The Ancient Order

Awldor    Ancient Ruins      The Ancient Order

Some desire a return of the old empire and its unifying force. Some fear the return of the empire and its abuses of power. I believe they both hold correct views of the world that once was, if only a piece of it.

— Archivist Nemo

The Ancient Order, or colloquially the "Ancients," is the name used today for the world order as it was before the advent of the The Great Collapse. The Ancients built a vast world-wide empire that dominated the old world and united peoples of all walks of life in ways that still influences current society. At least that's the prevailing notion, for there are others who believe that the Ancient Order was a repressive regime that used its vast powers to silence dissent and to scour the world of resources to feed its increasingly insatiable desires.
Much of what is known about the Ancient Order is unfortunately conjecture as many of their wonders now lies dormant and in ruin, and the means by which they preserved their the majority knowledge is unreadable by our scholars. Luckily, some stone tablets as well as surviving paper specimens remain to give us a passing glimpse into the world as it once was. But this glimpse only begins to satiate the desire to learn about the ancestors.

Technology Without Limits

What has been recovered from Ancient Ruins indicates that the old order possessed strange that were highly specialized for various tasks. The more notable of the ancient equipment is as follows: carriages that appear to not require horses to mobilize, carriages that possess protrusions that bear some resemblance to a bird's wing, and metal without sails. All of these were constructed of metals and other strange materials, such as Sable Fiber, that is beyond the skill of any forge to reproduce. These metals and alloys were clearly instrumental to the functioning of the ancient equipment.
At the height of the Ancient Order, tech was augmented through the sophisticated application of imbued magics. Knowledge of the full capabilities of these machines is lost to us due to the devastation wrought by the collapse. It is believed within certain circles that the Ancients could breach the firmament of our world and travel the celestial realm. Other more exotic realms may have also been places of visited by the Ancients.
The workings of many of these tools remains a mystery to the machinists and artificers of today. As a result, many recovered pieces of ancient tech are not usable if not rendered completely dormant over the ravaged years during and beyond the Great Collapse.

It is said that their magic could shape reality to their liking. But if all things have a price, what did they pay to achieve such feats?

— Dalia Skyfire, Princess of Avistar

Masters of Reality

The Ancient's mastery of the magic arts was tantamount to mastering the fabric of reality. This allowed them to master the world with ease, a world empire of unparalleled power and influence. An empire that undoubtedly began to explore other words that lie far away across the stellar seas, to explore parallel realities, even to venture into higher the higher dimensions of that great mirage we call reality. The Ancients even imbued various objects with magical properties. These items, still imbued with magics despite time's passage, can occasionally be recovered from the ruins. These small trinkets can be utilized by those with the skill and courage to do so. Make no mistake, ancient items with magical properties can be extremely dangerous if mishandled.
There has long been a theory that the Ancient's mastery of magic is what led to the collapse. That their excessive indulgence in various sins had damaged the fabric of reality to the point of unleashing incomprehensible torrents of magic onto our realm and perhaps others as well. A torrent no doubt aided by the wrath of the gods who were affronted by the egregious attempt at ascendance into godhood. It is a good theory, but one must keep in mind that it is hardly the only one that explains the sudden calamities that shook the earth. One must keep their mind open if they truly wish to prevent a recurrence of the collapse.

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Ancient Ruins

The Ancient Order left behind many signs of their presence. One can only imagine what wonders existed across the continents before they were swept away in the collapse.

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A Desire of Return

There are many across Awldor who wish for a resurrection of the order if only for the wealth such a society could produce. Others believe that rather than resurrect the old order something new should rise in its place.
Others, such as the Dusk Hour Cult, believe that it all must end and that nothing from before the collapse should rise from the ashes.

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Note(s) from the Archivists:

If the Ancients could cross the boundaries of existence, then is it possible that some living vestige of the Ancient Order is out there just waiting to be found by their distant children? - Archivist Enna
I searched for the answer to that very question long ago. - Archivist Taenya
What did you find? - Archivist Enna
Only understanding. The understanding that the question cannot be answered yet. In spite of all our recovered knowledge the vestige of the old order lies well beyond our reach. - Archivist Taenya
Maybe we don't have to go to them. Maybe they will come to us when the time is right. - Archivist Enna
That is what concerns me. - Archivist Taenya
Why? - Archivist Enna
It has been several centuries since cataclysms of the Great Collapse have receded, and they have not returned in all that time. I do not believe the Ancients wish to return to Awldor and I fear to know the reason why. - Archivist Taenya