Mages of Ashwood

Luniere was a mysterious and magical place. There were people – mages - though not many, with special ‘gifts’, who could summon fire, heal wounds and talk to spirits, among many other things. Some of the trees could talk, though in their own language; they hadn’t yet learnt how to speak human. The wind had a voice that only a few select individuals could understand, but which everyone knew existed. It was once a happy place, where these people thrived and were happy.

Then one day, it was not.

Ordinary people – humans – grew jealous and that jealously grew to hatred. They hunted down the mages and killed them, one by one. Some were simply murdered on the spot, but others, the more unfortunate, were burned at the stake like witches on trial. They fled, confused and hurt. Some fought back, but they were so outnumbered that their chances were slim to none. They didn’t stand a chance. The once charming and beautiful world of Luniere had turned dark and twisted – nobody knew who to trust, so they suspected everyone. Hated everyone.

The humans turned on each other at one point, though the history books could never recall when this happened. They each wanted the power of the mages for themselves. A war erupted and many people died, but it gave the magical folk a chance to slip out of sight and mind and they hid underground in the ancient ruins of Ashwood City. This place came to be known by the mages as ‘Rodrick’s Haven’ – named after the man that founded it.

For many years the mages lived in squalor and destitute, until their minds and their bodies twisted and many of them changed in to something else entirely. These beings came to be known as ‘Rurzan’ – magical people with animalistic qualities. Even the other mages feared them, but they also felt hope grow within them. The Rurzan were stronger, more powerful. The humans had never seen them and they would not know how to deal with them.

So the mages sent the Rurzan to the surface, hoping that one day they would get their revenge and come back to free the others. But they never did. The Rurzan had been underground for so long that many of them did not know how to survive in the human world. Many accidentally revealed their magic and were killed on the spot. Only a few families endured and were able to continue their line, but it wasn't long before their plans were forgotten and eventually they began to wither with time.

Hundreds of years later the mages suffer more than ever. They came to the surface, out of curiosity, but were treated no better than before and the world was torn apart by war. There was so much death. Many of the mages were forced to beg for their lives and in exchange became slaves - pets - to nobility. Many still fight, but there is little hope and their king and queen are no more sympathetic than anyone else. Too busy to deal with the mages' plight, they are distracted by a brewing civil war between those loyal to them and their very own General Wulf, whose taken half their army with him in search of dealing death.

In a war torn world, can anyone find peace?

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