In the beginning, there was nothing but the Gods. They existed in the Gods' plane, surrounded by an endless void. Although they were beings of light, their light was shrouded in darkness. 

The eldest God, whose power was greatest, offered a fragment of their Godforce to the emptiness, creating the land that would one day become Vrayna. 

From the nothingness that was, trees and plants took root, rivers flowed and filled the lakes, mountains rose beside grasslands, and a vast ocean stretched across the south, while a frozen tundra settled over the north. 

Next came lesser life; animals, insects, fish, and birds, each serving their purpose to set the cycle of life into motion. 

Then Mariosopie, the God whose realms were fate and fortune, approached Vraylewit, the Creation God, who had given of themself to form the land, and suggested that the land would thrive even more under the guidance of a new creation. Vraylewit, who knew that Mariosopie could see through the veils of time and discern favorable futures, trusted their council. 

Thus, Vraylewit decided to create new life, and humans were brought into being.

The first human Vraylewit created was the man who would be King of their creations. They created the King in their own image and named him Emrys de Vray. His eyes, which shone with the golden light of creation, marked him as Vraylewit’s incarnation in the physical world and the sovereign of all living things. 

The second human Vraylewit created was the woman who would carry the future of the Gods-marked bloodline. They named her Calla and presented her to Emrys as a gift. Calla bore many children for Emrys; one golden-eyed heir and a dozen others, whose duty it would be to produce Vraylewit's next incarnation.  

Next, Vraylewit created the noble bloodlines that would serve the King. For each noble man, they created a woman, and gave them lands to oversee: Ramport in the south, Misenport in the north, Shelfort in the east, and Lindenfort in the west. It would be the nobles' duty to oversee the rest of Vraylewit’s creations and ensure they followed the Gods' Rules.

In the heart of Vrayna, where the King would reign, Vraylewit created a city that would be known to all as Luz Dorada, the City of Golden Light. At its center, they placed the Golden Palace, a radiant haven specially crafted for Vraylewit's Chosen.

One King to rule over all, four noble houses to uphold the Kings’ power, and a lush, bountiful landscape; these were the three kindnesses that the Creation God bestowed before shaping the common people who would populate the land. 

First, Vraylewit created common men, who would tend the land and serve their noble overseers. Then they created common women, who would care for the needs of the men and satisfy their Gods’ given desires. As their reward, the women were gifted with children. And thus, the cycle of life continued.

As time progressed, the humans became plentiful, thriving under the blessing of the Gods. They worshipped Vraylewit, who had created them; Mariosopie, who brought about their fate; Bryndowan, who upheld Vraylewit’s laws; Tansara, who shielded them from harm; and Denaverow, who granted them joy and light.    

For a time, Vrayna was nothing less than a paradise. Men thrived in their Gods-given roles and women served their men as they should. It was an era of prosperity and growth. The subsequent Kings fathered many children, both with their Queens and with common women, whom they honored with their seed. If the child of an honored woman was born with silver hair, they were welcomed into the Golden City's inner sanctum to serve the Royal line. Their duty was the greatest of all, as only silver hair with silver hair can beget the golden-eyed heir. 

The noble men also graced the common women with their seed, giving rise to many minor noble bloodlines. From such origins came the barons and counts who would govern the common people directly.  

But alas, paradise could not last forever. 

Soon, magic appeared like a blight on the land. In a place beyond the scope of the Gods, from somewhere in the void beside existence, a potent storm of nature-altering power brewed. 

First, it brought forth the monsters; creatures born of pure magic, seething with malice and venom. Next, it infected the animals, twisting them into forms that resembled Gods’ creations, yet possessing none of their divine traits. Finally, the corruption seeped into Vrayna, defiling Vraylewit’s perfect creations. 

As humans began to wield the vile magic, they slowly turned away from the Gods, seduced by the infectious false power. Men began to foolishly believe they were as powerful as the Gods, women dared to think they were worthy of more than their station, and the common folk grew seditious, secretly plotting to steal the wealth of their noble overseers.  

Next, the subhuman beast creatures developed language, and with it, the cunning to plot against the Vraynian people. They sought to infiltrate our glorious land and plunder the bounties bestowed by the Gods.

The common people of Vrayna were plunged into famine. Their crops withered, poisoned by the vile magic, yielding only enough to meet the tithe they owed to their Lords. What little was left, the beast creatures stole. 

Monsters roamed the land unchecked, feasting on entire villages and leaving devastation in their wake. Trolls laid claim to the northern mountains, while dire wolves and goblins stalked the forests; kelpies haunted the rivers, drowning unsuspecting children, and orcs rose from beneath the earth, dragging young women into their shadowed lairs.

The Golden Land of the Gods was on the brink of devastation, and it was all because of the people’s own blasphemy.    

But then, in the year 1BB, King Ewlyn de Vray took action. 

The beast creatures—now calling themselves beastmen—after years of mindless plundering, had become organized enough to move against the glorious nation of Vrayna. 

Threatening terrible violence if they were refused, the beast creatures demanded a virgin sacrifice and access to Vrayna’s resources. In return, they claimed they would protect the people from the monsters ravaging the land. But the King saw through their deceit. He knew the beastmen consorted with the very creatures they vowed to oppose. Beings born of magic could never be trusted. Once they had their payment, the beastmen would surely betray us.    

King Ewlyn, in his Gods’ given wisdom, agreed to their offer. An untouched woman was chosen to serve as sacrifice and a grand celebration was held. The beast creatures were permitted to appear among the Vraynian nobles for a single night, but only to serve as a distraction. 

While the beast creatures drank of our wine and ate of our food, the now repentant magic users prepared for their final act of atonement.

Once the beast creatures had claimed their virgin and returned from whence they came, the magic users of Vrayna made the ultimate sacrifice. 

Drawing the corruption from both the land and their own bodies, they poured it into one final casting; the spell that would create the borderland. Using the very taint that had defiled Vrayna, they cleansed the land of vile magic. The essence they offered as penance would sustain the borderland’s power for centuries to come.

Deprived of the land's magic, which had once been their lifeblood, the monsters weakened. No longer fearsome, they were easily exterminated by the Royal Army.  

And so, Vrayna was purged of vile magic, along with the monsters and beast creatures.   

The Year of the Borderland remains forever etched in our memory as the year the lustrous light of the Gods returned to Vrayna. Thus, we mark the passage of time by the years before the borderland (BB) and after the borderland (AB).

Now, we will start by examining the years from before the borderland, and what led to the downfall of our faith…

–Excerpt from “The Golden History of Vrayna”

Scribed by Arden de Vray. Dictated by High Priest Salenius de Vray on the 9th day of the 3rd moon cycle, 23AB.