III. The Golden Arc
Gods walk among mortals, and love blooms-but betrayal festers in the shadows.
"We thought it would last forever. The gods walked beside us, taught us, loved us. How could we know that paradise carries the seeds of its own destruction?"
- Chronicle of the Golden Age
The Age of Wonder
The gods descended from Eterna Citadel to walk among mortals. For the first time in history, the divine and mortal realms intertwined.
Arcania flourished:
- Knowledge flowed freely between gods and mortals
- Magic became accessible to those with the gift
- Cities rose under divine guidance
- Peace reigned across the land
Note
This was the Golden Age-a time when mortals looked up and saw their creators not as distant powers, but as friends, teachers, and neighbors.
The Divine Children Among Mortals
Erion and Alassa, children of Marael and Anias, experienced something their parents never had: mortal friendship. And in time, something more.
Erion and Nimue
Erion, god of strength and protection, fell in love with Nimue-the daughter of a simple blacksmith. She was mortal, unremarkable by divine standards, but Erion saw something in her that transcended mortality.
Their bond was pure:
- He taught her the ways of the divine
- She taught him the beauty of mortal moments
- Together they planned a future that would bridge the gap between gods and mortals
| Attribute | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Erion | Divine Prince | God of strength, protection, and passion |
| Nimue | Blacksmith's Daughter | Mortal woman who captured a god's heart |
| Their Bond | Pure Love | A connection that seemed to transcend the divine-mortal divide |
Alassa and Cassian
Alassa, goddess of beauty and judgment, fell in love with Cassian-a mortal general of legendary skill and ambition. He was everything she admired: strong, decisive, commanding.
But Cassian's heart was not pure.
He pursued Alassa not for love, but for power. He whispered sweet words while his eyes calculated advantage. He made promises he never intended to keep.
The Betrayal
When Alassa discovered Cassian's true nature-that he had been using her to gain political power, that he had lovers in every city, that his devotion was a performance-something inside her broke.
The Curse of Alassa
In her fury, Alassa committed acts that would haunt the cosmos:
- She killed the families of Cassian's servants who had helped deceive her
- She stole Cassian's heart-not metaphorically, but literally removed his capacity for emotion
- She cursed him to eternal emptiness, to feel nothing forever
The goddess of beauty and judgment became an instrument of wrath.
| Attribute | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Before | Ambitious General | A mortal who dared manipulate a goddess |
| After | The Hollow | A being without emotion, cursed to eternal emptiness |
Divine Punishment
Marael and Anias could not ignore what their daughter had done. The killing of innocents, the torture of a mortal-these violated the very principles of the divine covenant.
Alassa was banished to Eterna Citadel for one hundred years-forced to watch from above as her brother found happiness with Nimue, as mortals flourished, as life continued without her.
Note
In her isolation, Alassa's heart hardened. The betrayal she suffered became the lens through which she viewed all mortals. Love became weakness. Trust became foolishness. Judgment became vengeance.
Seeds of Tragedy
While Alassa brooded in exile, the Golden Age continued below. But the seeds of its destruction had been planted:
- Nimue, watching Erion's eternal youth while she aged, began to fear death
- Mildor, a bitter oracle rejected by the gods, whispered poison into willing ears
- Cassian, hollow and empty, waited in the shadows for any chance at revenge
- Alassa, alone in Eterna Citadel, nurtured her hatred
The Golden Age was ending. No one knew it yet.
Tip
Continue to The Duskfall Arc to witness the murder that shattered paradise forever.