Creation: The Birth

Until the world came there had been only Shukah, known as the Creator, or the Holy, or the Grower - he was the three in one. Alone and yet not alone. Perfect, good, all knowing, all-powerful, everywhere and yet somewhere. He it was who had decided to sire the universe.

The Void was nothing, just the absence of creation - the birthplace of the universe, but not a part of it. Shukah brought the five elements into it - flesh, blood, breath, soul and spirit.

The world was good. Solid was its flesh, liquid its blood, gaseous its breath, its soul expressed through living creatures and its spirit was given to the people, called the Abiel. The element of spirit was also given to the angels, Shukah's messengers, living beings of pure spirit who spoke with the Abiel.

Eisi, the Enemy, was revealed to be foremost amongst the angels, but in his pride he turned against Shukah. He poisoned the hearts of one third of the Heralds, turning them against their creator, Shukah the true God.

The Birthing was finished and the Battle begun.

The Abiel multiplied and filled Aeden, some followed the ways of Shukah, but most did not. Then the people united in their rebellion and sought to use magic to conquer the spiritual world. Shukah saw that they must be prevented from destroying themselves. So he sent a magical maelstrom that scattered the people across Aeden according to their kind.

A hundred centuries came and went.

Families grew closer together, villages formed, tribes grew, clans were made, nations arose and finally kingdoms and empires were forged by men wielding might and magic. The times moved on, many Abiel forgot their father Shukah and turned to fleshly satisfactions. But Shukah had chosen one family, one nation, one kingdom for himself, known as the Goloden (meaning, "loved of Shukah").

Eisi hated the Goloden, because they were Shukah's favoured. He sent his minions to bring men against them. Eventually they were scattered amongst the nations, a defated people. They became a hated race, a people followed by bad omens and disaster, but their priests brought good news with them and sought to win the other nations back to Shukah.

They made war upon their brothers and sisters, and did many hideous deeds in those dark times. Worst affected were the Goloden, targeted by Darya´s evil priests, they were virtually wiped out. Finally all were conquered and a massive system of slavery was created to control the vanquished peoples.

Darya named himself Emperor of Aeden, and his nation the Great Empire. He placed his capital between Calafray (the Fire Mountains) and the Dirksom (the Great Northern Range) and summoned his Eisian priests to meet him there. Years passed, the people longed for peace, but rebelled at their slavery. A generation were wiped out, the flower of Abiel manhood crushed under the military heel of the Great Empire.

The capital rose high into the heavens, buildings strengthened and bound with magical energies. Darya named the capital Daryopolis. He used dark rituals to maintain his youthful appearance and fed his vanity by debauchery. Men of evil character rose in every place of power and people turned to exalt themselves over every god. Magic, science and the arts flourished in the new peace, but it was only the few who could live to enjoy these things.

Darya ruled for 150 years, and the stench of his evil reached the very heavens themselves.

The Band spread the news throughout the Great Empire. Many of them died, captured by Darya´s secret police or betrayed by spies. However, believers in Shuka listened and began to flee from Daryopolis. Darya heard of the prophecy and demanded that his Eisian Priests tell him what he could do about it. They answered that Shuka´s faithful must be killed.

The last months of the Year of Chaos saw more people killed than all the years of war that formed the Great Empire. But they also saw more freedom for the people than they had ever before seen.

At the end of that time, Shuka judged the Great Empire and found it wanting. No eyewitness accounts exist from this time, but the hand of Shuka came down and blasted a hole into the earth so deep and wide that nothing survived for hundreds of miles around. When people came back to that place in years to come, all they found was a massive inner sea, declared by all to be bottomless.

There was only chaos following the destruction. Only a few people had survived and they turned on the Lirae left behind. The Lirae fled over the Fire Mountains and the other peoples found their own and by general agreement separated to follow their own destinies.

Thus the Great Empire ended and the Infinite Deep was formed.

Kingdoms arose, some good, many evil. Some of the people forgot Shuka´s mercy, whilst others followed him faithfully. There are now many nations, kingdoms and empires in Aeden. Many more have existed in the past and fallen due to corruption, weakness, natural disaster, the scheming of Eisi or the disfavour of Shukah. Some of the major powers of this time are:

During this time honourable men did their best, evil men their worst, but the people survived and prospered.