Tethered : Book 1

The Powers That Be

It is quite normal for many of those who are able to practice magic to live considerably longer than the average person. In fact, the average life expectancy of a practitioner is around 115. With the art of cultivation, that number is even higher. His Excellency Emperor Boar has taken it to an entirely different level. He has lived for 355 years thus far, ruling for many of those years. He is physically fit and mentally sharp despite his age and far surpasses many who are younger and in their prime. His powers has not dwindled even in the slightest, maintaining his dominance over many cultivators and practitioners.

As a matter of fact, his powers grows stronger with every year that passes. Despite relinquishing the throne to his grandson King Julian the 1st after his son refused it and subsequently passed away, Boar has retained the title of Emperor. He is the only person in the world with the title of Emperor, as everyone else has simply retired the title to the fact that they believe no one is worthy to hold the same rank as him. It is due to this fact that he is commonly referred to as His Excellency, to differentiate from His Majesty. He has lived to see the ascension of many of his descendants. He is always there to bestow the crown upon them.

His incredibly long life inspired others to try and find ways to achieve the same. The closet was a woman named Lamai Porsche who lived for 191 years and died on His Excellency's 200th birthday. She devoted herself to serving the world the best she could and took every opportunity she got to advance her craft. It is a known fact that the more power you can achieve, the longer you will live, but your body must be able to handle the increasing power. Lamai managed to slightly evolve her body enough to push those limits and gain extra years of life. It is also believed that her service to world granted her favor from nature itself.

There is no spell or potion that can grant eternal life or reverse the aging process without a price. Thus, the only favorable way is through a natural cycle of progression. One must cultivate good merits, power and the very essence of nature to evolve the body. Through these things, the craft of Immortal Cultivation was born. It is not even known for certain that His Excellency is immortal, but that does not stop people from believing the wildest of theories. Everyone has generally accepted these guidelines as the laws of Immortal Cultivation and formed entire academies around them. Add the fact that every challenge issued against him has failed miserably and you may even come to the conclusion that His Excellency is beyond the power of 'mortals'.

The Emperor has discovered that one of his many descendants Adrian Mile, has a similar physical and spiritual design to him, and decides to send him on the path of Immortal Cultivation in the chance that he inherits his long life. Becoming immortal is not the only goal he has in mind for Adrian however. It's what Adrian could learn in this ever changing world, to hopefully better the family. The Emperor also feels quite sad at the fact that Adrian may inherit his long life, but not the throne. He is still one year away from 21, so he still doesn't even have any royal titles yet. However, this might work in his favor for the time being. When he goes out into the world, the only thing royal about him, will be his blood. He will be able to experience the world without the privileges of a Royal Official. Naturally, Adrian is honored to be given a mission from The Emperor and he departs without question and without protest from his parents.

Their empire called Thayān, is beautiful, large and powerful. However, the people of Thayān would eventually become aware that they are in the presence of one their Imperial Family members as their essence is naturally more cosmically elevated compared to others. Thus, Adrian cannot start there. He would need to start his journey far away. Using the teleportation platform, The Emperor sends Adrian to the far east lands to begin his journey. There are maps to guide him, but the only paths that are certain, are the ones that lead back to Thayān. For a Kingdom with no fear of invasion, there has never really been a need to revise their roads or falsify their terrain. Since the rise of their first Emperor, Thayān has always maintained an attitude of, "Come if you must. We will entertain you"

The Imperial Family is well known for their dominance in the Elemental Craft and The Craft Of Nature. These are two of the most commonly walked paths in magic. Understanding and harnessing the powers of nature is most desired when trying to cultivate immortality. In fact, most academies and sects that offer cultivation guidance, encourages their cultivators to choose an element or nature type ability to master. His Excellency was born with the power of, fire, water, wind and earth. After mastering those elements, he went on to add lightning and plant manipulation to his list of incredible powers.

The Psionic Craft is also a commonly walked path in immortal cultivation, as it leads to understanding the mind and leads its practitioners into the extra realms that lies beyond what the eyes can see. It is however, not as easy to master as elemental/nature craft. Those who are able to do so are considered to possess superior intellect and mental capacity. It is also a very handy gift when dueling if done right. All royal family members are required to take several course in this craft to properly defend their mind and the security of the country. This actually applies to all countries, magical and ordinary.

Necromancy is another commonly practiced craft due to it being easily available to anyone wishing to learn. However, it is famously more dangerous to practice than the previously mentioned crafts. You are quicker to fall into madness and the Evil Craft walking this path. It is very much not for the weak minded, and is advised to pair necromancy with the psionic craft if one wishes to advance safely and of sound mind. Over the years, academies has become more selective about their disciples.

The Temporal Craft is probably the only craft besides the Evil Craft that is on the Do Not Meddle list, though there is no official law against it recognized by any policing body. Messing with time can lead to irreparable damages as it far easier to disrupt the natural order of the universe. Though you may not be persecuted for practicing as you would for the Evil Craft, you run the risk of never being able to live unsupervised or you may lose many relationships. As is the same for Necromancy. However, even the most insane practitioner Ida Hugh, refused to use it fully, despite having the natural ability to see into the future and temporarily stop time within in a 30 mile radius with little effort.

The last "known" grand craft is the Sapphire Arts. However, only the royal family and a selected few of the Sapphire Clan practices and fully knows this craft, as it a craft that they created. Not much is known about the craft, but it is known that practicing it without fully understanding it or being physically capable could lead to the complete break down of one's body or even completely shred your mental faculties. On one occasion, a man shattered his soul, which took the Chief Necromancer 5 years to repair, but he still died with no memory of his loved ones. It is the second youngest of the crafts, only being around for 350 years. Most noticeably, is that this craft also prolongs ones lifespan by simply practicing it. Their Grandmaster and former Queen has lived for 200 years, ruling for the majority of those years. This craft is quite possibly the most well kept secret in the world, as no one even knows where to start.

The Dark Arts is to be separate from the Evil Craft, as it is possible to practice the dark arts without losing one's self and committing atrocious crimes. The dark arts is also not considered it's own grand craft as it simply just navigates the unorthodox side of the aforementioned crafts. However, Mad Magicians are 100% considered Evil. Their practices are blatantly disrespectful to the natural order and leads to the erosion of the balance of the universe. Life and Death, Creation and Destruction.

All these are paths that can be walked by Adrian on his journey through the world and he will bring these experiences back to the Imperial Family. It is common practice for a member of the family to travel the world and bring new things and ways to the family that may help better their views and keep in touch with the world. This time, Adrian has been selected. Though he may not be the only member of the family doing so, he is surely the only one doing it in service to His Excellency. The Emperor gave him no restrictions on his journey, but advises caution as to not full into the Evil Craft. It was of course Thayān who was responsible for the defeat of Ida Hugh, a great evil that threatened the world. Specifically Emperor Kye II.