Peacebringer

Prologue

The land of Karda is a beautiful and ancient one, filled with a rich and fascinating history. About four hundred years ago, Karda was in a time of turmoil, full of fearsome creatures that terrorized humans, both magical and non-magical alike. This was the time the Kardans call the dark ages. Humans lived in fear, fighting for survival against vampires, harpies, phobophages, and a host of other creatures.

Then the Celestials came.

It is said that any time the world is in danger, Celestials are born to save the world from its evils. They are magic users who have higher powers than spinners, witches, or wizards. Although we are not sure what their powers were, we know that they were great. They are said to be made of stardust. Their mighty power was certainly proven at the end of the dark ages, as the Celestials drove out the dark creatures, leaving Karda and the surrounding countries in peace. Unfortunately, there were no storytellers who knew exactly how the Celestials did it. Some say that the evil ones were banished across the sea, some say they died, and some still say that they all simultaneously vanished in a puff of smoke. Storytelling is not as highly valued an art form in Karda as it is in Sayreen. It's a shame for them; they miss out on great opportunities to record history. Their history books are dull and straightforward instead of lively.

Karda blossomed for generations (regardless of their storytelling abilities), developing bigger cities, exploring their borders, and creating alliances with the neighboring country of Sayreen, my home country. Magic users honed their talents to better their communities, working closely with non-magical people to provide services and enchanted items. There was four hundred years of peace. The Celestials gradually disappeared, as they were no longer needed to protect Karda from darkness.

When King Gairadon took the throne after the passing of his father, the people of Karda thought that their new King would be gracious and kind. He further developed ties with Sayreen by marrying a noblewoman from the desert region. She was lovely and caring, both to her home country of Sayreen and her new people of Karda. They were happily married with two daughters, and their lives in the castle flourished.

When the youngest princess was only a baby, the King turned on magic users, fearing that they were going to take over Karda by force. He sought to drive them out of their communities, either by imprisoning them or exiling them. This fear increased when he uncovered a prophecy that he felt threatened his reign. It was known as the peacebringer prophecy, and he interpreted that it would mean his downfall. His advisor pushed him constantly to take stronger action, driving a wedge between him and his people.

The situation got even worse when the fire spinners (magic users who can manipulate fire) attacked the palace, killing the queen and her infant daughter. This left the king with only one daughter and heir. The fire spinners fled the country to escape his wrath, and Gairadon increased his attacks on other magic users.

Fire spinners had not been seen in Karda since, and more and more magic users were imprisoned each day. The whole country lived on edge, afraid that they or their loved ones might disappear at any moment. People betrayed their neighbors in hopes of keeping themselves hidden, and accused strangers instead of taking blame.

Finally, a small band of resistance fighters, made up of both magical and non-magical people, joined together to take down the crown, beginning a civil war against the King. While their numbers increased, they didn't seem to be able to make any progress. Both sides had been fighting for years, with no gains made. It seemed like an unending war.

This story takes place during that civil war.