In this vast and enigmatic world, twenty distinct races coexist, each possessing unique qualities that both set them apart and bring them together. Authority serves as their life force, enhancing their innate abilities, and it can be obtained through various means, with each race having its preferred method of acquisition.
The Elves, masters of aura manipulation, draw their authority from the surrounding land under the guidance of their sovereign, Erian. Dwarves, dwellers of the deep underground, harness authority from the rich minerals and ores beneath the earth, ruled by their sovereign, Worreth. Aspects, deeply connected to beasts, derive their authority from these creatures under the watchful eyes of their sovereign, Ashter. Slimes, with their viscous bodies, share authority amongst themselves and their kind, multiplying and dividing, all connected to their sovereign, Groren. Dryads, nature's stewards, weave their authority through the natural world with the aid of their sovereign, Florux.
Dragons, though few in number, symbolize unmatched power and obtain authority through battle, often risking their lives under the leadership of their sovereign, Jusux. Golems, enigmatic cousins of Slimes, boast rugged, rock-like bodies and draw their authority from the earth itself, guided by their sovereign, Rearshren. Humans, the most populous race, wield various types of mana and gather authority through land cultivation, led by their sovereign, Emil. Specters, ghost-like beings, source their authority from within, guided by their sovereign, Amelia.
Merfolk, rulers of the seas, draw their authority from the ocean's depths, protected by their sovereign, Zerlia. Harpies soar freely in the sky, gathering authority from the very air they traverse, led by their sovereign, Choren. Ghouls, shrouded in mystery, derive their power from darkness, akin to their sovereign, Toka. Shades, valuing their kinship, harness authority from the light, led by their sovereign, Zillah. Goblins, naturally agile and shorter in stature, acquire authority through communal meals, orchestrated by their sovereign, Vincent.
Ogres, proud warriors, draw authority from their experiences in battle, following their sovereign, Koja. Orcs, the largest among the races, gather their power through construction and hard work, led by their sovereign, Vitor. Vampires, creatures of the night, derive authority from blood, descending from their sovereign, Pherse. Cadre, who perplex others with their exposed bones, gather authority from the deceased, guided by their sovereign, Asteriel. Lastly, Fairies, closely connected to the spirit realm, draw their authority from the spirits themselves, guarded by their sovereign, Dreari.
These races mostly lived in isolation from each other while maintaining diplomatic ties, engaging in trade, and cooperating. However, during a trade interaction between Humans and Shades, an unfortunate incident occurred, resulting in the death of some Shades at the hands of the Humans. The Shades, despite lacking centralized leadership, held a deep sense of unity. The loss of one of their own felt like an attack on their entire community, made even worse by the fact that when a Shade died, their body would disintegrate and vanish without a Shade priest present. This made it impossible to return them to their homeland for a proper rest.
Shortly thereafter, the Shades retaliated by launching an attack on a neighboring Human village called Frainten. This resulted in the loss of human lives equivalent to the number of Shades they had lost previously. Provoked by this act, the Humans had no choice but to declare war on the Shades, marking the beginning of a series of battles and wars.
The other eighteen races, having no direct stake in the conflict between Humans and Shades, voiced their opinions. Some believed the war was justified, while others disagreed with the way the Shades had responded. After five years, it seemed like the war was nearing its conclusion. The Shades were pushed into a corner, and their territory was almost entirely occupied.
However, an unexpected turn of events occurred when Zillah Avalonious, the Shade Sovereign who had never revealed himself before, made a dramatic appearance. He arrived bearing blessings for his people. While the Shades had always regarded their Sovereign as a sort of deity, few believed he could make a significant impact, especially after waiting until his people were in dire straits. This turn of events led to the Shades, once united as a single race, splitting into nineteen separate Shade sub-races, each with unique abilities that differed from the original. Each of these sub-races was led by a General appointed by Zillah, who would act as their monarch to lead and protect them.
These newly created Shade groups, under Zillah's guidance, surrendered peacefully, and Humans, not wanting more bloodshed, accepted this, bringing an end to the Shade-Human war. Zillah's next goal seemed to be uniting the twenty races instead of leaving each isolated. Shockingly, in a mere ten years, he gained the support of the Dryad, Vampire, Cadre, Slime, Aspect, and Dragon Sovereigns. In the following five years, he succeeded in garnering support from the Kobold, Merfolk, Golem, Human, and Goblin Sovereigns. This persuaded the remaining races to go along with the idea, ushering in an era of true cooperation.
Towns, which usually housed a single race, now had at least three residing together, though this was mostly the case in bordering towns, symbolizing unity. However, without warning, twenty years into this peaceful era, Zillah's tenth General and the Green Shade Monarch, Lǜsè de, was captured during a diplomatic mission and publicly burned alive by a Human Kingdom. They believed they shouldn't have to associate with other races and that life was better before when every race stayed isolated. It's believed they chose to burn Lǜsè de because, as a Green Shade, she was very susceptible to fire.
It was an open secret that every Shade General treated each other as siblings and referred to one another as "Brother" and "Sister," regardless of the fact that they ruled their Shade Groups as monarchs and competed with each other as rulers for Zillah's support and resources. Lǜsè de was one of their beloved "siblings," and her gruesome death left them enraged. Much like the previous war, her body was irretrievable, which only further enraged the Shade Monarchs. The Human Sovereign, Emil, tried to persuade Zillah and his Generals that they didn't speak on behalf of all Humans and encouraged them to remain calm, but the damage was done. The Shades, believing in unity as a race, refused to believe that Humans weren't of the same mind. The Shades, with their armies stronger than in the previous war, united under Zillah and his Generals, declaring war on the Humans. The Kingdom responsible for Lǜsè de's death was completely destroyed by the combined armies of Zillah's first, fourteenth, and sixteenth Generals Zǐsè de, Chéngzi, and Hēisè de. Rumor has it the king who ordered and oversaw the execution of Lǜsè de was taken to the Yellow Shade Territory and handed over to Zillah's seventh General, Huángsè de, who was infamous for his torture and interrogation techniques. As for his family, it appeared nothing was left of them or their castle but ash, courtesy of the Orange Shade Monarch Chéngzi.
Emil refused to aid the kingdom that initiated the war but, seeing the carnage brought by the Shades, feared what would come next and turned to the other races for aid, fearing the newly empowered Shades' conquest. This time, the other races had a stake in the war, as they weren't isolated like before. Some joined the Humans' side, while others, agreeing that Humans needed to be kept in check, supported Zillah's side. This marked the beginning of the great war, which later became known as the Nexus War.
The Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Merfolk, Golems, Aspects, Kobolds, Goblins, Ghouls, and Fairies fought against the combined force of the Shades, Slimes, Orcs, Ogres, Specters, Dragons, Dryads, Harpies, Vampires, and Cadre. The war lasted over five thousand years, and many races were nearly or completely annihilated. The Shades lost many of their Generals, and they had to be replaced multiple times, totaling forty-six. Each General carried an artifact believed to be a source of power, accessible only to the General and bestowed by Zillah himself.
A theory arose that if the current General was sealed along with their artifact, another would not rise. It was a risky idea, but they were running out of options. They tried the theory out on the fourth Yellow General, Sari, while he was personally invading a stronghold. With the loss of a few thousand soldiers, they managed to seal Sari away, forcing the Yellow Shades to retreat to their territory.
A few more years went by, but no new General was appointed. It seemed the theory was correct. Due to infighting among the Shades, the Brown Shades pulled out of the war shortly before Sari was sealed, and the betrayal of the Ogre, Orc, and Harpy Sovereigns dealt a significant blow to the Shades. Eventually, all the Generals were sealed except for the Silver General Yín and the Pink General Rose. The Shade forces were pushed to the Capital where Zillah resided, and a final assault took place, sealing Rose and Yín and killing the Shade Sovereign Zillah, forcing all Shades to flee. No one knows where they went, but they managed to escape entirely.
The end result of the war left many of the sub-races on the verge of extinction, and the Shades' population was decimated. Memories of the shade groups that couldn't escape the war or the capital, the complete extinction of the Red, Pink, Maroon, Teal, Purple, and Scarlett Shades, led to fears that even after this loss, the Shades would only return when they had the ability to exact revenge on those who had wronged them.
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