The Dark Wars
The First Dark War
Little is known of the time before the First Dark War. What is known is that mankind had escaped almost complete destruction thanks to the efforts of seven gifted individuals. The seven ruled mankind, becoming what we now know as the Ancients. Some feel that this was the pinnacle of mankind’s society. Alas, it did not last. Two of the Ancients decided that they were better suited for ruling mankind instead of the other five. These are the two Dark Ancients. They gathered forces of monsters and Demons and waged war to control mankind.
It is not recorded how long the First Dark War lasted, but when it was over, the two Dark Ancients and their Demon forces had been banished from this world. Anistyre was devastated by the war. Such powers that have not been seen since those days were wielded by the Ancients, scaring the land. The Ancients, in their wisdom, made two difficult choices: to lead mankind from Anistyre to a new home, and then to leave this world themselves, so such devastation could never happen again to mankind’s home.
So began the Departure across the Sea of Destiny to Novelhum. Some humans remained in Anistyre, the guardians of the City of the Ancients, and several scattered villages of those too stubborn to leave their ancestral home. Most fled across the Sea to a new land where they could begin again.
The Ancients were true to their word and left out world, but they did not abandon mankind. Those with faith and discipline can touch the Ancients through a Divine Epiphany, tapping some of the Ancients immense power for themselves. Now having truly become gods, the philosophies that each Ancient represents guides mankind. New temples were built as mankind established itself in its new home. All was peaceful for almost 1000 years.
The Second Dark War
While the power of the Ancients could be reached through the Divine Epiphany, so too, held true for the powers of the Dark Ancients. Greedy and selfish people began reaching out to them, gaining their dark powers. The followers of the Dark Ancients grew in power secretly, becoming more and more dangerous, until the day they waged war again on mankind. In the Arc Vale, the follower of the Dark Ancients ripped open a gateway to where the Demon armies of the First Dark War were banished. Lead by the human worshipers of the Dark Ancients, these forces again waged war against mankind. So began the Second Dark War.
The Second Dark War was almost as fierce as the first. The finally rallying loss for mankind was the destruction of the Temple of the Phoenix, also called Temple Fall. The forces of the Phoenix held the Demon Armies at the temple for seven days, allowing families to flee the oncoming destruction and giving mankind’s armies the reprieve they needed to rebuild and fight back. All who defended the temple were slaughtered to a man.
Mankind battled the Demon Army back to the Arc Vale, where the gateway had been opened. In the climactic battle, the Demon Armies were thrown back through the gateway and the gateway sealed.
