Post by Alezand Jozlyn, Allaine knight on Mar 4, 2007 3:39:59 GMT -5
Once upon a time...
There was a glorious Kingdom called Avaren. The people there lived hard, but peaceful lives. The blacksmith toiled away in his forge, working to create a new world of metal for the people to live in. The farmer worked hard in his fields, hoping to keep their people alive to live and see the blacksmith's world. The Priest prayed to the almighty God who they believed created the world and gave peace to all who lived in it. As long as this God was happy, so too would they be. To make for better law enforcement, and less stress on the monarch, there were instead two. Two Kings and Two Queens held the scepters of power in Avaren. A rule nor a law could be made in that Kingdom without the consent of both parties. Though much turmoil could be caused within the actual House, throughout the Kingdom this meant nothing but the best interest. The future seemed to be one of beautiful, endless, struggling, peace.
But peace can never last forever.
Out of the far, distant, unexplored lands, came a mysterious traveler. The mysterious traveler looked upon the poor happy people with disgust, viewing them as lower lifeforms that had not seen the beauty of true civilization. For this mysterious traveler held something that these people could not comprehend. He held the power of magic. Beyond the rare 'miracles' that the people had seen occur when their God was exceptionally happy, the people knew nothing of this 'magic'. It could create fountains of endless water, food of the likes the people had never seen before, make hunting so utterly simple that the very luxuries of life were taken for granted and the struggle of life was seen as only a tiring session so that one's body did not go to waste. The man came before the Kings and Queens, begging their shelter. He said that something terrible had happened to the Kingdom he once came from, something that left it wasted and scavenged by beasts. He quoth that he was the only survivor, and that in exchange for their shelter he would teach them the way of magic.
One King and Queen did not agree. They believed that this 'magic' was unnatural, an unholy power to their God, and that to look between the lines, this magic that could create eternal peace did not, in fact, bring eternal peace upon the man's Kingdom. The other King, however, was obsessed with greed. He insisted that this power could only be used for good, and that he would rather see his people smiling happy and fat than struggling. His Queen disagreed. She agreed with the other pair, believing them to be correct and that the man's Kingdom fell because of their use of magic. She was not as devoted to their God as they were, and instead saw practical reasons. The King, being outnumbered by not only his counterparts, but by his own wife, was enraged. He came up with a comprimise that while the man would not teach them magic, he would be permitted to stay in the Kingdom. The man humbly agreed, but he knew well what sin lurked in the second King's heart.
Indeed, he was right. The man was permitted to stay at the palace, and there was treated like a Duke. In secret, however, the second King took lessons from the man alone in magic. In time, he learned the power of puppet magic. Using this darkest form of magic, he took control of his wife and forced her to agree with him. This sudden change of heart made the other King and Queen question the judgement of the two. A full dispute now, the second King, with his puppet magic, went to the people and spoke words of trickery. He told them all of how wonderful life would be with magic, and convinced a good deal of them to lay down their shovels and hoes, their hammers and bows, and come with him into the glorious light of magic. In time, the first King forced the second King out, saying that what they were doing to the people of Avaren was against the will of their God. The second King and his puppet Queen were not bothered by this course of events. The two left Avaren gladly, and in exile took the Magician with them. Many of Avaren's citizens left with them, seeking new life in magic.
The Grand Magi, as they called themselves, ruled over a new land amongst the ruins of the old Kingdom of the Magi that the Magician had left. Generations passed from that day, and soon the Kingdom of the Magi, Aesir, was restored on Earth. The Magician alone remained alive, in Avaren or in Aesir, and remained a wise vizier to the Grand Magi. In time, he used his own puppet magic to force the new Grand Magi to attack the city that was once their own - Avaren. To retake the Kingdom was their goal. The descendants of the first King and Queen were on the throne now, and had long since forgotten the laws that once ruled their Kingdom. The idea of holding two Kings and two Queens on the throne at once was considered tyrannic, as only the memory of the second King and Queen's greed was in their minds. It was unholy. The fairy tale of 'magic' scared children in their beds, as it was a cruel twisted trick of monsters.
War was the art of Avaren. War in the form of swords and shields, bows and bucklers, hands and hammers. The people here, while refusing to use the art of mental energies and mana waves, trained their bodies to the peak of perfection. They lavished in the skills that God Himself had given them, and with this lived in that struggling but peaceful lifestyle. So when the day came that Aesir attacked, the people of Avaren were ready. It was a bloody clash that resulted in the destruction of many homes and families. In time, swords and staves were left battered and broken among the wastes of a field that once held cows and grass. Now all that remained of those days were streaks of burnt ground and skeletons lying littered across a wasteland. So few were the soldiers now, that the Kings themselves went off to war. The Magician, however, lay in peace and quiet back in the Palace of Aesir. He watched with disappointment as his army failed him, making plans for another rebirth for Aesir after this one fell. But when both Kings came face to face on the battlefield, one with iron sword, one with iron staff, they dropped their weapons and chose to fight no more.
Both knew that peace was the better option. When the Grand Magus and the Grand Master (as the Warrior Monarchs were called) questioned each other as to whom started the War, neither King could answer. It was in fact the Grand Magus's army that attacked first, but the Grand Magus could not remember ever starting it. Both returned to Aesir on a diplomatic treaty, and there the Magician's plot was revealed. He had created a never-ending cycle. He created magician Kingdoms called 'Aesir' over and over again, and used each to create a new Empire - if one faltered, he would create a new Empire out of another untouched city. The Grand Magus and Grand Master, together, finished the Magician and restored peace to their Kingdoms.
The Grand Magi, to ensure peace for the future, created a place called 'Heaven's Altar', which would suspend the Kingdom of Aesir in a heavenly realm where it could not touch the world below. Thus, sword and sorcery co-existed, and no war could ever be caused of it.
Generations have passed since that day, and this fairy tale has still been told to children for years and years...fact or fantasy? Does magic truly exist? Are there really places where people have never heard of it? Soon may come a time when these two worlds collide again...
There was a glorious Kingdom called Avaren. The people there lived hard, but peaceful lives. The blacksmith toiled away in his forge, working to create a new world of metal for the people to live in. The farmer worked hard in his fields, hoping to keep their people alive to live and see the blacksmith's world. The Priest prayed to the almighty God who they believed created the world and gave peace to all who lived in it. As long as this God was happy, so too would they be. To make for better law enforcement, and less stress on the monarch, there were instead two. Two Kings and Two Queens held the scepters of power in Avaren. A rule nor a law could be made in that Kingdom without the consent of both parties. Though much turmoil could be caused within the actual House, throughout the Kingdom this meant nothing but the best interest. The future seemed to be one of beautiful, endless, struggling, peace.
But peace can never last forever.
Out of the far, distant, unexplored lands, came a mysterious traveler. The mysterious traveler looked upon the poor happy people with disgust, viewing them as lower lifeforms that had not seen the beauty of true civilization. For this mysterious traveler held something that these people could not comprehend. He held the power of magic. Beyond the rare 'miracles' that the people had seen occur when their God was exceptionally happy, the people knew nothing of this 'magic'. It could create fountains of endless water, food of the likes the people had never seen before, make hunting so utterly simple that the very luxuries of life were taken for granted and the struggle of life was seen as only a tiring session so that one's body did not go to waste. The man came before the Kings and Queens, begging their shelter. He said that something terrible had happened to the Kingdom he once came from, something that left it wasted and scavenged by beasts. He quoth that he was the only survivor, and that in exchange for their shelter he would teach them the way of magic.
One King and Queen did not agree. They believed that this 'magic' was unnatural, an unholy power to their God, and that to look between the lines, this magic that could create eternal peace did not, in fact, bring eternal peace upon the man's Kingdom. The other King, however, was obsessed with greed. He insisted that this power could only be used for good, and that he would rather see his people smiling happy and fat than struggling. His Queen disagreed. She agreed with the other pair, believing them to be correct and that the man's Kingdom fell because of their use of magic. She was not as devoted to their God as they were, and instead saw practical reasons. The King, being outnumbered by not only his counterparts, but by his own wife, was enraged. He came up with a comprimise that while the man would not teach them magic, he would be permitted to stay in the Kingdom. The man humbly agreed, but he knew well what sin lurked in the second King's heart.
Indeed, he was right. The man was permitted to stay at the palace, and there was treated like a Duke. In secret, however, the second King took lessons from the man alone in magic. In time, he learned the power of puppet magic. Using this darkest form of magic, he took control of his wife and forced her to agree with him. This sudden change of heart made the other King and Queen question the judgement of the two. A full dispute now, the second King, with his puppet magic, went to the people and spoke words of trickery. He told them all of how wonderful life would be with magic, and convinced a good deal of them to lay down their shovels and hoes, their hammers and bows, and come with him into the glorious light of magic. In time, the first King forced the second King out, saying that what they were doing to the people of Avaren was against the will of their God. The second King and his puppet Queen were not bothered by this course of events. The two left Avaren gladly, and in exile took the Magician with them. Many of Avaren's citizens left with them, seeking new life in magic.
The Grand Magi, as they called themselves, ruled over a new land amongst the ruins of the old Kingdom of the Magi that the Magician had left. Generations passed from that day, and soon the Kingdom of the Magi, Aesir, was restored on Earth. The Magician alone remained alive, in Avaren or in Aesir, and remained a wise vizier to the Grand Magi. In time, he used his own puppet magic to force the new Grand Magi to attack the city that was once their own - Avaren. To retake the Kingdom was their goal. The descendants of the first King and Queen were on the throne now, and had long since forgotten the laws that once ruled their Kingdom. The idea of holding two Kings and two Queens on the throne at once was considered tyrannic, as only the memory of the second King and Queen's greed was in their minds. It was unholy. The fairy tale of 'magic' scared children in their beds, as it was a cruel twisted trick of monsters.
War was the art of Avaren. War in the form of swords and shields, bows and bucklers, hands and hammers. The people here, while refusing to use the art of mental energies and mana waves, trained their bodies to the peak of perfection. They lavished in the skills that God Himself had given them, and with this lived in that struggling but peaceful lifestyle. So when the day came that Aesir attacked, the people of Avaren were ready. It was a bloody clash that resulted in the destruction of many homes and families. In time, swords and staves were left battered and broken among the wastes of a field that once held cows and grass. Now all that remained of those days were streaks of burnt ground and skeletons lying littered across a wasteland. So few were the soldiers now, that the Kings themselves went off to war. The Magician, however, lay in peace and quiet back in the Palace of Aesir. He watched with disappointment as his army failed him, making plans for another rebirth for Aesir after this one fell. But when both Kings came face to face on the battlefield, one with iron sword, one with iron staff, they dropped their weapons and chose to fight no more.
Both knew that peace was the better option. When the Grand Magus and the Grand Master (as the Warrior Monarchs were called) questioned each other as to whom started the War, neither King could answer. It was in fact the Grand Magus's army that attacked first, but the Grand Magus could not remember ever starting it. Both returned to Aesir on a diplomatic treaty, and there the Magician's plot was revealed. He had created a never-ending cycle. He created magician Kingdoms called 'Aesir' over and over again, and used each to create a new Empire - if one faltered, he would create a new Empire out of another untouched city. The Grand Magus and Grand Master, together, finished the Magician and restored peace to their Kingdoms.
The Grand Magi, to ensure peace for the future, created a place called 'Heaven's Altar', which would suspend the Kingdom of Aesir in a heavenly realm where it could not touch the world below. Thus, sword and sorcery co-existed, and no war could ever be caused of it.
Generations have passed since that day, and this fairy tale has still been told to children for years and years...fact or fantasy? Does magic truly exist? Are there really places where people have never heard of it? Soon may come a time when these two worlds collide again...
