Ombric

Overview

Deep in the underworld dwell the Ombric - a civilization long misunderstood and unfairly demonized. The common belief, repeated in every Arvendorian text for millennia, is that the Ombric are a monstrous people born of pure evil. But that version of history was written by victors and steeped in propaganda.

The truth is far more complicated.

The Ombric were once Arvendorian. In 3200 AR, they were cast out and banished to the depths of the underworld. The official reason for their exile has been lost to time, but the result was centuries of isolation, starvation, and bitterness. In the dark, they adapted. Their bodies changed, their culture evolved, and their hatred grew. Hatred was all they had left. It was hatred for the Arvendorians who condemned them to the cold, lightless void.

Generations later, the Ombric became what the surface world feared most. Their anger shaped them - not just spiritually, but physically. Some transformed into creatures that reflect their rage and sorrow. Others clung to their humanity, trying to preserve what little of it they could. Because beneath the monstrous legends, they are still people. They have families. They have elders and leaders. They drink together, laugh together, raise their children, bury their dead, and dream of the world above. They love and care for one another, even if the surface will never believe it.

But after thousands of years of Arvendorian propaganda, the Ombric have become the villains of every tale. To most land dwellers, they are nothing but nightmares. They are seen as the embodiment of corruption. Few question it. Few even try to.

And yet, among the Ombric, there are those who have truly embraced the darkness. Ravenna and Astaroth stand as proof of what happens when hatred becomes more than emotion - when it becomes power. They do not simply endure their anger; they indulge in it, wield it, and twist it into fuel.

Still, to say the Ombric are all evil is to ignore the truth. They are not monsters by nature. They are victims of design. They are shaped by the cruelty of the Arvendor and the long, deliberate lie that evil is who they are.

History

The Ombric were not always monsters spawned from the depths. They were once Arvendor. Members of the very civilization that now holds them captive. Generations ago, the Arvendor leadership made a deliberate choice. In 3200 AR, the Arvendor exiled their own people to the underworld, casting them into darkness with the knowledge that isolation and suffering would transform them over centuries. Something changed in them in the depths. Or more accurately, the Arvendor made certain something would change.

What the Ombric do not know is that their entire civilization was manufactured. They are not a natural evil that emerged from the earth. They were crafted. The Arvendor designed them to exist for a single purpose. They were meant to be enemies. They were meant to rage and fight and wage war. Because when they do, when the battles rage fierce and the bodies pile high, their death and suffering feeds the Runemark of Eternity. The Ombric are fuel. They have been fuel since the beginning of recorded time.

The Great War between the Ombric and Arvendor in 8,700 AR was orchestrated. The Arvendor planted the seeds of hatred in the exiled people. They ensured the memory of defeat would burn bright. They made certain that revenge would become the driving force of an entire civilization. The Ombric believe they are fighting for freedom and justice. They believe their rage is righteous. They believe their wars matter.

None of it is true. It is all theater. A cycle maintained for thousands of years. The Arvendor know. The elite know exactly what they are doing. Most Ombric will never know. They will live their entire lives thinking they are warriors fighting against oppression. They will never understand that their oppressors created them specifically to be oppressed. They will never know they are not fighting a war. They are making a sacrifice.

For more detailed context on this hidden history, see the History page.

Recent Developments

The ruler of the underworld is dying. A struggle for power has begun among the Ombric factifons. This creates an opportunity for ambitious leaders to rise.

Astaroth is a master of manipulation. He sees the dying ruler as his chance to rise to supremacy. But he does not wait for the underworld to settle its internal conflicts. Instead, he spreads chaos across the world above through secret schemes. Few realize the danger he poses.

His influence has reached the surface through a secret pact with Oilegeist, a member of the Oakenra elder council. This hidden alliance gives Astaroth power in the world above. It could tear apart the world above, piece by piece.

The Ombric are rising. They are spreading chaos across the land. Once-hidden civilization emerges from the underworld. They are unleashing sinister powers. They are sowing fear among the surface dwellers. They represent an existential threat to the stability of Solaris Isle and beyond.

The seals that held them are weakening. Or perhaps more dangerous, someone from above is helping them break free.