Contents
In short
- Atreia is the world of AION, created by the god Aion around the Tower of Eternity (AION 1 canon).
- AION 1: the Cataclysm shatters the Tower and splits Atreia into Elysea (Elyos) and Asmodae (Asmodians), with the Abyss between them.
- AION 2 is set about 200 years later. NC’s backstory: the Tower falls again in the ‘Last War’, and the barrier disappears.
- The Empyrean Lords sacrifice themselves to raise the Bulwark, a wall of light. Beyond it, new Dragon Lords Ishtar (Elysea) and Fafnir (Asmodae) rule.
- Daevas outside the Bulwark are hunted: Ishtar turns them into fuel for Surana; Fafnir traps their light in jewels and creates Fafnites.
AtreiaAIONBalaurDaevaElyosAsmodianAbyssEltnenMorheimVerteronAltgard
Status labels: [Official] — NC’s AION 2 story pages; [AION 1 canon] — the first game’s lore as described by two independent references. Fan theories are not included.
Atreia in one paragraph
Atreia is a world created by the god Aion. At its heart stood the Tower of Eternity, full of Aion’s life energy, Aether. People who awakened to Aether became Daevas: immortal, winged warriors. Their oldest enemies are the Balaur, dragon-like beings once made to guard the world — [AION 1 canon].
In plain words: a god, a tower of life energy, winged heroes, and dragons who want it all.
Timeline
| Era | What happened | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Creation | Aion creates the Drakan as guardians; five Dragon Lords rise, and the Drakan become the Balaur | [AION 1 canon] |
| Millennium War | Over 1,000 years of war between humans and Balaur; Aion empowers 12 Empyrean Lords | [AION 1 canon] |
| Peace talks | Some Lords (led by Israphel and Ariel) seek peace; others (Azphel) oppose it. A Dragon Lord is assassinated during the talks | [AION 1 canon] |
| The Cataclysm | The Tower shatters. Siel and Israphel, the Tower’s guardians, give their lives. Atreia splits into Elysea (south, Elyos) and Asmodae (north, Asmodians), with the Abyss between | [AION 1 canon] |
| AION 1 era | Elyos and Asmodians, now enemies, fight each other and the Balaur in the Abyss | [AION 1 canon] |
| The Last War | At the end of the Elyos–Asmodian war the AION Tower collapses. Mistrust prevents a new barrier; the three-way conflict plunges the world into darkness | [Official] |
| The Bulwark | The Balaur pour in. The surviving five Empyrean Lords on each side pour their last power into a wall of light, the Bulwark. Some Lords die; others fade | [Official] |
| New Dragon Lords | Ishtar burns Poeta; Fafnir crushes Ishalgen. Lands beyond the Bulwark fall to the Balaur | [Official] |
| AION 2 (about 200 years after AION 1) | You awaken as a Daeva in a broken world and fight back from Verteron or Altgard | [Official + encyclopedia] |
The Bulwark: two walls of light
- Elysea: the Bulwark stretches between Eltnen and Interdika, leaving Elysea in silent isolation. Siel was already gone, so the five remaining Empyrean Lords completed the wall — [Official].
- Asmodae: the Bulwark rises between Morheim and Belluslan. With Israphel fallen, five Lords forged it “from their blood and souls” — [Official].
The Bulwark stopped the Dragon Lords, but the lands outside it stayed under Balaur rule — [Official].
What happened to the Daevas
- Elyos side: beyond the Bulwark, Ascension became a curse. On Ishtar’s orders, Daevas were hunted and used as fuel to make Surana; survivors of her experiments returned as twisted mutants — [Official].
- Asmodian side: Fafnir tore Daeva souls apart and sealed their light in jewels, creating hollow Fafnites — [Official].
Places NC highlights in the starting regions
| Verteron (Elyos) | Altgard (Asmodians) |
|---|---|
| Dawn Legion Base — hidden command center in Cantas Valley | Safe Haven — former criminals’ haven, untouched after the Dredgion’s fall |
| Cantas Valley — drained Odylium hub | Dredgion Crash Site — Drakana leaks corrupt the land |
| Ellun River Marsh — Illusion Cavaliers rebuild a Barrier Tower | Sanctum Outpost — Zikel’s fallen sanctuary, now a Balaur base |
| Aullaeu Village — Balaur servants at Tolbas Forest | Moslan Forest — burned by Hystan’s flames |
| Altamia Canyon — resurfaced Zumion Temple | Nornir Assembly — refugees guided by Urd |
All — [Official]. Leveling through these places: Leveling 1–45.
Dungeons with a story
NC’s Expedition pages tie dungeons to the lore — [Official]:
- Krao Cave — a sealed relic of war; the experiment subject Berk awakens.
- Urugugu Canyon — a tribe’s sanctuary where the divine bird Auldor sleeps.
- Fire Temple — a lava temple with a whispering mirror and hidden treasures (a returning AION 1 location).
- Draupnir — a cave swallowed by an unknown dimension, where Bakarma is reborn as a “new Dragon Lord”.
Read next
- Who the Empyrean Lords and Dragon Lords are: Factions and the Balaur.
- Gameplay differences from the first game: AION 1 vs AION 2.
- Pick your side: Elyos or Asmodians.
FAQ
When does AION 2 take place?
About 200 years after the events of the first AION, after a war NC calls the Last War.
Do I need to know AION 1’s story?
No. AION 2 explains its setting. Knowing the Cataclysm and the Empyrean Lords helps you recognize names such as Siel, Israphel, Nezekan or Zikel.
Who are the villains of AION 2?
The Balaur, led by new Dragon Lords: Ishtar attacks the Elyos side and Fafnir the Asmodian side, according to NC’s official story pages.
What is the Bulwark?
A wall of light the surviving Empyrean Lords raised after the Tower fell. On the Elyos side it stretches between Eltnen and Interdika; on the Asmodian side between Morheim and Belluslan (NC).
Is the AION 2 story the same for both factions?
The main events are shared, but each faction sees them from its own side, with its own Dragon Lord and homeland.
Sources
We rewrite facts from sources in our own words and link to the originals.
- About the Game — AION 2 Global official site (classes, dungeons, flight, pets) — Lore: Collapsed AION Tower, Last War, Bulwark, Siel/Israphel absence, Ishtar, Fafnir, Surana, Fafnites; world and dungeon descriptions · accessed Oct 15, 2026
- Wikipedia — Aion 2 — set 200 years after the first game · accessed Oct 15, 2026
- Wikipedia — Aion (video game) — AION 1 lore: Tower of Eternity, Balaur destroy the Tower, Siel and Israphel sacrifice, two hemispheres and the Abyss · accessed Oct 15, 2026
- Ten Ton Hammer — Exploring lore: understanding the story behind Aion — Aion, Drakan/Balaur, 12 Empyrean Lords, Millennium War, peace talks, Cataclysm · accessed Oct 15, 2026
- Steam store API — AION 2 (app 3393110), English — world 36× larger than the original · accessed Oct 15, 2026
Page history
- — First version.