Prologue: A Power Struggle

Every great wizard I’ve ever had the chance to meet, whether defined by the masses as “good” or “evil,” had some quirk of their own. I even had the fortune of meeting one with a most peculiar collection of tattered boots. Unfortunately, those who consider themselves to be “great” also did much the same to make themselves appear as such. The ignorant were fooled and began to believe all wizards were quirky as well as either “good” or “evil.”

What these people never learn is that, to wizards, there is no good or evil. There is order, and chaos, and a strict adherence to either one or the other. When an apprentice undergoes the final training process that leads them to becoming a wizard, whichever is stronger within them will call out to either Selren, of Order, or Dramorn, of Chaos. It is a very well-kept secret—an apprentice does not know what occurs in this training process until it occurs.

Rarely, there are those who, like myself, are true neutral. They cannot lean in one direction or the other—it is impossible. I have always preferred work as a scribe, writing things down, and thus, as I see the changes occurring in my world, I have begun to feel the need to record them. However, I feel that it is my duty to start at the beginning.

Some millennia ago, a tale that is whispered about only in the softest of whispers to the most knowledgeable of people in this present day came to be. It has been forgotten by all save the wisest—those of us who have dedicated ourselves to the pursuit of knowledge through wizardry, and shown some adeptness at it. The world was only beginning, then, created by Selren out of Dramorn. The two had co-existed for some time, until Dramorn began to notice in all his strength that Selren was taking over the duty of his creation... and, he inferred, threatening his power over this new concept, a “world.”

By this time, however, Selren had already achieved power equal to that of Dramorn’s. Selren created the first sentient being in an attempt to lessen Dramorn’s power—humans. They were a flawed race, as was proven by their susceptibility to Dramorn’s power and therefore overtaken by what Selren viewed as chaos. Further research on our part has proven that these humans were most likely a pure neutral, and were probably simply attempting to survive. However, since Selren did not see this from the same perspective as we have today, she created the dwarven race and made them physically stronger, as well as smaller. We believe that this was in the hopes that Dramorn wouldn’t notice them if they were stronger, and, should he, that they would be able to fight off his influence physically. Both hopes were proven incorrect, and the dwarves were, in fact, more susceptible to Dramorn’s power and still are today. So she created the elves. These, finally, were proven to be a creation entirely her own. Very few, if any, heard Dramorn’s call, and lived in their own, strictly ordered communities. A balance had been achieved. However, which two forces of opposing powers were ever satisfied with a balance?

The dwarves, elves, and humans had at one point lived and existed together. But as the gods increased their influence on the races which they could afford to influence, fighting slowly began to break out. It started as an occasional skirmish upon the hills. But eventually, these grew until a human milkmaid couldn’t go out to the barn to milk her cow without seeing an elf and a dwarf in combat, or occasionally an elf and another elf or a dwarf and another dwarf. Conditions escalated rapidly, until one day, an eerie silence fell over the continent.

The humans, who had attempted to stay uninvolved during the war, were afraid. Could there be some intense new method of warfare? What had happened? Eventually, they began to explore and discovered that, besides some skeletons... both species had disappeared.

A new god had been created from these deaths— this one, unlike Selren and Dramorn, was genderless, without allegiance... completely neutral. It gave itself no true name, merely called itself Balance.

Since then, should either deity have the foolishness to attempt to fight, Balance punished the offender severely.

There has been peace in our land since then, though Selren and Dramorn have both found ways to influence the human race.

But lately... lately there have been whispers, whispers that both Selren and Dramorn are rebuilding their armies. We have had to erase the memories of a few who have seen these dwarves and elves—in many ways, we wizards maintain the public standards of happiness and peace. Getting the old stories about very well may erase both... and that is what we are terrified of.

Humanity is all there is, now.

Should Balance be overthrown, as we suspect it may be approaching... the darkness this world will be plunged into shall be unparalleled.

I am Rassine, and I have been assigned to record the comings of these events for however long it takes for them to occur. I fear for this world, and what may come... oh, how I fear.