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ON THE ORIGINS OF GHOUG
In the realm of Tartureon exist rivers of liquid gold and libraries the sizes of cities. Once there was librarian demon here that knew all the secrets of blood and magic. A powerful creature that could open gates into other worlds. With this power of magic and gates he managed to find the race of dragons. They were massive beasts of beauty and intellect. He tempted them with power and knowledge. Some fell for his temptations and soon they were given the knowledge of how to turn their blood into liquid gold. He had hoped their changed nature would make it easy for him to control them but found that this was not so.
Instead the draconic race was wracked by war as the flamebretheren, now able to breathe fire and much more powerful and ambitious than their draconic siblings, sought to destroy all others and claim the world as their own. The god of lies and gates watched in despair as his cleverly crafted destroyers and conquerors, destroyed and conquered without him. Soon the easily tricked creatures showed what they had been reforged into and turned on their old ally, slaying this fledgling god, drinking his blood, feasting upon his flesh and devouring his knowledge. One small vial of essence was kept from the creature for further study. It was thus that the dragons became the true engines of chaos that they are today, their empire of wisdom giving way to the infighting and megalomania of later ages.
The creature did not truly die though and soon it was reformed in several shapes. Seeking revenge one of these shapes took the name of Sybaricus Macru, whisperer of the flames. He would sow chaos through nothing but the gift of prophesy and the innate ambition of mortal and dragon alike. His whispering had early mankind awaken the Withering Worms of below. These creatures of midnight and void would burrow through reality with the task of destroying it all. They were the enemies of dragonkind, stealing its treasures and destroying its monuments. Dwelling below where they could not easily be reached by flying behemoths.
Dragonkind took a long time to find out who was behind the slow destruction of their culture. When they did, it was already crumbling around them. However, they knew that both Worms and Demon needed to be punished for their downfall. They imagined something that would be able to reach both the hidden libraries of Tartureon and the deep caves below the earth. Finally they found another figmen of the slain proto deity, within the vial of essence kept all those ages ago. Opening and releasing it from its prison they watched as a shadowy figure took shape. Being younger and more incomplete than its sibling this fragment was in need of help if it was to ever be a true power.
Thus it came to be that it was baptized in the rivers of its home plane to become Ghoug, or Golden in the draconic tongue. Given the same gift from dragonkind that its former self had given to them. This new creature was tasked with fighting both worms and god in the realms here and yonder. The faceless golden figment set out to perform the task given to it with fervor. However Sybaricus Macru was not a prophet for nothing and soon he learned about his rival, realizing that not only did it pose a danger to him, it was also part of a greater whole that might return him to his full glory.
This was in the age of change, and the Aeshmin had been given life in the image of their master. Almost immune to fire and legion in number they were ordered to find and slay whatever worshippers or avatars of Ghoug they could find. Meanwhile Sybaricus himself led a horde of demons of greed and metal in search of the golden one, never realizing that it was hiding within the streams of fire and gold far beneath the surface of their world of black sulphur.
The worshippers and avatars of Ghoug were hunted across the world, many dragons actually died fighting the Aeshmin of this time, though around them a new era was born. The age of mankind was finally at hand. The once primitive race had scavenged and clawed its way up to the top and was now strong enough to take on all the oddities of the world in an almost genocidal war for survival. Among the creatures that warred with humankind was the Aeshmin, which led them to ruin and stopped their endless search for Ghoug. While the lord of doors was still hunted all across the world of Tartureon, his avatar was finally given respite.
In a far off land, outside of any maps ever drawn at the time, the avatar was born at the side of a volcano. Golden of skin and with eyes of fire the beautiful Shinda converted a whole nation. Within several generations the nation was the holy kingdom of Ghoug and most of its inhabitants were related by blood or spirit with the mother Shinda. They came to call themselves the Aurakion and they dwelled in their island paradise and prospered. It had been long ago that the Withering Worms were last seen but nonetheless the chosen prepared to fight them whenever the time came.
The time never came, instead came the fleet of the Khilic Empire. The Khili were very interested in slaves and thus brought a massive population of them along to the island city of Ch’Araldagy. Here they were crushed by a local rebellion and the chosen people found themselves far from their homelands, with no way to return as there was not even a map. They were poor and destitute the only thing they owned were their own bodies. Soon however Ghoug did provide. On the Araldagy mountain they built a temple of prophecy, becoming famous across the world for their mastery of fate. They say their lord the Golden has himself found refuge within this mountain and now serves as a protector of the Islands. One day, his avatar will rise, and the children of Shinda will take to arms against the Withering Worm or the minions of Sybaricus.
