World History
once upon a time...
The Beginning
Many claim to know the origin of the universe. There are humans who believe that God created the heavens and the earth and brought all living beings to life. Others believe that a host of numerous deities are responsible for crafting the world and all its inhabitants. The fairies are sure that their Mother Goddess, who now dwells in the great tree Yggdrasil, was the force that brought about creation.
But there is little evidence for any of these claims. There are no records of the earliest years of the earth, and what people do know is the stuff of ancient texts and prophecies that were made eons later. Even the oldest and wisest of the fairies, those who have lived for thousands of years, those who claim to have been among the first beings given life – even they cannot attest to having witnessed creation as it happened.
There is, however, one common thread in every faith: the Awakening. It differs from story to story, but the general belief is that the people of the world were created by some force, be it a god or goddess or pure chance, and all the races appeared on the earth as they are now: each unique, each complete. From that point, they formed their own ways of life. There is no concept of evolution, nor is there any evidence pointing towards such a phenomenon. All signs indicate that life simply appeared for one reason or another, and most accept this as the one undeniable truth.
In the earliest times, the world was without order. Its people roamed the land endlessly until they learned to reap the benefits of its fertile soil. The humans, the most populous and diverse of the races, divided the land into their separate territories and gave their people laws by which to abide. Hostility reared its head from time to time, but all wars came and passed as time marched on. Eventually the domains of the humans evolved into the nations of today.
Mankind stood perpetually at the edge of tomorrow, striding headlong into the future. And it was the human race that became the driving force of advancement, the force that brought the world from the ages of stone tools and temples into ever-brighter eras brimming with new ideas and discoveries.
The Age of Mana
Mana, the energy of the universe, has existed for all of time. Originally, only the fairies could control its power. They were born of the lifeblood of Yggdrasil, and they were forever connected to the great tree. But there was also another magical race who called themselves the jumi. They had sworn to protect the tree, for their lives also depended on its existence. The fairies found the jumi to be noble and pure of heart and thus bestowed upon their kind the secrets of magic. With this knowledge, they could defend Yggdrasil from harm. Powerful jumi, or jewel knights, began keeping watch over the sacred tree, a tradition that has survived until present day.
Also during these ancient times, a race known as demons began to emerge from the Underworld. Their belligerent ways brought chaos to the earth, and their powerful magic brought fear to its inhabitants. The demons sought to receive the full power of the great tree Yggdrasil, but their greed and hostility made them enemies of the fairies. After a short but brutal war, the fairies and jumi knights defeated the demons. The survivors were banished from the mortal realm and sealed in the Underworld by a magical barrier.
For ages, the fairies and the jumi remained the sole users of magic. The earth was full of mana during this time, and both races thrived. They lived in harmony alongside the humans, who knew of mana but could not harness its power. The humans relied on their inventions to enhance their lives, and they created many wondrous things. They were a bright race – so bright, in fact, that about two millennia ago, the wisest and most gifted of their kind were able to unlock the secrets of mana. They learned the art of magic and called themselves mages.
The fairies, who were the children of Yggdrasil, resented the humans for using the tree’s power. Fairy lore cited their own race as the first created and the dearest to the heart of the Mother Goddess. They viewed themselves as superior and were wary of mortals tampering with such sacred energy. Nevertheless, they would not make war with mankind. They simply drew away, separating themselves from their affairs and becoming indifferent to their ever-growing world. Meanwhile the practice of magic spread throughout the land, and humans grew accustomed to its use. Using mana to power their creations, they soon gained dominance over all physical things.
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