In ages past, our kingdom was enveloped in an endless strife.
Wildmen roamed our steppes. Countless numbers rode atop war horses, snorting fire. Eyes reflecting the bloody carnage of crumbling cities put to the sword and trampled by thunderous hooves.
Monstrosities stalked our woodlands. No creature was spared from evil, even predators like wolves and bears became prey. Their numbers were as overpowering as their pervading preternatural strength.
Highwaymen patrolled our road networks. Convoys, merchants, and humble travelers were robbed and killed. All who walked our roads were pursued without mercy. Were the men of our kingdom truly capable of enacting such vile deeds, or was some other force responsible?
But there was more, so much more. Word came of magics long lost, believed to be banished into oblivion, rose again from the shadows. Bringing with them obscenities we had no hope of defeating alone. Our Kingdom could not withstand attack from the mundane - and those of the Aithēr.
Our Divine King, the First King of Mêr, came to a decision. For he was believed to be a divine entity, holding untold knowledge. A king sent from the heavens who descended upon the Kingdom of Mêr in its most dire time. Though his decision would have consequences neither he nor future generations could ever escape.
He summoned those who obey not the flow of time. Alchemists stepped into the light, the greatest of whom they call Cardinal, revealed to him a premonition.
"Trinkets carved for royal flesh have passed muster. Royal moniker and unknown enchantments are bound. Undeniable potential is brought forth. The natural order answers!"
The First King relayed these words first to the royals, then to the denizens of Mêr. For the first time in an age, there was hope. Thus began The Contriving.
Atop the palace's highest tower, scores of alchemists wove their magics and fashioned trinkets containing all manner of magics. That day, the skies shook in terror, the ground cracked, and the winds blew colder than ever before. Until, at last, the artefacts were complete.
Of rare metals and precious stones were they made, each bestowed upon a member of the royal lineage. Every stone held magics pertaining to the characteristics of its wielder, and in turn, bolstered these characteristics with potent magics. Though each artefact was much like a being of its own, not that it would become melancholy if treated poorly, but that it knew the duty it played in its wielder's hand, and it could influence said duty if it saw fit.
And so, the First King commanded the royals to set out, and none to return if the blight was not snuffed out. Subjugation lasted merely 7 days, and thereafter the royals returned to the palace. On their return, the royals took to the streets - never before were the streets filled with such merriment, with such praise and peaceful cries. How the bells tolled, trumpets roared, and blossom petals danced into the open air, filling it with a sweet aroma and a sweeter triumph. Never again would the darkness hold dominion over Mêr. Thus, the Age of Hardship came to an end.
Most were grateful, yet some were confused, and others…others spoke of dark secrets and hidden truths. Some doubted the means of the royals, but did so only from the shadows, and the rumors remained as such, or so they hoped.
Not long after the Age of Hardship concluded, the First King, who possessed the most powerful amulet of all, disappeared without a whisper. Words of sorrow spoke his name, recognition honored his strength, and homage was paid to his sacrifice. But shadowy rumours were the sole indications he still lived, and the coronation ceremony, held only days after his disappearance, meant he was officially declared unfit to rule by his own blood
The Cardinal Alchemist was assigned to assist the artefact wielders, especially the young royals, in mastering their powers. Yet, as decades turned to centuries, even the Cardinal's footprints faded, and he too disappeared from Mêr. Some say he left the kingdom as his work was complete, but others believed he was forcefully banished on the grounds of treason against the royal family. The truth, however, is often skewed, and dishonesty would come to reign supreme in this new high society.
However, many centuries have passed since that time. The First King and the Alchemists have all but become legend. Although they once lived, only the royals and their amulets remain as traces of their existence. But the old tales, accompanied by the Age of Hardship, still live on, as they are studied in academies across the kingdom. For a younger generation must come to know their heroes and grasp the age-old magics that protect them.