The Mirrormirrors
Summary
The Elves and their monopoly on magic were permitted to experiment with magic and create legendary artifacts. One such creations were the Mirrormirrors, also known as the Mirror Gates. These magical mirrors were all linked to one and other through magical webway, creating a means of quickly traveling across the Freelands through portals. During the Great Revolution and the subsequent purging of Elves, the Highlander King and his eight Companions looted the Mirrormirrors and planted them in various keeps throughout the Kingdom of Man as a means of travel and to ensure no Elves could cross into the Freelands unchallenged. However each Mirrormirror had a specific password of sorts to activate it and none of the Mirrormirrors shared one; the password was twofold with the first half activating the Mirrormirror before you and the second half would activate a specific Mirrormirror on the other side. If you only used one half of the password then you would be lost between Mirrormirrors or it would spit you out in a random location on some Plane. The Highlander King and his eight Companions only discovered a few of the passwords and their descendants, the Old Bloods, discovered a few more over the centuries. But when the Great Rebellion came with the New Bloods and the Holy Order of the Light, they sacked the keeps and repossessed the Mirrormirrors. Many of which were foolishly lost or destroyed, and even the ones that survived the passwords to use them were lost as well. Today the Mirrormirrors are treated as either collectibles to hidden away or old Elvish heresy to be destroyed.
Historical Basis
There are many records, thousands of years old, that describe the Mirrormirrors in detail and their superiority to more modern magical methods of communication and travel. The descriptions describe the mirrors usually as being around 6 feet tall and around 3 feet wide, with elvish writing enameled into the ornate framing and backing. These records are usually hidden from the Holy Order of the Light, but tend to be protected by the New Bloods who may seek to restore the Mirrormirrors for their own use.
Spread
The story has endured the Elvish Empire, the Kingdom of Man, and the present day Freelands. Every Bard and Scholar has a hand in the spread of the legend for several thousand years. Some say its folklore and the Mirrormirrors never worked and were for intimidation, some say the Mirrormirrors were part of a plot of the Elves to return to the Freelands, and even more say they're just another lost treasure waiting to be rediscovered.
Variations & Mutation
This legend is as old as the Elvish Empire, some variations may have been told over the centuries but at its core the story remains the same: Mirrormirrors are magical gates with two-part passwords to work. The exact location where they can be found, the nature of what the passwords were, and whether or not any still exist is the question.
Cultural Reception
The common people of the Freelands see the Mirrormirrors just as a passing tale of little importance to the day to day. Whether its true or not isn't really important unless you're hoping to find one and sell it. The Holy Order of the Light sees them as a thing to destroy, but the New Bloods and their Artificers want to tinker with such magicks and see what happens.
In Literature
Most of what is written is squirreled away by scholars and the New Bloods, the rest have been burned by the Holy Order of the Light.
In Art
There are very few works of art depicting the Mirrormirrors, most are old tapestries in long abandoned keeps from the time of the old Kingdom of Man.
Date of First Recording
8000 years ago
Date of Setting
Height of Elvish Empire (Alfheim)
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