One Last Knight. A Series of Short Stories.

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Here is a recap on the way life spans and ages for different species work in Enverdolmal, and an explanation of what Aether is and how it works on a basic level.

Aether: The natural energies that fuel the world and everything in creation. Many of the sentient creatures and human-humanoids on Enverdolmal are sensitive to Aether and are thus able to manipulate it to one degree or another in a plethora of applications.

-Spell casting.

-Enhanced Combat Techniques.

-Automaton fuel.

-Sigil and Rune casting.

and much, much more, typically pending on the user, and or region.

*Resilience = How much of a beating one can physically take.

*Resistance = How much of an effect magical abilities and sources have on the character.

*Low magic: Practical spells that most well-trained folk and some self-trained folk can use freely. These types of spells vary in effectiveness based on how well trained the caster is, and how strong their affinity for Aether is. Some examples include but are not limited to:

-Elemental manipulation spells. (Fireballs, Bolts of Lightning, and the like.)

-Low-level healing spells.

-Low-level push/pull spells.

-Low-level mental assaults.

*High magic: Spells and abilities that can affect the world at large.

-Weather manipulation spells.

-Blood/Death spells.

-Life/High healing spells.

-Probability spells.

-Summoning spells

There are many more types of both Low and High-level magics to be listed, but where is the fun in giving away ALL of the abilities here!?

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Lifespans are a bit weird here in Enverdolmal! Nothing to crazy thought I assure you.

A year is know as an SC or "Sun Cycle" and one SC is 366 days (give or take.)

One day-night cycle is 28 hours, about 30 additional hours a year when compared to our real world calendar.

HLS- Human Lifespan.

Humans: 1x1 Sun Cycle . = 1 Year or one rotation around the Sun.

Dwarfs: 3x1 HLS. The average Dwarf will live 3 times longer than the average human. 

Elves: 4x1HLS. The average Elf will live 4 times longer than the average human.

Goblins: 2x1 HLS. The average Goblin will live twice as long as the average human.

Orcis: 2.5x1 HLS. The average Orcis will live 2.5 times longer than the average human.

Ogre: 3x1 HLS. The average Ogre will live 3 times longer than the average human.

Ordin: (Goblin/Orcis hybrid. Randomized physical characteristics based on parental species.) 3.5x1 HLS. The average Ordin will live 3 times longer than the average human.

Dwarfym: (Human/Dwarf hybrid who retains Human height and features.) 2x HLS. The average Dwarfym will live twice as long as the average human.

Tinker-Kin: (Dwarf/Human hybrid who retains Dwarven height and features.) 1.5x HLS. The average Tinker-Kin will live 1.5 times longer than the average human.

Changeling: ??? HLS. 

Elfym: (Elf and Human genetics are always harmonized if the pregnancy makes it to the second trimester. A rare happenstance. Neither bloodlines characteristics show more physically than the other.) 2.5x HLS. The average Elfym will live 2.5 times longer than the average human.

Faemen: (Human/Faeri hybrid. ) Nearly 134.000x HLS1 Human year is the equivalent of but a single day in the world of the Fae. 1 year in Enverdolmal is equivalent to nearly 134.000 years in the Fae realm. The Fae are extraordinarily long-lived and have been around since a time before time itself. The are thought to be the very creators of existence as we know it, therefor their perception of time and the way it flows is completely different. The math above is based on speculation and scientific theory.

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Recap: Enverdolmal. Loose translation from: *Een Vir Almal* which means: "One for all" in Afrikaans.

Thousands upon thousands of years in times past,

Enverdolmal was a lush and healthy world, yet it was devoid of animal life outside of four great and mighty Dragons.

These were the Living Elements: Water, Wind, Earth, and Thunder.

**Thunder here is the physical manifestation of sound in short. I know Lightning comes before Thunder, and is the Element whereas Thunder comes from Lightning. Nonetheless, this is fiction folks lol. I wont always stick to the Rule of Cool.**

From the sky came the Twin Dragons, a pair of Immortal Elements.

From the darkness of space both Fire and Ice made Enverdolmal their new resting place. These two were Life and Death. The balance was upset and the world was bathed in Draconic conflict. The six Dragons found peace and truce in the form of a great and all encompassing slumber. An age of Ice and nothingness. One that would see them fade away physically, and become the very Aether that fueled the new world and its rapid growth after the Great Thaw.

With the Great Thaw came new life.

New death. Animals, one and all evolved from countless lineages of Dragon dust and essence. 

Fanged. Feathered. Furred.

All came to be and evolve from that which was once Dragon.

Humans, born of the need for not only guardians, but caretakers of the new world. From them, and time, and exposure, came the many varied Humanoid species.

From the Forested-bound folk, the Elf.

From the Mountain-bound, the Dwarf.

And as they grew, and learned, and loved, and hated, and warred, they intermingled and became even more: The Tinker-kin (also referred to at times as the Halfling) the Dwarfym, and the Elfym.

From the need to balance and mayhap even counter the existence and rapid expansions of Humanity, came Monsters.

They were born from the most desolate and polluted parts of nature (most of these places came to be that way due to Humanity in one fashion or another) and sought only to kill, to hunt, and to breed.

Among them were the Goblins, the Orcis, the Ordin: A disturbing cross species of Goblin and Orcis, the Troll, the Ogre, and a list of many other cross and subspecies.

War found Enverdolmal as was inevitable. But then, and always, so-to would peace.

With time and effort, Kingdoms and Queendoms where erected, Boarders were lined, and maps were drawn. The world came to know some semblance of what it is today. The balance between Light and Dark is in constant flux, but this is in our favor (my good Reader) for how else would such tales come to be?

Welcome one and all, to the ever-evolving world of Enverdolmal!

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Defunct Kingdom of Grootawe. A.K.A The Crater Coast Collective.

Current ruler: The Five Borough Leads.

Regional Elemental Affinity: Water & Wind. 

Military Force: Localized Militias and Mercenary Guilds. Each Borough has it's own standing "army" that is noted as anywhere from 1000 to 5000 strong. 

Grootawe was a stable and well balanced Kingdom known predominantly for it's massive and impressive Port towns and trade dorpies. It was also home to the very first major educational center, long before the walls of Garth Verlore were sanctioned and erected.

That ground was known as Garth Stigtayr and it was destroyed in a massive and all encompassing explosion during the times of war that had enveloped the world of Enverdolmal in its days of infancy. This was an event that would reshape the very Kingdom and future of Enverdolmal all at the same time as it was simultaneously the single action that would bring the raging war to an abrupt end. 

A story for another time, yes?

In the immediate aftermath of the Great Blast Event -as it would come to be known- the gargantuan crater that was left rapidly filled with water from the Sunder Sea, washing away what was left of anything and anyone that had somehow survived. Over 150,000 lives where lost, with another nearly 300,000 wounded. 

Those who made up the last of the Grootawains rallied together at first, seeking to rebuild. But alas, their corner of the world would never be the same, and aid from neighboring Kingdoms was slow coming, as they to had recovery efforts to make. The last of the Shadow Dragons had been destroyed with Garth Stigtayr, but remnants of great and powerful cults still dotted the land, all with plans and goals of their own now that that which both lead and united them was no more. 

They would dawn Black robes and seek items and artifacts of power with which they could rise to prominence once more...

What was once the bustling Kingdom of Grootawe, was now and would forever be known only as the Crater Coast Collective. or the C.C.C./3C for short.

This "Collective" is comprised of nearly two dozen small towns and budding Dorpies, of which the top five in both military and economic might are recognized as the Five Boroughs. In no particular order -and at this current point in time- they are known as:

Bashac, Ashana, Luzu, Lorant, and last but certainly not least, Wegkrip. 

You may have heard the quote spoken: "The Crater Coast is no place for women." 

This is very much accurate...

This corner of Enverdolmal is packed to its brim with some of the lowest of the low, and the deadliest of the deadly. Pirates, Brigands, thieves, and many more akin to the likes call the Crater Coast their home, as it's access to the open sea is unparalleled by any other Kingdom or Queendom of Enverdolmal. Outside of that point, beside local Militia and Sell-Sword Guilds, the place is very nearly lawless. Order is loosely maintained by the Five Borough Leads whose jobs it is to keep things as peaceful as possible among the civilian populace. Each Leader has their own way of going about this, with votes and meating to be held when grander choices are to be made concerning the C.C.C. as a whole. 

Those who live within the borders of the C.C.C. are free to live nearly anywhere they please as long as the land is not claimed, thus many of its inhabitants tend to be very nomadic in nature. The only exceptions are the current Five Boroughs. The populations numbers within those five cities are tracked and kept balanced at all times, this so that one may not surpass any of the others in terms of military might. The current Five Boroughs have been in control for the past two decades at least, with Bashac being the latest to reach the level of prominence required to be among the top five. 

Major Exports and points of interest. 

-Oceanic fish.

-Enchanted driftwood carvings.

-Sell-Swords/Mercenaries.

-Tomes

-Black Market goods and, potions, and drugs. 

-Lady Laroon's Blades of Wegkrip. 

-The Luzu Lancers. 

-The Guild of Ashana. 

-The Tri-Eye is docked here for nearly 60% of the year, as the C.C.C is also home to a part of the Deep Stone Seabed. 

*Pardon my dust!

This was posted in this incomplete form inadvertently!

I don't want to take it down lol

I will post an updated version just as soon as it is complete.

-Redd.