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.
