The Cradle

The Cradle is regarded as the golden age, a time of unparalleled peace and growth that spanned centuries. All life thrived. Skirmishes and conflicts did occur but at a negligible frequency. New gods rose to power—some for their innate abilities, others as rewards for service, and others for their personal accomplishments. This new generation of gods were called Aspects.

The most important event that occurred also marked the end of the era and is documented in the epic “The Atreid.” Below is the most circulated version of the Atreid:

The Atreid

During The Cradle, there was a young boy who lived on his parents’ farm near the capital of Ilysia—his name was Atreyu.

Atreyu was a spirited youth who wanted nothing more than to leave the farm and go on an adventure to see the world. His family were devout and pious, praying often to the gods for their favor. They prayed to all the gods; however, they held Meraki in particular high esteem. They worked diligently and naturally their farm flourished. Atreyu’s parents taught him their ways well in hopes that he would one day take over the farm as the eldest sibling. Atreyu prayed to Meraki day and night asking for the strength to live his life the way he wanted.

On the eve of his 16th birthday, Atreyu was gifted a vision, likely from Meraki, of boundless landscapes and breathtaking views of what the world had to offer. He saw himself facing many challenges and, most importantly, he saw that he was happy. That morning, when he awoke, he decided to leave his home to finally pursue his dream much to the disdain of his family. He departed East, in the direction of a small outpost town called Aesica.

The Kelpie of Aesica

‍On his way to Aesica, in the process of hunting some small game for a quick lunch, Atreyu chanced upon a Sen Verian pinned down by a pack of wolves. Rushing to their rescue, Atreyu was able to scare away the wolves and save the young traveler who introduced themself as Farah. Farah was a chef in search of new ingredients and, what they lacked in physical strength, made up for with their knack for brewing alchemical tonics. The two agreed to venture together.

After arriving in Aesica, the two quickly found lodgings at a local inn. During their stay, they overheard the locals discussing how no boats had been able to fish for days as a mysterious and violent creature attacked any boats that it caught sight of, crashing terrible waves into their boats to overturn them. No locals had been terribly hurt—yet—but tempers were beginning to flare. Atreyu jumped at the chance to investigate and eventually convinced Farah to join him as the locals were offering a reward to any who could solve the issue.

Through their investigations, the two discovered that the creature only attacked when fisherman sailed by a certain location. They approached the area without a boat and discovered an injured kelpie. The kelpie had been lashing out in self-defense as it tried to heal. It had gotten into a fight with another Fae and was pierced by a venomous barb. Atreyu and Farah nursed the kelpie back to health and even defended it from a small group of villagers who had followed them. Armed only with their walking sticks and a couple hunting knives, Atreyu and Farah were threatened to be overrun by the angry mob; however, the kelpie reached out to Atreyu and offered to lend him their power. The two formed the first Union granting Atreyu the ability to manipulate water and fend off the mob. The kelpie introduced themselves as Ketos and joined the pair on their journey.

The Scarlet Garden

From Aesica, the group headed south towards Farah’s home – Sen Vera.

Farah explained that the reason they had left home was to find rare ingredients to participate in his hometown’s annual cooking competition. Sadly, they were unable to locate anything of interest. Farah offhandedly mentioned a rumor that they heard about a garden located at the eastern edges of the continent filled with untapped culinary potential. Atreyu, enthralled with the excitement of discovering something no one else had, convinced Farah to journey with them to see if they could locate this garden themselves and, so, the two journeyed towards The Scarlet Garden.

The Garden, a forest lush with danger, was not difficult to find. Locals provided the pair with all the details they could in the hopes to scare the two away warning them that the orchard is protected by a creature of monstrous strength who killed all that trespassed. Determined to find a new ingredient for Farah, Atreyu led his group into the woods.

Inside they encountered all sorts of dangers: venomous beasts, carnivorous flora—hidden cliff edges. Still, they pressed on, determined to find the garden which the stories claimed was at the heart of the wood. Through dumb luck and Atreyu’s newfound powers, the group entered a clearing located at the heart of the forest. In the middle of the clearing grew a towering tree with crimson leaves. Flowers decorated the ground like grass. As they moved closer to get a better look, vines coiled around their ankles. Atreyu managed to jump aside but Farah was not so quick. The vines snapped around Farah’s legs binding them before dangling them helplessly in the air. From the branches of the tree descended a woman with scarlet hair, clad in furs and sporting a flower crown.

‍Saoirse, the goddess of the Hunt, impressed with his animal-like reflexes, offered Atreyu the chance to flee if he never returned; however, Farah was to be left to the fate of caught prey. Atreyu begged the goddess to take him instead. Atreyu threw himself in supplication, prostrating himself before the goddess. Saoirse impressed with his selfless act and willingness to sacrifice himself for the sake of others, smiled warmly and released Farah. She explained that had Atreyu decided to abandon his friends, she would have cut him down immediately.

‍Tensions having calmed, Atreyu explained that they were not in the garden to desecrate it or harm its denizens, but to harvest some fruit or spice. Amused by such a mundane reason to enter such a dangerous place, Saoirse granted the travelers free pick of her garden’s bounty and safe passage out of her woods.

Farah, now released from the vines, looked around the garden brimming with excitement before finally settling on a peculiar fruit with a thick, leathery rind of bruised purple with an emerald stem.

Sen Veran Bull Rush

‍Leaving the Scarlet Garden behind, the travelers made their way to Farah’s hometown of Sen Vera for the competition.

When they arrived, they were met with a raucous atmosphere as the Summer Solstice festivities were in full swing. The Sen Verans celebrated Litha in honor of the sun god Yair, when the sun is said to be the strongest. The markets and stalls were packed with various berry-themed treats and other early summer produce recipes.

As Farah prepared for their competition, Atreyu wandered the streets of Sen Vera occasionally being the target of awkward glances and hushed murmurs. Foreigners were not a common sight in the city. As he meandered about, Atreyu overheard locals talking about some local Fae tribes who were quarreling near the city limits. The locals were worried that if the disputes got too out of hand, it could impact the Litha festival. Atreyu, worried that Farah’s hard work would go to waste, went out to investigate.

It did not take long for Atreyu to find the culprits. The oasis was lush in vegetation with a large lake of fresh clean water. A congregation of fae, led by a centaur and a fairy, circled around a family of fae that Atreyu had never seen before. They had pointed ears, razor sharp teeth, and fiery red eyes—they also looked scared and cowered from the others. ‍

Atreyu approached the Fae and offered to be a moderator. The centaur explained that the oasis was their home and resources were limited. They simply could not take on more mouths to feed—especially ones that appeared out of nowhere. The sharp-toothed fae countered that they had no interest in taking over the land; however, they could not move on as one of their young was injured and needed time to heal. The lake provided fresh water, and the nearby caves provided a safe place to hide.

Atreyu offered to examine the injured. The child had suffered terrible gashes from a recent tiger attack and the wounds had begun to fester. Atreyu quickly got to work on a concoction that Farah had taught him. He sent Ketos to collect some herbs and ingredients while he worked on cleaning the wounds.

As Atreyu worked, he asked his patients where they had come from. The patriarch explained that they had travelled a great distance and crossed the ocean, leaving their home behind. Their home was a chaotic land where only the strong thrived and you were equally likely to die from an ambush as you were the chill of the wind. They had left in hopes of finding somewhere peaceful, where they did not constantly have to watch their backs just to survive. Atreyu listened intently as he rubbed the balm on the youngling’s wounds and dressed them with fresh bandages. He couldn't deny that part of him longed to see this land for himself but he kept that to himself.

‍The medicine needed time to work. Atreyu was able to broker an agreement between the two tribes of Fae. The centuar agreed to seven days of peace while the youngling healed. Each tribe had scheduled times they could use the lake and agreed to steer clear of the other.

‍Atreyu planned to return to Sen Vera in the morning to speak with Farah while Ketos remained at the lake in case another fight broke out. Unfortunately, as night fell, the tiger that had attacked the sharp-toothed fae had followed them undetected. Panic overwhelmed each tribe alike as the tiger struck in the night. Ketos and Atreyu were able to fend off the predator striking it down with a cascade of ice before it could claim any victims, but the damage was done. A stampede of panicked Fae stormed their way towards Sen Vera.

‍Riding Ketos, Atreyu chased after the stampede. He yelled desperately to calm them but his voiced was drowned by their deafening charge. Drawing upon all the magical energy they could muster; Atreyu and Ketos created a large wave of water jetting it in front of the stampede directing their charge away from the city. Exhausted, Atreyu and his partner collapsed near the city to raucous applause. Farah and a group of Sen Verans quickly swarmed Atreyu and Ketos ensuring they were safe. Atreyu told Farah of the injured youngling and the recent tiger attack. A group of Sen Verans headed towards the dens to ensure the safety of the Fae while Farah tended to his friends.

In honour of him saving the festival, the Sen Verans granted Atreyu the privilege of being a guest judge in the food competition…. ‍

Slaying the Dreamer

‍Atreyu and his companions headed south to explore the deep jungles and found a small Silvanite village called Zira. The people of Zira were devout followers of Ayla. They worshipped the Night Maiden so that she would protect them in the darkness of the jungle.

‍Not far from their village, a temple and altar dedicated to Ayla was erected. The temple was said to climb so high that it towered above even the tallest trees so that the moon could bathe it in its glow.

‍Zira was abuzz with tales of how locals spotted a woman beautiful beyond compare at the temple. She wore robes of purest white, while her long raven hair was adorned with a silver diadem. Onyx crystals hung from it underneath a filigree crescent moon. Some believed it to be Ayla herself in mortal form.

‍Some locals warned Atreyu and Farah not to stay in town long. Many had become ill, and the local physicians were unable to identify the reason behind the symptoms. The illness struck suddenly and had no foreseeable buildup. Those afflicted would be found in bed withered and sweating profusely. Their skin looked like dried leather and their whole body would ache with pain. Some believed that the afflicted had been cursed by the Night Maiden herself for poor offerings as they had all recently visited the shrine.

‍A young Silvanite by the name of Thalin offered to guide Atreyu and Farah to the temple.

‍Once at the temple, Atreyu and Farah began investigating to uncover the reason for the ailment. When the travellers encountered the woman that the town was talking about, Ketos warned Atreyu to be careful as something was off about the woman.

‍Atreyu confronted the woman and was able to force her to reveal her true identity—a mara, a moth-like Fae who had begun feasting on the lifeforce of people while they slept. The Fae had become jealous of the worship that the goddess Ayla received and hoped to claim the temple as her own domain.

‍Atreyu and Ketos fought the mara and quickly overpowered her; however, the mara had one last trick up her sleeve. She used her power to summon an Ōmukade—a monstrous creature shaped like a centipede that towered over them like a mountain.

‍As the battle raged on, the mara attacked firing a barrage of poisonous barbs at Thalin but, in the knick of time, Atreyu was able to push Thalin out of the way. A thick fog began to form and shrouded the area in darkness, a token from the Night Maiden. Utilizing the fog to their advantage, with the help of Farah and Thalin, Atreyu was able to rally with his allies and finally strike down the Mara and her pet.

The companions returned to the village to find that the townsfolk who had been afflicted had begun to heal. The remains of the Ōmukade are said to still rest in the swamps around the temple.

Thalin, in awe of what Atreyu and Farah had accomplished, pleaded to join their company and journeyed with them for the remainder of their adventures. ‍

Fire and Ice  ‍ ‍

Not long after the battle with the Mara, Atreyu and company arrived at the capital city of Silvanus.

‍The Silvanites had recently discovered a mysterious metal they called Orichalcum. The metal was notoriously difficult to work with, but they could sense the magical potential that existed inside it.

‍The high council of Silvanus commissioned Atreyu and his companions to deliver a chunk of the metal to the city Vulcan in the far reaches of the north. Vulcans were renowned for their smithing abilities.

‍Atreyu and his companions braved the treacherous trek. They stopped briefly in Ilysia—however, that is a story for another time. They traversed the mountains and frozen tundra, arriving in Vulcan after months of travelling.

‍Once there they were granted an audience with the second Mountain King, Birger. The Vulcan King suggested that they would need their best smith to work the Orichalcum. Since there was such a small supply, they did not want to waste any if they could. Unfortunately, that smith had secluded herself from the rest of the Vulcans.

‍Åse was the daughter of the first Mountain King, Sigurdr. Before Sigurdr had passed, he had taught his daughter all he knew about smithing. Åse’s skills were second only to the gods. However, the loss of her father had left a void in her heart. She had left the city of Vulcan and was last seen near Efstr Plateau, renowned as the highest point and the ground upon which the Primordials had first touched the earth.

Atreyu and his companions set out the next morning to track down Åse. They found her at the plateau, having just returned with a catch of fish.

Åse listened to their request but refused to assist. She had come to the plateau to mourn the loss of her father and, even if she wanted to, she had left behind any of her smithing tools that could be of help. However, Atreyu persisted and was eventually able to persuade Åse to compromise.

The orichalcum was a strong metal with powerful energy inside. Working the metal would require comparable tools. If Atreyu found a way to imbue Åse’s simple tools with enough energy, Åse agreed that she would see what she could create with the sample of orichalcum they had brought her. ‍ ‍

The northern lands were a frigid tundra fraught with danger with as many elementals wandering its expanse as trees in a forest. Åse told Atreyu that near the plateau was the den of a dragon and that, if anything would be able to give her the power necessary to work the orichalcum, it would be the dragon’s “flames”.

‍Atreyu set out immediately with Ketos. The rest of his companions stayed with Åse as the tundra was too dangerous.

‍The dragon Atreyu was going to confront was a titanic wyvern named Calcys, consort of the dragon tyrant Aqakuktuq and whose very snores could freeze the blood of his victims. However, Atreyu never made it to her den, let alone anywhere near it. ‍ ‍

A storm had brewed, and the winds were creating a wall of snow around Atreyu. He and Ketos desperately sought whatever shelter they could find. In their blind scurry, Atreyu tripped over what he thought was a rock but upon closer inspection was in fact an egg. The egg was white with blue streaks spiraling throughout its shell. Confirming that the egg had not been cracked, Atreyu bundled it inside his cloak and continued to follow Ketos through the blizzard.

‍After what seemed like hours, the pair chanced upon an alcove that was protected from the wind by its cliff face. Atreyu kept the egg as close to his body as possible waiting out the storm.

‍The next morning Farah and Thalin frantically prepared to go search for their companion despite Åse’s warnings to stay put. As they three argued, Atreyu emerged over the horizon riding Ketos and carrying a small, azure, and winged creature upon his shoulder. The egg he had found had hatched a phoenix that Atreyu named Nova. Nova had imprinted on Atreyu and formed a union with the young Ilysian. Nova’s flames burned so hot that they were the colour of sapphires.

‍Atreyu asked Åse if Nova would be enough to imbue the energy she needed into her tools. In disbelief, Åse nodded and began to work on forging a spear from the orichalcum for the young man whom she would soon wed. She christened the spear Storm-light.

‍The Final Battle

‍After decades of travel, Atreyu and his companions were renowned throughout the continent as heroes capable of miraculous feats. Their adventuring days behind them, they each settled down in their chosen lands. Atreyu married Åse and the pair lived happily in a home they built together. Farah returned to Sen Vera to help the less fortunate and became a civil servant. Thalin returned to his village to hone his magical knowledge.

‍On a summer night of seemingly no particular significance, a monster touched down at the base of Pangea, the world tree. The monster had razor sharp claws, a crown of thorns, and wings made of flame. In a berserk-like rage, it carved a path of destruction. The demon was called Nezha—a minion of the Dread-Titan whose goal was to end all of creation.

‍The monster’s malevolent aura was felt throughout the continent like a shadow blotting out the sun, chilling the world to its core. Atreyu and his companions took up arms and rushed to confront the beast. They fought with all their might to defend the world tree. Even the gods themselves joined the fray, working together to keep back the Dread Titan from assisting Nezha. Finally, after days of calamity, Storm-light struck true and impaled the beast.

‍The Dread Titan collected her monster and retreated into the recesses of the void; however, Atreyu was gravely wounded by the battle.

‍Meraki clad Atreyu in her divine light and the hero began to ascend. Due to his countless miraculous feats, Atreyu was granted apotheosis and took a seat among the gods.

‍Devastated by their loss and their inability to save their friend, the companions who had spent years together each went their separate ways. Meraki offered to grant each of the companions godhood but only Farah accepted. Ketos returned to Aesica to protect the land where Atreyu had saved them so long ago. Statues were erected in Ketos’ honor as they became a guardian spirit of the land. Åse returned to Vulcan and ruled as Queen for many years, entrusting Nova and Storm-light to Thalin. Thalin founded and dedicated himself to Asha Academy which he used to study the limitations of magic, research ways to mend Pangea, and train students to carry on Atreyu’s legacy of kindness and adventure.