Prologue
Aeons ago, the universe was created, and the four elements arose. Earth, Fire, Water and Wind united to create the world, and the life that dwelled upon it. First was Wind; with her wisdom, she created space and sky, air and atmosphere, so that the world may have a place to be. Next was Earth; with his strength, he created the land upon which all creatures dwell, and formed it to his will. Then was Water; with his kindness, he created the oceans and lakes, so that the world would ever be plentiful and healthy. Finally was Fire; with her passion, she created the heart of the planet and filled it with warmth, so that it might grow and change. And so the world was made, and the elements looked upon it and deemed it good.
As time passed, the world developed, and the Elements knew their work was unfinished. Together, they created life, and all of the creatures who would populate the world, both kind animal and fierce monster. Above them all, the Elements created their chosen species, who possessed intelligent thought and the capability to change the world for the better. Earth created the dwarven, powerfully built and short of stature, who built their homes within his surface and mined for the treasures he bestowed upon him. Fire created the elven, powerful and intelligent, who expanded their knowledge and will in magic to great lengths, always seeking more. Water created the merfolk, carefree and joyful, who darted beneath the waves in endless play. Wind created the dragonkin, wise and long-lived, who watched over the world below them and cared for it as diligently as the Elements themselves.
And finally, in concert, the elements created humankind, most numerous of all life forms, who built upon their world and shaped it to their liking. Other creatures rose to intelligence of their own will-the ogres and the sahagin, the giants and the imps, the medusae and the trolls and many more. Though they were wild and cruel to their neighboring species and cared not for the Elements, still did the Elements look upon them with kindness and deny them not the world.
And then chaos came upon the world, and everything changed.
Older than even the elements, chaos came upon them unawares and filled them with madness. Corrupted by chaos, the Elements became foul-minded and evil-willed, and were thus known as the Fiends. Tiamat, Fiend of Wind, with her hatred filled the sky with storms and lashed the world with lightning, raging against life with all her power. Lich, Fiend of Earth, with his cruelty spread rot through the earth, ripping his surface apart with quakes and plaguing it with pestilence. Kraken, Fiend of Water, with his malice drew the waves up to engulf the shores and filled the oceans with waves and wild monsters, seeking to drown and destroy all who dared approach his power. Kary, Fiend of Fire, with her hunger set the trees and fields ablaze, and brought volcanoes to spew her spite onto the world, destroying all within reach.
In time, the power of chaos dwindled, and the power of the Fiends as well, dying down and reverting into the kindly Elements. But each of them knew that in time, chaos would return and corrupt them once again. In desperation, they urged their peoples to prepare for their transformation so that their wrath may be stayed, but to no avail. The world proceeded in these cycles, a time of plenty followed by one of suffering, again and again with no end in sight.
Thus is how it stands today. It has been 200 years since all four Fiends rose, and the world is at a loss to endure their power. Despite the efforts of dwarves, elves, merfolk, dragons and humans alike, the world is covered in darkness. The wind stops, the sea is wild, the earth rots and the fires rage. To many, there is no end in sight. And yet, the people endure, survive, and wait for their only hope… a prophecy that holds the only key to how the Fiends may be halted. We, the Circle of Sages, were chosen as the bearers of this prophecy, but even we cannot understand it in totality. All we can glean is that it speaks of four champions, created by the world itself, to forever purge it of the stain caused by the Fiends. The prophecy begins, "When the world is in darkness, four Warriors will come… each bearing an Orb of Light." Here in Crescent Lake, we have convened for the purpose of decoding and understanding the Prophecy that came to the twelve of us, so that we may aid the destined four when they rise. This is all we know, all we can count on… these Light Warriors. From the journals of Lukahn, Sage of Corneria