Long, long ago, the every tree grew. Not much is known about where the tree came from, only five beings are old enough to even start to explain. They are Ymir, old man winter and the father of giants. Vrolack, Father of lies and shape shifters. Arachne, Mother of fear and the Jorogumo. Savo Savonic, father of violence and the Asanbosam. Medusa, mother of vengeance and the gorgons. These gods walked the earth before even the great beasts, and soon unleashed their own terrible creations on the world.
Ymir carved the first giants from stone on the tops of mountains. Giants are over fifteen feet tall, and possess the terrible strength to tear a elephants head from its shoulders with one massive arm. Their skin is like armor, their bones harder than steel, giants are like walking fortresses. They devoured all in their path when they ruled. A time where most of the world was frozen, and massive animals marched across the frozen plains. Thanks to the bond, they were driven back to a desolate plateau high in the Amayan mountains. But the giants won't remain there forever... And they're getting hungry...
Vrolack was said to make the shapeshifters out of clay, but never let it dry so they could change as the situation demanded. In their natural form, shapeshifters are rather short, not very strong, and are easily marked out by their dull silver eyes and pointed ears. But they can change into almost anything, be it man, beast, or something in between. They use this ability to commit crimes and assassinations while wearing the face of someone else. They hide in plain sight, waiting for a sign that the time for open war has come.
Arachne laid thousands off eggs. From those eggs hatched beautiful women, well, from the waist up at least. Half of their body was that of a spider. They have the ability to temporarily take on fully human forms, but only used this to lure their prey to a secluded area for devouring. Death by a Jorogumo's poisonous fangs is one of the most painful ways to die. Like all the other monsters, the Jorogumo were fought back into hiding, left to wait for the perfect chance to strike.
Savo Savonic was the last to create a race of monsters. The Asanbosam are terror on wings. Tall, gaunt, and with a mouthful of iron teeth. They would swoop down from Niloan skies and drain the blood of those unfortunate souls who caught outside at night. They were almost killed off, but some managed to survive the brave who turned the tables on the hunters, forcing them into the deepest jungles on Nilo.
Medusa created the gorgons from snakes. In their prime, they were easily the most dangerous creature to slither across Erdas. Their hair were venomous snakes, and their gaze could turn any who met it into stone. They, however, were hunted to extinction thousands of years ago. They supposedly left behind dangerous secrets and weapons, but no living soul even knows where to begin looking.
The ages of the monsters left humanity cowering anywhere they could hide. The giants especially ate many humans to feed their ravenous appetite. Only the spirit animal bond saved them. As Humans organized, bringing multiple marked individuals together, monsters were hunted right back. And now, thousands of years of waiting, the four remaining races sense the coming war is their time to return to the nightmares of humanity.