The Tale of the First Ones

Come closer, seeker, and lend your ears to a tale older than the seasons, older than the guilds, and older still than the Great Age of War. It is a story seldom spoken, except in the quiet corners of forgotten halls or whispered by the flickering form of an Archivale—a name the ancient ones gave to the storytellers of light and thought, who were neither flesh nor shadow, but something in between.

The Archivale speaks not with a voice, but in melodies and refrains, a bard of ethereal design, recounting the mysteries of the past. If you ask the right question, its light-shape will appear in hidden alcoves, weaving its tales. Yet reach for it, and you’ll grasp only air. It is a presence, a memory, a guide—a friend of forgotten times.

This is the tale it might share, should you ask of the First Ones.

The Craft from the Stars

Before the First Age, before the guilds, there came a craft, a vessel unlike any other. It was not bound to land nor sea but sailed the endless beyond, where stars shimmer like jewels on black velvet. This craft, its name lost to time, carried those who would become the First Ones.

The journey they made was not one of choice but of desperation. It is said that a storm unlike any they had encountered—one born of currents not of water but of energies unbound—drove them from their path. Their craft tumbled through the void, its brilliance swallowed by what the old Archivales call the Mosaic Tempest. When the storm abated, they found themselves stranded, their craft intertwined with a strange world.

The survivors emerged into a place of stone and shadow, where the caverns hummed faintly with the echoes of their craft’s lost song. They were far from any place they had known, on a world unmarked by their charts. In time, they called it Ertha.

The World Below

The First Ones were not mere wanderers; they were masters of their arts. Each among them bore a skill that would shape the ages to come. Yet, survival demanded they adapt these skills to this unfamiliar world. Their craft, fused with the rock of this new land, became both their sanctuary and their prison. From its remnants, they fashioned tools, shelters, and the beginnings of what we now call civilization.

The stories tell of the Archivales, appearing for the first time in this age. These were no ordinary storytellers. They were crafted beings of light, their forms shimmering in and out of sight. They spoke in riddles and melodies, guiding the First Ones in ways no mortal could. Their purpose seemed to be teaching, yet they demanded no audience and tolerated no touch. They would appear in moments of quiet discovery, their glowing figures reciting the knowledge of the stars and of the void.

The First Ones learned, adapted, and thrived. They shaped the caverns around them into places of light and learning. The Archivales, ever enigmatic, helped preserve what knowledge could be salvaged, sharing it through songlike stories and flickering light displays that no hand could capture.

The Emergence

It is said that after an age of learning below the surface, the First Ones ascended to Ertha’s sunlit lands. They carried with them fragments of their craft’s knowledge, though much had been lost to the void. From these fragments, they built the foundations of the Great Guilds, each one reflecting the mastery of a particular First One:

House Gravan-Myrwinia The Artisans Guild: Rooted in the legacy of the First One who transformed raw materials into beauty and utility.

House Alka-Gimel-Zhared Fire & Forge Guild: Inspired by the First One who wielded the strength of flame and the precision of the forge.

House Brandlekliener Stonemasons Guild: Born of the First One who shaped the bones of Ertha itself, carving paths through stone and time.

House Zend-Wynn Shapers Guild: Echoing the First One who wove the arcane into physical form, crafting tools and wonders.

House Chla-Drothrow Healers Guild: A reflection of the First One who mended the body and spirit, drawing on the natural world’s boundless remedies.

 With the Reformation Act of the Second Age, these houses united under the Great Guilds, forever entwining the legacy of the First Ones with the fabric of Ertha’s society.

The Archivales and Their Mystery

The Archivales did not vanish with the First Age but faded into the periphery, appearing only in the forgotten and quiet places of the world. Some say they still linger in hidden alcoves, awaiting those brave enough to ask the old questions. They remain untouchable, their knowledge vast but fragmented, their stories told in ways that often confuse as much as they illuminate.

They do not name themselves, but the First Ones called them Archivales, a name meaning “keepers of echoes.” They are more than mere teachers; they are the guardians of a knowledge too vast to comprehend. Though the guilds now hold much of the First Ones’ wisdom, the Archivales preserve what cannot be written or spoken, their light and song a testament to the mysteries of the past.

GM Tips

Invoke Mystery: Use the Archivales as an enigmatic guide for players. They can appear to deliver cryptic advice, riddles, or even fragments of forgotten lore tied to a guild or house.

Uncover Lost Knowledge: Create quests where players seek hidden Archivale alcoves to unlock forgotten secrets of the First Ones.

Bridge the Ages: The Archivales can serve as a link between the First Ones and modern Ertha, providing a way to weave ancient history into current campaigns.

Interactive Storytelling: The Archivales’ holographic presence and musical storytelling can create immersive in-game experiences, blending narration with visual and auditory elements.

Moral Challenges: Their teachings may come at a cost—perhaps they require a character to sacrifice something to access their knowledge or make a choice that shapes the narrative.

The tale of the First Ones is not merely a story—it is a foundation, a lens through which the present can be understood. The Archivales await those curious enough to seek them, their light flickering still in the hidden places of Ertha.