Irëdeule boasted beauty that exceeded the bounds of imagination, as every gaze was gifted with a spectacle —landscapes, vibrant colors, and the seamless interplay of ocean, mountain, river, and forest crafted a unique, mesmerizing (and addictive) visual delight. For a long time, Irëdeule became a retreat for higher beings.
In the year 1217 B.L., Drendaer, The Forgefather, decided it was time to pay a long-overdue visit to the world he had helped to place in the material plane. Once in Irëdeule, he recognized the unique properties of this land as he unearthed unprecedented minerals and stones, and as he discovered new variants of beasts unseen elsewhere in the multiverse. Driven by his picked curiosity as a creator God and inspired by Irëdulian vistas that sparked his imagination, The Forgefather chose to experiment in this place. His initial endeavors yielded magnificent and harmless creatures that still roam the land up ot this day; such breakthroughs made Drendaer eager to share his discoveries. He invited other gods to witness the beauty.
Soon, many Gods followed The Forgefather’s lead, materializing in Irëdeule and pursuing their own diverse interests and agendas in a place that accommodated their creative endeavors with a perfect setting.
For over 800 years, the Gods used Irëdeule as a testing ground for their whims— they commanded their minions to construct deep dungeons and to erect towering spires full of puzzles and traps; and contested each other using avatars to challenge and navigate these formidable structures. They engaged in a perverse game where many disposable creatures and embodiments lost their lives, while the gods reveled on their entertainment, akin to children in a customized playground. These ventures infused the entire planet with surplus (and unnecessary) arcane energies.
As divine tests expanded gradually, trials for the creation of colossi commenced; most of which had the intention of fashioning beings that would serve the gods as weapon, guardian, or pet.
Some of these aberrant undertakings (particularly those deemed successful), were dispatched to the planes they were intended to inhabit (albeit under slavery); there they became part of their creator’s army, defending strongholds and patrolling demiplanes, or serving as escorts and servants with no rights to their name. On the other hand, the failures faced a stark fate —they were shunned in Irëdeule, and were destined to lie dormant; some of them were imprisoned in as part of the surroundings, considered too destructive or anarchic to roam free on a divine retreat; others were incarcerated within the deep dungeons crafted by the gods’ armies, their entrances sealed; many of them lost their minds, others, lost their souls.
In time, these creatures were given the monicker “Trial Beasts”.
Not all higher beings approved of the use given to Irëdeule but held their silence, fearing divine punishment. Yet Yll’ardun, against the counsel of other titans, eloquently expressed his disagreement with the reckless actions of those openly experimenting in the planet’s surface and depths. However, his words fell into deafened ears; for no deity would ever heed the concerns of a mere titan. Over time, some controversies and disagreements surfaced between the gods, yet these quarrels never escalated into open confrontation or further animosity.
The Twister’s Tale
Divine will and whim continued to shape the fate of Irëdeule for a few more centuries, until inevitability and disaster struck together in the year 403 B.L.
Among all the gods that birthed creatures in Irëdeule, Shanaer, The Neverending, feverishly sought to create something above all else: a creature so magnificent and powerful that it would have to have the divine ability to manipulate matter to its will, as well as the noble task of serving as steward for dying worlds filled with despair and neglect. Shanaer’s efforts manifested as a titan whom they named Alm’dae, the Twister. Designed with immense power and bequeathed supreme intellect and abilities, Alm’dae possessed innate skills required to weave the Twine, bend the universe, and control the elements.
However, Alm’dae found no satisfaction in service, and her own existence conflicted her. In a twinkle, her essence was drenched in corruption; slaughter seized her mind and heart, and her intent became skewed: the Twister became uncontrollable and sinister, with no virtue within her soul.
Liberating herself from her binds, Alm’dae gave free rein to her wanton hunger. She roamed the planet, showing nothing but contempt toward other living beings, testing her powers on creatures unlucky enough to cross her path. These beings were either liquified into puddles of blood and gore, burnt to a crisp, or simply sucked into a black void nestled in her chest; she hunted, ambushed and destroyed minor deities to absorb their powers. Several divine vestiges were obliterated during the Twister’s nefarious rampage.
In face of such a fiend, agreement arose among the the higher gods: Alm’dae was deranged, and too powerful to be left to her own devises. Thus, the gods joined forces and smote the titan, they teleported her to a small, solitary continent in the northern reaches of Irëdeule and assaulted her together, shattering her into pieces. Yet, her powers would not let her die.
To prevent The Twister from rebuilding her body, Irtramelle, The Muse, and Beentra, The Denmistress fashioned seven humanoid urns to contain the titan’s powers. The urns were scattered and hidden throughout Irëdeule with the hope that they would never be reunited.
Alm’dae’s campaign of destruction and death prompted an agreement amongst the gods who held interest in Irëdeule —the gods would cease their use of planet and the construction of creatures with god-like powers inside the material plane would be punishable by banishment into the endless void beyond the boundaries of the Emilfëa. Thus, the period known to these records as “The Trials” came to an abrupt end; and the next 300 years helped the planet heal from the battles; meanwhile, beasts —intelligent and otherwise— thrived and multipled within Irëdeule.
