THE KNOWN WORLD

“After they sacked Baideal, we chased them deep into the mountains in the east. We trapped them there, locked them into their night. Now the Alle Mountains hold a malevolent darkness at bay from a world otherwise filled with Light. We must not forget. It is our responsibility to keep watch for their return.”

—excerpt from Basajan’s History of the Night War

The known world is currently divided into three different regions: Caith Solas, the land of the Eladrin to the west. Traithnona, the last known land of the Drow to the east. Between these two cold-warring factions rests the human realm of Otherland.

The Eladrin land ends in the Alvar Forest, which humans have agreed not to enter. The two realms are split by the Vandig River. East of Otherland, the Alle Mountains form a natural border between them and the dark land beyond. The south and west shores of the continent are surrounded by the Dreas Ocean. An archipelago known as the Triantan Islands is located in the far western ocean. They have not been visited in so long that the archipelago has been discounted to a myth. A steep, treacherous mountain range, the Kalani Mountains, forms an impenetrable barrier to whatever waits beyond.

***

Basajan,

New people, calling themselves humans, have have arrived from a devastated land. They must be from Batalie, the place our ancestors wrote about thousands of years before your rule began. But these people, they don’t remember their origins. All they remember is that they left a barren, desolated behind them and took to the seas. These people only remember the waters as their home, solid dirt beneath their feet is alien to them.

Yet, they are heeding some ancestral call, and are taking to the soil once again. Months ago, they sighted our continent. Weeks ago, they beached themselves on the southern shore. Days ago, they discovered the ruins of Baideal. Yesterday, they began to build their own legacy on the rubble of our own. They know nothing of the darkness of the mountains. What shall we do, my lord?

—letter from Aulis Vasu to Ake Basajan

Aulis,

We keep watch as we promised a millennium ago. Tell these people nothing, they are like a small child with a wise adult. It is our duty to keep them from hurting themselves by releasing the night. We are but another typical aloof nation of Eladrin barely tolerating their lesser neighbors. The must not know the affection hidden well beneath our apparent arrogance.

I bid you to form an order and a temple in their new city. I bid you to write a rule to solidify the words of our promise. Should either of us meet with an early demise, the promise must endure.

—Ake Basajan’s reply to Aulis Vasu

Basajan,

As you commanded, our Order has been formed. We are the Àin Baideal, residing in our fortress, now our temple, in the human city of Tessares Crossing, in the human nation of Otherland. Just as we remember the time of the Night, we will always remember, and miss, our Caith Solas.

—final letter to Basajan from Aulis Vasu, first father of the Àin Baideal

Caith Solas remains a vast mystery to the humans. The Alvar Forest, starting in the foothills of the Kalani mountains and extending nearly to the Vandig River’s delta in Camas Bay, is considered Eladrin land. The humans know of only one Eladrin city, Austur. And Austur is known to them only because it is across the Vandig’s delta, and within plain view, from Camas City.

***

“When you take this vow, you become a Guardian of Other. You vow to keep the Knowledge alive, you vow to protect the Others of this land, you vow to remain a Light should Darkness arrive again.”

—excerpt from the Rule of Àin Baideal

Besides being the largest city in Otherland, Camas City is a major fishing port for the Camas Bay. They are constantly at odds with Thiar, another fishing port, to the south. Both cities also operate trades ports for merchants from distant, unknown lands also bordered by the massive Dreas Ocean. Further north, a newer town has sprung up next to the deep twin waterfall in the Vandig River. Lacking creativity, the town named itself Twin Falls. Northeast of Twin Falls stands the city of Tessares Crossing, the oldest human city of Otherland. East of Tessares Crossing, the King of Otherland has build a new stronghold called Somer Zeer. It is nestled in the foothills of what the Eladrin monks of the Àin Baideal call the Alle Mountains.

***

These ruins will be brushed away. This city will rise from the rubble of its long-lost history as a phoenix, heralding the new era of Otherland. The new era of humanity.

—excerpt from the Annals of Eric Roshan, first Eric of Otherland

While the government structure of the Drown remains unknown to the Eladrin (and the existence of the Drow unknown to the humans all together), Caith Solas and Otherland share a similar structure.

The Eladrin king is called Basajan. In Elven, it means lord of the woods, while to the humans, Basajan is just another name. The Eladrin method of choosing an heir is much more loose. Basajan may choose any of his children. Though it has been over a thousand years, Basajan has still yet to name his heir. As such, his children have taken their own paths, and none of them particularly want to become Basajan themselves. When asked why, each of them would reply, “Only a fool would wish such an office upon themselves.”

Their father wholeheartedly agrees with them.

The ruling family of Otherland is Roshan, with the hereditary King of Otherland called Eric (Erkki in Elven). They believe in primogeniture, with the eldest son inheriting the kingdom upon his father’s death. Any other sons, or daughters, are left to become what they please. Unlike Basajan’s children, some of Eric’s children desperately wish to inherit Otherland’s throne.

DEATH OF THE OTHERLAND KING

I still can’t figure out why people like my older brothers. They’re the biggest jerks ever. Why couldn’t I have been born an Eladrin, like Kauko? His brothers aren’t jerks.

—excerpt from the childhood journal of William Roshan

Catahecassa, the King of Otherland, died of natural causes while surrounded by his already-mourning wife and children. Catahecassa had been known to his subjects as Eric the Protector. He’d assumed the titular name of Eric when he ascended the throne at the age of twelve and had rarely been called by his birth name in the sixty years since. Before he breathed his last, his wife of fifty years took his frail hand in hers.

“You have ruled well,” she whispered. “Take your peace, Catahecassa.”

The expression around old king’s rheumy once-blue eyes tightening in confusion. “Who is that, wife? That man has an awful name.”

The king’s youngest son, William, couldn’t keep the laugh from escaping his mouth. Biting hard on his fist, he left the room under the hard glare of his eldest brother.

Ulrich, the Lord Prince, then turned his gaze back toward the king’s deathbed. “Catahecassa is you, Father.”

A slight self-deprecating smile tugged at the side Eric the Protector’s mouth. “Oh, he was just a boy. He’s been gone a long time, now. Be happy, my son, that your name is only half so awful.”

This time it was Savas, the second son, who couldn’t contain his snort of derision at the insult of his brother’s name. His twin, Mary, snorted at the same time. They had often, as children and even now in adulthood, mocked Ulrich about his unwieldy name. Before the Lord Prince could glare at them, Savas and Mary took their leave just as William had.

Accompanied by the laughter of his lighter-hearted progeny, Eric the Protector breathed his last, with the slight smile still on his lips.

Silence drifted over the room.

As if called by the silence, the three younger members of the ruling family stepped back inside. Upon glancing at his father, William said, “The King is dead.” Then he looked at his eldest brother. “Long live the king.”

“He isn’t yet,” whispered Savas. “The month’s mourning must pass before the new king is crowned. Ulrich is only regent until then.”

William shrugged. “Same thing. Ulrich is in charge and in a month, he’ll still be in charge. Except in a month, he’ll have a better name.”

DISCOVERY OF VALLEY OF THE CLIFFS

Father, father, some of them know who our Àin Baideal really are. They know of the Drow to the east. I fear they may wake them. I fear they already have. Father, what shall I do?

—sealed note found on the body of a nameless Eladrin messenger found in the western Alvar Forest

Ulrich’s first step as Regent was to send a mining party into the Alvar Forest, breaking a long-standing agreement with Caith Solas to the south. Just after the miners crossed the Vandig River through a ford, they discovered an ancient passageway through the Kalani Mountains. The miners mapped the location and sent a messenger back to Somer Zeer to notify the Regent. Ulrich sent Savas and a party of two Home Guards to explore the passage. After making their way through the passage, Savas and his party discovered the Valley of the Cliffs. They made a temporary treaty with the village’s elders and started on their way back to Somer Zeer. On the return trip through the passage, the two Guards were killed by an unknown entity. Savas, because of his thorough study of history and religion, determined the entity to be a powerful demon called a Wendigo.

LOSS OF A BROTHER

Savas returns to Somer Zeer with news of the treaty. He then tells his brother that the two Guards died while one tried to save the other from drowning in the Frozen Pool. Because of the treacherous nature of the passage, Ulrich ordered the construction of a teleportation circle between Somer Zeer and the Valley of the Cliffs. Only Ulrich and Savas had the ability to make the circle. Wanting to meet the villagers himself, Ulrich decided that he would traverse the passage to the Valley himself this time.

Regina and William had yet to visit the Valley and accompany Ulrich.

Waiting to help finish the teleportation circle and open up a new era of opportunity for Otherland, Savas stood vigil at his side of the teleportation circle. His twin sister mary waited with him. At first, it seemed the initial activation of the circle was a success. Then Mary attempted to step through and greet her elder brother. There was a flash of red light, a flash of blue light, and then a searing white light blasted out from the gateway to the Valley of the Cliffs. Savas quickly deactivated and destroyed the portal due to the unknown danger it posed.

As the rest of his family has yet to return, they are missing and presumed dead.

A reluctant Savas took on the responsibility left by his deceased brother and became Eric of Otherland. Within days, his rule brought calm and order to Otherland, and the people gave him the nickname of Eric the Destroyer of All Evil.

In the meantime, a large guard party continues the search for any clue of what happened in the Valley of the Cliffs and to find what dangers may lurk in the Kalani Mountains.