you’re no hero to this story

as a whole, they’re all broadly referred to as “the precursors,” “vesperia’s council,” or on the rarer occasion, “the ancient builders,” though the term precursors is probably the most accurate. while they were in fact members of vesperia’s council ( formed by steve, alex & herobrine when the population of their city became too large to rule over without assistance, ) the council also had several non-precursor members as well.

while steve, alex & herobrine were originally the only ones referred to as precursors ( proto-humans/proto-villagers created by the maker themselves, ) the definition has since been shifted to include a rare subset of folk who were born from humans/villagers but still held all the components of a precursor— immense physical prowess, unique & inhuman features, and a core. while the main three are considered gods in their own right, the remaining seven are considered demigods.

( glossary, if needed )

THE PRECURSORS:

STÉPHANOS “STEVE” ACHAKZAI

second-born of the precursors, but by far the most well known— and for good reason. though his most popular feat was constructing the city of vesperia— the cradle of civilization on farceniem— he was also an incredibly talented artist and musician whose skills helped shape the arts as the world knew it. by far one of vesperia’s most beloved rulers, his murder ( the permanent shattering of his core ) at the hands of herobrine was a major factor in vesperia’s eventual collapse. in most of modern of history, steve has been regarded as a tragedy— solely reduced to a victim of herobrine’s crimes. by proxy, his identity as an artist and a trickster has slowly been erased in favor of a more saintly image. that’s not to say he’s gone forever— legends say that a soul can live on inside a core, even if it’s shattered. some claim they’ve seen ghostly visions of him in times where the natural magic of the world is heightened, still strumming away at some long-forgotten song.

ALEXANDRA “ALEX” ACHAKZAI

third-born of the precursors, and the youngest out of the main three. her age in comparison to her brothers did nothing to negate her skill— she was regarded as vesperia’s most competent and accomplished ruler. not only was alex credited with the discovery of magic, but she helped lead early humanity through the wither crisis, commanded vesperia’s armies, helped form the council, and was said to have stayed in vesperia amidst it’s collapse despite the rest of the council disbanding. after that, though, she vanished— her reputation bastardized ( for not being able to single-handedly stop the collapse of an empire, ) and many early historians discredited her existence as a whole. those who wander into the swamps, however, may encounter various covens of witches who tell tales of a lone goddess, their loving protector, who sails the waterways of the world via. houseboat— of which acts as a floating archive of long-forgotten magics.

SUNA “SUNNY” JADRAN

unlike the other precursors, sunny’s formative years were filled with strife— he spent most of his early life being exploited for his superhuman abilities. though he eventually escaped and made his way to vesperia, he hid his precursor identity and lived a troubled life that often landed him in trouble with the law, working off his sentences in the mines. it’s here he gained a fascination with redstone— and although he often used it to aid in his crimes, his prowess with the previously unused ore gained the attention of steve, who scouted him for vesperia’s council. though an odd addition, sunny’s mad genius helped revolutionize the use of redstone in engineering— both in the time of the ancient builders and now. sunny was the first to flee during vesperia’s collapse, and nobody’s really sure what became of him. whispers get around, though, that amongst various leagues of thieves or wild gangs of the world, there’s a man with a talent for redstone like no other.

MENNAUKAI, “KAI”

supposedly born in the easternmost mountains of farceniem, kai’s early life amongst the coldest reaches of the world set them up as an excellent survivalist— a skill that would eventually land them on the precursor’s council, working under herobrine. though realms such as the nether and the end had been discovered before vesperia’s establishment, much of the main trio’s time was spent running the city, leaving them mostly unexplored. kai’s work changed that— they helped map the realms while studying the land and the creatures in it, and historical records even indicate they may have pioneered an early version of the nether rails. their role during the fall of vesperia was documented in great detail: they helped immigrate survivors into the end, leading to the construction of the now-abandoned but once-great end cities. their trail goes cold there, and most historians agree they most likely transformed into an enderman with the rest of the humans occupying the realm. some in the modern day, however, whisper of a strange hunter still wandering around the mountains— one who’s got their focus set on the rising sculk problem.

MAKENA MAHI’AI

while all the other precursors were land-dwelling, makena was known for her sea-legs— born amongst the southernmost archipelagos of farceniem. while occupied by guardians and sentries, early humanity had yet to conquer the vast oceans until makena arrived in vesperia. she was quickly scouted by herobrine, and on the council she worked closely with vesperia’s people, training explorers and merchants alike on the art of sailing. while mostly known as the reason vesperia had a powerful naval fleet despite being in the heart of the desert, she also acted as a foreign communicator and was beloved by her people for her radiant optimism. when vesperia collapsed, it’s said she tried to evacuate as many people as she could back out to sea with her, though nobody can agree how the story ends. occasionally, those who were once lost out at sea describe tales of a beautiful goddess out in the open ocean who rescued them and led them back home.

ZURI KIBET

the youngest of all of the ancient builders, zuri had the special honor of being the first ( and only ) precursor to have been born into vesperia itself, while it was at the height of it’s prosperity. while the council didn’t interfere with his early life, they did keep an eye on him as he grew into a brilliant young man and a talented mathematician. he eventually joined the council under alex’s guidance, starting as a diplomat and scribe but eventually working his way up to becoming the court’s high treasurer and demographer. there’s little to no information of what happened to him after vesperia’s collapse, but there are still whispers of his presence in the modern age. while many folk in farceniem usually don’t question the presence of a wandering trader, those curious of their origins may learn of a secretive trading guild ran by a man from times far past.

EFETOBORE “EFE” KATIRCI

originally born into a caravan of nomadic villagers, efe spent most of her early life learning all walks of magic as she traveled the world; her natural affinity towards it as a precursor had her surpassing her mentors with spells that had taken them lifetimes to master. this talent led her to vesperia, where she was taken under alex’s wing— first as an assistant and archivist, though she later worked her way up into becoming the court’s head alchemist and grand enchantress. it’s said she remained by alex’s side through the worst of vesperia’s collapse, but was forced to flee. there’s not much information of what became of her after, though historical records found in various illager houses state she may have been involved in their uprising; when villager society put a ban on certain magics, efe rallied those against it and encouraged the creation of a faction centered around the use of all magic ( harmful or not ) and the preservation of ancient technology— eventually leading to the formation of the illager empire. if she’s still involved with the empire, however, it’s a secret that’s been closely guarded by the illagers.

ARIANTAS “ARI” LYKOS

far before she joined the council of vesperia, ari was something of a folk hero amongst the various villages that scattered farceniem’s landscape. known for her immense physical strength, talent for monster hunting, and a passion for regaling tales of her adventures, ari’s reputation far proceeded her by the time she ended up in vesperia. she was quickly taken under herobrine’s wing, using her skills as an expert tracker and hunter to train leagues of rangers and soldiers, preparing them for whatever they may face outside the city’s walls. though a part of the vesperian council, more often than not, she was out exploring the world as one of the first proper cartographers of farceniem. no one’s sure what became of her following vesperia’s collapse, and no myths have followed her into the modern age. she’s still around, though— wandering the world as a self-proclaimed archeologist, trying to uncover what little remnants remain of a history she once belonged to.

NOORULLAH “NOOR” AL-MASRI

though originally a vital member of the precursor’s council, noor’s name now carries a heavy weight of loss and mystery with it. he was once known as a brilliant stonemason and architect, working closely with steve during vesperia’s earlier years in the making of the city. he remained a prominent member of the precursor’s court throughout vesperia’s reign, managing city planning, construction and vesperia’s expansive system of mines. when vesperia fell, not many hesitated to follow when he made plans to lead his people further underground. though almost all the information of this feat have been lost in the modern era, the existence of various underground cities spanning the world implies he must have raised a successful empire in the wake of vesperia’s collapse. nobody’s sure when or why the sculk appeared in these ancient cities, or if he had any role to play in it at all, but those who wander into the deep dark and manage to come back alive say he may still be down there— maddened by the sculk, but not all-consumed by it like others who get infected— and if so, many hope he’ll be able to solve the many unanswered questions about the sculk before it reaches the surface.

AVIEL “AVI” ACHAKZAI HEROBRINE

firstborn of the precursors, and the first person to ever walk the surface of farceniem. though not as directly involved with vesperia’s making as his siblings were, his influence was still vital to humanity’s success. he taught early mankind how to hunt, to tame beasts, and how to sow seeds. this has all but been forgotten, though— any information of his role in ancient civilization has been wiped out by his own people after his murder of steve. his statues were destroyed, manuscripts featuring him erased, all depictions and traces of him purposefully erased from history. nowadays, all that remains of him is myth and a single name that’s somehow survived through the ages— herobrine. in the modern age of farceniem, he’s known as a bastard god of humanity’s underworld: representing liars, thieves, assassins, and murderers. though worshipped in these dark undercurrents of humanity, most only see him as nothing more than a common boogeyman— and that’s how he likes it. nobody suspects that the feeble-looking old man sitting on the street is actually a highly skilled assassin, much less an ancient god— and he plans to keep it that way.