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Memoirs from Sanctus
s0ulreav3r
Member
Hey guys, first time posting creator content here. I was looking into the lore of the game and thought I'd create what I'm calling memoirs of a historian from Sanctus during the days before our return to Verra. I found the Wiki lore very helpful and I used pieces of it to try and keep these accurate to the vision of Steven and the team.
Here's my initial creation:
It has been a little over three hundred years since that fateful day that changed the lives of all Verrans forever. Though I was not there, the stories passed down through my family ring clearly in my mind, almost as if I was. The cries of children, the screams of those who’d lost a loved one, the panicked wails of those still searching for a friend or family member as they were pushed towards the gateways. I can almost hear them through the stories. So many were lost; so many were left behind. Though the majority of Verrans made it safely through, there were thousands who were not so fortunate. It is their memory that drives us ever onward. It is their memory which has us eagerly awaiting the repair of the gates, so that we might return to Verra to discover what fate has befallen those trapped with the darkness.
But what hope could we have that some had survived? It was a land teeming with magic, from what I have been told. It could be possible that the Seven had prevailed, aided by our brethren – that some had survived the Great Calamity. But we have never heard any word, and so we have been left only to wonder and to pray.
They say they are getting close to repairing the gates. They’ve been saying that since as long as I can remember, though this time it feels… different. I do not know if their words hold any truth, but one can hope. It has been too long that we have been stuck on this sanctuary world. We want to go home.
Since I was a boy, I have been collecting and documenting as much of our people’s history as I could. I interviewed hundreds of our eldest, hoping to piece together some semblance of a history. My father before me had done the same, and his before him. And so, I have added to their works. Much of our people’s history was left behind on Verra in the rush to flee, and so I toil to recreate as much as I can of what was lost. Below is an excerpt from our current account of the Great Calamity – that fateful day when the balance of the cosmos shifted so abruptly…
For countless years, the gods of old were free to traverse the cosmos as they wished. Ultimately, they chose Verra as a resting place, for it was there that the convergence of the leylines was strongest. There were none in existence who contended their rule of this fertile ground. The land of Verra was riddled with the signs of their self-indulgences. Though the gods were inherently good, and aligned themselves with the ways of order, it was apparent that this freedom from contention offered them a certain lack of concern for the overall wellbeing of their realm, including its inhabitants. They grew fat on the abundance of Essence that flowed freely through the leylines, uncontested and in no small supply. This opulence made them weak, unable to sense the threat looming just beyond the fringes of the light.
The lesser beings of the world at this time had little to fear, nor did they concern themselves much of the comings and goings of the gods. Because the realm thus far had known only the reign of these benevolent benefactors, there was no reason for them to fear outside influences. Their only concern was scrounging for the scraps of Essence left behind by beings far more powerful than they as they sought to gain power over each other. Though not entirely the same, these lesser beings shared a semblance of the peoples of Sanctus today.
However, because of the scattering during the Exodus, the people of Verra have banded together in closer-knit groups. Now, there are four main nations which remain - the Aela Humans, the Dünzenkell Dwarves, the Kaivek Orcs, and the Pyrian Elves. But this was not always the case. Some history is known of the races during the age before the Great Calamity, but much of what was recorded had been lost when the Harbingers arrived and the people were forced to flee. Bits and pieces remain, and it is left to these four rebranded realms to piece together the memories of their forefathers.
When the Harbingers first darkened the skies of Verra, the lesser peoples of the world watched in unbelieving horror as the Ancients – powerful beings who had ascended to a near god-like status, flowed like a black river from these pathways to the Void. And at their command led the Others. These banished gods, who had been lurking in the darkness for a millennium, had been waiting for their time to exact revenge. And as they saw how negligent the Seven had become, they decided it was time to strike.
And so, the Others used the great Harbingers to open portals to the Void so their army of Ancients could pour fourth into Verra. They had come for the Seven, and for the Essence. Though they had grown strong, they needed more Essence to match the power of the Old Gods. Their initial strike force’s main goal was to sever the ties to the Seven and redirect the flow back into the Void to empower the primordial essences of the Others. They struck fast and hard, and in a very short time were successful. The Seven had little time to retaliate before the full might of the Others and their hordes would be brought full bear against them.
In a desperate attempt of self-preservation, the Seven mustered all the Essence from their stores and put up a brief fight against the invaders. In their prime, they might have been successful, but their affluence had made them weak. It was not long before they realized it was futile. They gathered together in council and decided to abandon Verra as lost. The vote was unanimous, with the exception of one – the Goddess of Creation. She tried to reason with the others to help the mortals in some way. She also noted that if left with unfettered access to all the flows of Essence on Verra, the Others would grow far too powerful, and the entire cosmos would be at risk. The other six agreed and decided that they should use what portion of their stores they could spare to unleash a massive shockwave that would hopefully take down the Harbingers and sever the Other’s connection to Verra. Though this was not what the Goddess of Creation had hoped for, she knew it was the only way, and it did bide her some time to come up with some way to assist the mortals. She took a portion of her stores and traveled to the four capital cities to speak with their leaders. There, in each city, lay a waygate that had long been dormant, used by their ancestors to travel between realms long ago. The goddess was able to use her stores to power the waygates long enough for the peoples of Verra to escape; but they had to hurry. They could only take what was absolutely essential, for the six would soon enact their plan, and it would likely cause massive damage to the planet’s surface and disrupt all Essence flows.
And so, the Children of Verra fled. Many made it out, many did not. When the Seven unleashed their might, massive earthquakes sprang up all over Verra. Shortly after, the waygates closed. Those few who remained alive were faced with the fight of their lives as they prepared to hold off the tide of darkness as best they could.
Little is known by the peoples of Sanctuary about what befell these unfortunate few who remained, nor whether the Seven’s plan to sever the Void had been successful. But it is certain we will find out one day – mayhap soon.
Perhaps what they say is true; perhaps we will be able to go home in the coming days. I am excited at the chance to return, though I try to not remain too hopeful. Even if some survived, it is almost certain that Verra has changed much since our ancestors fled. And it is uncertain how much influence remains of the Others. It is possible the tendrils of their corruption have taken to the very core of Verra herself. If that is the case, it may be to our doom that we attempt to return. But nevertheless, we must try.
The coming days should prove most interesting…
Here's my initial creation:
Memoirs from Sanctus
It has been a little over three hundred years since that fateful day that changed the lives of all Verrans forever. Though I was not there, the stories passed down through my family ring clearly in my mind, almost as if I was. The cries of children, the screams of those who’d lost a loved one, the panicked wails of those still searching for a friend or family member as they were pushed towards the gateways. I can almost hear them through the stories. So many were lost; so many were left behind. Though the majority of Verrans made it safely through, there were thousands who were not so fortunate. It is their memory that drives us ever onward. It is their memory which has us eagerly awaiting the repair of the gates, so that we might return to Verra to discover what fate has befallen those trapped with the darkness.
But what hope could we have that some had survived? It was a land teeming with magic, from what I have been told. It could be possible that the Seven had prevailed, aided by our brethren – that some had survived the Great Calamity. But we have never heard any word, and so we have been left only to wonder and to pray.
They say they are getting close to repairing the gates. They’ve been saying that since as long as I can remember, though this time it feels… different. I do not know if their words hold any truth, but one can hope. It has been too long that we have been stuck on this sanctuary world. We want to go home.
Since I was a boy, I have been collecting and documenting as much of our people’s history as I could. I interviewed hundreds of our eldest, hoping to piece together some semblance of a history. My father before me had done the same, and his before him. And so, I have added to their works. Much of our people’s history was left behind on Verra in the rush to flee, and so I toil to recreate as much as I can of what was lost. Below is an excerpt from our current account of the Great Calamity – that fateful day when the balance of the cosmos shifted so abruptly…
***
For countless years, the gods of old were free to traverse the cosmos as they wished. Ultimately, they chose Verra as a resting place, for it was there that the convergence of the leylines was strongest. There were none in existence who contended their rule of this fertile ground. The land of Verra was riddled with the signs of their self-indulgences. Though the gods were inherently good, and aligned themselves with the ways of order, it was apparent that this freedom from contention offered them a certain lack of concern for the overall wellbeing of their realm, including its inhabitants. They grew fat on the abundance of Essence that flowed freely through the leylines, uncontested and in no small supply. This opulence made them weak, unable to sense the threat looming just beyond the fringes of the light.
The lesser beings of the world at this time had little to fear, nor did they concern themselves much of the comings and goings of the gods. Because the realm thus far had known only the reign of these benevolent benefactors, there was no reason for them to fear outside influences. Their only concern was scrounging for the scraps of Essence left behind by beings far more powerful than they as they sought to gain power over each other. Though not entirely the same, these lesser beings shared a semblance of the peoples of Sanctus today.
However, because of the scattering during the Exodus, the people of Verra have banded together in closer-knit groups. Now, there are four main nations which remain - the Aela Humans, the Dünzenkell Dwarves, the Kaivek Orcs, and the Pyrian Elves. But this was not always the case. Some history is known of the races during the age before the Great Calamity, but much of what was recorded had been lost when the Harbingers arrived and the people were forced to flee. Bits and pieces remain, and it is left to these four rebranded realms to piece together the memories of their forefathers.
When the Harbingers first darkened the skies of Verra, the lesser peoples of the world watched in unbelieving horror as the Ancients – powerful beings who had ascended to a near god-like status, flowed like a black river from these pathways to the Void. And at their command led the Others. These banished gods, who had been lurking in the darkness for a millennium, had been waiting for their time to exact revenge. And as they saw how negligent the Seven had become, they decided it was time to strike.
And so, the Others used the great Harbingers to open portals to the Void so their army of Ancients could pour fourth into Verra. They had come for the Seven, and for the Essence. Though they had grown strong, they needed more Essence to match the power of the Old Gods. Their initial strike force’s main goal was to sever the ties to the Seven and redirect the flow back into the Void to empower the primordial essences of the Others. They struck fast and hard, and in a very short time were successful. The Seven had little time to retaliate before the full might of the Others and their hordes would be brought full bear against them.
In a desperate attempt of self-preservation, the Seven mustered all the Essence from their stores and put up a brief fight against the invaders. In their prime, they might have been successful, but their affluence had made them weak. It was not long before they realized it was futile. They gathered together in council and decided to abandon Verra as lost. The vote was unanimous, with the exception of one – the Goddess of Creation. She tried to reason with the others to help the mortals in some way. She also noted that if left with unfettered access to all the flows of Essence on Verra, the Others would grow far too powerful, and the entire cosmos would be at risk. The other six agreed and decided that they should use what portion of their stores they could spare to unleash a massive shockwave that would hopefully take down the Harbingers and sever the Other’s connection to Verra. Though this was not what the Goddess of Creation had hoped for, she knew it was the only way, and it did bide her some time to come up with some way to assist the mortals. She took a portion of her stores and traveled to the four capital cities to speak with their leaders. There, in each city, lay a waygate that had long been dormant, used by their ancestors to travel between realms long ago. The goddess was able to use her stores to power the waygates long enough for the peoples of Verra to escape; but they had to hurry. They could only take what was absolutely essential, for the six would soon enact their plan, and it would likely cause massive damage to the planet’s surface and disrupt all Essence flows.
And so, the Children of Verra fled. Many made it out, many did not. When the Seven unleashed their might, massive earthquakes sprang up all over Verra. Shortly after, the waygates closed. Those few who remained alive were faced with the fight of their lives as they prepared to hold off the tide of darkness as best they could.
Little is known by the peoples of Sanctuary about what befell these unfortunate few who remained, nor whether the Seven’s plan to sever the Void had been successful. But it is certain we will find out one day – mayhap soon.
***
Perhaps what they say is true; perhaps we will be able to go home in the coming days. I am excited at the chance to return, though I try to not remain too hopeful. Even if some survived, it is almost certain that Verra has changed much since our ancestors fled. And it is uncertain how much influence remains of the Others. It is possible the tendrils of their corruption have taken to the very core of Verra herself. If that is the case, it may be to our doom that we attempt to return. But nevertheless, we must try.
The coming days should prove most interesting…
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