The Great Evil

We live in a world of wonders. All around us are natural energies and wild powers that are a marvel to see and experience. Soaring birds, mighty bears and ice-breathing dragons all abound in towering mountains, deep oceans and luscious forests. And we are part of this glorious environment, with our thoughts and strengths and all our wondrous capabilities. Truly we live in a fantastic world, and we should be glad to have a place amongst the wonders of Maj'Eyal.

But some are not content. Some seek to pervert the wonders of the world with unnatural powers. With arcane forces they rip the threads of nature apart and sew it back however they see fit, uncaring of the damage they cause. Sometimes it is out of curiosity or a misplaced desire to do good, but normally it is out of greed and malice and a perverse obsession with power. Even those who enter into the banes of magic with good intentions inevitably end up doing harm and becoming themselves corrupted by the gross forces they tamper in.

History teaches us well the dangers of these forces. First were the Sher'Tul, of which we know little, but we do know that they manipulated magic to strengths beyond the dreams of current mages. And they led themselves to their own utter destruction. Alas that the lesson was not learnt by the younger races. The first recorded war in our history is between the humans and halflings for control of Sher'Tul ruins. Magic was used in those wars and the battles only stopped after two thousand years of slaughter left both sides too crippled to carry on fighting. It was in this time that our order was formed, and we tried to stop the insanity and the bloodshed. Alas that we failed.

The weakening of our peoples by the magic-fuelled fighting left us then open to attacks by the orcs, whose surging numbers nearly overwhelmed us. But instead of relying on our own strengths and our natural defences, the foolish elves decided that only the arcane forces could save us. How very wrong they were... Their insidious mages tapped the vile powers of the Sher'Tul ruins and unleashed catastrophic waves of energy that burned half the world to a cinder. Mountains crumbled, lakes were boiled, and raging fires stripped the land of all life. The devastation can truly never be fully stated. But it is unforgettable and utterly unforgiveable. The Shaloren try to deny responsibility, but the blood of millions is on their hands.

The suffering that followed the unfortunate survivors lasted centuries, as the unnatural forces created black plagues that wiped out kingdoms and made huge swathes of land uninhabitable. Dread warlocks and necromancers took advantage of the chaos to raise armies and gain power. Kor'Pul was the deadliest of these, and our order fought long and hard to kill him time and time again. We fought viciously to protect the people of Maj'Eyal from all the terrible pains of this time.

But our efforts could not prevent the ultimate tragedy that followed. The plagues were mere echoes of the Spellblaze as its horrible effects rebounded across the land. One dark and terrible day those echoes rose in resonance, and a cataclysmic force tore through the heart of our world. The land was rent in two, earthquakes spouted forth magma from the ground, and the eastern edge of our land was torn away and sunk into the deepest oceans. It was a tragedy beyond comparison.

As our civilisations slowly recovered the orcs began to increase in numbers, and it became clear then that they too had learned the dark arts. For centuries we suffered their attacks, and only by a unification of the races did we manage to finally contain them and wipe them out. Our order was vital in suppressing their pyromancers and blood mages, and many of our people bravely gave up their lives to protect the western armies and towns from destruction.

But we are not clear of danger yet. Magic still exists, though oft it lies secret and hidden. Memories of the dark days have waned, and one can even see alchemists and enchanters walking openly in the streets, unheeding of the pain their ilk have brought to our world. But worse exists... Secret societies hide themselves in unknown places, plotting and scheming to bring further destruction on Maj'Eyal. Dark cults exist in quiet isolation, kidnapping innocents and performing vile ceremonies. We try our best to hunt these monsters down, to root them out from their fell dens and bring an end to their depraved plans. Yet we must try harder, for our world is in mortal peril if these fiends are allowed to act unhindered.

We must never forget the terrors of the Great Evil, and the suffering brought upon us by those who choose to corrupt nature with arcane powers. Be wary in your travels, and be thorough in your duties. Our fight is difficult, but it is just and true, and not until all Maj'Eyal is cleansed of the impurities of magic can we ever know peace. We are the protectors of the world, and by our strength and our union with nature we shall be its saviours.