The Beginning...

In the beginning...

The inhabitants of Calamia and the demonic races of Israidius have been in a constant bloody struggle for centuries on end. No one knows or even remembers where the sole portal leading to the realm of the demons resides. All that anyone can remember is when the demons came and what they had done to the people of Calamia. Many tales have been told as to how the war began. What of those tales is true cannot be said. What is known, however, is where the war began.

It was on a dark and stormy summer night in the fabled Kingdom of Alexandria. While the citizens rested and slept peacefully within the safety of their grand city, the colossal demons army stormed through the gates and swept across the city. In lead of this demonic army was the terrible beast that was named Jeremas. Within that very night, what had once been a thriving Kingdom for countless centuries became nothing more than ruins. For miles the tormented screams of the people were heard. Everyone, men...women...and even children were brutally slaughtered like animals.

After the massacre and destruction that had taken place in Alexandria, Jeremas and his army continued to move onward, obliterating all life that crossed their path. Within six mere months, all life on the continent of Tresvath was annihilated. The destruction did not end there. Jeremas pressed onward, crushing all nations that opposed him and executing every human encountered.

Eventually all of the human Kingdoms had fallen to the demons and the humans were forced to flee to the underground. With what remaining resources the humans had, they began the construction of a city deep within the earth. This city became known as Yvaltris, the Underground City.

Because of these atrocities committed by Jeremas and his minions, the humans gave a new name to he and his people. A so the beings of Israidius became known as “demons”. Israidius was also given a new name, a name that translated to “Dark Abyss” in the ancient tongue. Ishtar.

No longer than a month after the fall of the last human nation, the demons spread onward and attacked the nations of all those who had been allied with the humans: the elsyven, dwarves, halflings, gnomes, kojintora, and scalathii. Though many of these races had fallen during the eradication of the humans, so many more were lost. After years of constant attacks, the remaining Calamian races fell to Jeremas, almost to forever be wiped out from existence. Those few who managed to survive retreated to the hidden depths of Yvaltris. All had seemed lost for the once happy and prosperous people of Calamia.

After years of hiding in the depths of the underground and small battles against Jeremas and his minions, five warriors arose from the ashes of the pain stricken world of Calamia. Each warrior holding unique powers and weapons that no person had seen before. These five warriors were named: Athon, Defender of Yvaltris; Sirame, the Divine Sorceress; Zeiros, the Wise; Nabuka, the Mighty Dwarven Lord of Gemfire Keep; and Ural, Priestess of Drasnia.

These five heroes returned hope to the people and together they united, forming an army of all the allied races to battle against Jeremas and his demons. The two forces fought against one another for many years. Eventually the Calamian army managed to break through the demon defenses, allowing the five warriors to attack the very heart of the demon forces: the great Lord of the Demons, Jeremas.

Even with their strength combined, though, they were unable to defeat Jeremas. All had once more seemed lost. Though at the last second, a miracle happened. The heroes combined their powers as one, and through the use of the legendary artifacts God’s Eye and Soul Rune, Jeremas was sealed away in a crystalline prison. With their leader lost, the demon forces were left in a state of confusion and were dispersed throughout the lands, some managing to return to the demonic world of Israidius. After 43 years of war and struggling, the people of Calamia had finally defeated the demons.

However, that was not the end.

With Jeremas gone, the people of Calamia began a crusade in eradicating the remaining demons and started the reconstructing of their towns and cities lost during the war. This time period became known as “The Recovery” and has lasted for eleven years. It was at this time period that the people gave a new name to Jeremas, in fears that he may some day return. That name was Daishevar. And so they named the war after him.

Arising along with the Recovery came a new kind of man. Demon Slayers. These men dedicated their lives in hunting down the remaining demons, and were highly praised for their efforts. Yet along with the rise of the demon slayers came a new threat. A being that called himself the Slayer of Hope. The Holy City of Yarshevek, where Jeremas had once made his base, was the first to fall by the Slayer of Hope’s hand.

By the end of the Recovery period, nearly all of the remaining demons had been destroyed and the Slayer of Hope had vanished, at last returning peace to Calamia. For thirteen years after the declaration of the new time era of ADW did this peace last. In the spring of the thirteenth year of ADW, the demons had once again returned to Calamia. This time though, they came not in legions, but in small bands. These bands were lead by various ambitious demons wanting nothing more than to kill or to conquer the land for their own.

There was one demon in particular that caught the peoples’ attention. Gornaz, the Lord of Athdraki, had returned. Gornaz was known to have led the powerful Athdraki units during the War of Daishevar and was believed to possibly have been the greatest general under Jeremas. It was reported that he had went missing around the end of the war. Now, however, he had once again returned. Yet no longer did he proclaim to be the Lord of Athdraki but the Emperor of the Demons. A new Lord of the Demons had arisen. Still even with a new Lord of the Demons present, none of the demon groups were ever truly a match for the now strengthened people of Calamia.

Though not a solid force as before, the demons still posed to be a threat. Zeiros, one of the last remaining of the five heroes, took it as his sole responsibility to fight against the new demon forces. After several years of hunting the demons, he was later seen accompanied by a boy going by the name of Ryden Ducreinon, who many believed to have become Zeiros’ apprentice. Ryden indeed proved to be a magnificent warrior, he and Zeiros becoming a force to be reckoned with. Then one dark night, Zeiros left Ryden and was never seen again.

Though left alone in the world, Ryden continued to wage battle against the demons. Countless demons had fallen to his blade, and eventually he earned the title Demon Slayer. By his hand the demon forces were reduced more than half their numbers. After years of hunting the beasts, Ryden decided to partake in a quest to destroy the very source behind the demons...Israidius, the realm of the demons. The last anyone ever saw of Ryden was he sailing off into the distance to Tresvath, the land that was left a barren wasteland by Jeremas.

Ryden became known as the Legendary Demon Slayer for his many heroic exploits. Many have in fact become a demon slayer because of his legend, or have died trying. Over three thousand years have passed since the War of Daishevar. Yvaltris and its location long forgotten and the portal to Israidius lost forever. The demons have found new ways to enter Calamia, demon slayers finding new strategies to destroy the demons, and people daring enough to hunt for the past’s long forgotten histories...sighting the dawn of a new era...