Gelin

See Also: Dark Ages

One of the new masters, Gelin, forged a plan to save him. Each of the cities contained a giant crystal that served to gather and harness the magical essence for all to use. He would take these crystals by force and use their power to sustain his own existence. By these words, he gathered about him powerful followers and began the thousand-year war.

At first the cities fell without defense, as during the decades of peace and prosperity people lost the will for war. However, soon enough the cities began to mount their own offensive against the forces of Gelin. Occasionally larger cities would conquer the smaller ones, as their own crystal could no longer sustain their war.

They created powerful monsters and essence-infused warriors to do battle on a titanic scale. However, in the end the cities began to fall as their armies were defeated or joined Gelin. Once his victory was assured many of the remaining masters began acts of desperation. Some used the last of the crystals to move the city to different realms, while others mounted assaults on the gates to close them permanently.

Gelin slew the last of the masters who opposed him and built his throne from their skulls. From high atop the black mountain of Barshnor he ruled with an iron fist. All would swear loyalty to him or suffer under his power. Even the sun refused to shine, as the years were populated by a dim half-light punctuated by storms. He ruled for thousands of years until the Magi returned.

Those who lived in these times were changed by the power, but the kitkin who lived upon the open prairie resisted its poisonous effects. During this time there were thirteen kithkin clans, each lead by a powerful spirit talker. These spirit talkers wielded powerful spiritual weapons forged in the fire of their ancestors. As the power waned and Gelin’s army marched against the Black Gates, the kithkin never retreated. They mounted quick attacks against his flanks bleeding his army for every mile they traveled. However, Gelin’s army was so large that even the loss of a hundred thousand men was of little concern to him.

The spirit talkers gathered together outside of the famed City of Light. They knew their people could not resist the might of Gelin’s army. However, each spirit talker had talked to their ancestors and knew the day would come when their strength was needed. The City of Light must be protected until that time came.

To conserve their strength for the future, twelve of the shaman took their clans deep into the plains to rebuild their strength against this future catastrophe. The thirteenth spirit talker would protect the City of Light until their powerful leaders could complete the spell to defend the city. This “lost clan” was never seen again, as they rushed into battle against Gelin, while the City of Light disappeared forever.

The other prides lived among the grasses and in the land of their ancestors. There was little in the plains to attract Gelin’s attention after the City of Light disappeared, so he returned to conquering the world — thinking he destroyed the kithkin in that last pitched battle.

The kithkin lived in peace for many years until the arrival of the Carthins. As this ragged group pushed their way over the eastern mountains the kithkin gave before them. They had lost much of their strength over the years and couldn’t resist the Carthin advance. However, this proved very beneficial as later generations regained the warrior spirit that ran strong in their ancestors - they now bloody themselves against the Carthins, and any others that seek to claim their territory.