Blood Moon Cycle
Prologue

In the year of the Blood Moon Cycle, after a thousand years of peace, the middle kingdom, Telatia, declared war on all of Galbrea. To answer the call, the three great kingdoms made an alliance. Seafaring Gentry in the north, Laytrow in the southern plains, and forested Hortaal in the west, gathered their armies and assembled themselves at the two Great Gates.

The Great Gates, one in the north and one in the south-west, guarded the only two passes through the Serpent Tongue Mountains which were virtually impassable by man and completely surrounded Telatia.

Weeks of fighting ensued until the allied kingdoms pushed the Telatian army back into the wastes of Telatia. The allied kingdoms, certain that the Telatians would not give up, posted guards and soldiers at each of the Great Gates. Weeks went by without incident and then the Telatians attacked once again.

This time the Telatian army had received reinforcements from an unknown source and struck the armies of the allied kingdoms like a violent ocean wave. The allied kingdoms fought valiantly, but began to lose many soldiers and much ground. With the knowledge that they would soon be overrun, and with nowhere else to turn, the allied kingdoms began to search for help. After much thought and study, they chose to search for a legend.

Deep in the Mercury Mountains, a range of mountains in the extreme south of Galbrea in which no man dared venture, was said to live an ageless hermit. The Hermit Mage was said to be one of the only living creatures in all of Galbrea who still remembered the old ways of magic. Hundreds of years before, magic was considered a dangerous practice only practical in war.

The people of Galbrea, fearing that magic would drive the peaceful world to war, held a massive hunt and destroyed all those even thought to have knowledge of the art. Only a few managed to escape. Some into the Mercury Mountains, and some into the deep forests of Hortaal which came to be known as the Moon Witch Forest. And after, magic was lost to Galbrea.

Hoping to appeal to the ageless Hermit, the allied kingdoms sent an ambassador, a young woman named Rielle, into the mountains to seek him out and beg for his aid.