Humanity was nothing but an intermediary species to greater entities that prowled the realm. In a time long ago, borne of the tribulations of this world, were a race of people known as Sovereigns. A distant cousin to humanity, they were physically superior in every way, possessing heightened senses and overwhelming raw strength. Their display of power gave way to concern as humanity feared the primal carnage of the sovereigns. It was said that during their hunts they would grow enraged, bolstering their already superhuman strength, they would lose all their sense of reason akin to some starving beast. Their savage acts knew no bounds, as humanity witnessed that they would even go so far as consuming their own kin.

This created great unease within their small communities, viewing the sovereigns as a threat to their livelihood, humanity feared they would have no means to protect themselves, should their relatives turn on them. Even so, what humanity deemed an even greater threat than the sovereigns themselves was the god they worshipped. Its name is known only to those who offer their lives and undying faith to it. And there, in their temples of worship, those savages practiced a ritual deemed immoral in the eyes of humanity. A ritual known as Kvasir, an anointing of the most devoted where the consumption of their god’s bodily nectar would be fed to their people. Fearing what would become of their species if the sovereigns were left to their own devices, growing without restriction, humanity hoped to find solace in seeking out their own savior.

Setting out on a pilgrimage, they sought to travel to the birthplace of their faith. Far beyond the outskirts of the realm were remote lands unseen for eons where the pilgrims came to meet their fate. In these foreign lands they came upon a tribe of feminine beings who possessed everlasting youth, consisting of no particular race, they referred to themselves as the Norns. They had been expecting the pilgrims for quite some time as their arrival had been foretold by their greatest prophet, the Oracle. Humanity was introduced to a young girl, it was to be understood that she was the one who had prophesied their arrival. The Oracle had been ordained as the leading female that represented the tribe as she possessed the ability to perceive the future. However this power of hers came at a great price, for the oracle would not live to adulthood.

Their long journey had taken them to quite the miraculous individual, however not all hope was lost. The Norns explained to the pilgrims that long ago they worshipped the Goddess Urd who not only had visions of the future but possessed the ability to alter destiny itself. It was this very power that caught the attention of other gods in the realm. Envious and offended that their fate was not of their own making they sought to vanquish her. Knowing that the other gods would come for her, as she foresaw in her visions, the Goddess Urd would not let them have the satisfaction of taking her life. Using her divine power, she split herself into three beings which then began to split themselves once more, giving life to nine divine beasts that each shared a fraction of her power. Of the nine, six disguised themselves as creatures of the realm and hid away never to be found by their godly pursuers. The three that remained were given new purpose, though they were nothing but spectres of the realm, they offered their blessings to the tribe that worshipped them.

The first among them was saddened at the loss of life wrought by the fury of the gods as they had brandished their wrath upon humanity. A result of their wrongdoing, the first spectre used the last of her power to unwind the strings of fate, bringing all who perished back to life. The second among them did not wish to see her people die again, using her power she stopped the tribe's growth so they would never grow old. The third and last among the three spectres promised to protect the tribe's future, she relinquished her divine status and chose to live among them. However her mortal vessel could not handle her divine powers and as such she perished, however her soul was irrevocably tied to her peoples fate. As such, the third would endure a never-ending cycle of reincarnation as she would always be born a child of the Norn, safeguarding their future.

The Norns explained that should humanity wish to ward off the sovereigns, they would need to first restore their goddess to her original form. Inspired by the legend, the pilgrims were determined to bring about the return of the Goddess Urd in hopes that she would bring about change to their unknown future. Taking the adolescent oracle with them, they set off to gather allies that would help in securing victory against the six divine beasts as they stood no chance by themselves. Humanity took it upon themselves to seek the help of others, they enlisted the aid of another race known as the Jötnar. It is said the Jötnar were great titans, masterworks born from this realm's forge of creation which was said to be the home of the dwarves who had casted the Jötnar in the strongest metals, making them invulnerable to any attack. Capable of causing nothing but destruction and ruin, the Jötnar embodied the vast power of chaos.

With the Jötnar on their side, they began their hunt for the divine beasts born of the goddess. With the clever tactics and tricks employed by humanity and the strength of the Jötnar, the journey to assimilate the divine beasts took no time at all. With each day devoted to each beast, the journey took them six days to complete, with the seventh being a day of celebration. The Jötnar were thanked for the help, their reward having been the satisfaction of engaging in battle they had no need to stick around and returned back to their lairs to hibernate till there was a need to fight once more.

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Following the celebration, the pilgrims gathered around the Oracle to witness her deep in prayer. The divine beasts that had been defeated and whose spirits had been siphoned into the Oracle appeared to have been too much power for her body to handle. However the pilgrims felt a change in the air as they were left to witness a most miraculous spectacle. Rising into the skies above as though ascending into the heavens, the Oracle burst into light and vanished. The pilgrims were left stunned and speechless, afraid that they had done something wrong.

The pilgrims waited hopelessly for a moment contemplating what to do next. It was then that a light appeared on the horizon. Before their eyes stood an existence not known to this world. It appeared to be the Oracle, though somehow different, devoid of her human appearance she had shed her mortal shell, becoming an embodiment of divine light. In awe of her appearance, the pilgrims prostrated themselves before their supposed savior and begged for her to rid the world of the sovereigns to preserve their future and secure a place for humanity.

The Oracle spoke without the use of words but with a voice that penetrated the mind, she complied. Leading the pilgrims and the other humans to the temple of the sovereigns, she had them witness her miracle. Gesturing toward their temple, she muttered her miracles, only to return to an idle pose. It was then that the air vibrated and from the skies came a streak of divine lightning. The sky darkened as ash fell from up above, the temple in the distance had been reduced to nothing but dust. A barren landscape and ruined mountainside was all that was left where the temple once stood.

The sovereigns however had not perished, sheltered within the mountains interior the sovereigns emerged to the surface of the mountainside. In an act of self-defence they began their assault toward the Oracle at tremendous speed. Lunging toward the Oracle, the sovereigns attempted a frenzied strike to end her life. However, on impact the sovereigns were repelled by an impenetrable and unseen force. The result caused a shockwave to occur which carried vibrations with it through the air, shaking the very land. Surprised, the sovereigns issued another attack in which they somehow phased through the Oracle, they were unable to harm her. The Oracle was no longer an entity they could physically harm, it had evolved into something far beyond their capabilities, a corporeal existence. The Oracle tiring of the sovereign's relentless attacks gestured with her hand and consumed them of their life force, draining their energy which further fueled her power.

The sovereigns proved to be no threat, however it was at that moment the Oracle became alert to a nearby presence, the bestials. Almost unrecognizable to the Oracle, the feeling of a sovereign was distinct. Assuming that these bestials were no different from sovereigns where they differed only in appearance did she attempt to consume them. Her power worked to no avail as these sovereigns had somehow adapted to combat her ability. It appeared that the blessings and powers from their god had given them power to fight the goddess. Their rake-like claws became their weapon and dug deep into the Oracle's corporeal form. The Oracle had been harmed for the first time in its short-lived existence, its pain known to all as her shriek echoed across the realm. Angered that mere mortals bring harm to her, she began to use her full power. Fueled by the life force of those she had consumed the Oracle brought about spheres of light that resembled miniature suns to combat the bestials.

The spheres of light burned away at their flesh, breaking the bonds that tied them to their gods, the bestials were all but few now in the face of the Oracle. Prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice, the bestials lunged toward the Oracle. Knowing they stood no chance, rather than attack her they would merge with her, an opportunity given to them as a parting gift from their god. Having been infected by the bestial blood, the Oracles' life force began to dwindle, as a last ditch effort she gave unto humanity her final gift. Using the last of her power she dispersed herself across the region, her radiance shined so brilliantly in a magnificent display of piety. Her death caused a shockwave that destabilized the realm, upending the very foundation of the world, it had been remade in her image. Her energy permeated into all forms of life, into the very fabric of their soul, every fiber of their flesh born anew, in turn humanity was given the greatest blessing of all, a new-found power, Ljóss- the light.

Thus concluded the battle, in which all that remained was blood-soaked ash enveloped in blinding light. Upholding the will of their Goddess, humanity finished what the Oracle could not and proceeded to vanquish the sovereigns with their new-found strength, for humanity would not take this opportunity for granted. A needlessly bloody feud, of kin against kin… Humanity pressed onward as conquerors of a realm reborn, they would come to forge their own future in what was established as the First Kindred Era.

And so, many a-millennia have come to pass, and with it so too did the legend of the Oracle come to be known. Her story and humanity's emancipation would become legend, a chapter in history that scholars would refer to as The Promised Crusade. However over time stories change, and with it so too do the details. The existence of sovereigns was soon forgotten as oral tradition came to misinterpret the legend as myth, their machinations lost to the ravages of time. As such, their story is a legacy unwritten...