The Legend of Elbayrl

The lands of Tartaris healed slowly but surely following the Battle of King Miro. Once settled the varied cultures of people all across the lands began to delve deep into legends and lore. Besides being curious, these scholars wanted to learn of the troubled and devastating past. Eventually they gave rise to a strong collective of Loremasters. They built the Ivory Tower on the edge of Tarsis, and the greatest of these intellectual minds became known as the Council of Seven. The most powerful of them was the honorable Elbayrl.

Elbayrl was a master scholar of the past. He spent a great many years piecing together the events that lead up to the nightmarish Rift and the past of King Miro's legendary fight. His works made him a reknown loremaster of ancient history; yet it also made him very wise. The things he learned were locked away in the archives... that they may never be repeated.

However the others of the Council found the tomes of his works. In them they learned of the medallions of King Miro, still embued with the powers of the old city. They heralded Elbayrl as a hero and declared that they would relocate the old powers for study. All across the nation they were held in awe for this undertaking. For many days they prepared for this and the spells they cast were many and very powerful. In the end they had created seven keys. One for each of the medallions to locate them.

Elbayrl was outraged and horrified to learn what they had done. He begged the Council to abbandon the foolish search. The whole of the continent was struck by the Gods in Wrath over this power, and the King had given his soul to have it hidden. Should they not respect this? But they did not listen and the turned from him in scorn. Fearing the worst, Elbayrl stole the keys and hid them away. Using his own powers he created a master key that would prevent the seven from being found... and if in dire need, it could also locate them. He in secret gave this key to one of his own lineage. To hold and protect. In each generation, this one would be known as the Keyholder.

The Council was furious at his acts. They declared him a traitor and imprisoned him atop the tower in a bubble. They then combined their powers in a mage-search for the seven keys. Alone they couldn't have gotten past his wards, but the combined might of the six most powerful mages was undoing his work. Despairing and fearful of what would become of the world should this power return, he performed a last desperate act.

Elbayrl suicided. Raised high with his staff to the air, he openned himself to the chaos of raw magic swelling to overflowing.... then he let it all go. The crash of his might with pure magic ruptured the stream of power around him. The Tower exploded, disrupting all the spells that was being cast within. Combined it shattered the very forces of magic itself. He died that day.. as did many, many magic-users who were internally fried by the wild scattering of power.

In time the flow settled. Captured naturally in five gems. And as this was discovered, then came the creation of the Gem Mages. As for Elbaryl, he passed quietly into legend.. not many lived that knew why he died as he did. And those who knew never said what caused the Shundering. But many a tale has passed that all was left that day was his staff. A masterpiece that held a prism stone on its end. Tis said that it is the only object left that still possesses the powers of true magic. Many who searched for it turned up empty. And finally, it too became a wives' tale. But all know... there is always an element of truth in a tale.