The Lore of INFERNA

The World That Was: Pangaea

Long before the current age of strife and demons, the world knew a different order. Four great kingdoms dominated the lands, each sovereign in their own right, each proud of their heritage and power.

The Four Original Kingdoms

Esford - The Northern Realm

The kingdom of Esford ruled the frozen northern territories, its people hardened by endless winters and constant struggle against the elements. Known for their resilience and military discipline, Esford's warriors were considered among the finest in the old world.

Orin - The Eastern Kingdom

To the east lay Orin, a realm of scholars and craftsmen. The kingdom was renowned for its master smiths whose work was sought after across all lands. The forges of Orin produced not just weapons and armor, but works of art that combined beauty with deadly efficiency.

Caratas - The Southern Empire

Caratas controlled the fertile southern lands, blessed with abundant harvests and natural resources. This prosperity allowed them to develop a sophisticated culture of art, philosophy, and magical study. Their mages were without peer, and their libraries held the accumulated wisdom of ages.

Jerro - The Western Dominion

The western kingdom of Jerro was a land of contrasts - from burning deserts to lush oases. The Jerrites were known as fierce warriors and shrewd traders, their caravans connecting the four kingdoms through extensive trade routes.

The Age of Unity

The Endless Wars

For centuries, these four kingdoms existed in a state of perpetual conflict. Border skirmishes evolved into full-scale wars, trade disputes became blood feuds, and generations grew up knowing only hatred for their neighbors. The constant warfare drained resources, stunted progress, and left countless dead on forgotten battlefields.

The Regiises Family

In this age of darkness arose an unlikely force for change: the Regiises family. Through a combination of political marriages, economic influence, and sheer diplomatic brilliance, this family had gained significant power in both Orin and Jerro. They saw what others could not - that united, the four kingdoms could achieve greatness beyond imagination.

The Path to Peace

The Regiises orchestrated a masterful diplomatic campaign:

1. The Eastern-Western Alliance: First, they convinced Orin and Jerro to form a defensive pact, using their influence in both courts.

2. The Counter-Alliance: Seeing this union, Esford and Caratas were forced to form their own alliance to maintain the balance of power.

3. The Great Negotiation: With the kingdoms now in two balanced blocs rather than four warring states, the Regiises proposed something radical - total unification.

The Pact Unitates

After years of negotiation, threats, promises, and compromise, the impossible was achieved. The four kingdoms signed the Pact Unitates, a document that would reshape the world:

• Open Borders: Citizens could travel freely between all territories
• Free Trade: Goods and services flowed without tariffs or restrictions
• Common Defense: An attack on one was an attack on all
• Shared Knowledge: Libraries and schools opened to all citizens
• United Council: Representatives from each kingdom would govern together

Thus was born Pangaea, the united empire.

The Golden Age of Pangaea

Under the Pact Unitates, Pangaea flourished as never before:

• The smiths of Orin armed the warriors of Esford
• The mages of Caratas shared their knowledge with all
• The traders of Jerro connected every corner of the empire
• The northern fortresses protected all from external threats

Cities grew prosperous, art and culture thrived, and for the first time in memory, children grew up without fear of war. The Regiises family, now recognized as the architects of peace, held positions of honor (though not absolute power) in the united government.

This golden age lasted for nearly a century, long enough that the old hatreds were becoming mere stories, told by grandparents to disbelieving children who couldn't imagine their neighbors as enemies.

The Night of Infernumantis

The Ancient Evil

Infernumantis was a name spoken only in whispers, found only in the oldest texts, dismissed by most scholars as myth. The ancient demon, they said, had been banished from the world in an age before memory, sealed away by magic that no longer existed.

They were wrong.

The Catastrophe

No one knows exactly what triggered the return. Some blame ambitious mages delving too deep into forbidden magic. Others whisper of cultists who actively sought to break the ancient seals. What is known is this:

On a night that started like any other, the world changed forever.

The Signs

• The sky turned black at midday, not with clouds but with an unnatural void
• Animals fled in all directions, driven by primal terror
• The ground trembled, not with earthquakes but with something trying to break free

The Rifts Open

Then came the rifts. Not one or two, but hundreds, perhaps thousands, tearing open across Pangaea. From these hellish portals poured creatures of nightmare:

• Demons of every shape and size
• Corrupted beasts that had once been normal animals
• Undead horrors animated by infernal energy
• Things that defied description or understanding

The Vanishing

The greatest horror was yet to come. As the largest rifts opened in the east and north, witnesses reported seeing the very land being pulled into them. The kingdoms of Orin and Esford, millions of souls, centuries of civilization - all vanished into the hungry void. Some say they could hear the screams for days afterward. Others insist they sometimes still do.

The Shattering

Immediate Aftermath

The survivors of Caratas and Jerro faced a transformed world:

• Half of Pangaea was simply gone
• Rifts continued to spawn monsters
• The infrastructure of the united empire collapsed overnight
• Refugees flooded the remaining kingdoms

The Blame

In their grief and terror, the survivors sought someone to blame:

Jerro claimed:

• Caratas mages had caused this with their reckless magical experiments
• The southern kingdom had always been jealous of the west's prosperity
• Caratas had made secret pacts with demons for power

Caratas accused:

• Jerro had harbored demon cultists in their trading cities
• The western kingdom's greed had led them to make deals with dark forces
• Jerro traders had sold cursed artifacts that weakened the ancient seals

The Second Shattering

The Pact Unitates, already meaningless with half its signatories gone, was formally dissolved. But worse was to come:

• Border conflicts resumed almost immediately
• Each kingdom sealed its borders, trapping refugees
• Trade ceased entirely
• The common language began to diverge

The Language Divide

Within a generation, Jerro had developed its own dialect. Within two, it was a separate language. This linguistic drift, perhaps intentionally encouraged by both governments, made any hope of reconciliation even more remote. Today, few in either kingdom can even speak to their enemies without translators.

The Current Age

The Eternal War

Now, centuries after the Night of Infernumantis, Jerro and Caratas remain locked in bitter conflict:

• Regular battles over resources and territory
• Each blames the other for every new rift that opens
• Propaganda ensures each new generation hates more than the last
• Any suggestion of peace is treated as treason

The Demon Threat

While the kingdoms war, the true threat grows:

• Rifts continue to appear randomly across the lands
• Demon forces grow stronger with each passing year
• Some areas are completely overrun, becoming demon territories
• Ancient magics and weapons are being lost faster than they can be rediscovered

Questions Without Answers

Many mysteries remain from that terrible night:

What really caused the return of Infernumantis?

• Was it magical experimentation gone wrong?
• A deliberate summoning by cultists?
• Or was it simply time for ancient seals to fail?

What happened to Orin and Esford?

• Were they destroyed utterly?
• Pulled into a demon dimension?
• Could they somehow still exist, waiting for rescue?

Who truly bears responsibility?

• Is one kingdom really to blame?
• Were there traitors working for the demons?
• Or was this disaster beyond any human cause?

Can the rifts be permanently closed?

• Ancient texts hint at a way, but the knowledge is fragmented
• Would it require the kingdoms to work together?
• What price would have to be paid?

The Role of Heroes

In this age of darkness and division, heroes arise from both kingdoms. These brave souls - warriors, mages, assassins, and half-demons - fight not just for their faction but for the survival of the mortal world itself.

They delve into forgotten ruins seeking lost knowledge. They battle through demon-infested dungeons for artifacts of power. They close rifts when they can, buying precious time for humanity.

Some even dare to dream of something more - of uncovering the truth behind the Night of Infernumantis, of finding a way to permanently seal the rifts, perhaps even of reuniting the shattered kingdoms against their common enemy.

But for now, the war continues, the demons grow stronger, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance.

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The Mysteries of the Past

The Regiises Legacy

What became of the Regiises family? Some say they perished in Orin when it vanished. Others believe descendants still live, working in secret toward reunification. There are even wild tales that they orchestrated the catastrophe itself, though for what purpose none can say.

The Lost Archives

The greatest libraries of Pangaea were in Orin and Caratas. With Orin gone and Caratas's libraries damaged in the chaos, much knowledge was lost. Adventurers sometimes find fragments of old texts in ruins, pieces of a larger puzzle that might hold the key to salvation.

The Demon's Purpose

Why did Infernumantis return? What does the ancient demon want? Is it simple destruction, or is there a deeper plan? Some scholars who have studied captured demon texts (at great risk to their sanity) suggest the invasion is not random but follows some incomprehensible pattern.

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The story of INFERNA is one of paradise lost, of unity shattered, of brother turned against brother while an ancient evil laughs. It is a tale still being written, and the heroes of today will determine whether it ends in humanity's extinction or redemption.

Will you be the one to uncover the truth? Will you find a way to heal the wounds of the past? Or will you simply fight to ensure there is a tomorrow?

Your legend begins now.