Prologue
The land of Lumiaria, so named because of its glittering cities and plentiful lands, once stood as a beacon to those who called it home. The City of Lights was the centre of Lumiaria, and the true beacon to those who lived within its walls. The leaders - guided by the Oracle - led its people fairly and wisely. There was never any famine or drought, its people living in elegant abundance.
Many were ordinary citizens, but some were truly extraordinary. Fairies, born of some quirk in anatomy that meant they had thin, lacy wings growing from between their shoulder blades. These women – there were no recorded male fairies - were rare and beautiful, and the Oracle had decreed that all fairies were to become scholars. They lived with society, and taught the people everything they needed to live a happy life.
That’s not to say the land was unprotected; no society became the power that was Lumiaria by being weak. Rather, the forces that protected it were discreet, and well trained. These men and non-fairy women were the first to experience the evil forces that had begun to invade the borders, seeking to harm the people. These forces were from Emendor, a neighbouring country ruled by those who sought to take over the land of light, and its fairy scholars.
The leaders of Lumiaria turned to the Oracle, who directed them to a prophecy over 1000 years old.
Scholars fall when evil comes
A menace beating on the drums.
A war to win, a kingdom save,
Requires a man, a warrior brave.
This noble warrior, battle scarred
Entrusted to a scholar’s guard.
Gentle fairy, hair aflame,
Will bring such honour to his name.
This young warrior, a war to win,
With scholar help, defends his kin.
The kingdom safe, war will end,
The scholars he need not defend.
But be ye warned, o scholars fair,
With flutter wings and silky hair.
Should scholar break this soldier’s heart,
Many a world will fall apart.
The fire shall fall, new kingdoms rise,
War reigns down upon the skies.
So be aware, and not a fool,
Use the knowledge, it is your tool.
The leaders were confused, and began to restrict their scholars out of fear. No fairy was allowed to come into contact with anyone in the City of Lights, all of the fairies restricted to the Archives, for fear that the fulfilment of the prophecy would bring about the downfall of Lumiaria.
But still, the evil began to reign in the land of Lumiaria, until the fortified City of Lights was the only land unaffected. The surrounding fields were decimated and dry, rivers cut off from the ocean at the source. This devastated Lumiaria, starving her people.
The people retreated into their fortified cities, and they slowly cut themselves from the sprawling land outside their walls. Children were raised within the walls, and soon the cities were islands of light in a permanently dark land. Soldiers were sent out to defend the walls daily, and they were slowly losing ground.
The scholars, restricted until they had no contact with the outside world, were absorbed into the ancient tomes that ruled their world of knowledge. Their task was to break the evil, but the Oracle had gone silent. The leaders who had begun the restrictions were long dead, and it seemed that all the land of Lumiaria had known was darkness.
The new leaders had no desire to break the rules for fairies, seeing no need to do so. Nature seemed to recognize the need for balance, and so fairies were always being born, seemingly regardless of parentage.
Those fairies were whisked away from those who loved them, and kept for those who would abuse the power afforded by knowledge.
This left the once prosperous land of Lumiaria divided; on one side, the soldiers and citizens. And on the other, the fairies, controlled by the leaders.
It seemed like there would be no end to the evil in the land of light and knowledge.
