Corrupted by the beasts of the Void and unmapped for centuries the lands of Adelon had always held an air of fear and wonder about it. In the earliest days members of each race sought to colonize the new lands and claim it as their own, seeking the plentiful resources that dotted the landscapes. Every attempt to move much further beyond the coasts however was met with swift, brutal retaliation in the form of beasts from the Void. The people tried everything they could imagine until they finally implored their homelands to send aid, something to be able to drive back the threat that the beasts posed. When aid did finally come it did so in the form of a select few warriors whose abilities were unique and unparalleled, their martial prowess enabling them to combat the dark beasts that plagued Adelon. Able to wield otherworldly powers and send back the monsters from whence they came, these warriors were known as Magi.

Slowly but surely Magi began to push the Void beasts back, and with every victory the expansion of each race's empire grew. Within a matter of years the once hopeless dreams of colonizing Adelon had become a reality, each race now held stock in the new lands and enjoyed the fruits of their victories. The strongest of the Magi who had led the offensives were each heralded as heroes among their people. Many became chieftains or leaders, were given everything one could ever want and lauded as the champion of their races. So highly were these individuals held that, in their passing, their spirits lived on. After passing the mortal coil many returned, not as mere mortals but as gods, beings whose already immense power had grown and the binds of the circle of life cast aside. Dubbed Saints, these beings had become the embodiment of each races ideals and values, in essence becoming gods of their respective people. Rather than continue to live among their people however these Saints watched over them as a wayward guide, keeping them safe should the beings of the Void ever return. Peace settled over Adelon and the races flourished.

As people are inclined to however peace did not last long, jealousy brewed and races began looking to each other as enemies. The distribution of resources was not equal, Dimurans had colonized largely barren lands where Murans had found bountiful forests as their home, and it was this inequality that bred violence. Races who may otherwise never have met before now found themselves locked in strife and constant battle with one another, gaining land only to quickly lose it to another, an endless cycle of violence. Many implored their holy warriors, their Saints, to fight for their side. Yet no matter how they might plead or beg the Saints refused to take part in the battles. Perhaps their powers were too great or they knew something most did not, but no matter how the war progressed none ever took up arms, against another race or against each other.

Fifty years of constant bloodshed had passed before war between the races finally ceased as a familiar threat reared its ugly head once more: beasts of the Void had begun to return. Magi who had been used as weapons against one another now became allies as they once again sought to protect the lands their predecessors had so valiantly fought for. Again Magi were able to push back the darkness and protect their lands, bringing about a lukewarm peace to the lands of Adelon yet again. At last the Saints did see fit to intercede and took to the lands again, not as warriors but as envoys of peace. If Adelon ever hoped to survive then its people could not fight among themselves, they had argued. Races would have to put aside differences and work together to create a flourishing kingdom. Begrudgingly each race agreed, and how could they not when those imploring them were the very people who had given them so much? A tentative alliance was formed at first, and slowly the alliance grew into stronger ties.

The Void was ever a constant threat and every generation would have its own heroes. As each attack on Adelon was defeated the forces which assailed it grew more persistent, until the Void was all but defeated. Led by Maximillian Adelon, a Muran Magi whose mastery of Luminous and Air was second to none, the Magi drove back the Void to the very ends of the kingdom and to their point of origin; rifts that opened between worlds and allowed beasts from the Void to pass over. Sealing these rifts ensured that no new beasts would enter, and Maximillian led efforts to see almost every single Void beast erased from existence. For his efforts and ability to lead he was appointed the Kingdoms first true ruler, the first king of Adelon. The lineage of Maximillian continues to rule to this day, although their power over the kingdom has waned over the years. The true seat of power no longer resides with the royal family, but with the Church instead.

As the tale of the Saints continued to grow people began to worship them as one might a god, building shrines and monuments to their greatness. When Adelon became unified there was a need for not only a centralized rule, but a centralized method of worship as well. No longer were Saints limited to their own race as worship began to seep into other groups as well. Seeing this a group formed and called themselves the Church of the Nine Saints, or simply the Church. What initially was an effort by Maximillian's advisors to centralize and guide worship slowly became its own beast entirely, with a hierarchy of priests and bishops forming and buildings being constructed as halls to practice in. Over time the Church's influence on every day life grew until their power equaled that of the royal family's itself. Gone were the rulers who were as enigmatic and powerful as Maximillian, and with no heroic kings over them many people began to see the Church as their primary leader. And what was once a simple body of clergymen seeking to guide worship of the Saints had since become a corrupt body, one which was only too happy to take the reins of the kingdom.

Maximillian's family would continue to lead as the royal family but over generations their actual control of the kingdom waned. The Church now held the majority of power and controlled most of the kingdom's finances, created its laws and eventually even its military. With the reverence of Saints still at an all time high they enjoyed an unbridled level of wealth and power never before seen in Adelon, save for what the Saints themselves had enjoyed. As time passed and society advanced however new technological marvels began to surface, life became easier and people grew less faithful and dependent on the Saints. With the beasts of the Void but a distant memory there was no need to worship, and gradually the number of faithful waned. Sensing the threat to their power the Church changed its course, and a group which once lauded the worship of Saints above all else now backed the companies developing the new wonders of the world, leaning away from the practices that had carried them to where they were.

With the changing of society came unforeseen consequences, and no group felt these consequences more strongly than Magi. Though the threat of Void beasts was minor by comparison to that of the past they still existed, and as such Magi were still needed to combat the threat. Yet as worship began to wane so too did the reserves of magic in the world, a startling revelation made by both the Church and Magi: as worship waned so too did magic that the Saints supposedly supplied to the world, and with less magic to wield the Magi in turn would lose their power. Unable to fathom life without their unique abilities many began to fight against the idea of worship fading from life, and inevitably the discourse grew violent as fights broke out. Utilizing new technologies and Magi who had brokered deals with them the Church was swift to put down these revolts, and in a matter of a year Magi, once praised and heralded as heroes, had become ostracized and were seen as outsiders.

MAGIC in the world of Adelon is driven by two forces: PHYSICAL ABILITY and MENTAL APTITUDE. The world's most capable Magi are both strong of body and strong of mind, as both are needed to create magic. Note that strong mental aptitude does not necessarily imply high intelligence, but more a mental fortitude and a willpower strong enough that one can focus on forming a spell.

Any spell can be attributed to any one of the nine ELEMENTS thought to comprise the world. According to Adelon's history there are also nine SAINTS, each of which is thought to be the champion of their respective element.

* FIRE - The Saint of fire is Ralthor. Fire magic can easily be used to create flames, the most basic form of its spellcraft. To create a white or blue flame however, which means increasing the intensity of the heat, a Magi must have the ability to manipulate the heat on their own, putting out more energy to do so. For some it is simple to maintain this while for others they can do it only briefly before exhausting themselves. Advanced Fire magic can include melting rock or metal purely at one's touch, or even immolating an individual by burning them from the inside out.

* VOID - The Saint of Void is Xalia. Void magic, the ability to summon forth beings from the Void itself, depends greatly on the user. One can only summon and control a beast that is within their power, lest they summon a creature and have it go wild. Void creatures require a steady flow of magic to sustain their forms in the world and thus are a constant drain on the caster. Something as small as a Vazra takes relatively small amounts of magic to sustain whereas a massive beast such as a Goliath can kill a caster if they are not careful. It is worth noting too that not all creatures can be simply summoned and some require an "anchor" some kind of object to bind their energies to in the world.

* WATER - The Saint of Water is Genrei. Water magic is just as susceptible to one's own ability as any other. Like fire one could feasibly change the temperature of the water, bringing it to a boil or even lowering it to its freezing point and creating ice. Simple water magic could be likened to dousing someone with something comparable to a bucket full of water, whereas advanced magic could be as grand as a wave or a water spout being used in battle.

* LUMINOUS - The Saint of Luminous is Edos. Luminous magic is largely favored by healers and clerics in Adelon and has a wide variety of uses. Simple Luminous magic can be used to heal small scratches and burns, and more advanced Luminous magic can be used to cure illnesses or remove toxins from the body. Even more advanced Luminous magic still can be used to cleanse tainted water, purge a beast of the Void or even seal a rift between the Void and the world. Truly advanced Luminous Magi are able to construct a healing aura about themselves during combat, making defeating one incredibly difficult.

* EARTH - The Saint of Earth is Ferra. Earth magic largely involves the manipulation of sediments within the ground. Simple manipulation would include changing the shape of a rock or solidifying silt into something harder, potentially used as a weapon. Stronger Earth magic might involve splitting or crushing large rocks, burrowing into the ground, or something as unique as crafting a sedimentary shell around oneself like armor.

* AIR - The Saint of Air is Kedo. Air magic has a number of uses to it. Simple magic involves creating small bursts or gusts of wind, generally used as a means to push or pull objects. A deceptively simple use of wind magic as well involves pushing oneself with gusts of wind, granting the user seemingly enhanced speed. More advanced air magic gives the user the capability of flight by lifting their bodies through the air, or even manipulating hot and cold air to create weather patterns, though this is incredibly difficult and rare.

* SHADOW - The Saint of Shadow is Zorander. Shadow magic includes magics that grant the user the ability to shift through the shadows themselves as well as the manipulation of them. Simple Shadow magic involves a caster blending within the shadows nearby, an excellent and frequently used tool by spies and thieves who practice. More advanced Shadow magic includes temporarily blinding an opponent by smothering their vision, or even as far as deadening their senses by leaving them in almost a black vacuum, robbing them of sight, hearing and even smell.

* WOOD - The Saint of Wood is Oranoak. Wood magic, as one may suspect, generally involves the manipulation of plant life. Simple Wood magic could be anything from manipulating a tree branch as a weapon to hardening or softening the bark of a tree, giving flexibility to it to use as a tool or condensing it to be as strong as forged steel. Advanced Wood magic grants users the ability to do anything from manipulate a tree like a puppet to attack (imagine having an Ent as a puppet) to changing the chemical compounds of a plant, making something like a tomato poisonous.

* RUIN - The Saint of Ruin is Suros. Ruin is a tricky element, and often misunderstood. As the name suggests Ruin involves the breaking down of something, though not necessarily the death of it. Ruin magic in its most basic form involves breaking something down into its most basic forms, be it chemical or elemental. This is a common type of magic for people who practice medicine or for apothecaries. More advanced forms of Ruin magic involve the restructuring of elements after breaking them down, allowing the caster to create something new, so long as its makeup is the same of what they had begun with. Think alchemy!