PREHISTORY

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In the early days of the world of Aldan there existed a people known as the Al'danni.  No stories remain that describe their appearance, but the ruins they left behind show they were taller than men and skilled, artistic crafters.  The Al'danni worshipped the gods of this realm and their prayers and offerings nourished those celestial beings and in turn the Al'danni were blessed with immensely long lives.

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In time this arrangement was insufficient for the gods, as the Al'danni were few in number and long lived.  The gods craved more worship, in other words, more worshippers.  An accord was reached between a number of gods and the priests of the Al'danni.  Each god would be given a dozen newborn children in exchange for granting the Al'danni true immortality.  A great ritual was held on the holiest day of the year and the gods took charge of their offerings, reshaping them into completely new beings.  These beings became the first of the mortal kin.  The gods rejoiced, each granting their new progeny with varying gifts of flesh and spirit to match their own temperaments.

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Yet not all of the gods were able to rejoice.  For Greentoes, the God of Trickery had played a prank on The Surging Flame, the God of Love.  The Surging Flame missed the ritual and was denied mortal children of their own.  Their anger and despair was unfathomable, and the god lashed out, wreaking havoc across the face of Aldan.  The gods of the ritual were forced to subdue The Surging Flame, whose fire, once warm and bright, had turned black and cold.  Now known as The Blackened Heart, the mad god fled to the periphery lands to mourn and fester.

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Fully embracing the cold hate and jealousy of their dark flame, they returned in secret and attacked the God of the Moon, stealing their mortal children.  Desperately trying to reshape them without aid of the ritual, The Blackened Heart failed.  They instead corrupted that kin into the first of the Corrupted, the Gnolls.  Wounded and given into the despair of the lost children, the God of the Moon shattered, leaving the night sky with only a curved sliver and countless points of light.  Night time on Aldan become cold, dark, and full of terror.

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Angry at the horrible monsters they let loose on the world, The Blackened Heart tried again and again over the centuries.  taking entire tribes of mortals and trying to reshaped them.  The result was always the same, twisted parodies of their original forms.  The world became more and more dangerous as these accursed creatures multiplied across the lands.  Watching this, The Wandering One began to walk a path across the entire world, from end to beginning, over and over again.  The god wore down a smooth path, the first road, and blessed it with a fraction of their power.  All who walked this road would find protection from the twisted creations of the corrupt god and from the dangerous beasts of the wilderness.  This is what was once known to some as The Godsroad,  others the Goodroad, and to you as The Endless Road.