Aesarius History
Aesarius, a very small humble world, for eons has closely guarded a great secret. This secret was passed from king to king through the eras. Each king vowed to protect the secret knowing that if it were ever found out, the world would be altered forever. The fourth era was ruled by Hardwin son of Adlard the Mighty. His careful watch during the time of the dark wars earned him the title Hardwin the Vigilant.
Although there were occasional whispers, no one from outside Aesarius ever proved the existence of the secret. Through 4 eras, the kings managed to maintain peace and the world was one great kingdom. But Azohra with her ability to sense and locate power listened to the whispers. Through veiled channels she hired the Ebony Wolf Band to search out the secret.
She was not disappointed. They discovered gemstones with the power to stave off death and protect warriors from the impacts of death if they were to die. Although these gems were rare, they provided significant advantage in battles.
Throughout the dark wars, the Black Wolf Band never chose a side. They were available to hire for both sides. When Azorha sent her best generals and wizards to Aesarius, some of the Black Wolf Band went back on their contract and made it back to Aesarius in time to warn the king.
Hardwin the Vigilant sent word to the high priests to call for help from the light gods and began preparing to stand against the intruders. The battle, known as The Withering, was fought mostly with magic. As the wizards and priests used up their own powers, they began to call on the earth for more. Deserts started to form. The battle ended when the entire world was so devoid of life that no one could survive it. Many of the priests and wizards were able to retreat to other worlds to save their own lives. Aesarius fell only a few months before The Last Battle.
With the king was always a small band of his soldiers known as the Sanguine Sentry because of their fierce devotion to the king and their belief that they could protect him even in the most hopeless situations. When he fell in the second wave of The Withering, they took him to Grentia the world of healing. He survived and has been watching over Aesarius from a distance. While most of his resources are gone, he has slowly built his small band of soldiers for the day when Aesarius is whole once again.
The Ebony Wolf Band has also been watching Aesarius from a distance. A few of the members still remember the gems they found and are waiting for the time when they can try to harvest them and sell them for profit or use them.
As time has passed, the world has slowly regained it’s strength, and seems to be habitable once again. Both of the organizations have sent individuals and teams to survey the world, discover if it truly is habitable again, and determine if it still produces the gemstones.
Those who made their way to Aesarius found it harsh, but habitable and began to set up camps and bases from which to live and protect themselves from the elements, the wild creatures and each other. Before long the Sanguine Sentry had trouble in their ranks. Several of the mercenaries hired by King Hardwin hatched a plan to overthrow his authority and take over the lands. They recruited aggressively and overplayed their hand.
Loyalists sent word back, and King Hardwin sent a small army. The first wave was able to protect the loyalists and help them relocate. Meanwhile the traitors increased their power by creating an alliance with Libila. Mordal Badur was formed. The second wave of King Hardwin's army wiped out the traitors, all except for a small hunting party.
Believing the threat to be destroyed, and unwilling to risk becoming corrupted themselves, the soldiers left the scepter, crown, and robes imbued with the power of Libila behind. As a new recruit to the cause, Redfox had little understanding of the power and corruption. When he returned from the hunt he found the chaos left behind, and picked up the crown and robes and put them on.
What part do you play? Are you part of the Sanguine Sentry? Are you hired by the Ebony Wolf Band? Are you unaffiliated but you’ve heard the world is habitable again?