The Lore of Tyme

Greetings Traveler and welcome to the Isles of Tyme. If you're curious how this wondrous place came to be, keep reading!

Somewhere, in the middle of the cosmos, it is said there is a place where every event that happens anywhere, at any moment, becomes part of a 'river' that holds those events. These time currents flow freely along their own paths, never venturing into other currents running nearby, and those who exist in each time-flow simply live, unaware of their place in the great universe. But one day, something happened... three 'time rivers' crossed paths and became one.

The convergence caused violent storms that shook the ground with devastating destruction, leaving a lingering mist around each homeland. When a few adventurous souls went into the mist and never returned, it sent an unspoken message to others that if you go in, you seemingly don't come out, and it is unknown if anyone ever went into the mist again. Slowly, the bewildered survivors began to rebuild and move forward to continue their way of life.

Almost twenty years had passed since the Merge, when, one morning, some noticed the mist was starting to clear. The sights seen from each perspective left everyone speechless and confused. Many were fearful; others curious. Even though the stories of the ones who had never returned from the mist were vivid in their minds, a few brave souls from each place ventured out to get a closer look with the small hope of making sense of what had happened. When the groups encountered one another, they could hardly believe what they were seeing. Citizens of vastly different places in time were standing together, staring in wonderment.

After the initial shock passed, the groups openly started to blame the others for what had happened and the arguments began. Some were trying to grasp the reality they were talking to creatures they believed only existed in bedtime stories, while the others pointed fingers of accusation toward them. The diverse group was faced with a dilemma they had no idea how to handle.

After several hours of confrontation, a portal opened nearby and a shimmering figure emerged. The visitor introduced theirself as Lord Tyme. Each one standing there was observed briefly, then the visitor told the group to consider that maybe, just maybe, none of them were to blame and the situation was beyond their understanding. They were told that perhaps all they had to do was agree to disagree and it was suggested that one solution was to find ways to coexist and to share their resources. Then, with a slight head incline, Lord Tyme vanished into the portal as quickly as they had appeared.

The appearance of Lord Tyme did little more than add fuel to the burning embers of distrust; however, the group somehow managed to agree to return each week to this area and deemed it neutral middle ground. Several weeks of arguments and discussions ensued as each one tried to push through their fear, suspicion, and misconception. Each day these representatives returned to their homeland and discussed everything said to their friends and families.

Many months passed while information was considered and possibilities weighed. One thing everyone did agree on was they were all very leery of Lord Tyme and wondered who they were and what they were up to. Eventually, it was decided that it was in their best interest to heed the words and make the best of a situation they had no control over.

After a year, each area finally agreed to do as Tyme had suggested and work together. Two from each group were chosen to be the voice of their citizens. These representatives became the formal group to govern the domain and they agreed to call themselves the Quorum. One would be called Archon and looked to as the governor. The other would be called Praetor, to assist the Archon, and would be elected by their peers. The Quorum chose to call each town a borough.

To show unity in this strange new domain, a capitol city, to be called Aeilan, was planned and built where the first encounter had taken place. Aeilan would be neutral ground where everyone would hopefully feel safe when there. It took artisans, carpenters, stone masons, and artificers, using any supplies that could be spared from all the boroughs, almost ten years to build the city. Now, over one hundred and twenty years after the Merge, the mixture of lifestyles has become the norm and most have assimilated into the new culture while holding on to their own lives as much as possible.

Like many places, however, things are never as peaceful as they might seem. There are occasional strange lights in the sky and bizarre storms bringing up concerns that what happened before could happen again. There are whispers of underground places and dark beings lurking. And recently, outside ship captains have discovered a narrow stretch of sea along the great reef they can follow and ships with newcomers have begun arriving from neighboring regions. The new arrivals surprisingly seem to fit in as it appears they are from similar places. The Quorum understand that some might venture out to explore and, if they do, it is hoped they will return.

And what of Lord Tyme you ask? We will have to wait and see...