A Magnificent & Dangerous World
The land of Ferox is a wonderous place with an abundance of life and beauty, thanks to the blessing of the one true goddess, Yuné. However, it is also a land filled with danger. Powerful creatures roam the wild, skilled warriors traverse the land, and powerful sorcerers hone their craft.
Nearly a millenia ago, the continent of Ferox avoided complete annihilation at the hands of the hostile nation of Gallia, thanks to the divine intervention of the Goddess
Yuné. Thanks to her power, her creations had a means of halting Surtr's advance through a ritual that would come to be known as
The Trial of the Eclipse, a contest between the greatest warriors of both nations. To lose the Trial means the complete destruction of the continent, and now, a new Trial is on the horizon.
Though The Trial of the Eclipse once united the inhabitants of Ferox, such a time has passed. Though there are champions who fight to protect their home, most simply view the ritual as a convenient stepping stone to achieve power. Skilled warriors and ambitious scholars fight and kill for the honor of participation and victory, rather than coordinate for the good of Ferox.
Will Ferox emerge victorious and guarantee peace for the land? Or will the greed of the powerful result in the destruction of the entire continent?
The Past
Thousands of years ago, the continent of Ferox existed in a peaceful state. Inhabited by the three great races under the watchful gaze of the Goddess Yuné. These were the Elves, Drow, and humans. Thanks to Yuné's blessings, the land of Ferox was filled with an abundance of resources that allowed its inhabitants to live peaceful, fulfilling, and bountiful lives. Unfortunately, this peace would not forever.
To the northeast of Ferox, separated by the great Harkoenin Desert, was the continent of Gallia. Unlike Ferox, Gallia is a harsh, inhospitable land ruled by the Oppressor God, Surtr, and is inhabited by his creations. Over time, Surtr and his creations would grow tired of their conditions and began to covet the paradise that was Ferox. And so, the continent, united under Surtr's iron fist, would begin to invade Ferox. His forces slaughtered Ferox's inhabitants, pillaged their homes, and decimated the landscapes as they continued to push further and further into the continent.
Yuné, seeing the struggle of her creations, knew that they would not survive without her intervention. In order to prevent their destruction, she bestowed blessings upon 13 tribes of humans, augmenting them with traits and abilities from various creatures that dotted the land, in order to allow them to fight back against Surtr's forces.
With the strength of her blessings, the residents of Ferox began to reclaim their land, and over the course of several centuries, managed to push Surtr's forces back to the continent of Gallia. Yuné, not wishing to interfere with her new creations, disappeared in the hopes of letting Ferox develop a greater sense of independence. What followed was an unprecedented era of peace and creation. Thanks to their newfound blessings, culture and technology flourished throughout Ferox. However, this too was not meant to last.
The Trial
As time went on, rifts began to form amongst Ferox, conflicts began to arise, and a great war would eventually ravage the continent for nearly a millennia. Yuné, though grief-stricken at the conflict, did not wish to interfere, believing this to be necessary for her creations to gain enlightenment. Her wishes would not come to pass.
Throughout the many centuries since Surtr's invasion, his creations had continued to grow in numbers and had been training for the day that they would once again invade Ferox, and truly claim the land as their own. Biding their time, they allowed Ferox's people to fight amongst themselves, knowing that each passing day would increase their chances of success.
Yuné knew that Ferox would not survive another invasion. Ferox was splintered and greatly weakened, while Gallia was united under a single cause. In order to prevent the complete destruction of her land, she used nearly all her power to create a great barrier around the continent, one that would prevent Surtr's forces from invading. She knew, however, that this barrier could not hold forever, especially if Surtr's forces were to focus their efforts on its destruction. And so, she made a deal with the Oppressor god.
Instead of a war, there would instead be a battle, a contest between the mightiest warriors amongst their creations. This contest would become known as
The Trial of the Eclipse. It is only thanks to this contest that Ferox has managed to halt the invasion of Gallia and the destruction of the continent itself.
The Present
As things stand, Ferox has managed to claim victory during each Trial, the most recent of which was far more brutal than any that had come before. The residents of Ferox had thought such a victory would buy them a much-needed period of peace. However, only two years later, the blood moon has once again arisen, signaling the impending threat of yet another Trial.
Many fear that this Trial will be the end of Ferox, that Surtr's forces will emerge victorious and plunder their land. It will only be through the efforts of wise, strong, and courageous individuals that such a tragedy can be avoided.
