Crying, that's what you remember of the first time you ever set foot within the Academy as they call it. You still remember that last conversation with Mother, her sickly form lying on the straw mat of the bed with scattered strands of hair matted to her face with sweat.
---
"Your Father was a brave man, John. He was brave, but he was foolish and so he went off to war seeking good pay, and glory as hotblooded youths are often bent to do. You don't need to cling to bravery, my sweet little John. A brilliant mind can change the world as surely as a sword ever could, and you are most certainly a smart child, always getting into everything, aren't you?"
You cried at that question, having watched the woman who brought you into the world wither away as sickness assaulted her and turned what was once a proud single mother into little other than bones.
"Yes Ma."
The words are painful to speak, your tears readily flowing even as you try to fight against the sadness digging at you knowing soon your mother would be gone. You would be left alone, thrust into the care of the Lord's people, but still you did your best to smile as she looked at you with adoration, love, and concern. A hand that looked like stretched leather shakily patting your hand as she smiled.
"Good, keep that wonder close. Serve the Lord well, study well, and help the people of the Kingdom for me little John. Your father would be proud, and I always will be. Remember, though we may be gone we shall watch over you from the Lady of the Grave's domain for all your life, you will never be alone little one.
Be strong, little John."
Before you could react the Lord's man took you from the room, the Lady's priest to administer 'Her Mercy' they said, but no matter how hard you fought you couldn't free yourself from the man. Crying, screaming, and desperate. You were separated from your mother for all days to come.
---
Even now, as you diligently look over the histories Sir Barriad assigned your class, you could still recall those events as they had haunted you for the years that past. Nigh on four years have you spent here in the Academy already, the history of the Kingdom as it stands and the legacy of Relgar drilled into by emotionless teachers who go about their craft with the fervor of a dead mouse.
Frowning, you focus on the papers in front of you to drive away the loss as you had done for all these years before. Deep in the night, your small and barely adorned room lit only by the light of a candle, you carried on your studies with a passion driven by your mother's words.
---
'We live in the Kingdom of Eldast, the last true bastion of Humanity that was forged by the hands of gods. The three Gods Humanity who safeguarded the realm in days long past and now watch over it eternally.
First among the Gods, leader of the three, is the God of War himself. First Ruler of Eldast, the Divine King, and origin of Eldast's royal families. It is to Him we look for aid in times of War and strife, His power that which aids the legions of the Mortal Races in our never ending war against demon-kind.
Beside Him stands the God of Knowledge. The Lord of Libraries, Patron of Scholars, and Master of Magical Arts. His guidance is ever present, passed forth from the Heavenly Records to the minds of mortal beings in times of need.
Last among them, though far from least, is the God of Death. They who bear two faces, known both as God of Death and Lady of the Grave. It is the God of Death that guards the realm from the predation of darker powers while the Lady of the Grave is she who rules over the After-Life.
Watched over by the three Gods of Humanity, the Kingdom of Eldast has flourished beyond compare, home to uncountable numbers of the Mortal Races.
At the heart of the Kingdom rests the capital, once it held a name though now it has come to be known to all as the Divine City. Playing host to the royal families who bear the bloodline of the God of War, the God of Knowledge's Crystal Tower, and the Lady of the Grave's Unending Mausoleum it truly deserves such a name.
Beneath the Divine City are over a hundred lesser cities, each incredible feats of creation to within which millions reside. Each city rules over dozens of hundreds of towns and so on and so forth until the great scale of the Kingdom is covered.
---
Years would come to pass, countless books crammed into your hands and a dozen teachers beating into you the most basic understanding of the realm as well as the knowledge of a scribe to be. Through it all you found purpose, a reason to live driven by your mother's own words those long years ago when you were little more than a child lost in an unfair world. To know brought joy, to work with your hands and pour out the contents of your mind's labors in the hopes of one day assisting the Lord in his ruling of the Relgar Township which you call home.
Yet, as you grew closer to the coming of age you began to understand that your purpose was... lacking. Devoted you were, but your work lacked passion for it all just seemed so utterly unsatisfying. Like something was missing despite all the reasons you had to truly enjoy your work.
As that feeling grew stronger, as you neared graduation from the Academy with each passing year, you began to dream. In those dreams you entered battle against demons straight from the paintings, diminutive things with horns and tails and bathed in red-black fire. You would wield a sword at times, at others a spear, or even the brilliant wonders of magic itself you had seen only in stories and histories.
From the first dream a thread of a desire was left and each that followed only served to grow that desire until you found yourself unable to sit still any longer.
Studying. Learning. Those had defined your life up to this point, the Academy and the Lord has shown you great care over the years for an orphan with no wealth to his name. However, you could not stay any longer for you knew that no satisfaction would be found in the Lord's service, your heart once more guiding you towards a different calling.
You would become a Hero, a sign to those in despair to look towards a brighter future no matter how dark the days. You would succeed, perhaps it was a fit of madness for a small scribe to believe such, but some deep part of you knew it was so.
Weeks would come to pass as you set about freeing yourself from the confines of the Academy, for the Lord bound no one to his service that did not wish to serve. You were free to set forth in your journey, the end unknown to even the Gods you would guess.
GM Note: A bit more backstory and world establishment, hopefully not too lore dumpy. I'll probably start writing up a pure lore section for people to look over containing stuff John would know, if there's anything specific you all want to know about (basic knowledge style stuff) then let me know. I'll do my best to provide info when possible.
Probably a few mistakes here, typed this on a tablet so I'll give it a once over when I get to my computer in a few hours.
