Role

Chapter 1

The arials have lived as clans since they were created. In the beginning, there were
five clans. The Swiftwind, Silvertalon, Bloodwing, Blackfeather and Mooncrest.
Numerous smaller clans branched from the five original clans. As the five major
clans expanded their own lands, the smaller clans were forced together, and
eventually founded the Arial City with help from the major clans as a type of safe-
haven for all arrials. The smaller clans who had been forced to live together
became one and elected their own chieftain. Over time, the arials in the city
became so powerful that they began to push outwards against the clans. Their
chieftain claimed the title of Emperor and a great civil war erupted. The newly
formed Imperial Legions won early victories and expanded the lands of those from
the City. As they stretched themselves out, the war came to a stalemate. The clans
would not come together enough to overthrow their kinsman from the city, and the
Imperials could expand no further. After one hundred years of this stalemate, in
which the arial race was cut nearly in half, and many noble and heroic arials died, a
peace accord was reached. The borders of each clan and the Empire were set,
never to be changed. Also, in a clever ploy to keep the clans from ever uniting, the
Emperor granted a rightful claim to the Imperial Throne to each of the chieftains,
and their offspring for all eternity. He assumed that each would be so suspicious
of the other chieftains, they would never dare to trust another or ally with each
other. As the years passed, the great civil war was all but forgotten, and those in
the city lived in harmony with those from the clans. The clans adhered to the old
ways of seclusion and religious devotion, while those in the city embraced
outsiders and their ways of life. They became more human-like, and the distinct
beak and talons of arials from the clans faded into less defined features.