The Progenitor of Mortal Magic
Variations of this myth have been passed on for several thousand years, though the original telling and details are unknown. Below is the version considered most 'accurate' and 'up to date' per the standards of the Aranorin Mage's Guild and their affiliated schools and institutes. This tale is one of the first things taught to fledgling mages.
Sometime towards the end of the 9th Era, purportedly between 4600 and 5000, a man by the name of Szaifudrus was born in a small kingdom in the center of modern-day Aranorin. This country's name has been lost to the ravages of time, and likely to the fall out of this event. According to records, Szaifudrus was a young king who inherited a struggling kingdom in the center of several other conflicting kingdoms. Having been ravaged by war and famine for decades, Szaifudrus's kingdom was on the verge of collapse, and was in no position to defend itself should any neighbor decide to invade. According to legend, Szaifudrus struggled to find ways to help his failing country, and so sought out the God of Magic, Emrul, in hopes of finding a solution. He was said to have left for almost a decade in search of this god, leaving his kingdom to fend for itself. But, in that decade, the kingdom held on, and Szaifudrus supposedly made contact with Emrul himself.
It is said that the two of them struck up a bargain - Emrul would teach Szaifudrus the ways of magic, greater then he had taught many before in the past, and in return Szaifudrus would make Emrul their state-sponsored patron deity. The only caveat was that Szaifudrus could not teach others how to use magic - should they want such powers, they would have to bow to Emrul. Szaifudrus agreed, and so at last returned to his kingdom.
With his new powers, Szaifudrus began to lift up his kingdom once more - rain returned to the crops, plants flourished, the ill and injured were healed, buildings repaired, and foreign armies thwarted and destroyed. But there was a great amount to be done for one man, and as his kingdom began to recover his neighbors began to focus real attention upon them. His kingdom was once again worthy of attacking, and try as he might Szaifudrus could not be everywhere at once to fix all his kingdom's problems. To add to his problems, people were flooding in from surrounding territories or even requesting to add their land to his in hopes of flourishing under his new powers. Szaifudrus could not keep up with what was expected of him, and though he tried to turn people to Emrul as they requested, they were reluctant - or even displeased that Emrul would not just give them the power they wanted how they wanted it. So slowly, quietly, Szaifudrus began to teach the people magic. For what harm could be done by teaching the farmers how to bring rain? Doctors to heal even the worst injuries and illnesses? Warriors to count each for twenty men?
Of course, it is known that it did not stop there. Szaifudrus taught more and more people, and those people in return taught others. Soon, conflict began as people tried to amass spells and knowledge from others, both from his own people and his enemies. By the time Szaifudrus had realized that things were spiraling out of control, it was too late - the damage had already been done. Soon, Szaifudrus found himself holed up in his castle, facing a ravenous band of power-hungry citizens and foreign warlords alike. It was then that Emrul came to Szaifudrus, furious and disappointed with the breaking of their pact. As punishment, Emrul turned Szaifudrus into a monster, and sent him into a magical fury on his own family and then on the crowd.
The battle is said to have lasted three days and three nights, during which the sky rained blood and fire, and the kingdom shuddered and broke into pieces. By the end, only Szaifudrus was alive in the wreckage of his castle. Emrul then turned the ruins of his castle and its city into the King's Labyrinth, believing that death would be a blessing and that Szaifudrus deserved a longer punishment. Magic now belonged to mortals, and for his transgression Szaifudrus would remain imprisoned in the Labyrinth's heart for all time.
It is to Szaifudrus that we owe thanks for the craft of magic to grace mortalkind's hands - but in this, it is his story we must remember when we use it. We have been given things beyond our understanding, and should we fail to understand the strength at our fingertips, we will surely fall into ruin.
Sometime towards the end of the 9th Era, purportedly between 4600 and 5000, a man by the name of Szaifudrus was born in a small kingdom in the center of modern-day Aranorin. This country's name has been lost to the ravages of time, and likely to the fall out of this event. According to records, Szaifudrus was a young king who inherited a struggling kingdom in the center of several other conflicting kingdoms. Having been ravaged by war and famine for decades, Szaifudrus's kingdom was on the verge of collapse, and was in no position to defend itself should any neighbor decide to invade. According to legend, Szaifudrus struggled to find ways to help his failing country, and so sought out the God of Magic, Emrul, in hopes of finding a solution. He was said to have left for almost a decade in search of this god, leaving his kingdom to fend for itself. But, in that decade, the kingdom held on, and Szaifudrus supposedly made contact with Emrul himself.
It is said that the two of them struck up a bargain - Emrul would teach Szaifudrus the ways of magic, greater then he had taught many before in the past, and in return Szaifudrus would make Emrul their state-sponsored patron deity. The only caveat was that Szaifudrus could not teach others how to use magic - should they want such powers, they would have to bow to Emrul. Szaifudrus agreed, and so at last returned to his kingdom.
With his new powers, Szaifudrus began to lift up his kingdom once more - rain returned to the crops, plants flourished, the ill and injured were healed, buildings repaired, and foreign armies thwarted and destroyed. But there was a great amount to be done for one man, and as his kingdom began to recover his neighbors began to focus real attention upon them. His kingdom was once again worthy of attacking, and try as he might Szaifudrus could not be everywhere at once to fix all his kingdom's problems. To add to his problems, people were flooding in from surrounding territories or even requesting to add their land to his in hopes of flourishing under his new powers. Szaifudrus could not keep up with what was expected of him, and though he tried to turn people to Emrul as they requested, they were reluctant - or even displeased that Emrul would not just give them the power they wanted how they wanted it. So slowly, quietly, Szaifudrus began to teach the people magic. For what harm could be done by teaching the farmers how to bring rain? Doctors to heal even the worst injuries and illnesses? Warriors to count each for twenty men?
Of course, it is known that it did not stop there. Szaifudrus taught more and more people, and those people in return taught others. Soon, conflict began as people tried to amass spells and knowledge from others, both from his own people and his enemies. By the time Szaifudrus had realized that things were spiraling out of control, it was too late - the damage had already been done. Soon, Szaifudrus found himself holed up in his castle, facing a ravenous band of power-hungry citizens and foreign warlords alike. It was then that Emrul came to Szaifudrus, furious and disappointed with the breaking of their pact. As punishment, Emrul turned Szaifudrus into a monster, and sent him into a magical fury on his own family and then on the crowd.
The battle is said to have lasted three days and three nights, during which the sky rained blood and fire, and the kingdom shuddered and broke into pieces. By the end, only Szaifudrus was alive in the wreckage of his castle. Emrul then turned the ruins of his castle and its city into the King's Labyrinth, believing that death would be a blessing and that Szaifudrus deserved a longer punishment. Magic now belonged to mortals, and for his transgression Szaifudrus would remain imprisoned in the Labyrinth's heart for all time.
It is to Szaifudrus that we owe thanks for the craft of magic to grace mortalkind's hands - but in this, it is his story we must remember when we use it. We have been given things beyond our understanding, and should we fail to understand the strength at our fingertips, we will surely fall into ruin.
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