Eons ago, at the dawn of time, the mightiest of all beings, known to us as the Titans, waged war against one another, spurned on by a force that existed long before the universe took shape, as it saw the Darkness of Chaos and the Light of Order as nothing more than pollutants to itself.

This force was known as the Void, the Realm of Corruption, and exacting its will was the Titan of Aether, who had infiltrated the chaotic Titans to fuel the flames of hatred between them and the acolytes of the Light. Ultimately, the primordial beings grew tired of fighting and started to catch on to the ploys of the Void, causing them to end the war and exile the creature that kept spreading discord among them to whence it came.

This greatest of wars took a great toll on the rulers of existence, thus they decided to bequeath their authority over all of creation to the most trusted among the Seraphim, the children of the Titans, who henceforth became known as the 24 Gods of Creation, with 12 among them inheriting the aspects of Chaos, and the other 12 the aspects of Order.

However, before laying to rest eternally, the Titans decided to merge the Light of Order with the Darkness of Chaos as to remind their children of the mindless losses suffered during the Primordial War. The union of the fundamental forces ultimately gave birth to the last of the Titans, Gemini, and the force which now permeated all of creation, Mana.

Mana was as boundless as Chaos itself, making it flow akin to a treacherous torrent, ripping apart all that tried to force their way against its flow while keeping those already within it safe from outside influences. Nonetheless, due to the influence of Order, one was able to wield it and use it to bend reality to one's will, a process known as Magic. It was this power that allowed the Gods not only to protect the realm that was given to them, but also to create new things on their own, just as their creators had before them.

Therefore, soon after their creators had left to rest, the Gods decided to honour their progenitors by crafting beings in their image and teaching them just like they were taught themselves, so they may one day follow in the foot-steps of the Gods and be given the universe if the were to one day decide to follow the Titans into eternal rest. These seven mortal races are known as the Divine Tribes, and each of them not only received the semblance of one of the Titans, but also the strengths associated with the one they were moulded after.

By the chaotic Gods, the Orcs where shaped after Venja, the Incarnation of Darkness, and the fiercest warrior of the chaotic Titans, but also the most protective and kind towards her siblings.

The Incarnation of Energy, Solnir, was the template for the creation of the Demons, who received his wit as well as his curiosity.

The Forsaken were moulded after Rohuk, the Incarnation of Change. Their true name and the traits they inherited from Rohuk were wiped from history, and only the fact they existed remains. It is said that they had brought the wrath of their creators upon them, but how and why will most likely remain a mystery. Mortals believe they were imprisoned in Rohuk's realm, the ethereal plane referred to only as the Eternal Dream.

The lawful Gods created the Elves, which were born in the image of Theia, the Incarnation of Light. She was known for her fairness and unmatched beauty, as well as her benevolence and sense of justice.

The Dwarves were fashioned after Aria, the Incarnation of Balance. She was the most enthusiastic of all Titans, as well as the most creative. It is said that she took a liking to Rohuk and his works, though she found their short-lived nature to be disheartening. Her attempts at immortalizing his creations are believed to be the origin of art itself.

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From the blood of Arasil, the Incarnation of Nature, who managed to split the light of Order into what is known as the 7 Elements of Nature, mighty beasts emerged and spread throughout the realm, the ancestors of animals and plants as we know them. The Gods granted the most intelligent among them the privilege to rise above all others, thus the Beastkin-Tribes were born.

And lastly, Humans, which closely resembled Scion, the Incarnation of Knowledge, in both appearance and their pursuit of insight into the secrets of reality. Though believed to be the weakest of them all at first, their ability to adapt and persevere even through the harshest of times soon earned them respect among the other races.

As the gods thought nothing they ever created could come close to the ruler of Chaos, Kosmos, and the ruler of Order, Rea, and to appease those among the seraphim who were not chosen as the direct successors of the Titans, they decided to create beings with the sole purpose of serving the celestials who ruled over the universe, the Sentinels, who also received the mission to commune with mortals in the name of their leaders and provide them with guidance. Sentinels, however, are not counted among the Heavenly Tribes, as their close relation to divinity classifies them as lesser celestials.

The Heavenly Tribes received the worlds that had formed at the outskirts of the universe so they may forge their destinies and create stories for the gods to tell their creators upon their return from their slumber, but also to serve as roadblocks for the beings of the Void to prevent them from spreading their corruption throughout the realm.

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"...thus concludes the 'Genesis of Creation', the story of how we all came to be. Does that answer your questions, young ones?", the old priest ended the sermon and closed his book, which contained the copies of the ancient texts the acolytes of the Ardent Path had collected over millennia. He had just been on his way back to the small church at the outskirts of the village he called his home after getting some produce from the market, before being interrupted by two inquisitive children, who were curious about the Titans.

"But why does the Ardent Path only worship the lawful Gods? What about the chaotic ones?", the taller one of the two, a boy no older than 11 years with brown, unkempt hair, asks.

"Yeah, and what about the seraphim? My mother said that they are considered the siblings of the gods, so why do people call them demigods instead?", the other, just about a hands-width shorter than the first one with black, smooth hair inquired.

"I would love to tell you these things in detail, but I am afraid that there are urgent matters I have to attend to. However, if you are that curious about the gods, the monasteries of the Ardent Path welcome all future acolytes with open arms. Until then: May the Light of Order guide you on the Ardent Path.", the old man answered with a friendly smile, before turning his back on them and continuing his walk back home.

"Whatever, wanna come to my house today, Sean? Dad managed to catch that large boar that attacked the village elder, so we got enough food to feed at least five families.", the younger one asked.

"I can't, Corvo, I have to help my parents pack some stuff today since we'll be leaving at the end of the week.", Sean answered solemnly.

"Oh yeah, your dad got moved to Caelum, didn't he? Don't worry, you're going to the academy there, won't you? My parents said that they have saved up enough money for me to go there too, so we will meet there again in a year! Until then we can still stay in contact with letters, and we still got until the end of the week, right?", Corvo exclaimed with a grin.

"Yeah, you're right.", Sean replied, now visibly more cheerful. "Race ya to the fountain, last one there is a rotten egg!", he yelled while starting to run.

"Hey, not fair!", Corvo laughed, and both raced towards the centre of the village, in blissful ignorance of what fate held for them.