Age of the Cosmos
Years unknown
A glorious time that is shrouded in mystery. Very few fae who lived in this age still remain today. It is said the Above hung
from a canopy in the cosmos. All the light, magic, and goodness of the world emanated from the Gardens of Ithilias, a celestial
rosebush.
A young fae woman named Sira desired to create her own realm and stole one of the heavenly flowers. She fled the cosmos
and, using the might of her stolen rose, forged a new realm known as the Below. In the dark, Sira was able to use the rose to
breed creations of her own, monsters crafted of darkness and rot.
For the treacherous act of stealing the rose, Sira was forever banished from the Realm Above. Enraged that she and her
creations were not accepted by the Above, Sira waged a great war. Sira’s creations mercilessly attacked the fae of the Above.
Though the fae were courageous, they knew not the ways of war. Sira destroyed the Gardens of Ithilias and all that was good
and beautiful in the world fell to darkness and despair.
Age of the Vale
0–1025
A young fae woman named Aurelia, filled with courage, was able to save four roses from the Gardens of Ithilias. Infused with
the roses’ magic, she forged a new world consisting of five realms. The first four realms—known as Winter, Spring, Summer,
and Autumn—became safe havens for the survivors of the Above. In the fifth realm, Aurelia grew a magnificent tree that
housed the four roses. The tree, known as Castletree, channeled the last light of the Gardens of Ithilias and provided strength
and stability to all. So grateful to Aurelia were the survivors of the Above that they named her Queen, and the land of
Castletree became known as the Queen’s Realm. She appointed a High Ruler to each of the seasonal realms and blessed them
with celestial magic from the sacred roses.
Queen Aurelia was a dauntless and spirited ruler who was determined to see her people thrive. More powerful than any
other fae, she was able to change the world around her, including the shape of plants, animals, and even other fae. Under her
rule, the world she created, known as the Enchanted Vale, prospered and great civilizations flourished.
However, peace was not to be, for down in the darkness, an enemy schemed. While Aurelia ruled five lands of light and
prosperity, Sira’s realm was one of darkness and rot and her only subjects were her monstrous creations. Sira began to
manipulate fae from the surface realms into joining her, promising them power and ancient magic. Using the first rose stolen
from the Gardens of Ithilias, Sira threw herself into creating armies of darkness.
Attacks from the Below against the Enchanted Vale became more frequent until finally war broke out. The Gloaming War
waged for hundreds of years. Desperate to end the suffering of her people, Aurelia and the High Rulers devised a plan. The
first High Ruler of Spring, High Prince Rafael, was a masterful blacksmith and believed he could craft weapons of immense
power, if only he could access ore from the Above. Though the fae had lost their way to the ruins of the Above, Aurelia and the
High Rulers traveled across the Enchanted Vale in search of fallen shards from their first home. After a great journey, they
recovered five shards, and from this, High Prince Rafael extracted ore enough to craft five mystical weapons: the Sword of the
Protector, the Hammer of Hope, the Trident of Honor, the Lance of Valor, and, most powerful of all, the Bow of Radiance.
Aurelia put an enchantment on all five weapons so that they could only be used by someone who possessed one of the Queen’s
tokens, necklaces blessed by her magic. Without a token, anyone attempting to wield the weapons would find their blood
turning to rot. Aurelia gifted the weapons to her loyal High Rulers, keeping the bow for herself. With the aid of these divine
weapons, as well as the Queen’s Army, a dedicated force of soldiers, Aurelia was able to keep her realms protected.
Sira’s forces were defeated but her spirit was more enraged than ever. Sira turned to a new source to try and regain power. With dark and perverse magic, Sira was able to open windows between the worlds. She used these to seek a greater power
than any in the Enchanted Vale. In her search, she found Malekai Furiondemius, Baron of the Green Flame, a godlike entity who
traversed the paths between universes, conquering whatever lands he desired. Though Sira’s window was not powerful enough
for the Baron to step within this world, he began to fill her mind with ambitions. Together, they designed plans to claim the
Enchanted Vale for their own.
As the Gloaming War finally came to an end, Aurelia bade the Queen’s Army return to the monastery they called home and
recalled the divine weapons, for they were only to be used in times of war. The only exception was the Sword of the Protector,
which she allowed High Princess Elowyn of Winter to keep. She named the High Princess of Winter, Protector of the Realms,
with the instructions that if she were ever unable to rule as Queen, the Protector of the Realms would serve the Vale in her
place.
Aurelia’s closest confidants reported that Aurelia had lamented that the centuries ruling the Vale and the memories of battle
weighed heavily on her ...
Age of the Missing Queen
1025–1450
Queen Aurelia disappears. Although grief blanketed the lands with the loss of the beloved Queen, four new High Rulers
inherited the realms: High Prince Erivor of Winter, High Princess Isidora of Spring, High Princess Sabine of Summer, and
High Princess Niamh of Autumn. The realms maintained stability and peace. Four princes were also born during this age:
Keldarion of Winter, Ezryn of Spring, Daytonales of Summer, and Farron of Autumn.
In the Below, Sira was lost to her envy of Aurelia’s beautiful realms and creations. She desired above all else to create the
perfect entity: a child of her very own, one who would put the rest of the world to shame. After beseeching the Baron, he
granted her greatest wish, impregnating her with a child: a fae of the Below and of the Green Flame.
Growing up in the Below, Sira’s young son, Caspian, was raised to inherit his father’s magic, the power of the Green Flame. With Aurelia gone, Sira turned her attention to her new goal: finding a power that would allow her to open a gateway between
this world and the Baron’s, so Caspian’s father could step through and join them. Sira envisioned a future where she, Malekai,
and Caspian ruled not only the Below, but the surface realms, as well. She even dreamed of rebuilding the Above and ruling
the land that once shunned her.
Though full-out war was avoided, tensions remained high between the Below and the surface realms. High Prince Erivor of
Winter and his wife, Princess Runa, devised a plan to incapacitate the Below’s forces. They intended to take back the rose that
Sira once stole from the Gardens of Ithilias. Without such power, the Queen of the Below would no longer be able to create her
monsters.
Erivor and Runa’s valiant attempt ultimately failed. Although they were successful at gaining the rose, they were ambushed
before they were able to escape the Below. Erivor and Runa survived the attack; however, the rose was lost. Without the rose
in her control, Sira’s power was significantly weakened and many of her creations became feral, no longer answering to any
master.
Meanwhile, Sira’s young son lived within the boundaries of his birthright: as half his blood was tied to a demi-god from
another world, Caspian was not able to stray far from the Below. He tested these limits as much as possible, including visiting
the human world, where he was befriended by a young couple with secrets of their own. Caspian developed the mysterious
ability that would one day become his namesake: control over thorns.
In Summer, High Princess Sabine passed Summer’s Blessing and the title of High Ruler to her eldest son, Damocles.
Age of the War of Thorns
1450–1501
High Princess Isidora has died while passing Spring’s Blessing to her eldest son Ezryn. Prince Ezryn inherited the throne of
Spring.
Sira, enraged by the loss of the rose and her lack of power, devised a plan to not only find the rose, but weaken the surface
realms forever. She sent her now grown son Caspian undercover to gain the trust of the four realms while secretly doing her
bidding.
During a fateful Rainbow Festival held at Castletree, Caspian appeared at the door, distraught and hurt. He implored the
High Rulers to take pity on him, despite the fact he was well known as the son of the Queen of the Below. Claiming to have
escaped his mother’s clutches, he promised intelligence and aid to the surface realms in their plight against the Below. As
Protector of the Realms, High Prince Erivor chose to imprison Caspian.
However, Erivor’s son, Keldarion, desired to trust the Prince of the Below, and convinced his father to set Caspian free—
under his watch, of course. Keldarion, eager to prove his worth, believed Caspian could have the answers to many of the
problems they faced. The young Winter Prince desperately wanted to succeed at the mission his parents had failed at:
retrieving the stolen rose that was lost somewhere in the Below.
Caspian began to immerse himself into Keldarion’s life, attending functions with him, training alongside him, and even
befriending Keldarion’s companions, the princes from the other realms. Keldarion’s most trusted ally, the High Prince of
Spring, however, never warmed to Caspian. The Prince of the Below played his role dutifully, both assisting Keldarion, but
also secretly using his thorns to return to the Below, reporting to Sira. Though Keldarion attempted to maintain a strictly neutral
relationship with Caspian, the tenacious spirit of the mysterious Prince of the Below captivated him. Little by little, harsh
words gave way to lingering glances and talks of strategy became long conversations late into the night.
However, Keldarion was betrothed to Lady Tilla of Spring. On the day of their wedding, he fled the altar. He was
intercepted by Caspian, where the two admitted their feelings for one another and were intimate for the first time. While this
occurred, the Below launched an attack on the capital of the Winter Realm, Frostfang. Caspian was blamed for the attack and
banished from the surface realms.
Against the wishes and advice of all those around him, Keldarion refused to believe Caspian would betray him. He
followed Caspian down to the Below, where they decided to continue working together to find the lost rose. Keldarion took up
residence in Cryptgarden. The persistent feelings and newfound intimacy between Caspian and Keldarion continued to grow. Within each other, they found solace and a connection like neither had experienced before. As their search for the rose
persisted, passion and partnership evolved into a loving relationship.
In Autumn, High Princess Niamh passed Autumn’s Blessing to her eldest son, Farron.
Down Below, Keldarion and Caspian made a fae bargain of everlasting love, with the fateful words: “Let me take no other
but you. If one day, my vow shall prove false and I lie with another, let them serve you in repentance until you tire of them as I
did your heart. And if ever there is no love between us, let this bargain melt away like snow under rain.” This particular
bargain was specific in its terms that it could not be rescinded; it would only break if no love remained between the two.
Under the terms, should either of the fae princes lie with another, that person would magically be sent to the other and fall into
a thralldom, intent only to serve the one who had been betrayed until they said otherwise.
Desperate not to lose her son’s allegiance, Sira took Caspian to visit the Fates, so that he could see the pain Keldarion
would cause him in the future.
Despite the vision, the Prince of the Below and the Prince of Winter continued their mission and were ultimately successful:
they found the lost rose. Keldarion organized an elaborate celebration in Frostfang. Worried that she was losing control over Caspian, Sira decided to organize a betrayal against her own son but wanted to
frame the surface realms. She planted a member of her inner circle into the Winter army and had them pose as a loyal soldier.
Then, she had her servant reveal condemning information to Keldarion’s closest confidant, High Prince Ezryn, outlining
Caspian’s true allegiance to the Below. Ezryn took Keldarion’s army and attacked Cryptgarden, destroying much of the city.
Keldarion led the army away and told Caspian there was a mistake and the soldiers arrived at his command, unwilling to
reveal that Ezryn ordered the attack. Distraught, Caspian still agreed to attend the celebration.
At the great celebration when Caspian was supposed to be recognized for his loyalty to the surface realms and for retrieving
the lost rose, the Prince of the Below ordered a vicious attack against the capital. Princess Runa of Winter was murdered
during the siege, Frostfang was occupied, and Prince Keldarion was kidnapped. Thus began the War of Thorns.
Battles scoured the land. Autumn faced a deadly fight against a goblin force that ended with a mudslide destroying both
armies. The Great Scriptorium of Alder was destroyed during an attack on Coppershire. Spring was able to hold its borders
but nearly the entire royal family of Summer, save Prince Daytonales and Princess Delphia, were killed during a siege of
Hadria, the capital of Summer. Prince Daytonales inherited the Blessing of Summer. High Prince Ezryn of Spring rescued
Keldarion from his imprisonment in the Below.
High Prince Erivor led a valiant assault on Frostfang with intentions to liberate his people. He successfully recaptured the
city but was felled in the process. Keldarion inherited the Blessing of Winter and the title of Protector of the Realms. With newfound power, Keldarion sought revenge against his old ally, the newly dubbed Prince of Thorns, Caspian. With
incredible power, the two fought across the Anelkrol Badlands. The battle caused massive damage to the area, including the
creation of the Great Chasm, a deep and vast canyon that revealed tunnels straight to the Below. The rose was caught in the
turmoil and destroyed.
Ultimately, the surface realms were victorious. Caspian and Sira survived the war and returned defeated to Cryptgarden.
A year passed with Castletree being overseen by the four young High Rulers: Keldarion of Winter, Ezryn of Spring,
Daytonales of Summer, and Farron of Autumn. Recovering from the war, the realms lacked true leadership as all four of the
High Rulers struggled to rise to their positions.
Age of the Curse
1501–1526
An Enchantress appeared at Castletree and cursed the four High Princes for their negligence. The curse forced the princes to
spend each night in the form of hideous beasts, as well as tying their life forces to four enchanted roses. The more time passed,
the more the roses wilted. If the roses were to die completely, the curse upon the princes would be complete, trapping them as
beasts forever. Ashamed and hopeless, the four princes hid away, waiting for the day they could break their curse: when they
found their fated mate and that person accepted the bond. Stewards were appointed to rule the four realms in the princes’
absence.
Down Below, Sira adopted a child and raised her as her own. Ever ambitious, Sira discovered the curse and once again saw
an opportunity to claim the Enchanted Vale for herself. Slowly, she began to put plans in place for her complete and utter
takeover. Caspian grew a great briar bush around Castletree, causing the Queen’s Realm to become known as the Briar. His
thorns wrapped around the once-powerful tree and were believed to suck the vitality from its roots.
Age of the Rose
1526—
A young woman from the human realm discovered the Enchanted Vale and found herself at Castletree ...