thinking, why he had waited this long, but it was his plan that we followed to restore the balance and stop the demonic invasion.  This was what led to the Great Cataclysm, and somehow, that was the better choice, not just for Andyllion, but for the rest of the galaxy, though we certainly could not have known that at the time.”

#Lore24 – Entry #339 – Sci-Fi Month IV #4 – The Elvish Dominion

Transcribed From the Personal Recording Implant of Andra Ganim, Chronicler of the Codex Infinitum

AG:  “So would you say you specialized in destructive magic at the academy?  Would seem fitting going to war.”

RV:  “At the time, yes.  As I said, rebellious young blood.  It was my first specialization, though I have since mastered all recognized disciplines…and perhaps some that aren’t.”

AG:  “Most intriguing; I will circle back around to this later.  For now, could you describe your first experiences upon the fields of battle?”

RV:  “I would call them positively invigorating.  After being confined to the stuffiness of the academy as I had been, being in a setting where things were actually happening was a most welcome change.  I was not possessed of the fear that often overtakes someone during their first real battle, rather, I found myself in my element, almost as if it were a natural state.  Though our engagements were limited at first, I relished the chance to rend my enemies asunder through my command of the arcane.  I do believe that this was the first time I truly recognized that I had a sadistic side to my nature.  I can’t recall any specific examples, but I know I would leave many aerians in various states of dismemberment and see if I could coax some screams from them.  They are dreadfully stubborn creatures, you know, even more so back then than they are now, and it was a rare treat to make one scream in pain.”

Note:  The casual manner in which she related this sent a chill down my spine, and I am quite disturbed by the look of fond reminiscence upon her face.

AG:  “I see…how did your battlefield experience lead you to improve your house and to the formation of the Elvish Dominion?”

RV:  “It was the lack of unity I saw.  For all our enlightenment compared to the lesser races, we elves tended to stick to our own blood for whatever reason, well, back then, at least.  I daresay that was why we could never truly control the world as we so often dreamed of, because we always saw a plot against us, usually from others of our kind, for we were the only ones to be able to think that far ahead, you see.  The shorter-lived races were of no real concern except in the moment; they could always be dealt with in some form or another, but the threat that was always there was our own kind.

Even though the aerians were quite brutish and backwards in their ways, they were tenacious and had an excellent ability to work together for a common cause, namely the eradication of any elves that crossed them, and more on top of that for good measure.  For all of my brutality in slaying them with my magic, they would return the favor in kind with their own barbaric methods and had been for some time.  I noticed early on that my people would make decisions that would benefit their houses over the greater good of the entirety of the elvish nation, resulting in losses that didn’t have to happen. 

I do believe this was likely when my natural ability to lead and inspire first manifested, for I began to create alliances that broke down some of the barriers between the houses, forged in the fires of war.  After a handful of years on the battlefield, I would return to my homeland with my inner fire burning quite hot and pushed the leadership of House Volcari to change their ways.  I won’t say that it was entirely the force of my personality that was responsible for these changes and growing alliances, however much I would like to say that was the driving factor.  No, there was no small amount of subterfuge and arcane methods employed, and no few people had to be made to disappear.  Luckily enough we had an enemy that was more than capable of being manipulated into doing the work for us, exploiting the opportunities that I and my loyalists would create for them.

It was the loss of many of the elder leaders of the various houses that spurred them to action, to lay aside ancient feuds and oft-imagined plots against one another and join together to form the Elvish Dominion.  As expected, this unification, and the formation of the twelve Great Houses that would lead the entirety of the elven people caused quite the stir amongst the people on the outside.  Most saw this as a threat to their own peoples, and perhaps it was.  Some would ally with us, and some would try to remain neutral or come to the defense of the aerians, seeing the elves as a real threat for the first time. 

Quite a tumultuous period, really. 

Though I would be prominent as a force of change for some years, I would eventually return to my arcane studies, firmly established as the true power of House Volcari.  It would not be without its own dangers, certainly, and I made it a point to master my protective warding magics during this period, for there were many attempts on my life during the early days, something that has continued to this very day, believe it or not. 

In spite of the relative unrest that would prevail during this period, my studies and experimentation would lead to several remarkable advances in the magical arts, born of the study of the ancient and long-lost draconic race that likely seeded Andyllion.  I would become quite fascinated with uncovering all that I could about them, driven by a desire from deep within my very soul, as it were.  Though I had little proof of it at the time, I would eventually come to learn the nature of this fascination and how my unique nature was related to it. 

During these scant few centuries, I would likewise uncover a plethora of previously lost sources of power that would prove quite literally earth-shattering in the coming years.  You know of what I am referring to, yes?”

AG:  “You speak of the Demonfall, correct?  Are you saying that you were responsible for calling the demons to Andyllion?”

#Lore24 – Entry #338 – Sci-Fi Month IV #3 – Magical Arts, Magical Blood

Transcribed From the Personal Recording Implant of Andra Ganim, Chronicler of the Codex Infinitum

 AG:  “How would you describe your time at the academy upon the Isle of Fang?”

RV:  “Tedious.  It was far from the silly little social clubs obsessed with their legwear that it is these days, teaching little more than what could be considered the basics of arcane theory.  The ancient arcanists were still quite full of themselves, though, convinced of their own superiority in many cases, or trying to hide their contempt of those not gifted with a mind for the arcane through their good works that would earn them praise.  The humans were the worst of course; other elves were at least tolerable because I knew what to expect.  But, having never been around the short-lived beings much at all previously, it was quite the learning experience.  I seem to recall having thoughts that I was actively watching them die at some points, growing older before my eyes. 

Honestly, I can recall feeling underwhelmed once I had settled in and began my studies there, almost as if I already knew all of what they sought to teach me, on a deeper…instinctive level.”

AG:  “Instinctive level?  Could you elaborate more upon that, please?”

RV:  “Magic is in the blood of elves, my dear Ms. Ganim, and most of us, at least in those days, could instinctively perform rudimentary spells that were of a primal nature, affecting flora or fauna.  Grasping the deeper arcane methods was a rudimentary task for those elves who were possessed of even a middling intellect.  When I say that my understanding came from a deeper level, I mean that my very blood, my very soul even, was attuned to the flow of magic in ways normal elves could only dream of.  For all the tedium I suffered at the academy, it did at least make me aware of my unique nature, that there was something quite special about me that others simply couldn’t possess or understand.”

AG:  “Fascinating.  Could you elaborate more upon what this is?”

RV:  “In time.  I believe you have already alluded to this in the research you’ve already shared with me, so perhaps we’ll continue with your timeline beyond my school days?”

Note:  Her tone of voice was quite steady and calm here, yet I cannot deny the force with which Rivalle Volcari spoke.  She may have phrased it as a suggestion, but I have no doubts it was a command.

AG:  “Yes, of course.  As the records I uncovered indicated, now that you’ve confirmed your full name, you completed your studies there in only five years.  The grading scales are certainly different now, but by what records still exist, you received top marks and nothing but praise for your talents.  I imagine there was no shortage of parties interested in attaining your considerable talents?”

RV:  “Quite right.  I was offered a place within the Praxium of Arcavarlon, but at the time tensions were rising between the nations, and I had no interest in serving upon a council of my lessers.  The kerryns were insisting upon being the negotiators of peace, while the elves, dawn and dusk, and the aerians were already engaged in multiple conflicts necessitating said peacekeepers, while the humans sought, in their infantile ways, to profit from all sides.  To their credit, the dwarves and drakonae had the good sense to keep to themselves, for the most part, though they too would seek to profit from their exceptional weapon and armor craftsmanship.  The other races would barely leave a mark during this time.”

AG:  “Where did you go during this time?”

RV:  “To war.  I was quite ready to test myself against veteran battle-mages that had been dealing with the aerian nuisance for some time.  I was young then, my blood running hot, what you humans would understand as a rebellious teenager phase, and I was quite ready to test my destructive magic in a practical setting.  And that would lead to my work to build up House Volcari and see the establishment of the Elvish Dominion.”

LORE24 ENTRY #7 – Sentinel Prime

Category – Place

Sentinel Prime was once a massive space-defense fortification built during the war-filled waning decades of the Great Elvish Dominion.  Through the use of a combination of wondrous and long-lost magic and then cutting edge technology, the Dominion was able to make an entire planetary body into a moveable battle station, even allowing it to travel through hyperspace.  Meant as a final deterrent (for who could conceivably conquer a planet-sized weapon platform with full support facilities for the elvish fleets and troops that were carried aboard this behemoth?) against the growing number of systems who were fighting against elvish rule, the station, for a time, served as the Emperor’s personal stronghold.

Unable to foresee his own demise through an act of betrayal from within, the Emperor’s overthrow was likewise the beginning of the end for Sentinel Prime.  During the final battle of this period, the remaining defenders of the Great Elvish Dominion fled with the station to the furthest reaches of known space at the time, a small system on the edge of the great, mysterious region of space known as the Demon Sector.  Here they would mount their last stand, and much of Sentinel Prime would be devastated during the ensuing battles.

Over the centuries since, Sentinel Prime was scavenged by countless spacers, and was eventually rebuilt in some form and colonized, growing up from small spacer communities into a massive planet-spanning city which, in the modern era, serves as rather infamous port of call, known for the local government bucking the influence of the controlling megacorps, allowing its citizens to live a mostly free, if dangerous, existence.  As such, Sentinel is known as a place one goes to find illicit goods, perform shady dealings, and to disappear should one be on the wrong side of the law; just be sure to pack your rubber rain gear during the rainy season, though, because that acid rain is a real pain.

Since the Demon Barrier was pierced, and travel into the Demon Sector has become commonplace, Sentinel has seen a rise in population and headache, trying to remain as neutral as possible to the powers that be in the galaxy while reaping all the profits they can for those explorers diving into the unknown regions beyond the Barrier.