Ages ago, before written history, the realm was a vast void, in which the first of a powerful race of beings came into existence, who would later be known as the Ancients. Over the eons, the Ancients continued to emerge into the realm, roaming the lands and heavens to study and nurture the home that gave them life.

However, one the first of these beings, known as Dramar, became hostile toward his brothers and sisters. After losing a battle of will with one of them, he soon abandoned the realm to explore parts unknown. Though some believe he left in disgrace, and of his own free will, there are those who believe he was exiled from the realm for reasons known only to the Ancients.

In the time that followed, life began to emerge and prosper in the realm. It was also during this time that most of the Ancients became bored with their daily tasks. They created portals by which they could travel to other realms, and set off in search of new knowledge and adventure. Those that remained knew that they too might one day succumb to this wanderlust, and decided to create a race of magical guardians to protect the realm in their eventual absence. From this was born the elder dragons.

Granimyre was the first of these elder dragons, and was perhaps the Ancients' greatest achievement -- a being constructed of powerful magic contained within the form of flesh. As a nearly immortal being, he was charged with overseeing all of the dragons that came after him. The elder dragons that came after fanned out across the realm, each responsible for protecting a different domain. The elder dragons flourished, and soon gave birth to the first generations of mortal dragons.

Several millennia later, other intelligent races began to emerge in the world. Dissention began among the Ancients and dragons on how to treat these new arrivals. Bored with their own existence, yet unwilling to depart their home for other realms, several Ancients saw the newer races as toys for their own amusement. Many of the younger dragons also viewed the younger races with impunity, delighting in disrupting and destroying their lives. Still other Ancients, along with all but a few of the elder dragons, sought instead to enlighten and assist the development of the younger races, recognizing in them vast amounts of potential.

In the months before what would eventually be called the Great War, Granimyre gathered together all the elder dragons and pledged an oath to protect the younger races from those that wished to exploit them. This meant that many old friends would now become bitter enemies, and the elder dragons would be forced to intervene against their own children to uphold their oaths. This action only served to add to the flames of discontent, and a war between the dragons broke out only a few weeks later.

At first, the Ancients who supported one or more sides of the conflict refused to participate directly, preferring instead to watch and allow the dragons to fight amongst themselves. Granimyre was determined to end the conflict quickly, hoping to show the younger dragons, through force of will or brute strength, the folly of their actions. The elder dragons and many of the younger races rallied to Granimyre's side, and would come to be called the Guardians of Light. Against their united front came the evil dragons and a dark army which sought to plunder the land for their own purposes. This army of darkness, and the Ancients who supported them, would come to be called the Overlords of Chaos.

The younger dragons, far outmatched by the elder dragons, were defeated time and again in battle. Granimyre and the elder dragons made every effort not to kill any of the younger dragons, their goal being to end the conflicts with as little bloodshed as possible. The dark Ancients knew that if Granimyre's forces were successful, it would undermine their power over the younger races. They sought out a new ally, and found one in the form of an exiled god.

Dramar had been away from the realm since his departure, long before the rise of the mortals. Though he was obviously more powerful than any other of the dark Ancients, he kept the source of his power a jealously guarded secret. He had spent his exile pursuing the means to wrest control of the world from his siblings, and had returned to Tarias with a master plan to achieve his goal.

With the other dark Ancients "lending" their powers to his cause, Dramar used his powers against the elder dragons in dozens of battles, leaving a path of destruction in his wake. The Guardians suddenly found themselves on the losing side of the war, and Granimyre could do nothing to turn back the tide of battle.

The other Ancients were still reluctant to take part in the war. Though they desired an end to the conflict, many feared Dramar's newfound power, and were convinced that confronting his legion would only lead to more destruction. But, there was one Ancient who could no longer stand idly by while the Overlords continued their rampage. Her name was Jhuntara, and fearing the realm would be consumed by the escalating war, she pleaded one last time with the other Ancients to intervene. Still, they abstained. Undaunted, she joined forces with Granimyre, determined to stop Dramar from destroying the realm, no matter the cost to herself.

That decision cost her much. By directly interfering in the affairs of the mortals, she had violated one of the Ancients' highest mandates. At first, the other Ancients shunned her, refusing even to acknowledge her existence. She was then barred from the Ancients' spiritual realm altogether as punishment for her actions, which meant she could no longer draw on the powers of her home plane. Still, with the combined spiritual will of the Guardian army to give her strength, she pressed on with her mission.

With Granimyre and his forces under her protection, the Guardians began turning back the onslaught of the Overlords with increasing success. But the final price for her interference would all too soon be realized. Because of her actions, Jhantara had drawn the vengeance of the Overlords. Although the other Overlords had sufficient reason to fear the combined power of Granimyre and Jhuntara, Dramar defiantly fumed over his constant defeat, and drafted a scheme by which he could be rid of her forever.

In a surprise move, he withdrew his armies and called upon her and the Council of the Ancients to meet with him, to openly discuss an end to hostilities. Cautiously, Jhuntara agreed, and the Council acknowledged her for the duration of the talks only. She left Granimyre and his army to rest while she appeared before the Council.

Dramar's call for peace was merely a diversion. All the dark Ancients had until now fought most of their battles separately, but they all came together this one time for the purpose of destroying Granimyre and Jhuntara in one grand stroke. Dramar had developed a devastating new spell during his search for power, and convinced the other dark Ancients to combine their powers and use it against Granimyre while Dramar kept Jhuntara and the Council distracted. What he failed to mention to them, however, was the source of this spell, and what affect it would have on them.

As Granimyre and his army rested, the Overlord army attacked. With their minions occupying the attention of the Guardian army, the dark Ancients focused their combined energies together and began casting the spell against Granimyre. The first surge of dark energy struck him, and his entire body convulsed with pain. With such raw power focused against him, even the mighty Granimyre could not withstand the onslaught for long. He cried out to Jhuntara in horrified agony as the Ancients prepared to unleashed another surge of dark energy against him. She came to him instantly, and found his life being drained by a strange energy, the likes of which she had never seen. Focusing her own power into him, she succeeded in purging the darkness devouring his life.

He opened his eyes and smiled wearily at her, but his smile turned to a look of horror as a wild surge of dark energy streaked toward her from behind, unnoticed and unstoppable...

Continued in Part 2

"Tinkle"
unknown author