Prelude: The Start of a New Age

Artesia was born in the most peaceful time of her kind, the Dark Empire was a member State in the kingdom of Aden - and one of the best trained and equipped militaries in the known world. The Northern kingdom of Elmore was at Peace with Aden, even if travel by Sea was the only acceptable "Official" trade route, the Sea of Spores offered a wonderful opportunity to the Empire for Trade with Goddard (Capital of the Kingdom of Elmore). Both the Lake Kingdom of the Elves (to the east of the Empire) and the Dark Empire herself used this "new" trade route to bolster their economy. However this did not go unnoticed by the Trade Houses in Gludio (The Center of Trade in the Western Portion of the Kingdom of Aden, one that governed taxes in both the Elven and Dark Elven States).

an Agreement was made after heated debate, a compromise that would please some and not take away anything from anyone. something totally out of the box: the formation of "Clans" (Private Military Contractors that could attain even Nobility for their services to either Elmore or Aden).

These Clans were given a chance to rule over a Castle (A Citadel attached to a main City), to protect the City and its nearby lands, and finally... to tax the trade routes within the Clan's Area of Protection.

this caused another debate: smaller clans could build small Keeps but not tax the trade routes, while larger Clans could do exactly that. Thus Lower Clans and Higher Clans were formed. This lasted for around 5 years until the invention of Alliances. all clans were now merely CLANS, no longer Higher or Lower. An alliance of at least 5 clans was now a requirement for Taxing Trade Routes, wherein the leading Clan in the Alliance had the Citadel and other members larger Keeps.

By this time, Artesia was 5 years old and dancing in the lovely forest near the main Temple of Shilien (The Goddess of the Dark Elves)

there was much gossip when the King of Aden died and his young son being an Alliance Leader. How could a Clanner inherit the Throne. worst was that his wife was the Princess of the Elven Kingdom. While Elves and Dark Elves could mix blood, even if it was not advisable... Humans and Elves could not produce offsprings, at least not without high Sorcery or Divine Help.

The Elmorean King had died earlier by assassination, and the Northern Kingdom was led by Aden's new King's best friend and his Dark Elven Wife.

All Seemed to move smoothly, as two Kings being friends was a good thing... until people started to notice how their wives both hated each other vehemently

It did not help that the Queen of Aden enjoyed the blessings of all States within her Kingdom, even that of the Dark Elves - while the Queen of Elmore was cast out of the Dark Empire as she had comitted serious crimes against them in the past: Looting the graves of former Heroes, Sacking of Temples to the Goddess Shilien. it did not help that she pledged herself to Gran Kain - the God that had raped and impregnated the Dark Elven Goddess... her very own Daughter no less.

so the Recipe for disaster was there, all while Artesia became 10 years of age

there was a trip to Dion, where Artesia's mother took her. there she met Alica for the first time. Elves are lithe, cute and always enjoying the light of the sun and the clear cool waters of lakes. they have an affinity for nature in general and can produce healing energy as well as having some odd relation to spider-trees and other strange creatures Artesia had never even heard about. Alica rode a unicorn, wearing a white dress made of silk so thin it was partly see-through. even at her young age of ten, she wore heels just as all and any elven females. there was no race to match the elves for ethereal cuteness and beauty. they were nature's purity incarnate and considered to be the most honest and loving race in the known world.

Artesia was more adult looking than her elven counterpart, Dark elves were the most enthralling and beautiful race known in the world, also they were dark and mysterious. if elves were cute and pure, dark elves were dominant and ladylike... Artesia also wore heels, but hers were not stiletto styled but rather thicker for more practical use than strolling in palace floors.

Artesia's mother was a Priestess of Shilien, one of the best healers in the Empire... unlike Alicia's Mother whom was a Summoner (Hence the unicorn). the Mothers met for a trade deal between the two States. Dion was a town built over a long forgotten battlefield where thousands of elves and dark elves lie burried ages ago. Dark Elves and Elves had fought just a bit over 400 years ago... some still hated each other, as elves and dark elves lived LONG... they tended to show their age after 500-600 years or so (Those with magic lived much longer, some say forever) but death came naturally for both races around 1200+ years.

the races could mix but it was considered sacrilege before and now just a bad thing to do (poor mixed children) Dark Elves had a subrace of sorts that were dark grey instead of bluish, these did not sign the treaty of Dion. but most of them spend their time killing humans in the south instead of elves. The Empire officially denounced them but secretly supported them.

Artesia fell in love with Alicia from the first moment the sun rays reflected from Alica's golden hair. and Alicia blushed as she felt the same towards this beautiful and mysterious girl that seemed so out of place in this human town. Alicia had no jewelry unlike Artesia. Artesia wore a tiara, and a choker. she looked regal just as her mother wanted her to be.

The girls never had a chance to share any words, not for years to come at least. But they always remembered their first meeting in Dion.

When they reached the age of 15, like all children of that age they went into their trial of Blade and Moon (for dark elves) or their trial of Forest and Lake (for elves)

Artesia chose the Moon, the path of Magic hence she was to be trained as a Mystic Alicia chose the Lake, the path of Magic hence she was to be trained as a Mystic

Artesia's mother never told her about her father, and Alicia's Father died protecting a caravan near Giran.. in the Vale of Dragons

Mysandra was the name of Artesia's Mother. She was merely 683 years of age and looked as she was 18 or so. She had fought in the war's final stages and her beloved had died a mere night after getting her with child. he had died protecting her from a unicorn.

Phoenia was the name of Alicia's Mother. she was just a year older than Mysandra... it was her summoned unicorn that had killed Mysandra's beloved. something they had agreed to never talk about. Mysandra could have killed her in Dion but that would have caused both states to start a new war, and for Aden to come between them. yet seeing their daughters like each other that much made her uneasy. and probably, no definitely made Mysandra uneasy as well. for the next generation would be the one that glued both elven races together as one... finally.

Meanwhile far to the east in the Kingdom of Ferelden was born a girl that would one day dictate the flow of time and fate itself, yet she was a nobody born of a merchant and his wife in Ostwick - A city in the so called Free Marches. These Free Marches consist of various cities and lands that wish for a mutual alliance instead of being under the thumb and call of a King, or Queen.

Ostwick was situated on a penisula, with many shorebound villages to reach Ferelden or brave the Aramanthine Sea. Being a trading city, it was quite wealthy. Many trading houses from various nations had their trading houses represented here - those of course included the Trevelyan Trading House. This particular house was interesting as it was led by a Bann (Count/Earl) but the Marches had merchant nobles so it was not THAT uncommon after all. But it was into this House that Evelyn was born. Born to Lucille and Robert Trevelyan.

Artesia had gotten through her trials to become a Dark Mage, her Mother was rather proud that her daughter managed to use both guile as well as magic to overcome her obstacles in the trial. She was given a Dragon Hatchling as Prize from her Mother.

Alicia became a Priestess quite Easilly, it was not a hard thing to heal others after all. She was given a Dragon Hatching as well. from her own Mother of course.

Young Evelyn Trevelyan was trying to get her Mother out of Lothering as the Fall of Ostagar occured, she managed to get through but her mother died from a darkspawn attack. Evelyn's magical abilities manifested themselves in that very same battle - she was 15 at the time. Her Prize was to be welcomed into the Mage Tower of Ostwick.

Mysandra met Pheonia in Gludio, the center of trade and commerce between both Elven Nations and Aden. They had to attend to the conference concerning the new trade deals with Elmore. The talks took months and both women spent most of their time together... which led to them both moving to Gludio and living together - just for the sake of Trade and Commerce of course.

Robert Trevelyan had started openly dating his Elven Maid. this and the fact that Evelyn was in the Tower of Mages drove a wedge between to two. Later that year Robert married the very same Elven Maid, and Evelyn refused to talk to her father for years to come. Evelyn was 18 at the time.

Both Elven girls had reached into the next phase of their education, they Joined a Clan called the Silver Slayers. A Human led Clan. their meeting was... interesting to say the least. So interesting in fact they they left the Clan the next day of their meeting. both had been in the clan for a mere week. They celebrated their 35th birthdays together and in the morning went to sign their names in the Clan Registery Office of Dion. This was the very day Nobless Oblige was formed: Artesia was the Clan Leader, Alicia the Second in Command. the rest would come later. They chose a White-Gold staff and a Black-Gold staff crossing each other as the symbol: the staves they both yearned for. the Color of the shield was Blue. Was it Alicia's eyes or Artesia's Skin that gave that color to the Clan? nobody knows, nobody but the two founders of perhaps the greatest Clan in all History.

Evelyn celebrated her 20th birthday by joining a mercenary group that protected caravans from Antiva to Orlais: The Green Rangers. She had permission from the Tower to do that as long as she returned to the Tower on yearly basis. But it was the freedom denied to her for so long that she jumped at the chance to get the hell out of the Templar guards and their Mage prisoners in the Prison of Mages known as the Tower of Ostwick - Her Circle.

However it would take a lot for these three girls to become the women history will one day record as Heroes...

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Well here are the base requirements for the start of the story... wait! there is still the PROLOGUE to make

...but do not worry I am in the process of making it as well as continuing my other stories!

Comments and Ideas Welcome as always!

I hope you enjoyed the two part background story so far, the next part will focus mostly on the characters themselves, and it will be an interesting journey to try to balance between Artesia and Alicia on one side and Evelyn on the other side...