The sands of time shift,
The end of an era approaches.
A harbinger is born to the people of light,
Fear consumes the people of night,
Great will be the battle,
Great the war.
An end to a time,
The start of another,
At the heels of the silver-haired emissary.
-Vartor the Illuminated
Prologue
A long time ago, the humans and the Starlings’ fates were intertwined. The humans gratefully allowed the Starlings free access to their land, and awarded them great honor and respect. In exchange, the Starlings swore to protect the humans from those who would wish them harm. But for reasons long forgotten, this strange Alliance was shattered.
The humans were angry, and rightly so, but neither side would admit their faults. The Starling people withdrew from the Earth, forsaking the feel of the wind on their face and the warmth the sun brought, and retreated to their own realm high above.
Out of respect for the friendship they once shared, the Starlings continued to watch over the humans, protecting them from afar. Time passed, anger faded, and the race of the Starlings became a legend told to reassure frightened children when sleep had forsaken them.
The human race has long since forgotten the significance of the stars. They have forgotten that the stars were not stars at all, but cities, home to the Starlings. And when these stars began to go out, and disappear forever, the humans were not worried. Little did they know, the stars going out was the catalyst for change.
