Overview of the Second Age

Scholars do not agree as to the span of time between the First Age and the Second Age. It ranges from 100 years to as many as 2,000, but scholars are sure, however, that it was quite some time before Acheron had healed from the terrible godly battle and the races had emerged from that dark period of history. Not a single one, save perhaps the pure valkyries, had remained unchanged.

Many other creatures, some intelligent, some not, survived the holocaust. Sadly, many were changed for the worst. Monsters had come about from the darkness of the godly conflict, the nightmares of myth. Not all of them had changed, of course, but the ones that had created legends that lasted far beyond their real existence.

The race of humanity probably recovered the fastest, allowing them to establish a dominance over the other races that lasted a long time. Many believe this dominance led to a sense of superiority to the other races that is all too common in humans, even now. The wise ones simply pitied them. The story of humanity was the darkest and most tragic. Elihom had a special place in his heart for the valkyries, and to see them choose evil and follow Adelanon to the fall broke his heart.
For quite a few generations, the humans had been separated into tribes that spread throughout Acheron. It wasn't until the Barbarian King Altraa began to unite the tribes and villiages and subjugate the ones that resisted that the human race began to solidify into one nation.

The race that emerged most changed were the giants. The struggle of darkness bred them to be stupid, ugly brutes. They had migrated into tribes in the Iron Mountains, and often warred with one another for food or territory or simply dominance. Most avoided them, since they saw the other races as weak and inferior. Some even made meals of the other original races. There were exceptions, of course; occasionally a giant would realize he's much smarter than his brethren and travel to civilization to try to make a life for himself, but sadly, it was rare. On average, the other races simply saw them as a nuisance, and some even took on the role of a giant hunter, to get rid of tribes that were harassing distant settlements.

The asgardians, surprisingly, changed little. They still retained their nomadic lifestyle, prefering to stay away from the other races, wandering the desert. They rarely conflicted with other groups of asgardians. In fact, they rarely conflicted with any of the other races, simply because they had a tendency to be very level-headed and diplomatic, not to mention reclusive. They did not appreciate those that wandered into their territory, and there are some that would resort to violence, but most would find more intelligent means of pushing them away. The asgardian were fierce fighters nonetheless, and a seasoned asgardian warrior was an intimidating sight.
The race that the tal'raeth conflicted with most were the giants. There is a deep seated hatred between the two races, which neither can trace to any kind of source. Perhaps it is the proximity of the two, combined with the giant's hostility and the asgardian's tenacity. Whatever it is, this hatred lingers on even into the present age.

The tal'raeth are shrouded in mystery during this age. No written record of their activities, or even sightings of the race have ever been found. Most scholars believe that the other races, save the pure valkyries, had no notion of their existence. When they appeared, the other races believed them to be recently created and named them the Youngest, though they quickly learned otherwise. Not even the tal'raeth themselves know for sure what happened during this age. Rumors abound, as one might expect, the most prominent being that the tal'raeth migrated far, far away, into the distant east where the Civilized have yet to explore. [Even to this day. -Aronalstai]

The gnomes, like the asgardians, changed little as well. They remained the least war-like of all the races, preferring the quiet fields and countryside and their machines and family to war and conflict. Because of this, the other races, especially humanity, tried to dominate them. One of the most significant occurances in the Second Age was enslavement of the gnomes. By the middle of the Second Age, it was not odd to see a wealthy human household to have many gnomish servants.

Scholars know very, very little about the pure valkyries, even to this day. Most simply believe they're mythical. Sightings are reported periodically, especially during times of great stress, but nothing concrete has ever been documented. [I personally believe they exist among us, acting as protectors. -Aronalstai] The Second Age is known as the Age of Heroes for a very good reason. The barrier between Acheron and Olneth A Nethel was strong, but not inpenetrable. While Adelanon himself could not escape, his twisted, demonic minons could, as well as the Ascended on occasion that had taken his side during the First Age. The evil valkyries, called simply olneth, or more popularly, demons, found small gateways and hid within Acheron, periodically returning to Adelanon to report its goings on. Occasionally the olneth would be found out, and the battle that resulted was epic.

A massive olneth named Goralaggakath forced his way into Acheron. He was immensely powerful, and began to attack whatever villages and towns he ran across, leaving them in blackened ruins. Finally, a hero by the name of Eldrid stood against Goralaggakath. Eldrid was the best swordsman in all of Acheron, but Goralaggakath was immensely powerful. The two fought for four days and four nights, tearing up the landscape around them. The battle was so fierce that even those miles away could see flashing lights at night from their battle. Eyewitness accounts vary as to the actual battle. Some say they were literally airborne for most of the fight, dashing through the sky, though Eldrid never displayed later this particular ability.
Finally, one morning, Goralaggakath faltered for the slightest moment, and Eldrid struck, killing the monster and winning the battle. Eldrid survived, but barely. After the battle he collapsed and slept for a month, but when he awoke, the people sang his praises and lavished him with rewards. He became the King's personal bodyguard, and when the king died heirless, Eldrid was asked--and accepted--the position of King. His rule was long and prosperous, and had far-reaching effects. The most significant thing he did was to create the Lotus Knights, a sacred organization of extremely talented swordsmen. They answered to the King, but they were a separate organization, given the task of protecting Lotus without the burden of monarchial control.

So life continued peacefully, and thus ended the Second Age.

[documented by the High Scholar Aronalstai]