History & Backstory Summary

HISTORY & BACKSTORY

The Aldar

In the world of Aerda there are many mentions of and references to the Aldar. The Aldar were an ancient race of people chosen by God to keep the holy Arvalis. The Arvalis was given to the nation of Alda as a covenant with Him. Because of the Arvalis’ immense power, only one member of the Aldar was permitted to use it during their lifetime. This man was chosen by God himself through a prophet. The man chosen to wield the Arvalis is known as the Keeper (or better name). The Keeper would serve as a protector and judge of Alda.

3675 Years Ago

Alda and King Korazel

The Aldar, along with the rest of humanity, was created by God. From the beginning, they were chosen as the Holy Nation of Alda, the People of God. When Korazel, the first king of Alda was crowned, God called him out to sea where he and his men would discover what would later be called Mt. Alda. There on the mountain, God spoke to King Korazel and instructed him to bring the Aldar to the island and their nation would flourish. When Korazel came with the Aldar, they soon spread across the continent and built cities. Society flourished and the nation was without lack. Because God kept his promise to Korazel, he journeyed once again to the mountain and laid his crown before God. He swore that because He kept his promise and the Aldar now flourished, that he would give up his authority as king to say that God had complete authority. Because of this act of humility, God caused the Aldar to surpass all other nations in wealth, power, and influence. After this, his eldest son took up the crown as King Korazel II. His first act as king was to build a temple on Mt. Alda in dedication to his father and to God.

Eydros, the Dispersion, and the Founding of Silverspire

400 years later, Korazel’s lineage of kings ended and Eydros was crowned king of Alda. In the Grand Temple of Korazel on Mt. Alda, Eydros spoke with God and was told that their homeland had become too small and to populate the rest of the world. During the reign of Eydros and his descendants, the Aldar migrated to many other kingdoms and soon the world became acquainted with the Aldar and their beliefs. In the year 892, King Eydros III built the city of Silverspire in the southern part of the Selenica continent, and by the year 1031, the city had become the capital city of Selenica. It was during this time that the line of Eydros ended and Saymar was crowned king of Alda.

Saymar and the Rise of Falvor

King Saymar decided that in order to bring greater influence to the world outside of Alda, he would appoint a lesser king to rule in Silverspire thereby expanding the kingdom of Alda. Falvor was appointed as king in Silverspire. Now King Falvor was an evil man and he desired power over all of Selenica. He amassed an army and warred against the surrounding kingdoms and brought them under his rule. He then grew a larger army from all of Southern Selenica and also waged war against Northern Selenica and brought them under his rule. King Saymar in Alda was displeased and sought God for a solution. He journeyed to The Grand Temple of Korazel and prayed. He vowed that he would not leave the temple until God answered him. During this time, Falvor became even greedier for power and waged war on the continent of Artesia. No nation could stand against the might of Falvor and many kingdoms offered themselves unto his rule to escape war and judgment. After 2 years had passed, King Saymar was visited by a messenger of God and was told that God would send a mighty weapon to deliver his people from the bondage of Falvor. Around this time, Falvor set his eyes on the kingdom of Alda, the holy land. Up until this time he had not dared come against Alda, but now he felt he had absolute power and none could stop him.

The Arvalis and the Death of Falvor

In the year 1063, Emperor Falvor brought an army to the shores of Alda and declared war. The citizens of Alda prayed for the fulfillment of God’s prophecy to deliver them from Falvor. Falvor’s armies surrounded Alda on all sides. However, before any man stepped on the shores of Alda, the messenger of God came once again to King Saymar bringing a gift. He said that it was the weapon prophesied by God and called it the Arvalis. Receiving it, Saymar asked how it may be used. The messenger spoke to him and said that whatsoever he believes shall be done through the Arvalis. At once, the messenger and Saymar were in the air above the highest peak of the temple. He was instructed to lift the Arvalis above his head and bless God. When he did this, a roar of power resounded across the continent and in a flash of light the armies of Falvor were destroyed along with their weapons and ships. Alda was saved. When the dust settled and all was done, the messenger explained how the Arvalis was to be used.

The Keepers and the Prophet

The Arvalis is a symbol of a covenant made with Alda and God. It will be used to give life and protect life. Through the power of the Arvalis, enemies can be destroyed, peace can be maintained, and harvests can grow without measure. However, only one may use the Arvalis in their lifetime. This man will be chosen by God through the word of a prophet whom God Himself will appoint. Kings will continue to reign, but the Keeper of the Arvalis will be the voice between man and God. The first of these Keepers will be King Saymar, the prophet will come from the lands of a Frewen.

Paladine and the Great War

King Saymar, Keeper of the Arvalis reigned for another 212 years, his life prolonged through the life-giving power of the Arvalis. However, 25 years before his death, the prophet named a young Aldar boy from Salem as the next Keeper. The boy, Kastamir, was brought to Alda where he was trained from birth to wield the Arvalis. Kastamir reigned peacefully over Alda for 257 years. After the death of Kastamir, Paladine reigned in Alda. In his 94th year as Keeper, war broke out over the face of Aerda. Nation rose up against nation, king against king, and quickly the lands were covered in grave darkness. Destruction like this had not been seen since the Falvor Empire. Grand Keeper Paladine sought God on how to bring the world to peace. He was instructed to use the Arvalis to not only keep peace in Alda but in the rest of the world. Therefore, Paladine made himself known in the center of Silverspire City and bellowed a decree of peace among the nations. However, this made no difference for the kings of the nations scoffed at Paladine’s attempt. To show the power of God, he transported to the continent of Telarica, where the kingdom of Marlin was. Marlin was believed to be the instigator of the Great War. There, above Marlin, Paladine rendered complete destruction to a point to where the land itself was destroyed. By the time all had settled, all that was left of the once-thriving kingdom of Marlin were pieces of charred islands. After this, Paladine once again decreed peace among the nations, with the warning that if a kingdom would rise again against another king, they too would suffer the same fate. This act brought the Great War to an end and Grand Keeper Paladine made his home in Silverspire.

The Keepers, Their Exploits, And the Census

Grand Keeper Paladine reigned in Silverspire for another 204 years. Afterward, Grand Keeper Vaash from Salem reigned 288 years. During his reign, he built the Alda Gardens in Silverspire City to surround SkyKeep (the tower in which the Keeper resides). After Vaash, Grand Keeper Morra reigned 265 years in Silverspire. During his reign, he built temples in Salem, Foxwood, Frewen, and Marlin (which had been rebuilt as coastal kingdom over the remaining islands). After Morra, Grand Keeper Rastell reigned 302 years in Silverspire. In the 300th year of his reign, he created a mass census in which every man, woman, and child had to return to the place of their ancestors. During this census, every person of Aldar descent returned to Alda.

Salamar and the Scientific Age of Alda After Rastell, Grand Keeper Salamar reigned 312 years in Alda. During his reign, he created the Alda Science & Research Facility. There, the Aldar studied the Arvalis and all of its aspects. One brave scientist even broke off a piece of the Arvalis for in-depth testing and studying. Not much is known of the scientist and his personal team of researchers, for shortly after the piece was taken, he disappeared along with his team and all his research, not to be heard of again.

Ghallus and the Destruction of Alda

After Salamar, Grand Keeper Ghallus reigned in Alda. During the 103rd year of his reign, research in the Alda Science & Research Facility had learned how to extract the power of the Arvalis into concentrated mass. This mass was then distributed into projectiles and machines capable of decimating kingdoms. Ghalllus was unaware of the projects being undertaken and therefore was not expecting the calamity that came afterward. The team of researchers stormed the Grand Temple of Korazel in an attempt to overtake Ghallus. Seeing the power of their machines, and seeing what the Aldar had become capable of, Ghallus rose above the temple until he was hidden in the clouds. Beams of concentrated Arvalis energy was being blasted into the sky in order to bring him down. In an instant, Ghallus became aware that the Aldar had built machines in many places in Alda and that his people had become too lustful in their search for power. Then, just as Grand Keeper Paladine destroyed Marlin to stop the war, Ghallus destroyed Alda. All of its inhabitants died, along with all of their research and machines. God’s chosen people were then wiped out from existence, leaving Ghallus as the only remaining Aldar.

The Long Reign of Ghallus in Silverspire

Since Alda was no more, he went to Silverspire and took up residence in SkyKeep and reigned there for 575 years, knowing the secrets of the Arvalis’ life-giving power. Grand Keeper Ghallus remains in Silverspire to this day, where the story of Arc and Cara begins.

"The outside world is very much that; on the outside. We Aldar are much more sophisticated and advanced than those who are not of our race. Not very many Aldar know about the outside world, but I have seen it with my very own eyes! I cannot say, even in this secret text, how I was able to escape past the barrier, but what I can tell you is that the world I found outside our island borders was very different from that of our society. People seemed to have no Arvaleic technology. No vehicles, no powered utilities, no factories of any kind. The Arvalis seems to be non-existent there. Their building were made of stone and mortar that can only be described as primitive, and their weaponry was the same; swords and shields, spears and arrows. If we were to ever invade the outside world, it would be no matter. Perhaps their land is ripe for the taking."

-Unkown

"The scientists at the Research Facility have been doing some groundbreaking work as of late. We've just recently been introduced to flying vehicles. They are, of course, Arvaleic in power, so there is no need for fuel of any kind. This is fantastic for commuting! I can't wait until I'm able to travel from the city to the country in a matter of minutes. No more traffic!"

- Citizen of Alda