Creation
Nothing is truly known of how the universe came to be. The most respected account of the Beginning was recorded by Ukar scholars who gathered information regarding Science and Magic to construct an explanation for the existence of this world.
The Beginning
Before the universe existed as it is known, there was only mana and a sphere of energy to which it was attracted and which it surrounded in all directions. Then, an anomaly. The sphere suddenly expanded with great force. In an instant, four elements were born from the explosion. The elements clashed and collided with each other as they were propelled into the universe.
Mana was strewn into chaos. It expanded, shifted, condensed, and dispersed to make way for the elements. As mana pushed into itself, some condensed enough to become sentient, but the beings were undone just as quickly as the mana dispersed. These un-embodied flashes of life occurred a near infinite number of times in the first second as the universe cast outward. These were the spirits of the Gods. In this same instant, one condensation of mana compressed greatly enough to gain control of itself and its mind. It did not allow itself to expand again, as it reveled in its existence. It was the first God. The being watched as mana instinctively seeped into the elements of the expanding universe, creating a vacuum of space. As the God had this first thought, elsewhere three more Gods were born.
Mana was still abundant enough for the Gods to know of the others' existence, but as mana streams spread into the growing universe and pooled among the elements, the Gods became detached from each other and were alone in their minds. They came together in resistance to the void created by their loneness. With their power, the Gods could control the four elements, to which they were so attracted, and they instinctively began manipulating these elements in order to create worlds.
Races
Humans
The Humans live on the coasts and forests of Gasaron, they live in villages and trade among each other. Strong bodies and sharp minds make humans the most versatile of races, able to thrive in most environments and to specialise in most disciplines. Humans invented strong ships to travel on water and to spread their civilization to most parts of the world. Both main continents are dotted with Human cities, where they congregate and live together. Urban areas are a specific characteristic of the Human race. They protect humans from the unpredictable wilderness of the outside world and foster trade and cooperation among individuals. Other races have slowly become accustomed to Human cities and often use these as meeting points and sometimes even dwell in them.
Ukar
The Ukar (both singular and plural) are an extremely independent-minded race. They favor underground environments and build their dwellings inside large mountains. An Ukar's eyesight is poor and particularly suited for the dark. However, this race possesses extremely advanced senses of smell and hearing. Ukar can detect noises at a wider range of frequencies than any other race and can use their smell to track pretty much everything. These abilities make this race particularly skilled at stealth.
Ukar are the only other race apart from Humans who congregate in cities. However, Ukar cities are merely densely populated communal areas rather than commercial hubs. Ukar have no trading or military culture, focusing their interests towards artistry. Ukar music is famed for filling mountain tunnels and valleys with enchanting and beautiful sounds, their sculptures seem to emerge from the very rock they are carved from as naturally as a tree grows from the ground, and their writings tell great stories of fantasy and accounts of real events that concern all races in Garason.
Tritans
The Tritans originate from the deep sea. Some say they evolved in parallel to Humans, following an amphibian mutation in the species. They live in the Tritan Ocean, which recieves its name from them, and the Oranye Isles - the only land in Garason which is fully inhabited and controlled by them. The Tritans can live on land for unlimited amounts of time, but generally prefer water and will submerge whenever possible. Tritans living on land will often live in coastal huts or Human cities and still possess a main home in the nearby sea.
Tritans are a very simple yet pragmatic race and often find it difficult to be taken seriously and valued by other races. However, their pragmatism is what gives Tritans such a strong resolve and military-oriented mind. Tritan warriors can be ferocious adversaries and thanks to their quick regeneration skills (especially when in water), they can withstand more damage than most others.
Kralogs
The Kralogs are a nomadic species, distantly descended from the Ukar. They originate from the Land of Fire, a large volcanic island off the coast of Kazei. Their land is very cold and temperatures are kept tolerable by geothermal activity and the great volcano of Ar'kibh. Kralogs live mostly in camps, always ready to relocate to avoid volcanic activity. They are great metal workers and warriors, owing their skills to what little their land has to offer.
Kralogs have long been tinkering with metals and geothermal power to come up with new technologies.
Raijin
The Raijin (both plural and singular) were created by accident following the events at The Mana Tree. Human sorcerers attempting to harness the Tree's powers accidentally triggered the full draining of its powers. However, unable to contained the energy that was flowing out of the Tree, the sorcerers fell victim of its raw power and were mutated into hybrid beings that were mostly organic, but infused with raw mana energy. Over a few years, the energy itself dissipated, fueling the leylines of Garason and strengthening the effects of magic in the world. What remained of the sorcerers was the Raijin; a strange looking race with great affinity for Mana and all the types of magic that it fuels.
As the First Raijin recovered and went on with their lives, they discovered that they could no longer mate with Humans. However, when mating among themselves they produced new Raijin. This race has two typical morphological patterns: Light Raijin and Dark Raijin. Which pattern they take on depends on what magic they are exposed to the most during infancy. It is possible for them to mutate forms; however this is an extremely painful and difficult to achieve transition as it requires intensive exposure to the Raijin's opposite side of magic.
Ancean Era
The Ancean Era is a term used to defined the time period between the beginning of recorded history and the events at the Mana Tree. The start of this Era marks the first year of the common calendar, which has been adopted all over Gasaron thanks to the efficient spread of information by Ukar scholars. The Era takes its name from the continent of Ancea, which at this point in time was the only inhabited continent on Gasaron.
Rise of the Platinum Kingdom
The beginning of the Ancean Era is characterised by the rapid expansion of the Human city of Keshlam, the first Human settlement to develop an advanced political structure and to become a city-state. Under the rule of Lord Janeb Venn of Keshlam, the city expanded its sphere of influence and annexed the main tribal settlements of Ancea under its rulership. Lord Venn was crowned King Janeb the Founder, first holder of the Platinum Crown. His realm became known as the Platinum Kingdom and it extended over all of mainland Ancea, excluding the Land of Fire - then seen as an island with little resources and sparsely inhabited by Kralogs - and the Tempus Mountains, which remained independent tribes under the control of the Ukar race.
Under King Janeb and several of his successors, the Platinum Kingdom grew and prospered. Three cities developed on the eastern side of Ancea: Tulimshar, Hurnscald and Nivalis. Under the Kingdom, the capital city of Keshlam and its three children cities became prosperous centres of trade that drew most of the human population to the safety of their walls.
The Red Queen
The Platinum Crown continued to follow a clear line of succession for 206 years, always providing a good successor for the realm, who ensured its continued development. On the year 206CCE, after a long crisis of succession, a minor noble (whose original name remains unknown) came to inherit the Platinum Crown. She styled herself Queen Platyna the Red. She cared little for the day-to-day administration of her realm, and delegated most such tasks to her council. Most of her days were spent working on her personal image as Queen. She became known for her regalness and her public displays of her own power over her subjects. However, the general growth of the Kingdom halted during her reign for the first time in over two centuries of its existence. The economy began to collapse under her lavish spending at court, which created an extrordinary wealth imbalance throughout the population. New developments were abandoned and maintenance of roads and buildings became slow. Widespead famines caused by improper administration of the land hit twice during this time, causing the death of over half of the Human population within just five years.
The Blue Revolution
Tired of the Queen's neglect for her people, the council decided to seize power and depose Platyna the Red. On March 213, during one of the Queen's long absences from court, Chancellor Benjamin Frost convinced the entire council to support an immediate takeover. He proclaimed the Republic of Ancea and appointed himself Lord Prince of the Republic. This event would become known as the Blue Revolution - taking its name from the uniform colours of the Chancellor - and mark the end of the Platinum Kingdom. Benjamin Frost maintained his title for eighteen months and was eventually deposed by the very council that had supported him during the Revolution. Rather than electing a successor, the council declared itself head of government as well as head of state and continued to rule the Republic.
Emergence of the City-States
The Republic of Ancea ceased to exist officially in August 216CCE, when the cities of Tulimshar, Hurnscald and Nivalis installed their own independent governments. The Council of the Republic retained de jure control over the City of Keshlam, now their last controlled territory. Despite that, they stopped meeting regularly and neglected the administration of the City in favour of devoting time to regaining control of the rest of Ancea. This sent Keshlam into rapid decline, and its citizen began to emigrate to the other Cities. Tulimshar nearly doubled its size as it was the only city to allow free immigration within its borders. This caused wisespread poverty in the lower parts of the city, but also provided plenty of cheap labour to boost its trading economy. Hurnscald and Nivalis became the uncontested capitals of their respective regions of Argaes and Kazei, while Tulimshar continued to be the only port and permanent settlement in Tonori. Keshlam, once the proud capital of the Platinum Kingdom, became mostly abandoned, with its population concentrated into a single quarter of the city and ruled by an assembly which took on the duties of the inactive Coucil.
