In The Beginning . . .
BEFORE SOVEREIGN’S REST
Valtheria was a highly structured realm that existed for thousands of years before the Great War. Its society was built upon order, duty, and contribution, with every citizen expected to play a defined role in sustaining the whole. Advancement and comfort were earned through ability and productivity, while those who failed to meet expectations were left without status or privilege. Despite this hierarchy of contribution, Valtherins considered their society fundamentally balanced, believing stability was achieved through collective function rather than individual standing.
At its core, Valtheria was a mixed-energy society. Men absorbed ambient energy from the land, converting it into strength, enhanced physical abilities, and limited cognitive influence like memory alteration and suggestion—primarily for labor, defense, and diplomacy. This absorption required external energy sources, including at times blood, for sustenance. Women did not draw energy this way, instead serving as scholars, record keepers, and advisors who preserved knowledge and guided intellectual growth. Though leadership was often male-dominated, both roles were interdependent, forming a system of shared responsibility.
THE GREAT WAR
Records of the Great War’s origin do not exist within Valtherian history. What is preserved is the account of its conclusion, which became a foundational lesson taught to all who lived under Valtherian rule. Over time, interpretations of the cause of the war varied. Some believed it began when a portion of the population sought freedom from structured labor, placing a burden upon others. Others argued the opposite—that the conflict was born from oppression, where those who rose against Valtheria were denied fair opportunity. Five hundred years after the war, these explanations had faded into speculation, and no living witness remained to confirm the truth. What endured was the aftermath: a permanent division of society into winners and losers, rulers and outcasts.
The victorious Valtherians redefined themselves as the Valerines and maintained the established work-based structure of their civilization. Those who had been defeated were labeled the Umbral and condemned to a permanent state of poverty, barred from rising beyond their assigned station. Even within Valerine society, failure carried consequences; those who could not meet expectations were cast down to join the Umbral, reinforcing the rigid separation between the two classes. This division became the lasting structure of Valtheria long after the war ended.
During the war itself, the Valerines were initially driven into retreat as the Umbral gained strategic advantage and outmaneuvered their forces. In response, a Valerine woman named Alyssia discovered a method of channeling her own energy into Valerine men by focusing her intent on a chosen recipient. This transfer significantly enhanced their strength and effectiveness in battle. As the Valerine women and men coordinated this process together, they were able to reverse the tide of the war and ultimately defeat the Umbral forces
The Powers
Over time, this evolved into a symbiotic relationship. The draining no longer weakened the women as it once had, and in return, the men ensured the women were protected and provided for. What began as necessity became deeply rooted within Valtherin culture and tradition. As generations passed, the powers of both men and women continued to grow and evolve.
The Women
As generations passed, some Valtherin women began developing rare magical gifts. Many possessed Sight, allowing them to see fragments of the future and past, along with near-perfect memory and vast intellectual capabilities. These women became known as Oracles.
Oracles were identified at a young age and removed from their families to train among others gifted like them. Upon reaching adulthood, they were returned to their families if their bloodline held positions of importance within Valtherin society.
These women were highly respected and honored, and many families sought to have an Oracle within their lineage. A female born with these gifts was held in high regard and often placed in an advisory position to the head male of the family, particularly those who held a seat on the council.
Not every High Council member was assigned an Oracle; however, when present, an Oracle typically remained tied to that family unless she chose to marry. Even in cases of marriage, families often maintained connections to the Oracle’s influence in order to preserve access to her insight. For those without established council ties, Oracles were identified and assigned through formal selection. These women were sometimes contested between families of influence, and for many, the Oracle training structure provided their only true protection
The Men
The powers of the men of Valtheria developed in a different direction. They learned to physically manipulate energy, allowing them to create things from very little and eventually open portals.
As their abilities developed, so did their need for energy. Like the Oracles, only a small number of men were gifted with the rare ability to create portals.
Portal creation within Valtheria was considered a rare and specialized ability, much like the gifts possessed by the Oracles. Those gifted with this skill were highly valued, as portals were primarily used to transport goods and materials across the world far faster than ships or traditional methods of travel could manage.
The HIGH COUNCIL OF VALTHERIA
The High Council was made up primarily of wealthy families within Valtheria who had maintained their positions for generations. These families held the greatest influence and authority within society, shaping the laws and decisions that governed Valtheria. Others rose to the Council through achievement, strategic alliances, or by surpassing older bloodlines in wealth, power, influence, and reputation.
THE SURFACE FAMILY
By excelling at difficult responsibilities, the Surface family earned a prominent seat on the High Council. Alexander Surface secured this status by marrying into a council family and outmaneuvering his wife’s brothers. Despite bitter resistance, Alexander publicly outperformed them to claim leadership as heir. He fathered two children: Joseph and Morrigan.
Joseph was raised as the primary heir, learning early how power was maintained in Valtherin society. Protective of his position and his sister, Joseph quietly interfered with political marriage proposals for Morrigan. This allowed her to avoid unwanted matches while retaining her strategic value to the family.
Both children possessed rare abilities, which they used to secure their family's standing. As a teenager, Morrigan’s gifts as an Oracle emerged. With Joseph’s help, she initially concealed her Sight to strengthen his claim to leadership. Once discovered, she trained among the Oracles before taking her place beside her father in the council chambers.
Joseph, the eldest, developed his portal-creation abilities first and received extensive training. However, Valtherian law strictly forbade opening portals beyond their world, limiting travel to local towns and districts. Ancient lore warned that early portal creators once breached the borders, discovering deadly environments, empty voids, and violent creatures. Over generations, these discoveries distorted into terrifying cautionary tales. Parents taught their children that opening doors to other realms would bring death and ruin back with them. Having heard these warnings his entire life, Joseph deeply respected the rule that Valtheria’s borders existed for a reason. Ultimately, he took his place alongside his father as the official family heir.
Morrigan’s Visions
Upon returning, Morrigan focused on her studies and rejected all high-society suitors. This deeply frustrated her parents, as High Council women—especially Oracles—faced immense marriage pressure to secure family influence. Following a heated argument over an ultimatum to choose a husband within a month, Alexander locked Morrigan in her room. Overwhelmed by raw emotion, she collapsed into a terrifying vision of Valtheria's absolute destruction.
She witnessed the city consumed by fire and chaos, followed by the arrival of the Umbral Scourge. These invaders would not just conquer Valtheria; they would enslave the survivors just after the next moon. For a week, Morrigan desperately combed through countless timelines looking for an alternative outcome. Every path ended in ruin, except for one single, hidden path to survival.
She took this revelation to Alexander, who presented the urgent warning to the High Council. However, the Council completely dismissed her claims. Bitter families whose sons she had rejected accused her of fabricating the threat as retaliation. Worse, rival Oracles publicly challenged her claims. Driven by fierce competition for political prestige, these Oracles refused to grant Morrigan the power that validating her vision would bring, even though some had witnessed the same dark possibilities. Alexander was deeply embarrassed by this public rejection.
Joseph, however, believed his sister entirely. Their lifelong bond, forged through years of keeping secrets and protecting one another from political traps, made his trust immediate. He knew Morrigan would never manipulate her Sight for petty spite. Recognizing that the Council’s pride would doom them all, the siblings forged a secret alliance against the impending threat. Together, they resolved to follow the single path to survival that Morrigan had discovered, combining Joseph’s portal abilities and Morrigan’s foresight to plan their next move in the shadows.
Joseph & Morrigan
Driven by visions of the approaching Umbral Scourge, Morrigan looked beyond the boundaries of Valtheria for survival. She discovered an untouched realm separated from their own by a mystical veil. Using ancient, long-forgotten magic, she bound this hidden island to the essence of her brother, Joseph, infusing it with Valtherian energy. This connection tied the land directly to Joseph's will, allowing him to shape it into a future sanctuary known as Sovereign’s Rest.
In absolute secrecy, Joseph pushed his limits to master his energy, attempting to open a portal farther than he ever had before. The siblings planned to establish a refuge to save a select number of people from the coming doom. Success would not only preserve lives but solidify Joseph’s standing as the leader of this new world. To preserve their heritage, loyal servants spent a month gathering historical texts, books, livestock, seeds, and essential supplies. They intentionally avoided advanced technology, knowing it could be tracked and monitored by their enemies.
Their father, Alexander Surface, strongly opposed the endeavor. He feared their actions would bring disgrace to the family name and strip them of their political influence. Unaware of his deep disapproval, Joseph continued his secret preparations, even building a home on the island modeled after the Surface estate. He intended to reveal the sanctuary to his parents just before the prophecy came to pass, hoping Alexander would see the strategic value in choosing who would be saved.
These plans collapsed when a local business owner betrayed Joseph's confidence, reporting his massive, unusual purchases to the High Council. A rival family’s Oracle quickly confirmed the portal’s existence. Publicly, she denounced Morrigan’s apocalyptic visions as false; secretly, she had foreseen the impending destruction herself and plotted to seize control of Joseph's portal for her own kin.
Humiliated by the sudden accusations, Alexander and his family withdrew from the council chamber before a formal ruling could be made. The public split, with some believing Morrigan’s warnings and others accusing the Surface family of treason. The family retreated to their estate and isolated themselves. Within days, panic gripped Valtheria. Rival Oracles broke silence to secretly warn their own families, prompting elite households to scramble for resources. Desperate High Council families arrived at the Surface estate day and night, their wagons laden with supplies, begging or demanding access to the portal.
Blinded by humiliation and resentment, Alexander refused them all. He barred his family from the public eye and turned away every visitor, still convinced his children had ruined their social standing. He spent his final days obsessing over how to regain the High Council's favor. By the time the chaos outside forced him to realize Morrigan's terrifying visions were real, it was already too late.
The Escape and End of Valethria
The Umbral Scourge attacked with calculated precision, simultaneously striking the High Council homes and the desperate families trapped outside the Surface gates. Hearing the screams, Joseph and Alexander rushed to the windows. The sight of his peers being slaughtered sent Alexander into catatonic shock. Unable to move his father, Joseph abandoned him to rescue his mother and sister.
He found them deeper in the estate and hurried them toward the hidden portal chamber. He shouted for fleeing servants to follow just as an explosion breached the house. They reached the solid steel door of the chamber, but as Joseph ushered his mother inside, gunfire echoed down the hall. A bullet pierced her back, killing her instantly.
With no time to mourn, Joseph slammed the heavy door shut against the oncoming horde. Inside, Morrigan and five surviving servants desperately hurled the remaining books, seeds, and tools through the active portal. The steel door groaned and bent under a relentless pounding. As the metal gave way and a nearby servant was shot, Joseph grabbed Morrigan, shoved her through the gateway, and leaped after her.
As Joseph attempted to seal the portal from the island side, an Umbral soldier managed to slip through the closing tear and tackled him. As they fought, Joseph screamed at his sister to close the gate. Morrigan tried to channel the raw energy, but her untrained abilities were built for prophecy, not physical manipulation. The strain destabilized the portal, causing it to violently vacuum debris, bricks, and supplies from Valtheria into the island.
The chaotic vortex tore the Umbral away from Joseph, giving him the opening he needed. Completely exhausted, Morrigan collapsed behind a boulder, using her remaining strength to channel energy directly to her brother. After a brutal, grueling struggle, Joseph finally killed the invader.
It took a week for the siblings to recover enough strength to attempt reopening the portal. When they tried, they met only absolute silence. The connection was completely severed, confirming Morrigan's horrific prophecy: the bombs had detonated, and Valtheria was gone.
A New Home
Joseph and Morrigan were left exhausted, grieving the loss of their world. The few servants did there best to help them recover but there was little they could do but just let the pair rest.
It took Weeks passed before either fully recovered. The battle with the Umbral and the violent collapse of the portal had nearly drained them both beyond recovery. During those fragile days, however, they began to understand what had truly happened when Morrigan attempted to close the portal herself.
They had never possessed as much control over the gateway as they believed.
As time passed, ruins began appearing across distant parts of the island. Ancient towers, broken halls, fragments of keeps, and forgotten structures emerged where nothing had stood before. None of these places had been intentionally brought through the portal. In the chaos caused by Morrigan’s uncontrolled attempt to seal the gateway, fragments from other locations had somehow been pulled into Sovereign’s Rest alongside pieces of Valtheria itself.
From this discovery, Joseph and Morrigan came to understand that the portals did not simply allow travel between worlds. Under the right conditions, they were capable of drawing objects, structures, and even fragments of entire realms into Sovereign’s Rest itself.
As Joseph and Morrigan slowly adapted to their new world, the strain of survival revealed a harrowing new danger: Joseph’s growing hunger for energy.
Although he drained energy daily from Morrigan and the remaining servants, it was not enough to sustain him the way Valtheria’s abundance once had. This imbalance steadily worsened over the weeks, ultimately killing a few of the servants as Joseph inadvertently drained the last of their life force.
While Joseph focused his time on building and securing the island, Morrigan buried herself among the rescued books and records. She spent her days studying ancient texts, searching desperately for a solution to ease Joseph's growing instability. However, the toll of serving as his primary source of energy soon became visible; the color faded from her eyes, and even simple movements left her exhausted.
Over time, Morrigan began to fear her own end was approaching.
After the portal to Valtheria collapsed and repeated attempts to reopen it failed, the siblings had initially abandoned the idea of using gateways altogether, believing the destruction of their home world had severed the connection permanently. It was not until Morrigan began studying ancient manuscripts concerning the nature of realms that the possibility was reconsidered. Armed with her new research, discussions between the siblings slowly returned to the subject of portals.
Joseph recognized that Morrigan could not remain his sole energy source; the strain was killing her, and the island’s wildlife was entirely insufficient. To save his sister, Joseph rationed his feeding while Morrigan projected her sight into other realities, searching for beings whose life force could sustain him.
The first individuals pulled to Sovereign’s Rest were not initially deceived. However, upon realizing they were weaker in this realm and learning they were brought there to serve as Joseph's living energy sources, few accepted their fate. Most reacted with hostility, demanding freedom or attacking Joseph outright. Forced to maintain control, Joseph either killed the dissenters or wiped their memories.
He soon discovered a flaw: erased memories eventually returned, sparking renewed violence. Ultimately, Joseph and Morrigan realized that for captives to remain docile on Sovereign’s Rest, the true, horrifying purpose of their abduction had to be permanently hidden from them.
Over time, the siblings became increasingly selective, with Joseph requesting individuals with specific powers, trades, and skills to build the island's infrastructure. Drawing from Valtherian history, they understood both the utility and the immense dangers of forced labor.
Seeking to prevent the kind of uprising that had destroyed their own world, they chose a system of control rooted in reward and status rather than punishment alone, ensuring all arrivals were provided with food, shelter, and necessities.
As Sovereign’s Rest filled with diverse races from across realities, Joseph and Morrigan studied their unique traits. They structured the island around the Valtherian philosophies of competition and advancement, realizing captives worked harder when striving for influence. Furthermore, to prevent volatile factions from destroying each other, Joseph used his mystical bond with the land to physically reshape different regions into suitable, segregated environments for the various populations.
To maintain total compliance, Joseph and Morrigan posed as fellow victims, claiming they were also trapped by unstable portals while searching for a way home. Any internal challenges to Joseph's authority were swiftly crushed. During these brief rebellions, Joseph discovered a dark truth about his anatomy: intense emotional states—conflict, anger, fear, and grief—massively amplified the energy he could harvest, directly strengthening both his powers and his control over the island itself.
Years passed, and Joseph eventually regained the immense power he had lost after Valtheria's fall. No longer in danger of fading, Morrigan watched the color slowly return to her eyes. She immersed herself in studying the magic users brought to the island, unlocking new abilities within herself and eventually founding the elite Magister’s Coven.
Meanwhile, Joseph solidified his rule as the absolute ruler of Sovereign’s Rest, a position he maintains to this day under the title of the Overlord.Under his regime, every region must meet strict production quotas and civic responsibilities. Lawbreakers, agitators, or those who refuse to contribute are banished to the island's harsher, hidden sectors—some permanently, others forced into hard labor to repay their debts before earning a return.
To enrich their society, Morrigan occasionally ventures through controlled portals to smuggle back rare items the island cannot produce, such as books, spices, artwork, and advanced tools.From his throne, the Overlord watches constantly, rewarding advancement to the loyal while swiftly crushing threats to the status quo. He covertly manipulates political tensions between rival regions, orchestrating controlled conflicts to harvest the resulting surge of fear, anger, and ambition. This steady influx of raw emotion constantly refuels his energy, further locking down his telepathic connection to the land. Over generations, the residents became entirely accustomed to this brutal meritocracy, aggressively competing against neighboring regions to win favor, resources, and influence from their ruler.
