Chapter Text
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Nestled in between the Kingdoms of Brightvale and Meridell, along the banks of the Valebrook River, is a bustling city called Asla. Settled by farmers and traders hundreds of years ago, the city blossomed in its advantageous position as a waypoint between the two kingdoms. Neopians from every corner of the globe found themselves in the city, fascinated by its friendly citizens and distinct culture.
Asla became the home to a unique group of people, called Mages. With time, the Mages became one of the most powerful societies in the region - maybe even in all of Neopia. Early Aslan Mages were determined to uncover the connection between magic and science; determined to prove that ordinary people could wield magic, just like Faeries.
It was those early Mages who discovered essence , a warm energy that protectively wraps itself around the heart. Deeply entwined with a person’s soul, essence could be harnessed with intense focus and precision. It was difficult…but not impossible.
‘Not impossible’ was all the Mages needed to spur a Renaissance. They were determined to make magic even more accessible, to create a medium that allowed a Mage to harness their essence quicker and with less physical strain.
The physical body was a barrier. For essence to be harnessed, it first had to be pushed out of the body. Only then could the resulting energy be used.
…But what if that barrier could be removed? What if a person’s essence could be harnessed without the need to pass through a barrier at all? Could a person’s essence, or even just a part of it, exist outside of their body?
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In the effort to answer this question, the first ever shard was created.
Appearing similar to a broken off chunk of ore straight out of a mine, shards were the solution that modern-day Mages had been looking for. Roughly the size of a wine cork, the little gem packed a powerful punch. In addition to improving the practice of magic in general, shards could be combined with weapons to create something new and uniquely Magean. Aslan Engineers began to build guns without bullets, sword hilts without blades, bows without arrows, and intricate staffs, all to be used with their ingenious invention.
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As with all good things, there’s always a catch.
If a shard is made of essence, and essence is part of someone’s soul…
What happens if it’s broken?
What happens if it’s destroyed?
Would the person die?
Or would something much more sinister occur…?
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It wasn’t something Aslans needed to worry about. After all, they were one of the most advanced societies in the world! Peaceful and prosperous, they lent members of the Magean Coalition Army to the neighboring Kingdoms of Brightvale and Meridell whenever the need arose. Children younger and younger grew up speaking Magean, reading Magean, and learning magic.
The world was calm, and there was no reason to fear. Fate had smiled down on the Mages and given them everything they had ever asked for.
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A few weeks before the Battle for Meridell, Lord Kass ordered the Darigan Army to march to the Meridellian border.
The Darigan Army was stopped at the border of Asla by the Magean Coalition Army, a militia formed by the strongest members of all the guilds of Asla. The Mages were not going to idly stand by and let their ally be brutally attacked.
Lord Kass was not impressed.
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Darigan sieged the city, and the army laid waste to everything in sight. For the crime of daring to defy him, Lord Kass was determined to make the Mages pay. With Meridell pre-occupied, and no way to communicate with the outside world, the city was held hostage. Nothing short of unconditional surrender was acceptable - and the Mages couldn’t possibly surrender, so they were doomed to die.
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One morning a few weeks later, the dust settled.
The Meridellian Army had arrived to liberate Asla.
And they all lived happily ever after.
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…what?
That’s what you expect, right?
…not realistic?
Oh come on, don’t you want a happy ending? That’s what everyone wants. Magic, and mayhem, and then They all lived happily ever after . That’s the good stuff, that’s what the people want.
What happened to the Mages?
Oh relax, you don’t need to worry about that! It's fine, really.
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Ugh.
Okay.
I’ll tell you another story. Remember, you asked for this.
This next one is the story of a boy named Nathanhiel Koenig.