The sun rose slowly over Ardentis.
Not the sun of battle or of fire-split skies—but a gentler light, one that crept quietly over the hills, spilling gold through the broken canopies of once-blackened trees. Dew clung to petals that had not bloomed in years. Birds, long silent, tested the morning with cautious song.
Among the ruins of the last battlefield, flowers had begun to grow.
No voices stirred. No orders rang out. Only the rustle of wind through grass, and the soft thump of footsteps from those wandering through a world trying to remember how to breathe.
Scattered across the land, people gathered. Some to mourn. Some to rebuild. Some just to stand in the warmth of the sun and know that they had lived to see it rise again.
Kaerith Val'Dragan stood at the edge of a vast, open field once scorched by war. His cloak brushed gently over the earth as he knelt—pressing his palm to the soil. It felt warmer now. Softer. As if the world had forgiven them.
Behind him, the remnants of the Eleventh Legion waited in silence. Not for orders—but simply to be with him.
Even the five Heavenly Dragons descended in their human forms, standing in solemn silence upon the sacred soil of Ardentis. There, the Hundred Pillar Sanctuary was forged—not by mortal hands, but by the dragons themselves. Upon each towering spire, the names of three billion warriors who answered the final call were carved—nearly 2.5 billion of whom never returned.
The Birth of the Six Continents
In the age following the Great War, Ardentis was divided into six great continents. Thirteen mighty empires and thirty-eight independent nations arose across five of these lands, shaping the fate of the realms.
The sixth continent, however, remained sacred—a hallowed domain reserved for Kaerith Val'Dragan and the four other clan heads who had, alongside him, reached the legendary fifth stage of the Heavenly Eye. These five transcendent warriors stood as patriarchs of the newly forged Five Great Families.
Valtherion – Central heartland of the world, home of the Republic and founding 5 Families.
Zephyraas
Drelmora
Nytherra
Thar'Zuun
Elarithae
The Five Great Families
Family Val'Dragan (Abyssalor)Led by Kaerith Val'Dragan — Masters of Spirit and Unseen Energies
Family TempestrisLed by Vaelros Tempestris — Keepers of Swift Storms and Justice
Family PyrotharLed by Sylindra Pyrothar — Bearers of Flame and Renewal
Family TerrakhanLed by Draegor Terrakhan — Pillars of Earth, Endurance, and Strength
Family ZephryssLed by Calyndor Zephryss — Guardians of Ocean Secrets and Ancient Wisdom
From the original eleven great legions, six merged with these five leaders, giving birth to the Five Great Families—each led by a warrior patriarch whose strength and wisdom reshaped the old order. With their rise, the ancient clan system was dissolved, freeing others to choose their path among the thirteen empires or independent nations.
The Thirteen Empires and Their Founders
Each empire was granted to a hero whose deeds secured victory and peace, shaping the future of Ardentis.
Continent: Zephyraas
Empire of the Abyssal TridentFounder: Lord Calyndor Zephryss, the TidebreakerLegacy: Commanded the Great Wave Assault, turning the tide with oceanic power.Focus: Guardianship of ocean secrets and ancient wisdom.
Stormreach DominionFounder: Admiral Serethis Vhaelor, the Iron GaleLegacy: Broke enemy naval blockade, securing trade routes.Focus: Naval supremacy and coastal defense.
Veil of the Drowned ShadowsFounder: Malithar Nox'thral, the Silent WhisperLegacy: Mastered espionage, toppling enemies from within.Focus: Shadow manipulation and covert operations.
Continent: Drelmora
Imperium of the Stone BastionFounder: Draegor Terrakhan, the Unyielding MountainLegacy: Held the unbreakable line during the Siege of Stone.Focus: Earth endurance and strength.
Ironfang SovereigntyFounder: Garin Ironfist, the Forgemaster of WarLegacy: United mountain clans, securing mineral-rich lands.Focus: Metalcraft and fortification.
Crimson Forge EmpireFounder: Sylindra Pyrothar, Flame of the Eternal ForgeLegacy: Rekindled hope with the Eternal Flame.Focus: Fire manipulation and renewal.
Continent: Nytherra
Tempest Throne EmpireFounder: Vaelin Stormbreaker, the Thunder's WrathLegacy: Victory at Thunder Pass, crushing invaders in storm fury.Focus: Storm mastery and justice.
Thunderclaw DominionFounder: Kaelis Stormborn, the Lightning FangLegacy: Defended realm from lightning raids.Focus: Lightning speed and precision.
Bloodfang EmpireFounder: Ragnor Bloodclaw, the Savage HowlLegacy: Brutal campaigns reclaiming lost lands.Focus: Warrior prowess and bloodline strength.
Continent: Thar'Zuun
Ethereal Veil EmpireFounder: Kaerith Val'Dragan, the Spirit King EternalLegacy: Vanquished ethereal invaders in the Spiritfall War.Focus: Spirit and unseen energies.
Shadowspire DominionFounder: Seris Vayn, the Nightblade SovereignLegacy: Mastered subterfuge in dark alleys.Focus: Shadow manipulation and stealth.
Continent: Elarithae
Skyreach DominionFounder: Aerion Gale, the Windlord AscendantLegacy: Dominated aerial warfare.Focus: Wind and aerial superiority.
Crystalis RepublicFounder: Lysandra Veyr, the Crystal MatronLegacy: United diverse species under a peaceful republic.Focus: Diplomacy, magic, and innovation.
The Nine Realms of Ardentis
Connected through ancient Realm Gates, these diverse realms intertwine their fates with Ardentis.
Sylvaris — The Realm of the Elven Kin
Enchanted forests and shimmering lakes shelter the Elven Kin—graceful, long-lived beings gifted with arcane mastery and a deep bond with nature.
Traits: Arcane mastery, harmony with nature, ethereal beauty.
Thal'Kor — The Realm of the Seafolk
Beneath crashing waves and rugged coasts lies the realm of merfolk, tritons, and sea witches—masters of tides and ancient oceanic magic.
Traits: Aquatic adaptation, oceanic magic, wisdom of the seas.
Gorundar — The Realm of the Stoneborn
Rugged mountains and labyrinthine underground kingdoms shelter dwarves, gnomes, and earth elementals known for endurance and craftsmanship.
Traits: Endurance, craftsmanship, stoicism.
Vyrenth — The Realm of the Skyborne
Floating islands and towering peaks house winged races such as Aarakocra and Griffon Riders, renowned for flight and speed.
Traits: Flight, speed, vigilance.
Nythralis — The Realm of Shadows
A twilight realm inhabited by shadow elves and phantoms, masters of stealth and illusion.
Traits: Stealth, shadow magic, mystique.
Nimbreth — The Realm of the Feywild
Ever-shifting landscapes of wild enchantments, home to sprites, dryads, and trickster spirits where magic flows unpredictably.
Traits: Illusion, nature magic, trickery, boundless creativity.
Fen'Thalor — The Realm of the Beastfolk
Dense jungles and vast savannas where beastfolk tribes—werewolves, feline humanoids, centaurs—live in harmony with primal nature.
Traits: Physical prowess, primal instincts, tribal bonds.
Aetherion — The Realm of the Celestials
Suspended between skies and cosmos, home to Seraphiir and Aetherians—winged beings glowing with starlight, embodiments of cosmic wisdom.
Traits: Flight, celestial magic, light manipulation, transcendent wisdom.
Etherealum — The Spirit Realm
A parallel plane of spirits, ethereal entities, and celestial beings intersecting Ardentis at sacred sites, source of spiritual energy and otherworldly wisdom.
Traits: Intangibility, spiritual energy, otherworldly wisdom.