Chapter 1

Shurpu

10.000 years ago, Shurpu was the first human ever to harness the power of Fire in his heart and develop the arts of Pyromancy. He first discovered his deep connection to Fire when he once traveled to the depths of the Basani Volcano, in his young years. As he entered what appeared to be some ancient ruins, he saw the pathway to an ancient altar. He went down that path, wondering what would lie on the other end.

- "Wow…" – young Shurpu was mesmerized by the statues of ancient Fire Elementals covering both right and left sides of the pathway to the altar.

- "This way…" – a feminine voice echoed inside Shurpu's mind, startling him. He gasped as a reaction to the voice in his mind. He looked at the altar. It was calling for him. Although, he was scared to approach the altar, he wanted to do so.

- "Embrace your heart, Fireborn…"

- "F-Fireborn…?" – Shurpu wondered what it was all about. Not until he looked at the sacred flame and felt his heart reacting to it, urging Shurpu to approach it. He approached it slowly, unable to take his eyes off of it. As Shurpu was standing right in front of it…

- "Touch it…" – the feminine voice ordered Shurpu to touch the flame. He slowly reached his hand to it, scared of what might happen afterwards. As his hand approached the flame, he felt his hand hotter and hotter… however, he didn't feel anything. As Shurpu touches the flame, he becomes infused with it, becoming the Pyromancer of Basani. Everything about him has changed since then. He became immortal, strong and fearless. His heart burned with the Fire infused within him. He was the one the flame called upon as its Master, tasked with maintaining the balance of Fire in the world of Lore between giving life and causing destruction.

3000 years later, Shurpu had fulfilled his task and everything was at peace. However, he had one more task in mind. To conceal all of his power in a relic, in order to pass it down to the next Fireborn. He went to the ruins where he touched the flame. There, he created a ring which he named Ring of Shurpu and performed a ritual to conceal the flame, the source of his vast power, within it. Since that day, he became the Guardian of the Ring.

Xan, a Pyromancer who couldn't control the power over Fire he was granted with, has succumbed and got his mind consumed by his power, causing him to go insane. Pyromancers who succumb to their powers and go insane will eventually want to grasp for more power and become the Master of Fire through destruction and force. It was impossible for an insane Pyromancer to achieve ultimate power before the Ring of Shurpu was created. When Xan heard of the power concealed in the Ring of Shurpu, he made haste to Basani, namely the ruins now known as the Ruins of Shurpu, in an attempt to take possession of the Ring and use its power to set the world of Lore on fire and become its sole ruler.

Eventually, Xan found his way to the altar where the Ring of Shurpu lied, but then again, so did Shurpu himself. Surprised, he gazed upon the Guardian of the Ring, while the Guardian stared at the insane intruder.

- "Stop. Go no further." – Shurpu ordered Xan, in a warning tone.

Xan said nothing. Instead, he let his flames do the talking. He channeled a fireball in his right hand, throwing it at Shurpu, who jumps to avoid it, only to let the fireball hit the altar.

- "You dare to defy the Guardian of the Ring?" – Shurpu unsheaths the Magma Spire, his staff and prepares to fight Xan to protect the Ring.

- "Step aside, Guardian." – Xan said. – "I am the heir of the Ring of Shurpu, and I will rightfully take it with me!"

- "You are not a Fireborn, young one." – Shurpu said. – "Only the Fireborn can inherit the Ring of Shurpu and acquire supreme power over Fire. Unlike you, who succumbed to the destructive power you wield and gone insane, the Fireborn are unable to suffer what you have, and only they can become the Masters of Flames. Leave now."

Angry, Xan channels more fireballs and throws them at Shurpu, only to miss. While in mid-air, Shurpu points the Magma Spire at Xan and throws a spiral of flames at him.

- "Flame Vortex!" – Shurpu yells as it is cast against the intruder. Xan crosses his arms in an X shape in order to block it, but to no avail. He is knocked down by the force of the vortex.

- "Argh!" – Xan groans in frustration, becoming angrier.

- "You dare steal the Ring of Shurpu, claiming to be its rightful heir and you defy its Guardian. I will not have mercy on you, intruder."

- "I am not done yet…" – Xan gets up and casts a pillar of flame on himself. – "I will burn it all… this world… will be… consumed…"

Shurpu stands ready for whatever may come afterwards. As the pillar of flame fades, Xan is revealed to have taken an evolved form.

- … in flames!" – Xan has evolved into a fiercer form than his previous one. His head is now a dark skull on fire, and his robes have burned to ashes during his evolution. His body is now completely made of fire.

- "Flame Vortex!" – Shurpu casts the same attack on Xan, but unfortunately, it has no effect. – "What!?" - Xan laughs at Shurpu's failed efforts.

- "You will meet your doom here, Guardian…" – Xan, now more powerful than ever, casts his most powerful spell in an attempt to defeat Shurpu. – "Burning…" – a giant wall of Fire appears in front of Xan. Shurpu feels unable to match Xan's power, due to concealing most of his inside the Ring. He sees no other choice than to use his ultimate ability.

- "I will never let you take the Ring, intruder…" – Shurpu points his staff high upwards and his body becomes infused in flames, similarly to Xan when he evolved. However, he was casting a spell which would cost not only all of his power, but also his life. All in an attempt to save the Ring of Shurpu. – " Towering...!" – Shurpu stands ready to cast his ability to counter Xan's.

- "… Vengeance!" – Xan's wall of flames shot a huge wave of flames at Shurpu.

- " … Inferno!" – Shurpu unleashes all of his energy and power, along with his life essence in order to defeat Xan. After the scorching hot clash of Fire magic, Shurpu's body gets tossed from Xan's Burning Vengeance, but Xan also gets tossed away from Shurpu's Towering Inferno. However, Xan survived. Shurpu failed to defeat the intruder, even after putting in his best efforts. As Xan catches his breath and walks towards the altar, he looks at the fallen Shurpu. He approaches the fallen Guardian and takes the Magma Spire. He examines it carefully, specially the red jewel on top of the staff. Looking back at Shurpu, he says to himself – "The era of the Fireborn is over. Now, begins the era of Xan, the Master of Flames."

Xan approaches the altar and grabs the Ring, proceeding to examine it carefully. He sees the Ring has a small ruby with a flame burning inside it. – "This is it… the source for ultimate mastery of Fire…" – Xan laughs as he walks out of the altar. – "With this ring, I will make the world of Lore bow to my flames of destruction! And the first land I will burn will be… Firestorm!"

Xan leaves the Ruins of Shurpu. The Guardian has perished before an insane Pyromancer hungry for power. Or has he? After Xan left for Firestorm, the spirit flame of Shurpu rose from his body, and made haste to Firestorm, in order to stop Xan from fulfilling his plans and take back the Ring.