Wizard-Verse Update
Once upon a time…
Uncounted centuries ago, and in the distant South, there was a kingdom, powerful and mighty. It was the envy of all who came to their shores, with its crystal and stone spires and ancient forests, rich mountains and flowing streams. It was wealthy, and strong, and its reach was long among the other kingdoms of the world.
But, more than its physical wealth, it was known for its magic. The Wizards of this kingdom were well-known and sought after, and every empire and kingdom made their treaties to stipulate that Wizards would decorate their courts. These Wizards were highly prized for their magic and their knowledge, and many great houses and schools formed around them, the better to foster magic within the generations that would come after.
But the Wizards weren’t the only powerful people from this kingdom.
Elves and Elementals, Sages and Seers…there were more magical beings in this kingdom than there were normal people, and the kingdom’s borders were always open to those who’d been born outside and who had a connection to the magic that permeated the Universe. Not many came; it was enough to know that there was a sanctuary for them. But those that did learned great and terrible things, and spent their lives in peace among their own kind.
This was also the legendary home of the dragons, who lived and nested among the snow-capped mountains in the west of the kingdom. It was said that this had been the original birthplace of dragons, and there they waited until they were Called to the Wizards they would eventually become familiars and companions to. People would come from all over the world to witness a dragon hatching, hoping that at least one of the newborns would find their Wizard partner amongst their own people. It was such a symbol of status to gain a dragon born from that magical kingdom, and they were very highly prized.
This kingdom was ruled by a mighty family of Elementals, controllers of stone and storm, metal and fire. The kings and queens were the most powerful in the land, and they had won their right to rule by combat and compromise. Each and every one ruled wisely and well, even though they were prideful and stubborn and not afraid to use force in order to protect their own people. They were wise and majestic, and fiercely loyal to those they ruled.
Each monarch had their Wizard, their Councilor who would temper their king or queen’s passion with their wisdom. Wizards were chosen by their rulers; it was not known how this choice was made or what criteria used to make that choice, since at times the Wizard picked for such a lofty position was neither the strongest nor most powerful. But the Wizard would balance their chooser perfectly, and their partnership would make for a strong kingdom. It was considered a sign of prosperity when ruler and Wizard were acknowledged lovers, and the greatest pairings were those such bonded.
This kingdom thrived for a hundred generations. And then, one day, a powerful Seer foretold the coming of a Great War between Wizards, one that would destroy the world. The King and his Wizard and the rest of his Councilors weighed the Seer’s words, and decided that, to protect their kingdom, that they would use their magic to remove their people out of the world, and into a pocket outside of their dimension, and that way they would escape the chaos to come.
It took them years, but finally everything was prepared. The King sent out a message to the Wizards beyond their borders, to warn them of what they were about to do. Most returned home; others grew angry at their leaving the world to its fate instead of attempting to stop what was to happen, and stayed to carry on their work, cursing their brethren for their cowardice.
When it was time, the King and his Wizard triggered the magic that had been woven throughout the kingdom.
And so, they vanished from the world.
The kingdom became a legend among the Wizards that were born after, and in a mere century their missing kinsmen were half-remembered as a cautionary tale for those who would turn their backs on their responsibilities. Those Wizards thrived, and their numbers grew, but none were ever quite as powerful as those who had chosen to leave. They would still gain their dragons, but no one questioned as to where they’d come from, believing they were gifts of the magical forces that surrounded their world.
However, the future that had been foreseen never came to pass, thanks to a Great Wizard who used his very name to cast a spell to cut off magic from the world because he’d also seen the destruction from that War and had promised to stop it from happening. Only, the spell was flawed; he’d failed to take into consideration that his name would be remembered by one person, the one truly magical creature besides himself and his dragon that would remain unaffected by his spell.
The Deathless.
Time passed, and the spell began to crack. It took nearly a thousand years for magic to be completely reborn, in the forms of Master Ianto Jones and Master Harold Saxon, two diametrically opposed Wizards who would break the spell totally and bring the Wizards back to the world.
The magic kingdom remained a legend.
But, one day, something occurred to reawaken that lost land…