The Story of Saphael

The History of Saphael

Age of the Ancients

Since the dawn of time, the Sprites have maintained the balance of the world. It is said that in the dawn time, before the people of Saphael split into competing tribes and factions, humans could interact with these mystical creatures. In those times, humans lived in a state of harmony with nature, and Sprites were plentiful throughout the land.

Unfortunately, this age of tranquility would not last. As the tribes of Saphael continued to splinter and sever ties, their natural bond with the Sprites also began to fade. In time they spread to all corners of the world and built new settlements, razing forests, clearing fields, and tearing down the very mountains to erect their majestic cities.

Driven by an insatiable desire for power over their human brethren, some of these factions ventured deep into the earth where they unlocked dark and ancient secrets that would ultimately threaten to destroy all of mankind. Perhaps chief among these dangers were the great demon lords and dragons that terrorized the people of Saphael and set their villages and cities ablaze.

The Sprite Messengers

All would have been lost if it were not for the emergence of the Sprite Messengers. These rare and remarkable people retained a link with the Sprites while the rest of humanity had moved on. The Sprites granted these individuals magical powers to combat the evil and help restore balance to the world. The whole of Saphael united behind these legendary few and together they beat back the forces of darkness that had once threatened to overwhelm them.

The peace was short-lived though. The various factions that had united under the leadership of the Sprite Messengers soon returned to their former ways and went to war with each other. Worse, even the Messengers fell under the sway of their warlike tendencies. Although they had previously seemed above such petty divisions, many of them took sides in the conflict, and only a handful tried to ease the hostilities. The era of conflict that ensued was known as the "Great Saphael War."

The Great Saphael War

The war lasted several generations and was far worse than anything Saphael had ever seen before. Countless innocents perished, families were torn apart, villages were razed, cities were destroyed, and powers shifted constantly. The world descended into a long age of darkness.

It was during this era that a reclusive group of Sprite Messengers fled to a tiny island just south of the mainland. They settled the uninhabited island and came to call it Siwa, after a great hero from the time before the war. These few remaining Sprite Messengers renewed and strengthened their union with nature in the hope that one day the power of the Sprites would be great enough to restore balance to the world and save Saphael.

The flames of the Great War eventually abated, and with time the people of Saphael began to recover. The land was calm once more, but a threat to this new peace has arisen. A terrible evil awoke from its sleep deep within the earth, of a kind unseen since the Age of the Ancients.

The Children of Siwa Island

Saphael is a shell of its former self, but a beacon of hope shines from the shores of Siwa Island. The descendents of the final Sprite Messengers are coming of age and are almost ready to leave their island home. Will they follow in the footsteps of their ancestors and strive for balance, or will they succumb to Saphael’s divisions and turn against each other? This is where your story begins.