Year 1

12/21/2012 - Shroud Fall - Wonder enters the world as we humans realize we are not the only inhabitants of this plane. The War of the Dead began with an invasion... worldwide. The world saw endless calamity. Human population took a nose dive as our shadowed masters stepped into the light of the black sun. Supernaturals were out in the open fighting things you couldn't possibly imagine. From that day forward the sun rose black. Vegetation died, unless there was some being there to watch over it. In many ways some of the Vampires, Werewolves, and other denizens protected us from utter annihilation. Humans were too weak to stop any of it. Our eyes had been closed for a long time. Governments turned in on each other. Everything collapsed.

Year 2

I don’t... I can’t say what happened.. it’s too... please ask another question

Year 3

Dreams disappeared. No one has new ideas. Innovation is gone. Many humans took their own lives only to wind up back here and dead. Stagnation ruled the world.

Year 4 to 6

War, devastation, havok. The continents changed. Storms, floods and earthquakes altered the world we lived in. It was not safe to travel outside of your protectors home. Atlanta disappeared during this time. I had a cousin there. They all just... vanished. Its a ghost town now. There is rumor they called upon aid from somewhere else... a different reality... and it answered their call. I hope they are safe wherever they are.

Year 7

Dreams returned and with it... hosts. House Balor rode to the cause of defending what was left of this world. We owe what pathetic lives we have to them and those who rode with them. But the devastation from the raging war was great. Many who were not prepared before the fall began to rebuild during this time.

Years 8 to 9

The War of the Dead still raged. But the fire on both sides was dwindling. Many cities had fallen or were swept away by the apocalypse. Others stood as beacons of comfort, safety, or slavery. Any of it was better than being dead. We realized the world was a nightmare ruled by creatures far beyond our meager capabilities. Our new Masters rebuilt and redoubled in the wreckage. House Balor helped turn the tide of war by taking Oaths from the Lords of the remaining Kingdoms. The last bastion aided was a jewel known as the Society of Deus. They held back the onslaught to the last days of the war.

Year 10 (Approximately 2022... we think)

The War of the Dead ended. King Balor called his debts due and created the Kingdom of Dischordia upon the wreckage of North America. The alliances forged throughout the cities and smaller kingdoms under his banner come together for the first time.

Dischordian Nobles discovered these shards, scattered across the wastelands. They sought out and competed for these powerful relics throughout the first era. Many nobles experimented with them to discover their potential. Some discovered that combining the shards made them far more powerful.

The Voice of Balor issued an immediate decree that combining Shards of Helios was an act of high treason. Such an act would risk a premature end to the Thousand Years of Darkness. Violations of this would be punishable by death. The Voice demanded that all who collected these shards report their claims to him.

Dischordia caught a glimpse of the chthonic, primordial horror of the Nightmare Lands. Aitu, the Crimson Weaver, spread a plague of nightmares, which threatened Dischordia. It spread first from the Wolves of the North, when they sent infected couriers to warn the other domains. The plague infected peasants and nobles, alike, turning them into indescribable tentacled horrors. It threatened to devastate the populations of Dischordia.

The priests of the New Faith, present in many domains, did what they could to heal the plague. After many months of nightmares, they came to court prepared with a solution. They crafted Dream catchers, combining New Faith rituals and Appalachian gems. They were a tangible symbol of hope to combat the fear spread by the plague. Though effective, they were little better than band-aids. The two domains formed a partnership to mass-produce the Dream catchers. Together, they brought the plague under control, saving Dischordia from horrors of nightmare. However, empowered by raw belief, even the slightest doubt would cause them to fail.

Near the end of the first year of Balor's reign, an unexpected guest arrived to court. Helldivers from Vancouver and the Domain of the Dead had taken items from the Abyss for years. Nul, the King of Aether, sought the return of these treasures stolen from his domain.

Nul, Lord Siegfried, and the Imperial Prince Ailil discussed the topic at great length. It became so heated at times, that Nul threatened war should Dischordia not comply. The noble from the Domain of the Dead taunted Nul with the prize he sought. Prince Ailil laughed, but Siegfried was not amused. This condescending lack of diplomacy, led to Nul's final words to the court, “War it is.” He vanished into shadow and the court fell silent, awaiting his attack.

But war did not come, yet. Oblivion is patient. Nul bided his time, recruiting Dischordian nobles to his cause. Nada, a noble of Unification, revealed his allegiance to Nul. For the slights against his abyssal patron, he assassinated the Ashen Lady, lord of the Domain of the Dead. Beric, a Vancouver noble, discovered the vessel which contained Lasombra. This ancient and powerful darkness had been locked away inside another vampire. Beric consumed this vampires soul, and the darkness of Lasombra with it. When confronted with his treachery, Beric surrendered. He was, like his predecessor, locked away. But Nul knew he was a weaker vessel, who would be unable to contain the power he held.

Dischordia's attention shifted from Nul's threat of war to face these imminent threats. Many questioned if their enemies were in league with one another. They wondered if the Kingdom could survive a war on two fronts, or even three.

Dischordia launched a full-scale war against the Crimson Weaver's stronghold in Greenland. Meanwhile, the armies of Xibalba struck at the border of the New Faith. Dischordian nobles fought both wars with grim defiance. The New Faith held back their attackers, but their victory was a costly one. One of their nobles, James Einsbrook, fell in the battle. The domains were victorious in Greenland, but at the cost of countless lives. The losses also included the capture of Black Bart, domain lord of the Devil's Triangle.

Their defeated enemies retreated to their kingdoms. Xibalba's attack had failed, and the Crimson Weaver's plague stopped at the source. Though defeated and weakened, their enemies survived.

These storms raged for two and a half centuries, forcing nobles to take refuge in their domains. The storms destroyed the weaker settlements and wanderers populating the wasteland.

The storms tore the wastelands asunder, making travel between the domains nigh impossible. Even the most powerful wizards found it impossible to trouble in safety. Over the oceans, the storms grew to impossible sizes. Bermuda, Casablanca, and Constantinople were completely cut off from Dischordia.

The Maelstroms had changed the landscape, destroying much. The Imperials tasked the domains with surveying the storm-torn wastelands. Though the storms had diminished, they remained a constant threat to the surveyors.

Through the Surveyors' efforts, Dischordia expanded and the domains grew. Competition between the domains increased. The Surveyors struggled against one another to claim what little survived. Those who discovered any surviving settlements claimed them for their domain's glory. The Imperials promised a prestigious prize for claiming the most territory. They would grant an Imperial territory to whichever domain to so prove their worth.

The night sky blackened completely, blocking out the stars and red moon. The temperature dropped across the land, and snow began to fall. Most of the major maelstroms vanished, and only small ones remained. Close to the land there was very little wind, and a strange pure snow blanketed the ground. Among the clouds, the wind raged. Over the next few day the temperature plummeted to -40 degrees.

Among all the empires of the world, none can claim to have defeated Nul’s armies, merely ... survived. Legions of creatures of darkness swarmed from bloody tears in reality itself. Spectres, nephandi, and things that defied description attacked with one mind. Always at the head of the army was Nul’s general, and the dark armies move at his unspoken commands. This a vaguely-humanoid creature of absolute darkness and, came to be called 'Void'.

The Kingdom of Aether forever scarred the world, and even the spirit realms felt its echoes. Twenty years passed as the War of Aether raged in darkness. In the end, Dischordia still stood, but was irrevocably scarred by Aether’s onslaughts.

None really know why the War of Aether ended. Some say that it didn’t. Some believe that the Kingdom of Aether allowed the world to believe it defeated. It may be be a ruse, designed to lull the world into a false security as it was for 250 years before the war. Others fear the Aether has become more subtle in it's machinations. Few doubt that it still moves it's pawns in preparation for its endgame.

Throughout the first year of these diplomatic efforts, the Aether remained ominously silent. Finally, they made their first overt move since the end of the war. Attacking the kingdom of Jukurrpa, the Aether seized New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. With aid of Dischordia and the Jade Empire, Jukurrpa reclaimed the islands. Though driven from the islands, the Aether's corrosive touch remained, staining it black. Many wondered if the Aether's attack foretold a resurgence of open warfare. Others suspected it to be misdirection for a greater attack to come.

Through a cunning whisper in the right ears, Lady Calamity Bambi Rose of Archive planted the seed for Princess Maeve to wed the Ambassador from the Sultanate of Glass. Maeve, eager to be the first to bring another kingdom into Dischordia, lept at the opportunity. After months of careful negotiations, she married Ambassador Fadil of the Sultanate. The event was almost marred, however, by the duplicity of the Vizier of Wind, who plotted to assassinate Fadil, a rival for his position, on his wedding day.

The event was almost marred by the duplicity of the Vizier of Wind. The Vizier plotted to assassinate Fadil, a rival for his position, on his wedding day.

Princess Maeve's marriage to Fadil cemented the alliance between the two kingdoms. With Fadil’s promotion to Vizier of Wind, the couple rose to the title of King and Queen.

For centuries, Shokar, the Immolator of Pompeii, remained imprisoned. Following his capture during the War of Nightmares, he was bound within the Society of Deus. Despite their best efforts to cure him, Shokar's burning curse yet remained.

When the Kingdom of Aether attacked, Shokar's prison weakened. Two decades of war chipped away at the wards which held him. Finally, as the war came to an end, the wards failed. No longer magically bound, Shokar escaped his prison and made his way home. A trail of fire and destruction followed in his wake.

His escape marked a resurgence of the Nightmare Plague. Those who remembered the first outbreak turned to the Dream Catchers once again. To their dismay, the hope which once fueled them had weakened, and they failed to contain it. Many domains resorted to purging the infected, but a few held hope that they would find a new cure.

Nobles of Appalachia tried an unorthodox gambit. They invited the Nightmare Lands to send an ambassador to one of their courts. Others questioned the wisdom of inviting one of their greatest enemies to court. Their fears were soon validated. The Nightmare Ambassador promised the plague would spread, and claim thousands more lives. Yet, very soon after he made that threat, the Nightmare Lands became a domain of Dischordia. On the Unseelie holiday of Samhain, Aitu, lord of the Nightmare Lands, swore fealty to High King Balor.

Confronted by a common enemy, Balor and Lazarus agreed to put aside their differences. For the two decades of the War of Aether, the two kingdoms put significant effort into diplomacy. They began to resolve centuries of turmoil, until a series of incidents drew them back into chaos. Alyosha Buljiev, the Tzimisce Prince of Carpathia, stood at the center of these plots.

Dischordia's Ambassador, Dorian Osbourne, uncovered rumors of a dark ritual Buljiev was planning. He investigated the matter with the aid of the Hierophant, Zachariah Baldric. They discovered legends that the ritual would end the world, and informed their lord. High Pontiff Radu Bistri saw a chance to prevent the ritual, dispose of a rival, and reclaim his homeland.

Bistri coordinated several domains in a three-pronged attack to achieve his goals. On the eve of the Samhain holiday, Bistri himself invaded Odessa. Though he claimed it was to draw Buljiev's army from defense of the ritual, he hoped to gain a foothold in Carpathia. The Hierophant led an arcane counterspell, to unweave the magic of the ritual. Finally, a covert team infiltrated Buljiev's castle with the mission of assassinating him.

Bistri's attack was successful, and he laid claim to Odessa. The Hierophant's counter-ritual succeeded in thwarting Buljiev's ritual. But the covert team failed in their task. His ritual in tatters, Buljiev escaped the attempt on his life. A formidable abomination known as Gangir nearly destroyed the would-be assassins. Lazarus declared war on Dischordia in response to this unprovoked attack. In retaliation for their aggression, Lazarus' response was swift and devastating. He launched a crippling nuclear strike against several Dischordian domains. Each target chosen would be a threat in the conflict to come.

Aranta-Shadur had lost its domain lord, and the main port for their navy. Lazarus' Kingdom seized the opportunity to grow their hold over the oceans. Many Dischordian domains fought on the front lines in Carpathia. They struck a noteworthy victory in Kiev, but faced repeated defeats in Bucharest. The Wolves of the North focused their attacks in the territories of Germany. Others researched the means to try and kill the immortal warlock Rasputin.

Meanwhile, Lazarus’ Empire launched numerous coordinated strikes against Dischordian domains. The Grim Legion’s ghost fleet assaulted the Imperial City of Dischordia and conquered many Empyrean cities along the east coast as well as a few islands of Imperial Bermuda. Russia was able to bring the Nightmare Lands to its knees, and Rasputin slew the Crimson Weaver, Aitu, in personal combat. As the Legion marched on Dischordia with impunity, no domain could muster a strong defense to turn aside their assaults. The chances of Lazarus’ victory grew.

When the call to war went out, Odin awoke from the Odinsleep, and the Wolves of the North fell in line. They had waited long enough, and were eager for battle against their enemies. They marched to battle in silent unison, with crows devouring all in their wake. The Wolves faced the armies of Sargon of Akkad. As Odin and Sargon fought, each shrugged off blows that could shatter mountains. Yet Odin's soldiers lacked his godlike resilience. When he led them into the thick of battle, many of his men fell in the assault.

Lord Devil Anse Hatfield of Appalachia, faced the spectral Queen Amytis. Even the the Spectre's corpus was no match for the Redcap's jaws. One taste was all he needed, and Devil Anse would sniff her out from across the battlefield. His relentless pursuit exhausted even the rage of the Spectre of Despair, until she fell to his teeth.

Bartholomew Roberts, Warlord of Bermuda and Aranta-Shadur, inspired his soldiers into battle. He, the Herald of Poseidon faced Mangora, the Drowned Mage of Mu. Bart's armies appeared from the shadows, and the oceans themselves fought at his side. Nothing slowed the archmage. Mangora's wounds healed faster than Bart could inflicted them. Reality twisted at Mangora's whim. Raw magical power overwhelmed the Bermudan lord, encasing him in an metallic prison.

The countryside was alternately incinerated and frozen with magic. The Praenomen, mysterious domain lord of Archive, faced Shokar, the Immolator of Pompeii. The Praenomen, the most magically adept of Balor's generals, called ice down upon his foe. Shokar summoned the fires of his own rage. The magics they wielded destroyed swaths of the battlefield, and armies with it. Neither could best the other. Yet, Shokar surrendered, hoping the Praenomen's icy magic could cool his tormenting flames. Shokar was returned to Dischordia in cold iron chains.

Dischordia had defeated the Crimson Weaver, and his generals had fallen or fled. The Dischordian armies returned to their kingdom, bloody but victorious. They knew, however, that they could not defeat the nightmares forever. They would thrive in this era of fear and darkness, and Dischordia could only weather the storm.

The first sign of the Cataclysm was the haze on the horizon. Blood-red and fire-orange, it was visible even in kingdoms across oceans and hemispheres. Storms of fire raged across the European continent. Those who survived the strikes saw clouds of dust and fire, and felt the ground shake from the impact. The reverberation of the catastrophe could be felt all around the world. Tsunamis, floods, and hail storms devastated the Jade and Iron Lotus. Earthquakes rumbled and volcanoes erupted in Ukhu Amarumaya and Aztlan. Sinkholes opened in Jukurrpa swallowing stretches of land. Heat waves ravaged the Diamond Congo, withering the jungles. Great sandstorms blasted across the African deserts. The Antarctic Aether grew even colder as it’s blizzards raged. Across the globe, maelstroms tore their way through the kingdoms of the world.

As Europe reeled from Dischordia's devastating attack, Aether seized their chance to cripple both. Cities which had fallen to darkness during the War of Aether bled shadows like an open wound. Abyssal armies swarmed from these tears in reality. Shadow-eaten vampires, spectres, and demons laid waste to surrounding territories. The Aether fought without regard for their own destruction, and inflicted considerable damage.

Yet in several of the battles, Dischordians and the Stygian Legions put aside their war. Turning from their fight with one another, they faced their common enemy together. The Aether could not withstand the combined might of their enemies' armies. They vanished back into darkness, but had reminded the world of the threat they posed. Both kingdoms agreed that peace would be necessary, to avoid total annihilation.

To everyone's surprise, even the Kingdom of Aether sent representatives. Observing the intent of the gathering, they offered a chance at peace in their own conflict. Of course, they expected certain concessions in return. They demanded that the Court of Empires, formed to combat the Aether, abandon that mission. They further demanded that they be welcome at all gatherings of kingdoms. Though many questioned their obvious ploy, the Aether's diplomats were quite persuasive. Their delegates convinced many other kingdoms to support their agenda. Most agreed out of a desire to keep their enemies close, but the end result was the same. Aether would join the Court of Empires.

The Aether's offer of peace required a difficult choice for those assembled, and a high cost. The first option: accept the darkness into reality and restore the balance of creation and destruction. Or the second, deny them and accept reality's ultimate end. The steep cost of acceptance complicated this decision. Without a vessel to bind Ahriman, a powerful abyssal entity, it would consume the world. But, to bind it required the sacrifice of a child to contain the darkness.

Two children had been abducted from their parents for this purpose. The first, the Last Son of Gwydion, child of Imperial Queen Maeve. The second, the Last Daughter of Eve, child of Hierophant Zachariah Baldric. In the end, it was Queen Calamity of Archive who chose to sacrifice the Last Daughter of Eve. In doing so, she bound the darkness with a name, and ended the darkness' war on reality. The souls of all mankind would be safe from Oblivion. The sacrifice adjusted reality towards an age of enlightenment for mankind. If the path stays true, the next age promises to be an Age of Ascension.

Some feared this was the first signs of Endless Winter and Banality claiming the world. Some blamed the Treaty for welcoming Aether into the world. Yet it started much longer ago, with the Queen of Carnival's decree that all were Prodigals.

A year after that decree, another Carnival saw another Queen, and another Decree. This decree reversed the former, stating that none are Prodigals. Still, the Boons did not immediately return, and many feared they would be gone forever.

Many nobles were hostile towards Nul, given the animosity between the two kingdoms. He was likewise antagonistic, not only to Dischordia, but to existence in general. As court came to a close, a clockwork angel appeared and cleansed Nul in a burst of blinding white light. The Angel, later identified as the Avatar form of the Oracle, Baldric, then vanished. An abyssal darkness followed in his wake, declaring Nul's usefulness at an end, and disintegrated him to ash. Dischordian nobles did not mourn Nul's death, but grew concerned about entities with the power to kill him so easily.

Dischordian nobles uncovered a cult, the Disciples of the Storm, performing profane rituals to worsen the storms in an effort to unmake the world. Investigations into how to thwart this cult's efforts revealed a cabal of mages before the Fall who had faced them in the past. Though the cabal had lost, they had succeeded in creating a ritual to stop a Maelstrom. At a Samhain gathering, the attendant guests survived the machinations of the cult, eliminating many cultists in attendance. The survivors gathered the implements and performed the ritual, summoning a great Storm Dragon which devoured the Maelstroms before vanishing into the horizon.