Before True Light: The Awakening 2nd Edition

“Thousands of years ago, a great man, named Hermes, forged the Emerald Tablet on pages of gold. The means by which he obtained the knowledge sealed within the Tablet has never been clear, although there have always been all kinds of...beliefs. What we do know, is that Hermes had been somehow vested with the mysteries of our natural world, and more, and had painstakingly transcribed them within this venerated document, for the benefit of all. He then set out amongst the kingdoms of his time, choosing with care those that he deemed worthy to wield the powers bestowed by this great knowledge; and they, in turn, did the same until a great many practitioners of the Arts were spread throughout the different kingdoms.

  Many of our ancestors believed that the Tablet, itself, chose who would wield its power, and that Hermes was merely its first vessel. At that time, the king of Hermes' land, for whom Hermes had been a close advisor for many years, had also obtained the power of the Tablet's knowledge and used it, very benevolently, for the good of all his kingdom. Soon, however, he realized that the ability to control such power could provide an advantage, as well. The king began to organize those who were gifted with the Arts into what we have since come to know, from then on, as the Red Mage Army - the very first military application of the gifts that Hermes had bestowed upon the kingdoms."

  “Did this king use the army to conquer other kingdoms?” Izanami curiously asked.

  “No, young one. The king used his army in the pursuit of peace and justice. If ever his allies needed aid, or acts of injustice fell upon the innocent, the Red Mage Army worked to bring peace and harmony back into balance, and his kingdom flourished. No foe would dare face an army that could create such frightening sights...," the Elder of White Heka hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should elaborate, or not.

  Zane spoke up, "Did something happen to the king's army?"

  "Yes... a great and terrible civil war eventually broke out in the kingdom between the Red Mages who supported the king, and rebel Mages who had begun to fall victim to their own desires for power. The rebels had begun to threaten and raid other kingdoms, and established their own alliances against the king. The kingdom was on the brink of destruction from within. Thousands upon thousands of innocents perished, and Mages turned on each other in the heat of battle. Scores of villages and cities were completely destroyed. The king was willing to surrender his reign, even his life, if it meant an end to the destruction of his people. However, in this time of utter chaos, one brave soldier stood out.. a lone Red Mage, differed from the rest. He was able to... do things that no other Mage could, even Hermes himself. The Light shone within his heart and the war was ended in one last battle. Very little is actually known about this Mage - the accounts of most of these events have been lost through the ages. But, it was clear to Hermes that mankind was not worthy of the gifts he so willingly and graciously offered, and so he split the Emerald Tablet into two pieces, rendering all Mages free of their abilities, and hid each in a different ancient kingdom."

  Zane and Izanami were mesmerized by the Elder's account of their historical, shared past. Izanami's mind swam with images of these ancient warriors - her ancestors. She asked, breathlessly, "What happened then, Elder?? If the splitting of the Tablet rendered all Mage powers useless, how are we able to use the ancient Arts now??"

  The Elder of White Heka smiled, "Patience, child. Our roots run deep, twisting through the ages, and takes some time to explain." He winked, and continued, "The Great Purification - as the time after the war came to be known - lasted for at least two thousand years. During this era, humanity struggled to survive, and to regain some semblance of prosperity they had enjoyed during the time of Hermes - so great was the loss caused by the fall of the Red Mages. One of the Tablet pieces lay hidden deep within a mountainous kingdom, where the valleys stretched to the ends of the earth. After its long slumber, the piece was discovered by a scout of that kingdom, which was called Maldaylia. The king became the keeper of that piece of the tablet. Unable to decipher its truths, and without the benefit of the other half, the king presented it to his five counselors for study. Between them, they managed to unlock most of the mysterious secrets. These five became known as the first Elders of the Tablet. At first, people feared the powers of the Elders. Many had forgotten, or had never heard of, the ancient powers attributed to them. Then, slowly and over some generations, these abilities began showing up among people within the royal line and, eventually, throughout the entire kingdom. Finally, a descendent of this king had resurrected a new Mage army. But... their powers never reached the same extent as the ancient Red Mage army. This was because the portion of the Tablet that Maldaylia possessed contained only the basic reactions, transmutations, herbalism, and secrets of the healing energy of our natural world - White Heka. And, while all the ancient Red Mages were able to summon the power of White Heka, only the few in Maldaylia who ascended to Red Mage Warrior status were capable of the same."

  The Elder of White Heka looked at Izanami and Zane. He could see the wonder and curiosity in their eyes. Their attention was completely focused on every word. They had not even noticed the noises from the training behind them. He smiled at them and said, “Do you wish for me to continue?”

  “Yes, tell us more! What about the other piece of the Tablet?” Izanami excitedly exclaimed. Just as Izanami finished speaking, she felt something poking her in her back and this made her jump. She turned around and said, “Santo! You scared me!”

  “Just thought I’d join in on the fun you guys are having,” Santo said as he sat down behind Izanami.

  “Don’t you have to be training with the others, Santo?” Zane asked.

  “I told you guys, I really enjoy this story! I want to listen,” Santo smiled. The Elder of White Heka waited until Santo was seated comfortably, then continued with the tale.

  “As for the other piece of the Emerald Tablet, it was hidden across a vast sea. A land of desert and barren mountains, with only one life-giving river running through it, was where the other tablet also rested for two thousand years. It was discovered around the same time as the one in Maldaylia. However, it was almost another thousand years after each was discovered before the two pieces were reunited, and the fates of the two kingdoms were woven together. The second piece of the Tablet bestowed people of this kingdom, and very few at that, with the power of Black Heka...but, as in Maldaylia, the abilities were very limited, even more so. White Heka did not manifest itself at all in this desert kingdom."

  “Elder, if I may ask, what exactly is Black Heka?” Zane asked. The mage pupils had always been aware of the term but, since their people had no such abilities, they were never really sure what it entailed. The Elder responded, "The ancient text speaks of light and darkness - white and black heka - only in very encrypted terms. Since the time of Hermes, when most of the perfect knowledge of the Tablet disappeared, keepers of the pieces have continually struggled to understand this dual nature of heka. Our own Elder of Black Heka holds the title in name only, and has devoted his life to the pursuit of unlocking the mystery of the ancient art. The Red Mages, taught by Hermes himself, were able to summon and use energy from both our natural world, and... outside of this world. But not since that time has this ability arisen again in any one individual, and those who briefly manifested the dark arts since, could only do so in very limited ways. We have never even been entirely sure that Hermes, himself, understood the true nature of Black Heka. All we know is that, together, White and Black heka hold the secret to unspeakable power."

  Izanami and Zane looked at each other. What they had learned so far seemed utterly incredible. Then Izanami remembered that the Elder had not completed his explanation of the historical timeline, and she asked, "What happened after both pieces were found?"

  The Elder of White Heka looked up at the clear, blue sky over the training grounds, then back at his pupils. “The Era of Shadows, as our people now call it, began when the two pieces of the tablet were reunited as one."

  “Wh
at, exactly, happened, Elder?” Izanami prompted. The Era of Shadows had always been a mystery to her. Even though it encompassed their more recent history, her teachers had always been very vague about it in their lessons. Zane waited silently. Santo, still listening, bowed his head and shook it. He took up the story, while the Elder of White Heka looked on.

  “The Red Mages and Red Mage Warriors, this time, were forced to fight, not for peace and justice, but for destruction and death. For some reason, it was the only choice they had…they were forced by the leader of this nation, who pursued some sort of ancient secret…one that would unleash unthinkable power, kind of what the Elder explained just now. This leader was not a Mage and possession of such knowledge was much too dangerous. He also had some kind of weapon that rendered most Mage abilities useless. But, because of the natural catastrophe that occurred at the same time, when so much of the world lay ruined, there is very little physical evidence left of what really happened at that time. During the Era of Shadows, the Mages split into five tribes and have been in hiding since,” Santo explained.

  “Is it true what Santo says, Elder?” Zane asked.

  “I’m afraid so, young Mage, but that is all in the past now and we must learn from it. That’s enough history for today… you may report, now, to one of the other Elders for your next assignment.” The Elder of White Heka remained seated on his chair and watched as the three young Mage Warriors got up and walked away from their spots where they sat at his feet. Then he raised his head once more, and gazed at the moons rising just above the distant peaks of the mountains.

  Chapter 7