Eidaris is a medieval fantasy setting haunted by the echoes of ancient mysteries. Though full of the arcane and otherwise magical, to much of the world, magic is but a thread in an increasingly complex tapestry.

THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING

At the beginning of everything, a coalescence of space dust and arcane energy began the era of being. Four celestial bodies that hung in an endless sky, emanating incredible, incomprehensible energy. Slowly, all hatched from these planetary shells that incubated them over millennia, all of them except for one. Assumed to be a stillborn celestial, these ancient beings began to mourn for their lost. They began a monument to their fallen, etched into the very corpse of their stillborn sibling’s jagged exterior. They crafted vast swathes of lakes and oceans, mountains to the heavens and deserts that swallowed the boiling lands of magma and obsidian that lay beneath it. This great act weakened the other newborn celestials. In fear of meeting the same fate as their fallen brethren, they coalesced their energy into artifacts that thrum with the same divine essence that animates them. Each celestial created a handful of guardians to preserve their instruments of power in case they are needed once again. These beings, now moribund, shaped the cosmos only to then be held in stasis in the same boundless, expanding sky that held them before. There they lie in their cosmological slumber for longer than time has ever been able to be recorded.
The fourth celestial sibling, long thought deceased, lies in a weakened state, surviving in telepathic stasis for millenia at the center of the planet that now teems with life at the surface. Angry at its brethren, it felt they abandoned it. Their drained bodies were now undetectable from the distance they orbited one another. It fell bitter and spiteful through long trenches of time of both its siblings and their creations. It is now looking to dominate or even destroy the non-compliant, using it’s gathering energy to communicate and manipulate forces on the surface.

THE MISADVENTURES OF LUCIEN AND GRELL

Chapter 1
The rain ceased suddenly, clouds scattering as moonlight gently engulfed the clearing. A discordant rumble swept across the glade as the petrichor was overwhelmed by the putrid scent of burning sulphur. Leaves turned and tumbled across the cave mouth as a haunting, robed figure crept out of the cavern and into the moonlight. The trio, already clinging to one another in fear, trembled on the sodden soil. Pleading with the entity, desperate and already bargaining, Lucien exclaimed, “Please, we have nothing left to give! You must understand … the kind of day we’ve been having is—” “I mean you no harm; your presence is desired.” The tall figure speaks in a booming, breathy voice. The enveloping sound of creaking bones was loud enough to echo against the verdant amphitheater. “You are brave adventurers, are you not? None else would be so bold as to enter this sacred domain.” “Us? Well, lady, you've got the right guys. Luckily, our prospects just opened up.” Lucien says perking up with unfound bravado. “She’s clearly broke, her robes are filthy!” Grell sneers, whispering sharply before turning to the figure and saying, “Listen lady, I know you see two extremely capable fellows here, but we don't have time for your crap.” A thick fog slowly entrenched the forest, like a wall around the clearing. “If riches are what you desire, you shall have more than you can stomach. Unfettered power can be yours, you simply have to take it,” hissed the speaker, beckoning as they sunk into the shaded hollow. Grell and Lucien looked at each other, then at the unwelcoming cavern mouth that seemed jagged with teeth. In their hesitation, those angered whispers erupted from the forest deep , louder than before, as roaring thunder rippled across its darkened crown. In a tornado of fear and ambition, the brothers catapulted forward, towing Wisp shortly behind. As they were led further into the caverns, the strident whispers were replaced with the thrum of a dark celestial energy. It crept into the very corners of their minds, an encompassing desire that bled from the cavern itself. The putrid scent of sulphur was thick, an oppressive carpet of smog to wade through. Ancient crevices lit up eagerly without flame as the figure passed. Trailing cautiously behind the shambling speaker, they nearly tumbled over one another as the hulking figure stopped suddenly. Colossal stone doors parted to reveal three stone plinths along a limestone dusted altar. There was not a single beam of moonlight that could have cracked the depths of the cavern, yet the chamber glowed like morning sun. The figure entered, and then was followed by the expectant trio.The massive doors shut behind them suddenly, the thud of their stone reverberated throughout the room. The speaker was clearer to them now, no longer affixed by shadow. The ends of their robes were emptied of features, leaking a dark noxious haze. Lucien shuddered as the figure turned to face him directly. Unable to break his gaze, shadows began to corrupt the corners of his vision as he rose above the chamber floor. “This was definitely not part of the deal!” exclaimed Grell as he grabbed Wisp and they began to both claw desperately at the way they came. As Grell looked back in horror, shadowy tendrils emerged as the once robed figure warped into something beyond comprehension. With little resistance, they were quickly overwhelmed by the corruptive shadows.