The Legend of Midrasil

“Unlike you, I have seen Midrasil. I’ve walked on its once majestic halls, and I saw the statues of the heroes of yore, who saved us from the Fall and helped erect our beloved Order. It still shines. Even as the plague reeks from every speck of dust, I could still see grandeur. Never again shall you name it ‘Miasmic Grounds’, squire. Reckon my patience an intervention of the Triumvirate, and repent.”

— Auric Evenhand

Even before the Fall, before death abounded and survival became the imperative, entire civilizations had risen and fallen across the face of Selejia. Most now lie forgotten, with none alive to attest they ever existed. Others, however, despite their ill-fated end, still endure in the hearts of those whose songs and blood refuse to forget. The Vulkir are such a people, and as long as a single member of their kindred stands, so will the memory of Ancient Midrasil, their ancestral homeland, now known to most as the Miasmic Grounds.

As the legends tell it, the Vulkir were created when Galdrun, the Shaper of Mountains, was tasked with the greatest project in the history of Selejia. War was on the horizon, and the Triumvirate commissioned the construction of a wall encircling all of the Astarian Paradux, the realm from which they ruled. In need of the workforce to help erect this wall, the Vulkir were created, but they were not yet learned in the ways of their craft, and Galdrun knew that he had much to teach. Their first project would be to construct a city that could shelter their kind, where they would flourish unbothered for the ages to come. Under the immense wisdom of the Everlasting, the Vulkir were taken to the Magdas Mountains, where they were guided to shape rock and carve stone. They were taught to create what could endure for centuries, but also to never abandon beauty and artistry, for it was the fuel that would keep their souls singing even as their bodies threatened to fall. Later, as the project of the Wall of Galdrun concluded, the creator of the Vulkir freed them from service to show his appreciation for their work. Many scattered throughout Selejia, and driven by a need to create, constructed new cities. However, most remained true to their Everlasting patron and his allegiance to the Triumvirate, and even those who did not serve loved Galdrun dearly. Midrasil would forever remain a homeland to all Vulkir, no matter where they hailed from.

During the Everlasting War, the Vulkir would suffer great losses. Many lineages would be doomed as they fought to protect Osterath and its people, and after Galdrun’s sacrifice to hold the Malediction at bay, the threads that held their people together would be destroyed. Those still faithful to the Triumvirate took to Midrasil, where they would gather their kindred, while those who did not trust the words of the Valcarist priests joined settlements like Ironkeep. Some saw truth in the words of the late Avakra, and defected to the Primal Blood. Still, Midrasil stood as one of the greatest bastions of Selejia, with some even daring to say that its glory surpassed that of Osterath itself. However, sheltered as they were by their walls, the Malediction itself would rise to meet them.

Around the year 700 of the Age of Legacy, a monster emerged from the Malediction—Thundersteps. The only known member of its kind, of size and power unheard of in Selejia since the Giants were defeated, whose presence kindled a fire in the Primal Blood, threatening the continent as a whole. Onyx Hammerhaft, the King of Midrasil, was charged by the Rites to bring about the end of the beast, for the sake of all. So it was that the legendary hero journeyed forth, only to return home borne on his shield, covered in mortuary cloth, his armor-like skin broken and wet with blood. He would never become one with his ancestors in a garden of stone.

The death of Onyx broke the Vulkir spirit, but worse still, was the plague that hid in his body. In the months that followed the death of the King of Midrasil, the city was struck by a ravenous disease, one that seemed to corrupt not only the living but the very stone of the city. Soon, it became clear that there was no saving Midrasil, and the surviving Vulkir returned to Astaris so that their culture wouldn’t fall alongside their home. It is said that, when Midrasil fell, even the Vulkir amidst the Primal Blood wept.

Since then, the Vulkir have dreamt of one day reclaiming Midrasil and their ancient heritage. Some Seekers have decided to venture into the Malediction in search of a cure, while others have dedicated their lives to enacting vengeance on Thundersteps, for no suffering should go unpunished, and as long as a single Vulkir draws breath, Midrasil still lives in their heart.