Preface
Preface
In the continent of Kaldourin, the bond between people and magick runs deeper than any canyon. The beings of pure magick, the Faery, share blood bonds with the humans.
Long ago, when the race of man that sailed to the continent met the Faery, they fought in war together against the monstrous races of the Beastkin. Even with the two races fighting side by side, the Beastkin proved to be powerful enough to hold them both off. After nearly a decade of war, with fields so soaked with blood and the dead beginning to walk once more for revenge, the alliance of the Humans and Faeries began to gain ground. Despite the savage power of the Beastkin, they had neither the magick of the Faeries nor the tenacity of the humans. Once the alliance began to gain traction, the Beastkin were pushed back into the edges of the continent, where life was harsh and resources were slim. Despite the momentum that the alliance gained, the heavy losses of the alliance prevented them from eradicating the Beastkin entirely, yet the war came to an end with the Beastkin being pushed away from all other life. After defeating the twisted, warring Beastkin and pushing them deep into the mountains and deeper underground, the men and the Faery bound themselves through blood to each other, giving the men the gift of magick and creating peace among them, so that neither would fall on the other in their weakened state.
Through the gift of the Faery, the descendants of these first men hold magickal power. Everytime a human baby with the gift is born, a Faery is bound to it by its very soul. If the two bound beings should meet, they share their magickal power and join together, with the Faery becoming a human’s very blood, growing the magickal powers far beyond the limits of either species.
The descendants of these men are called Nobles and they are prized beings in the continent. So much so, that a single Noble is worth a thousand mundane men. The Faeries that are born and bound to these Nobles by birth fly with their magnificent blue wings, waiting to be one with magick in the veins of the human. The Faeries that are not capable of giving their magic away are born with beautiful golden wings, relishing in the oneness of their soul.
There is an even more powerful Noble selected every few generations, as a bastion of power and hope, marked by the Gods of the Faeries themselves. The Gods choose a Noble and mark them as a protector of mankind, giving the Noble the Faery blood at birth. These protectors are charged with defeating the ancient enemies of the Nobles and the Faery, the Beastkin. It is their duty, given to them by the Gods themselves, to destroy any and all of the Beastkin that leave the lands they are allowed to live in. These Protectors are considered Heroes and worshiped, usually given great titles and lands, even among Nobles. By inborn strength, they are tasked with the safeguarding of their people and graced with the blessing of a God at birth.
But, once every age, there is a Faery born different from the others. It is born and shares magickal powers with a child marked by one of the Dark Lords. Since the magic of the Faeries is so varied and different, there are many kinds. The most powerful of the Faeries, The Dark Lords, did not fight in the war against the Beastkin, as they saw the Beastkin for what they were: Pariahs. But, since they are Faeries and worship the same Gods, they too were bound to mankind through magic. But, as they are the most powerful, they may choose whomever they please to wield any of their many magick affinities. But, the Dark Lords hold no love for humanity. They choose the sickly babies that die in their infancy, or later in life once they finally succumb to their illness, before their magick has a chance to manifest. Due to this, the Dark Lords rarely give the child an affinity for their most powerful magickal schools.
The Faeries bound to this child are just as sickly, both dying at the same time due to their shared soul. However, should the human live, the Faery lives as well.
The Faeries born to these doomed children bear black wings and never taste the light of the sun or feel the warmth of the world.
Part one:
The Journey Begins
