Eryndor: A Brief History

The Bleeding Continent

Eryndor is a continent of Diversity from which every race has found a home. The continent's political landscape is chiefly represented by a handful of influential kingdoms, each wielding its unique strengths. Celestia, a citadel of magic, serves as a boundless fount of arcane knowledge. Tholrune, a secluded Dwarven realm, boasts unparalleled mastery in the craft of magical forging. Elafina, a harmonious union of elven tribes, has settled in the crystalline capital city of Kristhalaan Arthil. In stark contrast, Grokku, a tribe bereft of magic and divine guidance, is home to a tumultuous mix of Orcs, goblins, and Tiefling, persistently embroiled in the ravages of war.

The God Wars

Celestia
In the era preceding the establishment of Celestia by Queen Celestine, magic was a rare gift possessed by only a fortunate few. Those who did harness these arcane talents were often devout followers of one or more deities. However, everything changed after Queen Celestine settled her people at the base of the Frostpeak Mountains. In what many describe as a magical awakening, the city began to witness an unprecedented surge in magical abilities among its citizens. News of this phenomenon spread rapidly, and soon people from all corners of the continent flocked to Celestia. The city's strategic location, abundant natural resources, and flourishing trade rapidly propelled it to a position of unrivaled wealth and prosperity.
Grokku
Grokku, a warcamp of Goblins and Orcs originating from a distant continent, found their new home in Eryndor. Under the joint dominion of Maglubiyet and Gruumsh, gods of goblins and orcs respectively, Grokku's inhabitants frequently launched raids on neighboring villages and tribes in pursuit of conquest and treasure. As word of Celestia's newfound riches reached Grokku, war parties began extending their reach farther and farther north, escalating isolated conflicts into a full-fledged war. Grokku sent its entire army northward, seeking to establish dominance in the Forest of Heroes. There, they continued to dispatch sentries while pillaging the resources of the local Dwarven and Elven encampments.
However, Grokku's might was not solely rooted in its martial prowess. Two formidable Magi, each blessed by their respective deities, Maglubiyet and Gruumsh, emerged as the generals leading the warcamp. They not only maintained order within Grokku but also provided strategic direction to their formidable army.

The Response
As Grokku's raids intensified, Celestia responded with the might of its Paladins, Clerics, and arcane practitioners. They sought an alliance with the Elven tribes of the Glimmerwood, but the absence of central leadership hindered effective coordination. Attempts to secure aid from the Dwarven tribes were likewise stymied due to critical bottlenecks between the mountains, leaving the Dwarves unable to offer support without incurring substantial losses. It was Queen Celestine II who issued the call to end the war by launching a coordinated offensive. Dwarves from the west, Elves from the south, and Celestia from the north, all converged on the Forest of Heroes to deliver a decisive blow to Grokku's advances. In a desperate move, Patrons and Avatar's of lesser Deities were summoned to the material plane as a final act of desperation, raising the stakes even higher.
The offensive successfully shifted the tide of the conflict, inflicting significant losses on Grokku's forces and reclaiming previously lost territories. In a last-ditch effort, Grokku's generals conducted a gruesome blood ritual, unbeknownst to their warcamp and with their own goals in mind. This ritual involved the sacrifice of half their standing army (roughly 10,000 souls) which then fueled a gateway of blood and death allowing an Avatar of the Prime Deity of War, Tempus, passage into the material plane. Mounted upon his steed Veiros, the Avatar of Tempus descended upon his enemies, mercilessly striking down all who stood in his path. Faced with the overwhelming might of a Prime Deity, the lesser deities stood little chance, and many perished.
The Sundering
The tide of war irrevocably shifted with the summoning of Tempus. Faced with their undeniable vulnerability in the presence of a Prime Deity, the lesser deities, in a somber and secret accord, reached a stark consensus. Offering their followers promises of guidance and protection, they urged them to confront Tempus as he advanced. Yet, in a cruel twist, the deities themselves remained conspicuously absent. Instead, they cynically manipulated the battleground, orchestrating a facade to keep Tempus confined in a singular location for as long as possible.
Within this deceptive charade, the deities executed a ritual of banishment, striving to cast Tempus's Avatar back to the plane it originated. In a final act of unbridled defiance, Tempus, unleashed his wrath upon Eryndor, Sundering the continent and even the matreial plane. He carved his axe across the land and tore open a rift now known as the Bleeding Hellscar. From this rift, torrents of flames engulfed all organic life within 50 miles, rendering the lush and dense forest now a desolate and scorched wasteland. The Forest of Heroes, metamorphosed into an ashen desert, bereft of vitality in mere moments.
Persisting through time, the Bleeding Hellscar remains a smoldering scar on the face of Eryndor, a chilling reminder of the cataclysmic event that unfolded. From its depths, entities from the Nine Hells occasionally seep into the realm, haunting the collective memory of The Sundering. The continent, forever altered, bears the weight of this indelible mark.