Prelude

Ararul. The setting for this epic tale. The world in which multiple Gods existed, and the Gods themselves were aware of this fact.

Long ago, the land of Ararul was ruled by darkness, which grew unchecked under the influence of Alda, The Dark. There were forests of darkness where beasts hunted from time to time, while demonic broods and the Orcs ruled.

It was a time when humans were dispersed, struggling to make ends meet and lacking the strength to face this darkness.

It was then, troubled by the unbridled chaos, Aeriel looked at the darkness. Moved by the sufferings of Humans, she used her divinity and the race of Elves was born.

Elves, also known as Alfar, were a race with strong magic and the most beautiful of them all. And yet they were associated with causing illness and misfortune.

When the Elves were born, they were reminded of their duty to protect Ararul and its people from the darkness.

While the Elf-women stayed in the woods, close to nature, the Elf-men set out on an expedition around the world, to fight the darkness.

Days, weeks, months, and years passed, and the battle against the darkness raged on. Alda, The Dark, remained a behemoth, but much of the darkness was eradicated.

When much of the world had been cleansed of the darkness, Alda, The Dark, fled to the other side of the world. This is how the Old Era came to an end and the New Era began.

But that was only the beginning. With their efforts rewarded, the Elves left the forests and migrated to the center of the world - for the darkness remained, and the Elves feared its return. The journey from the woods to the center of the world was difficult, and many of them became lost, wandering in the woods of the world, resulting in the scattering of Elves across the world and the establishment of settlements.

Years later, the Elves arrived at the center of the world.

The Elves arrived at the shores of the Narrow Sea, which divided the world of Ararul into two halves. The Sea King, Ymir, welcomed them on their shores, grateful to the Elves for fighting and defeating the darkness.

With the sea on one side and forests on the other, the Elves settled there and established the Kingdom of Elanor. Thus, the Elves' rule began.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Long ago, the Elves ruled the world of Ararul. In the beginning, the Elves - bound by their duty - pledged to protect the world from the darkness if all the beings bowed to them. This arrangement lasted for a long time. The Elves ruled, and all other races regarded them as Lords.

Humans, on the other hand, began living in peace after the darkness was defeated, tending to their daily lives. They would hunt animals and work on farms to feed their families now that their fear was gone.

Time passed and one day, a number of people gathered and formed a 'Tribe'. This small deed resulted in a monumental change. Their numbers became stronger and life became a bit easy. When the word spread, more people came together, forming more tribes. And time passed.

Over time, the tribes soon turned into villages as smaller tribes joined together. Everything changed for the better, as they became more organized. The era of peace continued, time passed, and soon the villages gradually became kingdoms, and chiefs instead became kings.

But the darkness crept outside once more, bidding for its lord Alde, The Dark.

The peace was short-lived. The darkness corrupted the minds of Men with Sins, and the Sin of Greed was particularly powerful.

Without the Darkness to fight against, the Kingdoms evolved and the hunters became soldiers. Thus, the 'Human Armies' were formed for the first time.

It all started when Enes, King of the Kingdom of Ilios, attacked the nearby Raegia Kingdom, enraptured by Princess Reina, to try and capture her for himself.

A battle ensued in the wake, with one raging and the other defending, and humans for the first time witnessed the horrors of war. Rivers of blood - human blood - flowed, and vultures roamed the skies of the battlefield feasting on the dead. Gutless slaughter occurred, and countless people died - all because of the madness of a single person. After month-long bloodshed, the Raegia Kingdom was burnt to the ground - its citizens either fled or turned to ashes with it, and the princess was captured, her family executed.

This started the quest for power in every kingdom, every man, to become so powerful to not suffer the same fate as the Raegia Kingdom and its people. The war, which came to be known as 'The First War', became the catalyst for it.

Power came at the price of peace.

Humans are the scariest when they seek power. The conquest to seek absolute power and dominion lasted for hundreds of years. Countless wars were waged during that time, men fell by hundreds and thousands, and their numbers declined. Battlefields were painted red with the color of blood, kingdoms fell one after another after the invasion, women were taken in as pleasure playthings, and children were left to die for themselves.

After centuries of bloody war, mankind arrived at a truce. Having established a clear hierarchy between the surviving nations, the period of peace once again began and the Valar Empire was formed.

And thus started the existence of two powers - the Kingdom of Elanor and the Valar Empire.

But it didn't stop there. As time passed, the humans came to see Elves as proud, arrogant, vain, and cruel.

Men decided to overthrow their Elven Lords, to whom they had served fealty earlier.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

'Hold on to your faith and hold fast, we will protect our home even at the cost of our lives!'

As he stood on the battlefield and observed the enemy advancing, Aegnor, The Third, had said that just a few days ago. It had felt like the truth as he stood alongside his brothers and sisters, his chest heaving with pride and his eye red with rage.

He now knew better.

He climbed up a muddy slope while the forest whipped and scratched him; all the while his breath burned his lungs and a cold fist of terror clenched his stomach.

Not only that, but he'd always known that he would perish one day, however, he'd dreamed a different end than this - perhaps one of old age where he would gently leave this world in his bed chambers, having lived his long time fully, surrounded by his loved ones, passing on his legacy to his descendants. He never knew he would have to go against the humans. This was against the duty they had pledged.

But the humans broke their vow of fealty first, blinded by greed. Perhaps the darkness was coming back. But that was a thought for later. They were ill-prepared for battle this time, perhaps centuries of peace had rendered the Elves like this. He didn't expect to survive this, but at least, he had thought, his name would be remembered in glorious songs.

However, the bards would sing a different tune now. If the Elves don't survive today, how he will be the one who brought the Kingdom of Elanor to an end? They'd sing of his failure, and they'd sing it in the tongue of their new overlords.