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Stones I |
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Creation of the Guardian Stones |
| Roughly twenty years after the imprisonment of the Elementals, a
group of Tolarian mages came together to form a Brotherhood whose sole
purpose was to guard the Elemental Emeralds. They were, in essence, the
very first in a long line of guardians. But try as they might, they
could not stay united very long. Over a period of about 50 years, the
Brotherhood became separated based on various ideas of protecting
Tolaria. One side of the Brotherhood spoke of shattering the emeralds into smaller stones of power that they could use to protect the larger Emeralds. On the other side of the argument, the elders that believed the Emeralds should remain pure. They should not be divided into smaller pieces, as the effect of their actions may cause unforeseen repercussions. In the end, this debate split the Brotherhood apart. The elders who defended the emeralds against being shattered would be forever known in history as the Ancients. The other, younger members of the Brotherhood vanished from the history books, but their deed shaped a new culture on Tolaria. One dark night, they snuck inside the temples of the great Elementals and did their damage so fast that the Ancients did not have time to react. With tools enhanced by magic, they entered the chambers of the Elemental Emeralds and managed to chisel off various pieces of the stones that trapped the Gods. These stones, born form each Elemental, are the following: from the Cain's Emerald was born the guardian stones of Change, Strength, and Fire. From Gaea's, Earth and Secrets. From Thanatos, Darkness, Death, and Tech. Kaios, Light and Wind. Imbrium, Love and water. These were the first incarnation of the Guardian stones. When the Ancient's found out of the Brotherhood's betrayal, they hunted the the traitors down. Many were killed, but those who escaped from the Ancients hid in an underground lair that could only be found through specific statues placed around the Isle. The isle indeed changed during the time these stones existed. Wars wracked the land as Tolaria was thrown into a state of unbalance. The people turned against each other, the elements composing the isle infusing their peoples with a lust for blood. Seeing such devastation, few members of the Brotherhood emerged from hiding to aid the Ancients in their Jihad. With this new help, they were able to retrieve the stones from the lair of the Brotherhood. They rejoined the stones to their appropriate emeralds, casting a protective spell that would prevent the Elementals from escaping unless they were summoned by some great need. Their spell would hold for many years, but it would not last forever... |