The History and Origins of Axiom...
"Everyone always says that we return from that which we come from...Problem is...Nobody wishes to return to the sea..." - A Siren of Uuma
700 AD
The Flood is where history in Axiom begins. All other records are in shambles and to this day are still trying to be pieced together. Back in the year 700, the warring nations all launched massive attacks on one another. This caused the balance of the world to become unstable. Ice caps melted, and the world began drowning in it's own tears. Religious people say Axiom was weeping over the loss of so many children due to petty squabbles over power. As the waters rose, humanity dwindled.
Eventually though, the waters began receding. This gave way to new formations in land. No one quite remembers how humans came about after the flood. It was thought that all intelligent civilizations were destroyed. The few remaining records from before the flood suggest never included anyone but the humans.
900 AD
The lands emerged from the waters. As people came up to dry land once more, they saw a clean slate. Everyone decided that they would work towards a better tomorrow. At first, this plan seemed to work. People genuinely wanted to help each other out. But as time went on, humanity once again began turning ugly. People began charging for their services and did their best to cheat others out of their money. As they did, people began claiming more power than others. The village that had been created was turning into a slaughter house as men fought for power. It wasn't until 950 AD that a King was decided. A man by the name of Lewle came into power. Anyone who opposed him was instantly cut down. This sort of tyranny lead to the nation known as Fraxen. This was the first kingdom created after the Genocide wars.
950 AD
Fraxen was a stronghold of power. With King Lewle as a tyrant, it was either work to get things done or die. Some people were lucky enough to simply get tossed out, but those numbers were very few. The Tyrannical rule lasted for another seventy five years. At which point and time, people began brewing over their tyrant. It wasn't just his iron fist that was making the mass population uncomfortable...it was what he was doing to the prisoners in his fortress.
Rumor has it that King Lewle was an experienced Mage who was developing new beasts with the help of his biochemist and mechanist underlings. New races were developed thanks to King Lewle, but the thought of these creatures being unleashed on the public is what the people wanted to fight against.
The Races King Lewle brought into existence were the Feral, Chimera, Pheonix and Dreadnought bloodlines. King Lewle wished to use these new races to make an unstoppable army that would do his bidding without question. Unfortunately, a resistance rose up, and went to claim King Lewle's life.
1025 AD
This is the time when Fraxen fell. The Resistance of Man, as it was called, stormed King Lewle's castle in an attempt to get rid of these horrid races. Blood stained the walls as most of these beings were new, and had no concept of right or wrong. They were surprised to see what brothers and sisters they had being cut down by people they'd never seen before. Unfortunately for these new races, nearly all of them were killed. A small band of them, consisting of Two Pheonix's, two Dreadnoughts, three ferals and one chimera were able to escape. These races disappeared into the wilds of Axiom, not popping up until a later date.
A new King of Fraxen was crowned as Lewle lay dead in a pool of his own blood. A man by the name of Rosenberg. King Rosenberg quickly changed things in Fraxen, turning it in a slightly better place. But he put into effect the age old rule..This was a Human Kingdom. Nothing else was to pass through the walls. Due to this, and the lack of humans, Fraxen would later die as more bloodlines were born.
1100 AD
The turn of the new century brought around more kingdoms. Kusana became considered a Holy place. It was here that Clerics came to live. They believed that Axiom shouldn't be taken advantage of. People of Kusana believed that they should work with the planet instead of against it. They passed this view on to their children. However, with such strong religious tones present in the Kingdom, evil came to balance things out.
A young man by the name of Azazel was born to the head cleric, a woman by the name of Candice. She pushed her religious teachings on her son, giving him little time for play. As the boy grew older, the weight of religion pressed down upon him, threatening his sanity. Since all his time was put into books, Azazel didn't have much time to make any friends. And the girl that he liked was a local Feral.
Determined to keep these two apart, Candice continued piling lessons on her son. Not once did she say anything bad about the Feral girl, but she was very much relieved when the Feral girl moved out of Kusana. Azazel was distraught as the woman he loved moved away. Though he knew the other clerics were saying rumors about him. They called him disgusting for falling in love with a dead woman. Instead of taking on responsibility and standing up for what he felt was right, Azazel fled deep into the dark swamp.
It was in this swamp that Azazel finally lost his mind. Azazel decided to make a religion that rivaled that of his mothers. He gathered everyone who was tired of hearing about the good in the world. Most say that Azazel was the creator of satanic rituals. Manuscripts written by those who followed him say that Azazel wore the head of a goat over his face to keep his identity a secret. The satanic rituals would engage in sacrifices consisting of animals as well as an orgy. He would preach about how only the love of darkness can save you and clear your mind from the brainwashing effects of those who claim to be holy.
Things took a turn for the worse though in 1127 AD. Azazel, after leading this satanic ritual for many years, found out that his mother had taken ill and put another woman in her position. The girl was young, full of dreams and naive. Wanting to get revenge on what Azazel called the "wasted years" of his life, he ordered that the woman be captured. When she was brought to him, Azazel stripped her down and tied her to the Altar. He decided a sacrifice like this should be given to the evil god known as Zio. The woman screamed and pleaded for her life, but those screams turned into gurgles as she was cut open from the neck down.
Azazel took the womans blood and began drinking from it. The followers seemed pleased, until a pair of large eyes appeared from behind Azazel. They said it was the eyes of Zio, but no other accounts of this have been found. Legend has it that Zio approved of Azazel's sacrifice, and in return gave the man immortality before disappearing into the darkness. Reports indicate that from here, Azazel became the first vampire. The man roamed the earth, biting everyone he could. A legion of vampires rose up.
1250 AD
One hundred twenty three years after the raise of the vampires, Azazel started going insane. Feeling the urge to repent for his sins, Azazel started killing his own kin. This caused him to be captured by his own kin and locked in a coffin that they then buried. However, it was also a time for the Dire Wolves to make their transformation.
These were intelligent beasts, much like the Steinhund of today. They had their own religious believes and their own customs. Most of the time though, they played dumb when any other creature came up to their large pack. People would write down comments and act as if they knew about these wolves, when in reality they knew very little. Humans especially believed these beasts where just normal animals. All the Dire wolves got a good laugh from this. Their secret stayed secret until one of them stumbled upon a woman who had been beaten for leaving her nation. She was near death and the giant wolf took pity on her. So he brought her food and water, and laid by her side until she was rested up. Once the woman awoke, the Dire Wolf known as Loki took in the sight before him. She had long silver hair and soft grey eyes. Her skin was pale like the moon itself and the scent on her was unlike anything he had ever smelt before. There was an instant connection between the two of them.
She thanked him for his meal and told the wolf of all that had happened. She spoke of why she had been beaten so badly, and stated that she had no choice but to leave. The woman had arrived on the doorstep of a chapel one night when the moon was abnormally full. As a child, she had been raised to believe in god, but it had never felt right. The woman finally told Loki she ran away because she knew she would not be accepted by the religious community if she told them she was the daughter of the Moon Goddess Selene. Standing up immediately, the wolf began conversing with her. He told her of his pack and how they worshipped Selene. He also promised revenge against those who would dare harm the daughter of the Goddess.
Taking her back to his pack, he banded his wolves together, which wasn't difficult. He told them of the horror that had befallen the daughter of the Goddess and how they had to teach her attackers a lesson. The group of monstrous wolves didn't travel too far. They came upon a village full of people who worshipped the Sun god instead. In the dead of night the Dire wolves attacked, laying waste to the village. There were very little survivors on the male side, but the wolves themselves had pride. They refused to kill women and children. As Loki stood among the mass of bodies, he gave the villagers a warning, and that was if they ever laid a finger on anyone who worshipped the moon or had ties to the Goddess, they would suffer his wrath.
Stricken by fear, the people shrank back and took this warning. They rebuilt their homes and told stories of the Monstrous wolf that had destroyed their system of beliefs. Since no retribution came to the Dire wolves, the people lost their faith in their Sun God, and disappeared from the face of the earth. Some say they are still plotting, others say they just died out.
However, when Loki returned to his pack that night, he came upon a woman who glowed with the warmth of the moon. His eyes laid upon the Goddess herself who had come to take her daughter and return to the heaven's above. There was no moon in the sky that night. She told Loki she was proud of all he did, and blessed him and the other males with a human form. She told Loki that the moon would always be their guide, and that she needed them to bathe in blood. The Goddess spoke of how destruction is a step in the renewal process. And that as her children, they would become her vessels. "Everything that is must be renewed at some point. I charge you with this task. Carry it out. You will be hated by the masses as they do not understand the importance of destruction and renewal, but your place in the heavens has been assured. Not all tasks are filled with flowers and sunshine. Most are filled with blood."
Loki and the others nodded, and agreed to become the Goddess's vessels of destruction. They held it as a sacred honor. The Goddess disappeared into the night, and it was then that the moon returned. Not only that, a second moon had risen, smaller than the original, but still there. They called this moon Aysu which means Moon Water. Of course, the males also noticed that the females in their pack had not attained a human transformation, leaving them wondering why, and trying to create new females for their "blessed" race.
1270 AD
Twenty years after the Dire wolves transformation, the first Female lycan came to be. Her name was Islode Ravenpaw. Azazel took notice of Islode right away. Though the Master Vampire was kept in a coffin buried beneath the earth, he was still able to see what was happening around him. He called to Islode in her dreams, and told the woman to rescue him. She searched for Azazel for some time before finally locating where his coffin was buried. Yet as she tried to free him from his prison, the woman was captured. Her captors were vampires, and a horrible fate waited for the woman.
Islode was publicly humiliated, forced to pull her Masters around on her hands and knee's like a common dog. Of course, this angered not only the male lycans who viewed Islode as a goddess due to her being the only female lycan around, but also Azazel who, despite having never met the woman, thought quite fondly of her.
It was not Islode who freed Azazel from his coffin prison, but a band of young male lycans who sought out the man who had put into motion the means that made them what they were. As soon as Azazel was free, he brought havoc down upon his vampire kin. The man was so upset at the disgraceful behavior that had taken place, that he used his old books to put a curse on the vampire bloodline. The curse was that vampires would no longer be able to make fledglings by biting another human. Instead, the prospective human would need to drink the vampires blood in order to gain the gift.
The vampires were less than pleased with this curse, and were not done yet. They still had a higher number than the lycans, the vampires launched an all out attack on both Azazel and the lycans. The were successful on killing off Azazel, sending his soul to Zio, the demon he had made a pact with. They also killed off the very first lycan, Genki. Islode they had other plans for. Seeing how quickly she buckled, it was the vampires who took control of the lycan race. They used her for the soul purpose of mating and creating more lycans which they trained to be loyal watch dogs for their race.
1310 AD
For forty years the vampires had control of the lycans. They used these beasts to construct the Kingdom of Nocturne, a place in Axiom where the moon was always full. The lycans worked tirelessly through slave labor, and once the city had been built, continued leading the life of dogs. Female lycans were still rare, and any females born were taken by the vampires and raised until they could be used for mating purposes. Yet things did not stay this way forever. A great lycan by the name of Caleb rose up against the vampires, and knocked them from their throne. Tales of this man still go around, and there are many different versions of how he accomplished this. Some say he seduced a vampress and used her to gain entrance into the Castle of Nocturne where he slaughtered all the top ranking vampires. Others say that he was the top dog in Nocturne, and turned on his masters. Whatever the story, the outcome is the same, Caleb destroyed the hold the vampires had on the lycans.
Instead of putting the vampires into chains and doing to them what they had done, Caleb decided to make a treaty between the two. Vampires would acknowledge the lycans as a strong race, and cease using them for their own personal gain. The vampires agreed, but were not happy with this. The only reason they did sign was because Kusana and Fraxen had risen up armies to destroy Nocturne. War was at hand, and the residents needed a way to keep themselves safe.
The Holy War as it was called, was waged upon Nocturne in 1315 AD. Unfortunately for Kusana and Fraxen, Nocturne was much stronger than both countries combined. They laid waste to both Kingdoms and made them retreat. Nocturne however, did not launch a second attack. While they had won, their losses were still great, and Nocturne needed time to rebuild before it sought out to be a world power.
1320 AD
In 1320, the first sin came out to manipulate the humans. Most consider this to be just an old wives tale, but you be the judge. In 1320 AD the first of the Gemini race were born. A son known as Abel, and a daughter known as Cassandra. The two of them were inseparable until puberty hit. Both Abel and Cassandra had people they were pining after. Though, neither one knew that the twins existed.
Heading into the ancient library in their home town, the two talked of how they pined for their loves which never noticed them. In the dark depths of the library, Lust spoke out to them. She told the two that they could have whomever they wished, as long as they gave their souls to her. The two children agreed immediately, and from there, Lust created the first incubus and the first succubus.
Cassandra headed out after her beloved, and Abel after his. Both siblings were overjoyed that their dreams had come true. With their bodies more alluring than anything in the free world, the two were able to easily seduce their victims. The story doesn't end there though. As the two found out, more people became drawn to Abel and Cassandra. The two let power go to their head, and headed out to create Marletti Village.
Cassandra and Abel produced more incubus and succubus's by calling upon Lust to create them. From her spot in the tower, Lust began making sure no one would forget her. Marletti became known as a whores town. Sex was not only pleasure, but was also punishment. However, Cassandra and Abel forgot all about the ones they cared for, and those they had originally sold their souls for, ended up committing suicide when they found they could no longer keep hold of them.
1336 AD
At around the same time that Abel and Cassandra were running into Lust, two more races popped up. The Giants, Waktu, White Nightmare, and the Coleo. Nathros, the giant, wanted to make a place where others of his race would feel welcome. The Waktu, wanted to create a place where they could worship freely. The White Nightmare wanted a place where they would feel safe, and the Coleo where just kind of along for the ride. These bloodlines constructed the Kingdom known as Pronta. Shortly after Pronta had been constructed, three Seers came up to the group and warned them of an oncoming attack. It was not neighboring Kings that threatened Pronta's existence, but monsters from a nearby volcano.
Nathros would have none of this. The thrill of battle was too great and his mind was on the spoils that would come afterwards. He and the others began building up an army to combat these monsters. When the day finally came..Pronta burned. The lava beasts seemed to have the upper hand, but everyone continued fighting bravely. Though Pronta was lost, Nathros swore revenge.
The mighty giant headed into the volcano with his friends, and proceeded to take down everything. He killed monsters and destroyed tunnels, keeping the beasts locked within. When Nathros returned, he rebuilt Pronta without any further problems. Nathros was the first king of Pronta, but sadly perished at the age of seventy seven.
1465 AD
Arachnoids and Shapeshifters were found in the year 1465 AD. A group of travelers made their way into the Elven forest of Ni'hua where they met with the Elves that resided there. The elves had been keeping shapeshifters and Arachnoids under their employment. The elves spoke tales of how these genetic mutations had come into being. The shapeshifters were originally monsters that wished to be beautiful. So they prayed to the Gods above until they were granted the ability to change their shape. The arachnoids were already beautiful, but felt the constant sting of rejection. They developed webs in order to keep people close to them, but later forgot their roots and used the skill to become assassins.
They decided to keep these races safe from any that might cause them harm. The travelers took this information back to the current King of Nocturne. Upon hearing of this, he decided to wipe out the threat before it even started. The forest of Ni'hua was destroyed. Elves were slaughtered by the vampires and lycans that had enlisted in the army. As such, the Arachnoids and Shapeshifters were taken prisoner, released only when they swore allegiance to Nocturne.
Years past and this brutal attack was later forgotten. The Arachnoids and shapeshifters did their jobs well, and gained the trust of the residents in Nocturne. They were then allowed to leave and do as they wished. Most Arachnoids and Shapeshifters still have some loyalty to Nocturne.
1490 AD
The first Shiva appeared in 1490. A small child with what most called a genetic mutation and what others called to be a gift was born in Kusana. Considering this multi-armed human as a gift from god, the child grew up lavished with love and praised for it's deformities. The Clerics thought this to be a holy sign, but others seemed to disagree. This lead to Kusana being split.
Not wanting to see the land fighting over this, the Shiva child got up and simply left. Immediately after it left, Kusana was met with 50 years of drought. Clerics say this was the work of God, punishing the non-believers. Others just paint it as a coincidence. No one knows where the Shiva Child went, and to this day no one has seen another one. They are still sought after though for different reasons.
1515 AD
The Draconian's once lived in Livurah Mountain with the Steinhund. They were revered as ancient ones and preyed to by the humans that lived on the island. The humans continued the worship of the Draconians until one of them by the name of Xubur, devoured a family on the island. This started not only the civil war between two different tribes, but a war against the Draconians. Though the Draconians were stronger, they did not think the humans would be much of a threat. The humans single handedly killed four of their race. Xubur by this time had fled from the island, fearing what would happen to him if the others found out what he had done. Instead, the Dark Dragon headed deep into the mountains around Yuran and was not heard from again. Some still say that he lurks there, waiting for his time to strike.
Meanwhile, the other dragons, never learning of this horrible event, thought the humans had simply gone mad. With a few quick bursts of fire from their mighty bellies, they destroyed the humans and flew off to live in different parts of the world. Only the Steinhund stayed behind.
1537-1737 AD
No one is exactly sure how the Kiranu's came into being, but nearly all believe they were genetically created beings. There is also a lot of evidence to support this. Treks into Pronta and Fronta have turned up numerous laboratories with different human animal hybrids in them. We have also procured a list of names, people who worked on these hybrid projects. However, when we went to contact them, no one would answer except for one. Professor Amaryil Utek. He informed us that when Axiom was young, people were looking for an easier way of life. Amaryil Utek, a Vampire native of Nocturne, told us the reason behind the Hybrid experiments.
He stated that these creatures were made to be used as a source of cheap labor. Out of all the hybrids they tried to form, the Kiranu were the only animal/human mix that had been successful. Originally, the Adam and Eve of the species were naive, and followed basic orders. They did not question their lot in life and through them, more Kiranu were born. Scientists taught the new ones while using the two originals for breeding purposes.
"Things were going well." Amaryil told us. "These creatures were more like lost children. They worked hard to impress their Masters in exchange for a kind word and a little pat on the head. It reminded us of the old days when the Lycans were like that. Back before they started getting self righteous and intelligent. We worked hard to keep the Kiranu stupid, and that work lasted for about two hundred years. Of course, once they did wise up, all hell broke loose."
The race had been around for about two hundred years now. By this time they were large in numbers and sold as commonly as pets are these days. Every family had at least one Kiranu in their house if not more. This slavery was widely accepted by all, including Lycans who, at the time, were fighting to free themselves from Vampire tyranny. Of course, at this time it was common to see horrible things going on between the Masters and the Kiranu slaves. Beatings occurred regularly in the streets, and because of their naive nature, they were easy to take advantage of.
Papers of the Slave Wars are few in number. It seems that not only the Masters of that time, but also the Kiranu race wish to forget about such horrible times. However, if we do not remember the past, then it will surely repeat itself. They said the wars were started when crowds witnessed a young Kiranu boy and his sister being beaten to death by their owner. The boy, in an effort to please his Master, had taken a shiny ring from the stand. Since he was a respected member of the community, when he was called a thief the man turned his anger on the real culprit: his slave boy.
The beating that occurred in the middle of the town was so devastating that the boy's sister tried to intervene, and she too was beaten to death before the large growing crowd. Seeing such a brutal attack in the middle of the day made nearly all who witnessed it feel guilty. Those who were sympathetic to the race, took it upon themselves to have the man appear in court for his crimes.
Since the Kiranu didn't have any rights, and were regarded as a commodity, the man was set free. This just angered the Kiranu people more, and soon slaves were standing up against their owners and joining those who held sympathy towards the race. A civil war broke out between the nations of the world, and the Kiranu race who demanded that they be treated like everyone else. Of course, during this war, many Kiranu lost their lives, and those who helped the Kiranu were seen as traitors and killed on sight. During this time, Kiranu population declined, and they eventually gave up and returned home.
As well as the Kiranu war starting around this time, the Ghost population seemed to skyrocket. Their origin story is as follows and happened in 1737:
The legends of the Paranormals, Anima, Leapers and Cursed Souls all seem to stem from one village. However, the Cursed Souls didn't officially pop up until two hundred years ago, they still stem from Gladed Village. It is now a dead town. The village of Glades. Glades was once a peaceful village. The people there lived happily, but suddenly seemed to vanish without a trace. To this day the mystery of Glades village is something no one can explain. Some claim it was a plague that wiped everyone out, but there were no bodies left. Others say monsters attacked and carried everyone away. Some still say that Glades is the only village were people actually ascended up to heaven. But it's all just speculation.
Only two people left the village alive. One was an Anima named Enigma, the other was a cursed soul known as Aislin. Enigma and Aislin began traveling over the lands. Though Enigma asked Aislin if she remembered anything about Glades, she would never reply to him. The two traveled the lands and ended up in Fraxen. They decided to live there happily and stayed there for some time. However, once it was discovered that these two were not human, Aislin and Enigma were hunted. They had no choice but to flee. This story has no sad story though. Both Aislin and Enigma got away, disappearing into time. It is said that if you head to the Forest of Clearing around Fraxen, you will find Aislin and Enigma sitting beneath the moon when it's full.
1737-1837 AD
Another hundred years passed before a Kiranu woman stood up against the Masters. A headstrong woman by the name of Mew, she took slaves from their homes and placed them in a safe haven. Many tried to capture this woman, but she was quick and had been trained by a few remaining humans who sympathized with the race. A hefty bounty was placed on her head but all who stood in her way were brutally killed. By the time five years had passed, the woman had saved more than five hundred thousand slaves and trained them to march in her army.
War was the only way to go, and the woman marched from Nation to nation, demanding the Kiranu be placed on the same levels as any other bloodline. Those who declined entered into war with the woman and, due to the excessive training of her troops, lost. A few Kingdoms, like Kranila, stayed out of the fight. The only Kingdom that was able to push back the Kiranu forces was Nocturne which even to this day seems to stay as the world power.
Though Mew didn't defeat Nocturne, the King of that time was impressed, and he too joined with the other Kingdoms to rewrite the documents and free the Kiranu from slavery. It was a proud day for the Kiranu people, but unfortunately Mew was found dead three days later, killed by an angry mob.
Those responsible for her death where all put to death, and no other incidents occurred after that.
There was another important event that happened in 1837 as well. Though this had nothing to do with the Kiranu, rather it had to do with the Shadow Knights. These beings were considered cursed by nearly everyone in the free world. So much so that the Paladins and Clerics felt threatened. They claimed that they heard a divine voice speaking to them, and telling them to wipe them from the face of the planet.
Obeying unconditionally, they went to work and marched out against the Shadow Knights. They struck their foes and took them almost completely off guard. This caused their faction to be destroyed and most of them to be wiped from the face of the earth. There were a couple who escaped, one of which had already started a family. He took his wife and child and headed off into the deep mountains of Yuran where he stayed. Rumor has it that this man was Azrael's Grandfather, but these rumors are unfounded.
1800 - 1875 AD
Blood Wars
Blitzkrieg
Along with the great Kiranu war and the genocide of the Shadow Knights, there was also the Blood Wars which lasted from 1800-1850 and shortly after, the Crusade which went from 1860-1875.
Long before the Axiom of today, the are that would come to house each of the five earth-bound nations of the present was inhabited by a flux of different species: Fronta's towering cities were the capital of the humans, Nocturne's eternal night bustled with the darker side of Axiom, Kranila's grace housed the fair elves and their friends, Yuran's mountains protected the hardy giants and other tough species, and Aramil's vast ocean hid the seafaring creatures of the continent. Of course, only three of them existed back then.
At the time, Yuran was nothing more than an area divided between the nations of Fronta and Kusana. Aramil remained isolated in the bottom of the ocean. The region that would become Nocturne was nothing but a lawless area inhabited by equally lawless tribes with customs neither nation could nor would understand. While peace was not achieved, there was a balance between the five nations. Each kept to its own, with small skirmishes and the occasional, short-lived war flaring up between the countries over mundane disputes such as boundary and trade. Life went on as it had for over a millennia.
Then, the darkness sought vengeance.
Forever considered as the scum of Axiom for no reason other than their eternal night and the so-called "evil" creatures that their natural darkness attracted, the inhabitants of what is now known as Nocturne were little more than animals to the other nations. At best, they were interesting sideshows, often captured and enslaved for the amusement of the other races. Hunting safaris often targeted races such as werewolves and vampires, often seen as some of the most dangerous game. Innocent tribes and communities of the inhabitants of the lands forever sealed in night were scattered and slaughtered. As a Fraxen commander so aptly stated, "When people wanted to see a freak show they used to go to the circus. Now they go to Nocturne."
Finally, enough was enough and the ridiculed races of the dark slowly but steadily a large group formed consisting of those who had become disgruntled with their treatment as inferiors. Together, they called themselves a nation, even thought the other countries would not recognize them. Determined to bring the rest of Axiom to its knees and so show that they were just as good as the other races, the newly formed nation began preparing for war. Without a declaration, as was the custom back then, forces were amassed and dispersed discreetly. The other four nations suspected something, but did nothing, not believing that any one nation, much less one that they didn't even consider a nation, could be bold enough to take them all on.
Their carelessness was their undoing as, all in one night, the dispersed forces of Nocturne attacked their targets. Assassins silently cut down the individuals that posed the largest threat while larger forces directly attacked the armies. Ambushed and caught unawares, with the people that could have been the most potent against the enraged armies of the night now dead, the nations panicked and struggled to fight off the sudden attack. Everything happened too quickly, the war that would become known as Blitzkrieg had started. Pleas for help were sent out, but with each nation struggling to simply survive, no help was available. Slowly, Nocturne took over each country one by one, the speed and ferocity of their attack making up for their use of smaller forces and scaring their victims. Kranila fell and then Aramil. Finally, all that remained was Fronta.
The last stand against Nocturne took place around the human city of Fraxen. With most of their country already marched through by the Nocturne army, the humans were cornered and weak. Relatively new, Fraxen was the youngest of the five major cities. Humans were the least advanced of the races and, with no special traits that highlighted others, considered the weakest, which was why they were saved for last and so few of their higher ranks were assassinated. Nocturne had no reason to fear such powerless beings and they took their sweet time of decimating the country. As the other nations fell to Blitkrieg, Fraxen remained hanging by a thin thread
Of course, humans weren't as powerless as they seemed. What they lacked in power and speed, humans made up for with a tenacious spirit that created an undying hope. Even while under siege, the humans attacked when they could with guerilla tactics. Other nations looked to Fronta, seeing Nocturne's playful delay as signs that the humans were causing the dark nation trouble. Of course, they were wrong, but it didn't matter, not to them. Soon enough, exiles and refugees of the nations that Nocturne had thought it had destroyed rose up in revolt. Once more, Nocturne was forced to sweep through the nations. Once more, they were forced to spread their forces. However, this time around, everyone expected the swift attack and none lost heart.
Without the fear that had allowed them to appear much stronger than they originally were, Nocturne quickly fell to the might of the combined nations, even if those nations were weakened. With the hope that the humans displayed in their wavering, but confident stand, the darkness that had covered the land receded. Nocturne was left alone, for no country wished to even associate itself with the darkness of its land. Blitzkrieg had ended. Once more, the nations were at peace.
Crusade
The peace was short-lived. While all the nations were weakened by Nocturne's attack, Fronta was the least effected because it had not fallen. As such, Blitzkrieg had moved it up the ranks, changing it from the weakest nation into the strongest. At first, humans used their new title as strongest race for good, helping the other nations. However, once their new king was chosen, the old and his immediate heirs were some of the few humans that Nocturne had thought troublesome enough to kill, things drastically changed.
The change was gradual, but obvious. Causes for the change are unknown to this day, but many have guessed at everything from insanity to a hidden agenda that was only revealed after the throne was gained. However, one thing was certain, humanity soon became hostile to the other nations and began to crave for power, feeling that they were the chosen and the rightful rulers of Axiom. In succession, Fronta's power-drive seemed to adhere to each and every one of the seven sins: lust made them lose all control of themselves, gluttony made them want more, greed fueled their drive with whatever means, sloth convinced them to prey on the weak, wrath burned a feeling of hatred for the "inferior" races, envy had them yearn to destroy the other nations before they could steal the title of "strongest" from humans, and pride judged non-humans as nothing but animals and thus disposable
1935 AD
In 1935 AD Nocturne was officially a seat of power. Unfortunately, it was rivaling with Kusana. King Silver of Kusana decided to do battle with King Giglamesh of Nocturne. The battle was decided quickly, with Giglamesh as the winner. It was then that Fenrir Graveheart, Captain of Nocturne, appeared before Queen Kora of Kusana and tossed her husbands severed head at her. He then went so far as to kidnap the Queen and forced her to be his slave to ensure she would not attack Nocturne.
After that mighty battle, many students rose and fell. Yensen of Kusana, worked hard to protect his Queen, while similarly, the students of Nocturne did the same.
1937 AD
In 1937 AD, two years after the war, the King of Nocturne, Fenrir Graveheart was getting restless. He had taken over after Giglamesh disappeared, and though Nocturne still had it's seat of power, his mind was on a few students who had left Nocturne and disappeared. His students Shruikan and Cherry. Unknowingly, both Cherry and Shruikan had taken refuge beneath the waves. Fenrir would have never figured this out of Cherry and King of Uuma, Xiomar, had not appeared in Kusana to talk with the Queen.
Queen Kora, after being asked by Cherry to keep her secret, didn't tell Fenrir where Cherry was hiding. This angered the king who threatened the woman before returning home. Waiting for him there was Xiomar. It was the King of Uuma who gave away the woman's position, and Fenrir fought with Xiomar, victorious in the battle. Unfortunately, King Xiomar disappeared in a bright light, teleported away from the land.
Cherry and Fenrir ended up meeting. Both thought that one would kill the other. However, this was a time for healing, as Cherry told Fenrir how much she'd always loved him, and he told her the same. The two made a pact to stay together. Though trials came later on that would challenge the love of the two.
Unfortunately, Cherry as well as many others were transported away to the Tower, where upon completion, Sins were waiting for them. Each of them completed the tower and gained a Sin.
Marishka gained Envy
Cherry gained Lust
Pix gained Greed
Balthazaar gained Gluttony
Nai gained Sloth
and Noa gained Wrath
The last host, the host of Pride is still unknown.
Soon after, Shruikan became King, and despite Cherry's protests, he and Fenrir fought to the death. Shruikan was killed and Uuma was later destroyed. Cherry could not hold a grudge against Fenrir though, and ended up making the Spire that now looms over the Great Ocean. That was not the only Kingdom to fall. Fraxen, due to lack of members and threats by the King, shut down for good, closing it's gates forever much like Uuma.
Soon after, a new Kingdom appeared, as well as a new race. The Glacians and the Kingdom of Sutami. No one is quite sure what goes on up there, as it's difficult to gain entrance to the land. However, the Glacians seem to be ice people and Sutami holds secrets of it's own.
Even with this, knowledge has passed into everyone's minds about the Sins. One woman so far has decided to try and gain all the sins and banish them herself. One, Marishka Valentine, a vampire and former captain of Nocturne has attained not only the sin of Envy, but Lust as well.
Meanwhile, Kusana continues to keep it's nose down and remain neutral. Pronta is doing the same, but seems more bold. Many residents there are wondering what is held within the Spire and want to go check it out. The story is not done yet, as many tales are still unfolding.
