In the beginning, there was void. Endless. Empty. Then, a spark. The universe exploded into being, a dazzling burst of light and energy. As it cooled and expanded, the world of Zyranthis took shape. This is the story of Astalor, the known upper region of Zyranthis, and how it came to be.

The Epoch of the Enlightened

Humans ruled Zyranthis for millennia. No gods. No divine intervention. Just mortals and their insatiable curiosity. They discovered ancient magic, powerful beyond imagination. Destructive beyond comprehension.

Arrogance led to conflict. Conflict led to catastrophe. The very fabric of existence trembled. And then, a cataclysmic event. Human folly summoned 12 major gods and numerous minor deities. The world would never be the same.

The Period of the Primal Pacts

Gods towered over humans, both in power and stature. At first, harmony reigned. Humans offered magical artifacts. Gods granted protection. Societies flourished. But human nature prevailed.

Wars erupted anew. This time, gods became weapons. The world teetered on the brink of annihilation. Divine intervention became necessary. Rebellions were crushed. An armistice was forged. The Primal Pacts were born: humans renounced ancient magic, and gods vowed never to endanger mortal existence again.

Age of the Astral Architects

Peace settled over Astalor. Prosperity returned. But human curiosity never sleeps. They turned their gaze to the stars. V. Vance, a visionary human, uncovered secrets in the astral fabric itself.

“These discoveries were chronicled as the Chronicles of the Unwritten Scroll, and the new magic emerged.”

The Chronicles shattered divine harmony. Gods argued. Alliances shifted. Neutrality crumbled. But the Primal Pacts held firm. Gods couldn’t interfere directly. So they created proxies.

Six gods engineered new races. Three birthed beings of pure goodness: leafkins, dwarves, and elves.

Three created beings of pure evil: goblins, wyrmkins, and orcs.

The remaining neutral gods sought balance. But remember, good and evil are relative. All beings contain both.

The Dawn of the Second Sun

A new era dawned. Diverse species. Active gods. Regional conflicts. Humanity became one thread in a vast tapestry of life.

“This was a time of controlled chaos, of gods influencing but not directly intervening.”

Centuries of interspecies warfare followed. Just as stability seemed within reach, necromancers discovered transmutation. They created dragons from wyrmkins. These new beings, immensely powerful, plunged the world into unprecedented conflict.

Gods responded. They granted their followers new magic to counter the draconic threat. Eventually, dragons and other dark creatures were banished to Wyrmreach, a remote, forbidding realm.

And so, Astalor continues to evolve. Shaped by gods and mortals alike. The future remains unwritten. The balance between good and evil, order and chaos, hangs by a thread. Who will shape Astalor’s destiny? Only time will tell.

“It may not be accurate, but this is how ancient people recalled it and what we may deduce from ancient writings.”

This is the tale of Astalor’s making. From nothingness to the Second Sun. A world born of cosmic accident, shaped by mortal folly, and guided by divine hand.