Summons

Prologue

Summons

Prologue:

Worlds, cultures, people... They all change with time. One thing that doesn't, however, is the corruption, and greed within the hearts of man. Centuries ago, when the day of man was still young and their naivety was almost as strong as their will to survive, something strange occurred... A rift, some would say, between worlds, or dimensions, no one is completely sure, allowed a link to be established between the primitive world of man and a world brimming with powerful new creatures. Of course, in the beginning of the encounters with this new world man didn't have a chance. The creatures were far too powerful and, with powers beyond the understanding of mankind, they nearly obliterated the world of man. However... with the beings that entered and leaked into the world so too did the magic energy that they harnessed. A select few men and women were able to grab hold of this magic and infuse it to and bend it with their will.

They worked quickly and in secrecy to learn and master their newfound abilities, for they were rather short on time; for in a matter of a few short months, the creatures and beings of the new world could easily wipe out this primitive land. So they trained, day and night, tirelessly, until the time came and they finally had to intervene.

The time of man was almost over. The beasts had destroyed all but the strongest of holds. The men and women that had been gifted with magic ability formed together and, with nothing but prayer to aid them, reached out to the beasts.

Almost instantly, the destruction came to a halt. Many of the beings that ran rampant suddenly just stopped and became dormant. For the first time since the rift appeared, mankind could finally look upon their tormentors and see what they were. Magnificent beasts they all were, strong and proud they stood, some even towered far above the buildings of the time. The hatred that mankind had harbored toward them for so long almost seemed to dwindle away in an instant. The once feral beasts had also seemed to lose any affinity for their destructive behavior.

It seemed that once mankind learned to understand the magic energy that leaked into their world it formed yet another link between the two dimensions, this time allowing for communication between the inhabitants. It was from this understanding, that the first link between man and beast was formed.

A gigantic rift appeared in the middle of the scarred battleground between the creatures and man, and six of the most gigantic creatures seen yet descended onto the plain. They were magnificent, graceful, and they exuded an aura of tremendous power. The other beasts of the world looked upon them with the utmost respect, and, in the tongue of man, these six came to be called Dragons. The Dragons chose the three most gifted men and women from the group of people who had been able to harness magic ability and bestowed upon them a direct link to their power. This link gave these men and women the power and ability to summon their respective dragon at any time; however, since they were given such great power, they had to watch over the realm as guardians and to ensure that peace was kept.

Several years go on, and during that time the mages that learned of magic taught others how to take hold of and utilize that power. Those that were able to master it typically went on to become what is now called a summoner. They were chosen by a creature of the other realm and granted the right to call upon them at their whim. For a time, peace and prosperity reigned and man and summon worked together to rebuild what was once destroyed.

However...

Man is a greedy, selfish, and corruptible creature, and there were those who utilized their summoning ability for power.

A massive war erupted over the world of man. For what exact purpose, nobody knows. The dragon guardians were powerless over the sheer number of other summon creatures that inhabited the battlefield. Man fought man, creature fought creature, and many lives were lost, all for nothing. Not even the dragon guardians were safe from the corruption of man... for one of their own had somehow acquired a lust for more power. Perhaps it was being entrusted with one of the most powerful beings from the other realm, or maybe it was always there in the glint of his eye; whatever the reason, it drove him to insanity and madness.

He was inherently a powerful magic user, perhaps one of the best, but what made him dangerous in his last days, was his study of magic in what the dragons called the Dark Arts. They told of the magic in their world and of styles and spells that were lost to time, even in their long life. He was entranced by the call of them and spent his every waking moment trying to manipulate his magic and learn of these dark spells, after all, he was one of them to figure out magic from nothing so surely he could do the same thing again... and he did...

The dark arts gave him almost unparalleled and unlimited magic power and ability. So much so, that even his dragon partner could not remain under free will. He took full control over the dragon and forced him to do his bidding. The battles intensified in a day and many more lives were ended by the mad man.

The guardians confronted him, the dragons all aiding each other in bringing their lost friend back to control. The remaining men and women cornered the mad man and performed a ritual to strip him of his magic ability and his link with his dragon. They were not fast enough however...

During his last moments before he lost his power, he sent a surge of magic energy out and, in doing so, commanded his dragon to kill. The beast had no other choice but to obey, and so he lashed out, taking the throat of the dragon in front of him and ripping it open. The white beast let out a final roar of pain, and forgiveness, before collapsing lifeless on the ground.

Finally removed of his power, the black dragon came to his senses, and, upon realizing what he had done, removed the summoner's bond from the mad man and retreated back into their realm. The evil smile that spread upon the man's face became a grotesque and permanent scar that never ended. The remaining guardians sealed him away deep beneath the earth where they placed numerous magic seals to keep others at bay, and to keep him locked in at any cost.

The war ended with the death of the white dragon. The creatures mourned and wept for the loss of two of their guardians and vowed that if a war should ever erupt on the world of man again, that they would remove themselves from that point in time and let mankind deal with their problems on their own. Of course, after all the events that transpired strict regulations and seals were placed upon the link between realms and on the summoners and their summon creature. No longer could an average summon enter the world of man. Only the most powerful of creatures could break the barrier.

Centuries pass, and summoners are more few than their past counterparts. In the normal world, summoning is a lost art. Nobody remembers the creatures of lore nor do they remember the wars. All they know about the past is that there are myths and legends and stories all used by parents of a different time to lull their children into behaving. Summoning and summoners now use their abilities and powers for sport and to keep the normal world running and safe from other dangers; such as the corruption and greed of those that find a position of power. The only people that become summoners anymore are those that have a direct bloodline from the summoners of a distant age, or, at least, that's how it was...