Pai-Lau is a land in chaos. At one time, there existed a great civilization. A collection of states known as the Seven Kingdoms. These empires were all great in their own right, though none so great as the might of the Elven empire, Quaal'Aneesh. Quaal'Aneesh was the first of the Seven Kingdoms to spring into being. As was inherint of its native Elves, Quaal'Aneesh quickly became the leader among the Empires. Armed with its unequaled magic, the great Elven state braved the furies of time. It watched over the Seven Kingdoms through battles and terrors. Great natural disasters and powerful vile magicks. And it stood. It stood for millenia. With the aid of the other High Races, humans and centaurs, the Elves ruled over the land with an even hand, bringing fortune to its citizens, and order to the Chaos races. For a period spanning over 700 years, Pai-Lau was a land of peace, and prosperity. 300 years ago, this peace became all but extinct.

With the help of the unwitting Chaos races, a powerful evil overtook the land. It started ever so harmlessly, only affecting the weak minds and lands of the Chaotic Ones. However, as darkness is want to do, it spread; quickly overtaking more and more of the weak-minded. Soon, this evil had also begun affecting the humans and centaurs. Yea, even some of the weaker Elven brethren were swept up into this darkness. So quickly and unexpectededly had this Evil come upon the land, that by the time Quaal'Aneesh realized what had happened, it was too late. A dark and blood y war was upon us. And there was no winner. It took many years of terrible fighting and war, but the Evil was beaten back. It cost hundreds, nay, thousands of Elven lives, but the darkness was forced into a retreat until, inch by inch, kingdom by kingdom, it was destroyed. A shattered husk of a land remained. The Elves had once again perservered, and saved Pai-Lau. But the cost was mighty, indeed. The Seven Kingdoms was no longer. The humans and centaurs had been so affected by this evil that they had fallen to the level of the Chaos races. No longer proud companions of the Elves as they once were, they contented themselves with the harshness and brutality of the gegs. All was lost.

Quaal'Aneesh tried to bring back order from the ashes of Pai-Lau, but it was not to be. The other races had fallen to the calls of Disorder and Hatred, and could not see the wisdom of the Elves outstretched hands. They fought the Elves. And so, the Elves let them be, and returned to the one remaining Kingdom. As it was in the beginning, so it is now. Hail to Quaal'Aneesh!

The past forty years have been a tumultuous time for Pai-Lau. We have all seen a lot of slavery, torture, death... well... a lot of everything. And now, we stand at the doorstep to a better life for all of us. But, it is very important that we never forget what we left behind us. Because if we forget our past, we will almost surely make the same mistakes.

If you had asked me 50 years ago what I would think if Quaal'Aneesh fell, I would have told you first that you were insane. But, in reality, I would have been hoping that maybe, just maybe, it could happen. But that was a different time in my life. A time when Slavers filled my mind with thoughts of revenge and hatred. Driddock and Skerritt were havens for runaways, and the pain of it all was overwhelming. Even when Suldraak first showed up with his armies, I was still holding that grudge against the Elven state. When the Enkari Empire formed, I was so busy pointing my swords at Quaal'Aneesh, that I didn't even notice the atrocities across the continent. And then, it happened.

Quaal'Aneesh fell.

...

I wanted to be happy. It was what I always dreamed of. The end of all that I thought was evil and corrupt in this world. It didn't take me long to figure out how wrong I was. The Enkari Empire was disgusting. It was evil and vile, and, for a while, it was perched atop this world, ready to swarm over it like the plague it was. This was our darkest hour.

It took the combined effort of Pai-Lau to keep Suldraak's troops at bay. But it was thanks to the efforts of some very noble, powerful, and well-known heroes that we were saved. Their efforts for our freedom are unparalelled, and I believe we all owe a great debt to them. I debt that I hope we can repay with the reconstruction of what used to be a great land.

Not since the Seven Kingdoms has there been so much growth and prosperity in Pai-Lau. With the formation of the Union, there are now 4 recognized governments on this continent. Admittedly, the High Kingdom and its Slavers are hardly one worth praising, but with New Bregal, The Rule of Law, and The Union watching them, changes are not far away. I see great things on the horizon.