Unveiling the Mysteries of Dusk
The Hidden War and the Star Loved
Explore the epic tale of Anunaera’s quest to create a pure and immortal race, untouched by the shadow of Balakar. Discover the origins of the Luthariel and the celestial conflicts that shaped their destiny.
Celestial Conflict
Delve into the divine war that fractured the pantheon and reshaped the mortal world.
The Luthariel
Uncover the creation and significance of the Star Loved, a race born from purity and light.
Anunaera's Vision
A People of Light and Purity
Anunaera, driven by a desire to create beings untouched by the shadow of Balakar, sought to imbue her creations with the essence of light, purity, and healing. She envisioned a race that would stand as a testament to her ideals, free from the shadow that plagued her previous works.
The Birth of the Luthariel
The Luthariel, or ‘Star Loved’, were born from Anunaera’s meticulous efforts with the elves of Isarion. Over centuries, she selectively guided the purest among them, creating a new race with an imperceptible shadow. Upon announcing her hidden creations to the pantheon of Gods, their purity was further sanctified by a gift from Knul Vaelrath, bestowing them with immortality. This decision disrupted the natural order of life and death. Immortality was seen as a dangerous deviation from the balance that the gods had collectively maintained. The Hidden War had begun.
The Fracturing of the Divine Pantheon
A Divine Schism
The divine pantheon, once a unified and harmonious assembly, was torn asunder by the creation of the Luthariel. Anunaera’s act of bestowing immortality upon her creations divided the gods into two opposing factions. One group saw this as a gift of purity and eternal beauty, while the other viewed it as a dangerous disruption of the natural order.
Those who supported Anunaera believed that the Luthariel represented an ideal of unblemished existence, free from the taint of mortality. They saw immortality as a divine blessing that would elevate the Luthariel above all other beings. However, the opposing faction, led by Balakar, the guardian of death, argued that immortality threatened the balance of life and death, a cycle that had been meticulously maintained since the dawn of time.
This ideological rift led to a catastrophic war among the gods, shattering ancient alliances and turning once-close allies into bitter enemies. The pantheon was irreparably fractured, with some gods exiled, others diminished in power, and a few even destroyed in the ensuing conflict. The divine realm was forever changed, its unity lost to the echoes of war.
The Shattering of the World
The celestial war between the gods unleashed forces of unimaginable power, causing cataclysmic events that reshaped the mortal world. Earthquakes rent the land, volcanic eruptions spewed forth rivers of molten rock, and violent storms ravaged the skies. These events scarred the landscape, altering the course of rivers and the shape of mountains.
In some regions, the veil between the divine and mortal realms was weakened, allowing strange and dangerous creatures to seep into the world. These thin places also gave birth to the Veil Touched Races: the Tieflings, Goblins, and Skavs. These beings, touched by the residual energies of the divine conflict, became a part of the world’s new reality.
The shattering of the world was a testament to the destructive potential of divine power, a reminder of the fragile balance that exists between the realms of gods and mortals. The landscape bore the scars of this celestial conflict, forever changed by the forces unleashed in the divine war.
The Curse of Immortality
The Luthariel's Bond to Tinrael
In the aftermath of the celestial war, a compromise was reached among the surviving gods. Anunaera was allowed to keep her created elves, the Luthariel, as immortal beings, but with a significant caveat: their immortality would be intrinsically tied to their homeland, Tinrael.
Using her divine powers, Anunaera pulled a land from the Varakul Sea and named it Tinrael. This land, nestled near the Everlands and shielded by Anunaera’s magic, was set apart from the rest of the world. The Luthariel’s immortality was bound to the harmony of Tinrael; as long as they remained in sync with the natural order of their land, they would live indefinitely.
However, if the Luthariel strayed from this path or if Tinrael itself was corrupted, they would begin to age and die. This curse ensured that the elves would always be protectors of their homeland, making them stewards of the natural world but also vulnerable to its changes and threats. The Luthariel’s fate was forever intertwined with the land of Tinrael, a bond that defined their existence and purpose.
Dusk of the Gods
As the echoes of the celestial war faded, the prime deities retreated into the twilight of their existence. Anunaera, the goddess of light and purity, withdrew from the world, leaving her beloved Lûthariel to guard Tinrael. The land, a sanctuary drawn from the Varakul Sea, became their eternal home, bound to their immortality. Yet, the shadow of Balakar, the god of death and corruption, lingers. Though defeated, his dark influence seeps into the hearts of the susceptible, threatening the delicate balance of the world.
