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Void |
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The Dark Lord and the Rings of Power |
| In the past of Tolaria, there existed once a Dark Age. This Age was
ushered in by the Dark Lord known as Void and would bring devastation to
the island. Void was actually of the Soltari race, creatures of shadows born of scholars who were changed in the blast that was cause by Urza in the year 1000 TR. These creatures are ageless, neither young nor old, existing in a realm all their own, between life and death. They are indeed a strange site to behold, tall, humanoid, their body made of stars. They say that the body of a Soltari is a vision of eternity, their eyes, gateways to heaven. They have no nose, no mouth, their ears elongated into a point. Their hands are long and silvery white, their hands having long, delicate fingers. A cloud of mist hovers about them when they tread the ground. They've dedicated their lives to peace, knowledge, and the safety of their home. Make no mistake, despite his ways, Void was indeed a Soltari. For a time, he accepted these ways of living, yet he grew restless. He foresaw impending doom that was unclear, and his determination to prevent this unknown cataclysm lead to his breaking away from his kin to live among the realm of mortals, disguised by magic. The dates concerning when he left and when he changed are unknown, but it is known that he surfaced around the time the Seven Rings were created. The Seven Rings were created for a group of self-proclaimed guardians to help protect the isle from the mistakes of the Ancients and the Brotherhood, whom had long since vanished. They convinced the inhabitants that their threats still existed and they needed such protection. Void was secretly involved in their creation, himself forging a single ring to control the others. He poured his essence into this ring in the hopes of keeping the balance of power in check. Though his intentions were noble, his biggest mistake was proclaiming himself to be the defender of Tolaria. And thus, the rings were created and given to the guardians while Void kept his own for himself. The guardians, armed with a new power, again began to war with each other. As they gained power, Void himself began to gather forces. He held on to the ideal that he was doing what was best for the isle, but the immense power at his disposal warped his mind. When the final battle came, he fought not for the isle, but for total conquest. Their confrontation would be known as the War of Eight Armies. Each guardian brought his own force to a pre-chosen battlefield to wipe out their opponents. The corrupted guardians fought to kill, and the bloody battle was long and hard. Void came forth at the end, his army of darkness slaughtering the tired armies. He killed the guardians himself and reclaimed the very rings he had forged, giving him dominance over the isle. He became a tyrant and ruled over Tolaria with an iron fist. The isle fell into an age of darkness. The events that happened next are unclear. Three rings appeared, wielded by those untouched by greed. The new guardians, armed with these rings of power untainted by Void's darkness, came forth to vanquish him. They destroyed his mortal body, but his eternal Soltari soul escaped into the Shadow Realm. His seven rings were destroyed, but as for the last, it vanished into the mists. This ring was found long after Void's defeat, and with it's discovery, Void returned from the Shadow Realm. His powers had grown and he banished the isle to the realm he escaped from, setting his sites on the mainland and the one who held his ring. He warped the minds of the good and created an army of evil to aide him in his quest, but he was defeated before he could ever claim his power. His life would end shortly after. The bearer of the ring stumbled upon Void's army, using the ring's power to take control and lead them into battle. They were stopped by the Sonic Raiders and the newest guardians, who fought valiantly in a bloody war. In the end, the ring was destroyed, and with it, Void's power. Of course, Void's desire to claim Tolaria as his own was enough to prevent his own destruction. He spent time in the Shadow Realm once more, plotting his revenge and consolidating his power. The day finally came when the barrier between his world and the realm of the living weakened, allowing him to pass through. He gathered the forces of darkness and waged a new war on Tolaria. After conquering almost two-thirds of the island, Void was drawn into an ambush launched by the Allied Forces of Tolaria, a rag-tag group led by the Raiders and three times smaller than his own army, if not smaller. Through superior planning and preparation, Void's army was destroyed. In a desperate attempt to salvage some victory, he entered a personal duel with Raven, someone he had abhorred ever since his second banishment. In the end, she won, and vanquished Void once more. Whether or not this victory is the final one in Void's ambitious history is unknown. For now, however, his reign has been put to an end. |