The Vampire Jack Townson: Cosmology/Gaia/Draconia and the struggles of Divinity and Void. (SPOILERS) (Patreon)

The Forming of the Cosmos and The First World

Eons ago, the celestial beings, known as the Dragons, harnessed the radiant power of stars to forge planes of existence, imbuing each new world with life through the wondrous breath of glorious flame. These celestial dragons, Enkhu, Mahar, Thortuf, Shiel, and Lalorna, embarked on a cosmic race across the boundless cosmos, their mission to create worlds that would radiate light and beauty, pushing back the darkness that shrouded the universe. However, even with such significant importance bestowed upon their task and their possession of profound power, the seeds of corruption loomed in the background.

The corruption manifested in the form of the Void, a sinister embodiment of darkness, birthed by the negative energies of the universe, intended to maintain balance in all things. In response to this newfound threat, the Celestials embarked on a perilous journey, engaging in epic battles against the aberrations brought forth by the Void. They perceived these abominations as a threat to the delicate equilibrium of their new reality, and thus, they purged them from existence, seeking to keep peace and harmony intact.

The Void, however, responded to the Celestials' actions by creating a manifestation of itself, granting it a name: Mordrak. This entity set out to tempt the Celestials, cunningly weaving its way into their midst as they busied themselves forging a new world worthy of becoming their seat of power and magic. Amidst this divine endeavor, their youngest and most impetuous sibling, Lalorna, who found great joy in slaughtering the aberrations and voidlings, succumbed to the allure of the Void's tempting whispers. Swayed by the delusion that the cosmos should be hers to command, she launched a treacherous attack against her own kin while they laid the foundation of the new world, wielding the dark power of the Void and its grotesque horrors as her allies.

The Celestials responded with resolve, fiercely countering her betrayal during a thousand-year war that ensued. Eventually, they emerged victorious, but the cost was immense. The world they had meticulously crafted, naming it Gaia, once envisioned as a haven of lush green fields, majestic mountains, and serene blue waters, now lay scarred and transformed. Instead of tranquil beauty, molten lava boiled the oceans, the once harmonious magical ley lines now disrupted and dysfunctional, rendering Gaia incapable of sustaining the Celestials' power or fostering life as they had hoped.

Draconia:

Determined to find a fresh start, the Celestials sought to create a new world, a realm of strength, advancement, and worthiness to fulfill their grand purpose. This realm came to be known as Draconia, birthed from the amalgamation of their energies, even incorporating the essence of their own blood. This creation led to a temporary weakening of the Draconic celestials, rendering them corporeal and less divine, an aspect they could not afford to take lightly. Recognizing the necessity for guardians to protect themselves and the nascent lands while they sculpted Draconia's fate, the Celestials brought forth the Draekon. These were humanoid creatures graced with wings like their celestial creators, destined to safeguard the Heart Stone, a potent relic containing the celestial blood, essential for regulating the flow of magic through the ley lines.

With the Celestials' departure to different regions of Draconia, they infused the lands with their essence, resulting in the birth of distinct races from stardust. Enkhu's touch created the Enkhi, humanoid beings of balance and proportion. Mahar's essence gave rise to the Mahari, stout and gruff, reminiscent of his appearance. Thortuf's presence birthed the Thal, a varied race of humanoid beasts, each unique but reminiscent of the mighty creatures created as a source of sustenance and life force. Shiel, the embodiment of grace among her siblings, bestowed upon Draconia the Elves, a slender race of humanoids with elongated ears and alluring, soft features. Thus, Draconia flourished with life, beauty, and magic, yet it screamed out across the cosmos, a beacon of imbalance, beckoning the Void, and Lalorna with it.

Draconia’s Fall

A millennium passed before Lalorna made her way to Draconia, discovering a world teeming with possibilities and diverse races. The Enkhi had adopted the name "humans," while the Mahari became known as "Dwarves," the Thal as "Beastmen," and the Elves remained steadfast in their name. High above, the Draekon watched vigilantly from their tower, protecting the Heart Stone and the lands beneath it.

Yearning to conquer Draconia, Lalorna sought counsel and assistance from Mordrak, the Void's embodiment. In return, she was granted the ability to corrupt others with her darkness, enabling her to infect Mortificus, the Advisor to the Lord Hand and the Voice of the Celestial Dragons. To her surprise, Mortificus' transformation into a creature similar to Mordrak was more severe than she anticipated, making him an abomination. His skin paled, his eyes glowed with the colors of his aura, and his teeth sharpened to points, becoming the first Vampire—fueled by divine and void energies and an insatiable thirst for human blood. While Lalorna's insatiable hunger stemmed from her celestial nature and an inherent connection to the stars, Mortificus' vampiric cravings arose from his fusion with the Void's corruptive energies. The dark power granted by Mordrak imbued him with the strength to control the shadows and harness the night's might. However, unlike Lalorna, whose existence intertwined with the cosmos, Mortificus' nature necessitated the consumption of the living. His vampiric transformation drew him to seek sustenance from the life force of others, especially those who shared his mortal origin.

Lalorna's Dark Gift spread like a relentless plague across Draconia, infecting individuals from all races, plunging the world into chaos. Mortificus led an army to every kingdom, appointing generals from each race to support him in his war against the world. This conflict resulted in the corporeal forms of many of the dragons perishing, their radiant light extinguished, with one exception—Shiel. As she succumbed to her wounds in battle, Shiel's divine power erupted, unleashing a torrent of starlight that obliterated a significant portion of Mortificus' army.

With the world alight with the flame of war, and Mortificus’ army mostly destroyed along with many of the races created by the divine, he stowed into Bastion and brought the war to his brothers and sisters of the Draekon. In the end, it was not only Mortificus, but another traitor who aided in destroying the heartstone, disrupting the magical ley lines and corrupting the world. As all fell apart, the last of the Celestials, Enkhu, used the last of his magic to open portals across the land, giving those who wished to escape the opportunity with his dying breath. With the destruction of the world, it plunged into darkness, never to be graced with the light of stars again.In the aftermath of her treacherous actions, Lalorna stood amidst the devastation, witnessing the tragic demise of her celestial siblings, their lives extinguished by the very war she had ignited. Consumed by grief and remorse, the madness that had once clouded her mind began to dissipate, allowing clarity to emerge. The weight of her deeds settled upon her heart, and she realized that the only way to rectify the calamity she had caused was to avenge her fallen kin.

As this newfound resolve took root within her, Lalorna understood that she must confront Mortificus, the harbinger of darkness, and put an end to his malevolent reign. She knew that letting him roam freely in Draconia or anywhere else would only perpetuate suffering and destruction. The magnitude of her responsibility weighed heavily on her, but she was determined to make amends for her actions and protect the next world Mortificus might target.

However, as she prepared to face Mortificus, she came upon a chilling scene. The last surviving Draekon, driven by desperation and righteous fury, had captured Mortificus and intended to banish him to Gaia, the scarred world that had borne the brunt of their war. They believed that sealing him away in Gaia would prevent him from causing further harm to Draconia or any other realm.

Lalorna hesitated for a moment, torn between exacting her revenge and the desire to prevent Mortificus from wreaking havoc on yet another world. She knew that if she let him be banished to Gaia, he might continue his malevolent schemes there, bringing suffering and chaos to an already scarred land.

Driven by a deep sense of responsibility and the need to make amends, Lalorna made a fateful decision. Without hesitation, she leaped into the portal alongside Mortificus, determined to ensure that he could inflict no more harm upon any world with his Dark Gift. She knew that this act of sacrifice might mean the end of her existence as a celestial dragon, but she was willing to embrace that fate to protect the cosmos from further devastation.

As they were both engulfed by the portal's swirling energies, Lalorna steeled herself for the unknown. She hoped that her actions would be enough to thwart Mortificus' sinister plans and bring an end to the malevolence he had unleashed upon Draconia. In her heart, she yearned for redemption, knowing that the sacrifice she was making might be the last chance to set things right and restore balance to the cosmos. In her sacrifice, the immense power taken to transport her interrupted the process, making the portal unstable- trapping the last of the Draconians in their home, but never destroying the way back.

Draconia lived on, a shadow of itself… a land of the undead, touched by the void and stranded from light. And with the ancient Dragons smited, and the Void sated, the cosmos began to take on its own destiny- planets formed from happenstance and blind luck, and the natural order of things taking the place of any clawed hand.

Gaia: The Emergence of Mortificus- The Arrival of Lalorna- An Evolving World

With the portals off-world activated, both by Enkhu and the Draekon, many of the Draconians left to find safety. However, with the magical pulse of the world dwindling throughout the conflict, the portals did not send everyone to where they were meant to be. Many of the refugees found homes on various worlds, while others were accidentally sent to the first world- the broken one without magic- the remains of Gaia. Though, time had changed its face dramatically, tens of thousands of years had passed, the once primordial mess of fire and brimstone had changed to the lush greens once dreamed of, the oceans cooled and life had begun to emerge within the waters. Evolution. The bacteria left from the utter destruction was able to take a firm grasp of what vitality it could, the lingering traces of miracle, and find a way to surpass expectations.

The combined races that arrived looked upon a world teeming with alien fauna and flora, and from there began to populate and subdue what they could. It took many years, but eventually the races forgot where they came from altogether, this new world their only home- forgetting that they were born of the stars. Thousands of years passed, the world’s face changing over the time with the various races each going their own separate ways, conquering the planet and carving out their own seats of power.