The STARGAZERS
An elegant race from a more civilized era, the Stargazers are one of the oldest living species known to this day. A race so much more technologically advanced than any other within the Galactic Realm that they believe themselves to be the true shepherds of the universe. They boast numerous advanced mobile assault battlesuit designs that outperform nearly every other counterpart. However, this pales in comparison to their understanding of the void. For millennia, their culture has studied the ways of the Celestial Realm, and there is no other race in the known galaxies as profound in the arcane arts as they. They harness its energies in ways few others believe possible and strive to obtain perfection through their endless quest for knowledge.
THE FIRST MORTALS TO WALK THE REALM
At the beginning of time, as we know it, when the universe was given life by the conjoining of Nytthos and Xemera, many other Novotaerans eagerly sought to gain their favor. One such being was named Amatsu. She wished to provide a proof of concept to the ascended council. That organisms within the mortal realm could, in fact, become self-aware. She wished to test what she referred to as the theory of belief. That if beings believed in the Novotaeran fervently enough, to the point of worship, it would, in fact, give them greater power in turn. Naturally, Nytthos was curious about this theory and gave Amatsu his blessing to proceed with her experiments. And so she began crafting a new species to inherit the Galactic Realm. A race that would be elegant and intelligent, gifted in all manner of speech craft and diplomacy. They would possess a sense of duty and purpose. They would be poetic in nature and in tune with their surroundings, like the noble animals that prowled across the various worlds throughout the star systems. But above all else, they would have a hankering for knowledge. At the same time that Amatsu worked on her greatest creation, many of the other Novotaerans caught wind of her theory. They, too, set out crafting new races to display before Nytthos and his Queen. Amatsu was determined to outdo them all. Hers would be the template, the blueprint that others would be desperate to duplicate. Amatsu believed that her children would be mentors and teachers for the inferior races, her counterparts were attempting to create. In time, the Stargazers were born.
A FRIGHTENING DISCOVERY
As Amatsu observed her new children stride across their birth world, she marveled at her own genius. They were perfect. Elegant, beautiful creatures with pointed ears and porcelain-like skin, absent of any blemishes or faults. They didn’t simply walk, they glided across the ground with graceful steps. Each of them was the epitome of creation in her eyes. It did not take the Stargazers long to progress their civilization, such was the intellect bestowed upon them by their Mother. Massive monuments, intricately designed, were constructed. Great leaps and bounds in science and research were achieved seemingly overnight. The Stargazers continued to amaze Amatsu at each turn. However, something was still missing. There was no religion, no fervent worship, no temples to the gods of the Celestial Realm as she had promised there would be. Each time Nytthos or Xemera asked about her progress, Amatsu was forced to craft lofty excuses stating that it would take more time. But it was clear that they grew impatient and more intrigued by the other Novotaeran creations. Amatsu decided to take matters into her own hands in order to expedite the process. Without permission, she descended into the land of mortals and hid amongst the Stargazers, taking on a visage of one of their scientists. She strode their breathtaking city streets with all the pride of a mother admiring their children’s achievements. The cities were sprawling with masterful architecture. Sleek automated constructs moved about the streets performing all sorts of maintenance duties. Their pearlescent planting gleamed in the sunlight. Tears of joy streamed from her eyes at the sight of such beautiful creations that had been painstakingly crafted. However, before she could ask a passerby more about the machinations, something caught her eye. A small flash of blue light emanated from a local stall. She hurried over to the vendor. Shock filled her being as she witnessed the salesman tap into the arcane tapestry of the Celestial Realm, a once thought infeasible task, and craft a small toy automaton mimicking the ones she had witnessed earlier. As the vendor handed it to a young boy, Amatsu snatched it from his hands, demanding to know how the man was able to use such powerful creation magic. The people around her were stunned and explained that it was no special art to them, but a relatively common spell. This was the moment Amatsu realized the horrifying truth. The Stargazers did not need to worship the Novotaeran because, due to her own obsession with creating perfection, she had made them in her own image. Such was her miscalculation that her children were more than capable of tapping into the Celestial Realm at whim. Nytthos was furious with this revelation. The Celestial Realm was considered sacred ground accessible only to the ascended beings residing within. To allow mortals to harness its volatile energies at will was dangerous to both realms. He demanded that Amatsu sever their connection to the arcane lands, but it was too late. Despite her attempts to intervene, the Stargazers had advanced too far, and several of their kind had become so profane in the usage of magic that they were capable of rivaling even some of the Novotaeran. Instead, it was agreed that they would be closely monitored and, should they ever be deemed a threat, their race as a whole would be wiped from existence. Nytthos decreed that it would be Amatsu who would lead the genocide should it come to that. Besides, the Stargazers had recently made contact with the Ashenforge, another powerful race created by a rival of Amatsu, and the ascended council was curious to see how they would interact.
THE GREAT VOID WAR
The Great Void War has gone down in the records as one of the bloodiest campaigns the universe has ever witnessed. The Stargazers' attempts to show the Ashenforge the glorious wonders of the Celestial Realm fell upon deaf ears. The Ashenforge despised the arcane, believing it to be tainted in nature. Their superstitions extended to the point where they ostracized any who so much as contemplated practicing dark arts. Even those of their own race. No matter the diplomatic approach or attempts at common ground, the Ashenforge refused to see reason. Instead, they branded the Stargazers as witches and corrupted sorcerers. For the first time in centuries, the peaceful elves of the Stargazers waged war. A war that spread across countless galaxies and nearly tore the mortal plane in half. Their sleek, docile constructs were redesigned and reshaped into devastating war machines. New designs more destructive than the last were put into production. The universe burned with the flames of strife. And when the bodies of the dead were piled beyond the height of even the tallest of structures and entire solar systems were reduced to floating asteroid fields, the true apocalypse began.
A UNIVERSE TORN ASUNDER
Demons, seething, endless void born, spewed forth into the Galactic Realm. Never before had the Stargazers witnessed such horrors from the celestial plains. Their forces were suddenly buried in a tidal wave of gnashing fangs and barbed claws. The demonkin could not be reasoned with or approached. All attempts at diplomacy were hopeless in the wake of their ceaseless rage. They committed atrocities across thousands of worlds as the Stargazers desperately attempted to stem the tide. But they could not stop them alone. With reluctance in their hearts, a treaty of temporary peace was signed with their rivals, the Ashenforge, in an attempt to combine their forces to save the galaxies that still remained intact. This alliance culminated in a grand final battle upon the world of Ultima. Great Champions from both the Dwarves and Elves fought side by side for the first time in centuries. Aiduin Natsunami of the Stargazers led the charge alongside his new companion Thronic Grayforge of the Ashenforge, and together they waged a legendary battle against the shard of Kornak. Through their sacrifice, they banished the greater demon back to the void.
The war against the demonkin took nearly two thousand years. And time had taken its toll. Combined with the Great Void War, nearly four thousand years of fighting had cost the Stargazers everything. Their once proud, thriving civilization was reduced to a mere handful of worlds that struggled to survive. They were starving and desperate, but most importantly, they were tired. Tired of war, tired of hatred and bitterness. They wished to sing sweet songs and spread their melodies throughout the universe once more. A similar feeling extended through the hearts of their rivals. An accord was reached between the Ashenforge and them to finally put an end to the bloodshed. With the universe saved, it only seemed fair they should split it evenly between them. Lines and territories were drawn each race was given their fair share of a domain to call their own. For a long time, the universe finally knew peace. That was until the second coming.
RESURGEANCE
When the demonkin spilled forth from their void prison in the solar year 5200, much changed. Suddenly, the universe was thrust into chaos, and much of the old cracks and scars of the Great Void War began to show. Old rivalries and bitterness that had not been forgotten nor forgiven came to light, and once more the Stargazers unfurled their banners of war. Many new factions and civilizations have gained power over the centuries of peace, but the Stargazers are determined to display why they had the honor of being the first mortals to walk the Galactic Realm. But their numbers have never truly recovered from near extinction so many years ago. In the current Solar Year 5250, the few Stargazers that remain stride across the stars displaying their military might and knowledge. They utilize their agile, sleek battlesuit technology to best any foe that crosses their path. They field their skilled warrior casts proficient in many different ways of war, be it the way of the blade or arrow. Despite their dwindling numbers, they are still a proud race that is more than capable of holding their own in a universe of enemies. While they wage these endless wars, their quest for knowledge never subsides. They seek entrance into the Celestial Realm so that they may make themselves new homes on the golden plains. But the hardest of battles, the most personal of crusades, are still the heated, bitter wars against their old rivals, the Ashenforge. For some scars, they never truly heal.