I am partial to Triadism and feel that it is the most accurate telling of the making of our world. If you feel this has negatively influenced my thoughts, stop reading my essay. From a purely scientific – not spiritual – standpoint, the Triadic tale of creation holds more fact than fiction. Triadism is the one “proven” religion given the many documented cases of intervention from Eylin, Narah, and Terinus. Millions of Triadics cannot possibly be wrong, can they?

Sourcestone Diagram
Art by Phil Wohr

hen our world was made, it was a jewel in the eye of Eylin, Narah, and Terinus. All was well. At the core of Terrin lay a massive network of machinery made by the Craftsman designed to ensure proper rotation of the planet and balance amongst the stars. This was crucial to support life. The Heart of Terrin, as it was. Spinning and churning, twisting and turning, it automated a task Terinus would normally tend to. The machine operated on perpetual energy and, being of such perfect design, required no maintenance.

As with many processes, the Heart’s normal operation created a product known as the Ai-yvir. The Ai-yvir was much like fire scale from a forge or a carpenter’s wood shavings – leftover from the makings of something fantastic. It was residual energy that would well up from springs, canyons, caves, cracks in the earth – any way it could. It was invisible, odorless, tasteless, yet undeniably powerful if properly harvested. This was what we would today call magic. Not a new concept in the slightest – many techno-minded have filled entire tomes with diagrams of what the machine may look like. The trick is what happened next.

Yveren happened. This deceitful little snake slithered her way into Eylin’s heart, seducing him, subduing him, and using him to gain power. She became his queen in a matter of days! Narah and Terinus were not blind – they saw through the serpent’s guise, but Eylin would hear nothing of it. Before the race of man even touched foot upon Terrin, Yveren insisted her own race inherit the planet in their stead. Eylin, not a total fool, offered a compromise. He’s always been one for compromise. He would permit her children to come first, followed then by his own. Commissioned by the queen, Narah made the drakadremaar for Yveren and Eylin allowed the beasts to populate the planet. Eynamen, made in the image of Eylin, Narah and Terinus, were an afterthought. Whatever happened to the greatness of the race of man?

Contrary to her plans, Yveren could not have Terrin all to herself. She had to find a way to destroy the Eynamen, but also had to be crafty about it. The drakadremaar were too fine an instrument to facilitate this; iyudrakal, true dragons, too blunt a club. The solution presented itself when she learned of the Heart of Terrin. The dwarves call it the Dendiri-ahz, the Machine Core made by Anv-Kuruon. To the elves, it isn’t a machine at all, but Inqerirde - the Seed of All Trees. I’m sure another race has another name for it altogether; the point of my essay is not to discuss this. The Heart exists, and an overconfident Terinus left it unguarded. A perfect, self-sustaining machine - it was easy to forget the Heart even existed. Yveren saw this opening and seized her opportunity.

“Sadarr, all of it. A machine at the core of the planet? I can believe in fairies, but I cannot put my faith in this. Milago was cast out of Philos for a reason – he’s mad, and now he wishes to make the world mad with him.” - Ahnd Aridas, Philos Librarian

veren worked her evil spells over the Heart and corrupted the output of the Ai-yvir. If the pure Ai-yvir were to be a color, let us say white, it would now be an inky black. The change was minimal. Had Yveren destroyed the Heart, Terrin would have shaken itself to pieces and she would have lost her prize. No, this was much more devious and played into her grand scheme to dupe the gods and seize Terrin for her own.

Now, the energy produced by the Heart was tainted by Yveren’s vile mark. Men did not notice it, the gods did not notice it; only the drakadremaar were receptive to its haunting call. They were designed by Yveren to make full use of this power, to totally embrace the energy – the Ai-yvir – and use it to modify themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually. They grew strong, raised their dead, and became nigh invincible and ageless, beyond the touch of time. Soon, they would earn the rightly deserved title of “magic demon.”

Eventually, curiosity got the better of man and studies of the Ai-yvir were performed by the universities of Einaron and Fedfarhan. Many great thinkers had theories on the existence of such power, and now was the chance to prove themselves right. Unfortunately, for all their zeal, those who uncovered its secrets were soon driven mad by its corruptive influence; only a select few could withstand the darkness and carry on with their lives, let alone attempt to actually manipulate and wield this power. It was not made for them, and their bodies reacted violently when exposed to the Ai-yvir.

Following the loss of these scholars to madness, a general declaration made the study of magic illegal – all texts on the subject were destroyed and any who had successfully tamed the Ai-yvir were placed into exile. The most powerful Ai-yvirmasters were locked inside a chamber deep within the Gunde Mountains, forever buried alive beneath earth and ocean. Fear of their art was rampant. Although Yveren had hoped the cursed Ai-yvir would outright destroy man, this was an acceptable alternative. Fears of angry gods and an approaching evil tore through the Eynamen societies like a serrated blade, weakening them as innocent men and women were cast out as witches and warlocks. The game almost won, Yveren’s children were next to come into play.

“Yes, I’ve read his essay. He has some very good points, very well thought out. I do not know if the stories of Terrin’s ‘heart’ are true or not, but I have seen what magic can do to a man. Imagine yourself given the power of a tiny god. What would you do with it? What couldn’t you do with it? It’s a dangerous gift and not fit for mortals.” - Ahnd Pellus Alricett, Philos Scholar

he drakadremaar worked in secret, built up their numbers, and watched for a sign from their goddess. Their warriors wielded enchanted weaponry designed for killing while wizards prepared their wicked spells. All was made ready. Soon, the draka sprung their trap and the kingdoms of men were set upon by the rampaging beasts in a fury of death and blood. The armies of Fedfarhan were smashed. The walls of Einaron broke and draka streamed into the capital by the thousands. The War of Truths had begun.

With disorder and destruction slowly crawling across the lands of Terrin, Yveren’s deception was finally revealed. Narah and Terinus could now expose her for the serpent she truly was. The battle between Yveren and Eylin was gruesome and long-fought while mankind struck back against the drakadremaar below. The war did not go well for the gods or their mortal subjects – Eylin was scarred, Sinaeve was dead, and the race of men was broken. Yes, Yveren was cast down into the abyss of Ves, but the victory was only bittersweet. The drakadremaar had won the day, though the celebration was short as Eylin’s wrath seethed from the heavens and smote their kind. They hid beneath the ground to escape his punishment, shielding themselves with their magic and altogether waiting out the storm while the Swordbringer’s fury raged above. For the few eynamen who survived, the ruin of their enemy was only a minor consolation.

Though he tried, Terinus could not fix the Heart. More accurately, he could not remove the taint that had been placed upon it – the Heart was not broken, only functioning differently. Unfortunately, its current operation endangered all sentient life on Terrin and something had to be done, it could not simply be ignored. One drastic solution had Terinus stopping the core to rebuild it, but that would risk destroying all of Terrin. Even accessing the Heart was dangerous as the guardians Yveren placed within its chamber were numerous and powerful enough to challenge even the gods. The utter destruction of Terrin seemed the only option. Though dissatisfied, Eylin gave this dire measure careful consideration. If it were not for the Ca’alanora, Terrin would have been lost. Finally, the enduring spirit of man had come to raise its proud head!

he Ca’alanora were survivors. There were many of them, scattered all across Terrin – enough to come together and rebuild the original kingdoms. No longer in a daze, Eylin at once saw the resilience of his children; their ability to carry on after the War of Truth was more than amazing, and more importantly their redemption. If the gods could not solve this problem, then perhaps their mortal subjects could.

Eylin poured his very essence into the Ca’alanora and guided them through their return to power. As generations passed, they evolved into an even more perfect image of their creator – strong, sturdy, beautiful and wise, the Ca’alanora were as refined as mankind could ever become. Cautious, Eylin warned them away from the Ai-yvir, shielded them from its effects, and encouraged more tangible pursuits while their kingdom continued to grow. Hopeful, Eylin believed the Ca’alanora would one day uncover the solution to the problem he could not solve.

These stones were positioned across Terrin to not only purify magical energies, but also to connect leylines and bring magic to areas where it was previously in short supply. Almost immediately, their quality of life improved, and the cleansed Ai-yvir – renamed Wei in hopes of overlaying is sinister past – presented itself as a new form of energy, ready to be harnessed. Eager scientists devised ways to utilize Wei in all sorts of applications, from powering streetlamps to driving ships across the sea. The possibilities seemed endless.

An early Ca’alanoran leader, Hered Ad’diradel, quelled his people’s fervor, however. An adherent of science and technology, he felt dabbling in the Wei was a curiosity their kind could not afford to explore. Use of magic had proven perilous in the First Era and, even with the Akmai in place, there was no denying that the Heart still bore the corruption Yveren had placed upon it. His decree, the At’atal Order, like similar First Era edicts, again outlawed the study of Ai-yvir, Wei, and any related energies. Still, Ad’diradel recognized the necessity of the Sourcestones to afford his people a life free of ill energy and, of course, made allowances for their continued upkeep. This was the only exception. Realizing it was for the betterment of their kind, many in the scientific community obeyed the At’atal; others defied it and continued their experiments in secret.

These recalcitrant researchers challenged Ad’diradel by recreating First Era experiments. Their intent? To naturally wield the Wei in much the same manner as the mighty drakadremaar once did. If they could channel Wei through their bodies, they could, in essence, control the power of magic without going mad. They would become secondary Sourcestones, and the Wei could then serve their will, do their every bidding. These newfound abilities had another unintentional effect, though - the Weisar, as they named themselves, became as gods to their peers. They were free of technology. They cheated death. They felt supreme, and their own crazed ambition was more than enough to split the Ca’alanoran empire in two.

The Bol’darvan remained true to science and technology. They saw the Wei as a dangerous and forbidden thing, and they were wise for it. The Weisar, however, embraced it as a way of life and thought themselves immortal. Degreeless. Fools! I am certain that Yveren, deep down in the pits of Ves, could not stop laughing at this turn of events. What better revenge then to destroy another of Terrin’s societies from within, and indirectly at that?

“I saw a Sourcestone. I did! It was like a massive shard, stuck in the earth and glowing like a lantern. A historian from Csagradeus hired me out on his mission to find it. What was his name again? Creepy little guy. Koron? Korom? Something like that…” - Gregor, Adventurer for Hire

oday, the term Ai-yvir has been lost to history. The Akmai Sourcestones remain functional, for the most part - should they fail, the effected area becomes Weibarren, or a “Dead Magic Zone.” In some cases, a malfunctioning Sourcestone may even permit the return of chaotic Wei, the Ai-yvir, but thankfully this is extremely, extremely rare. The festering Pit of Heldarrj comes to mind. Ai-yvir is so palpable there, it blackens the earth, misshapes the trees, and turns the air foul.

And what of the drakadremaar? The Sourcestones have altered the intrinsic energies of the Wei to a point where the drakadremaar can no longer naturally command it - they have to learn to use magic, just like you and I. And make no mistake, they are learning, learning fast. The Ayrdrakar of Kirin-kena are already reputed sorcerers, and Valania fears them. It will not be long before magic is a centerpiece of the new, reformed draka society of Ren-raden, too. Mark my words; the new Weimasters will be drakadremaar, all.

The use of magic is more prevalent now than ever. Eynamen mages are so common they even have their own guild! A sizeable organization with considerable influence, in fact. Federated mages, they call themselves. Even the most cohesive federation in the entire world will not protect them for the evil that looms. Do not look to the elves for protection – if they truly are directly descended of the Ca’alanora Weisar, they are already lost. The dwarves embrace technology and thankfully do not rely upon the Wei. They may just stand to outlive us all.

The first kingdoms of man perished at the clawed hands of the draka. The Ca’alanora wrought their destruction from within. At the center of all this was the Wei – not jealous gods, not scheming mortals. It could all be traced back to the arcane art of magic. You must see why we, the heirs of the Ca’alanora, must ban the use of magic altogether. No healing injured peasants, no more extending the lifespan of our honored kings. No sense of charity or pursuit of power is worth condemning us all. Terrin cannot withstand the fall of another great people. We have inherited the Sourcestones, but they will only protect us for so long. What will we do when they fail?