The planet Elysia was magnificent. It was of little wonder that it shared its
name with an ancient concept of heaven. It was blanketed in lush forests and
ribboned by crystal rivers. In some regions, snow topped mountains soared sharply
above golden fields and in others, glittering beaches rolled gently into the
azure seas. Though mostly wooded, Elysia's natural splendor was interspersed
with small, technologically advanced cities, packed in tight clusters among
the wilderness. The crown city of Etain was, appropriately, the planet's crowning
glory with the royal palace rising like a jewel from its very center.
With its bustling trade, idyllic landscapes, and cutting edge technology, the
planet seemed a perfect place to set up an equally strong tourist industry.
Not many would pass up the chance to come to someplace with such a desirable
mix of nature and science for either a little physical relaxation or a little
intellectual stimulation. Visitors to the planet would certainly have been a
lucrative business arrangement and it was a logical step to take, but for one
minor problem: the Elysians.
Apparently, none of the peaceful beauty of the planet had rubbed off on its
inhabitants. The Elysians were, as a whole, scheming, greedy and power hungry.
To spend a day in their presence would be to turn the heavenly planet into a
small piece of hell rather quickly. In the earlier years of the galaxy, before
the Drule empire had even begun, the Elysian fleets were already fleecing their
planetary neighbors for everything they were worth. Despite their levels of
knowledge and technology, they were surprisingly barbaric in battle and took
what they wanted in whatever means necessary. They held a vicious loyalty to
their leader, their fellow Elysians, and no one else which meant that they lived
together in relative peace and then took their aggressions out on whoever was
named the enemy. They definitely posed a problem to the planets around them
but, on their own, they could have been passed off as mere pests in the greater
scheme of things. It was an alliance they had made generations earlier that
made them such a legitimate threat.
Symbiotic species were not at all uncommon in the universe. Some Terran birds,
for instance, were known to perch on the backs of the larger mammals and eat
the bugs that gathered there, thus nourishing the bird and delousing the mammal.
Such mutually beneficial arrangements were sought on many different planets
in many different ways and the relationship between the Elysians and the Seers
was no different.
The Seers were a community much like that of the witches. They had in their
possession certain powers that set them apart from the world around them, their
greatest gift the ability to look into anything that had a reflective surface
and see whatever, whenever, and wherever they wanted and then go there,
power willing. What truly separated them from other magic wielding cultures,
however, was the sheer fact of their existence. Whereas witches and the like
relied only on themselves, the Seers had to ally themselves with another
society, preferably one that needed their talents because, without a sturdy
base of Believers, they literally did not exist. The more people who believed
in them, the stronger they became, and when all belief was gone, they popped
rather painfully out of being. New generations were not so much born as spontaneously
there. When belief was strong, suddenly there were younger Seers where
there had been none before.
Obviously, it was a precarious life. Existence depended on the whim of current
thought. And that was why it was so important for them to attach themselves
to a planet or people that required their help for, as long as they were needed,
they had Believers. Thus, a partnership with the Elysians was a rather wise
move of societal preservation. The population of Elysia was substantial, giving
the Seers a fertile ground in which to settle themselves and, as their numbers
grew, so did their power which they used to help the Elysians, which brought
in more Believers, which simply brought in more power. It was a viciously efficient
cycle.
The danger of such a combination of forces was soon realized in the surrounding
galaxy. The fear that one night a Seer could creep in through the mirror and
do something unspeakable to enemies of the Elysians was enough to steel people's
nerves to one cause: the defeat and possibly even the destruction of the common
threat. Many planets allied their forces and this new Alliance was surprised
to find that a number of the witches' orders were also offering their assistance.
They would not explain their reasons for doing so, only saying that it was in
the best interest of all involved that they did.
In the end, it was this that defeated the Elysians. While the Alliance forces
battled the Elysian army, the witches set about weeding out the Seers, creating
a virus-like spell that seemed to make people forget all about them for a time.
Though the spell lasted only for a moment, it spread like wildfire, and existed
just long enough to force nearly every Seer out of existence. Of those that
were left, they sent the youngest into hiding, putting him into a sleep in which
he would be protected.
The Elysian army was decimated after the loss of the Seers' power. As a final
strike, the witches erected an impregnable barrier about the royal palace, trapping
the last surviving Elysians and the only remaining Seer (though that without
their knowledge) inside. That was the last time the palace saw daylight. Those
inside were ravaged by hunger and sickness. No way could be found to escape.
The few final survivors could only put their faith in the last Seer in the hopes
that he could save them. The belief was small but strong, enough to revive the
Seer from his sleep. He set about trying to find a way out and as quickly as
possible, for though the people had faith in him, that faith would wane if he
failed to encounter any success.
And it had started to wane. But that would all change now.