The world, Atreia, had one side, not two, and we were all brothers. We looked the same, we had the same ideals, and we shared a common purpose: to protect the Tower of Eternity. When they failed, they destroyed everything. Our world and our people ripped into two divided halves.

This half of the world is Asmodae, the Asmodian home. After the Cataclysm, we adapted and survived to live in the darkness and to face the unknowns that now lived in that darkness. Every day we learned from our new environment, and this land opened our eyes to new possibilities, giving us unwavering strength to rebuild. We have achieved much, though what we learned we did through hard-won experience. It isn't every day you are given the opportunity to start over, to right your wrongs.

My name is Kineas, and I am a Daeva, an Asmodian created during the great struggle against the Balaur. My people have done whatever we had to in order to secure our rightful place in Atreia, and we will do whatever we need to in order to protect what is rightfully ours. If the Elyos crave war, then war they shall have. The time for peace is gone, and retribution is now our only recourse.

It is my duty to set the record straight. I have written this diary to recount what led to our current situation, so that whoever reads it understands who is responsible.

Chapter 1: Unity

Before my time, Atreia was full of green lands and bountiful pastures. It was a world in which the ancient humans prospered and lived happily with their families. There were no Elyos or Asmodians, just one united human race. Atreia was one, was whole. There was no divide, not between our worlds, nor among our people.

By all accounts, our ancestors were content while countless years passed. The ancients were bafflingly blithe about their good fortune and did not celebrate the paradise that they lived in. Perhaps they took their lot for granted. Only through the benefit of hindsight do we really understand those treasures that we once had. Perhaps even the wasteland that we now call home is a paradise compared to some other land, though I find it difficult to imagine a place more trying than this.

The glory of ancient Atreia was fleeting. Little did our ancestors imagine the sleeping horror that would soon bare its vicious teeth and attack.

Read the entire Book of the Asmodians at Aiononline.com