The Great Return

From the lost diaries of Amelia-Rose Racine

12 June, 1883 Paris
Silas, Walter, and I arrived in Paris yesterday. While we await the arrival of Lucian Dimir, we are gathering supplies necessary for our voyage and arranging a meeting with an impressionable young man of the North family.
Mr. James North has expressed interest in our endeavour, although we are not to speak in a public place regarding the matter. That is understandable. He is from a well connected family who does not want to be seen in a possibly negative light. I will say, however, that I disagree with the notion of negativity.
If the meeting is a success, we could acquire his financial investment, which would give me such hope. We need his support to be able to ensure that our trip is worthwhile, as we are certainly going to endure some hardships along the way.
There has been much pressure to keep my involvement in this affair a private matter, but I find it difficult to keep the excitement under the metaphorical lid. My optimism knows no bounds. I do very much believe that we are at the cusp of changing the world eternally with the help of Mr. Lucian Dimir. He is earnest in his willingness to aid us, and I find that we share an equal enthusiasm and definition for what is historical and traditional. The truth is in the root of humankind. Fate is prescribed for us, if we only dare to look back at what was written before we graced the earth.
I have been deeply enraptured by these ideas ever since Mr. Dimir explained to me the Silivasi legend of the Great Return. The idea that powers beyond mortal imagination are waiting to be unlocked, and that we can only find the keys by following the ancient paths set by the ancient Silivasi. It is just my fortune (our fortune, really) that Mr. Dimir has become friendly enough with the reclusive Silivasi as to act as the liaison between our travel party and their spiritual leaders.
I could write textbooks on what may come in the next days, but I would rather write volumes on teachings of magic, once we have unlocked it for the world. But, for now, I will be satisfied with taking a stroll with Silas and Walter to explore a bit of my father's home city, rest his soul. Once Mr. Dimir has arrived, we will arrange a private meeting with Mr. James North at Hôtel Saint-Jacques. I look forward to the discussion we will have, and I am even more delighted at the prospect of his financial backing.

Summary

The Great Return refers to a prophecy of the Silivasi people. It states that humans of Earth were first gifted with magic, but they were foolish and overzealous, using their magical powers to bring war upon each other and to cause a great flood that drowned many of them away. After the catastrophic loss at the hands of reckless magic, the sages among the Silivasi performed an incredibly powerful ritual to seal away their powers for good, draining every human of their magical capabilities.
In order to do this, the sages had to call upon a powerful entity, who was only known as the Faceless One. They promised that they would keep safe harbor over the magic and return it to humans when its blood had been purified. The Silivasi claim to have knowledge of a path that leads through the mists and takes travelers to the Faceless One, but that path will only open when one pure of blood comes into their midst. That will be the day that magic will have its great return.