The New Age of Celtland
Prologue Part II
DISCLAIMER: Refer to the Previous Disclaimer.
Magic now works differently. In the past, mages were able to use all of the four main elements: Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire. However, since the arrival of the four new stones, the flow of magic has changed from what it once was. Each person only possesses the ability to use only one of the eight elements. However, the power that that one person has in that single element is far greater than what the mages of old could do. The elements didn't have any strengths or weaknesses in particular, they just reacted strongly to their opposite element: Earth and Wind are opposites, Fire and Ice are opposites, Water and Lightning are opposites, and Darkness and Light are opposites. Elements reacted the worst, however, when facing their own element.
Many sages, or elder mages who have dedicated at least thirty years to their studies, have become paranoid about the mighty demon known as Mammon, and the threat he posed to the world long ago. They knew that he had been slain by a magician's apprentice, an anonymous mage who performed deeds that not even the great sages of his time could manage, and later on became a great sage who devoted his life to the study of both magic and the Eletale book. However, with one such as Mammon, they weren't certain that he was dead, as the great sage Epona, who is a couple of thousand years old, has defeated Mammon before. Neither of the two seem to be around anymore, so the sages wonder… if Mammon returned, how'd they stop it?
They came up with a solution: Getting the boys and girls of Celtland to learn magic in their teen years. A band of wise and powerful sages have made magic shops in just about every town, shops where staves were sold at an extremely low price, and were sold at the same price: 10 gold coins. Normally, not many took up magic because many of the staves sold would normally cost ten thousand gold coins, or more depending on the value, and these staves were necessary for channeling one's magic spells.
Staves were all now sold at the very same price: 10 gold coins, no matter the value. Why were they all sold at this price? You see, it's not the person who chooses their staves; it's the staves that choose their person. So, if one ended up with a valuable staff, and it was destined to be their staff, then they wouldn't have to pay all the extra money because of it.
There was once a sand pit in Dondoran where the mage who slayed Mammon once walked to retrieve a stray spirit. This pit had gone without a use for many a years, so the sages built the Grand Dondoran University of Magic, a place where they could pass their knowledge down to the young ones of Celtland, in case Mammon was ever reborn… and the sages were sure that Mammon would make full use of the dark magics that were now in play if he ever did return. If he got his hands on the Dark Onyx, it would be over. Many of the sages then dubbed Dark Magic Evil, while other sages argued that the darkness wasn't evil, but misunderstood. These two views are still argued in Celtland today, even in the university of magic…
Many sages sought to find the Dark Onyx, and seal it up with the Eletale Book, but none could ever find it; the locations of the eight gems of untold power were currently… unknown. Legend said that five hundred years ago, the mage who slayed Mammon, after becoming a sage, left the four stones in their rightful places. The Fire Ruby was put in a shrine deep inside the Boil Hole, the mighty volcano that separated the desert and Brannoch. The Water Ruby was returned to the Isle of Skye, and placed in a shrine in the bottom of the ocean. The Wind Jade was put in a shrine in the Windward Forest, the vast forest North of Normoon that blew with many winds. Last, but certainly not least, the Earth Orb, first of the precious jewels that the mage-hero had obtained, was, like the others, placed in a shrine, but at the bottom of the great temple deep inside the Baragoon tunnel, said to have been the source of all monsters who once roamed the world.
The Ice Diamond was discovered in the Blue Cavern, and was taken to the vault of Limelin. The Lightning Gem was discovered in Greenoch, and was offered up to the immortal sage Lavaar, who made his home in the alternate realm of Shamwood, deep in the desert. The Light Topaz was discovered in the abandoned house of Limelin, and was also taken to the highly secured Vault of Limelin. The Dark Onyx was discovered outside of Brannoch one day by a random traveler, who mysteriously died the next day, and the Dark Onyx seemed to then vanish without a trace.
Unfortunately, recent expeditions of people praying at these shrines have proven disturbing results. The Earth Orb, Fire Ruby, Water Jewel, and Wind Jade have disappeared. They couldn't have been stolen, because they're just as picky with their carriers as the Eletale book is. They just… vanished, altogether, without a trace. Alerted by this, the sages went to Lavaar, who told them that the Thunder Gem had actually disappeared in a crack of lightning one day. The Dark Onyx was already MIA, and the only ones left, who were, thankfully, still secure, were the Light Topaz and the Ice Diamond…
However, what made matters worse was the disappearing of the Eletale Book, though it was a carefully kept secret inside Melrode to prevent mass panic. However, one wandering traveler couldn't contain it, and the news had become a great rumor in the Grand Dondoran University of Magic…
End of Prologue
Ok, next chapter it REALLY begins. Please Review if you're reading this. It'd mean a lot.
-Biggoron