he stories in the Accounts tell us of a time when our universe was alive and growing; old gods, new worlds, invincible heroes and insidious villains all played a part in the creation of life as we know it today. Once mortal and now deities, two gods and two goddesses left their homelands to cross the cosmic plain and meet at a fateful crossroads. There they would form a union with a single purpose: to succeed where their peers had failed by creating a world with a perfect, harmonious balance between good and evil. It was no small task.

Four gods from four corners of the universe. Eylin was a warrior king who, although hardened from long-fought battles, possessed unique wisdom as an experienced soldier. None of the other gods arrived with such grand fanfare as Eylin, his galloping warhorse clad in shining barding and followed by a cloud of glimmering stardust. Perceived as pompous, Eylin would later be seen as being the most insightful, patient, and wise of the four gods gathered there.

Each deity offered a proposal for the new world: Narah the Healer saw endless gardens and forests, Terinus the Craftsman envisioned structures of steel and towering statues, and Sinaeve the Tactician imagined castles and training grounds with gigantic armies always at the ready. Eylin the Warrior was last to speak. His proposal brought balance to the ideas already offered, incorporating each concept into a single world of peaceful nature, glimmering architecture, and strong armies ready to do battle with evil. This world would be nearly self-sufficient, requiring little influence on their part save for ensuring its safety from otherworldly threats.

Meeting at the Crossroads
Art by S.C. Watson

Narah and Terinus were satisfied, each being promised dominion over their respective elements of the new world. Narah would see her expansive forests and oceans. Terinus would have mortal temples built in tribute to him and the other gods. Sinaeve would see fortresses and skilled swordsmen at her call. Eylin was to become a leader, a coordinator – his proposal was the most sensible, yet he had no method of implementing it. This is why they had to work together.

Sinaeve found this unacceptable. The armies of righteousness would need a world to call home, to train and be housed upon until they were called to serve in one of many far-off wars. Eylin’s proposal would have them ignore the encroachment of evil on other worlds. To create a new paradise and escape to it was, to her, a wasted opportunity. In an unexpected twist, Sinaeve, a general of legions known for objectivity and sensibility now proved more single-minded than the grizzled warrior Eylin, who knew only aggression and combat. Unsatisfied and her complaint voiced, Sinaeve left the table and returned to her homeland. She would not be seen again until many years later.

“Now I have made you this sword, Malgradius. Let it be a sign of our friendship, and an instrument of justice for our world. Take up this weapon and become the Swordbringer.” - Terinus, upon granting Eylin the Sword of Might

The world of Terrin was named for the god who had the greatest hand in its physical making: Terinus. The Craftsman also fashioned the Sword of Might, Malgradius, from a handful of glittering stars and a breath of the darkness that surrounded them. Now a Blademaker, Terinus gifted the sword to Eylin and bestowed on him the title of Swordbringer. Holding it high to admire its impeccable quality, Eylin knew Malgradius would become a symbol of his strength and leadership for ages to come.

Narah on the other hand was busy adding color and life to their world - barren lands became fertile, empty riverbeds filled with cool, clean water, and birds took to the skies, all done with a sweep of the goddess' slender hand. Idle not even for a moment after, Narah then changed the gods' bleak, shadowy realm into the lush, green hills of Glorius, the Plane of Paradise. Gods from near and far came to observe their progress, and each marveled at the heavenly landscape of Glorius and the mortal world of Terrin below. Some, like Lunaris, Emperor of the Sky, remained to strengthen the pantheon and enjoy its bounty. Others praised Eylin's ambition and complimented the effort he and his friends had made before turning to travel home.

Glorius, Plane of Paradise
Art by Philip Wohr

When the steel cooled and Terinus’ forge fires died, the three gods took note of a silent observer hiding not far from the Craftsman’s worktable. Investigating further, Eylin discovered the dragoness Yveren, the black scales of her hide camouflaging her well against the astral plane. Her sleek design was pleasing to the eye, and although she was skittish and fearful, there was an alluring strength about her that could not be ignored. His curiosity was overwhelming, and Eylin soon developed a lasting relationship with this creature and made her his consort. With the eve of the birth of Terrin’s first mortal race rapidly approaching, Eylin, much to the chagrin of his associates, elected Yveren his queen and adviser from that moment on.

Yveren quickly became accustomed to her newfound position, and her first act was to populate Terrin with mortal creatures of her own design. Yveren’s influence upon Eylin made this an easy task, the Swordbringer ignoring Narah’s protest and commanding her obedience to his queen’s wishes. According to the Accounts, Narah created the drakadremaar as Yveren’s children, and their numbers spread rapidly and unhindered across all the lands of Terrin. Eylin’s own creation, the race of men, or eynamen, made in his own image, seemed almost an afterthought compared to the glorious drakadremaar, or “magic demons” as they would come to be known. Though carefully guided by their patron gods, the eynamen and drakadremaar often warred over territory, resources and the supremacy of their gods and beliefs. Terrin’s First Era began in blood.

It was only a matter of time before Yveren, displeased by the suffering of her children at the swords of the eynamen, would reveal herself as the treacherous beast she was. Her creation of the drakadremaar was a bid to make Terrin her own, and with Eylin under her spell, this nearly came to pass. Despite the pleadings of Narah and Terinus, Yveren’s charms could only be broken by the unexpected return of Sinaeve, the Tactician having watched from afar since Terrin’s completion. Together, Narah, Terinus and Sinaeve were able to disrupt Yveren’s hold over Eylin and reveal her to be the Chaos Serpent, an entity that feeds off of rage, anarchy, and discord. They showed him the suffering of the eynamen at the hands of the drakadremaar and the wasteland Terrin had become. At last, he saw clearly. The anger which filled Eylin in that moment also served to empower Yveren, making the two gods now nearly a match for one another as they began battling. The clouds thundered, the earth cracked open, and the lands of Terrin were bathed in shadow. Fire scorched the mortal realm and sent its people into frenzy. The introduction of Yveren’s second creation, the feral iyudrakal – true dragons, enemy to man – did little to curtail the ongoing conflict. The War of Truths had begun.

Narah and Terinus looked on in horror as Yveren and Eylin traded blows, each a terrifying sight to behold in combat. Yveren took three shapes during the fight: first, a regal woman with axe and buckler, second, the alluring black dragon who originally aroused Eylin’s curiosity, and finally her true shape, a grotesque serpent easily fifty times larger than the Swordbringer. Stouthearted and strong, Eylin was nevertheless overwhelmed by his opponent and an ominous defeat now seemed certain.

“I saw a battleground, a field of soldiers and demons, every one locked in an unending battle. The sky above thundered and sparked with light, and before it stood five figures: Narah, a woman clad in white, her hand healing the wounded below. Terinus, a man with his skin blackened from the scale and smoke of a forge, bestowing weapons on the warriors. Sinaeve, the war commander, at the front of an army of immortals. Finally, Eylin stood opposed to his queen, his sword held high in the sky, the sun behind it…” - Story I, Chapter III, paragraph 26 of the Book of Accounts

Unwilling to stand idly by, a bold Sinaeve leapt to intercept a strike meant for the Swordbringer, sparing him certain doom but condemning herself as Yveren’s claws raked across her armor and tore it asunder. The injury was fatal. Before death, Sinaeve called her many armies forth from the stronghold at Turimarc; thousands upon thousands of her devoted servants crossed the cosmos to descend upon the drakadremaar and break Yveren’s hold over Terrin. Summoning them was her last act, and without their help the armies of the First Kingdoms of Men would have been overrun by the drakadremaar horde. Additional support from powerful artifacts granted by Narah and Terinus made a victory for the eynamen certain. Sinaeve did not live to witness their triumph.

Their accomplishment coincided with Eylin’s own triumph over the Chaos Serpent. In a spectacular move, Eylin struck Yveren across the head with the flat of Malgradius’ blade, rendering her unconscious. Exhausted, Eylin could fight no more and, for the first time in his long existence, the warrior collapsed from fatigue as Yveren toppled alongside him. Leveling a killing blow was nigh impossible; try as he might, Eylin could not destroy the creature he once loved, nor could Malgradius pierce her resilient hide. Despite all her deception, Eylin took pity on Yveren. Acting together with Narah and Terinus, he chose instead to condemn Yveren to a life beyond Glorius and Terrin in a hellish place later dubbed Ves. To live in this place of monsters, smoke, and darkness was arguably worse than death; regardless Yveren would come to claim the underworld as her own treasured, twisted kingdom.

Eylin, fearing the return of his former queen, established numerous barriers between the abyss of Ves and the material plane containing his beloved world of Terrin. Yveren still seethes quietly within her Prison of Pain at the core of Ves, biding her time, waiting for the moment when the Swordbringer will let his guard down and give her the opportunity to rise again. A day of reckoning will come, and that day may come soon.

The Eylinic Temple of Marad
Art by Christian Piccolo

oday, Eylin resides within the Court of Sanhanir atop Mount Araultanen in the heavenly plane of Glorius. Together with his loyal friends and comrades, Narah and Healer and Terinus the Craftsman, they form the Sacred Triad worshiped by eynamen as the creators of Terrin. Beneath the Sacred Triad exists a pantheon of lesser powers and immortals named the Gathered Gods. They include Tirvalleis, Solaris, Anv-Kuruon, Lunaris, Slonovan of Swords, and the four winds Svakasi, Ulasi, Tyvasi, and Irdasi, among others.

“We are about to ride into glorious battle! Remember the Seven Laws. Be truthful and good. Honor yourself and others. Protect the helpless and the innocent; they look to you for defense. Follow the law, and bring law to the lawless. Combat the wicked and evil, destroy the minions of the Serpent. You already have his love. Do this, and you will earn his respect. Now, armor up...” - Trinitaus Knight Commander Ellengton

From this court, Eylin observes the material plane and influence the concepts of justice, truth, and honor. Eylin also heads the Council of Judges - a guild of spirits given the duty of deciding the fate of passed mortals. If a mortal has lived his life in pursuit of truth and righteousness, they become Honored and will be permitted to bask in the heavenly light of Glorius. Should he be cold-hearted with little concern for the sanctity of life, they are deemed Vesdamned and sent to join Yveren in the stinking pits of her lair. Seldom does Eylin pass a judgment himself, though the particularly admirable or grievously cruel have been known to receive audience with him.

Come a particularly turbulent time on Terrin, Honored souls may be called upon to become a Sojourner and return to the mortal world to fight again for the cause of good. This is a request often made by Eylin himself, not a command, and Honored souls reserve the right to decline his invitation. They have earned their place in paradise and cannot be forced to relinquish it. If an Honored soul commits a heinous or otherwise gravely inappropriate act while residing in Glorius, he has the option to seek Redemption by becoming a Sojourner to again prove his worthiness. Otherwise, they become Vesdamned and lose their chance to seek Redemption.

“As Vesel demons may whisper in the ears of men and drive them to misdeeds, a Sojourner may do the same and encourage them to do good and spread the word of Eylin. They can travel on the wind, or appear as one no different than you and I.” - Excerpt from Una Alar, a Story of Sojourners

Aside from matters of betrayal and upset amongst the Honored, life for the Gathered Gods is generally peaceful and without incident. The occasional mortal affair may stir some interest within Eylin, but largely he is content and his dominion over the material plane goes unchallenged. Law and order are prevalent amongst Terrin's races, the First Era dragons have advanced beyond their bestial fury, and a balance between good and evil stays maintained. Eylin is not entirely complacent, however; he is very aware of the resourcefulness of the Vesel demons and their desire to pillage the world of men. He does not take this threat lightly.

Eylin’s constellation is Malgradius, named after the Sword of Might that Eylin bears. It is visible to most mortals throughout the year in the northern sky but shines more brightly in the month of Nomienan. Those born under this sign often aspire to be warriors for good causes or devoted priests of the Swordbringer. Its brightest star is Point, located at the tip of the sword.

ylin’s most prominent appearance in the Third Era was his revelation to the mortal prophet Etriphocles. On one fateful night, Eylin instructed Etriphocles to record the tale of Terrin’s birth from the meeting at the crossroads to Yveren’s deception, and to see that his message reached all of his children as swiftly as possible. Too long had his people lived as primitives, unaware of his presence; now there would be a common law and the unity amongst men necessary to survive. Subsequent visits to other prophets saw the rapid construction of an organized religion, the Triad Church, arguably the most influential religious order ever formed on the face of Terrin. The stories of Eylin’s appearances, laws, and teachings were then assembled into the Book of Accounts, or more simply, the Accounts.

In Terrin’s First and Second Eras, Eylin was more openly involved with his children and visited them often. Today, Eylin rarely makes appearances to mortals, eynamen or not. His participation in the Godsdown is entirely voluntary and, more often than not, his messages are delivered by trusted Sojourners. They command a great deal of power, more than any mortal ever could, though their actions are limited to what tasks the Swordbringer has given them. A Sojourner may deliver warnings to the doomed and commendations to the virtuous, and in times of great distress may even act as leaders of armies or singular crusaders against evil.

If Eylin chooses to appear in a physical form, his manifestation is that of a heavily armored knight encased in gleaming plate and standing no less than a towering seven feet tall. Malgradius is always dutifully at his side. It has been said that his voice is thunderous and echoing, immediately garnering attention and respect, and his eyes are kindly despite their authority. A scar marks his left cheek, likely a “gift” given to him by Yveren before her fall into Ves. Many artistic renderings accurately reflect this description.

“What is that? What is that, you ask? Boy, haven’t you been keeping up on your studies? Ahh… seems not. The carefree days of youth have made your mind into mush, young man. That is a Balanced Scale, one of only two in the world! Read the plaque there, you’ll see. Honor. Law. Indivisibility. Eylin gave this to Ardis Ocrier, our second emperor, to commemorate the empire’s achievements...” - Adlim ‘Wisebeard’ of Reeys, Cathardis historian

Eylin has never been widely known for distributing artifacts with divine properties. Only on rare occasions in days past has Eylin selected a particular eynamen champion as the recipient of a specially crafted suit of armor or martial weapon. The Lost Sword of Shaleer is one such item, it being a greatsword given to Judicar Shaleer of Ca’alanor in the Second Era. The possibility for these powerful gifts to fall into the wrong hands is one reason why Eylin usually decides against giving, let alone even creating, any divine artifact. More often, Eylin relies upon Narah and Terinus to manufacture such items and bestow them on Terrin’s mortal populace.

ylin is a part of the Sacred Triad and therefore is a god of the Triad Church. The Triadic religion teaches its members that although Eylin is king of the gods, his companions Narah and Terinus must be regarded as his equals. They each had a hand in the making of Terrin and mankind, after all. This is a difficult accord for the Triad priesthood to maintain, and often Eylinic priests are awarded more authority over those of other gods, but overall the unity of the Sacred Triad is preserved. The Gathered Gods are considered lesser powers and a Triadic can choose whether to follow their supplemental teachings or not.

Outside of the Triad priesthood, Eylin’s most devoted followers are well-trained eynamen fighters. As warriors, they believe sheer might and strength will win out over the cunning and deceit of evil. Some will operate independently and smite evil as they see it, while others may hire on as mercenaries to the Triad Church and carry an official mandate to destroy such threats as the Serpent Order, Morsican monks, the Sect of the Skullwand, and the Draekaverists. Though they may not be official members of the Church, they favor Eylin as their god and many are respectful of the Sacred Triad and the Gathered Gods.

If not the warrior, guardsman, or mercenary type, one may worship more casually. They may follow Eylin as a purveyor of fairness in the lands, hoping he will bless their crops, oversee the birth of their child, and see that other personal matters go “right” rather than awry. Some primitive cultures even look at him as a tyrant and obey him out of fear of his heavenly wrath. These casual worshipers have caused trouble for the Triad Church in recent years, many believing blindly in their select god and blaspheming all others rather than deify the Sacred Triad as a whole. Aside from the eynamen, other races may see Eylin in different guises, but all of these representations share some aspect of the true Swordbringer. The elven god Aor-eld bears a marked resemblance to Eylin.

"It is these unaffiliated believers, these Separatists… none of which are members of the Triad Church… that have caused a recent upset amongst the secular population. More and more faithful have broken away from the Church to worship their individual gods. This cannot be! Eylin is our Lord, but the Sacred Triad cannot be broken…” - Peritrius Aubon

The image of Eylin's holy symbol, the Circulus, was adapted from a vision featured in Etriphocles’ original Book of Accounts. It has come to represent the power of light, unflinching courage and the indomitable spirit, depicted as a sword held up before a shining sun. This vision has been duplicated in murals and tapestries all across Terrin and continues to be one of the most striking images of the Third Era. Others claim the symbol represents the moments in our lives: birth, life, death, rebirth, the afterlife in Glorius, and reincarnation as a Sojourner with Malgradius upholding the process. Alongside the symbols of Narah and Terinus, the Circulus has come to represent fundamental law and order.

ike all priests in the Triad Church, Eylin’s faithful are divided into a series of tiers. Higher tier Eylinic priests are rumored to be the most corrupt, rather than the most pious as one might expect. Official representatives of the Triad Church maintain that its members serve the gods and the people without want, and their lifestyle, though it may seem lavish, is replete with personal sacrifice.

Emoen - The Emoen is the First Tier Eylinic priest in the Triad Church. He is young but often hardened by some form of military service, most likely his local militia or landlord’s army. An Emoen typically travels the land, spreading the word of the Sacred Triad to all those he encounters. The Emoen is also the workhorse of the Church, as this priest is required to know various forms of combat with different types of bladed weapons. He must also know the law and possess the patience to uphold the tenets of Eylin. This exhaustive preparation is necessary as he may be called to lead troops into battle one day and decide the fate of a criminal in a lord’s court the next. The Emoen is equal to the Namerci and Hammeran priests of Narah and Terinus, respectively. Being an Emoen is one prerequisite for joining the holiest order of the Trinitaus Knights.

Keshen - The Keshen is the Second Tier Eylinic priest. A Keshen is an Emoen who has been given an Eylinic temple to oversee, sometimes even overseeing its construction if the temple is not already standing. Emoen are elevated to Keshen status when they have proven themselves through many years of service to the Church, and only then if there is an opening in the ranks. Keshen generally remain at their station until they advance to Gil-Keshen or another open position in the Church. The Keshen typically does not practice martial exercises once appointed to this position, but may still be called to fight in dire times of crisis. The Keshen is equal to the High Namerci and Hege Hammerad priests of Narah and Terinus, respectively.

Gil-Keshen - The Gil-Keshen is the Third Tier of Eylinic priesthood in the Triad Church. Typically, a Gil-Keshen is given a group of Triadic temples to supervise. These may be all the temples of Narah, Terinus or Eylin inside a single county or barony up to an entire nation’s grand cathedrals. This is an exceedingly comfortable position awarded to those who have given a lifetime of service to the Church; typically in their later years, a Gil-Keshen is excused from any military obligation and tends to take up more relaxed, scholarly pursuits. Some Gil-Keshen are notoriously indolent thanks to their privileged lifestyle, but others shine as the wisest of the wise and are true founts of knowledge on par with the Athlassian Lorekeepers. The Gil-Keshen is equal to the Namarise priestess of Narah and Hauc Hammerac of Terinus.

Trinitaus Knight - The Trinitaus Knight is a devoted paladin of Eylin and is one of the finest warriors on all of Terrin. Nowhere will one find a more virtuous soul. Few can compare in combat prowess to these armored titans. And although they serve the Triad Church as a whole, they are favored by the Swordbringer and the intensity of their martial training requires that they fall under the Eylinic division of the Sacred Triad. The Trinitaus Knight is the weapon of the Triad Church and is used to strike at any who would do harm to the innocent. Their reach is as far as the influence of their religious order extends, sparing few evildoers from their wrath. Internally, the Trinitaus Knights have a rank structure of Initiate, Sevord, Hevcaptain and Commander. Any Trinitaus Knight outranks all priests of the Church’s three Triadic Tiers but is still answerable to their own superiors, the Medicio Clerics, Peritrius Council, and the Trius himself. A Trinitaus Knight is equal to other members of the Sworn Protectors: Rangers of the Rose and the Tomeseeker Sages.