A vast darkness blanketed the land.  Life as most know it simply
did not exist.  Ravaging thunder echoed through valleys, the fierceness
of storms wreaked havoc throughout the defenseless realms.  Cosmic forces 
beyond comprehension toyed with would be heroes on a regular basis.  A 
desperate need for control and some semblance of order was truly what 
these realms needed.  No hero could save them.  No one being standing
by itself could counteract the pure furiosity of the cosmos.  At least,
that's what was believed by most.
   Deep inside the caves of the valiant, a small community of humanoids
struggled day by day, hour by hour, to survive the ruthless trials which
their dangerous environment continuously slew upon them.  Creatures from 
fairy tales and storybooks were a reality here and most of these people 
knew better than to doubt a child's nightmare or a sage's vision.  They 
drudged onward, never giving in to the ease of death.  Someday, most 
thought, there _is_ going to be peace and order in these realms.
   Years passed and generations dwindled and still there was no sign of 
change.  Disease swept through the caves more than once and annihilated 
over half of the inhabitants each time it visited.  Mothers cried, 
children wailed, and fathers drew grim faces each time they dared journey 
outside those caves.
   Decades passed, though time was strangly immeasurable deep inside 
those caves, and the population of them was dwindling.  Each time a child 
was born, the cave dwellers held conferences deciding the fate of them 
all.  Once such birth, and one such conference, changed the fate of the 
realms.
   Not much is known about this sacred child or how the dwellers knew he 
was in some way special.  But they knew.  As the child advanced through 
his years, he began to show signs of leadership and an incredible sense 
of honor.  The elders of the caves began to give way to the decisions 
made by this child, barely even a man then.  On his twenty-first passing,
the child, or man, or leader (as most saw him then), decided to leave the 
caves and journey into the unknown.
   Years before, the exits to the caves had been sealed off by those who 
believed that there would never be peace found outside them.  The leader 
broke down those barriers and lead a band of explorers into the perils 
outside of the caves.  The dwellers would never see those faces again.  
They never returned.
   Years passed and the ground-shaking thunder that once was felt 
throughout those caves seemed to come less often.  Disease and plague 
were absent.  Life was growing easier inside those caves and after some 
more years it was once again decided to journey outside them.  
   This journey, however, did not end as all the others did.  Upon 
reaching the exits to the outer realm, the dwellers were stunned at what 
they viewed.  Smiles danced across each face and shouts of joy echoed 
down through the cave.  They were awestruck.  It was a miracle of 
unbelievable proportion.  For the first time in many generations, they 
saw the sunlight.
   For some it was frightening.  There had been histories written about 
such sunlight, how it warmed the skin and filled one full of happiness.  
None dared dream that they would witness it first hand.  For some time, 
they danced to the beat of makeshift drums and sang in unison their 
praise to whatever was responsible for the sunlight.  In the clouds
high above them, the leader sat quietly and watched them, tears of
joy and happiness sliding slowly down his face.
   After a time, the leader decided to make his presence known.  He 
waited until nightfall when all were circled around a magnificent bonfire 
still singing, still dancing.  He walked slowly towards the fire, out of 
the shadowed forest.  Cries of alarm greeted his arrival and the warriors 
of the group hastily stopped dancing and singing and went for their 
weapons.  One of the elders of the group stared in stunned silence at the 
mysterious figure walking towards them.  The elder raised a hand and 
shouted for the others to wait.  He then walked slowly towards the 
unknown figure and stopped a few feet before him.
   With pure disbelief, the elder questioned the visitor with one 
word, "Vall?"
   The dark figure nodded.
   The elder gaped openly, "But, I thought you were..."
   "Behold these realms."  The unknown figure waved his arm, encompassing 
everything around him, "Behold the Realms of Aurealis."