Histories of Arya
The Civil War
The Aryans came many years ago. They came over the plains and spread across the land now known as Arya. Their greatest conquest was the city of Este, inhabited by the Gyans. The Gyans are a fierce people, and still live in some sections of Este, but they are warriors, not sorcerers. When the Aryans came they brought magic with them.
For years, the Witches and Warlocks had held sway among the Aryans. For in the beginning, all Aryans possessed magic. Through the ages many of them forgot and lost touch with their powers, but continued to respect those who could still practice the art of sorcerery. Green Witches and Warlocks were especially beloved as being half-human and closer to the ordinary people of Arya. But it was the White and the Blue Sorcerers who held most sway. Both were purely magical unmingled with human blood, but while the White Sorcerers shared their knowledge of wizardry, the Blue kept theirs secret.
Gradually, the Sorcerers diminished, and even more magic was lost in Arya. There were barely any White left in the land, and most Aryans had forgotten the power of the Blue Sorcerers, who were now called Graylons. The Graylons were known to possess magic, but were rarely seen to use it. They lived contentedly in Arya, friendly with the magic-less humans, but would repay any request to be taught their skill with stern refusal.
The first seeds of jealousy came with a young man from the land of Cele. A conjurer with more than just sleight of hand, he settled in Este and began to seek out a Graylon who would educate him in more powerful magic, but to no use. All the Graylons he approached turned from him without the slightest hesitation. And so he began to whisper rumors: what were the Graylons hiding? They kept the magic to themselves, when everyone knew that the magic of old was the birthright of every Aryan!
The fever spread, aggravated by the Graylons' refusal to even discuss the accusations hurled at them. Eventually the Celen conjuror cornered a Graylon on the street, and mocked him openly in front of swiftly gathering crowds. The Graylon regarded him calmly for a good fifteen minutes without answering. The Celen, angered by the Graylon's silence, conjured a dagger and brushed the Sorcerer's throat with it. The Graylon immediately waved his hand in the direction of the Celen's neck, and a gray ring of cloud appeared around it. Slowly the ring pressed closer and closer, until the conjuror fell down dead, strangled.
It was the signal for general chaos. As powerful as the Graylons were, they were no match against a raging people, all determined to exterminate them. One by one, the Blue Witches and Wizards were killed. The only Graylon who managed to escape was the young son of a lord: Lokan. The Gyans took advantage of the widespread upheaval to stage a rebellion in Este against the Aryans. They were too few to achieve any goal other than more bloodshed, but the fighting between the Aryans, Gyans, and Graylons waged long and fierce.
When the battles died down, leaving the Aryans weary but victorious, the Gyans broken and defeated, and the Graylons almost completely destroyed, the Civil War was deemed to be over. The hate thrived on between the peoples, only deadened by the plague that followed the war. Then suffering grew to be too great to allow of hate, and desperation began to strangle hope in the same way that two years ago the Graylon had strangled the Celen conjurer. Healing was needed, but a strong one in order to combat such a devastating plague. People began to murmur of old times, when the Sorcerers had worked ancient healing spells. But only the most powerful Blue Witches and Warlocks had been known to manage such a magic, and now there were none left. Except, perhaps, one. Lokan, who had disappeared years before. Even his few friends had no idea how to find him. But they knew they would have to try.Top Back |