Chapter One - The unbreakable peace
It was yet another peaceful night in Ro; the five kingdoms had been coexisting for thousands of millennia. Only a handful were still alive who remembered the blessing that ushered the age of glorious peace. None would openly talk of the dark times before.
At the very centre of this hub of peace stood a pristine library of harmony, better known as The Tranquillitas; it was here the blessing emanated from. A sacred aura of euphoria emitted from its snowy walls, coating the continent in a blanket of joy. Simple, yet effective, it had brought order to the world and ended the war against chaos. Put simply, it compelled all living things on the continent to act good; thus removing any evil thoughts and compulsion’s from their minds and hearts. Without the internal battle inside every living being, there had been no conflict since the blessing was first activated. No wars had been fought, trade between nations never ceased and help was given to any nation that found itself struggling. There was little internal strife within the five nations as people were always content with their rulers and their lives in general. What need did anyone have for any sort of technological and academic advancement? To the people of Ro, life was perfect and why would anyone want it to change?
The former library that now acted as the beacon of hope was famous throughout Ro for its beauty. It had been built by a long-forgotten elvish empire that sought to pursue the truths of the universe. It was the final remnant of their existence left in Ro; all other traces of the fallen empire had been wiped away by the countless wars, famines and natural disasters that had plagued the continent for so long. Undoubtedly it was one of these factors that had led to the downfall of the empire in the first place. The walls of the library stood hundreds of feet high, with a central tower that climbed above all else. Glowing to all who saw it for miles thanks to the pure marble it was made from. Even during the stormiest of nights, this marble reflected the moonlight it gathered throughout the year and bounced it off the lake that surrounded the library. A reminder to all that even when it seemed dark, hope would light the way. It was a marvel of ancient technology and there were no other structures on the continent that came close to rivalling it and no countries that could attempt to make plans to compete with its awe-inspiring beauty. This is why The Tranquillitas was chosen thousands of years prior to be where the gods would make their stand against the one who nearly rivalled them all put together.
The Tranquillitas was located within the centre of the Paxian Empire, the most fertile of the five Kingdoms of Ro, on an island in the middle of a huge lake. Its people felt the blessing strongest and, as a result, were a personification of the blessing itself. The citizens of the towns and cities almost always had a smile on their faces and those out in the tiny villages lived idyllic lives. Crime was unheard of; the people never went without; not a single day was there even the slightest of tensions between families or households. Paxos was a beacon of hope for all of Ro - the model civilisation of good, prosperity, and happiness. Frequently sending out missions of goodwill to the surrounding kingdoms, aiding them with food, fresh water and medical supplies. It never demanded a single form of recompense in return for the help it gave out; it was a common belief within the Paxian Empire that they were looked after by the gods because of the good they spread throughout the continent.
Flos was the capital city of Paxos, it was guided by Tylene; she was the Empress of the Paxian Empire but preferred to be referred to by her first name, as many of the rulers before her had done. Tylene preferred to think of herself as a custodian of Paxos rather than its ruler, it was her responsibility to make sure that the people were content, happy and thriving; this attitude frequently was extended to the people of the surrounding four kingdoms as she knew they were not always as fortunate as Paxos and it was, therefore, her pleasure to ensure that the entire continent was well looked after. Despite being the capital city, Flos was a fairly standard and simple city. It was fairly similar to many of the cities on Ro. Not a lot had changed for the past few thousand years; there was little need for change or advancement when the people were so content and the continent was at peace. Tylene did not need to push for reform of her rule or create new lavish structures or technologies to keep her people pacified.
Despite all the good the blessing did across the continent, there was a single tear in the blanket where the blessing could not smother with its love. Throughout the ages, a few powerful clerics had attempted to coerce the blessing to spread into the last speckle of darkness in the world. But the refuse of chaos had no intention of giving itself up freely, and it had finally had enough of being contained…
