The Reckoning

There was a time when mortals and the divine walked the same paths, when the light of Asa flowed freely into the world, and the Aions guided humanity with wisdom and grace. But all was shattered in The Reckoning—a cataclysm so profound that it severed the heavens and cast the world into shadow.

The Reckoning was such a transformative event in Archaios that all peoples mark time as Before the Reckoning (BR) and After the Reckoning (AR). At the height of this earlier age, the Astelan Empire was the pinnacle of civilization, its emperor said to have spoken directly with the Aions, shaping society according to divine principles.

But this golden age came to an end when a stone fell from the heavens, a massive shard of unimaginable size, larger than the imperial capital itself. It struck with such force that it obliterated the heart of Astela, sending shockwaves of destruction across the world. Cities crumbled, lands burned, and the very fabric of society was torn apart.

In the aftermath, many believed the stone was no mere accident of the heavens, but a deliberate act of divine wrath. Tales spread that the gods, angered by humanity’s hubris and disobedience, had cast the stone as a reckoning for their sins. This belief took root among many peoples, coloring their understanding of the event and their place in a world now devoid of divine guidance.

Yet the most profound loss came after the destruction. Priests and seers who had once spoken freely with the gods found only silence. The divine connection was severed, and the Aions, the once-vibrant stewards of the mortal world, had vanished. Humanity was terribly alone. Thus began The Long Night—a time of despair, where the light of hope flickered faintly against the encroaching darkness.