The ruins of Eryndral smoldered still, but life did not end with ashes.
Mortals, scarred yet unbroken, began to build again. The crater where the First Seal pulsed became a forbidden land, guarded day and night by giants who bore Gorath's oath. Around its borders, villages arose—first as shelters for survivors, then as sanctuaries of reverence.
The First Divine War had taught mortals two truths:
They were fragile.
Yet they were not powerless.
From those truths, the first kingdoms were born.
The Kingdom of Aurindral — Heirs of Light
Guided by scholars and priests who honored Serenya's wisdom, the survivors raised temples to the Great Spirits of Light. In Aurindral, law and knowledge became sacred. Magic blossomed, its roots drawn from Serenya's runes and Kaelith's sacrifice.
Their creed was simple:
"Through light, truth shall endure."
But beneath their devotion grew arrogance—the belief that they alone carried the divine favor of Primovast's Will.
The Dominion of Droskaar — Forged by Giants
Northward, giants carved fortresses of stone and crystal, swearing their eternal lineage to Gorath's vow. The Guardians of the Seal became their sacred order. Their strength and size made them feared, but their purpose was not conquest—it was vigilance.
Yet whispers spread among mortals:
"Why should the giants hold dominion over the Seal forever?"
Envy would one day seed rebellion.
The Shrouded Tribes of Noctalis — Children of Twilight
Those touched by Umbryth's shadow found no welcome among Aurindral or Droskaar. They fled into forests and caverns, where twilight cloaked them. There, they built hidden sanctuaries, honoring balance rather than purity.
To them, Primovast's Will was not Light nor Darkness, but the space between—mystery, transformation, and freedom.
Their prophets whispered of a time when shadow-born would walk openly in the sun, though none believed them.
The Prophets of Eryndral
At the crater's edge, a small order of mystics formed, disciples of Lyrielle. They rejected kingdoms and crowns, choosing instead to guard the ruins of the lost city. They listened to dreams, recording visions on tablets of stone and crystal.
Their greatest prophecy echoed across all lands:
"The First Cycle is not the last.
When kingdoms rise proud and fall to ruin,
When the Abyss wears flesh again,
The Dragon of Will shall walk among creation,
Not as father, nor as guardian,
But as Judge."
Many feared these words. Others built entire faiths upon them.
The Shadow of Vaelor
Though sealed in Abyss, Vaelor's essence seeped into cracks of reality. His whispers found mortals who craved power, kings who longed for dominion, and outcasts who sought vengeance.
Small cults began to form, hidden in cities, chanting hymns to the Abyss. They believed Vaelor had not fallen, but ascended—that he was the true will of creation, while Primovast slumbered in arrogance.
Their symbol: a crown of shadow over a broken spear.
Primovast's Will
And through it all, Primovast's Will lingered. Not as commands, but as currents shaping destiny.
It guided Serenya to found the Arcane Codex, the first tome of unified magic.
It steered Gorath's bloodline into eternal guardianship.
It watched Lyrielle's words spread across dreams, embedding prophecy into the veins of time.
It allowed even Vaelor's cults to fester—because Will was not perfection, but choice.
And in the depths of infinity, the First Dragon's eyes gleamed.
"Let them build. Let them rise.
Kingdoms are but sparks in the storm.
My Will endures, through creation and corruption alike."
Thus the First Cycle moved into its next stage:
An age of kingdoms, prophecies, and shadows waiting to be born.
And though the Divine War had ended, the true struggle of existence had only just begun.