The Lands of Kennar
The Word of Shandar
03
The town of Venmaliatus, a cluster of a thousand wooden and stone houses nestled against the castle, lay in the silence of midnight. The streets, made up of muddy earth and stones, were illuminated only by a few scattered torches fixed to the walls along the main road. No one was about: only the barking of dogs could be heard, and, behind him, the rowdy and cheerful voices of the soldiers from his platoon, relaxing in the tavern after a forced march of 150 miles. They had marched for a week, along with the entire contingent of Kennar's Third Division of Crusaders, the "Gods' Sabre." Their commander, General Kalahad Harteneis, had led the Division’s 6,000 men over steep climbs and paths suspended over dizzying cliffs, finally reaching the mountains that divided the Western Kingdoms of the Lands of Kennar from the Eastern Lands of Vizerath. The "Border Marks"—that was the name of this modest plateau surrounded by mountains, where Venmaliatus stood. It was a place forgotten by gods and men, frequented only by passing merchants, shepherd clans, and the occasional motley gang of cutthroats.
Venmaliatus was the last western outpost, the watchtower on the border with the east, standing upon the only road crossing the mountains eastward, the "Itineris Orientalis." Many considered it a cursed road, given the number of Kenreen soldiers who had perished there during the first two Crusades. However, the village of Venmaliatus had remained safe—at least until that moment.
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—From the second chapter of the first book
Alasheers and Elvensheers
In a distant world called Shandar, there are twelve kingdoms: nine lie in the western lands, known as the "Lands of Kennar," while to the east rise the three kingdoms of Vizereem. The fair-skinned westerners are descendants of the northern Alasheers Gods, while the dark-skinned easterners pride themselves on being born of the eastern Elvensheer Gods, the Dark Elves.
The Gods are not mere mythical beings; they truly exist and live on Shandar’s moon, a natural satellite with atmosphere and vegetation. The Alasheers are actually cosmic travellers, immortal beings from a distant dying planet. To live eternally, they have learned to feed on the energy emitted by mortals when they pray and worship them. The Elvensheers also draw sustenance from human energy, but of a different kind: that linked to fear and darker desires. The hatred between these two divine races was inherited by their human descendants, westerners and easterners, Kenreen and Vizerath, locked in perpetual conflict.
During the War of the Gods, which took place 20,000 years ago, the northern Alasheers and the dark Elvensheers fought fiercely against one another, nearly to the point of extinction. Initially, there were around 40,000 Alasheers and 85,000 Dark Elves, but by the end of the conflict, only 3,000 northern deities and a mere 1,200 Elvensheers remained. They reached a mutual agreement to cease fighting, leaving their human descendants—the inhabitants of the eastern and western lands—to battle in their stead, like pieces in a game of chess. Thus, on the planet Shandar, the war between Kenreen and Vizerath would decide the fate of the Gods, granting victory to one immortal lineage and enslavement to the other.
During the War of the Gods, however, some northern Alasheers—desperately seeking greater strength against their opponents and acquiring new, miraculous powers—began to feed on the physical energy of humans, and at times, even on their souls. Even after the conflict ended, some northern Gods continued this grisly practice, consumed by their lust for power and immortality.
Exactly 12,000 years ago, the Alasheers Gods finally abandoned the planet and, through space-time portals, returned to their base on the Green Moon, the "Kingdom of the Heavens." In adherence to the peace pact, the Dark Elves also returned to their base on Wrath Ater, an asteroid at the edge of the solar system. Since then, they have rarely been seen, if at all, their names becoming synonymous with legend or religious scriptures. Thus began the Age of Men.
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—From the book Forgotten Ballads and Myths of Origins by Fehuer Sarr, Historian of Tholianeth, Year 2423 of the Age of Men
04
The Beginning of the Age of Men
Creatures and Demons
Creatures and Demons
05
The Lands of Kennar are peaceful: ever since King Albion defeated the tribes of the Blueogres years ago, no infernal creatures have troubled the inhabitants of the western lands. However, since the beginning of the Oloorna Karsha, the period known as the Sleep of the Gods, the northern territories have begun to experience increasingly frequent attacks from Goblins and Blue Orcs from the Highlands of Riash Graiglich. These demons are led by Vizerath Sorcerers and Witches, further complicating the conflict. Joining these hordes are Satyr, the Seriannex - humanoid flying Harpies that exhale deadly poison in their wake - and the Xylops, fierce 22-feet-long horned hyenas that, despite their blindness at birth, make up for it with their heightened sense of smell. Giant spiders, bat-like creatures, and Trolls from the Frostibite Mountains are beginning to ravage the border, drawing dangerously close to the Lands of Kennar. Something seems to hold them back from crossing the line—a sort of invisible wall evident only to wizards and druids—that appears to weaken more with each passing day...