Mana
The ultimate power. The great magic. The essence of the world. These things have been used to describe the raw energies of mana. Several mellenia ago, the Mana Goddess created the world, the people, the creatures. Using a part of her own essence, called mana, she brought life and order to the world. Her work done, she took the guise of a tree, the symbol for life, and created Pureland, a wonderous place filled with the unknown and a feeling of holiness.. To help the world and its inhabitants adapt, the power of Mana split into eight different beings known as the elements. Each element had it's appropriate lord, each lord governing it's own part of the whole of mana. A sentinent need only to ask an elemental lord for usages of it's powers, and it's wish would be granted.
As the world continued, so did the accomplishments of two races. The Sprites, ever quick to find new usages of old things, used Mana to create wonderous things now lost to the world. They used its power to create. The humans, however, were different. As they lived on, they soon found how physically weak they were to other races. They became stronger, creating weapons and armor to help deal with this deficiency. Many turned towards Mana for help.
Unfortunatly, it soon came to the attention of the humans that the Sprites were ever more powerful then they in Mana. Finally, in a spurt of jelousy, the humans created the Fortress of Mana, their final and greatest weapon. It was more then a weapon though; it was an abomination. The Goddess of Mana saw this and, in her anger, created the Beast of Mana. The creature, with all it's anger, attacked the fortress time and time again, only to be barely repelled each time. Finally, the Goddess of Mana, in hopes of ending the ruiness war, made from another part of her essence the Sword of Mana. After choosing a warrior from a tribe whose roots were deep in the first men, she gave him the sword to fight the evil. Each of the elements combined their powers and created seven other weapons to accompany the warrior, thus creating the eight Weapons of Mana. The Hero of Mana put both the Beast and the fortress to sleep beneath the sea, never to awaken again.
Many, many years ago, the Second War of Mana rocked through the world. The Empire, a nation that had slowly been conquering all opposition, managed to raise a weapon used long ago: The Fortress of Mana. Using the powers of Mana, the fortress could destroy great cities with ease. The Mana Beast, created after the fortress by the Mana Goddess, re-awoke, and set about it's task once more: to destroy the fortress. The creature's rage overtook it, though, and it threatened not to destroy just the Fortress, but the world itself. However, as it happened long ago in the First War of Mana, a hero welding the Mana Sword and his companions slew the beast and destroyed the fortress so it could never be called forth again. The world settled into a peaceful time, and Mana and the Elements flourished into a golden age. Anarchy ruled once more, and the cities no longer needed their armies. But time flows like a river, and history repeats itself…
Then the Dark Ring came. Suddenly overpowering and destroying the tower at Mandala, they built their massive fortress there. Their armies of monsters soon appeared around the world, attacking the cities, destroying many. Any traveler foolish enough to travel alone was quickly caught and killed. Mana swiftly became weaker and weaker, and those that could use its powers felt their own strength in it vanish. Dark ages had returned again. The people awaited the return of the Hero, the return of the Sword. They needed a savior. They needed hope…
The ultimate power. The great magic. The essence of the world. These things have been used to describe the raw energies of mana. Several mellenia ago, the Mana Goddess created the world, the people, the creatures. Using a part of her own essence, called mana, she brought life and order to the world. Her work done, she took the guise of a tree, the symbol for life, and created Pureland, a wonderous place filled with the unknown and a feeling of holiness.. To help the world and its inhabitants adapt, the power of Mana split into eight different beings known as the elements. Each element had it's appropriate lord, each lord governing it's own part of the whole of mana. A sentinent need only to ask an elemental lord for usages of it's powers, and it's wish would be granted.
As the world continued, so did the accomplishments of two races. The Sprites, ever quick to find new usages of old things, used Mana to create wonderous things now lost to the world. They used its power to create. The humans, however, were different. As they lived on, they soon found how physically weak they were to other races. They became stronger, creating weapons and armor to help deal with this deficiency. Many turned towards Mana for help.
Unfortunatly, it soon came to the attention of the humans that the Sprites were ever more powerful then they in Mana. Finally, in a spurt of jelousy, the humans created the Fortress of Mana, their final and greatest weapon. It was more then a weapon though; it was an abomination. The Goddess of Mana saw this and, in her anger, created the Beast of Mana. The creature, with all it's anger, attacked the fortress time and time again, only to be barely repelled each time. Finally, the Goddess of Mana, in hopes of ending the ruiness war, made from another part of her essence the Sword of Mana. After choosing a warrior from a tribe whose roots were deep in the first men, she gave him the sword to fight the evil. Each of the elements combined their powers and created seven other weapons to accompany the warrior, thus creating the eight Weapons of Mana. The Hero of Mana put both the Beast and the fortress to sleep beneath the sea, never to awaken again.
Many, many years ago, the Second War of Mana rocked through the world. The Empire, a nation that had slowly been conquering all opposition, managed to raise a weapon used long ago: The Fortress of Mana. Using the powers of Mana, the fortress could destroy great cities with ease. The Mana Beast, created after the fortress by the Mana Goddess, re-awoke, and set about it's task once more: to destroy the fortress. The creature's rage overtook it, though, and it threatened not to destroy just the Fortress, but the world itself. However, as it happened long ago in the First War of Mana, a hero welding the Mana Sword and his companions slew the beast and destroyed the fortress so it could never be called forth again. The world settled into a peaceful time, and Mana and the Elements flourished into a golden age. Anarchy ruled once more, and the cities no longer needed their armies. But time flows like a river, and history repeats itself…
Then the Dark Ring came. Suddenly overpowering and destroying the tower at Mandala, they built their massive fortress there. Their armies of monsters soon appeared around the world, attacking the cities, destroying many. Any traveler foolish enough to travel alone was quickly caught and killed. Mana swiftly became weaker and weaker, and those that could use its powers felt their own strength in it vanish. Dark ages had returned again. The people awaited the return of the Hero, the return of the Sword. They needed a savior. They needed hope…