Unfolding Dream

When the Shadow God rose from the abyss, he drew close to him, his most trusted and most powerful lieutenants. With them alone did he truly share the power of the Black Flame, giving them full authority to act as his agents and his harbingers. Even then, even the mightiest among them were mere specks of dust before the sheer magnitude of what he had become. There was no question to their commitment, however. The Shadowsworn had given up everything: their souls and individual destinies, just so they could serve the Shadow God, and help him exercise his endless power. They had turned into twisted shadows of their former selves, and at the same time, powerful aspects of the Shadow God. Ulhaeron chose six above all his other followers, and shared with each of them a powerful aspect of his own, creating his six vice-regents, equal in all things, and empowered in such a way that none could ever rise above any of the others. These six, god-like beings became known as the Tenebrous Lo...

The first of the Fallen came to be when Ulhaeron arose as the Shadow God, and begun to spread his dominion anew. In that moment, many were those who were lured by his promises of power and dominion. The Shadow God came bearing gifts, granting seemingly endless power to those who followed him. Only his might was above them, but in all other things he gave them so much more than what they already had, that the sudden rush of power drove them into madness. Of course he had merely given them ways to tap deeper into their own potential, but he delved even deeper than they did, robbing them of their gift of destiny, feeding their subservient spirits to the black flame in his command. Bonded to the Black Flame, the Fallen had already begun the process of their ultimate corruption at their very core, and most of them had not even realized it. Few had the wisdom and courage to resist, and those were either enslaved, destroyed, or fled to shelter together with the Aldoren, or their allies. ...

The Ashar and the Vaenu awoke first in the unfolding dream, in the echoes of the lament of Nyris. They are both legendary celestial races, that are older than time, even by the accounts of the Unfolding Dream. For this purpose they are also known as the Aeons and the Ancients, for they were the first. Thousands of Ashar and Vaenu awoke, but they were far apart, and knew little of each other at first. They were similar in appearance, winged and ethereal, resembling angelic beings, but the Ashar were fiery and bright, and of an extroverted disposition, and an elemental affinity for Fire, Air, and Light whilst the Vaenu were darker, calm and introspective with an elemental affinity for Earth, Water and Darkness. These beings were the first to awake in the Cosmos, but they were not the only ones. Ulhaeron was said to be of a distinct kind, for he bore mixed traits of both kinds, and there were none who could recognize him as one of their kind. Some move on to argue that Ulhaeron h...

As the power of Shadow spread across the cosmos, many fell before its power, in more than one way. But what exactly is the Shadow? Essentially the Shadow is an anti-Force. It eats away at existence in the most atrocious and parasitic way. This anti-Force, however, is controlled and channeled  through the will of Ulhaeron in his capacity as the cosmic entity that is the Shadow God. Ulhaeron's mind... or actually the shadow of his mental presence, spreads across all the universe, and no being can escape it, not even the mighty Aldoren or the stalwart Caldonnas. Everyone is subject to the oppressive presence of the Shadow God gnawing at the edges of their own mind with sibilant whispers that constantly attempt to subvert and corrupt them. The Shadow God uses the anti-Force of the Shadow, luring beings in denying their true calling for the promise of power and dominion over others, frequently disguised benevolently. Those who join its lure gradually become robbed of their...

Thaeron the Brave was, without a doubt, the strongest of the Ancients. His giant physique easily surpassed that of Caldonnas, while his strength was peerless. He was a dauntless warrior, and first in all physical competitions and tests of prowess. Nonetheless, Thaeron was a kind, hearty and mostly merry giant. His uncomplicated mind was incapable of harboring true evil or hatred. His presence lent strength and courage to others, while his sheer might was simply inspiring. Yriel had mastery over the currents of Life. With her secret knowledge were the Prime Worlds crafted, and they became vessels of Life much like Life became a vessel of Destiny. She worked together with Kaehir, in the formation of the countless places that later became known as the Prime worlds. She was also the keeper of the secret of immortality which she gave to the progeny that she and Kaehir had crafted in secret. A new race whom they had shaped in Akuinor, predestined to inherit the Ancients themselves. But ...

Admon was wise, and for one of the Ashar, of a very temperate character. He was of benevolent humor, and noble minded. Intelligent but not cunning. He was rather, more of a philosopher. Always curious as to the machinations of the universe, he was also a surprisingly untroubled mind. He loved to study, because he loved the very idea of learning, and he was enthusiastic with any and all forms of knowledge. Above all, however, Admon was a magician. He developed arcane secrets, puzzles of the mind, and mysteries and runes of all kinds were his true craft, for to him, all magic arts, except for the darkest were a natural extension of his mental process. In this way Admon had tamed the currents of energy, but more importantly had mastered the notions of dimension, time and thought. Selassea had a presence of true enchantment. Where Admon was a master of magic, Selassea was the embodiment of magic. Charming, sensuous, and without a doubt emotional, she was an adept in the art of transfo...

Near-invincible in combat, Elora is the guardian of the Flame of Akuinor. Nothing eludes Elora's vigilant gaze, nor can any illusion deceive her senses. Warriors take oaths in her name, knowing the terrible vindication that will befall them if they break such a sacred vow. Her affinity towards the Flame Eternal, gives Elora the power of purification. Her mere presence brims with sanctity. Only Caldonnas is more feared by the servants of the Shadow. In Akuinor she stands guard over the throne of Akaon, studying the pillar of flame with  eternal patience, and vigilance. But her powers are not limited there, for Elora is also artful and capable in many crafts, but most importantly she has the power to inspire others, instilling hope, vigor and courage to the hearts of those who've known fear and despair. Yet, so devoted is she to her noble cause, that she has little times for the amorous advances of her counterpart Aspect Lord. For as Elora stands before the throne of Akaon a...

Nuviel held the Chalice of Fate, from which flowed the waters of Destiny, and the Atropic Edge, a blade that was the bane of whomever it touched. Of all the Aldoren, she was both the mightiest, and the most beloved. Even her wise and powerful consort, Aellon the Lord of Light was second to Nuviel in power. Nuviel was a mighty oracle. She could gaze into the chalice of Fate and read the thousand futures, but also evaluate their likelihoods, to an extent she could even control the flow of Fate, such that she decided which was the better course of events. Luckily, she was the most merciful being in the Cosmos, because she could instantly read the heart of whomever she gazed at, and understand them as if she were in their stead. Thus she used her awesome powers sparingly and with exceeding wisdom, like an infinitely loving mother. In the rare event that her fury was tested beyond her near-infinite mercy, the touch of her blade would annihilate the hapless creature that would tempt her ...

Upon the blackened throne of Astanor sat Ulhaeron, his throne adorned with trophies of misery, wickedness, corruption and enslavement. His court was surrounded with his mightiest lieutenants, devils that were once of the Ashar or the Vaenu, before the Shadow God robbed them of their soul, and turned them into hollowed avatars of vanity. The courtyard swarmed with mighty Khorgons, armed with implements of annihilation, and following them, countless other servants of the Shadow. It was a dismal sight, that robbed any who gazed upon them of their very will to exist. But where Caldonas stepped, hope still stirred in the hearts of the brave, and the Cal'ashan were dauntless. Even in the heart of the enemy's territory, terribly outnumbered, and most likely stepping into a terrible trap, none of them could ignore the unique opportunity to destroy this evil before it spread further, and end the corruption that would plague countless of innocent souls. And thus, consoled by the tho...

Caldonas led the Cal'ashan boldly through the shadow infested areas. Together they restored what they could, and purged what could not be saved. The deeper they advanced into the domain of the Shadow, the more brutal the fighting became. And while it may be only a small part of the chronicles of the Unfolding Dream, the matter of fact is that the battles during the advance of the Cal'ashan were all very long, and drawn out, until all of a sudden the front of the forces of Shadow begun to collapse rapidly, leading the Cal'ashan into a progressively bolder advance towards the rotting heart of the Shadow Realms. The stalwart warriors were wary of the cunning of their foes, and approached with great caution. But still there was no sign of deliberation. It was evident that whatever momentum the forces of Ulhaeron had gained, had come to a halt, and there were no new reinforcements. And so the Cal'ashan advanced, and the news of the attacks upon the bastions at the edge...

The Rise of the Shadow God, took the entire universe by surprise. Ulhaeron led the Colgatha and the other dwellers of the abyss on a rampage against the bastions of the Cal'ashan at the edge of the cosmos, causing multiple breaches in the colossal bastions. With their rise, the taint of the black flame begun to spread like a plague, infesting entire worlds with its corrosive touch. With his power multiplied, Ulhaeron had transformed into something unthinkable - a cosmic entity. His mind could reach out throughout the span of the entire Universe, and whisper words of corruption or dismay to the most vulnerable minds. He could issue orders to his Khorgon lieutenants across incredible distances, and he could subdue many weaker-willed beings to do his bidding. All those touched by his power were forever warped, endowed with the powers bestowed by the black flame, but also their spirits twisted and nearly - but not entirely - annihilated. In a very small timespan, nearly half of a...

But instead of dying, Ulhaeron's ambition and hunger for power, and his desire to avenge his shame and complete his conquest were too strong.  And so, the hungry, blind, miserable god begun to feed on the Black Flame, filling his emptiness with its utter blackness. And as he fed, Ulhaeron grew, becoming mightier than before. For, it is told, he devoured all of the Black Flame, and there was none left. And as such, he had become many times mightier than any one among the Ashar or the Vaenu.  But also he had become warped and demonic. All of his traits were now twisted, and as his power multiplied, so did his evil grow, casting a shadow of its own. At long last, Ulhaeron became the dreaded Shadow God. Such was his power, that even the mightiest of the Colgatha would obey his will, and so he summoned them and rose from the abyss, leading the army of abominations in the wake of his rise.  As he soared on newfound wings of shadow, Ulhaeron laughed, and his dark ...

Ulhaeron fumed with barely contained anger at the defiance of his rivals. Moreso, when he learned that Caldonas and his warriors, whom he despised, fought at their side. Gathering all of his vast hosts, the God-King led his warriors to lay siege upon Akuinor, the better to drown out the triumph of the Aldoren before they could cause him more harm.  In brazen arrogance, Ulhaeron summoned his brethren in order to humiliate them with his scorn. Instead of that, Aellon stepped forth and issued a terrible verdict upon Ulhaeron, stripping him of all his might and power in front of his armies. After that Ulhaeron fled the site like a wretch, whilst his armies scattered once their mighty king was gone. Having no one to order them, the Khorgons rampaged across the Cosmos, and now the Cal'ashan were hard pressed in their fight. Aellon's heart was rent with sadness and dark foreboding. Not even wise Nuviel could entirely lift his heart, after what had happened. The Lord of...

Caldonas was ever tameless and defiant, but Aellon was the noblest of the Ashar. He and Ulhaeron shared many things in common, but also had a lot of differences. Where Ulhaeron was self-assured and filled with a powerful conviction, Aellon was hesitant, and ponderous. While Ulhaeron was lordly and easily issued orders, Aellon was soft-spoken, and temperate. And while Ulhaeron was driven and ambitious, Aellon was stoic and devoted. In the beginning they had a powerful cooperation, but Aellon grew restless and could not find fulfillment by following Ulhaeron's commands. When Ulhaeron was yet mostly sane, Aellon took his leave, and departed on a quest for fulfillment. As legends say, Aellon found Akaon the dreamer himself, dreaming asleep within the very heart of Yrion. Alone among the Ashar and the Vaenu, Aellon had had the greatest of revelations. With the guidance of Akaon, Aellon attained enlightenment and found all the answers to all the questions that had troubled him. Wiser...

Ulhaeron asked the Aldoren to submit to him. They refused. Akhar, one of his mightiest generals arrived with a vast host of Khorgons behind him, and the promise of destruction if the Eight Forces refused to submit. Though they had not prepared for war, the Aldoren did not submit, and a terrible battle broke out.  Akhar was a cunning and powerful warlord. He and his Khorgons had forced countless other realms into submission before. But the Eight had already fought to liberate others numerous times. They had fought the Khorgons before, and were not afraid of Akhar. More importantly, as legend has it, the Aldoren, and those who came with them, were gifted with formidable powers granted to them directly from Akaon and Nyris. They bore the blessings of the Flame Eternal and the Aether. Any one of the Eight Forces could not be brought down by a host of Khorgons. Together, however, they were truly unstoppable. They dispersed Akhar's armies, and forced him to retreat in shame...

But Caldonas and Ulhaeron were far from the only forces in the vastness of Yrion. There were many others, most with their own individual ideals or agendas. And that was exactly the problem. As Ulhaeron's power spread across Yrion, few had realized that they had no hope against him on their own, but if, perhaps, they would unite, then they had more than a chance. Yet Ulhaeron was cunning and sent many of his followers all across Yrion, and his agents brought discord and disagreement among those who conspired to oppose him. And thus his power and influence continued to grow, and even the occasional loss of some of his Khorgons in battle against Caldonas and the Cal'ashan was little more than a petty nuisance for the mighty God-King. And yet, against the odds, a coalition formed, centered around the eight wisest and mightiest of both the Ashar and the Vaenu. The story of this formation is a tale in its own right. What will be told here is that eventually, each of the E...

There was one Ashar who had renounced Ulhaeron, even from the first days, when the God-King yet appeared as a visionary leader, and had lured many to submit to his wise rule. Caldonas had brazenly defied Ulhaeron's call, because he had seen the latter's concealed ambition. Some legends say, that for this stance, Ulhaeron placed a curse on Caldonas making him incapable of any work of creation, but only destruction. Other legends say that Caldonas had always been like this. The only one, among all the gods, whose power was to destroy and dismantle. Regardless of the truth of these things, and despite the kind of his power, Caldonas had a deep love and affection for the work of creation. Such was his love of creation that it transcended envy, and it made him wander throughout the birthing universe. Fearful of his own powers, Caldonas held them all within, and searched endlessly for a cure of his curse, or at least some form of salvation. His quest led him to the con...

Yrion was the sum of Akaon's dreams, and in and of itself a colossal universe, spinning around the Pillar of Eternity. Within it, millions of stars burned with incredible potential and power. The Ashar and the Vaenu traveled in the birthing Cosmos. It was they that gave names to the million stars. It was they that first begun to willfully shape the apparent chaos that had erupted around them. Yet unbeknownst to the youngling gods, even as they begun to shape the chaos, shedding its imperfect elements into the nothingness below, an infinite abyss begun to form in the nether regions of Yrion, where all the vileness and evil that the early universe expelled gathered and mixed, forming a primordial nightmare. From this vile darkness, the terrible nightmarish Colgatha sprung into existence. But the brightness of Yrion frightened them yet, and thus they lingered inside their abyssal realm that was named Ulchanoth. Besides the Ashar and the Vaenu, another singular but powerful god...

Startled, Nyris cupped her palms around the flame protectively, fearing that it too would extinguish just as Akaon had vanished into stardust. Longingly, her starry eyes gazed into the flame, in search of any sign of Akaon within - but he was gone. Tears escaped her gaze then, and they were the most beautiful thing in all of creation. A silky voice broke from her mouth, carrying the unimaginable echo of her longing, and the voice intensified and echoed across the emptiness that surrounded her, as a lament, filled in equal part with love and sorrow, but infinitely beautiful. "Come back to me!" she whispered. "Come back to me!" she called. But only silence answered. And the echo of her voice. Stars woke in the aftermath of her lament, and some even tore themselves apart into bright novae, even as her song ensued, echoing across the cosmos, waking it into existence. When the song was over, the flame that became Yrion was surrounded by a myriad of woken sta...

The revelation of Nyris was a momentous event in Akaon's existence. Her presence placed everything in perspective. By gazing, bewildered, at Nyris, Akaon finally realized what he needed to do next. There was no doubt in his mind. As the winged goddess approached him, he approached her too, filled with purpose. Akaon raised the hand within which he bore the very fire of existence. The flame that could very well have once been his beating heart. Their meeting was momentous, and much of it is written in poems and hymns alike. For without it, there would be no Dream, and without the Dream, without the Flame of Yrion sustaining it, the universe would not be the same. Nyris approached and reached to touch the flame. Akaon gazed at her calmly, yet dazzled by the entirety of what had already happened, but also from the future that had been revealed to him alone. The flame of Eternity leaped from his hand to the embrace of Nyris, and just a moment before the two deities co...

Akaon tried to channel the fire that burned within him, giving shape to the innummerable hopes and dreams contained within his being. He created perfection effortlessly, each creation better to the one before, and yet, it was all futile. For all his power, everything was to him as a passing plaything was to a child – an inconsequential triviality, whilst Akaon yearned for the profound, the unknown, that over which he had no mastery. So in his solitude, Akaon begun to despair, for what was to some the ultimate liberty, the ability to do all they willed, also became their prison. What meaning was there in existence if all was preordained in a certain manner, if all that came to pass was already perfect, or happened exactly as they willed it? And then the eternity that encompassed him acquired substance, and from nothing, something came to pass. A second impossibility occurred, one that had come to balance the first. A being unfolded from the darkness, a wondrous and ...

In the beginning... there was nothingness. A silent womb of infinite unborn potential. In the midst of this vast nothingness a light shone. Light that was older than time. Existence that did not recollect its own birth. Infinite potential coalesced within a single point, its size irrelevant inside the infinity that surrounded it. A single fiery being stood ponderously in the embrace of naught. Unborn dreams lingered at the edge of his gaze. Dreams that he had dreamt before time itself. And this impossible being had a name that could not be true, and yet it was. Akaon. The Dragon. The Dreamer. The God. Akaon stood silent and motionless, but his entire being was ablaze with the desire and passion of creation. And in this utter silence Akaon thought he was alone. A lone god in an empty universe.