Fiore--Prologue

In a time not so far from our own, magik ruled the world. Not magic as in illusions and magicians, but elemental magik and royal houses. Masters of the elements were granted the ability to call upon these powers through the use of their ancient names. Four elements ruled the world and through these man could control the earth with ease. Eyre, the element of air, that which brings life; Mar, the flow of the earth around us, the element of water; Tar, the dirt beneath our feet and the building block of the land; and Fir, the heat and passion of the element of fire. In these old days, these magiks were practiced by all, from the most skilled sorcerer to the lowliest merchant on the streets of Tabule.

The ancient language and the true names of the elements were discovered in old tomes that were found deep beneath the earth in caves filled with mould and stalagmites that grew to great lengths and were sharper than any human-made blade. The caves which held these tomes were found dispersed across the land, as though they had been broken up long ago, and in the beginning, any man who tried to remove these tomes became violently ill and died within the cave before they could escape. Whether the men died from a curse or the Lugger Bugs that lived beneath the murk, the tomes were thought to be cursed that the ancient magiks had been sealed because of their evil nature. Nevertheless, they were finally brought to light by those who were later known as the four masters of Ismère, and sent throughout the land for research by the best philosophers that were available. Each of them studied the texts, but to no avail. It wasn’t until Gondrall The Great, a man with outstanding social and philosophical standing second to none, had offered his expertise in the earth’s life forces did they discover the true secret behind their pages. The tomes were what we would now call Grimoires, but at that time they were merely referred to as the texts of power.
Society thrived on the teachings of the elemental magik and a great peace was forged throughout all of Ismère for a hundred years. During this time discoveries were made and scientific advancements continued to make the lives of the people easier. Yet, as lives became easier, the people began to demand compensation for their services. Skilled sorcerers would teach the lower sorcerers but now demanded a price, the magik became a way of gaining without equivalent exchange and it wasn’t long before some arose to take precedence over the people, forcing them to their will through their power. And so was born Fauxmir, the spawn of parents with good intentions and of meagre middle merchant class. Neither had guessed that their offspring would be the catalyst of a thousand year war that raged throughout the lands, killing thousands and rendering parts of the land uninhabitable. He rose to power as a false king and prophet, burning those who opposed him using the magik that had helped the people so many times before. Not only did Fauxmir wish to assert his power over the people of the land, but also the beasts. He killed many dragons with the intention that they would eventually give up or simply become extinct. The great dragon Vrai entered into the fray and waged war on Fauxmir and his kind. Four masters arose from the land to forever destroy Fauxmir but when they finally arrived at his palace near Mount Raa, he had vanished. As a  reminder of the great turmoil that was caused by Fauxmir and his lust for power, Vrai destroyed his palace and the land that surrounded it before vanishing, himself, within the deptch of Moutn Raa. The palace is forever remembered as what is now called Eht Cit de Fiorn, the ‘burnt city’. Soon, in time, even the name of the burnt city was forgotten and the people began to move on with their lives as if nothing had happened.
In order to ensure that war could no longer be waged over the art, the texts were destroyed and the land separated by the four masters of Ismère into four regions. Èeyre, Méarr, Tarrne, and Fioré. Eventually the ability to use magic grew weaker and left the people and they continued their lives in peace as though the past years had never occurred; blocking them out like a bad dream on a summer’s night. Still, it has been rumoured that the ability is still passed on throughout the royal houses of the regions and that it may rise once again. Here, a hundred years since the fall of Fauxmir, we begin our tale.