With so many people destined to make their place in history, it comes down to one person to defy destiny.

The world of Auhere lay between Earth and Mars. It had many Earth-like features from snowy mountain peaks to dry deserts to lush forests to tropical jungles. Rivers abounded with a variety of islands and continents surrounded by pristine blue oceans. Over time, many civilizations came and went. There were legends that turned into myths, then into fairy tales. Stories or lores were told from generation to generation for evening entertainment. This is one of those lores.

The age of kingdoms ruled by good and evil societies, free lands, witches, wizards, elves, humans, beasts of all kinds, and magic in the realm made for exciting, peaceful, and dangerous times. This story takes place in the western part of the old Skylar kingdom, based on the east side of the temperate continent Essalon. With a 1500-mile coastline running north to south, it featured plenty of ports that supported small towns to the southern mountain range that protected the kingdom’s south border. That mountain range runs westward for about 1000 miles and then turns northward into the rolling hills, which have many forests on their eastern side. Past the hills, lies a vast desert that was not part of the kingdom’s rule. The forests reach to the frozen north, which is taken over by another mountain range that turns eastward until it flattens out near the sea’s shores.

Castle Skylar stood in the middle of this territory. It rested on a spectacular rise of granite sprouting out of the few rolling hills in the center of the kingdom. A constant breeze blew the white banners with their silhouettes of a silver dragon in the center and dark blue outlines fading to a lighter blue at the end. The lime-washed walls were sparkling white in its day. The spiraling five towers and walls glowed and sparkled at night from the torch and lamp light bouncing off the walls. A well-built town and farmlands surrounded the castle below.

King Evander Baran ruled the realm, with his twin brother,Tavish. They united the small kingdoms in the area under one banner. The kingdom flourished. People were prosperous. The military grew strong to keep the orc and goblin hordes out and commoners safe. But King Evander never married and fell ill and passed away. King Tavish and Queen Fenella ascended the throne. They were kind and just. Keeping the kingdom growing, they engaged in dialogue with other kingdoms and empires for trade gains. They were friendly with the elf domains to the west and dwarf kingdoms to the north.

Those who could use magic were powerful. Humans and other creatures found more ways to connect to the magic realm to use it to their advantage. Witches and wizards were from two different schools of magic. Those that were witches and warlocks tuned with nature and supernatural magics. They used what magic was around them in nature and spirit. Witch spellcraft was very strong in mind and body, protection, and defense but weak at harmful and offensive spells. Wizards and enchantresses were more in line with unnatural magical energies. They created magic from an outer plane of conjury that was not around them. Their strength was the creation of helpful spells, destruction, and conjuration. Neither cared for each other, but they respected each other’s magic. One could not do what the other could.

Some witches were born with one innate ability and others had to learn the craft. Those that were born with the natural ability were in line to possibly become the witch queen, a position that guided rather than governed them. They also lived much longer lives than normal witches did, well past 80 years. They could even live to 200 years or more. To become a wizard, one had to find a teacher and study to become proficient at magic. It was not suited for all to do this. They had to study hard and learn spells. A few wizards were very smart and grew power hungry, leading to clashes among them.

Certain kings and leaders knew of this and used some of these people or creatures for personal gain and advantage over others. Such that when King Tavish fell gravely ill many years into his reign, the queen insisted it was poisoning by witchcraft. After his death, an evil wizard killed his son, the only prince, using a spell that stole his life force. It was at that time, Queen Fenella prayed to the powers that be to interfere with their magic: to stop all this hunger for magic, to be stronger than everyone else, and to stop the ruin among good people and creatures.

Unknown to her, those pleas were heard. The powers looked down at Auhere and saw that humans and others had grown too strong and were in places they should not be meddling. They sent down a spirit named Muun to find and close the doors to other planes and cut off certain magical powers. Muun enlisted the aid of some witches and wizards for this task, as they agreed magic was getting out of hand. Soon, they found themselves targets of those that did not want the power gone. So, the Knights of Muun were formed and commissioned by Muun to aid and protect those that helped her on the mission.

Through lies and tricks, three witches and four wizards captured Muun. They separated her spirit from her physical form. The witches took her body and hid it well, while the wizards took her spirit. But the spirit either escaped or was set free and became known as Lavia, ever searching for her body. Those that aided her quietly scattered throughout the world, and the Knights of Muun swore to track down those responsible and stop the witches from using magic. Over time, their numbers dwindled and fewer knights were to be seen. Some feared or respected the ones that were left.

After Queen Fenella passed away, many other families came and went as rulers of Skylar. Then the Mire family came to power in the common year 203. The first two generations went well, but the third generation took its toll. After many uprisings in the year 408, the Mire family was either hanged or fled, and the kingdom was divided into five smaller parts with various lords running each. They gave the lands simple names, the Southern and Central kingdoms, the Woodland domains to the west, the Eastern province, and the Northern territories. All eventually elected kings or queens again. It had been well over 500 years since Munn’s body was hidden and spirit lost or so it was said.

Which leads us here to this tale. Abigail. So much will change with her actions, no person or spirit could have predicted.