Unigo

History of Magic

It is believed that in the vast darkness of the mundane, a single spark wrought forth a chaotic burst of life and energy that formed itself into the world of Belariath. Since its inception, magic has been a vital life vein delivering that essential nutrient to all life that creeps upon the forest floor, walks among its leaves, or soars above its trees. It is in the air the natives breath, in the water they drink, in the molecules that comprise their bodies--it is not only a part of their lives, for many races, it is the very reason for life. For the beginning races of dragons, unicorns and nymphs, magic simply was. There was no need for spell casting, for learning to harness the energies around them. As beings of pure magic, it was as intrinsic to them as breathing. Centuries wore on, life adapted and expanded as it is wont to do, and a multitude of beings flooded the lands, all with varying degrees of innate magical talents. Giving a name to the source of all magic, the word Gaia was born and from that name the recognition of magic as nature became universal.

Though the populous of Belariath would have been considered barbaric by many in its forming years, it was not without its few who could master the element of magic with such clarity, such power, that many were elevated to a god-like status amongst their respective people. Unable to train others in the art that was for them as natural as breathing, they took instead to creating powerful magical items that by today's standards are considered relics. It is not known why such talents seemed to have died out around the time the creator of Unigo made her way onto the land--some suspect she put a curse on the people preventing their bloodlines from giving birth to a child who could one day be her rival. Today, these items of power, these relics are matters of rumor, legend and song. Enough of them have withstood the test of time to give proof of their existence, but how many remain and where they can be found are questions that drive the bravest to quest for glory

As they began evolving and progressing, many races, such as the elves and the dwarves, were convinced there was more potential to this most natural of elements. And, indeed even many of the noble races of the Drak Sen had begun to seek out the knowledge’s of the elders in hopes of learning just how magic worked. But something eluded them; they simply hadn't yet mastered complex casting techniques. The magic was there indeed, more potently so than on many other worlds, perhaps it was that very reason it took the inhabitants so long to begin to try to harness its potential--when something is as common place as breathing, one doesn't often stop to think about the mechanics of how and why. Time progressed, more life sprang up, and so it was that by the time Katarein found her way to the world of Belariath, it was littered with all the common races of this day each with its own rich magical lineage.

When Katarein appeared, word of her mastery of the element of magic crisscrossed Belariath, bringing to her those who wished to learn. Within a short span of time, she had enough followers to amass a small army, soldier mages who proclaimed her a goddess and were ready to rush upon forth to conquer Belariath and claim it in the name of Katarein. Needing a central place for teaching, research and archival storage, she had the tower of Unigo built in a place which is today somewhat to the east of the town of Nanthalion. From there, the soldiers of Katarein were sent out onto the lands of Belariath as columns of warrior mages.

Many were not pleased with Katarein's army. Those races that rely more on might than magic watched from a good distance as she gathered together her troops and they feared the worse. They expected a battle, a great war that would pit the power of the fist against the might of magic. Ballads and war songs were written, prophecies were recited, and many thought this was the end for those considered magically inept.

It was from Unigo that she sent out her orders and trained her followers. It was in Unigo that the magical relics of the land were brought for examination and storage to be used in her great army. Unigo had become the magical center for this world.

Until the day the tower went silent and Katarein simply disappeared.

Since the time of her leaving, the training of and in the arts of magic has continued to grow. Many of those first trained by her returned to their homes to set up smaller institutes of magic, but none is as renowned as the Tower of Unigo. In fact, many consider it to be of the highest honor to be able to send one of their pupils to Unigo for training. And many times, a chosen person later returns to their homeland to become the head of their local magic guild. No longer the home of a mage who had been elevated to the status of goddess by her followers, the tower remains still touched by her magic, an everlasting tribute to her presence but now as a school that searches to educate and not destroy.

Shortly after her disappearance, whispered rumors of a nomadic band of traveling magicians and mages began to creep across Belariath. Gypsies to some, Magi to others, many wondered if Katarein hadn't really left, but had instead simply chosen to move into the shadows so she could gather her information from these scouts gifted in magic generations beyond any of this land. It is only their apparent undying loyalty to a being they call Morpheus that has allowed the Magi some semblance of normal integration with the natives of this world. Some consider them to be beings from another planet, a world just as rich in magic that was destroyed while others consider them to be refugees, cast aside because of their potency with the magical arts. Perhaps, the truth will never be known. Magic continues to flourish upon the land and the skills of those who learn and teach grow with each passing century. It is a slow process coveted by some, feared by others, but it is in the end, life on Belariath.