Far to the east of Teleria, beyond the cursed wastelands of the Brimstone Path, there lay the kingdom of Yakai, known to the other races as the Dawnlands. A land of plenty, where humans dedicated themselves to art and philosophy, free of strife that so often beleaguered their kin throughout history. They strove to build a society of honor and discipline, where the rulers were just, the warriors loyal and brave, the common man honest and hard-working. Some would say they succeeded, for a time. But no corner of the world is safe from the baleful eye of Siroth.

When mortal alliances crumbled and the Arbiter’s power waned, the servants of evil overwhelmed the kingdom’s defenses and left it at the mercy of Demonspawn legions. For centuries, the vile creatures ruled with an iron fist. Dissent was crushed without mercy, children trained as cold-blooded killers, abominations of half-demon blood were spawned into the world and brought into the ranks of Siroth’s minions.

Dubbed the Shadowkin after that conquest, the people of Yakai were forced to do Siroth’s bidding. Many were the dark deeds they had performed in his name before, at last, they could stand for atrocity no longer. The Shadowkin rose against their demonic masters, launching a rebellion that lasted well over a century and left the fertile Dawnlands devastated. Yet they stood victorious, free of the Dark One’s yoke.

To the people of Teleria, the Shadowkin had faded into myth; many believed they were all killed or turned to Demonspawn over the years, and not one soul expected these once-proud warriors to return. Curiously, it was another resurgent kingdom that welcomed them. The Dwarves had scouts and envoys braving the furthest reaches of Teleria to inform the Mountain King of what had become to the World Above during their self-imposed exile – they were the first to make contact with the Shadowkin. Representatives of both factions met at the foot of the Nyres mountain and signed a pact that would become known as the Nyresan Union.

As for the other great nations of Teleria, they regarded the Shadowkin with distrust or outright hostility. Some remembered the damage their forebears wreaked, others saw the half-demon warriors as an abomination – an affront to Lumaya. And who could fault them? Many Shadowkin still carry the curse of Siroth in their blood, and terrible was the suffering they had caused in the past. Indeed, there is much to atone for, and only time will tell if their honor can truly be regained in a new war against the forces of evil.

This lore is originally posted by Plarium via their social media channels.