In the beginning there were dozens of races. Some quickly found the fight of evolution too difficult and regressed back into their base animal forms. Others purely died out all together. Out of all of them only six had claim of being one of the greats. The first to achieve the pinnacle of their evolution was the Sarkeen. The creature clans that keep their forms of origin while gaining humanoid form. The largest of these clans were the Tarkeen or centaurs. The lower half horse upper half man. The second is the Markeen of minotaurs. With heads and strength like the bulls. The third is the Karkeen. Half wolf and half man. Mixed so well it was hard at times to tell where the wolf ended and the man began. They claimed the open fields of the world and are able to communicate with the animals they come from. 

The next were the dwarfish folk. Great miners and masters of the stone and metal. They made their claim of the southern mountains. The third were the giants. The strongest but most simple of people. They stayed at the base of the frigid mountains of the north as the fourth race claimed the peeks for themselves. More on them later. The fifth race was the elves. It is said they came from the trees. They took the eastern forests and had two gifts. The longest of lives and near eternal beauty that was admired by all the races but the dragons.

The last was man. Left with the swamps and endless sea of the west they made their home to rival any of the others. With the help of their great gift, knowledge! With knowledge they knew they had to be careful. The dragons gift was that they had a little of each of the others gifts and more. The ability to fly and masters of fire. It is also said their wills indomitable. However with their great gifts they had the greatest of weaknesses. Their lack in ability to breed. Only once in their lives may they be able to. The first alliance was of giants and dragons. Being so close neighbors and similar likes they became quick and strong friends with another. Spending most of their days playing games and pranks on another they lived lives like children. 

The second was between the dwarfs and man. Recognizing the others greed and talents they made the first currencies and values of mercantile. Man parted with its secret of machinery and shared one of its greater knowledge. Of a powder that could move mountains with fire. The disturbance in the dragons natural element angered them greatly and before harm was done the dragons and giants made a treaty with the other alliance. A condition was that the black powder may only be used without permission in keeping their secrets safe. Eventually the Sarkeen joined the alliance of man and dwarf and peace was in the world for uncountable years. During that time mans knowledge grew greater and stronger. They knew their secrets were coveted and well protected. So they shared the safer of their secrets freely in hopes the more dangerous ones kept undisturbed. Their greatest laws were to enforce this. 

One day they were betrayed by one of their own. He stole three books. The books of magic, black powder, and war. Man managed to regain one of their books before it left their vaults but the other two were taken by the one forever known as the eternal traitor. Whom gave the books to the Elves. Who were ambitious and tired of living as if below the other great races. First the elves recruited the lesser races threw various ways. Of conquest, lies, or bribery. The first the elves went after were the Sarkeen. 

The Markeen were the first to be turned into their slaves by magic. The second was the Karkeen. Refusing to be turned on their final brethren they fled into the wilds and went into deep hiding. The last clan, the Tarkeen. They fought as well but also lost. They turned to the lands of their allies for help. Knowing the threat that grew from the alliance the elves knew they were no match so they went to the land of giants and made them slaves as well. 

In an attack the dragons could not stop in surprise. Many dragons died in the land of giants before they could get back to the peeks. The elves knew they could never conquer the dragons so they built an outpost of warning before leaving them alone. The dragons saw the elves and kept their anger contained for a full year as one went to the land of man for aid in freeing their close friends. 

They agreed under the condition they safeguard their most sacred treasures. Then open war. As man was the true owners of magic they held no equal for a time. Till the very mana plains of their world began to rip from the over usage and miss usage by the elves. The elves managed to retain the ability to slave but all other magic was all but lost. With magic gone man's advance on the elves were reversed. Battle after bloody battle was waged until the extended lives of the elves and the experience it brings overcame the new recruits of other races. The first to be overcame were the dwarfs. Locking themselves in their mines. 

Only the mine of Tosh remained opened as it was next to the ocean and behind the mountain wall of the continent. With the needed resources of the dwarfs all but gone man began to loose more and more ground and battles until they came to their last great defense before their capital. The fortress of Parden Pass. Built into the very land and covering the only point the elves could use to access the main lands of man. 

For five hundred years it held strong but each passing year fewer and fewer dragons remained. Seeing no end to the conflict a desperate plan was formed and prepared before the leaders of the free race alliance begged the dragons to return home. To keep their own race from extinction. The dragon felt true honor in man for this and vowed to return if ever called for again. One even came back after becoming a father. Refusing to desert his post for personal survival. With one last effort man came up with one last knowledge for this dragon. Who will forever be known as a guardian of the races. 

During the final battle he alone bought time for the others to flee into the sea and swamps. To never forget this man freely gave the dragons the secret in making the armor. For whatever dragon deemed worthy of wearing it. So it has by his son when he came of age and over hundreds of years he had. He watched as man turned the furthest corner of the continent into a new capital and fortress city. Beside the mines of Tosh. By then over ninety percent of the world was ruled by the elves. All that was left was the endless sea, the northern peeks and the swamps left untouched by man. Ignored for the elves value beauty not the ugliness. They kept secret and with new knowledge the book of magic was taken back.

“Haah...Hoah...Haoh..." was the only noise that was made as a man dressed in black ran breathing heavily. His only thought was to make it to the tree line before he was brung down by an arrow. “ Got to get this to TarMarshen." 

Twenty more steps and he could pass it along. Arrows were now falling. Whizzing by his head. He gets ready to pass his package to the next carrier. A book of knowledge he stole from right under the nose of the grand sage elf himself. Presumed to be the most powerful of them all. “ Ahhh!"

he yells without loosing a step or slowing as a elven arrow strikes his back side. Ten more steps. “ Sar, I'm done." a call to conceal used to notify the Sarkeen they are needed. Five steps and he stops in his tracks when he sees the dead Karkeen. Punctured full of arrows and with elves and Markeen around him. He fell to his knees and quickly ignites the black powder bomb he was given for just that case. Twenty seconds. Another two arrows strike his back and he doubled over the book with the bomb held close in his hands. 

Ten seconds. He is pulled back showing the bomb. Five seconds. An elf immediately recognizes it and pulls it from the mans grasp before throwing it away. A moment it left his hands it went off. Killing him and many around him. Not the man with the book. The elves body took the brunt of the force before being obliterated. As a last act of defiance the man threw the book away before the others could recover from their confusion. It landed beside the dead Tarkeen and was immediately picked up. “ So the rumors are true." 

The man said as he started laughing as a Karkeen took the book and disappeared into the shadows as suddenly as it appeared. He was still laughing as his throat was cut moments later and wolf howls were heard from the distance. A forgotten call of victory not heard in a dragon generation.

A week had passed sense the failed attempt and news had finally arrived at the new human capital of Last. Ironically named for the reason that it was the only place left in the world with original works from all six of the great races. Human architecture, Dwarfish iron works, Keen straw and wood figures, Giant sculptures, dragon lanterns burning as long as the fires of dragons exist, and one elven scroll. Written by a very powerful elf that was not for the war in any way. The poem is one of sympathetic words and great hope for all but the elves. It meaning lives on in all of free will and a symbol of hope. A meeting was being held and in attendance was three dwarfs, three men, two Tarkeen, and a dragon. “ Are you sure?"

One of the men ask. The dark orb in the chest of the dragons armor turned from black to red. “ I might be young to be in this position but I have heard a wolf howl before and this was no wolf. I saw the bomb fail with my own eyes. In the flash of it. When I was preparing to leave my hiding I heard it. I watched them light torches and look for something for two days. I watched to be able to take it when they did. I came back when they stopped looking." 

One of the Tar stepped forward. “ Not to doubt you Charr but there has not been any contact with the Kar in near a thousand years. It is believed they are only wolves now." An old dwarf with the crown on it's head spoke next. “ Perhaps but they now know we are not entirely gone. They will look for the book and they will eventually find us. Our only hope is if we can get the book and the dragons come to our aid once more..."

As suddenly as the dwarf finished they noticed a disturbance from outside. They all looked to investigate from the balcony. Except Charr who left from it to a glide to see for himself what was going on. When he came back he came threw the open passage in the ceiling. He did not come back alone. He had a Karkeen in his grasp before setting her down on the table. She was exhausted and had the book as if bound to her chest. Before any did anything else she went for a nearby glass then spoke, “ Book taken elves. Saw chance. I fast. One last Kar talk. Honor old way still. Help us. They come my home soon." 

She then collapsed unconscious. The nine around the table looked at her and the book before one of the dwarfs said, “ The book must leave."