Audiobook SAGE OF THE ELDARK from H.G. Potter's After Atlantis Series EPIC

The First Age

The Age of Giants: Little is known about these primordial centuries. According to the Ammouric priests of Vesulum, the Allfather, wearied after having laboured to create the world and its giants, fell asleep and dreamed wild things. Chaos arose in the dream and was seen as a vortex. The tension of the vortex pulling against the non-void gave shape to a creature. This phantasm appeared hovering over the vortex, a vast winged beast whose tail shook the heavens, a dragon, both terrible and wonderous, glistening yet covered in darkness.

The beast rose up to defy the Allfather, like a child gone mad. Then a female being appeared who sang a song which terrified the beast. Seeing how unsavory was this beast, the Allfather cast the beast from the mountain of Heaven. When the Allfather awoke, so real had been his dream, so worthy of retelling, that he allowed the beast to remain in Erez, the dark and wild back woods of the non-void.

The Allfather kept dreaming for a long long time. The giants had taken the opportunity to cause havoc on the earth. They tore up the plains and made mountains and valleys, they dug huge caverns, they changed the course of rivers and created salty seas and volcanoes. Also, his sleep had lasted so long that many things were overgrown or been left unchecked, the world was changed.

The Allfather awoke was displeased with the giants' bad behavior. He had created the giants to govern the various relms of the natural world, some giants governed the fire of the earth, others ruled the ice and frost. Some giants dwelt in the earthy hills and others in the clouds. These creatures were originally spirits, but after the passage of centuries they inhabited huge bodies.

The giants, hearing that they had to behave again, set up huge monoliths and dolmens for unknown purposes and tried to assail the sacred Mt Arguzinial, home of the Allfather, in order to seize his cosmic throne for themselves. The Allfather repulsed them and warned them to cease, allowing them to sign a treaty.

Then the monstrous scion of primordial Chaos, the dragon Vorthragna, rose up to conspire against the Allfather. She entered the seven underground streams, and embracing them gave birth to seven monstrous underworld races who tunnel beneath the earth. The seventh stream, the River Ocean, had resented the dragon's unclean embraces.

From the union of Ocean with Vorthragna came the race of dragons. The dragons shared her nature, but they were offspring not hideous to look upon like Vorthragna herself. Ocean had kept the dragon eggs hidden from the devouring beast, and each one he kept by warm water in the divers places of the earth, the twelve regions. In this way sought he this vengence; that the dragon might be embraced by envy.

When Vorthragna saw the graceful dragon offspring of the River Ocean, she was infuriated that her own dragon nature had been much more finely reproduced, and she sought to destroy the little dragons. After devouring all twelve of her own offspring, Ocean, in horror, appealed to the Allfather for help. The Allfather agreed and created the lizard-like basalisk, a creature so hideous that it causes nausea when looked upon. This creature confronted Vorthragna and she vomited up her twelve dragon offspring of twelve elements.

Many are the creatures and races of unknown origin which dwell in the lands across the Intermundian Sea, ogres and manticors, griffons and hippogriffs, harpies and mermaids, centuars and sphynxes. These are not the same as the six nether-races, offspring of Vorthragna. Some of the offspring are not hideous, such as men know to be the race of dragons themselves, and the nether-race called the Vri, (the lizard-heads).

After the burning of the famous Library of Nystol in the third age, certain knowledge of the other five underworld races was lost. However, those who have dared to go beneath into the caverns say that they have seen the histories of those races, and those pages writ in an unearthly tongue.

There were various accounts of what happened next, but all sources agree that the Allfather drew forth from the dusts human beings, new creatures whose beauty would put Vorthragna's underworld offspring to shame. These he created in his own image, that they might have companionship with him, and so the dragon might be afraid. The first man some say was named Anathron, who dwelt in a golden world of light (before the sun) called Azamah, when the land bore fruits of its own accord, without labour, and God walked with men.

The Allfather also made for the humans fertile lands and taught them many divine things, and he showed them how to use their wondrous powers. He warned them never to give heed to the winged worm Vorthragna, who would seek their demise.

Before he left Azamah, Anathron prophesied that the world would be twice be destroyed, first by flood and later by fire. Some say that Anathron left Azamah because he fell out of favour with the Allfather.

A son of Anathron, named Labsar, while he was gathering figs, espied the dragon (who pretended not to notice) and saw how the dragon slew wild boar and cooked it with her firey breath. The man, who some claim was a giant, dared to come before Vorthragna and speak.

Vorthragna made herself seem both beautiful and terrible to behold. The dragon explained that the meat was for a sacrifice and asked the man to tear the meat with his nimble hands. This Labsar agreed to, and cutting the pieces with flint divided them to share. While he did so, he noticed that the burning dragon breath warmed his flesh in a pleasing way, and so he desired this breath.

Some say that Labsar tricked the dragon by giving the fatty portion wrapped in skin, whereas others claim that Vorthragna requested the fatty portion. In any event, Vorthragna ate so much fat that she quickly fell into sleep, and while she slept Labsar stole away with a flame of the dragon's breath. Philosophers have commented that this was most likely what the evil dragon had planned. Before Labsar left, he cast a few slices of the rump meat into the fire, having remembered to commit an offering to God.

The Allfather was displeased that man had taken fire, for since it was the dragon's breath there was his curse attached to it which made men violent like the dragon.
God saw that Labsar had changed, and questioned him, but Labsar lied and said, "The fire is a gift from the dragon, whom thou hast created". The Allfather warned men again not to have anything to do with the wily Vorthragna. The beast pretended to be slightly upset at the news that men had taken some of his breath and now planned a worse vengence.

Men did not listen to the warnings and Labsar brought others to visit the beast. This time, the dragon showed the people beautiful glittering rock nuggets that she supposedly found in a deep spring. She claimed that many more of the rocks remained in a wilderness spring.

Many men went off into the wilderness to seek the spring, at the behest of their wives, who greatly desired the wondrous gold. Now wily Vorthragna called forth her nether-children to come forth and do evil unto the men, and boldly strike them down, and shed blood, for Vorthragna was a murderess from the start. She also saw that Labsar had become confused and violent, and she told him that the other men were hiding the gold for themselves. He became angry and so slew some of his brethren.

When several humans were found slain or with flesh torn, the humans were distraught. So the Allfather, incensed at how the dragon had done evil using the gold nuggets, took them from her and with them fashioned a burning lamp, blinding to the nether-offspring of the dragon, and set it in the sky as a reminder saying, "I have given men a soul that can never be destroyed, and it is unlawful for any to kill them, so to remind all, this bright light I will set above". Thus began the realm Akra, the realm of the new sun.

So then did all the nether-races flee into shadow and go down to remain forever in the caves of the gloomy earth.

Nevertheless, most humans still kept coveting the glittering rocks of gold, how wonderous things might be fashioned of them, such as the burning lamp of the sun. Secretly they came unto Vorthragna and told her the desire of their hearts. She revealed to them the location of the spring, this spring is called Neshiah.

Now the water of this spring brought forth a sulphurous odor, and Vorthragna knew that the men would be repulsed by the smell, for the Allfather had made this spring accursed, since it was the place that the dragon had first come forth from the earth.

Men dove into the spring at the command of there wives who greatly desired the rocks, but they found few rocks, and their bodies were struck down with disease. The new weakness of body shortened their lives and a feverish foolishness assaulted the brain. They lost all their wondrous powers to a malady which has never abated, even in all generations of men.

Hearing of these things, the Allfather retired to his mountain home near the clouds, Mt. Arguzinial, realizing that men could no longer be reasoned with in the way he was accustomed, and that in their new state they would not treat him in the proper way. He did this for the good of men, knowing that to commit evil is worse than having to endure it.

Having instucted them one last time he left laws for them so that they might not forget their purpose and duties. Some say that he appointed one family, the Ammouri, who had not come into close contact with Vorthragna, to guard the laws and keep the lore of the Allfather. This period, Ziah, was the first was without God's visible presence.

He also advised men to be careful using fire, which further weakens them, but they replied that it helped them to see at night. So as a departing gift, the Allfather set the moon in the heavans so that men could see at night without fire.

At this time men began to crave flesh, hunt the other animals of the world, to cook them with fire, eat them, and grow warlike. They dwelt in the caves of the earth and wore animal skins, fought with stone weapons, took many wives, learnt cruelty and kept few laws. Vorthragna was pleased that Man had grown ugly like herself. Nevertheless, the Allfather already had plans to restore them.

Labsar fled into the wilderness, insane frome his crimes. Some say that he is the anscestor of the wild mountain folk and the ogre tribes. Those who had before sought gold with him now started the first city, Henoch, built of massive stone. This city was destroyed by the flood, but its ruins were mighty and remained. Later the stones and many carvings were used by the unholy Anahit to build a great fortress, Zabol.

The animals tried to come out only at night, to avoid men, but the by light of the moon Man slew them. Very soon, instead of thanking the Allfather for their food, they began to thank the moon, and to worship a false god. The sons of Labsar were the worst, they killed for sport and left many animal carcasses to rot in the sun.

Men also continued to use the accursed fire from which has come both good and ill. As the race of men grew, the Allfather sent forth Mages among them to whom it was given to remove the curse from the fire. They became the keepers of the fire, though they were unable to stop men from worshiping the moon.

Soon, Vorthragna, in anger because she was not worshipped, went on a rampage and tried to devour every living animal she came into contact with. After only a week the earth groaned in travail and rumbled, fearing that all her children would perish not only by the dragon, but also by men, especially the sons of Labsar, who had already made extinct many wondrous beasts.

The earth, in her fear, was permitted to bring forth the race of griffons to make war on men and bring down the chaotic dragon. Vorthragna was feirce in battle and drove away the griffons. Men, knowing that they could not defeat the griffons, bribed them by giving them Vorthragna's glittering stones. The griffons stored these away, some say, in their perches within the Valaghir Mountains, along with many other treasures since then.

The Allfather saw that men worshipped the moon. Therefore he strengthened the tribe of Ammouri and sent their sons far and wide. They were the first to call men to offer sacrifices exclusively to the Allfather. In return, the Allfather sent them gifts, such as the ox and plow, wine-craft, writing and painting, masonry, bee-keeping, and many other good things. Some denied the Ammouri and returned to the caves to continue to worship false gods.

Meanwhile, Vorthragna, ever plotting, persuaded some of the giants to break their treaty and join in an assault on Mt. Arguzinial. She showed them a secret passage to the top.

The Allfather contemplated how he would strike them down with lightening bolts. He would drag the bodies of the fire giants and tie them down in deepmost tartarus like cattle, upon the stone giants he would pile huge mountains. Yet in doing this how could he teach men not to be foolish like the giants? Something had to be done. It would be better to humiliate the proud giants and let them live rather than destroy them.

He could not use men to war against the giants because men had become weakened by the influence of unholy fire and bad water. So the Allfather created the stout race of dwarves who dwell in mountains. They built their cities within the mountains, and the first was called Tebel. No one has ever seen it save for Dwarf lords.

Vorthragna planned for a ruthless war. She designed a new weapon which the giants could match against the flashing bolts of the Allfather. Knowing much lore, she taught them the art of metalurgy so that they might fashion huge weapons of bronze and other metals.

But the Allfather also plotted his own war plan. He made his new creatures short and strong and gave them great battle prowess and knowledge of giant felling.

So did the dwarves make war against the giants and humiliated the giants severely. The giants in their rage were confused by the little dwarves and the new metal weapons were of little use. There they lay on the feild of battle in the land of Aram, vanquished, confounded in mind, that the ropes and stone tools of dwarves had brought them down.

One of the giants had inscribed runes on his sword which told of a remote mountain where the great giants' forge was situated. Men and dwarves sent and expedition to this place and found the forge guarded by two hulde-wolves in the lands of Fire and Ice, and the wolves seeing the bloody army, wisely fled. So the secret of metalurgy was made known.

Vorthragna alone remained. The Allfather put on his shining armour and mounted his flying steed. He confronted the dragon in aerial combat, and though he could easily have destroyed the beast by his own thought, he liked it best to have a good fight and humiliate the beast.

Pierced by a strike from the Allfather's bolt, she tumbled out of the sky and fell to earth, to the land of Ardeheim, a land which burned for many years and has ever since been charred and filled with rust. The Allfather cut off her legs and bound her in chains and imprisoned her beneath Mount Oneghern to dwell until the Time of The Harvester.

A few giants had refused Vorthragna's call to war, and these later were rewarded for their loyalty with permission to build great castles in the Niruz mountains, provided that they agreed not to wander into the lands of men.

As a reward for their labour, the dwarves were granted the jeweled wealth of earth, though the Allfather warned them not to touch the gold of Vorthragna, which brings strife. Some of the dwarves failed to follow his advice. The dwarves settled the land of Thasos and in the Antelynk Mountains.

Men continued to ignore the teaching of the Allfather and became worse, to the extent that each new generation became worse. The age of giants ended when, the Allfather, frustrated with the men constantly breaking laws, broke open the great well of the deep waters and flooded all the lands, sparing few, but notably Maceon, a holy man and father of the five root tribes of Men, the Maceonids. It is said that Maceon was invited to Mt. Argunizial for a banquet and when he returned the world had changed.

Authapis, the city founded by Maceon, flourished after the flood of this age, and so, by the end of this age it was already considered ancient. The walls of this city are the largest walls known to men (beside the Orc Wall itself), for in an age of giants no wall could be too high. The Authapians were also the first to develop devastating war machines which also kept the 20-30 foot giants at bay.

The Second Age

This was a terrifying time for the inhabitants of Illystrian lands. These creatures kept men living in very primitive conditions and continually harassed them, destroying their villages or demanding human sacrifice. Authapis herself was almost consumed in flames several times. Some nations built domes over their cities, such as is found in the East, and kept off dragon attacks from the air.

The most common solution men had was to build underground shelters. Indeed, in this age there were many cavernous cities built into the hills, cities which are no longer inhabited by men. Some of them go very deep, as many as twenty layers, for the dragons were even able to follow their prey underground. Thus were labyrinths designed first by men, in order that these creatures be eluded, and their own dear lives be saved.

Indeed, men were not capable, either because of weakness or on account of the primitive weapons and tactics, to hunt down and slay dragons.

The Allfather looked down on all lands across the Intermundian Sea and saw the perishing of Men, so, having pity, the Allfather sent the race of Elves to hunt down and cull the race of Dragons.

The elves prefered to dwell the northernmost lands, removed from the uncouth ways of mortal men, the mountains of Nathycanth and the forests of Plathonis. There they built mysterious and palatial fortresses few have ever seen.

The end of the age began with the Dragon Gnotus. Gnotus was almost slain in his youth by an elderly elven dragonhunter, Fendil. This elf had pity on Gnotus and made him swear vows not to kill men. Gnotus learned of the Allfather from this elf and after time grew to great wisdom.

He tried to persuade his brother dragons to do good and keep from greed and killing, and refrain from demanding worship, human sacrifice, hording, and other evils. Gnotus warned that if the dragons did not repent God would allow the elves to destroy the entire race.

Some dragons began to listen and change, and these later became the mythic saahtum-race of Neoplatonian Dragons.

Just as quickly as there was repentance, temptation came in the form of the great Scorg, an evil Red Dragon, who appeared in the skies and drew most of the other dragons away from Gnotus' teachings.


Gnotus

When the great aeonic gathering of dragons was held on Mt. Abaddon beyond the Sea of Shirvav, Gnotus was put on trial for supposed crimes against dragonhood. The twelve tribes of dragons gave the great dragons of the four directions (which included Scorg the dragonward of the South)nearly unanimous consent to execute Gnotus.

The Neoplatonian dragons persuaded Gnotus to flee and go into aeon-rest, but Gnotus declined, prefering noblility to a shameful life. But when word came that Fendil was mortally wounded in combat against centuars in the Antelynk mountains, Gnotus decided to fly to him.

He never arrived there. Gnotus was mortally wounded by Scorg and three other dragons in aerial combat over the Vastess Desert, which later was named the Dry Blood Sea.

Legend tells of how Gnotus lay dying for a hundred years in the Vastess Desert, and his dried blood filling up the land turned the sands red. As he lay dying, a scribe named Morpheus Memnos recorded the noble dragon wisdom and prophesies which later made up part of The Black Book of Melancholy.

After Gnotus passed from this world, Scorg was able to lead the dragons in an aggressive war against the elves and kept the elves so occupied with war that humankind was not much improved by elven wisdom.

Some of the elves had been seduced by evil, and the extent of their former goodness mirrored the depths of their evils. These elves fled from the upper world and went to dwell in the deepest furnace-caverns of the underdyrth, some call them Drow, followers of the Nol-ghost others call them Anahit, since they swore loyalty to the beast-dragon.

The most notorius drow elf was Thendil the Archdeciever. Some legends claim that this elf was the twin brother of Fendil, the teacher of Gnotus. He opposed the Allfather's decision to end the dragonhunting of the elves and place a human king
over both. He called most other elves to his side and convinced them to lead a war
of rebellion against the Allfather. Fendil alone rebuked Thendil for his treason and apostacy.

With a massive host of elf warlords Thendil assailed Mt. Argunizial attempting to seize the cosmic throne. The elves of Avim remained loyal and repulsed them at the threshold of Ashkhar under the command of Ambrosius. Thendil was struck down by Ambrosius and fled to the North, while the earth opened up and swallowed many others into the nether-furnace where their spirits remain. Others hid in the dark and became the drow.

Another version recounts how Thendil had succumb to lust and wrath on account a beautiful maiden he was not permitted to take. At any rate, he was forbidden to enter the halls of twilight for his crimes and his spirit was banished to the recesses of The Cracked Mountains (formerly the Crach Mountains).

Thendil cursed all life and swore to lead all creatures away from the blessed Allfather. His spirit and form became so warped over the centuries that he was no longer recognizable and soon was called "The Nol Ghost".

On account of the greivous sins of men the Allfather often granted the Nol Ghost power to raise beastly armies of chastizement.

The race of dragons grew more powerful. In order to destroy them the great Elf Queen Arva invited the Atlanteans, a race of mighty men from across the Vastess Sea, to Illystrian shores.

The Atlanteans came with advanced technology, such as the range bow and war-horse, adamantine metalurgy, and plate armour. With these they were able to wipe out the remaining dragons, at least as many as were known. Nor have any dragons been seen in light of day since this age, though rumours of underground dwellers persist.

The Atlanteans were an arrogant race and they would not leave intermundia, but demanded lands and titles, and finally kingdoms of their own. It was they who forged the deadly sword Oceanicing.

They enslaved the Maceonid tribes and built huge fortresses, some of which are still used. Some say that the Atlanteans were a mixed breed, offspring of angels who stole the daughters of men.

Also in this age a cult known as the Eclyptic Coils of Night gained great notoriety in the eastern lands. The cult leader, known as the Dark Shepherd, taught a religious system which required adherents to worship demons in the form of serpents and hideous idols. The cult spread across all lands and kingdoms and became the dominant religion of the eastern world. All men of the arraf (the east) and aram were required to offer infernal sacrifices and do the biddings of the Anahit, the demon lords. When men died, their souls were taken into the dark fires of Hell to suffer unending torment and death.

The Dark Shepherd was unable to protect himself from the purity a certain Maharim barbarian, for these men lived far to the snowy north and eastern plains and still kept the ancientmost traditions of the Allfather. He was cut down by the sword of a barbarian named Cromhur, who later established the kingdom of Ptur near the Pass of Dariel. Cromhur slew many monsterous beasts, some possessed by evil spirits, which plagued men in those days. First he slew the White Tiger of Carcaa, a huge beast that had devoured many men, and took its pelt to wear as armour. He also killed a giant vulture of Accaron, the flesh devouring Boar of Urguard, Nerses the Centuar, and others...the epic cycle is too long to relate here.

After he had slain the Dark Sheperd, a priestess of excessive beauty was allowed to take over the cult. Cromhur married her on the very day they met, immediately overcome by her beauty. However, on the night of the wedding, before the marriage was consumated, the priestess gave poisoned wine to Cromhur in his bed chamber (hoping to seize all power) and the next day celebrated funeral rites for him. Cromhur was not permitted embalming or mumuification according to Gohhan custom, since he was of barbaric descent. There was no knowledge of how his tribe treated the dead. His body was entombed untouched.

Cromhur did not die, but awoke in his tomb, for his body was powerful and pure. He unrolled the heavy stones with his own arm and took back his throne by force, fighting against many heavily armoured Atlantean ranks who had been employed as henchmen by the priestess.

Cromhur then waged a short war against the Atlanteans and humiliated them in several battles. He even captured the great sword Oceanicing. He was wounded badly by an arrow from a range bow and, having never fully recovered from the poison of his wedding night, slowly began to waste away.

The beautiful priestess was actually a powerful demoness from Hell who had taken human form in this time, and she assumed governance over the Eclyptic Coils of Night. She was also made high priestess of the over all the lands and even had the Altlantean warlords doing her bidding. Although she was unable to destroy Cromhur, (who never even again married but remained absolutely pure), she did not die like the Dark Shepherd or other mortals, but ruled for three hundred years from her temples in the Kalar, and the east for a long time was swallowed in darkness.


This age ended when King Cromhur died without a known heir. He was the strongest of all Maceonids. Atlanteans ransacked Ptur looking for the sword Oceanicing. Their boldness cost them. Entering into the castle dungeons they were slain by many traps Cromhur had designed just for them.

After Cromhur no one was strong enough to stand alone against Atlantean bullying or the Demoness.

Read the Book of Bloody Battles

from the Second World-Age

The Third Age

The Age of Ammouri: The Allfather had long since left laws to men by which to live. These laws had been lost in the passing of ages and men were beginning to doubt the need to follow them. Therefore the Allfather sent the angelic being Ambrosius Ammouri to establish an order of Knights among men who would know the law in their hearts and always keep it.

These Knights not only founded entire dynasties of rulers in every kingdom, but also patrolled the lands as rangers, the Edolunt Riders.

Their families gave rise to Clerics and Paladins of great renown and exploit. The hierarchy of priests (selvas) known as the Ammouric Soothfold treated all matters relating to dogma and religious observances as well as pronouncing edicts concerning lawful magic and condemnations on forbidden books.

The first monastic order arose during this time whose monastery was situated in the Dry Blood Sea where Gnotus the Dragon supposedly was buried a thousand years earlier.

Nevertheless, the Ammouric knights were men and thus some were drawn to into temptation, they were corrupted by the Nol Ghost and became Dark Knights, Dirgemen. The most famous was Synostochs, the Archknight of the Order of Dirge and leader of the Wormlords.

In this age the Atlanteans built the first empire, the Empire of Aideen, which lasted only seventy seven years.

Aideen was founded by one great ruler, Hermius the Conqueror, whose mother was not Atlantean, but an Oruscan. Hermius first slew the massive two-headed serpent which haunted the Serrian Way (the narrow road from the city Aideen to Tyrnopolis), by guile, not by strength at all, and thus won great renown and the magic golden snake-bow.

He then conquered all the slave-lands of the West and then traveled east across the Dry Blood Sea into Kalar as far as Setet.

Hermius also conquered Ashkehon, the land just north of the Valaghir mountains. This was his greatest feat, for it was an accursed place. Here was the fortress of the great demoness who ruled the Eclyptic Coils of Night from the previous age. At the coming of Hermius her astrologers had determined that she was in danger and awoke her from her death-sleep in the tombs.

Upon entering the eerie castle grounds, Hermius saw a man being brutally whipped. When he asked what the man had done, he was told that the prisoner had been a priest of a foriegn god who prophesied an end to the power of Ashkehon. Hermius commanded that the prisoner be released and his goods restored, lest he summon his army to march on the fortress.

All knew the overwhelming force of Hermius' advanced army, even the demoness, and his will was obeyed. The demoness hoped by her beauty to win over the Conqueror to her service.

In her awesome beauty she welcomed Hermius, who was unsuspecting, into her castle, the halls of which were also guarded by Atlantean mercenaries. Hermius was immediately taken by her and desired marriage. She consented on the condition that Hermius conquer all of Arraf including the holy city Vesulum, where the Ammouric priests reside, and bring to her the head of the Ammouric patriarch.

Hermius, unable to control his desire, consented and began to lead his army to Vesulum, and he brought the priest with him. On the way his army became lost in the desert and were in great danger, facing huge sand storms and lack of water. He prayed to his own gods but they did nothing. After time, the entire army was dying of thirst.

Hermius wondered how his army could be destroyed over such a common thing as water. The priest came to him and prophesied that he had offended God by seeking to destroy Vesulum, which is sacred, and that all his previous victories had been because of his talent, which was really a gift of God.

After his water was gone, Hermius' men brought the little amounts of water they had left and poured it into a bronze helmet and offered it to him. Hermius poured the water out on the ground, as if to teach his soldiers that he was their equal. When the priest saw this, he boldly rebuked Hermius, explaining that had he been truly a great souled man and known wisdom, he would have humbly accepted the gift, not in order to teach his men and gain their loyalty, but rather in the realization that the only through his survival, victories, and fame, his army would have a share in a certain kind of immortality, the only kind they knew. He further explained that his own life was meant to be one of service, for in no way was he equal to men who made sacrifices on his behalf, and they were not his servants anyway, but he was their servant. Had he the wisdom that the true unseen God gives, he would have known this.

At first Hermius rejected this humiliation and decided to die rather than submit to some unknown and unseen divinity. At some point however, the priest sacrifices his own life rescuing Hermius and his men. When he sees this, he resolves to learn more about the Ammouri and does not to sack Vesulum. The patriarch of Vesulum reveals to him the lore concerning the evil religion and Hermius is given the holy torch and flame of Ashkhar by which he might expel the demoness.

They also gave him a quiver of 12 sacred arrows each of which had one of the twelve sacred laws painted on the shaft in Aramic script. If the demoness fled from the shrine he would have to hunt her down.

Hermius returned to Ashkehon with the holy torch and flame of Ashkhar and joined in the procession of the utterances of the dead. Slipping away he entered into the lower chambers where she dwelt and using the light of sacred torch he was able to see through the false beauty of the demoness. Uttering the sacred words the flame increased in brightness and intensity and the evil spirit fled deeper into the underworlds.

Hermius followed and tracked her down into an underworld monastery where her evil monks dwelt. After a series of battles against them, he gained entrance to the diabolic shrine and and found her there in the form of a Naga, a half-snake woman with flaming hair. Using his magic golden snake bow which never misses, he struck the demoness with the twelve sacred arrows and her form and spirit crystalized, trapped inside an amulet: The Nagamaud Amulet.

This horrid treasure was wisked away by a surviving monk who fled the scene. Instead of that treasure, Hermius and his small band of adventurers found something much more valuable. Locked away in a trap-protected vault, was a wondrous and long lost folio, "The Golden Pages of The Wind" a collection of twelve poems on each of the sacred laws. The poems had been written by the Allfather himself in the First Age, when he still walked among men.

The book was brought to Vesulum, translated, and its identity discovered. The news changed everything. When the book was read aloud to people, an indwelling truth entered into their hearts and they were transformed, they became confident, truthful, and greatly increased in wisdom and hope for a blessed afterlife. Men also were bolder, no longer fearing that the pain of death was unbearable. They refused to offer sacrifices or support the wicked religion of the Eclyptic Coils of Night and destroyed many accursed shrines and towers, violently throwing down the hideous idols and imprisoning the diabolic priests who had enslaved them.

The entire east went into revolt and proclaimed Hermius as their new Emperor. Hermius decreed that the Ammouric Religion replace the Eclyptic Coils of Night as the new universal faith.

Hermius spread the Greco-Atlantan dialect as well as reading, writing, philosophy, and imperial administration across the face of the entire continent, save for Anshan and Sippar.

The Conqueror was also the last person recorded to have slain a giant (the ancient beastly fire giant was hiding out in the innumerable caves of Setet). Therefore he is also titled "Gigantonoctus".

Hermius also set up the colossal "Bronze Gates of Hermius", (they took several years to fashion) which were set up in the Pass of Dariel in the Valaghir Mountains to keep the dark armies of Ashkehon and Zabol out of the civil lands.

Hermius founded a great city on the east coast of the Sea of Shirvav, Hermopolis, a place of learning and culture for all the east, up until the time of the religion of the Veiled One and the Empire of Kalar, at the end of the third age, when it was abandoned. Now, though its buildings still stand, it is ruled by the theives of Xasbur and other underworld elements.

Hermius refused however to be titled a god or his memory to in any way be worshipped, setting an example for the subsequent Emperors of Regulum (not always followed).



During his return to the West he quested for treasure in the Isle of the Harpies on the Sea of Ymmin and his army was utterly destroyed by unknown terrors. The death of Hermius and the loss of his army heralded the end of an age.

The rumoured treasure of Hermius, taken from conquered lands which his army hid somewhere in the canyons of Cathon, was sealed with him in his tomb, for it was considered too great for any one man to possess. Many have quested for this treasure but all have failed. The Canyon is commonly called the Canyon of Hermius.

After Hermius the Atlanteans attempted to reinvigorate the empire of Aideen. Believing themselves to be of the noblest human bloodline, they submitted all the citizens of the empire to hard labor building great and luxurious palaces, fortresses, and resorts.

No longer remembering noble Hermius, they declared themselves as immortal masters of the earth. Soon, only those of Atlantean blood were allowed to gain rank in the legions. The Maceonids of Aquilar resented this impiety and rebeled against them. In the battle of Lists and Battle for enjoyment which followed, only one Aquilaran returned home upon his horse in shame.

Though they were victorious in battle, they found ruling the lands about the Intermundian Seas very troublesome. At some point they departed in a huge fleet and sailed off to return to Atlantis. They found no glorious land awaiting them, but only the waves lapping upon the sea. Some say that at this time the Atlanteans, seized with rage at their loss and humiliation, became bloodthirsty.

The Atlanteans returned to the Illystrian Continent by another route and came to the east, finding a mountainous land near Kalar. This they called Atalur and crowned themselves a king. They built huge fortresses and waged many wars, desiring to rid intermundia of all non-Atlantean blood.

The mages and wizards of Nystol waxed powerful in these years on account of the increase in knowledge from the voyages of Aetholus, emperor Bamusk II, and others. Also, the philosophic modes of Ptoleus and Rhistogorst held sway and kept magic from being misused.

The Atlanteans alone posed a threat to the peaceful peoples. After several great atrocities and several failed attempts at negotiation, the Ammouric monarchies agreed to hand over prosecution of the war to the wizards of Nystol. The wizards used advanced means of communication to command and coordinate the civil armies in the seige of Atalur and so vigorously defeated the Atlantean host.

Atalur agreed to terms and forfeit their king. Their ambitious princedoms never fully reformed and they still are known for conspiracies and dark dealings.

Only century and a half after men were released from the hold of the demons by Hermius and "The Golden Pages of The Wind", society began to forget what horrid powers who once had enslaved their spirits. The Ammouric priests claim that the Atlantean physical enslavement, as workers, was partially to blame. Under the Atlantean laws of Hermius, no one could be forbidden to worship the true God. Men did not understand that they still had innate dignity, even living as physical slaves or fighting in bloody wars, because their spirits were still free to follow divine law.

Little by little the great Ammouric monarchies were overthrown by petty rivalries, conspiracies, and sins. Some say this was because of aggressive Ataluran meddling in foreign affairs. Soon only a few kingdoms remained faithful, chief among them Ulthor.

No longer afraid of the valiant powers of men, orcs began raiding south into human lands. The Kingdom of Ulthor put up a valiant defence in the Wars of the Spear, much of which is recounted in the Bladetongue Saga. Finally, massive walls were built in the north, The Orc Wall, closing off the realm of the Nol Ghost.

The error-religion of Bah Ukah and the worship of the Veiled One took hold of the East during this time. In reality this religion had developed out of the Eclyptic Coils of Night, the demon cult from the previous age, for the demoness entrapped in the Amulet of Nagamaud still commanded the loyalties of her own twisted cult of those who worshiped her alone. The closed empire of Kalar grew in prominence and threat, but their sultans also kept the Nol Ghost from coming across the Valaghir mountains.

Only a brief time of learning in the east occurred during the short reign of Bamusk II. Exploratory expeditions of Aetholus of Nystol and Emperor Bamusk II around the Intermundia discovered many lands and kingdoms previously unknown.

Enter the weird study of Mercurius Yod,

seer of the Third Age

The Fourth Age

The Age of Magian Hegemony:
After defeating the Atlanteans, the Wizards and Mages of Nystol had established themselves as a power to be reckoned with.

Secluded in their remote plateau, their will was law and prevailed commanding all Intermundia for many centuries.One particularly knowledge-hungry Archmage commanded all books and scrolls to be taken to Nystol to be copied. This Archmage decieved the world, secretly conspiring with others to gain total power by having access to all knowledge, arcane and otherwise, and denying it to the rest of the world.

The books and scrolls, obediantly brought to Nystol on the behest of the Ammouric Soothfold, were never copied, and never returned to their owners, the kings and sages of high renown.

Most of the adepts of Nystol were no longer giving heed to the censure of the Ammouric Soothfold, and little by little, through the advent and consent to novel philosophies and forbidden magics, they lost favor with the Allfather.

Sorcery began with a man known only as Infernalius. He was able to lead the other wizards down a slippery slope to transgress the Ammouric Law and access the forbidden praeternatural source fonts. In doing this he was promised great power by the demons, though he nevertheless died an obscure death.

On this account, all magic in intermundia would be abandoned, since few could easily tell the difference between right magic and demon-inspired sorcery.

The divine retribution for this was twofold. First the logos ecliptic, (the paraphysical deliniator which brought magic into conformity), as well as the preternatural source founts, were permanently sealed by decree of the Ammouric Soothfold. Secondly, the Great Burning occured, the Magnum Conflagrationem, in which the Allfather allowed Barbarian hordes to destroy the home of the Mages, the towers and library on Ancient Rises of Nystol, burning it down.

This event changed Intermundia permanently. Now only evil magic is found in the lands, sorcery, the summoning of demons by evil men. Occasionally an enchanted relic of the past is found or dug up, such as a wand or ring invested with good magic.

Elven magic is rare, and most of the high elves have left intermundia ages ago anyway.

The magic power of the elves was a natural extention of their spirits, therefore, few instruments like rings and staves and wands made by elves remains, for such components were unneeded and few were made.

If such a relic did exist, it would be almost impossible for a human to use properly, and probably considered useless. Enchanted weapons and armour are the rare exception, since the elves fought many wars against the dragons and the Nol Ghost.

Through the betrayal of one man, the sage Adeuces, the horde of barbarians were able to sack the city Nystol and burned all the towers and the great scriptorium. Almost every history, philosophic tract, poetry, sagas, and science, was burnt and utterly destroyed.

This was known as the Magnum Conflagrationem and it would send Intermundia into a dark age of ignorance. Dating of this in intermundian time corresponds roughly to 1000 AD. The story of the Great Burning is recounted in The Fall of Nystol, the sources of which are thought to be an extant work rescued from oblivion by the gnome Cruthius Eleusinion.

Forty years after the Great Burning, the Nol Ghost, finally learning of the catastrophy, renewed his war against the civil lands and raised a great army of beast-men, trolls, and scorc lords. The Dark Horde breeched the Orc Wall and marched upon all the northern civil lands, Aram, Ardeheim, Tyrni, all Regulia, Kithom, and the Nine Feudatories. Ulthor alone did not capitulate.

This war was called the Bellum Diabolicum and it changed intermundia forever. The Nol Ghost and his army of beastly orcs built a fleet of Horror Ships and sailed unchallenged to Ulthor. Ulthor, vanguard of the West, was utterly destroyed, its princes put to death, and the earth salted. The people of the kingdom of Ulthor would later build the city Yrbath (somewhat modelled after Ulthor) north upon the sea of Goldyndol.

Only one man, the old King Argoth the Good, rose up and called upon all good-willed men in the civil and barbaric lands to come meet in the valley of the holy city Vesulum and assemble an army.

Although not enough came, King Argoth the Good weilding the ancient sword Oceanicing, led a force of ten thousand across the Orc Wall and into feilds of Aram where they faced the orcs.


King Argoth prayed to they Allfather while the battle raged, until, seeing need for more swordsmen, he entered the fray himself, still able, at the age of twenty two, to lift a great sword and kill thirty five orcs in an hour.

Most of the Ammouric Knights were slain in this battle, the battle of
the Longhairs. After a costly victory, King Argoth, steeped in gore, entered Hithgrod and the Cracked Mountains even marching into remote mountain fortress Zabol, the seat of the Nol Ghost.

The inaccessable fortress was breached through a series of miraculous events and the fortress was taken, and King Argoth cast the Nol Ghost into a pit to be chained for a thousand years.

The power of the Nol Ghost, though greatly diminished because of his chaining in the great pit, lived on in certain men who carried out his crimes. The few Ammouric paladins who survived the Bellum Diabolicum were hunted down in later years by the Red Ascetic.

King Argoth himself expired after thirty years guarding the pit of the Nol Ghost in ever-cold conditions.

A note on the magic system:It is commonly said that magic is a way of manipulating nature or natural processes. In intermundia magic is based on philosophic modes. The first mode we should discuss is the system of Rhistogorst.

In Rhistogorst's system, magic is preformed by manipulating the accidents of a natural object or event by means of exciting vibrations in the substrates of a "substance". The vibrations are excited by tonal interference in the utterance of certain primordial words.

Certain rules must be applied. Accidents can be changed, for example, a red apple can be altered into a blue apple, or clear weather can be replaced by storm. However certain properties are immutable, for example, fire can never be cold, nor can there ever be anything known as cold fire, since heat is proper to fire.

A woman cannot be changed into a man, or vice versa, since the female-ness of a woman is proper to her person, permanently fused with who she is, her personhood, on the deepest level of being. She may be changed into a goat or owl or other creature, provided that it is a (female)warm blooded mammal, for she would at least need to remain in the proper animal category in which her vegitative and sensitive soul has accustomed itself, or else the system shock would be too great.

Her humanity is proper to her as well, but this, the rational soul, is seperable to some extent, from the physical body. The mammal she changes into would need to have at least enough brain power to house her rational soul, perhaps such as a mule, but not a mouse.She can be more easily be changed into a mermaid or harpy, since legs are merely accidental to man/woman, and she would still retain her specific difference (which identifies her as human), that is, her intellect and reasoning power. (Reasoning does not mean logic, or just thinking, but here understand reasoning as the entire spectrum of unseen realities that makes up what a human mind does)

The race of mermaids or harpies, however, (different than a woman magically in the form of one), are intellective beasts or fey, not humans, but rather constructs of Hell.Of course, taken further, since the body parts are accidental, some human body part must remain in a metamorphosis.

In Apuleius' The Golden Ass, Apuleius is changed into a donkey by a witch. Nevertheless he is not a true donkey, since donkeys cannot employ human reason. One might say that he became "a human in the shape of a donkey". Now since the human flesh has no potential to become a donkey flesh, we must also conclude that in such a change the human flesh takes the shape of the donkey, in which case other donkeys would immediately notice the difference.

Such a metamorphosis "spell" would probably take many months of consuming a certain potion in order to be accomplished.Nothing can go contrary to the natural, since in that case it would be miraculous, and miracles are the work of God not wizards, and accomplished through clerics or paladins.Potential existance must must taken into account.

Read the Bladetongue Saga,

epic of the Fourth Age

The Fifth Age

The Age of The Twilight:
In this time, on account of the lack of learning once recorded in books, lands about the Intermundian Seas were gradually plunged back into the difficult conditions of a dark era. Sorcerers, geniuses of forbidden magic, were greatly feared and reverenced by everyone.

It was difficult for men using their own natural reasoning to discern the realities of things, especially without the wisdom traditions which had been recorded by the Ammouric priests and sagasayers, and the philosophers and mages of Nystol.

Certain ambitious and lying men, heresiarchs, took control of what once had been glorious Ammouric temples and churches. They destroyed the Ammouric art and introduced novel explanations of history. They taught false doctrines about the nature and purpose of man, authority, and what is good. These kinds of men were expert at making good seem evil and evil seem as good.

The greatest heresiarch, the Red Ascetic, contrived doctrines which took hold of the people of the Regulian Empire. He himself was venerated as a god. He persecuted "the old ammouric superstitions" and promoted a humanistic spiritualist philosophy instead, claiming that the Allfather was a lie meant to keep folk in place, and that all men could be as gods.

Now the Ammouri must go about secretly and quest for the lost tablets of the Law, which they believe will restore the truth to mankind. The imperial reward for the head of an Ammouric Knight is conferral of aristocratic title and 10,000 gold pieces.

Word has also come that a scroll exists which had come from across the Vastess Sea and which contains the words and promises of the Allfather himself. This "Scroll of Illumination" had been captured by a petty thief and sold in the underworld to the highest bidders. They have employed the greatest gladitorial champion of the underdyrth, the minotuar Minogog, to guard the scroll in the remote underground labyrinth beneath the ruins of Nystol.

As the old Regulian empire became corrupt and horded wealth, men began seeking new sources of wealth. When a mountain dwarf was captured by cattle men upon the plains of Kithom, he was forced to reveal that he had found a vast vein of gold in the northern Antelynk mountains, a secret he had kept to himself for centuries.

The rumour circulated around all the middle and western lands. Men began to search through the mountains of Kithom and even settled in hastily built frontier towns, and the old Regulian and Ammouric laws which had forged the civil lands was habitually ignored.

The Edolunt Riders were harassed in every town, to such an extent that they ceased to patrol those drylands: Kithom, the Antelynk Range, the Canyon, and the Deadly Hills .

Then it was heard that gold had been found in the south as well, in the river that snakes through Hermius' Canyon and in the Deadly Hills. The whole region became a place for drifters, outlaws, drunkards, prospectors, or anyone tough and reckless. The holy city of Vesulum closed itself to the outer world save for clerics or paladins.



The prophesies: The prophesies of the Black Book of Melancholia, known as the metaprophesies, speak of an age called the Time of the Harvester. It is said that in this time most men will become doers of evil, mockers, worshippers of themselves. They will drink of the Dark Chalice, the cup of Abomination, and create a huge evil army to conquer and enslave all people under one ruler.

The Nol Ghost will somehow be released from his bonds and his spirit will enter into and possess a certain man who will be proclaimed lord of all the earth. He will make war against divine truth, riding upon the released dragon Vorthragna, he will even assail the holy men and Vorthragna will strike at them down with her tail.

The other noble races will not be able to raise up a warrior to compare in might to this horrid pair. He shall even be so bold as to sit upon Mt. Arguzinial and pronounce infernal decress.

So great will wax the power of evil and sin that God will plunge the earth into three days of purifying darkness. The great elves will return to the Illystrian Continent to make war upon the plain of Gedeharm alongside men and dwarves against the Hell army.

Read the MASTER OF PLANETS TRILOGY, an adventure of the fifth world-age

History of the Excavations

How did Intermundia come into sub-reality? The lost continent was discovered by a process which can only be described or called "Mystic Archeology". The archeologic technique is unknown to modern science, but it is thought to have been first developed by a Neoplatonic Thaumaturge in the 6th century AD. Mr. Potter has been using the technique in order to recollect "legendary content deposited into my subconscious by an angelic being which dwells in a closely linked time-reality."
"I have had to re-enter intermundia several times to recover the texts. I must enter into a mystic anamnesis opened by dream-trance. Then I soul-journey as far as the forgotten library in the cave-ruins of the Ancient Rises of Nystol, the many-towered college of magian adepts which I first came upon in 1990-91. The desert journey was very dangerous. The recovery process and translation work are still underway, the corpus of scrolls and tomes found in the ruins is substantial.Here is a chronology of the known history and excavationsBackground: In the days when Arthur King of Britain reigned, a nether-gate was found by explorers beneath a small fortress island called Atherly. After sailing in an underground sea for two months, the Knights of Duke Ikonn re-enter the upper world and arrive at the shores of the Vastess Sea, near the grottos of Gorre, the continent intermundia.A short exploratory expedition inland is undertaken. Upon returning to the isle Atherly the Duke's knights are surprised and burned alive by a Red Dragon.Ikonn flees by ship back to the lost continent and is shipwrecked. His only clue to the identity of the beast is the name "Scorg".

1981: During high school math class I suddenly draw a lion-headed being with wings and seven horns. Infused knowledge identifies this creature as angelic, the guardian of dungeoneers. He reveals that his name is Ambrosius Ammouri, and that he has projected himself spiritually into my own time-reality, in order that I may record the epic of Duke Ikonn, which had begun two years previous, in 1979.

1982: In this year it is revealed to me how Duke Ikonn was found alive by intermundian buccaners. He participates in a bold campaign to sack the Underworld and lay hold of its great treasures. He is assailed by a gruesome tentacled creature and barely escapes with his life. He recieves the sword Oceanocing as his treasure, as well as ancient bronze plate mail of etheriality.

1982: In this year it is revealed how Duke Ikonn captured the fortress of the rebel prince Synostochs in the Dry Blood Sea and witnessed the diabolic prophecy of the son of the Nol-Ghost, the dark lord. He also consolidates his castles built over the sea-grottos of the Gorric Coast, thereby assuring naval supremacy of all the coasts of the Vastess Sea. Launching a bold attack in the foggy seaport he takes the galleon of the Pirate King as his own dragon-ship, the Valaria.

1983: Ikonn recieves visions of Ambrosius Ammouri, guardian of dungeoneers. He loses a hand in combat in the dome city. Later, he travels to the great northern forests to enter the order of Ammouri and uncovers the Black Book of Melancholy in the Arx Pegasorum. This work of intermundian history he gives to his personal scribe Thanato Excorpus for copying. This copy is uncovered by myself, some five hundred years later.1984: The gnome Cruthius Eleusinion guides the mage Elkomenon, the theif Godiun, and Ikonn into the underworld, hot on the trail of the elusive Red Dragon Scorg,(who once incinerated his companions).After several years of quest-combat for dungeoneers through places like "The Pyramid of The Scull" and "The Lost Dome City", Ikonn retires as King of Gorre.

1986: The first tract of Black Book of Melancholy is finally translated into readible Latin. The primordial history of the lost continent is partially revealed, especially the records of the first man who lived after the great deluge, Maceon.1985: Mantayl, a would-be hero, enters the underground of intermundia searching for the notorius "Black Book", a quest foolishly accepted from an evil minion "The Great Wall". Instead he discovers a ring of magic missle, which, having misused, accidently blows him up.

1989: Fragments of several Urguard warrior poems are found on pottery fragments which support the theory that the city state of Urguard was originally a colony of the Hellenic Sparta.

1990: The Geographic Charts of Vistonn and Cruthius are found rolled up in yanothic jars in Gohha.In the summer of that year the messianic poem "The Martyrdom" is found complete in the ash ruins of Authapis.

1991: "The discovery of the Basement Texts" in Nystol. Huge sections of poetry and history are unravelled. Including the mysterious accounts of Mercurius Yod, the heretic mythographer. A draft timeline of intermundian history is found in the Black Book.1992-93: Fragments of an unknown epic poem that describes various mythic beings are discovered. These strongly suggest that Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians colonized intermundia sometime in the Bronze Age.

1996: It is revealed how a hero of secret identity, only known as "The Blue Lemur", an over-bold dungeoneer, had infiltrated the labyrinths of Garmsir and slain a frost dragon.

2001: More of Mercurius Yod is discovered.2002: Huge portions of the Black Book of Melancholy are finally translated, clarifying some very important aspects of intermundian myth and history in The Fall of Nystol.The Oceanicon, an epic record of Duke Ikonn's first journey into the Underworld, is found perfectly preserved by ice in the crystal caves of Plathonis. Translation goes extremely slowly on account of Ikonn's script hand.

2003: The discovery of the Bladetongue Saga in the tombs of Imperial Anshan rocks the world of intermundian scholarship.Translation work is also very slow.

2005: Permission is granted by authorities in the Kalar to examine the sacred Library of Emperor Bamusk II. The Great Map of Aetholus is found, as well as two epillions (short epics) popular in his time, The Madness that came to Ptur and King Ikonn the Wormserver. In the case of the later, it seems that King Ikonn's fame had become so great that the Kalar Maurob had tried to claim him as an ancestor.

2015 The Epic "Never Leave Your Monastery" is found, in a monastery, of course.