THE TRUTHFUL HISTORY OF HUMANKIND
Dark Ages
The history of humans traces its roots back to the Dark Ages, when our race, consisting of poorly developed and aggressive tribes, lived in chaos and anarchy. Back then we satisfied only our primitive needs and the most terrible nightmare for us was the people of Spirits, whose representatives did not perceive man as a sentient being and treated people like insects, sometimes even showing excessive cruelty.
Time of Legends
But as the first law of magic says: “Nothing is unchangeable.” Humans gradually developed and occupied new territories. Our people have mastered agriculture and cattle breeding. Aggression has gone, replaced by the spirit of exploration. And the Spirits, seeing the positive changes in our race, were finally reconciled with our people and began to look after us and guide us as the elder race.
The Spirits helped humans to “grow up” quickly; thus, we made a leap in development and many of us became heroes whose names are remembered and honoured among both peoples to this day. At the same time, the Spirits let us come near the World Tree - the magical center of the world, where people founded their first large settlement. In my opinion, it was a critical mistake, but... history is unchanged, and my opinion is subjective.
The Great Pestilence
Our people lived and developed with the support of the Spirits until the sudden and inexplicable magical vibrations of the World Tree caused an energy crisis. This led to the outflow of magic through the Ancient Portal - a gate for travelling between worlds, which was used by Spirits. Along with magic, life began to drain out of the world. These were difficult times for our race.
The consequences of the crisis were desiccated, desolate lands, livestock pestilence, crop failures, famine, and diseases incurable by regular medications. To save people from death, the Spirits nobly granted us dangerous magic and sealed the Ancient Portal. Thus, they deprived themselves of the opportunity to leave the human world and became voluntary prisoners.
Thanks to the help of the Spirits, humans managed not only to defeat the Great Pestilence but also to begin to flourish. Then our people finally fully united and founded the Empire. This was the beginning of the end…
The King of the Sun
The newly crowned and the people’s favourite Emperor, whom everyone called the King of the Sun, turned out to be a greedy and power-seeking man. He was no longer ready to obey the Spirits and went up against his mentors and saviours. However, cowardice did not allow him to speak openly, so the Sun King resorted to guile and intrigue.
With the help of his confidants, who later formed the Order of the Sun, a dangerous and cruel organisation of inquisitors, the Emperor staged an attempt to destroy the World Tree and heroically saved it from death himself, and after a short “investigation” accused the Spirits of an attempt on the life and safety of the whole world. The Spirits were recognized as dangerous, unnatural creatures and had to leave the territory of humans. Using forbidden magic, humans expelled the Spirits from the world. However, the punishment for this injustice befell our people at the same moment. The banishment spell damaged the World Tree, and the seal on the Ancient Portal cracked. Magic began to flow out of the human world again, like water through a leaky dam. Since then, the life of the world has been sustained only by the efforts of the Circle of Mages.
Spiritless Ages
Without the support of the Spirits, our people have once again regressed deep into the past. One greedy ruler was replaced by another and there was not a single year of prosperity and peace. The empire could not stand such unrest and eventually turned into a bunch of principalities, eternally fighting each other. The corrupted government could no longer control its subjects. Eventually, the world fell into the bloody chaos of lawlessness.
Meanwhile, the magic flowing through the portal took away any chance of salvation. The Circle of Mages could no longer rectify the situation. The World Tree was dying. The Council of Archmasters tried to reach influential people of the state, but no one took the problem seriously. Instead of helping, another wilful Emperor ordered his loyal inquisitors from the Order of the Sun to destroy heretics. The Circle of Mages repulsed the attack but has since been outlawed.
At the secret council of the Circle, the covenant “The Preservation of Peace” was adopted, according to which the magicians were obliged to find heroes who would go through the Ancient Portal to the Misty Islands, ask for help from the Spirits and save their people.
And so, here we are, heroes, gathered near the portal and boldly looking into the eyes of the unknown… Who would have thought that Morpheus, the younger cup-bearer of the Circle of Mages, would be the first to pass through this historical threshold? Morpheus the Hero… It delights the ear. But what awaits us on the other side? What are these Misty Lands like? That's it, it's time to get ready, the day is breaking…
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