As recorded in the Annals of the Eternal Star

In the age before time was measured, when the firmament was young and the heavens unbroken, Valtheris was wrought from the very breath of the cosmos. It was forged in the radiance of the Eternal Star—a celestial beacon whose light bore the power of creation itself. In those hallowed days, the land was a sanctuary of harmony, where magic and mortal life danced in accord. The Celestials, radiant and eternal, watched over Valtheris as stewards of balance, guiding the firstborn of the realm: the proud Werewolves, the enigmatic Fae, and the cunning Vampires. Under the Star’s watchful gaze, these ancient kindreds flourished, shaping great kingdoms upon the sacred soil.

For uncounted eons, the light of the Star shielded the land, bestowing upon its denizens vitality beyond measure. The Celestials, ever-vigilant, wove peace among the kindreds, ensuring none ascended above the others. But peace is a fragile thing, ever threatened by the shadows of ambition. Thus, from the depths of forgotten prophecy, a warning was unearthed—a foretelling known as the Fractured Star Prophecy. It spoke of the Star’s doom and the ruin that would follow. If ever the celestial beacon were sundered, its fragments would sow either devastation or dominion for those who dared claim them.

And so it was that treachery came upon the heavens. A sect of Celestials, blinded by their own avarice, sought to seize the Star’s boundless power. They rose in defiance, igniting the war that history names the Eclipse War—a battle so fierce that the heavens themselves wept fire. Though the loyal Celestials triumphed, their victory was a bitter one. The Star, gravely wounded, shattered into a thousand shards, its divine radiance scattered upon the face of Valtheris. With each fragment lost, the land was stripped of its celestial blessing, and the age of peace was no more.

In the wake of the Star’s fall, darkness took root. The Celestials, now but echoes of their former might, could no longer bind the realm in harmony. Valtheris, once whole, crumbled into discord. The Fae withdrew into their hidden Twilight Courts, veiling themselves from mortal eyes. The Merfolk, once guardians of the sacred waters, vanished into the abyssal depths, swearing an oath to keep the sea’s secrets. The Werewolves splintered into warring packs, their kin locked in endless struggle for dominion. And the Vampires, cunning as ever, wove themselves into the shadows, pulling the strings of fate from unseen places.

In the hour of greatest need, a gathering of witches, wizards, and mortal sorcerers sought to stem the tide of ruin. Thus was born the Veiled Sanctum, a hidden order sworn to guard the shattered remnants of the Star from those who would twist its power. Their reach grew vast, their influence unseen—watchers in the dark, keepers of forbidden truths. To the faithful, they were saviors. To the ambitious, they were wardens of stolen power.

Yet whispers endured. Tales of the fragments, of their boundless might, spread like wildfire through the ages. Some claimed the shards could bestow eternal life; others swore they held the power to rend the very veil between realms. And of all the lost pieces, one name was spoken in hushed reverence—the Heart of the Star, the fragment that bore the essence of the celestial beacon itself. It was said that whosoever wielded it would hold dominion over fate, able to mend Valtheris—or doom it to eternal ruin.

Generations passed, and the Fractured Star faded into legend, its power thought buried beneath the weight of time. But relics of the past are never truly lost. The shards remain, hidden within the bones of the earth, cradled by the roots of ancient forests, and entombed beneath the blackened waves—awaiting those bold, or foolish, enough to seek them.

Now, in this age of unease, the prophecy stirs once more. Storms of unnatural wrath scour the land, and creatures long thought banished return from the abyss, drawn by the Star’s lingering power. The balance wavers upon the edge of a blade, and the realm stands at the precipice of war.

The leaders of Valtheris face their reckoning. Will they guard the last vestiges of the Star’s light, or will they sunder the world anew in their thirst for power?

Yet, beyond mortal eyes, something moves in the void. A shadow, long forgotten, waits in the cold abyss, its hunger unquenched. It seeks the Heart of the Star, for it knows well the truth that others fear to speak:

⚜ Whoever wields the Star, wields the fate of Valtheris. ⚜