Post by Vian on Jun 26, 2015 14:41:13 GMT -6
The Legend
__________________________
Long ago, in lands far to the south, practitioners of magic were often used for their skills and treated as nothing more than tools. Tired of their lot in life, they planned an uprising. Gathering their forces, they fought back, only to be met with blood, pain and anguish. Their oppressors were too numerous, too well armed. The rebellion was crushed, but the idea of freedom was not. Many years later, they banded together again, this time not for war, but to escape. A plans was made: A mass exodus, a gambit that would hopefully lead them to a more peaceful life in the Wildlands.
Through their travels north they encountered others who knew of their struggle and also wished for freedom; these sympathizers joining their ranks. Throughout their journey they faced many challenges, the foot soldiers of their oppressors sent to stop them, to bandits who attacked at night. Even the length of the journey itself began to take it’s toll, the frigid winters of the north were harsh, but not as harsh as the blazing summer sun. The mountain ranges played host to steep, treacherous paths, and the ever present fear of wild animals had the caravan on constant alert.
Many were lost in the journey, a fact that weighed heavy on all of their shoulders. Their determination, however, was stronger than their fear, and finally the mages and their numerous companions reached their destination.
The Wildlands were as beautiful as they were rumored to be. The land was crossed by a great river, which provided clean water and many fish. The lush, verdant forests provided a bounty of flora and fauna to feed their starving masses. A huge variety of herbs scattered the land, free to help mend their tired and broken bodies.The settlers marveled at the bounty mother earth had provided them; it was all they could have wished for. Weary but hopeful, they began to develop the startings of a new civilization.
In time though, as they grew accustomed to their new home, they again felt the loss of those who perished on their journey. They would never know the beauty and freedom the land they sought so desperately. The collective began to consider more forbidden magics, magics to return the fallen to the realm of the living. The first attempts at necromancy were considered failures, as they only brought forth shambling empty husks of their companions, and with each failed conjuring, grief rang out through the living. This darker magic was not unanimously accepted, and soon some of the villagers sought out to make a separate home, further away from those who fell into forbidden practices.
Feeling at loss from the failures and rejection, the remaining practitioners sought to use soul magic, more powerful than necromancy, to bring forth more complete versions of the fallen. Met with one failure after another, chances of success were looking grim. Unruly ghosts would harass the living, and not all attempts at banishing them would prevail. Still, they were unable to give up and accept their failures and losses, and an idea sprung forth to first test and perfect their skills on the elementals that wander the land freely.
Without delay, they began work on ripping the life and soul out of the elementals. They found several ways to manipulate the energy of the souls, aside from their initial studies of returning the elementals to their former selves. It was found they could manipulate them into a tangible form, to then use for creating magically attributed tools, and even weapons.
The elementals, though once unfazed by the movement of people into their home lands, began to turn violent, enraged by the magic being used on them. Buildings were scorched, farmlands were flooded, and powerful winds raged across the open fields. Lives were lost as nature’s fury tore through the homes that were built with hope, and the ones who stood to stop their attacks. As magical blood spilt into the soil, the earth wept; marking the beginning of a long line of changes to the land.
Due to the constant onslaught of elemental attacks, the humans took to carving out underground hallways to safely travel from point to point. Using their magic to drag stone from the mountains to line the walls. Tunnels connected building to building in an ever increasing labyrinth and with time covered much of the land below. Chambers were constructed to house supplies and people alike, some rumored to contain great treasures, some heavily sealed and rumored to contain the results of failed magical experiments.
Despite the violent demonstrations of anger from the other elementals, the earth elementals appeared to be complacent in the moving of the earth. Some say they were simply dormant, while others say the humans had the favor of Mother Earth herself.
Having now found a safe haven for their magical practices, but with the threat of the elementals still so close, their pursuit of a true remedy for death became more desperate. The wisest and most skilled of the group gathered, pouring all of their magical learnings together they attempted to create an ultimate source of magic to fight back the elementals and build a shining utopia in the wildlands. Death would cease to be permanent. Magic would flow freely and without limit to all those who sought to use it. They dubbed it the Cradle of Magic.
Even with their newly acquired elemental tools and mass of magical understanding, there was still many failures. The magic concentration wasn’t great enough to hold it’s form, and collapsed upon each attempt, tearing at and weakening the borders between other realms. Lives were lost in the huge magical pulses, pushing them harder to make it work. In a final, desperate attempt, they turned to the raging river spirit as a catalyst for their creation.
Drawing on the life force of the river, and all of their combined power, they succeeded in the stable formation of the Cradle of Magic.
There was, however, a still a price to pay. The life force of the river still wasn't enough to fully create a Cradle. More energy was needed. Energy found in the souls of the mages, who had the life ripped out of them, along with the vast majority of the surrounding peoples. The River Spirit was all but destroyed, and placed in a deep, deep. slumber. The creation drew even from the elementals, putting them into a temporary dormant state.
The now completed Cradle sealed itself away, protecting itself with a powerful barrier to repel those unworthy or of ill-intent from abusing its full power. Though it laid deep within the earth, it’s power still seeped into the land itself, soaking the earth in magical energy.
With time, people from all ends of the earth were drawn, even if subconsciously, to this power. While those who tried to settle the land were met with great turmoil and hardships,
they still pushed on to cultivate a home in the fabled Wildlands.
To this day, there is a certain magic scarred across the land…
__________________________
Long ago, in lands far to the south, practitioners of magic were often used for their skills and treated as nothing more than tools. Tired of their lot in life, they planned an uprising. Gathering their forces, they fought back, only to be met with blood, pain and anguish. Their oppressors were too numerous, too well armed. The rebellion was crushed, but the idea of freedom was not. Many years later, they banded together again, this time not for war, but to escape. A plans was made: A mass exodus, a gambit that would hopefully lead them to a more peaceful life in the Wildlands.
Through their travels north they encountered others who knew of their struggle and also wished for freedom; these sympathizers joining their ranks. Throughout their journey they faced many challenges, the foot soldiers of their oppressors sent to stop them, to bandits who attacked at night. Even the length of the journey itself began to take it’s toll, the frigid winters of the north were harsh, but not as harsh as the blazing summer sun. The mountain ranges played host to steep, treacherous paths, and the ever present fear of wild animals had the caravan on constant alert.
Many were lost in the journey, a fact that weighed heavy on all of their shoulders. Their determination, however, was stronger than their fear, and finally the mages and their numerous companions reached their destination.
The Wildlands were as beautiful as they were rumored to be. The land was crossed by a great river, which provided clean water and many fish. The lush, verdant forests provided a bounty of flora and fauna to feed their starving masses. A huge variety of herbs scattered the land, free to help mend their tired and broken bodies.The settlers marveled at the bounty mother earth had provided them; it was all they could have wished for. Weary but hopeful, they began to develop the startings of a new civilization.
In time though, as they grew accustomed to their new home, they again felt the loss of those who perished on their journey. They would never know the beauty and freedom the land they sought so desperately. The collective began to consider more forbidden magics, magics to return the fallen to the realm of the living. The first attempts at necromancy were considered failures, as they only brought forth shambling empty husks of their companions, and with each failed conjuring, grief rang out through the living. This darker magic was not unanimously accepted, and soon some of the villagers sought out to make a separate home, further away from those who fell into forbidden practices.
Feeling at loss from the failures and rejection, the remaining practitioners sought to use soul magic, more powerful than necromancy, to bring forth more complete versions of the fallen. Met with one failure after another, chances of success were looking grim. Unruly ghosts would harass the living, and not all attempts at banishing them would prevail. Still, they were unable to give up and accept their failures and losses, and an idea sprung forth to first test and perfect their skills on the elementals that wander the land freely.
Without delay, they began work on ripping the life and soul out of the elementals. They found several ways to manipulate the energy of the souls, aside from their initial studies of returning the elementals to their former selves. It was found they could manipulate them into a tangible form, to then use for creating magically attributed tools, and even weapons.
The elementals, though once unfazed by the movement of people into their home lands, began to turn violent, enraged by the magic being used on them. Buildings were scorched, farmlands were flooded, and powerful winds raged across the open fields. Lives were lost as nature’s fury tore through the homes that were built with hope, and the ones who stood to stop their attacks. As magical blood spilt into the soil, the earth wept; marking the beginning of a long line of changes to the land.
Due to the constant onslaught of elemental attacks, the humans took to carving out underground hallways to safely travel from point to point. Using their magic to drag stone from the mountains to line the walls. Tunnels connected building to building in an ever increasing labyrinth and with time covered much of the land below. Chambers were constructed to house supplies and people alike, some rumored to contain great treasures, some heavily sealed and rumored to contain the results of failed magical experiments.
Despite the violent demonstrations of anger from the other elementals, the earth elementals appeared to be complacent in the moving of the earth. Some say they were simply dormant, while others say the humans had the favor of Mother Earth herself.
Having now found a safe haven for their magical practices, but with the threat of the elementals still so close, their pursuit of a true remedy for death became more desperate. The wisest and most skilled of the group gathered, pouring all of their magical learnings together they attempted to create an ultimate source of magic to fight back the elementals and build a shining utopia in the wildlands. Death would cease to be permanent. Magic would flow freely and without limit to all those who sought to use it. They dubbed it the Cradle of Magic.
Even with their newly acquired elemental tools and mass of magical understanding, there was still many failures. The magic concentration wasn’t great enough to hold it’s form, and collapsed upon each attempt, tearing at and weakening the borders between other realms. Lives were lost in the huge magical pulses, pushing them harder to make it work. In a final, desperate attempt, they turned to the raging river spirit as a catalyst for their creation.
Drawing on the life force of the river, and all of their combined power, they succeeded in the stable formation of the Cradle of Magic.
There was, however, a still a price to pay. The life force of the river still wasn't enough to fully create a Cradle. More energy was needed. Energy found in the souls of the mages, who had the life ripped out of them, along with the vast majority of the surrounding peoples. The River Spirit was all but destroyed, and placed in a deep, deep. slumber. The creation drew even from the elementals, putting them into a temporary dormant state.
The now completed Cradle sealed itself away, protecting itself with a powerful barrier to repel those unworthy or of ill-intent from abusing its full power. Though it laid deep within the earth, it’s power still seeped into the land itself, soaking the earth in magical energy.
With time, people from all ends of the earth were drawn, even if subconsciously, to this power. While those who tried to settle the land were met with great turmoil and hardships,
they still pushed on to cultivate a home in the fabled Wildlands.
To this day, there is a certain magic scarred across the land…