The Shattering and the Age of Echoes

Before the present age, the First Forge burned at the heart of the known world. It was not merely a structure or machine; it possessed a living instinct capable of protecting itself. Forgemaster Prime served as its keeper and was the last remaining member of the ancient order of Master Forgers who created it. Prime helped create the First Forge, but he did not create it alone.

Within the First Forge burned eleven Affinity Flames: Arcane-Psychic, Electric, Fire, Ice, Love, Normal, Rock-Earth, Shadow, Toxic, Water, and Wind.

The First Forge was struck by an unseen force of unknown origin. Neither Forgemaster Prime nor anyone else knows who launched the attack, where it came from, or what it intended to accomplish.

When the unseen attack breached the First Forge, the Forge reacted instinctively and scattered all eleven Affinity Flames across the world before they could be captured and misused. The resulting explosion became known as the Shattering.

The blast dispersed the living forgeprints from which Forgekin had been formed. Before the Shattering, many Forgekin were unique individuals. Afterward, fragments of their forgeprints began creating new versions of those beings throughout the world. These later manifestations became known as Forge Echoes. They inherit the general form, affinity, and instincts of their Firstborn origin, but possess individual minds and experiences.

Forgemaster Prime was caught in the explosion and absorbed an immense amount of the Forge's escaping power. His strength kept most of his forgeprint intact, so very few echoes of him were produced. The original Forgemaster Prime survived and remains at the ruins of the First Forge, guarding the Forge Embers within its fractured heart.

Forge Embers are finite remnants of the First Forge's original fire. They can create things of immense power, but every act of creation consumes part of an Ember. The amount consumed depends upon the scale and power of what is created.

New Forge Embers cannot presently be made. If all eleven Affinity Flames are recovered and reunited, their combined power could allow a Master Forger to kindle new Embers and restore the First Forge.

Forgemaster Prime seeks the eleven Affinity Flames so he can restore the Forge and resume his original work. The nature of that work has not yet been revealed.

Many seek the Affinity Flames for their own purposes. Among them are the Emberbound, an independent order committed to returning the Flames to the First Forge. Forgemaster Prime did not create or command the Emberbound, but he recognizes their purpose and supports them.

The present era is known as the Age of Echoes. The Emberbound search for the scattered Flames, rival seekers pursue them for power, and Forgemaster Prime maintains his vigil while the identity of the unseen attacker remains unknown.