AC2:Lore FAQ
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Lore FAQ
Dereth is an ancient land, filled with a rich and extensive history. While exploring the world, you'll come across much of this history in the towns and ruins, the names of skills and items (such as Aunmuari's Speed), or even encountering the ghosts of legends past (such as Rashan Twoblades). Players are fully encouraged to delve into this incredible lore. The world has many a mystery to uncover—and many a reward for so doing!
All the same, players should have a fundamental understanding of the game's story. As such, we've put together the following Lore FAQ to help educate players new to the world of Asheron's Call 2 (and hidden a few gems for players already familiar with the game).
Index
1. Origins: What Came Before
- 1.1 Where are we?
- 1.11 A deeper look at the world
- 1.2 Where did we come from?
- 1.3 Who came before us?
- 1.31 A deeper look at the Empyrean
- 1.32 What were the Olthoi?
- 1.1 Where are we?
2. Time of the Devastation
- 2.1 What was the Devastation?
- 2.2 Who are the three kings?
- 2.21 Asheron
- 2.22 Bael'Zharon, the Dread Hopeslayer
- 2.23 The Imperator
3. Current History: The Player's Perspective
- 3.1 What are the Shelter Holds?
- 3.2 What are the Vaults?
- 3.3 What are the Portals?
- 3.4 What are the Lifestones?
1. Origins: What Came Before
1.1 Where are we?
Asheron's Call 2 is set on the archipelago of Dereth, comprised of the three principal islands: Osteth, Omishan, and Linvak Massif. These islands rest in the middle of an expansive ocean on a planet called Auberean.
1.11 A deeper look at the world
Occasionally, you may find a large orrery near some of the towns, an astrological device that shows the position of stellar bodies. This (and the nighttime skies themselves), reveals a bit more of the game's cosmology.
Orbiting the world is the Hopeslayer's Sword, a ring of crushed stones circling the planet; this is all that remains of a previous moon, Rez'arel, destroyed during the Devastation. The other moon, Alb'arel, remains shining above. It is said that back in the days before the Devastation faint lights could be seen shining on Alb'arel (though current observation reveals no sign of any such lights). The name of the sun Auberean orbits is called Au.
1.2 Where did we come from?
The three character races—Humans, Lugians, and Tumerok—are not native to Dereth. They were originally summoned through mystic portals devised by the sorcerer Asheron (hence the name, Asheron's Call).
Humans came from a world known as Ispar, a world much like our own. Three different Human cultures came to Dereth: the Aluvians, the Gharu'ndim and the Sho. The Aluvians were similar to medieval European cultures, the Gharu'ndim were comparable to many Middle Eastern cultures, while the Sho had many similarities with Asian cultures. The Tumeroks came from the moon known as Ezheret, which orbits a gas giant they call Hazahtu. The Lugians came from a world they call Tuu.
Although the character races warred with one another at first, they later forged a lasting peace. A product of this peace was the Golden Age, later shattered by the Devastation. In order to survive, the character races formed the Fetterguard, which guarded their retreat into Shelters—constructed with the aid of Asheron's pupil, Nalicana and concealed in portalspace. The character races remained hidden in these Shelters for hundreds of years, only emerging recently.
1.3 Who came before us?
In many stories of lore, references are made to the Empyrean. These were an ancient people that inhabited Dereth—and the rest of the world for that matter—before the character races arrived. Empyrean were quite tall in stature, typically seven to nine feet, with glowing eyes that lacked pupils, and typically lived upwards of a thousand years.
The final, and perhaps greatest, Empyrean empire was a rich culture but one that became overly satisfied with its power and ability. Their hubris resulted in the arrival of the Olthoi, a monstrous parasitic race of insect creatures. Unable to defeat these creatures, the Empyrean fled into the safety of portalspace. However, remnants of their ancient cities and scraps of their ancient magics may still be discovered in Dereth.
1.31 A deeper look at the Empyrean
Like many other races, the Empyrean were comprised of many differing cultures. Some of these cultures were nomadic and tribal, while others quite civilized. Each had its own view of life and use of magic. The most influential Empyrean cultures were the Yalain, the Haebrous, the Dericost, and the Falatacot.
The Dericost were a noble, yet cold and cruel people. After learning the secrets of necromancy from the Falatacot, they made war against the Yalain and the Haebrous in a bid to expand their empire. The Dericostian Kingdom lost the war it started, and its people came under the rule of a unified Yalaini/Haebrous Empire. Even though their kingdom had been shattered, many of the Undead Dericostian lords escaped the kingdom's fall and can still be found in Dereth today. Some of the most notable Undead included "His Eternal Splendor," Rytheran, and Aerfalle.
1.32 What were the Olthoi?
The Olthoi were a monstrous insectoid race, accidentally brought to Dereth through one of Asheron's portals. Asheron saved the few Empyrean survivors from the Olthoi by sending them into portalspace. However, his magics disrupted this portalspace, and resulted in more portals appearing on many other worlds. These portals led to Dereth, and with Asheron's help, the Humans (led by heroes Thorsten Cragstone and Elysa Strathelar) were finally able to defeat the Olthoi Queen of Dereth. Although Dereth is free of Olthoi, the rest of the world is still overrun with these creatures.
2. Time of the Devastation
2.1 What was the Devastation?
Decades after the character races made peace with each other, an even greater war broke out. Bael'Zharon tore free from the abyssal prison to which he had been condemned, and waged war on every living thing. His dark, chaotic magic shattered Dereth into its three current islands. The surface of the land was also besieged by clouds of "Black Breath." These mists of chaotic energy twisted all life they touched; and the effects of this Black Breath can still be seen on the land in the twisted forms of the Darkenfowl, Grutts, Sclavus, and Mimbu. Later generations would call this frightful time the Devastation.
The character races found themselves largely unprotected during the Devastation. Some clung to Asheron, who had been there to aid them so many times before. Others sought out the Virindi, whose dedication to pure order seemed the answer to the chaos that had been unleashed. Finally others swore fealty to the Shadows, thinking that not only would they survive the war, but could be granted a portion of this great power.
2.2 Who are the three kings?
The three kings are figures of tremendous power and world influence (the term "king" is largely symbolic). Although they have not been seen since the Devastation, their philosophies continue in the three Kingdoms that players may elect to join.
2.21 Asheron
Lord Asheron Realaidain was an Empyrean sorcerer who developed such principal features of the world as the portals and Lifestones. Asheron is generally viewed as a benevolent figure; players who follow his path join the Order of Dereth, which believes in justice and virtue. Others, however, argue that Asheron's involvement with the world has caused disastrous, albeit inadvertent, results. The last known leader of the Order of Dereth is Nalicana, one of Asheron's pupils. Her current whereabouts are unknown.
2.22 Bael'Zharon, the Dread Hopeslayer
Bael'Zharon struck fear in the hearts of many generations of people, and is responsible for much of the destruction that has been visited upon Auberean. In a great war fought millenniums ago, the Empyrean defeated Bael'Zharon and imprisoned his mortal form in portalspace. An array of crystals kept him trapped in his prison, but the accidental destruction of these crystals by Humans released him. Only through the united efforts of Asheron, the Virindi, the Dericostian Undead, and rebel Shadows led by Isin Dule, was Bael'Zharon's mortal form defeated once more, and he was cast into an infinitely dark realm. Somehow, Bael'Zharon found a means to escape and unleashed chaos magic on Dereth during the time of the Devastation.
Players in the Shadow Kingdoms follow the more neutral position of absolute freedom and chaos represented by Bael'Zharon former general, Isin Dule, as opposed to the wanton destruction of Bael'Zharon himself.
2.23 The Imperator
In a race already as unique as the Virindi, the Imperator was a true oddity. The Virindi live in portalspace (at a point they call "The Singularity") and share a collective mind known as the Quiddity. Due to their collective consciousness, the Virindi initially saw individuality as a corruption; any in their ranks who displayed individuality were destroyed. However after years of studying Dereth, a realm foreign and chaotic to them, the Quiddity came to the conclusion that some individuality could be accepted—especially if it would further their goal of bringing pure order to Dereth. The Imperator was the result of this decision, and became their military leader during the Devastation.
Although the Virindi were opposed to the mindless chaos that Bael'Zharon had unleashed, the Virindi still kept their own interests at heart and acted almost as a balancing force between Bael'Zharon and Asheron. Players that follow the Virindi path of absolute lawfulness and empire follow The Dominion.
2.3 What are the Nemesis races?
The Nemesis races are those creatures that desired to have Dereth as their own, and willingly became the tools of the Dericostian Undead in their campaign to drive the character races into extinction. Under the Undead, the Nemeses rallied into coherent armies and drove the character races into the Shelters. Now that the character races are leaving the Shelters, they continue to threaten the players' attempts to reclaim the world. Each Nemesis tends to dominate a single continent, with the Drudges most common on Osteth, the Burun on Omishan, and the Gurogs on Linvak Massif.
3. Current History: The Player's Perspective
3.1 What are the Shelter Holds?
Players begin the game in the Shelter Holds, structures that act as bridges between the portalspace Shelters and Dereth. The mortal races created these with the help of Asheron's pupil Nalicana. The character races each hid within these for hundreds of years, occasionally sending out scouts to see whether it was safe to return to Dereth again. None returned… until now. The time has come at last to leave the Shelters and reclaim your homelands!
3.2 What are the Vaults?
Ancient Empyrean myths say that darkness lives in the center of the world, and that a great web or trap was created to contain this darkness. The web was comprised of great lines of power, and at the intersection of these lines, a great crystal could be found. Many in the mortal races thought these were but myths until the Vaults were uncovered by Asheron. Although their construction seemed to vary, each Vault consists of a huge antechamber that leads to an enormous Menhir Shard, crackling with power. The Shards seem to be almost intelligent, watching the world and passing on their knowledge to those who come close.
The epic Vault Campaign (finding and completing each Vault) will take players across the world over the course of their entire careers. To access each Vault, players must find the appropriate key—a Glyph, found on certain creatures. Once inside, they must make their way through the antechambers, inhabited by dangerous creatures, only to encounter the Vault's Menhir Shard, guarded by a powerful boss. Access the Shard, and you'll gain a fuller understanding of the world!
3.3 What are the portals?
Asheron's greatest discovery, or perhaps rediscovery, was portalspace magics. He and his students connected the far-flung points of Auberean in a network of portals. He discovered means to create portals to other worlds, which led to the arrival of the Humans, Lugians and Tumeroks, as well as a number of dangerous creature races. Many portals remain to this day, which link together areas of Dereth.
3.4 What are the Lifestones?
Plagued by the deaths of so many sentient creatures who had stumbled through the portals he had accidentally created, Asheron created the Lifestones. These Lifestones were originally guiding stones for his people's portal network. However Asheron discovered a means for those who died violently to be reborn at the Lifestone they had last attuned themselves.