Legend of the Seven Gems Book I: Journey to Calicostan

Chapter I: Dawn of the Seven

Thousands of years ago, legends passed down by elders foretold the coming of a diety. One whose strength was said to match that of the greatest warlords. Seven children of the God, Julius, swore an oath to protect the children of Malla. Their goal was to protect elements they each granted to the world as a gift.

Via gifted the world Light, and with it, fire and destruction. Gia granted the world Nature. Día granted the world rotation. Kia altered the fabric of space. Fia granted the world water. Tia granted the world's formation and land. Finally, Ria granted both life and death.

With the birth of Seven Deities came an advance in civilizations unlike any other. Despite that, each of the deities remained cautious of approaching the outside world. Tribes who worshipped these deities did so in relative seclusion for over thousands of years. It wasn't until the birth of the first Era that three empires were formed under an agreement between peace. These three empires took refuge over the continent of Hardenfall

After many centuries, the empires began to learn the tales of the gems true power. To wield such great power, one must harness each of the seven, whose abilities were guarded by each of the great deities. What was the rumor, one may ask? Prophecy of the long forgotten scripture foretold of the true power of the gems; one's ability to harness control over the reality others live in. To bend freewill, but for those on the side of the descendant, it was seen as if to break an oath. There is only one whose sole purpose is to sustain the balance of reality... Julius.

War broke out, and to protect the gem, Julius split himself into a mortal form (the descendant) and the immortal form (the ascendant). The mortal form, while technically one half of Julius, is also the form whose able to interact with the sentient life forms living in this world. Adversely, the ascendant watches over the descendant, reviving their life in exchange for a new body each reincarnation. Due to the new body, there also happens to be a new mind.

Julius sent down the first of the descendants, Drogon, who freed the captives in the keep beneath the palace in Gaia's capital city. On a 9 month journey to a land promised to him by the God of formation, a storm swept their boat onto the shores of an island. This island was said to have traveled between time and space to appear within the center of the continent of Hardenfall. The island, in question, was known as Malla.

Malla originally started as a place outsiders sought refuge to escape the war. Eventually, each of the empires caught on. First, Gaia sent their military to the island to seize control. This action was quickly followed by the Katonians infiltrating the Gaianese initiative to take control of the island.

Drogon, who was the first king of the newly discovered island of Malla, awakened to his true powers upon allocating each of the gems alongside their deities, destroying each of the fleets off the coasts of the island, and sacrificing himself to seal the island from invaders for many years. King Drogon was deemed a hero from that day forward, and people eagerly awaited the return of the descendant through each of the cycles.

Through time, many descendants have come and gone, risking their life to save the world over and over again. Despite their actions, war rages on between Gaia and Katonia.

But for the little village of the Winter-born tribe up in the northern part of High Garden, the great elders gather in a long house with great statues towering over- each proclaimed to be a former descendant. As they gather together, forming a circle between the five sages, their chanting awakens the blue flame... deeming the coming of a new descendant. The question now was... who could it be?

Elder Barry: My sages, the time has come for us to redeem our past failures, and triumph through the tests of time. For today tells the tale of a legend long forgotten. Have we, the sages of Julius, a millennium of preparation behind us? Are we truly prepared to honor the paths we have so desperately chosen to stand by, or are we to deny involvement in worldly affairs?

The room goes quiet. Everyone waits for the others to make the first move, standing there almost paralyzed. One sage steps forward.

Elder Rue begins to light an incense to signal the confirmation of bringing the descendant to the village. As he lights it, he turns around and walks back into the circle, tilting his head downwards. The others glare at him, as if wondering his reasoning

Elder Rue: Have you forgotten our duty as elders of the seven divines? If the blue flame lingers in our village, others have failed to acknowledge their own responsibilities. We must accept refuge on behalf of those who have denied his entry to their world.

Elder Arlo: What of the war? If the enemy locates us, or even the ally, there is a great risk?

Another elder steps forward, lighting the incense with the blue flame, and stepping back.

Elder Rin: What is life without risk?

The speechless elder steps forward, lights the incense, and moves back. Finally, it is down to Arlo... seeing as how his brothers have also stepped forward, Arlo lights the incense and steps back.

Elder Barry: The sages have spoken! Let Julius gift himself to our humble village, and protect us as we shall mutually protect him! A contracted signed by the fate of the blue flames.

As the elders begin to chant, the blue flames wick begins to grow larger and larger, eventually becoming nearly twenty times the size it once was. Soon, the wick quickly goes back to its former state...

Elder Barry: As the blue wick burns, his life remains Winter-born. Who it will be will soon become evident as the years go on, but is not for us to decide. May the wick burn for years to come. We welcome Julius into our home.

The elders let out one last chant before they each disperse and go upon their way.