The Redemption of Erâth: History of Erâth

By Satis

Before the birth of Brandyé Dui-Erâth, his exile from Consolation, and consequently the events that led to the final struggle against the forces of Darkness, there were no less than three Ages of Erâth, through which the civilizations of men and the races of power rose, battled, and fell. Many times it has seemed that the race of men would be extinguished from Erâth forever, and throughout all, the threads of the Duithèn, race of Darkness, have tainted and corrupted the world.

During the First Age, the race of men rose to their greatest heights and achieved their greatest successes, only to discover that their aspirations of eternity would become their undoing. After the catastrophic downfall of the First Age, which saw the annihilation of the race of Life from Erâth, the world would never be the same again: even as men rebuilt their kingdoms, the Duithèn stole across all the lands, giving rise to the terrifying creatures of Darkness.

Eventually the powers of Darkness could no longer be contained, and the Second Age culminated in the great War of Darkness, from which the world of Erâth has never recovered. Although the Duithèn were defeated, the last kingdoms of men were in ruins, left to decay under the poor leadership of lesser kings. So began the Third Age, which saw the advent of Changelessness, the departure of the races of power, and the eventual return of the Duithèn, in a final bid to enslave the world in Darkness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christopher North
• Release date: Oct 5, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310339998

Satis

Satis began writing stories from childhood and studied music composition at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. His twin loves of music and writing have stayed with him throughout his life, and he regularly introduces his son to new music, as well as writing bedtime stories for them to read together. He currently lives with his wife and their son in northern New Jersey.

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THE REDEMPTION OF ERÂTH

HISTORY OF ERÂTH

Copyright © 2015 Christopher North.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-3103-3999-8

Once more for Ben—you got me writing in the first place.

And for Neil, whose support has been unwavering through the years.

Part I

Overview

(I) ORIGINS

The true origins of Erâth are obscure, lost to the myth and legend of the oldest races. What is known is that Erâth comprises all that is; nothing beyond it can be known. It could be considered that Erâth represents the Universe, but in many ways is very much finite.

Erâth is a flat world. This does not, however, mean it is not round. It has a north, south, east and west, and to this day most parts of the world remain unexplored. There are great continents, and greater seas. Some seas are so vast they cannot be crossed, and are inhabited by creatures of appropriate enormity. There are large tracts of Erâth that are desolate wastelands. Much of Erâth is forested, but there are mountains and deserts, also.

Despite its vastness, Erâth is possessed of an edge. If you were to journey long enough in any particular direction, you would encounter one of two things: either mountains that increase ever in size and steepness until eventually culminating in an impassable wall; or a plunge, profound beyond depth, where the sea drops to oblivion.

A curious aspect of Erâth is that, in spite of such an end, it is possible to journey endlessly within its borders. Like the concept of traveling in an unwavering straight line yet returning nonetheless whence you came, such is the case in Erâth. Should the traveler be inattentive to their direction or destination, they would find the landscape gradually change—as with all journeys—yet all the while remain the same, and eventually become that in which their journey began. The conscious traveler will, of course, eventually arrive at their chosen destination, but in this way the world of Erâth is kept all the more vast. It is uncertain what would happen should one attempt to travel beyond the edges of Erâth.

There are many things alive in Erâth. The inhabitants of Erâth (of which only a few will be discussed in this history) form a part of this livingness, but by no means its entirety. The life of Erâth extends beyond consciousness and awareness, and into the roots of the land itself. As such, not just plants, animals and people but mountains, trees, rivers, and even the air itself, are all very much alive. A thing that affects one part of Erâth must by necessity be felt in every other part. The smallest of changes—the birth and death of creatures, the eroding of the land by the water, the pushing of roots and growing of trees—whilst unnoticed by all who roam Erâth’s wildernesses, have a great cumulative effect. Thus, changes in the livingness of Erâth—the slow spread of Darkness, the dying of a race—gradually darken the entire world, but in such slow measure that it can only be considered over the course of millennia.

(II) DARKNESS

Though it was not always so, Erâth is now a place nearly overrun by Darkness. This is a Darkness that is more than natural, brought on by the slow decay of the world and the withering of life and light. Such disaffection came about early in the history of Erâth, culminating in a great war that left the powers of the world precariously unbalanced, slowly tilting ever further into an abyss from which it may never return.

Every civilization of Erâth is darkened to one extent or another. This darkness can manifest itself in different ways; where one population might delight in battle and death, another may close itself off to outside influence, ideas and peoples, choosing willfully to live in unchanging ignorance. The most vicious of these folk are bound by the thinnest of ties, living as near savages and destroying one another as readily as their foes.

So too are the plants and animals of Erâth. Of the many species that populate the world, some are naturally dangerous predators and scavengers—one would not willingly encounter a pack of wolves in the forest at night. Yet while these animals possess a natural danger, others are outright savage, attacking without provocation. Then there are the creatures of Darkness itself—beasts torn and changed from their origins, turned to evil itself and roaming the land seeking the destruction of all that is good and light. Even the trees often grow crooked, and many streams and rivers are tainted.

This is not to say that Erâth is entirely without light. Individual folk, and in rarer instances whole populations, exist in peace with Erâth and their surroundings. There are forests where the trees grow straight and strong, rivers that do not sicken, and oceans that do not pull one under. Sadly, this light is growing dim. Nearly all of Erâth is now covered in shadow, and the sun fails to shine year upon year. These places are those most tainted by Darkness, and many of the creatures that choose to dwell there are vile beyond description.

(III) RACES

The primary race governing the world of Erâth was once that of men, though their influence is now diminished to such an extent that it could be said the world now governs them. Long ago, men dominated the land throughout all of Erâth, and Darkness was kept at bay. Over the centuries, though, the influence of Darkness was allowed to seep into the land, and several times the race of men was very nearly extinguished from Erâth entirely. Each time the race of men rebuilt itself, it found itself less glorious and less powerful than before. Eventually, the race of men ceased to grow altogether, and now lives at odds with the Darkness, fending it off as best it can, and slowly ceding to its relentless onslaught.

There are several kingdoms of men, each with their own counsels, chief skills and governances. Ties between them are weak, and though they rarely do battle with one another, nor do they trade, or even speak, except in the rarest of cases.

There are also smaller populations of men not within the fiefdoms of these greater kingdoms. Most of these have given themselves to Darkness entirely, and are allied with the forces of Darkness against the remaining kingdoms of men. There is a deep resentment within these folk, a desire to see the last kingdoms of men fall. A very few of the outlying populations live in relative isolation. Perhaps they lie a little too far from the other realms of men, or perhaps are too small and not yet within the grasp of Darkness. They are most often ignored by all other races, and in some places of Erâth their existence has faded from all knowledge.

There are many other races of creatures that share Erâth with that of men, and these will be discussed at greater length in a separate appendix. The vast majority of these races live within the grip of Darkness, many so entwined that, were Darkness ever to fail, they would surely be destroyed themselves. While some resemble men, most do not, and present an ever-increasing threat to the continuing of the race of men.

A very few races are above Darkness, and hold to themselves a greater power over the world of Erâth. These are the Races of Power, and of the seven that originated with the birth of the world, only four are known to exist still. They are as follows: the Illuèn, the Duithèn, the Mirèn, the Namirèn, the Sarâthen, the Portèn and the Narâthen. Together they represent the Powers of Erâth: Light, Darkness, Life, Death, Wisdom, Strength and Eternity. Each of these races is bound to a physical form in the world of Erâth, but are greater than their mere presence in the world. Without each race, the world of Erâth could not be, nor could ever have been. They were responsible for bringing these qualities to the world in the beginning, though some have now left Erâth, and others have died out.

These races are now seldom encountered, vanishing into the myth and legend of the deep past of Erâth. All but one that remain are themselves declining, slowly dying over centuries under the ever-growing influence of Darkness. The only race that has grown in strength with the darkening of the world is the Duithèn, for of course Darkness is theirs to master, and their greed has proven the death of Erâth.

(IV) ANCIENTS, CHANGE & AGELESS

Threaded throughout all the races of Erâth are a number of key beliefs, forming the foundation of each race’s civilization and philosophy (granted they are not yet descended too far into Darkness). These are the belief in Ancients, the belief that all things must return to their beginnings, and the belief in the Ageless.

The Ancients were the oldest form of men in Erâth. It is believed that their civilization was lightness beyond compare, and may even have achieved immortality. One postulate is that the Ancients, tired of their living bodies, removed their souls to a higher plane, leaving behind their fleshy shells to descend into savagery and the ruin of their civilization. This would certainly tie into the ideology of the Ageless, though it equally likely that the Ancients grew their power faster than their responsibility, and ultimately destroyed themselves. What little is known of the Ancients is derived only from legend and oral history, and has almost certainly been gravely distorted by endless years.

The changeless nature of Erâth is unquestionable (and in fact, is never questioned). All things return to their beginnings; all life ends, all death gives rise to life, all journeys end at home, and all endeavor to make great change results in the reinforced continuation of exactly the same thing as before. Some philosophers have speculated that Erâth was not always this way, as evidenced by the belief that the Ancients had far greater powers than anything known throughout the remaining ages. Whether by the influence of Darkness, or even by deliberate design by a higher power (or even the Ancients themselves), it is undeniable now that all things end where they began. This belief has given rise to a sense of futility that can be seen as the chief reason for the continued decline of the race of men. Most kingdoms have long since ceased to grow, and are content (or rather, malcontent) to live through the ages as they always have done, keeping to themselves and inventing only as needed to ensure the continued survival of their race.

Legends of the Ageless are one of the few things that have survived throughout the ages of Erâth, though no one can rightly explain what they are, nor how they came to be. The seven Ageless—one for each Race of Power—are considered to be responsible for the powers that govern Erâth, and it is thought they gave birth originally to the Races of Power themselves. According to myth, the Ageless are, always have been, and always will be. Throughout all recountable history, the Ageless have never existed in mortal form, but rather permeate all life throughout Erâth, and are the influence behind every action and consequence. Some beliefs hold that the Ageless of Death, Strength and Darkness—represented by the Namirèn, the Portèn and the Duithèn—are the only Ageless left in the world, though; those of Life, Wisdom and Light abandoned Erâth in past ages in despair. The Ageless of Eternity is generally considered to be a force of neither good nor evil, but rather ensures the continuation of Erâth, whether there be men or demons, life or death. In this regard, the Ageless of Eternity can be considered responsible for the unchangingness of Erâth, though other races of power may have been involved, as well.

(V) THE REDEMPTION OF ERÂTH

A separate belief, held generally only by the race of men, is that of the Redemption of Erâth. In the face of the inescapable Darkness that is steadily engulfing the remnants of their civilization, a small hope has bloomed in some parts of Erâth that one day, a descendant of the Ancients would rise to defend the race of men from the onslaught of Darkness, and reclaim the land for Light. It is paradoxical that in hoping for what could be considered the greatest change in the history of Erâth, it is too much for men to hope for the continued ability to grow and change within themselves; that their civilization might one day attain the greatness of the ancients themselves is beyond their imagination.

The ideology of the Redemption is founded deep within the belief of the Ancients, and the Ageless; it is held that the descendant of the Ancients would seek out and destroy the Ageless of Darkness, and in doing so destroy Darkness itself for ever. It is even considered that, seeing that men had triumphed over Darkness, the Ageless of Life, Wisdom and Light might return to Erâth, and bless the race of men with the longest life and greatest wisdom. It is widely believed that the descendant of the Ancients would be of royal lineage, or at least would rise to become a great leader of the kingdoms of men. Some circles of belief even hope to see the kingdoms united under one flag, conquering the far corners of Erâth in the name of Light.

The origins of the Redemption are lost to time; the belief dates back at least to the beginning of the Third Age, and possibly before that, from the rise of the Second Age after the ruin of the Ancients. The basic concept has changed little over the centuries, though the specifics of the descendant, their origin, and their rise have varied over time and from populace to populace (each kingdom of men, for example, is certain the descendant will be of their lineage). Most hold the belief that he will be unnaturally wise, with a power beyond that of men; his coming would be evidenced by a lightening of Erâth even as he arrives into the world.

It is unlikely this faith is founded in any concrete doctrine or evidence; there are no manuscripts which document the coming of the descendant that predate the original ideology itself. It is not defined how the descendant will achieve the Redemption of Erâth; wether he will engage in battle with the forces of Darkness and drive them to the ends of Erâth, or whether he will seek out the Ageless directly and