[center][h3]Lore[/h3][/center]
[b][u]History[/u][/b]
A brief record of the history of the Earth.
[hider=] 	Before glass obelisks pierced the skies, there were many gods who dwelled in the mortal world among mankind. That Cradle was blessed, where the four rivers diverged at Eden and where creation leapt from every crack in the desert to populate the barren Earth. Families became clans, clans became tribes, and tribes became nations until every peak of that corner was settled.
	In those days, the gods bestowed upon mankind the gifts of their holy countenances: great fertility, long life, enduring peace, and enchanting miracles. The gods in such times saw fit to award humanity new dominion over the earth as reward for the devotion and righteousness of the men who smote the wicked under the blessing of the gods. And by the word, it was done. Men glowed with the new dominion over creation that they then had, and they used such powers to bring happiness and goodness to their lands. However, without discipline new powers beget corruption. Men coveted power for themselves and lorded armies to fight their enemies and conquer the Earth. Their unbridled depravity earned punishment from the gods, and the gods took magic away from most of mankind. Mankind would thenceforth have no memory of magic and see such activities as evil rituals, and the last of the conquerors empowered by magic had their abilities reduced, and they were cast into exile.
	As time passed, the remnants of the lowest wars in human history disappeared until they were long forgotten. The old gods returned to the heavenly realms, but generation after generation fate found new disciples for the great conquerors. Squabbles were fought in secret, and no one kept record save the spirits and the gods themselves. So it goes. Times came when the disciples were seen as miracle workers, others came when the disciples were pilloried as heretics and apostates. They became heralded leaders and secluded wisemen. Each generation saw something new, and each generation continued the old work. Youth would be drafted into the task of learning the art and teaching it to the next generation. And the gods saw it was good in their eyes that the secret societies blessed by the Essence of Magic remained secret and that regardless of morality, they acknowledged the responsibilities of the powers.
	But nothing is forever, such is the flow of time. The same applied to the fragile peace that the magic users had. The great sufferings felt in the time before and during the dawn of the millennium caused disillusionment, and new rivalries and factions came from the fire. Revolutions and bombs, gas chambers and revelations, revivals and rebirths all shaping a new era in history. Magic users once again embroiled themselves in a great conflict that raged in secret, but this time, the veil of secrecy may fall, threatening the delicate balance of all men know.[/hider]
[b][u]The Six Core Essences of Life[/u][/b]
The Six Core Essences govern living things. One may strengthen them to gain power or improve abilities. 
[hider=] 	[b]Vitality.[/b] The breath of life exists in all things, for Vitality has given them life. The Essence of Vitality is arguably the most important, governing all aspects of physical life—breathing, hunger, thirst, and the like. Whether temporary or permanent, injuries and negative effects suppress and reduce Vitality, making one weaker and bringing one closer to death, and extremely low Vitality causes decreases in Strength and Agility. On the contrary, healing and invigorating forces may supplement and increase Vitality, healing one's wounds and increasing one's Strength.

	[b]Strength.[/b] The hallmark of physical power, the Essence of Strength is directly tied to the amount of raw physical power one may apply ([i]Force[/i]) or withstand ([i]Resistance[/i]).

	[b]Agility.[/b] Although the Essence of Agility is an extension of Strength, Agility itself handles the prowess of the application of physical power more than the physical power itself. Agility controls the degrees of motion ([i]Mobility[/i]), the orientation of the body in space ([i]Balance[/i]), and the rate of motion ([i]Speed[/i]). Higher levels of Agility allow one to avoid attacks easier, reach new heights, and maintain one's guard in combat.

	[b]Insight.[/b] Insight is the Essence of mental awareness. The Essence of Insight embodies knowledge, and that knowledge which Insight supplies comes to the living in the form of the Four Totems of Insight. The First Totem, [i]Sense[/i], comes in the form of the five senses and their combined abilities and supplies the knowledge of oneself and of one's surroundings. [i]Intelligence[/i], the Second, comes through the understanding and application of concepts and supplies the knowledge of cognition and learning. [i]Wisdom[/i], the Third, brings enlightenment through great epiphanies, realizations, and experiences and supplies the knowledge of judgment and logic. [i]Creativity[/i], the final Totem and quite possibly the greatest, represents the spirit of inventiveness and supplies the knowledge of progress and originality.

	[b]Magic.[/b] Only found in very few beings, the Essence of Magic enables one to perform great miracles by tapping into the energies at one's disposal and controlling them. Heightened Insight strengthens the powers of Magic in one's hands, but lowered Insight weakens them. The Essence of Magic, much like the Essence of Strength, allows for the application ([i]Power[/i]) and resistance ([i]Constitution[/i]) of Magic. In the present, an extremely small number of beings have access to this Essence.
	
	[b]Unity.[/b] The final Essence, Unity, pertains to connections and attachments. The Essence of Unity joins one with the universe, nature, plants, animals, other beings, spirits, and realms, and Unity is responsible for the strengthening of those bonds. Higher Unity allows one to feel more connected and in touch with things on a deeper, spiritual level as well as to see the connections between different things whereas lowered Unity can disorient one spiritually or create a spiritual disconnect.
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