Aion: Tower of Eternity (Back Story)

Part 1

The creation of Atreia remains a mystery even to its earliest
inhabitants. The existence of Aion, the powerful entity who created it,
exists as the only immutable fact surrounding the celestial event. An
ageless deity with authority over the cosmos, Aion took the shape of a
colossal tower as it presided over the formation of Atreia, and its
earliest species, called the Draken. As a master watchmaker would
construct an elegant timepiece, Aion molded and shaped every mountain,
valley and continent on the planet.

In its nativity, the world of Atreia stood as the pinnacle of creation.
Beautiful and pure, life flourished within the interior of the planet
where Aion had positioned itself as a wondrous structure known as The
Tower of Eternity. The tower pierced the sky and connected one side of
the world to the other. A monument to the greatness of Aion, The Tower
of Eternity eclipsed everything on Atreia.

The Tower anchored the world as much as the lives of the Draken living
on it. However, the Draken were not the only species on the planet. As
mysterious as the creation of the world itself, and of the powerful
Draken, stood the birth of other sentient species, known as the
Sapiens. Humankind was another such species. Humans lived and
flourished throughout the known world, nurtured physically and
spiritually by the Tower of Eternity and a reverence to Aion. Humans
served Aion with humility and were provided with everything they needed
through the nurturing glow of the Tower. Life prospered for thousands
of years under this celestial arrangement.


Until the day the Draken grew tired of their role as simple
stewards of the planet. A mentally and physically superior race to the
Humans, and also the Sapiens, the Draken proved a sobering test for the
sentient species of Atreia as they grew increasingly violent, bent on
conquering everything in their path.


As the years dragged on and the Draken's thirst for power grew stronger,
the fertile pastures of Atreia were stained crimson with the blood of
the dead. Entire species vanished under the cruel eyes of the Draken;
others were enslaved and used against the Humans, who stood as the only
species on Atreia who fought valiantly against their new adversaries in
hopes of stabilizing their way of life.



The Draken swelled in numbers in their campaign against the races of
Atreia and they grew increasingly confident and prideful. Before long,
the Draken would turn their backs on their creator altogether and forge
ahead as a completely autonomous race. Organized through a leadership
caste of five Draken – christened the Dragon Lords – the Draken
relinquished the name Aion bestowed on them and chose another, the
Balaur. The awakening of the Balaur changed the course of Atreia
forever.

The humans gathered their numbers and rallied in defense of their world
and of Aion, who they still served through their struggle against the
Balaur. Sadly, the Humans offered little challenge for their cruel
oppressors. The Balaur massacred thousands upon thousands of Humans as
they fought to dominate the planet. Out of desperation, Aion created an
elite group of 12 guardians to assist the Humans in protecting the
Tower of Eternity and restore order in Atreia. These guardians became
known as the Empyrean Lords. To further assist the Humans and their
newly appointed protectors, Aion created a substance called Aether that
lent strength and powerful abilities to those who knew how to
manipulate it.

The stage had been set for a battle that would literally tear Atreia apart…

Part 2

The fighting continued.


The twelve Empyrean Lords, who Aion appointed to protect the world of
Atreia and its inhabitants, fought bravely against the Balaur
oppressors for years. Appearing as winged and luminescent beings, the
Empyrean Lords were admired and worshipped by the Humans for their
bravery and unflinching loyalty to preserving life and a reverence to
Aion. The two leaders of the Empyrean Lords – Siel and Israphel
–assumed guardianship of the Tower of Eternity. While dissimilar in
thought and character, Siel and Israphel united in defense of the
Tower.

To assist in the battle against the Balaur, Aion gifted the Empyrean
Lords with a powerful substance known as Aether. An energy source with
limitless potential, the use of Aether was limited to the pure and
devout. This included a select group of Human followers. The Empyrean
Lords would identify and handpick certain Humans to undergo a physical
and spiritual transformation known as Ascension, which saw each Human
candidate infused with the power of Aether. As part of the Ascension
process, massive wings would erupt from the backs of each Human,
gifting them with the power of flight.

More and more Humans experienced Ascension and received the gift of flight.
These select Human followers became known as Daevas and streaked
through the skies of Atreia as god-like beings, revered and admired by
all followers of Aion. Humans incapable of experiencing Ascension came
to believe the Daevas were sent by Aion to destroy the Balaur and
protect the world. In a way, that perfectly described their arrival and
purpose. The numbers of Daevas multiplied under the watchful eyes of
the Empyrean Lords, who led the Daevas into battle against the Balaur
forces day and night.

But the ancient Balaur proved formidable opponents. Organized and
guided by the five Dragon Lords -- Fregion as their leader, followed by
Meslamtaeda, Ereshkigal, Vritra, and Tiamat – the Balaur clawed their
way through Human and Daeva alike in their campaign for domination. The
conflict between the forces of Aion and the Dragon Lords soon escalated
from isolated battles into full-scale war. Unimaginable carnage and
terror gripped the once peaceful hillsides of Atreia for decades. In
hopes of protecting itself from the advancing Balaur, Aion manifested
an Aetheric Field around the colossal Tower and the surrounding area.

The newly erected Aetheric Field sparked with energy as the Balaur
attempted to break through it. In spite of their efforts, the field
withstood even the strongest of attacks and gleamed steadfast in the
face of the Dragon Lords and their Balaur followers. But the field had
a vital flaw, which the enemies of Aion exploited to the fullest. While
the field provided absolute protection for everything it reached,
anything left outside of the field lay vulnerable to attack. Knowing
this the Balaur showed no mercy and tried to lure the Empyrean Lords
out of the sheltering glow of the field. Everything outside of the
field vanished under the burning hatred and malice of the Balaur.
Rivers turned red form the blood of the fallen and mountains turned to
cinder.

The war raged on the outskirts of the field where Daevas and the
Empyrean Lords fought bravely against their enemies. Despite the
bravery and ferocity displayed on each side of the conflict, each soon
realized the futility of the situation. The Balaur could not enter the
field to destroy the Tower and the Empyrean Lords and their Daevas
could not venture outside the Aetheric Field long enough to secure a
decisive victory.

Part 3

The Millennium War raged on with massive casualties on both sides of
the conflict. In order to better organize their ranks of loyal Daevas
against the Balaur, the Empyrean Lords sanctioned a new body known as
the Nobelium. The Nobelium would then move throughout the Daeva
recruits and organize them into finely honed combat groups, known as
Legions. These newly appointed combat groups kept the Balaur at bay and
helped establish years of tepid peace alongside the impenetrable
Aetheric Field, established to protect The Tower of Eternity.

And for a time, life went on for the Human inhabitants of Atreia.
Protected by the Aetheric Field, and the Daeva Legions, Humans would go
about their business and try to forget the hordes of Balaur ravaging
the countryside. After years of violence and terrible bloodshed, this
limited existence marked a huge improvement for the population of
Atreia. But the stalemate came at a huge cost to the Empyrean Lords and
their Daeva followers. While life prospered within the radiance of the
Aetheric Field, thousands of Daevas lost their lives in defense of it,
as the war continued with no end in sight. The cost of the war began
haunting the Balaur, as well, as the Five Dragon Lords committed more
and more of their number to attacking the Daevas.

Both sides realized the war would never end if things continued unchanged.
And then, whispers of peace sprung among the Empyrean Lords. Initiated
by Israphel, one of the more daring Lords, the notion of peace soon
blossomed into a full proposal brought before the other Lords. Though
noble, the proposal divided the followers of Aion for the first time
since the conflict began. Certain Lords desired peace, while others
considered the Balaur and the Dragon Lords as a cancer on Atreia, long
overdue for removal. Israphel believed a truce was the only way to end
the war long enough to stabilize Atreia, and seeing no other
alternative, Israphel tried convincing the other Empyrean Lords to
present his peace plan to the Dragon Lords.

A string of heated debates and discord followed. The Lords would argue
the particulars of the plan, for and against. One of them, Asphel,
dissented more than the others. He vehemently disagreed due to his
utter revulsion of the Balaur and stood firm, preferring to fight until
one side eventually triumphed over the other. Knowing full well that
Daevas and Balaur alike were dying while the Empyrean Lords argued,
Israphel decided to forge ahead with a sole ally, Lady Siel. They would
offer the Dragon Lords peace without approval from the remaining Lords.
And that's exactly what happened.

Before long, the Dragon Lords and their escorts stood outside the
Aetheric Field, having relayed acknowledgment of the peace proposal.
They simply stood and waited, apprehensively. Uncertainty still plagued
the Empyrean Lords, though the Balaur had made the first gesture of
good faith by appearing with only a small contingent of elite warriors.
The Empyrean Lords made the next move and lowered the Aetheric Field
for the Balaur to enter. For the first time in many, many years, the
Tower of Eternity sat vulnerable to attack, with the Balaur a stone's
throw away. As a further test of good faith, the five Dragon Lords were
asked to enter the Tower alone.
They agreed and entered. The discussions began peacefully. Dragon Lord
Fregion and Empyrean Lady Siel began the arduous task of healing
centuries of hatred and violence through diplomacy. Each side presented
their terms during the ceremony. And for a fleeting moment, it appeared
as though Atreia would experience peace for the first time since anyone
could remember. What happened next remains a mystery on both sides, as
neither side has a full recollection of the events that transpired
during the ceremony. What is known is that violence erupted in the
middle of the proceedings from an assassination attempt on one of the
Dragon Lords. In the blink of an eye, a ferocious battle broke out
within the very heart of the Tower. It happened so unexpectedly, in
fact, that Siel and Asphel failed to activate the Aetheric Field.

The Tower of Eternity, which lay at the heart of the planet, began to
fracture and crumble as the Dragon Lords and Empyrean Lords fought for
their lives. Lord Asphel headed to the North end of the Tower while his
opponent, Lady Ariel, took to the South, each hoping to play their part
in the saving of the world. Regardless of their courage, all of Atreia
would break apart unless the Tower itself survived. The two harbingers
of the peace proposal, Israphel and Siel, took it on themselves to save
the Tower. In an act of pure desperation and guilt, both Lords consumed
themselves saving what they could, extinguishing their Aetheric Energy
in the process. Their actions, brave in the face of certain death,
succeeded in rekindling the Aetheric Field. The two Lords narrowly
saved the whole of the planet.

These events, known as the Epic Cataclysm, would usher in a new era for Atreia.

Part 4

The world of Atreia shattered on that fateful day. Physically, the world was torn asunder, but it was also irreparably damaged in spirit, as nothing would ever be the same again. Split in two, Atreia's binary transformation would foretell of another such change, sparked by the failed peace conference between the Empyrean Lords and Dragon Lords. Once a bastion of peace and hope, the doomed peace conference ended abruptly and violently, leading to the sacrifice of Israphel and Siel, the two Empyrean Lords who fathered the peace talks. They both died in a fiery blast of Aetheric Energy defending the Tower of Eternity from complete destruction.

Their desperate and selfless act managed to keep the world of Atreia from utter destruction, but the Tower itself lay in ruin. The midsection of the Tower had fractured and broken apart, effectively cleaving the world in two. This not only changed the landscape of the world forever, but also split the Empyrean Lords into two wholly separate factions: those that were defending the Tower to the North, led by Lord Asphel, and those who defended the Tower to the South, led by Lady Ariel. The Epic Cataclysm had created a massive chasm between the two halves of the planet, each with its own broken remnants of the Tower. And each with its own population.

Those in the lower half of Atreia could gaze skyward and see the upper half of their world, floating as though frozen in time. With the planet split, the interior of Atreia lay exposed to the cosmos for the first time since its creation. Those living in the lower half now found themselves under the piercing glow of a nearby star. Fiercely radiant, the star nourished the plains of lower Atreia, which blossomed over the years into a paradise of vibrant fields and forests. Under the watchful eye of Lady Ariel and her Empyrean Lords, life went on for hundreds of years this way. Lady Ariel and her followers christened themselves the Seraphim Lords, and helped the Humans and Daevas prosper on their new home, always warning their subjects of the catastrophe they believed was caused by Lord Asphel and his followers.

As the years passed, those living in the southern half of the planet came to call themselves the Elyos. Blessed with prosperous lands, the Elyos came to see themselves as Aion's chosen few, miraculously delivered from annihilation and sanctified through their unwavering faith. Physically, the Elyos changed as well, as their bodies now emitted a heavenly glow, testifying to their new position as stewards of lower Atreia, which they came to call Elysea. Here, where the Balaur could not traverse despite all their might, the Elyos built a city of magnificent spires and towers. Everything had changed. Even the five Empyrean Lords, led by Lady Ariel, took a new name during this era of peace - the Seraphim Lords. The Elyos prospered for hundreds of years without strife, without conflict and with a renewed sense of purpose and hope.

However, life in the northern half of shattered Atreia was quite different. Lacking the warmth and light that blessed Elysea and the Elyos, those living in the upper hemisphere toughened under the harsh conditions. Perpetually cold and bitter, the terrain grew increasingly inhospitable in the weeks and months after the Epic Cataclysm. Like the Elyos below, the surviving Humans to the North eventually experienced a physical transformation from their new living conditions. Their skin grew pale from the lack of light, and their eyes evolved in the perpetual dimness. Their feet sprouted claws to better traverse the jagged cliffs of their new home, and their hands grew massive talons to help in their survival. They evolved and flourished in their new home -- Pandemonium, and came to call themselves the Asmodians. Led by Asphel and his followers -- who now called themselves the Shedim Lords -- the Asmodians constructed their own sprawling city and lived in relative harmony for hundreds of years.

The Elyos and Asmodians lived parallel lives on the remains of Atreia. One to the south, the other to the north, completely unaware of each other's existence. Further, each was now its own species, separate and distinct, yet ultimately equal in the eyes of Aion. All of this began to change one day, as building-sized fragments of the Tower of Eternity - broken at the time of the Epic Cataclysm - began to float, slowly upwards, into the sky. The Asmodians and the Elyos, twin races separated by catastrophe, both witnessed their worlds change before their eyes. They discovered a portal into a strange place that they came to call the Abyss, in a void between the two halves of the world, where pieces of the Tower floated. Their curiosity kindled, each species dispatched a small party of Daevas to investigate. Each side discovered massive portals that led to the cluster of floating islands high above their respective world.

As fate would have it, the Asmodians and Elyos would discover each other mutually, as they investigated the phenomena. Twin races finally reunited after centuries of isolation. The two small groups locked eyes, exchanged words. Things descended rapidly from there. The reunion quickly turned violent as entrenched feelings of bitterness and fear bubbled up. Each side, never having met had blamed the other for the Epic Cataclysm that destroyed the Tower of Eternity and shattered the world. Generations of indoctrination, on both sides of Atreia, had culminated in two species destined to hate each other. The ensuing battle left several Elyos dead, and others severely wounded. Bruised and broken, the Asmodians and Elyos returned to their respective sides of the planet.

The peaceful existence that had lasted for centuries ended, as both sides mobilized their legions in preparation for war. It's during this time, during the vast recruitment of new Daevas and the assembling of legions in both halves of the planet that another celestial event occurred. On the eve of war between the Asmodians and Elyos, a new portal erupted in the Abyss, further complicating matters for the twin species of Atreia. The Balaur, it turned out, were able to enter the Abyss from their world and threaten the two Daeva species. Bloodshed, fear and chaos returned to the world of Atreia.

Worse still, it was discovered that Aether - the power which kept the shattered pieces of Atreia from scattering into space - was being rapidly depleted. The Abyss was drawing the precious Aether to sustain itself. Before long, the Aether would vanish completely, destroying what remained of Atreia. The Asmodians and Elyos fought a war on three fronts: against each other, against the Balaur, and finally, against the clock. If one of the stumps of the Tower was not destroyed, all of Atreia would crumble into the cosmos.

It had finally come to this. Two races, once united in a singular moment of creation, had splintered away from each other and now, centuries later, vowed the destruction of the other. The Elyos set out to destroy what remained of the Tower on Pandemonium, and the Asmodians set out to destroy the same on Elysea.

The stage had been set for a war that would decide the very fate of Atreia.