Ginto

The Ginto (pronounced jin-toe) are a non-player race in Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen. They arrived on Terminus during the Third Era of Collisions in 450 IH.

Lore
In 450 IH, the Third Era of Collisions began, critically starting with the aforementioned Ginto. At the time of the arrival, their Infinite Union was already crippled. The Husband King of the Union, Ittero, had been exposed to a vast force of destructive power beyond even his control, and according to Semina’s complete ‘Confession’ the immortal god began to suffer from his ethereal wounds like any common creature riddled with disease. Coupled with their sudden transference to Terminus, the Bride Queen of the Union, Ginavi, chose to Descend her husband’s body to that of a High Mortal, in hopes that this would stay the supernatural death inside of him -- knowing fully it would sever her from the touch of her beloved. Yet while his condition seemed to deteriorate even further, the once glorious and benevolent captain of the Infinite Union became a gross and twisted half god, full of violent darkness. His gift of creation melded with the powers afforded to him by his encounter with Semina’s “Eyeless face of an eclipse”. While feigning a deepening of the illness, he began to raise an army of warriors twisted in his own malevolent form -- from members of the plentiful Ginto race he had so long loved and prospered.

Yet Ittero could not keep his nefariousness in the dark for long. With growing and broken hearted dread, Ginavi observed a corruption that could not be accounted for rippling through her people. The longer they were on Terminus, the deeper they were descending into depravity. A craven, vicious people, uncharacteristically violent, senseless and wild. When Ginavi confronted Ittero, the eternal groom revealed himself as the author of this fateful chapter of their reign, prophesying to her a war of Endless Night that would consume all realms. He declared his new creation the Revenant, and himself their Ravaging Lord. In a subversion of their once holy Union, Ittero begged Ginavi to wed him in the chaos, to which she replied --

'' “Permit me, beloved, to hold the face of day once more. Permit I take a final drink of sunlight in the morn, before we embrace in the night approaching.”''

Ginavi resolved a desperate plan: she would seed herself within the remaining Ginto with a portion of her power and undiminished holiness, hoping to preserve them. (This act was similarly undertaken by the Dark Myr Goddess of Bounty, Syronai, though to less fortunate effect). In the warmth of the next morning, Ginavi sacrificed herself to imbue the few remaining undefiled Ginto with her power, transforming them into a second new race, immune to the effects of the Ravaging Lord and his Revenant. These are known as the Remnant: zealous, pious warriors of exceptional abilities, with an unyielding appetite to exterminate the Revenant.

When Ittiro glimpsed the light of Ginavi’s passing, said to be manifested in a bright array of swirling, prismatic auroras that swelled across the skies and sent forth a sound that stretched across the entire planet, his howling shriek shook the land. Legend says a lone flicker of Ginavi’s sacrifice flew true and buried itself into the chest of the Ravaging Lord, his defenses stunned amidst his loss. But no evidence of this effort has endured. In a few dark days the Revenant fell upon the Remnant, and the preamble of the Deicide War was underway.

The virtues of Ginavi within the Remnant granted them great victory in this early stage. For the Ravaging Lord had not yet recovered fully from his legitimate wounds, and was little of what he would become. His army was ferocious but reckless without constant leadership, while the Remnant fought with one mind, no matter the rank. With small recourse, the Lord withdrew his forces from the region in 455, settling in a land far East, beneath Mount Hulthrr in the realm of Greater Sathe.

On nearby Olem’s Hill the Ginto set a careful watch, though they could not observe the works of the Revenant in the depths.