On the far edge of the universe, seperated from any other intelligent life by both stars and time, there is a small planet that over time the inhabitants have come to call "Isis".

     The planet's surface is as unique and diverse as its people. No two places are quite the same— from the large merchant cities in the northwest to the fire-swamps and the deserts in the deep south, all the way to the eastern forests where it was rumoured that the fey¹ and the Sky People² dwelled in trees that seemed to grow past the clouds.

     For the past century, Isis has been under the power of the Dawndust dynasty. The current ruler, Queen Boa Dawndust, had ruled benevolently for the past eight years with the help of her council— the magician³ Yunho along with the three generals Onew, Jonghyun and Minho of the Sky People, just to name a few.

     The queen tried to hold bi-monthly meetings with her advisors, as well as with representatives from the surrounding areas. Perhaps it was her faerie ancestry, but Queen Boa always did her utmost to ensure all of her people's well-being.

     On the day that our tale begins, the queen was holding one such meeting in her palace that lay hidden in the mountains of Everlore. Just as they began to discuss the food shortages that had most recently been plaguing the land, the hall doors burst open and in walked a tall, well-muscled man just into his adult years. The man was brunette with his hair cut close to his head. This was the wizard⁴ Changmin— cousin to the magician Yunho.

     Changmin stopped in front of the long conference table and gave a short, respectful bow in greeting. "Your Majesty," he began. "It is quite fortunate that I managed to reach here in time. I was worried you would have left the palace."

     The queen arched a perfectly shaped dark brown brow that was only a few shades lighter than her mid-back length locks. "Oh? And why would that be?" Boa inquired. "You make it sound as if I was in danger."

     "Not at the moment, but soon. I have forseen it."

     "And why tell me this?" asked the queen. And with good reason. After all, everyone knew that while wizards did not belong to the dark forces, they dabbled in the darker arts and were only ever looking out for their own best interests.

     "My Queen, this morning I was granted a terrible vision. Soon the dark forces will unite and rise up, destroying everything in their path. They have already amassed large forces, and once they break past the defenses in the main palace they will seek out the Tscreyer Stone⁵ and take control of Isis' raw power. All those who have not shown their support for the Dark will be eliminated."

     Gasps were heard from all about the room as people began to panic. Finally, the queen had heard enough. "Silence!" she shouted, effectively quieting the room. Boa shifted her attention back to the wizard. "Can we prevent this calamity?"

     The look that Changmin gave the queen was one full of sorrrow. "Most of it we cannot. There is a small sliver of hope, however." He looked directly in the queen's eyes. "I was granted a second vision, one in which the Tscreyer Stone was split. One half was hidden here on Isis, the other on the otehr end of the universe. In both futures there was darkness, but only in the second was there a chance of regaining the Light."

     Yunho leaned over to the queen from where he sat to her left. "What would you have us do, my Queen?"

     Her Royal Highness stood, looking around the room. "We leave for the main palace at once," she announced before shifting her attention to the three winged humanoids known as the Sky People. "Onew, Jonghyun, Mihno— gather the twelve mages and bring them to the main palace as swiflty as you can. Magician Yunho, you ride with me."

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     Deep within a stronghold in central Imastril, one of the central Trading cities of Isis, a lone man sat at a desk and stared at several magic mirrors. As he watched the current queen and her guard race to the main palace, a cold smile appeared on his face.

     "It's almost time..."

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Glossary of terms: Chapter 1

1} Fey: all of the supernatural/enchanted creatures.

2} Sky People: a race of winged humanoids who age at about half the rate of regular humans.

3} Magician: A "gifted" human. Primarily on the side of what is right and just.

4} Wizard: A "gifted" human. Dabbles in the darker arts. Loyalties lie with themselves and their own well-being.

5} Tscreyer Stone: One of, if not the, most powerful magical artifacts on Isis. Older than anyone can remember. It's magic is tied to the magic of the land itself, and as such, whoever wields it controls the magic of Isis.