The Battle for the Heavens

In order to understand the races of Rukan, it is important to know the history that helped create them. To that end. I will give you the historical stories from Rukan, starting with the side of Jord.

In the beginning, the old gods lived in the heavens. They were cold and chaotic, contenting themselves with causing pain and misfortune to each other. There were none, however, as ruthless and merciless as the twins of Arex and Jinju. They were an effective team that soon demanded the obedience of the other gods. Jinju was cold and calculating, focusing her energies on plots and schemes, figuring out every angle. Once the planning was complete, she would release her brother Arex, on the intended victim. Arex followed his sister’s orders to the letter, ruthlessly unleashing the diabolical plans with unmatched ferocity. It was therefore no surprise that soon the other gods begrudgingly accepted Arex and Jinju as their rulers.

For a time the twins were content to torture the other gods but soon grew bored with the reactions of their subjects. It was all so predictable. So Jinju devised a plan to relieve the boredom. She offered her brother a challenge. They would create a world together, then on the world, they would each put one race of their own creation. They would then match the races against each other and see which would be victorious. Arex willingly agreed, wanting to prove that he could do more than just follow his sister’s orders.

So they set about creating the world, which they named Rukan. Once they believed that they had the perfect battlefield for their little game, they each began creating their races in secret. Each race took after its creator, both in appearance and in talents. The Jin, Jinju’s creations, Had large, scaly wings and walked on two legs, much like herself. They had smooth, shiny skin and shape features. Long, dexterous fingers graced their hands, to better use the tools and weapons their brilliant minds created. They were cunning and intelligent, which they used to outwit and outmaneuver their foes.

In contrast, Arex’s Rexi were built for brute strength and radiated power. Each was a brutal fighter, able to overwhelm ten Jin in hand-to-hand combat with ease. Arex did not give his race much in the way of intelligence, instead of focusing on muscles and natural weapons built into their serpentine bodies, which were so much like his own. Their bodies spoke of death and were made for killing. Sharp teeth graced reptilian mouths. Long claws could be extended from strong hands at the end of powerful arms. When they moved, the undulating lower half of their bodies was like a snake when it had found its prey. The end of their tails even came to a point and was razor-sharp, in case their other weapons failed. Unknown to the other, both Arex and Jinju had given their race life by using part of themselves, a hunk of flesh ripped from their own bodies, making the two races part divine. It was their hope that divinity would make for better battles and give their race the winning edge.

For a time, the Jin and the Rexi served their purpose well and the old gods were pleased with the entertainment of the two race’s struggle and suffering. However, the Jin soon began to realize that they had been put on the world and made to suffer for the amusement of the gods. They became bitter and angry at their creators and started to plot in secret. When the time was right, the Jin tricked the Rexi into helping, knowing a rebellion against the twin gods would only succeed if both races worked together. The Rexi and Jin stormed the heavens to battle with the gods that had made them.