*NOTE: I have gained approval from The Adversary to augment and use the concept of his roleplay "Hallowed Eve: The Eternal Hallowe'en".

First Age, 300 Million B.C.

During this earliest of Ages, the Otherworlders had little mind for Earth, known to them as "the world beyond the Wall". The first of their races began to grow and amass their power. The Fomorians, Titans, Elfkind, Dwarrow, Jotunn, and Æsir struggled against each other for land, overshadowed by the Old Kind Dominion, a force already ancient in comparison. They quickly rose, however, and soon their ever-expanding nations uncovered younger races, fledgling kingdoms, that could someday pose a threat to their mighty empires. The Old Kind, surest in their control over their own lands, forbid the older races from harming the growth of the young Otherworlders - by penalty of obliteration.

Third Age, 247 Million B.C.

So many races, so many empires. The beginning of the Second Age had marked the end of harmony. The younger races proved to be chaotic, and had begun warring with each other over land, politics and resources. Though many of the wars had calmed near the Age's end, tension had grown in the Otherworld, and like a powder keg it now threatened to explode. This cataclysmic event was known as the Otherworld War, and it heralded the end of the Second Age, ringing in the Third Age with eruptions of violence. However, it was not the younger Otherworlders who began this conflict, but the older races. The Fomorians, second eldest of all the races, viciously struck at the older races around them in a mad grab for land. Their goal, as was soon learned, was complete conquest of the vast and mostly uncharted Otherworld. They found opposition from many of the older races, as well as from the younger races. Most notably, in this regard, were the Tuatha De Danann. The Jotunn, a race with many allies, sided with the Fomorians. The two races of giants and the hordes that came with them swept over many of the youngest Otherworlders. The mighty Æsir fought valiantly for a time, but found their defeat in Loki, whose betrayal allowed the Jotunn to crash through Æsir lines and sweep across their lands. Many of the Æsir fled through the Wall to Earth, beginning the Colonization, arguably the darkest period in Otherworld history.

Fourth Age, 200 Million B.C.

With the Æsir defeated, the Old Kind (who had, until now, been barely participating) fully entered the War, mobilizing the whole of their nightmarish legions against their foes. The Tuatha De, who proved proficient warriors, joined the Old Kind and the Titans in a final rallying push against the belligerent breeds of giants. The Fomorians were pushed back, and the Tuatha De succeeded in wedging a stake between them and the Jotun, their major allies. The Titans quelled resistance from the Jotunns' younger allies, aided by Old Kind lightning sieges and heavy magical bombardment. The crusade against the Fomorians lasted three-hundred seventy two years, and ended in a final, bloody battle. The Tuatha De proudly marched through the Fomorian capitol before forcing the giants into a treaty. The Old Kind forced Jotunn troops from Æsir land, and a joint assault staged by the Old Kind and the Titans finally ceased the Jotunns' campaign.

The defeat of the Fomorian-Jotunn Alliance was only the end of the first half of the Otherworld War. With the two major powers at play defeated it left multitudes of younger races free to do as they wished. The storm of violence that followed was the true explosion that the older races had known was coming. The Tuatha De, who had proudly served against the Fomorians and the Jotunn, were weakened by the earlier carnage, and found themselves struggling to fend off threats that would have once been easily cast aside. The grueling defeats they suffered caused a massive migration through the Wall, sparking other oppressed or dying kingdoms to do the same. This was the height of the Colonization, and the second time that the mighty Horsemen rode the skies. Their terrible display of power brought about the end of the Fourth Age.

Fifth Age, 150 Million B.C.

Those Otherworlders who had fled to Earth to escape the brutality of war found themselves threatened by a force far worse than the Fomorians, Jotunn, or any of the younger races. The riding of the Horsemen stirred the Earth Lords. There was no other name for them. They were of a race so old, and so strong, that few could fathom their awesome might. Only a few woke. From the sea the terrible Kraken came, the Behemoth from the mountains, and others, too. The Otherworlders quickly found that they had not the power to kill these godly things, and so they pushed to imprison them, or force them back to sleep. The long, hard campaigns were successful, and the Earth Lords were forced asleep once more.

Any hope for peace amongst themselves was dashed, as the Otherworlders found themselves struggling to gain and hold territory in this new world. The Æsir found refuge in Scandinavia, backed by the Elfkind, the Dwarrow, and Odin's servant army: the Valkyries. The Jotunn soon populated distant reaches of the barren lands, kept at bay by wary forces of their old enemies. The Tuatha De, who had come through the Wall in a fleet of iron warships, hidden by a conjured fog, settled Ireland. They defeated the Fir Bolg in the First Battle of Magh Tuiredh, but were soon contested by the Fomorians for the land. The Second Battle of Magh Tuiredh ended with King Nuada and King Balor of the Evil Eye both dead, but the Tuatha De emerged victorious, with the Dagda as their new High King. The battle successfully ended the Fomorians' attempt to become a superpower on Earth, and their high standing in the Otherworld crumbled to naught. The Titans settled in Greece, the climate and terrain much like their home in the Otherworld. With races grasping madly for new land, it seemed only a matter of time before the next war.

Sixth Age, 10 Million B.C.

This was an Age of strife, and an age of death. The Titanomachy in Greece was one of the earliest of the major wars. The upstart Olympians, a young race from the Otherworld, battled with the Titans for control of land the Titans had held for hundreds of years. Years of ceaseless warfare woke the invincible Earth Lord Typhon, who ravaged Greece, his chaos threatening to spill out into the rest of the world. The Titans beseeched the Old Kind for assistance, and the ancient race dispatched their greatest sorcerers to quell the mammoth's fury. They chained him beneath a mountain, and only just managed to force him into slumber, once more. The Titans, weary of the Olypmians' pestering, gave them Greece. Many returned to the Otherworld, while others remained on Earth.

The second major war was the Faerie-Pixie War. The Tuatha De had long been divided into two ruling Courts: the Faerie Court, political in nature, and the Pixie Court, who handled the Tuatha De military at large. The Faerie Court, which had always been somewhat radical compared to the much more conservative Pixie Court, was based in Ireland, while the Pixie Court was stationed in England. The Faerie Court split from the Pixies, and when the Pixies tried to reclaim Ireland it sparked a war that went on for thousands of years. The war spilled over Europe, reaching deep into Russian at its height. The chaos tore Czernobog, the Black God, from his sleep. The Old Kind, once again, were called in to quell the great being. As the war receded into Scandinavia the Pixies found allies in the Æsir and the Elfkind, and the Faeries were quickly pushed out. The war finally ended when the Pixie army, also called "the Grand Army of the Aos Si, defeated the Faeries at the River Parrett, forcing them back to Ireland forever. The Pixies, no longer interested in their old land, let their chaotic brothers and sisters keep it. The Faerie Court proved highly unstable, and it soon split into the Seelie Court and the Unseelie Court.

These two conflicts overshadowed all others, as skirmishes between the Æsir and Jotunns, among other ancient feuds, were also quite numerous, but never quite reached the scale of either the Faerie-Pixie War or the Titanomachy. The two wars are also notable for their awakening of two particularly dangerous Earth Lords.

Seventh Age, 70,000 B.C.

Humanity's development was in full swing, and it would not be long before their interactions with the Otherworlders would force many of them to hide from human sight so as not to impede the growth of this extremely young, and equally interesting new race. Although, that is by no means to say that interaction halted, especially not swiftly. The haughty Olympians claimed to humans that they were gods, commanding the Greeks to do as they wished them to. Amongst the greatest of their lies was that they had "defeated an imprisoned" the Titans, when, in truth, the Titans had simply grown tired of the Olympians.

Oddly enough, Egypt and Sumer had found themselves, for a time, ruled not by Otherworlders, but by "avatars" of slumbering Earth Lords.

As human civilization grew, the Otherworlders retreated from sight, leaving the humans to their own devices; fading into myth. Those who could pass as human, either naturally or by trickery, remained in plain sight and mingled amongst mankind. Some grew closer to this fledgling race than they were with their own kind, even going so far as to ignore, or defend humans from, the hidden wars and rivalries of their people, even when conflicts threatened all of human civilization.

The Wall, they noticed, began to thicken. It had slowly been doing so ever since the second time the Horsemen had ridden through the skies of Earth and the Otherworld. And, one night each human year, it would reach a point where it was always just as thin as it had been all those millions of years ago. This night was Samuin, and humans had learned to fear this time.

The Eighth Age, Modern Era - circa 2011

In a time when humanity struggled to dispatch any and all belief in anything other than science, the Otherworlders felt a coming change. They could feel a tingling in the earth, and a hear a whispering in the wind. They knew these signs. They were the signals of the ending of an Age. The Eighth Age was fast approaching, but when it would come, none were sure. All Ages ended with something huge, some kind of marker. The Otherworlders talked and talked of how they thought humans would fare with whatever was coming their way.

It was worse than could ever have been expected.

One Halloween it all changed.

For those places where the sun was setting, and for those already drenched in night, the sun disappeared, replaced by a bloody-hued moon. Now the time has come, when the Horsemen will ride again. As humans struggle with fear to comprehend it, Otherworlders begin to stir. Beasts once held by the moon's nightly sway now walk free, and races scorned during the Otherworld War and the Colonization view this as a chance for vengeance, or a way to reclaim power for themselves. As war threatens to flood the Bordering Worlds, another threat dawns. One-by-one, the Earth Lords are now threatening to wake.

This is Earth's darkest hour, become unending.

RACES/BEINGS

Old Kind: The Old Kind Dominion was an ancient civilization before the First Age, coming to be during a time known as the Primordii Years, or "old times", which is usually assumed to have begun some odd three-hundred million years before the First Age. The Dominion, as their empire is known, is vast, covering wide swaths of the Otherworld, and their army is unsurpassed in size and power. It is an unspoken rule to never ask their origin. It is theorized that this is caused by their own lack of knowledge regarding their beginning. They are the ancient progenitors of the vampires, and share none of their weaknesses. The Old Kind are the oldest and most powerful of all the Otherworlders. Their physical strength is unmatched, and their magical powers devastating. They are generally pale, with dark eyes. Unlike vampires, Old Kind have mouths full of sharp teeth when they choose to reveal their true selves, and have been known to savagely tear open a victim's throat in order to drink. Most Old Kind share the same predatory mindset of their race, and very few are pacifists. The only ways to kill an Old Kind are to tear out the heart, or to cut off the head. But, to do either requires getting close to one, which may just be the last thing you ever do. And, in some extremely rare cases, severing the head will not kill the Old Kind, and they will live on after. If they can reclaim the head, no matter how rotted, attaching it to their neck will cause it to reattach and return to normal.

Skinwalker: The Were-Kind tribes are the ancestors of the Lycans. The tribes are divided, and each can turn into a certain animal. Be it bear, wolf, lion, bird, boar, or tiger. They could turn into anything, and are not ruled by the moon as the Lycans are.

Tuatha De Danann: The descendants of Nemed and Danu. Though not an old race, the Tuatha De were once one of the Otherworld's greatest superpowers. Many of their kind passed through the Wall after suffering a number of defeats near the end of the Otherworld War. Now, because of the Faerie-Pixie War, the race is split into two halves. The conservative and militaristic Pixie Court remains whole, and is currently ruled by the Dagda, who abandoned the Faeries at the start of his race's civil war. The Faerie Court is now ruled by Oberon, as their queen Titania was slain at the Battle of the River Parrett, which ended the Faerie-Pixie War. The Court was divided into two: the Seelie (holy) and Unseelie (unholy) Courts. The Seelie are benevolent to humans, and will reward respect for their domains, while punishing those who defy their laws and land. The Unseelie, however, are not so kind. They actively harm humans without provocation. Though, it should be noted, that not all members of the Seelie Court are necessarily good, and not all of the Unseelie Court are necessarily evil.

Elfkind: The Elfkind are one of the oldest of the Otherworlders, and have always been one of the most powerful. They are bisected into two sub-races: the Liosalfa, or "light elves", and the Svartalfa, "dark elves". The Liosalfa are angelically beautiful, and masterful politicians, whilst the Svartalfa are darkened lords of metallurgy, a trait they share with the Dwarrow. Both breeds are lethal warriors, and are notable for being some of the greatest alive.

Dwarrow: Singularly, a "Dwarf" is a member of the Dwarrow race. Human myths made them out to be short, stocky beings for comical purpose, but the truth is much different. They are just as tall as humans, if not a little taller, and look very similar - though they do tend to be very heavily bearded. The Dwarrow are one of the oldest Otherworld races, and are considered to be the greatest blacksmiths in either of the Bordering Worlds. They are extremely strong, with short tempers, a love for meat and alcohol, and very deadly warriors. Not as proficient with magic, however, as they are with a sword, axe, or mace.

Titans: Once, the Titans ruled all of Greece. But, when the upstart Olympians refused to halt their feud for the land they held, the Titans merely handed it over and left. Most returned to the Otherworld, but other remained on Earth. Titan powers vary. They are most elemental in nature, but do possess considerable physical strength. They appear very much like humans, though there is always an air of power about them.

Æsir: The Æsir are one of the oldest of the Otherworlders. There was a time when they ruled a large and powerful empire. Loki's betrayal allowed the Fomorians and the Jotunn to crush them, however, and most fled to Earth. Æsir are extremely dangerous warriors, and very strong. Their magics range considerably, and is not always elemental in nature. Their kind enjoys a good fight, food, and drink, and are always a rallying force in battle, in sport, or simply in a drunken stupor at some random bar.

The Undead: Those who have died, but not passed on. The lingering dead with conscious mind. Revenants: physical beings who can pass as the living, but who must feast on the recently dead. Ghosts: Mostly harmless spirits who wish to contact the living, or simply hang around. Poltergeists: vicious buggers who seek only to cause mischief and mayhem. Their powers range from moving objects, to even possession. They rarely seek to kill. Wraith: physical spirits who primarily hunt the living, for any variety of reasons. And any other undead being still fully conscious, and aware of itself and surroundings.

Humans: The youngest of all races, and in many regards the weakest. Humans are unique in two ways. The first is that they are the only race to develop on Earth (as the popular theory is that the Earth Lords originated in the Otherworld long ago). Humans are extremely interesting to the Otherworlders, but few in the modern age have interacted with the powerful denizens from beyond the Wall. Humans have gained power through dealings with Otherworlders, sometimes even being made immortal in return for serving an Otherworlder of some kind. Some have even been lucky enough to catch the eye of a benevolent Otherworlder, who then apprenticed that human in arts of combat and magic. Humans are entirely capable of wielding magical, but they are somewhat different in this regard. The second unique aspect of humans is this: they can wield all forms of magic. Most Otherworlders are restricted to certain forms, or they specialize in one and can dabble in another. Examples would be Tuatha De, Titans, and Olympians, who specialize in elemental magics, but can dabble in charms and enchantments, while the Æsir, Elfkind and Dwarrow are entirely limited to enchantments and charms. The only other race in all of the Bordering Worlds that can wield all magics is the Old Kind, making humans of extreme interest to the Dominion.

Miscellaneous: The wide range of beasts, ghouls, goblins, and other creatures from myth, folklore and legend. The haunts that plague human sleep, dark roads, the skies and the seas. The various things that go "bump" in the night, and inspire horrifying tales for humans to regale. Look to the pages of monsters and myths, and be creative, if no others suit your designs.

Earth Lords: Their origin is a mystery, and their power unfathomable. Nothing is known of them, and very few of them have every been seen. The oldest and most powerful of these ancient beings is Coatlicue, their mother. Another powerful Earth Lord is the goddess Tlaltecuhtli, who is a massive sea monster. Another known Earth Lord is the indestructible Leviathan, which sleeps deep beneath the Pacific Ocean, for he is too large to fit anywhere else. Czernobog, the Black God, rests somewhere in the mountains of Russia. And Typhon, who is locked under Mt. Etna. The Revolving Beast haunts the islands around Ireland. The "Bogeyman" dwells within nightmares during his sleep. According to ancient Otherworld Lore, these beings once lived there, though they left while the Old Kind were still young, early during, or before, the Primordii Years.(NOT a Playable Race! The Earth Lords are FAR Too Powerful!)

The Horsemen: Also called "The Riders". The Horsemen are beings that symbolize the forces of the universe, and are supposedly all powerful. Death, War, Pestilence, Conquest, and Destiny. Usually they are seen separately. They have only been together seen three times by the Otherworld races. The first time was when Ymir the Earth Lord died, and then only the Old Kind witnessed their riding. The second was during the mass migration of the Colonization. And the third time was when the blood moon rose for the first and final time.(NOT Playable Beings! There Are Only Five, and They ARE All-Powerful and Self-Existent!)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CHARACTER SHEET

Name:
Title(s):
Alias/Nickname(s):
Gender:
Sexual Orientation:
Age: (actual/apparent)
Date of Birth:
Ethnic Origin: (where character is initially from)
Height:

Race: (if Tuatha De, please specify whether Faerie or Pixie)
Court: (for Faerie only)

Family: (living or deceased, specify which/specify relation)
Friends: (living or deceased, specify which)
Spouse/Lover(s):

Intelligence: (level of education and/or intellect):
Sense of Humor:
Marks/Scars/Tattoos/Physical Handicap:

Weapon(s)/Items:
Personal Skills:

Appearance: (written is mandatory, see rules!, but pictures are allowed, in conjunction)

Personality: (at least one well-written paragraph is mandatory, see rules!)

History: