The Elemental War: Part 2 - The Fracturing

The golden harmony of the Elemental Keik Masters (EKM) began to crack as centuries of duty turned into millennia of questions. The once-proud guardians, tasked with maintaining the delicate balance of Keik World, found themselves burdened by doubt. Their unwavering purpose—upholding the balance of the elements—no longer seemed as clear as it once had.

A Rift Among the Masters

Some EKM began to ask themselves: Why should we protect those who do not appreciate or understand our role? Others questioned if the world truly deserved their constant vigilance. Slowly but surely, the pride each master held in their element shifted from a source of unity to one of superiority.

• The Fire Master saw their flames as the origin of life and destruction, believing their power to be the ultimate force.

• The Earth Master viewed their strength as the foundation of existence, the bedrock upon which all relied.

• The Water Master claimed dominion over the flow of life itself, unyielding and unstoppable.

• The Wind Master saw freedom and change as paramount, dismissing others as stagnant.

• The Light Master believed only their radiance could illuminate the path to salvation.

• The Darkness Master, however, grew quiet and distant, their thoughts turning inward as a shadow began to grow within.

This growing arrogance and doubt divided the once-unified EKM. No longer did they see themselves as equal parts of a greater whole. Instead, each began to champion their element as supreme.

Silence of the Gods

For millennia, the gods who had created the EKM had remained silent. Their absence, once accepted as a divine mystery, now became a source of frustration and anger. Some EKM questioned whether the gods had abandoned them entirely, while others clung to their task with blind faith.

This divergence of belief and purpose led to mounting tensions. Factions began to form within the EKM—those who remained loyal to their divine duty, known as The Balancers, and those who sought to dominate the elements and reshape Keik World in their image, called The Conquerors.

A Lurking Shadow

Unbeknownst to the EKM, something dark and ancient had begun to stir. The Darkness Master, struggling to understand the growing shadow within them, felt their power expanding beyond their comprehension. What they did not realize was that this shadow was not part of their elemental nature—it was an external force, an ancient malevolence that had found a host.

The shadow whispered promises of unity, of ultimate power, and of ruling all elements under one dominion. Conflicted and consumed, the Darkness Master began to withdraw from the others, their inner struggle hidden even from themselves.

The Great Elemental Division

The mounting tension reached its breaking point, sparking the event now known as The Great Elemental Division. The Balancers, steadfast in their mission to maintain harmony, clung to their divine mandate, even in the face of growing adversity. The Conquerors, emboldened by ambition, sought to claim dominion over the other elements and bend the Keik World to their will.

What began as philosophical disagreements erupted into full-scale war. The EKM, wielding elemental powers of unimaginable magnitude, unleashed their fury in battles that scarred the very fabric of Keik World. Cities were leveled, ecosystems were upended, and magic itself began to warp under the strain of their conflict.

The Breaking of the Veil

As the war escalated, the darkness within the corrupted EKM grew stronger, feeding on the chaos. The clash of elemental forces was so intense that it shattered the dimensional veil, unleashing a cascade of magic that spilled into realms beyond. This rupture empowered the shadow further, transforming the corrupted EKM into a monstrous force—one elemental to rule them all.

Abandoned by the Gods

Throughout it all, the gods who had created the EKM remained silent. Neither side received divine intervention or guidance. Their creators, who once channeled energy into the elemental guardians, seemed to have vanished entirely. The absence of the gods deepened the hopelessness of the world as the war raged on.

Prelude to Devastation

The Great Elemental Division had begun, and with it, the thousand-year war that would plunge Keik World into despair. The final blow had yet to fall, but the fate of the realm teetered on the brink of annihilation.