The Legends of Miniopia - By Justin Thieryn

[Sperrit]

Sperrit picked up the manuscript and looked at it intently. He had always wanted to see a single work dedicated to the Legends of Miniopia, where they came from and what they meant. Now, with the money he had given to an unlikely historian he now had that account in his hand. Sperrit smiled and opened the first page.

The Beginning

In the beginning of it all there were only two forces that existed in the universe: The Void, a cold, lifeless entity that slept for all time, and Mod, the spirit of Life and the ruler of all things. Mod was the antithesis of the Void. He did not sleep, but constantly thought and reached out to all ideas within his mind. So it was that he came upon the idea of Existence and Creation, and with this thought was born a single creature, an immense orange dragon. This dragon, being the first of all things, was given power to create and control all Elements. Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, Lightning, Time, Light and Dark. All were under his complete power. When this happened, however, the Void stirred in its sleep. It could sense its perfection being assaulted. However, the orange dragon was but one being and the Void did not want a confrontation with Mod, so it went back to the sleep that should have lasted for all time. The orange dragon now followed in its Master's steps. It roamed the plains of thought and, when whimsy struck it, created with its power. But always were his creations temporary. The orange dragon was dissatisfied with what it had made. He felt that there was something that it had to do, that it had a greater purpose and that there were more perfect creations. As soon as the orange dragon had this idea there came into existence The Eight Dragons, each one the Master of one Element to a greater degree than even the orange dragon. The Earth Dragon was called Eidon, and he was as brown as soil with eyes as green as new shoots.
The Wind Dragon was called Sophia, and she was blue as the wind off of the sea, with eyes of purest green. The Fire Dragon was known as Tyrin and he was as red as blood with eyes of deep yellow. The Water Dragon was Helena, and she was as green as seaweed with eyes as blue as the waves. The Dark Dragon was called Sekundes, and she was as black as a moonless night, with pure white eyes. The Light Dragon was known as Rislem, and he was a white as the light of a star, with eyes of deepest ebony. The Thunder Dragon was Wyv, and she was yellow with eyes of deep grey. The Dragon of Time was known as Alexander, and he was silver with golden eyes. These dragons were born with a purpose greater than any other: to create. Long did these dragons move about in the void, creating whatever came into their minds from pure whimsy. But their creations, like the orange dragon's, were impermanent, dreams that would fade away as soon as the dragons' thoughts left them. However, one day the Earth Dragon, Eidon, created something else. Not a dream or a fantasy, a vision or a whim. Instead, he created a perfect orb of rock. No dragon had ever created such a thing before. It intrigued them all. Eidon, excited, began to cover the rock with tiny forms. Plants and animals, mountains and canyons, forests and deserts, all perfectly crafted under Eidon's mind. But these forms, while perfect, were unmoving, lifeless. They were beings of pure Earth and lacked the other Elements, which supported life. Eidon sensed there was something wrong with his world. The Wind Dragon, Sophia, jealous of Eidon's creation, swooped down and cast winds upon the Earth, the squalls of the cold north, the breezes of the warm south, the scented winds of the east and west. And as soon as the Winds touched the creations they began to glow, and the stirrings of life began. Eidon was overjoyed. He called his siblings to him and bid each of them give their gift to the World. The Water Dragon, Helena, gave oceans, rivers, seas to fill in the gaps between the lands. The Fire Dragon, Tyrin, gave heat, passion, and warmed the World's core. The Thunder Dragon, Wyv, gave energy, movement and drive. The Light Dragon, Rislem, gave thought, intelligence and curiosity. The Dark Dragon, Sekundes, gave wisdom, serenity, and peace. The Dragon of Time, Alexander, gave his gift last of all, and the most subtle of all was it. Alexander gave the gift of Time, which is the actualization of all the Elemental forces. At this the World, now teaming with life and power, began to move through the Void and life was born. The Dragons were elated. They vowed together to create more worlds like this one, to fill the universe with beauty and life and creation, for that was their purpose, and they had finally realized it. But, before they began to create new Worlds the Dragons felt that this, their first world, needed something special, something that set it apart. A creation that was the joining of all their efforts, a creation that could understand the gift it had been given as they, the Dragons, understood it. They toiled long together and after a great while they all touched their hands to the Earth. And from that Earth was born Man, eight types, each one springing from the spot where a dragon had touched the Earth. These were The Children, now known as The Elemental Races, and each possessed the power of the Dragon from who's hand they had sprung. The Dragons then visited each Clan together, telling them of the World and how it had all come to be. The most powerful of each Clan, The Elders, committed their story to memory and passed down the legend from generation to generation, telling the same story to each new child so that they may know to whom they owed their existence. They have never forgotten. The Dragons, seeing how good their creation was, left the World, called Earth, after the Dragon that had conceived it, and went to create new worlds and new peoples far from the first world. But, they would always return to the first world to see their finest work, and their dearest children.

[Sperrit]

Sperrit nodded and smiled to himself. He had forgotten how good it was to hear the old legends again. Sperrit turned the page again.

The Great War

So it was that in the first ages of the world The Children cooperated with one another, working together in peace and harmony to the benefit of all the Clans. The Earth Clan built great homes and palaces and grew food for all. The Wind Clan created art and music for all peoples to share. The Fire Clan developed smithing and the martial arts, which was used to hone the body and mind. The Water Clan discovered the healing arts and created the ideas of honor, justice and equality. The Thunder Clan began engineering and invention, creating things to aid the Clans and ease their burdens. The Light Clan began education and science, teaching the other Clans of the nature of their perfect world. The Dark Clan founded philosophy and religion, showing the Clans the mystical and spiritual. The Time Clan delved deep within themselves and began the exploration of their natural powers and showing the Clans what they had found, and recording their, and all the other Clans' discoveries. Even now, those of the Time Clan are considered the greatest historians. So it was that there was peace in the universe. However, the Void, which had been sleeping fitfully, feeling the Dragons' creations growing around it, suddenly awoke. It awoke full of wrath and fury for having his perfect Void tarnished so brazenly. The Void soon realized, however, that while it had once been able to easily destroy all creation, it was outnumbered and overmatched. The Dragons and their creations had too much power for the Void to simply cast into nothingness once again. It was powerless to stop the rampant creation that was overflowing before it. It was then that the Void began to think, and terrible thoughts flowed through it, thoughts of hatred, anger and fear. It decided upon a plan.
There was a child among the Wind Clan that had no parents and had no one to look after it. The Void came to this child and ensnared its mind, turning its loneliness and longing into hatred and anger. The Void told the child that the Thunder Clan was to blame and it gave the child a piece of its terrible power. The child, now corrupt and terrible, went to the Thunder Clan and killed their Elder. The Thunder Dragon, sensing something amiss, returned to Earth to find his people weeping and telling tales of a Wind Child who had killed their Elder. The Thunder Dragon, enraged, faced the Wind Dragon, accusing her of treachery and deceit. The Wind Dragon, accosted, accused the Thunder Dragon of jealousy and treachery against her. The other Dragons, hearing the quarrel, came and separated the two and went to Earth to discover what had truly happened. They returned confused and divided. Half of the Dragons sided with Wyv, that Sophia had been careless and treacherous. The other half sided with Sophia, saying that it was an accident, and that Sophia would never have done such a thing. The quarrel grew, and the Clans could sense this quarrel and they began to bicker amongst themselves. Fights broke out, acts of terror and violence became common, and, after a time, war began. The Clans fought each other on Earth as the Dragons fought each other in the Heavens. However, there were those that sensed that there was more to this war than met the eye. Eight people, one from each clan, could not accept that such a thing had occurred so suddenly, or strangely. While the war raged on they sought the only power they knew that could help them end the terrible conflict without more bloodshed and violence: The Orange Dragon. After a time of searching the Orange Dragon, sensing their pursuit, appeared before them. They told the Orange Dragon what had occurred. The Orange Dragon, who's knowledge reached back before that of the Eight Dragons, knew what had caused this great strife: The Void. He sent the eight to the Thunder Dragon, knowing her to be more likely to believe the truth, and they convinced her of what had happened. At once Wyv stepped forward to stop the violence, and on Earth, her people did the same. But the other Dragons were not easily stopped, and Sophia, filled with passion and rage, destroyed her sister in her moment of weakness, and at that moment the Thunder Elementals lost the spirit of their power, and they too were destroyed. The Dragons and the Clans were stunned. The fighting stopped instantly, but the damage had been done. The Thunder Dragon and her Children were no more. The Void had succeeded. It was then that the Orange Dragon came into the presence of his younger siblings and told them all of the Void and its treachery. Sophia was beyond consolation. She had loved Wyv more than any other. It had been the pain of her accusation that had driven her so far. The Orange Dragon, seeing Sophia's sorrow and remorse, gave her an egg and a gift. The egg was to contain Wyv's successor, and the gift was the gift of Thunder. From that day forth Sophia and every member of the Wind Clan was able to wield the power of Thunder as a constant reminder of the terrible deed that they had allowed to occur, and Sophia was charged to guard the egg for the day that the Thunder Dragon would once again return. Then the Orange Dragon turned to the eight who had seen past the deceit of the Void. He smiled upon them and called them the Chosen of the Elements, blessed beyond all others. He turned to his younger siblings and told them to see what wonderful Children they had created, that they were the best of their kind. He told them that from that day forward there would be Eight Chosen, one from each Clan, the greatest of their race, and that they would be the vanguard against the Void and the Void's Chosen, the Corrupted. Thus were the First Chosen and the Great War that destroyed all but one of the Thunder Clan.

[Sperrit]

The Clan Separation

After the Great War the Dragons' trust was broken. Each became more secretive and closely guarded their powers and abilities. And so it was that this lack of trust was reflected in the Clans as well. The Earth Clan retreated to their stone temple in the Sea of Trees and began their study of the Earth and its creatures, the plants and the movements of the rocks so that they may better understand the source of their power and how best to use it. The Earth Clan, unlike most of the other Clans, kept the structure of old, and were guided by an Elder who was chosen from the people to be the wisest and the most powerful of the Clan. The Wind Clan flew off to their sky cities and focused on their art and music and training their new powers, for they believed that war would come again to the Clans and they wished to be ready. The Wind Clan chose for it's leader a King, a man of great knowledge and power, and, as a reminder of their obligations, there was chosen a Warlord, a warrior of great power who was dedicated to the Spirit of Thunder and had yellow eyes. A new Warlord was chosen after the old one died by a series of competitions in which young warriors tested their skills. The winner would be taken to the Thunder Shrine and dedicated to the Thunder Spirit by the Thunder Priest. The Thunder Priest was a Clan unto himself, the only living descendant of the last of the Thunder Clan, he and his family guarded the Thunder Temple and kept the histories of the Clans alive. Through time the line of the Thunder Clan spread, but its power and history were kept only in the direct line, for without the Thunder Dragon as their guiding spirit the Thunder Clan were just as normal people. However, those with the bloodline of the Thunder Clan often made great warriors and heros and were certainly never forgotten. The Fire Clan went deep into the mountains and lived among the fiery volcanos in seclusion and secrecy. There they perfected their art of war and honed their skills and magic. They elected a Warlord to guide them, chosen every five years through fierce and sometimes deadly competition. The Water Elementals disappeared under the waves of the Great Ocean, taking with them their knowledge and wisdom and healing powers, far away from where any of the other Clans could reach. They built a great kingdom and chose a great queen to lead them and guide them towards greater power. The Light Clan ventured to the plains and built tall glimmering cities devoted to knowledge and science. They were guided by an Elder, like in the days of old, who retained all their knowledge and lore. The Dark Clan made their home in the Tundra, where night covered the sky. There they built great temples and explored the mystic truths of the universe. They were guided by a Shaman who was chosen as the wisest and strongest of all the Dark Clan. However it was the Time Clan suffered the most from the Great War. The Time Clan had always been wanderers, nomads that journeyed from Clan to Clan, collecting the stories and offering aid to all those that needed it. However, in the aftermath of the Great War a rift appeared in the Clan. Some saw the terrible destruction of war as a folly that only the other Clans perpetrated, and that they had been fools to get involved. They wished to leave the other Clans and go into a seclusion in which no one would find them. The others saw the war as greater evidence that the other Clans needed their aid and that now, more than ever, they should be helping their brethren. Each side was led by a powerful and charismatic leader who had been great heros in the War. They were twin brothers who had fought side by side and were ashamed that they had not seen the influence of the Void. When the War was over they had quarreled in their bitterness, each one's shame leading them to different conclusions. After many months of debate those of the Clan that wished to separate took their leave, led by the brother, and vanished deep into the Western continent, where the Clans did not go. There they concealed themselves with their magic and all their stories are lost to us. Those that remained were left broken hearted and disillusioned. After a time they disbanded, each one vowing to aid the Clans, and they wandered off into the mists of Time, certain ones appearing in some of the later Clan legends and in the accounts of the Chosen Eight through the millennia.

[Sperrit]

The Legendary Eight

Now, it was at this point that many of the great legends came to pass, and many of the great heros accomplished their deeds. The whole collection of each Clan's legends are far greater than can be told at this point, and many of them are kept secret, known only to the Clan members, and a select few known only to the Clan Elders. This being so there shall be given here an account of each Clan's most famous story, that of the Legendary Eight who banded together despite misfortune and pain to combat the Void at the time of greatest despair to give the entire world hope once again.

Gaia

The greatest hero of the Earth Clan was Gaia. He was, and still is, considered to be the greatest Earth warrior that has ever been. His power was said to be unrivaled by any Earth mage that has walked the sacred Earth. After only ten summers he became one of the Terra Darkenenvar, and at twenty summers he had already completed his trial of passage and was an untouchable swordsman. He left the Earth Temple in the Sea of Trees to explore the world with a vow to foster life wherever he found it. He was a good man with a pure heart.

Talkan

Talkan, though not held in such high esteem as Gaia in his own Clan's lore, is still considered to be one of the greatest of the Fire Mages. While still young and impetuous Talkan left the safety of the Clan home to wander among the high volcanic mountain ranges. He returned several years later, older, wiser and tougher than ever before. He quickly rose in the ranks of the Fire Clan, securing himself as second lieutenant in the five year tournament by defeating all those that fought him and then deciding to forfeit the last match to decide Warlord. It is said in the legend that Talkan never showed up and told the others that he didn't want that kind of responsibility, and that he had already gained what he desired from the contest. He was at times mischievous, and always loved to make people laugh.

Pethia

Pethia was the daughter of one of the Knights of the Kingdom in the Ocean realm of the Water Clan. She was trained in the arts of healing and magic by the greatest mages of the time, and taught some rough forms of combat by her father. Pethia was thought well suited to follow in her father's footsteps and become a Knight herself and had been trained by the Head of the Order, Urthic Jymbia, of which there are several legends (not to be discussed here). She was considered to be a sweet natured girl, well gifted at the healing arts and magic, with a slow, deep temper.

Lilya

Lilya was an acolyte in the ancient order of the Dark Clan, studying the legends and secret powers known only to those of the highest orders. She herself was said to have great power and potential and it was often said that she would one day become Shaman. After her training she set off to explore the Earth, to greater understand the world outside the one that she knew and to gain greater wisdom and strength. It was she who first came across the ancient scythe Caecoryn, The Shadow of Courage, which was said to have been forged by both Sekundes and Rislem along with Iubarytio, the Light of Compassion, though it was not discovered until the next Chosen came along.

Gethyia

For many years Gethyia tended the Thunder Shrine, the daughter of Taleno, himself a man of great renown for his single handed defense of the Thunder Shine against an assault of a tribe of terrible warriors. She was his only heir. She inherited great power from her father and had a great passion for adventure. Long did she feel stifled by her life confined to the Shrine, but she learned much from her father and through her care for the Shrine. The Warlord of the Winds himself, Othui, taught her the ways of combat and told her of the outside world, of which she longed for. When she was chosen she met up with Gaia in his travels and the two became great friends.

Seir

Seir was one of the head researchers at the Institute of Light, which, during the Clan Cooperation, had been a secret society dedicated to the discovery of worldly knowledge, later termed science. He was chiefly interested in knowledge of the stars, and was able to use magic to channel their light and power. He created the lore that made the Moon Stones and the Yruithel, the Star Jewels. He was also known for his skill as an archer and dagger throwing. It has been hypothesized that he was gifted with Farsight, enhanced ability to see accurately long distances. However, it has been discovered that he had no such powers, that he was simply extremely talented.

Michael

Michael was a historian, an old and honored profession among the Time Clan, one that required great knowledge of magic, science, languages and foreign cultures. Michael was of the Separatist Clan, the Clan that had gone into seclusion in the continent across the sea after the Great War. Being a historian Michael knew all about the Chosen, their role and their challenge and the difficulties they might face. It made him ideal to be the Chosen of Time. However, because of the Clan's fanatic refusal to get involved with worldly affairs, after he was Chosen and had accepted the duty he was cast out of the Clan. He had a wife and son. He never saw them again.

Vithia

Vithia was known far and wide as the greatest Bard that the Wind Clan had ever produced. Her power and reception to resonance was unmatched by any other Bard before her, a valued trait in the Wind Clan, who prided themselves as the creators of art. Her music was known far and wide, and through her Bardic training she came to know a great deal about manipulating energy and sensing energy fields. Through this training her Wind power became substantial. She was Chosen just as her career was at her peak. It was often said that the world was deprived a great artist when she was Chosen, but she was instrumental in the defeat of the Void and her Bardic powers were put to great use, even if the world never heard her greatest song.

All of these facts are contained within one of the great Bardic works, the epic poem entitled The Legend of the Eight, which was written by Vithia after she returned. The epic does not contain a clear account of the actual battle with the Void, merely an account of where the Chosen came from and their journey to the battle. No one except The Eight themselves ever knew what happened in that battle, but it was after that defeat of the Void that many of the current prophesies came into existence, many from the Legendary Eight themselves, most of whom became leaders of their Clan. Gaia became Elder upon his return, and guided the Earth Clan to many prosperous years. Seir became the Elder of the Light Clan and continued his research, developing the Rings of Light and helping to advance the Lore of the Darkenyr. Gethia did not go back to the Thunder Shrine until her father died. She and Gaia lived together for many years and had a son that became the next Priest of the Thunder Shrine, and a daughter that was born an Earth Elemental. Lilya went back to the tundra and became Shaman, helping the Dark Clan become more knowledgeable of the world outside and discovering magic techniques that are still closely guarded by the Dark Clan. Talkan never became Warlord, though he retained a position of great respect within the Clan his entire life, and was always placed as an advisor, close to the Warlord's ear. Pethia returned to the Water Clan and completed her training and was Knighted within a month of her return. She quickly rose through the ranks and eventually became Head of the Order and the Queen's personal guard. Michael, unlike the others, could not return to his Clan. He eventually sought out the Clan leader of the Time Elementals that had elected to stay and help the other Clans. He took the oath of the Clan to aid those in need and spread the wisdom and knowledge that he had to the other Clans. It is thanks to him that most of our legends are complete. And while he shared a great deal of Lore and information he never revealed the location of the Separatist Clan. Vithia returned to the Wind Clan and went back to her career as a Bard, though with less enthusiasm as a performing artist. She concentrated her efforts mostly on composing, though, because of her fame, she was easily able to live a quite, easy life. Gaia and Vithia were particularly noted for revealing most of the prophesies, many of which have already become true, which leads us to suspect that the rest of the Prophesy will come true as well.

[Sperrit]

The Prophesies and the Beginning of Modern Times

For years the prophesies of the Legendary Eight, known as the Legendary Prophesies, were thought to be vague and were not believed to the extent that the Older Prophesies were. However, one hundred years after the Prophesies had been revealed they started to make sense, for they began, without any doubt, to come true. The first signs were revealed just as foretold, and at the appointed time. However, only those who paid attention to the signs noticed them, and thus they were unable to prevent that which they had been warned against. The first prophesy was presented by Vithia.

Beyond the lives of those who live
Shall come a day of Sekundes' hour
Upon that day shall evil give
Imprisonment to Spirit's power

There shall be signs and heed thee well
For those that wish to prevent this fate
The future is not written yet
You can stop the rise of hate

One, the lord of Song and Art
Will take ill and fall apart

Two, a storm shall rise from far
To take the country, maim and mar

Three, the ground will crack and shake
And all its forms to unmake

Four, the fire flickers and dies
Casting shadow into all eyes

Five, the rings at once will burn
Their wearers need their power spurn

Six, the water will come still
No swimming fish or turning mill

Seven, spirits move and fly
But on that hour all shall die

Eight, when that darkness reach
Embraces all, embraces each

At this time shall all be known
Look to reap what you have sown
When it meets a trembling eye
Raise thy gaze to the sky
Send your strength to star above
If you ever value love

Most ignored this warning, unsure as to what it meant, and not wishing to hear about such dire straits that the world might come to. Most thought it simply another piece of art from Vithia's mind, though there were some few that knew better.
So it was that one hundred years after the Void had been defeated by the Legendary Eight there came a day when the Sun was eclipsed by the moon, casting all into darkness. That very hour, the King of the Winds, who had been taken with a mysterious illness, died. A terrible storm came from the sea and ravaged the Temple of Thunder. In the Sea of Trees there was an earthquake, and many of the Ancient Oaks, known by the Earth Clan for their age and wisdom, were felled by the tremors. In the mountain ranges of the Fire Clan the Eternal Fire, a flame that was worshiped as the first flame to have been created on this earth, went out. The Rings of Light seared the fingers of their wearers, burning scars that never faded. The waves upon the oceans subsided, the rivers ceased flowing and the springs stopped, all water becoming still and tepid. All at once a dread came into every man, woman and child, chilling them to their marrow, and it seemed as all the shadows lengthened and became empty.
There will those who, when seeing all this, reached immediately to the connection that they had with their God, their Dragon, for it had always been that the Children had an unending connection to their God, and could always feel their presence, no matter how far away they were. Those few who reached for their Gods knew at once what had made all come to pass, for they felt their Gods feel the one thing that they had never known their Gods to feel. Fear.
While there are an endless number of accounts regarding what people believed to happen, and what they felt from their Gods, and what they sensed happened, all true accounts agreed on one thing:
The Gods were being attacked. And they were losing.
It was on this day that what is considered the Modern Era began, known as the Age of Rest, for it was on this day that the Dragons were imprisoned, cutting them off from their people and taking them out of the reach of power or knowledge. The Children had lost their Gods.
For those that had been alive before that day, known forever afterward as the Day of Loss, they could never get rid of the sense that they were filled with a terrible emptiness, that there was something wrong with the universe, that everything had become dull and dark, for they had lost the eternal connection, and it was as if a piece of their hearts had been cut out. For those born after that day, they could never really understand their elders' listlessness and dull sense of sorrow, even though they too felt, in some distant, abstract way, that there was something wrong with the universe. But they could not identify it, and no one who had experienced the Day of Loss would ever speak of the lost connection. The fact of it's very existence became forgotten Lore, mentions of it found only in the older texts, and only considered by men of knowledge who, when discovering the loss, could never speak of it themselves.
What exactly happened to the Dragons no one ever truly knew. They were not dead, that much was sure. Magic and life continued, its power uninterrupted so long as the Dragons lived. They were alive, but apart, somewhere unreachable and cut off from this world and its people. All Lore Masters agree that it was the Void that attacked and imprisoned the Dragons, but the methods and the Void's ability to do so remain a mystery. The Void had never been able to attack the Dragons directly, nor had it ever tried before. It is also true that the Orange Dragon remained free, for it was the Orange Dragon that would reveal The Chosen that would defeat the Void only months after the Day of Loss and reseal It at the cost of their lives, shaping the most powerful magic seal that has ever been created. These facts have puzzled Lore Masters and Historians for centuries, and many theories have been given to explain these seeming conflicting facts. However, they remain theories.
It is at this point that many people began to look at the prophesy of Gaia, for while Vithia's prophesies dealt mostly with signs leading up to the Day of Loss, Gaia's prophesies dealt mostly with events to occur after.

After the day of Sekundes' hour
All shall change beyond our power
Truths that were shall now be not
What was cold will then be hot
Look not to those familiar
For the burden is not theirs
The unexpected shall take their mantle
For them the Gods shall care

A woman from the Sea
She shall always find her mark

A man from the Sky
Graceful as a lark

An ancient woman
With eyes of flame

A young daughter
Who resents her name

A man of non-being
Who endlessly seeks

A woman of strength
From the tallest peaks

A man of passion
With a blade of light

A visitor from beyond
Shall become our Knight

They shall give their gift to us
Their strength, their power, their unending trust
They'll be the first but not the last
The beginning of the end of our past

It would not be until a thousand years after the Day of Loss that these words would become truth, for there were no Chosen after those that the Orange Dragon appointed, nor was there any activity from the Void. For a century the world waited to see what would happen next, and nothing happened. Many forgot about the threat of the Void. Many forgot about the Legend of the Chosen, and most of those that remembered treated it simply as legend with little to no truth. Those most inclined to believe it would only concede that there used to be Chosen, but for most of the universe the days of the Chosen and the days of their Gods were gone forever.

[Sperrit]

The Prophesied Eight

So it was that one thousand years passed from the Day of Loss, and the world forgot their wonder at legends and Gods. The Dragons were no longer worshiped at true entities, but were perceived as ideological images of the spirits of the Elements. Only the Dark Clan ever truly remembered that their God was as real as any creature that wandered the earth, and that she remained alive, but imprisoned and apart.
It was at this time, however, that Gaia's prophesy, all but forgotten, came true, and there came into the world the foretold Eight.
It was true that for all times before the Eight were chosen from the ranks of the Clans, each one the best of their people, to fight against the Void. However, of the Prophesied Eight only one was one of the Children, the Chosen of Earth, Dai the archer. The rest were drawn from various corners of the world, and beyond, and knew little of the ancient fight against the Void, yet they took up their burden willingly and with a strength and skill that had not been seen in millennia. There are few that know the actual account of the journey, or battle, and the knowledge is limited only to those most privy to such information of the fight against the Void. It is assumed that the Clan Elders know of what went on, and of who these warriors were and where they hailed from. At this point in time, however, we can only speculate based on limited second-hand accounts and careful analyzation of rumor. Needless to say very little can be known or even guessed at concerning these, the most recent Chosen. However, there was one other prophesy that Gaia presented concerning the Chosen.

The Unknown and Unfamiliar will lead the fight
They shall bring with them power and strength
But their truest gift is not within sight
Their greatest gift will come at length
They shall show the way to those
Who will be given single task
From them the strength of Dragons flows
They will be charged to repair the past

Many have examined this passage, yet none can truly guess at it's meaning. Most agree that it implies that the previous Chosen, the Prophesied Eight, will be the predecessors of a greater Eight, and that they will somehow prepare them for this burden. Again, this is a confusing interpretation since Chosen are always at least a generation apart and usually from completely different backgrounds and completely unrelated to the previous Eight, with the exception of the Thunder Chosen, which is always kept in the same family, they that are the only direct decedents of the original Thunder Chosen.

At this point in time we have no clear idea of what will happen in the future, nor what path the Clans or the Universe will take. Our Gods have been taken from us with no explanation, the Clans are in disarray, and we can no longer rely on the ancient forms of protection. It truly is as Gaia said: the universe and it's ways are changing, and it appears as if we have no control over what transpires now that it has. It seems as if the Universe is taking a different turn, and one can only hope that we can, in some measure, be prepared for it.

Miscellaneous Legends and Forgotten Lore

While unrelated to overarching story of our universe, there are many other legends and accounts that have relevance to the nature of our world. These stories are generally unmentioned in the legends of the Clans, of which this account has been based, but it is only expected that a society will place emphasis on their own stories and not those of other cultures. As the final section of this account we will explore these lesser known stories.

The Ancient Races: Unmentioned in almost all accounts of Clans, after the Dragons created the Children they created another eight races, which was called the Second Blessing. However, unlike the Children, these races were a more perfect union of the Dragon's gift, bestowing them with less magical power than the Children. However, each race still bore a mark of their patron God, but these manifested themselves not in magic, but in physical enhancements. The Avia were those of Wind, and they had wings that grew from their back and flew among the skies. It was from sightings of the Avia that the legends of Angels came about. The Turen were those of Earth, who had large ears, tails and enhanced senses. Many of the legends of animal-men came from sightings of these noble people. The Giristeno were those of Fire, and they had tough, scaly skin, a high body temperature and red gold hair. From these came legends of demons. The Sunesta were those of Water, and when they were submerged they had the tails of fish and could breathe underwater. From them legends of the merpeople came into existence. The Ystir were the people of Light, and they had pointed ears, white hair and white pupils and white irises surrounded by black eyes. The Sulenva, the people of Dark, had pointed ears and black hair and eyes. It has been speculated that the races of elves are distant relations to these older races, though no concrete evidence has been found to support this theory. The Rysten, the people of Thunder, had yellow and red eyes, and their skin let off a faint, flickering glow. It was from these people that the legends of ghosts came. The Milcian, those of Time, had a third eye placed in the middle of their foreheads. It has been speculated that this enhancement gives them a variety of powers, including Far-Sight, Fore-Sight, telepathy and telekinesis. And while it is well documented that those powers do exist in this world in various different forms it has never been determined whether the Milcian's third eye gives them any of these powers.
All of the Elder Races exist in seclusion. Their appearance marks them apart from other humans, and this has led them to have a deep mistrust of others and the outside world. Each race has a sanctuary, created through their powers and accessible only to them and those that they bring there. Little is known of their societies, or their legends. We know only of their existence through studies of the ancient Lore and Legends kept by each Clan and vague sightings from older days.

The Sacred Weapons: One of the oldest tales of the Clans is the legend of the sacred weapons. It is said that these weapons were forged by the Fire Dragon, Tyrin after the Second Blessing, and that they contained the Gift of the Dragons, a mysterious power of which little is known. Terramyr is the weapon of Earth, and its name means Rock of Life. Caecoryn is the weapon of Dark and its name means Shadow of Wisdom. Auralyth is the weapon of Wind, and its name means Wind of Courage. Tempusonor is the weapon of Time, and its name means Time of Truth. Silanusora is the weapon of Water, and its name means Fountain of Honor. Igniculustor is the weapon of Fire, and its name means Flame of Strength. Fulgortae is the weapon of Thunder, and its name means Spark of Compassion. Iubarythio is the weapon of Light and its name means Light of Knowledge. Each weapon is named in the Ancient Language of the Children from which all the modern dialects are based on.
These weapons have played a large part in the mythos of each culture. They have been discovered and lost by many a hero, and have been granted to Chosen numerous times. However, there has not yet been an Eight that each had the Sacred Weapon of their element, not even the Legendary Eight, and it is said that if there ever were an Eight that were each bestowed with their Sacred Weapon that they would have the power to defeat the Void utterly. Each weapon takes on different forms according to the user, and it has been speculated that the Sacred Weapons are not physical objects at all, but spirits that grant their power to those who are worthy to wield them. However, any legend featuring these weapons has been vague about where they came from or why they chose those that wielded them. One can only assume that the weapons have their own purpose and that they will reveal that purpose when the time is right.

The Bards: Since the beginning of man there have been people known as Bards, given a mysterious gift to sense the world through a talent that isn't magic, yet is closely related to it. These are people who's connection to art and their ability to create beauty and truth through that art is so strong that they are able to shape the world they exist in and perceive it in a way unknown to all other types of magic. Most of those with the Bardic Gift have been musicians, though there have been a few who were painters, sculptors and actors who's ability and gift have made them legendary. The most common Gift, however, is for music, and it is through the exercising of this gift that the Bard is able to sense and change their environment. Many studies have been dedicated to understanding this Gift. After many years it was theorized that the Bards are able to inspire and shape the spirit of that which they focus their talent on, that because they are able to change the spirit, or essence, of what an object is, they can change the very object itself. Of course, this means that those objects with more powerful and self-realized spirits, spirits that retain identity more definitely, are harder to shape, meaning that Bards, while being able to easily shape inanimate objects, such as rocks and metal, have a much harder time to shape living things, like plants and animals, animals being harder to shape than plants, and humans being much harder to shape than animals. In fact, there have been very few Bards which have been able to shape humans in even the simplest ways, such as making them sleepy or hungry, without the willing consent of their subjects. However, one needs never worry that a powerful Bard might use his powers for destructive means. The Bardic Gift automatically makes the Bard a powerful Empath, and very sensitive to the needs of other people. Most Bards have been hailed throughout history as priceless contributors to society and the welfare of people in general. However, a Bardic Gift is very rare. There are usually no more than a handful of Bards that exist in any given point in time. While this means that being born with the Bardic Gift is a momentous occasion for a family it is also a rather lonely existence. Most Bards go their whole lives without meeting another with their Gift.

The Black Knight and the White Knight: There is an ancient legend among the Light and Dark Clans. It is said that one day, during the darkest hour of our universe, there shall come into the world two warriors, one of Light, and one of Dark, and that they will be the most powerful warriors the Universe has ever known. It is said that these two warriors will be blessed by the Orange Dragon and wield the Caecoryn and the Iubarythio. These two warriors will know one another and will search each other out across the world, to face each other and fight. It is said that if these two warriors should join forces with one another that they will bring the 'Balance Which Was Lost' to the universe. It is unknown from where this legend came, so we are unable to determine its validity. However, one cannot deny its existence and prevalence among the Dark and Light Clans, and that alone makes it too important to dismiss.

Epilogue

While this is, by no means, a complete account of all the legends, prophesies and stories that exist and are told by the many cultures and clans of our world, it is an accurate representation of the main mythos of our universe. Those stories that I have told to you are those most well known, and those based in historical fact. While it is true that the older legends are not easily verifiable since the Dragons are now removed from this world, these stories still hold validity in all Clans and cultures, and each society's account is nearly identical. That combined with the exploratory efforts of the Time Historians and it is easy to see that these legends are based on events that truly happened.



This account has been produced and written as a single, comprehensive piece. However, considering the nature and complexity of the subject any submissions to add to this account will be welcome and well considered. Thank you for your time.

~ Justin Thieryn, Time Elemental and Historian


Sperrit put down the manuscript and turned to look out his window. This account may have answered many questions, but it also left many answers. Sperrit could nto even begin to guess who or what the Prophesied Eight could be, where they would come from and why, but apparently the stage was set for their arrival, and that of the biggest conflict of all time. Sperrit glanced down at his flower amulet and grasped it tightly in his hand.

They would have to be ready.

[Musashi]

Well Sperrit, I really must say, you have totally outdone yourself. I know we spent ages mulling over this and working out a lot of the details. But, after reading what you've come up with, I must say I could not be any happier with the history of the elementals of Miniopia. Yes, I actually did read all of it... it only took me 45 mins. Anyone else who checks this, its highly recommended reading, as many of the roleplays Sperrit and I have been in were based upon this central history. Yeah, it might take you a couple decades to read through it all, but it really is quite informative when it comes to many of the stories and roleplays that deal with the elementals here on PO. As such, I believe this topic is worthy of being pinned. Anyway, everyone read it!

~Pins Topic~

Once again, AMAZING JOB SPERRIT!!!

[Lygato]

This is an awsome piece of work, my friend. You have truly outdone yourself, and that's saying something. I'm sorry to see you go and that some of the great stories that were in your mind will never be told. I know you had more in there than you were letting on. Anyway, read this people! It's long, but it's awsome.

[Minosheep]

*claps*

Wow. Amazed.

[unique one]

Agreed it is awsome.