Aetherborn

The aetherborn or star titans were a mythical race that dominated the whole of the Athelonesian continent.

Afflicted with the Starsbourne Curse in -856 PR, the aetherborn slowly died out, with the last recorded sighting of one in -268 PR within the city of Palmithra.

History

Birth of the Aetherborn

In ages past, the aetherborn were born from the cosmic energies unleashed during the final conflict between the creator god Elegrim and the Mistress of the Fell Storm, the last of the true primordials. A stray bolt of energy fired by Elegrim during their epic duel was said to have sundered heaven and earth, creating the aetherborn in its wake.

Ancients

These early aetherborn eked out a primitive existence and could be considered crude battle-loving barbarians. This love of warfare never left them, even as they were civilized, but they always showed even greater promise, a fact never lost upon Elegrim, their creator and teacher, as it was an errant attack from his own hand that catalyzed their birth.

The Chosen of Elegrim

The aetherborn were gifted with great promise despite their haphazard birth. Through their inherently strong, robust bodies and keen minds, and unlimited potential, they were taken under the wing of Elegrim. In time, they were chosen to become Amoraithe's caretakers and given dominion over the emerging younger races. However, this task was far from peaceful, and many wars were fought to establish their dominion.

Wars of Conquest

The aetherborn were first charged with cleaning up remnants of the primordials by destroying the empires of the aboleths, beholders, and mind flayers, which had been steadily weakening during the war with the primordials. The aetherborn toppled the empires of the Far Realm, becoming comfortable with their newly established order. Unfortunately, with this newfound peace, they devolved into internal intrigues and conflict. To restore the cooperation between his chosen, Elegrim enticed the dragon-kings, a godlike race as powerful as the aetherborn, of the floating continent of Orgoth, to invade Amoraithe. This, too, ended with the dragons being defeated.

During the untold generations of the titan's conflicts, the younger races, the elves, dwarves, and humans eked out their place in the world. Seeking to fulfill their dominion destiny, they fought the elves, who hailed from an alternate material plane, enslaving many during these wars to use their magical talents. The humans, native to Amoraithe, were primitive and disorganized, easily conquered, while the dwarves once thrived in vast surface cities, unlike their modern kin. They were ultimately all subjugated and enslaved.

The dwarves would later escape enslavement, absconding deep beneath the surface. However, before the liberation of the dwarves, they, along with the three "lesser" races, would, at the behest of their masters, create vast cities, the dwarves shining with their skill for engineering. The crown jewel of the empyrean civilization would be the city of Ioneisea.

Besting all who opposed them, the aetherborn eventually lost their way, snubbing Elegrim and his teachings, seeing themselves as inherently divine, with some labeling themselves as god-kings in their own right. This hubris would ultimately lead to their undoing.

Description

Aetherborn were typically humanoid in appearance, with slate-to-charcoal hued complexions, wit, lavender-colored eyes, and white or gray hair, which they often wore long. They possessed strangely proportioned bodies, having broad torsos and long, spindly though exceptionally strong limbs. Their faces resembled those of majestic elves, often with more sharply pointed ears. They stood between seven and eight feet in height. They often dressed in purple robes.

The aetherborn had an advanced physiology, which granted them excellent resistance to diseases and aging, allowing them to live for several centuries. This was not true in their earlier period, as many died in combat. The aetherborn were never particularly fertile, with few having more than one child.

They possessed a genius intellect that they used to master the arcane arts and learn about the world around them.