Pre-Ilkor (Archaic Age) #
AG -43,000 #
Since the dawn of time, millions of tiny eggs had covered an unending ocean of water. One of the eggs finally begins to mature, forming the first living thing—Icesi. Over the next 23,000 years, the egg continues to form, separating the chaos of the world into its opposite parts (light and darkness, male and female, hot and cold, wet and dry, etc.). Icesi, too, takes physical form within the egg.
AG -20,000 #
The primordial egg containing Icesi and all that is everything hatches, and the world of Arcadia is born. Still the only living thing in existence, Icesi imagines an entire biosphere of plants and animals into existence, neutral creatures to take advantage of the many resources within Arcadia. Still not satisfied, however, Icesi also imagines four sentient (and immortal) races into existence as well, four great humanoid species to act as stewards and guardians of the world: Elves to nurture the forests, dwarves to mine the mountains, halflings to farm the plains, and humanity to balance and oversee it all. Exhausted, Icesi falls into a deep slumber and disappears from Arcadia.
AG -18,000 #
Icesi awakens after two millennia of sleep and finds that the four sentient races of Arcadia are in dire need of leadership and direction; without any understanding of the god who created them, the four races of Arcadia have devised their own hopelessly-incorrect mythology, and have become stagnant from a social and especially spiritual perspective. So, Icesi touches the hearts of thousands of soon-to-be-priests, helping them realize the truth about their origins and shares the understanding that the meaning to life is to seek knowledge, cooperate with one another and do good at every opportunity. Through his gracious will, parent-like patience and tremendous heart, Icesi leads the immortal races of Arcadia through thousands of years of tranquility and achievement.
AG -2000 #
After many millennia of utopia, Icesi is so touched by all the love and compassion shared amongst his creations that he decides the time has come to birth children of his own, near-equals in strength and power. Channeling nearly 20,000 years of positive energy through his own heart (and growing in size to equal the sun), Icesi gives birth to three magnificent children, a noble son (Ikinadari) and two beautiful daughters (Ilandris and Ilkor). All three children descend upon Arcadia and begin to directly interact with the four great races, worshipped as the gods they are and so very loved by Icesi.
AG -1600 #
After four centuries, Icesi’s children mature and Icesi decides to give all of Arcadia to them. Ikinadari, Ilandris and Ilkor all help migrate the races to the far ends of the world, and then Icesi hurls down the mightiest lightning bolt imaginable, splitting Arcadia into five separate continents. A large and beautiful island rises from the ocean where the lightning bolt had struck, creating a new homeland for the gods, the small continent of Annwynia. Again exhausted by his work, Icesi falls into a deep sleep, convinced that his three children can faithfully rule Arcadia in his place.
Rise and Fall of Ilkor (Age of Unrest) #
AU -1000 #
While Ikinadari is honorable and becomes the god of law, and Ilandris is passionate about all wild animals and becomes the goddess of nature, Ilkor—the youngest of the three children—has become obsessed with her own vanity and comes to believe that all should worship only her. Centuries pass, and Ilkor becomes more and more self-obsessed and seductive, learning the secrets of dark magic and founding a religion based on lies, corruption and selfishness.
AU -750 #
A remarkable and terrible event occurs; the loss of immortality amongst the four great races. For the first time ever, the peoples of Arcadia begin to grow old and die, and the utopia of the past is quickly swept aside by the new-found terror of disease, atrophy and death. In desperation, many turn to Ilkor, who promises long-lasting youth and vitality.
AU -400 #
Recognizing that she will require powerful allies in her bid to one day convince all within Arcadia to worship only her, Ilkor summons the darkest magic of seduction and mind-control possible to charm her very own brother Ikinadari and trick him into marriage. Reason and morals are forgotten throughout Arcadia, as the heart and soul of Ikinadari is trapped by his sister’s powerful sway. Over the next few centuries, Ilkor gives birth to a total of six children, all who become lesser gods in their own right.
AU -100 #
With Ikinadari still charmed and Ilandris unable to stop her younger sister, Ilkor and her six children now dominate the world of Arcadia; the priests of Ilkor have all but poisoned the hearts of the four great races, deceit and seduction run rampart, and those who refuse to swear allegiance to Ilkor are systematically slaughtered. It is a very dark time for Arcadia.
AU -1 #
Alone and all but defeated, Ilandris miraculously finds where Icesi is slumbering and awakens him, and Icesi quickly recognizes what Ilkor has done. So bitterly disappointed with his youngest daughter, Icesi delivers to her an ultimatum; either denounce her wicked and self-absorbed ways, or suffer his ultimate wrath. Ilkor truly believes that she is entitled to all of Arcadia, however, and so Icesi has no choice but to banish her (along with her three most corrupted children, Iliad, Erus and Vesuna) to the Underworld, where the souls of the dead go to be potentially reborn.
AU 0 #
Ilkor’s banishment breaks the spell placed on her brother Ikinadari, and he in turn restores law and honor throughout Arcadia. Both he and Ilandris are also able to save Ilkor’s three remaining children (Ilithiia, Almos and Alcstei) and they quickly denounce their wicked mother in preference to helping the people of Arcadia rebuild their world. Ilkor’s banishment is the most important event in all of recent history, and the races of Arcadia reset the calendar to mark the beginning of a new age.
The Modern Era (Age of Heroes) #
AH 10 #
While Ilkor has been banished, her powerful minions have continued to rule without her (many of which either did not recognize her banishment to the Underworld or refused to believe that she was indeed gone). After a full decade of war, Ilkor’s priests are all defeated and her vast armies destroyed; some of Ilkor’s followers manage to escape, but are eventually hunted down by the forces of Icesi, Ikinadari and Ilandris and executed for their crimes as well.
AH 25 #
Recognizing the physical damage done to the world of Arcadia, Ilandris selects four mortals—a champion from each race—to help her begin the restoration of the world. These mortals are brought to Annwynia and transformed into demigods, so that they can do their work faster and more efficiently.
AH 1849 #
Almost two millenia after the banishment of Ilkor, the restoration of Arcadia continues and life in general has greatly improved. The last known sighting of Icesi occurs, although many continue to follow and worship the greatest of the Arcadian gods.
AH 1899 #
Rumors begin to spread that Ilandris no longer believes that the four great races of Arcadia are worthy to dominate the world. Rather, she now wishes to make most animals sentient as well and allow them their rightful place. Priests of Ikinadari strongly discredit such rumors, preaching that Arcadia was given to the four great races by Icesi himself, and under no circumstances would the world ever be surrendered. The rift between the followers of Ikinadari and Ilandris has become substantial, almost to the point of armed conflict.
AH 2021-22 #
The current gaming years. The four demigods (Ceroklis, Mikelis, Thethis and Zalktis) have not forgotten their mortal origins as they each struggle to increase their individual influence within Arcadia. Ceroklis is determined to give all plants and trees a direct way to communicate, so they may better defend their lands against perceived humanoid encroachment. Mikelis dislikes the cities and the growth of urbanism, and seeks to return the land to more simpler and “uncivilized” times. Thethis wants to see the four races “evolve” into sea-dwelling creatures and live under the waves within their own fantastic cities. Zalktis believes that the combination of wind, rain and lightning is the music of the cosmos, and is constantly experimenting with new (and terrifying) melodies.
The good deities (Ilithiia, Almos and Alcstei) now champion their own ideals. Ilithiia seeks to prevent misery and heartache, and hence heals and protects all who are loyal and trusting. Almos recognizes the importance of tradition and protocol, but can seem a bit harsh and unsympathetic at times. Alcstei is driven to teach all sentient beings that true happiness can only be won once all greed, hatred, vanity and temptation are eradicated from the heart.
As for Ilkor, she is believed to be plotting her revenge from the bowels of the Underworld, enraged with her father and all those who participated in her banishment. Her son Iliad rules the depths of the Underworld, where the dead compete for a chance to be reborn into Arcadia. Erus is a psychopath who cares little for fame and fortune—he just wants to spread misery and hatred everywhere. Vesuna derives her power directly from the evil borne of vengeance, and is forever tempting mortals to cross the line and seek (bloody) revenge. Now that Icesi hasn’t been seen in nearly two centuries, Ikinadari and Illandris seem to be feuding and the four demigods of Illandris are causing trouble of their own, the stage seems set for Ilkor to again invade the hearts of the four great races and complete her dark rising.