“So ends the fifth dispensation of Er. May He grant us His grace as we await the arrival of Men from the West.”
High-King Abimilek, SA 4830
When Aunoch beheld how Er’s children glorified their creator, he became envious. After all, he was the mightiest of Er’s servants and believed he was worthy of such reverence. So in his self-pride, Aunoch exalted himself above Er and deceived one-third of the children into following him. Of the remaining children, only a small group stood with their creator against Aunoch’s rebellion. Er called this remnant the Erdaim, or first children, and rewarded them with immortality and the seal of knowledge.
Among Erdaim follow Er’s path of righteousness and are granted their power through His unquenchable fire. They are divided into three tribes; the Elerdaim, Malerdaim, and Verdaim, and originate far to the east of the Ardamghar Mountains. Although their general nature is benevolent, the Erdaim have always prepared for war. They stood victorious against Necrath and his armies in three separate conflicts, the last of which ended with the defeat and imprisonment of the Ice Duke over a thousand years ago.
The Erdaim are taller than humans with lean, well-muscled bodies; otherwise, the two races are indistinguishable. Their movement can best be described as athletic, and their senses of sight and hearing are keener than those of mortal man. Although they can be slain, the Erdaim are not subject to the effects of aging, which lends itself to their detached demeanor.
To the newly arrived Men of the West, the Erdaim exist only in folklore, where they are referred to as shee or fey. The many ancient ruins discovered by the colonists were once great structures inhabited by the Erdaim. However, they were abandoned centuries ago as the Erdaim prepared for the arrival of western man. Thus several detachments of Verdaim have remained hidden in the wooded areas east of the Ardamghar Mountains. The mission of these long-range scouts is to observe, although a select few have secretly assimilated into western culture for even closer surveillance.
Be sure to check back for the Erdaim, Parts Three, Four, and Five, as we take a closer look at all three tribes.