The Story So Far

The events in this book take place on two of the continents of Mithra: the great continent of Anias and the smaller island continent of Cyradon. Our tale begins in Anias — both in the distant past and in the immediate past. Long ago, a race known as the Cyrads migrated from lands across Mithra to the small continent that became known as Cyradon. They were the most powerful and civilized of the races. Their capital on Cyradon was the city of Belynar, which they carved into the side of an ancient volcano. The Cyrads shared their home with several other races, including the mighty Gryphons.

Descendants of the ancient Mithrans, the Cyrads traveled across the world of Mithra and beyond through their famed “Royal Roads”—mysterious magical portals. Then one day the Cyrads vanished. Some say the Cyrads were destroyed by a plague or by Dragons, others that they took a Royal Road beyond the stars to a new home. Some time later, a second wave of immigrants landed upon Cyradon. Claiming to want to be free of the younger, upstart race of humans, many Elves took part in this migration. They were drawn to Cyradon because of the “Echoes”, the land’s inherent powerful magic.

The Arali Elves were the most numerous immigrants to Cyradon. Their arrival on Cyradon signaled a continuation of their ancient political rivalries and Machiavellian intrigues. They set about founding kingdoms — Janieal, Desnia, Shivan, Ischea, and others. Another elvish race, the Danae were forced into secondary roles as the Arali vied for dominance. The Arali gradually grew apart from each other and the Danae. They came to see themselves as separate “races’; while they acknowledged a racial kinship with other Arali, they denied kinship with the other Elves. The other races of Cyradon such as the Nagazi and the Gryphons wisely refused to take sides in these disputes. For centuries the precarious balance of power held...

Then the Narsin came to Cyradon. The Narsin persuaded the Arali to allow their order to reoccupy Belynar. Sensing potent allies, the Arali agreed. Over time, the Narsin and their city grew. The Narsi had time, magical power and unlimited resources at their disposal, and turned their efforts to magical experimentation. They created many new species and magical servants. Bored, the Narsin instituted a series of games where these creations would battle one another. As time passed, this minor diversion became an overwhelming feature of the Narsi society, driving them to create more and more creatures and constructs for use in battle. Many powerful Arali also took part in these games, purchasing monsters for their stables and to fight in the coliseum. Over time, much of the Arali and Narsi cultures descended into decadence.

The Arali were both envious and contemptuous of the Narsin. They despised the Narsin for being human, but envied and coveted their power. Powerful Arali actively conspired to use the Narsin to defeat their rivals and to establish hegemony over all of Cyradon. In an effort to outdo the other Elves of Cyradon, the Shivan Arali bribed the Narsi to alter their race; nothing less than wings and the power of flight would satisfy the Shivan Arali.

The Arali of Desnia attempted to stop the magic ritual that would give the Shivan wings. Their efforts were catastrophic — the resulting magical backlash released an intense pulse of magical energy that swept out from Belynar, killing or twisting everything in its path, people, plants, animals, everything! Nothing was left of the central highlands except for the blasted lands and hordes of strange new monsters. Thus was born the Devastation.

The backlash transformed and twisted the surviving Shivan Arali They lost their longevity and grew vestigial wings upon their backs. They became the Schirae.

Angry and grief stricken, the Arali survivors blamed the human newcomers for the Devastation. Tapping the Echoes of Cyradon, the Arali of Desnia crafted the Veil, a magical barrier meant to drive away all those who sought to reach Cyradon. The Veil was a massive wall of mist that surrounded Cyradon to prevent outsiders from approaching. The Desnians also used the Echoes to re-seal the Royal Roads that the Narsin had opened, to prevent others from arriving by that method.

The Veil lasted for centuries, until just a year or so ago, when an Arali poet, discovered that the use of the Echoes to power the Veil was also destroying both the Echoes and all of Cyradon by depleting the power of the land rather than allowing it be used to heal the land. Taking matters into his own hands, the poet forged a ritual that destroyed the Veil.

#4300 Cyradon, page 08