The Celestial Forge
By: Schin Ka’Tharos
Chapter 6
(Part 2)
“However, at present you will be unable to claim it. To understand everything in full I must expound upon your grandfather's history. Then you will come to know the full legacy that has been handed to you. Much of the past you have learned from him but in scattered tales and vague references to his own role. For our purposes, let me start before the advent of the Great Celestial Rain.”
“Shu Jian, your grandfather, was an extremely promising cultivator and had achieved Apprentice of the 4th Rank by the time he had seen eighteen summers. In the age before the Celestial Forge and Celestial Rains a Forgers path to advancement and power was significantly slower and arduous. Without the manna from heaven, the two fundamental essences, Celestial and Arcane, could only be harvested through natural assimilation and SoulForging techniques designed to help pull the essence from the world around you. “
“During that age, throughout all of the Ildara and the other four continents only the most gifted could achieve the Adept rank and rarer yet was a true Magus rank attained and only by gifted cultivators in old age. A handful a generation would achieve High Magus before their longevity would cease but despite the myths that ancient ancestors had Ascended above these ranks into immortals, no one of that Pre-Rain Era could reach those heights. “
“That your grandfather achieved Apprentice of the 4th rank so young speaks to his genius. I know not much of his earliest days other than his parents had died when he was fairly young and he had a difficult journey before becoming a student at one of the three great schools of the time. Compared to now only a fraction of the eternal flames had been encountered and there were only a handful of schools that had risen around the eternal flames themselves. “
“When the Celestial Forge was formed the Great Celestial Rain first fell and it threw the entirety of Ga’el into madness. The advent of manna from heaven changed the landscape of power on Ga’el from the common man all the way up to the High Mages. During the great celestial rain the size of the manna shards that fell were vastly different from that which we see from the Minor Rains today. Shards of all sizes and purities truly rained down across the continents, offering a new route to power. All systems on Ga’el were upended from geopolitical to social to economies, and any cultivator of that age somehow became involved in the ensuing war.”
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“In the early days of the Heavenly Magus War your grandfather was able to secure a place amongst the frontlines for his Schools Sect. Amidst his time fighting, your grandfather was able to find and consume an exceptionally large Arcane S(-) Class shard of celestial rain which raised him into the High Magus ranks. Following this throughout the rest of the war and many great battles he earned his names that all of Ildara would come to know him by. “
“By the end of the Heavenly Magus War he was one of the great powers of Ga’el and had reached the Ascended ranks. Now called Jian Blightbringer, your grandfather was also the leader of the Impure Knights and founder of a technique for soul-forging impurities which can greatly increase your power for a short period of time. However, the impurities within essence, also referred to as cinder, are quite dangerous and if you forge with cinder rather than refine the essence and burn it off one can experience mental, spiritual or physical instability. “
“While this secret technique gave your grandfather an edge in battle and helped make him one of the most feared cultivators of his day he was not immune to its effects and it led him to do some atrocious acts. The war ravaged the lands for decades and it is estimated that over a third of the population of Ildara perished before its end. It can be said that your grandfather alone was responsible for a considerable role in this destruction. At the end of the Heavenly Magus War your grandfather marched upon one of his greatest foes and after a long drawn out battle slayed him. However, due to burning more cinder than he could handle he became lost in a deranged state and murdered many of his companions, including some of his kin.”
“In the aftermath of this calamity your grandfather retreated here to the Unending Waste. Jian spent centuries cold forging this tower in isolation. I met and befriended him during this time of his life. I have seen him change greatly over the vast ages and head down a new path. “
“This was all thousands of years before you were born, Schin, and your grandfather constructed this tower without leaving it to you in mind. This tower requires at least a minimum of an Adept rank just to be able to handle the spiritual pressure on this floor. You haven't noticed it because I have been enveloping you in my aura to protect you, but alone you would not survive in this room let alone the others above. This tower was built for many purposes and many of them changed and evolved over the years. I will not linger on the topic of the tower itself as my knowledge of its mysteries is limited. Also, I believe your grandfather has provided a means in which to enlighten you on the subject.”
“Which brings me to this” Uncle Cyio reached into his robe and brought out a thin purple hued wooden box of simple design that barely fit in his hand.
Next Chapter...
Chapter 7: Often The Truth Holds A Darkness