Mage the Awakening
A history of the Old Myltev empire written by Prof. Klute at Chusei University in 930. While many histories have been written about the archmages and emperors of Old Myltev, Klute's book was the first in the modern era to avoid moralizing commentary and focused on objective analysis of the empire's successes and failures.
Klute had long been an avid researcher of Old Myltev ever since his days at Mulane College, but his decision to write a history of the empire was inspired by his interactions with multiple adventurers affected by Myltev's archmages (or Major Arcana as he refers to them in his book): Teherse'singh's servitude to Naum Kulikov and Monomakh the Foreseer; the theft of Kidma Nikoliakis' necklace in 919 from the Museum of Natural Wonders; and Kite von Prawnpeia's melding with Sviatoslav the Diviner's death mask following an expedition in 928. Concerned about the power these archmages and their artifacts may still hold over Ekal, Klute felt the need for a book that explained the power behind some of the empire's most famous archmages.
This book is the first edition in a series that Prof. Klute intends to keep adding to as more information is discovered about Old Myltevian society.
Document Structure
Clauses
Prof. Klute profiles the lives of seven archmages to chronicle Old Myltev's millennia-spanning history, choosing individuals who may not have served as Archmage Autokrator but nevertheless had a major impact on Pescaliat and the arcane.
- Sviatoslav the Diviner is the stand-in for Old Myltev's early history as it slowly expanded and monopolized the use of magic.
- Vsevold represents the age of conquest as Old Myltev defeated ancient empires like Sheyuan
- Kidma Nikoliakis and Efrosenia Vennitsa represent an age of chaos and experimentation as the empire struggled to hold its domains amidst interference from Ekal's fey
- Monomakh the Foreseer, Naum Kulikov, and Ostry Gregorios represent the age of decline as archmages cared less about maintaining the empire and focused more on escaping the looming calamity and destruction of the Ostry Apocalypse
Caveats
Prof. Klute utilized an old reference system that identified individuals from the Old Myltev empire as Major and Minor Arcana, terms used in the ancient tarot/tarokka decks of Ekal. The reference system fell out of style as the Elflands Empire discouraged any research into Old Mylev and its archmages, but has proven useful as more and more is rediscovered about this period's spellcasters.
The halfling scholar proposes some interesting theories about the Old Myltev's decline, creating a timeline of events to show that the empire spent much of its later years fending off attacks from chaotic fey creatures led by a coven of hags. These frequent wars and raids made Old Myltev's ruling class lose faith in the sustainability of their empire, leading some archmages to abandon ship and search for ways to ensure their own survival. Klute proposes that Naum Kulikov is the greatest example of this behavior, describing how Naum tricked Ostry Gregorios into crafting the Ostry Blade that triggered the Apocalypse and inevitable collapse of Old Myltev. Ostry was one of the first victims of the Apocalypse and his name went down in history as one of Ekal's greatest fools, but Naum Kulikov managed to escape Ekal altogether to a place far beyond the planes of reality and the multiverse.
Historical Details
Public Reaction
The book had a controversial reception throughout Pescaliat, banned in parts of Rakka and Gameth for the 'promotion of necromancy' in defiance of the Edict of Dromire. Despite these efforts at censorship, the book became popular among spellcasters and academics eager to learn more about the intricaties of Old Myltevian society. The study of Old Myltev had long been a popular subject at Chusei University, but following the book's publication several universities and guilds started focusing more of their efforts on learning more about the Major Arcana figures of the empire.
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