The Elder of the village called Heorod, took the material components for the spell out of the vast ancient treasure hidden in the ancient fortress keep that made the heart of the small community. He was sad every time the material wealth of their forbearers had to be used for a spell. This time it was going to be the costliest summons their people have done in a hundred years. He was but a small child the last time, yet he understands the risks of summoning a hero or beast from the other worlds.  

He also knew that the ancient mages who did the last summons, never taught the acolytes everything, so he was worried the results could be just as bad as the monstrosity that was targeting his people. What choice did he have, to the north were impassible mountains filled with Dragons and all manner of creatures that mere mortals couldn’t face.

To the south were the Human Kingdoms who hated his kind as mere monsters, and only valued as slaves, and the secret lands under the mountains where all kinds of evil lurked, the rumored lost empires of the dark elves and their spider god.  They couldn’t leave and staying held great risks. This latest horror from the abyss came on cloudy nights and stole away villagers. A few were eaten the rest had vanished.   

He turned to leave the treasury and sighed. Looking over the doorway that led up to the Keep. He saw the map of the world on a special tapestry.  

The land was shaped like a segmented crescent, that reached both the north and south poles before sweeping back towards the center.

The village elder has read much of the known histories, of how once the world was ruled by Great and terrible Dragon Gods, until the four world powers overturned their rule, and banished them.

To the south was the human continent. It was mostly taken up by the Hysponian Empire that was founded about nineteen thousand years ago. History records that an army of well-trained elite troops made up of High Humans conquered a city to the south, they slowly created the first Human Empire, the remaining nations on that continent are a part of a Commonwealth that owes allegiance to the High Humans and the Emperor of Hysponia.

To the North, and where their village technically sat was the Continent of Dragons. Unlike the human continent, demi-humans ruled the vast majority of these lands. There was Elves of the Faelands on the west half of the continent. At the top of the world, Dwarves maintained a throne at what they called the true North Pole. In the eastern part of the continent was an array of Empires. Unfortunately, the southern portion sat the massive Dragon Mountains, this was where their village could be found. Some of the peaks are believed to be so tall as to be outside of breathable air.  Under these mountains are cavernous lands known as the Darklands, they are ruled by Dark elves, and other beings that never come up to see the daylight. This is where the problem lies for his village, every hundred years or so some monster or other fiend finds the route to the surface that leads to their village. Fortunately, such beings have little tolerance for light, and tonight’s full moon is not only a perfect time for summoning aid but also a reprieve from the assault by the creature.

He looked again to the map and wondered what the other two major continents in the southern hemisphere were like. All he knew was they were split in twain by a river that was large enough in places to be considered a long narrow sea. With the western side being mountainous with large jungles, and the eastern side to be a flatland with grassy plains, those lands where nearly inaccessible by land, with a massive dessert separating Hysponia and the lands to the south.

After a moment’s pause, he checked the offerings in his hand and left out the door and up the stairs to the waiting courtyard with his collection of treasures.