Before three brothers, there were three friends...
Long before the first quill recorded the feats of wizards and witches, before magick was codified into spells and schools, there was Death - not the end of life, but a primordial force and ancient entity who existed to maintain the balance of the universe.
Death was neither good nor evil, but a necessary part of the cosmic order. However, in a world filled with growing chaos and burgeoning magick, Death foresaw the potential for imbalance.
Magical beings, with their immense powers, were beginning to tip the scales towards destruction, and to ensure that balance would be forever preserved, Death created four powerful artifacts; each imbued with but a fragment of His own essence.
These artifacts, known collectively as the Deathly Hallows, were not mere tools but symbols of Death's dominion, and they were to be the ultimate test for those who did seek to transcend their mortal limits...
Author's Note: anything recognisable is not mine and belongs to whoever owns it.
Within the folds of a veracity long past; in an era where the very fabric of existence was still being woven and magick did flow freely through the Seven Planes, there did exist a realm beyond the comprehension of mortal kind - a place where the very boundaries of life and death were as thin as a whisper, and the powers that governed existence were primal and untamed. Yet it was to be here, within this ethereal realm of bereavement and obscurity, that Noem, the very embodiment of Death Himself, did reside.
Noem was a force of balance and inevitability within the universe; neither good nor evil but a Titan and Guardian of the natural order. And as the universe took shape, the mortal beings of the cosmos flourishing, He did observe upon His siblings' creation with a keen yet impartial eye.
He saw upon the beauty and chaos of nature; of the endless cycle of birth, death, and decay that all mortals were tied to. Though, and hidden within this never-ending cycle, He also did glimpse upon the very seeds of imbalance.
The mortal creatures of this new universe, gifted with intelligence and ambition, sought to defy the very natural limits the Four Children had instilled upon them. They craved power and immortality, but most of all, they craved dominion over the very forces of creation; twisting and contorting their mortal shells into that of beasts and creatures tied to dark and forgotten realms - of dæmons and fiends that did turn against the very blessings that the Children had gifted them. And, in response to this burgeoning hubris, Noem did decide to create four powerful artifacts; four 'Hallows of Death' that would each be imbued with a fragment of His own essence.
The first of these Deathly Hallows was a wand of unparalleled power. Crafted from a branch of an ancient elder tree that stood sentinel at the very edge of the cosmos, it was to be a weapon of supreme mastery, capable of amplifying the magical abilities of its wielder to unimaginable heights; a wand Noem did design for only the most skilled and ambitious of mortal kind. It was to symbolise the relentless pursuit of power, along with that of the consequences that came with such supremacy - an 'equaliser' that would not only test the strength of its master, but also that of their wisdom and resolve.
The second Hallow, Noem did weave from the very shadows of His immortal domain; a cloak that would render its wearer invisible to even His all-seeing gaze. It was to be but a physical representation of the very mortal desire to escape the inevitable, to hide from the gaze of Death and the inexorable march that was Time. Though it was also to symbolise humility; a means not to abscond death through confrontation, but to instead accept its inevitability with understanding and acknowledgement.
The third of these four Hallows was a single stone cut from the heart of the very first planet. This stone, imbued with the power to call forth spirits from the Immortals Shade, allowed those of the living to commune with those who had passed beyond that of Death's Veil. It was to be a reflection of the deep yearning for lost loved ones that all did feel, bridging the realms of the living and the dearly departed. Yet too it was to be intended as a trial - a reminder to all that death was just as integral to the natural order as its living counterpart, and that the deceased truly did not belong within a realm filled with the living. It was a means to see upon its bearers' understanding of life and death; of love and loss.
The final of these Hallows was to be the most enigmatic - a dagger that had been forged from the very essence of a universe unborn. It was a blade capable of severing the very threads of destiny, altering the very fabric of one's reality - a weapon of last resort. It was a tool of both creation and destruction, and did represent the ultimate power to challenge one's fate, as well as the ultimate responsibility that came with such a decision; a test that would gauge its wielder's integrity and moral compass.
Upon their completion, Noem placed these artifacts deep within His shadowy domain; left them in four strategic locations that He knew only the bravest and most determined of souls - living or dead - would dare venture. They were not hidden from mortal eyes but instead did lie in plain view, dormant and silent, as they awaited the one who was fated to unite them all; the one who was destined to become the very Master of Death, not through that of dominance but acceptance, through acknowledging death's inevitability and understanding its role in the balance of life. And for countless eons, these Deathly Hallows remained untouched.
As civilisations rose and fell, however, and as magick became more prevalent across the Planes; through their very own folly of summoning fiends and dæmons and subjecting the very creatures of the Dark, whispers of Noem's artifacts began to spread through the universe.
Legends of a wand that could conquer all, a stone that could cheat death, a cloak that could hide one from the very gaze of Noem, and a dagger that possessed the ultimate ability to alter the very destiny of one's fate, were murmured in the shadows of the darkest nights. They became beacons for those who sought power, knowledge, or just a way to defy their mortality without the need for Dark Magick; igniting the imaginations of magical beings across the ages.
Whether they were driven by ambition, grief, or the simple desire for immortality, many sought the four Hallows of Death.
Some sought the Elder Wand to become invincible in battle or to rule over others with an iron fist. Yet these beings often met tragic ends, undone by their own hubris and the very powers they sought to control. The Elder Wand, as if able to sense their unworthiness, would betray its wielder for a more deserving master.
Others yearned for the Resurrection Stone to bring back loved ones lost to the ravages of time and fate. Though these seekers too often found only sorrow and madness, the dead they bring forth into the realm of the living naught more than shades of their former selves. The Resurrection Stone, a test of one's acceptance of death, revealed upon the folly of clinging to the past, along with the mortal disillusions these seekers did hold upon death's finality.
The Dagger of Fate remained the most elusive. It was rumoured to have been placed in the deepest recesses of Noem's domain, guarded by dæmonic sentinels and protected by powerful wards. Few dared to seek Fate's Dagger, for its power was both awe-inspiring and terrifying; those who did finding themselves consumed by its dark allure, unable to wield it as they instead succumbed to that of the temptation to alter destiny itself.
Yet it was to be the Cloak of Invisibility that was discovered by a wise and humble wizard; a man who used it to protect his family and live a life of peace and prosperity. He understood the true purpose of the Cloak - not to escape Death's gaze but to live free from fear - and upon his own death, passed the Cloak onto his daughter; a young witch who guarded its secrets with the same wisdom and humility, for she too understood that one day, there would be someone fated to emerge, someone who would unite all four of Death's Hallows not out of greed, ambition, fear, or pride, but that of a genuine understanding of their true nature - someone... who was not she.
This individual was rumoured to become the very Master of Death; not through defeat or dominion, but by accepting that it was - is an integral part of life. They would wield the Elder Wand with wisdom and empathy, use the Resurrection Stone with compassion and consideration, don the Cloak of Invisibility with humility and finality, and employ the Dagger of Fate with responsibility and integrity.
Such a master was believed to be able to tip the universe towards harmony, using their powers not for personal gain or selfish ambitions, but to maintain the very equilibrium between life and death - the very balance of creation and annihilation.
Until then, these four Deathly Hallows waited; Stone, Wand, and Dagger within Noem's very domain, while their kin, handed down through the generations, was hidden upon the very Plane of Mortal Men. There they did await the one who would one day claim them all and restore balance to the cosmos, an appointed 'Master of Death' who would face countless trials and endless tribulations, yet whose journey within the mortal realm would be marked with wisdom, courage, and understanding that true mastery over death comes not through conquest but acceptance.
