1,000 years ago, the sun set for the last time. The last day was heralded by the departure of the gods. Each god and goddess rose from their thrones and ascended back to the heavens. There, they watched with tears in their eyes as the sun set for the last time, issuing in the darkest night: the Night Eternal. Following the beginning of the Night Eternal, the people tore down the gods’ castle to spite their fearful gods, the gods who abandoned them.
The Night Eternal lasted even through the attempts to undo it, which were set in motion beginning 200 years after the last setting by the Illusory. No matter what the Illusory did, the Night Eternal would not end. Finally, in desperation, the Illusory did the unthinkable: they harnessed magic.
They met in the nation of Lasai’ei and descended into the cavern beneath its heart, the cavern beneath the location where the gods’ castle once stood. They stood in a circle in the cavern, the Central Chamber as they called it, and performed a dangerous ritual: the harnessing of the Holy Magic. The Illusory harnessed this power into the White Ring, thus creating control over a single form of magic.
Again and again the immortal Illusory performed the ritual, creating seven more rings: the Black, Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet Rings. Each of these held control over a single form of magic: dark magic, fire, air, earth, water, spirit channeling, and illusions, respectively.
When the Illusory returned to the surface, they attempted to combine the eight rings’ power to bring back the sun. However, it was no use: the sun refused to return. It was then that the Illusory realized that something was missing.
They returned to the Central Chamber and forged one more ring: the Orange Ring of Geoconnectivity. This time, they used the Nine Rings to bring back the sun. After hours of channeling the nine colored lights into the sky, the Night Eternal ended; the dawn came; the sun was relit.
The Illusory congratulated each other. However, the people viewed them not as heroes, but as new gods. The Illusory could not hold this title, but no one understood that. Finally, they returned to Lasai’ei and placed the Nine Rings in the Ring Chamber, a cavern just beyond the Central Chamber. They sealed the Ring Chamber, but not before giving the Rings the command to find new masters. And so the Nine Rings began searching the hearts of the people the world over.
The people were furious that the Illusory left them, just as their original gods did. The people came to Lasai’ei to take out the Illusory. However, the Illusory were waiting for them: the immortals used a single ring to show their power. They used the Orange Ring to tear a person apart, atom by atom. The people ran away from the Orange Ring, fearing its power. Once they were outside of Lasai’ei, the Illusory used the Orange Ring to hide Lasai’ei beneath the sands of time.
Upon returning to the Central Chamber for the last time, the Illusory waited. They waited for the Rings’ Chosen to find their way there. For centuries the Illusory waited. Finally, 700 years after the return of the sun, the Chosen arrived. The Illusory led the Chosen into the Ring Chamber and watched as the Nine Rings placed themselves onto the middle finger of their Chosen’s dominant hand.
From there, the Chosen went on to become the world’s peacekeepers, combining their powers to take out anyone and everyone who opposed what was right. However, many became corrupt.
As they neared their death, nearly 100 years later, eight of them used their rings to create 7,000 replicas of each ring. These rings were to be used to create armies. Each of the eight then passed on the Original Rings to their children, the first nobles of the armies. Thus, the Legions were born.
The ninth Ring Bearer viewed the other eight as fools. He viewed the Nine Rings to be too powerful to be given to just anyone. But he knew one thing they didn’t: the replicas were nowhere near as powerful as the Nine Original Rings. The Orange Soldier returned to Lasai’ei, much to the joy of the Illusory. The Orange Ring was the one ring they truly wanted to be return, with no replicas having been made, as the Orange Ring was the most powerful of them all, able to create and destroy the bonds between pieces of matter. The Orange Soldier returned the ring to the Ring Chamber with no qualms, no begging, and no regret.
When the Orange Soldier returned home, he lay down on his bed, closed his eyes, and died a peaceful, contented man.
The Illusory have remained in the Central Chamber, watching the Legions grow, one member at a time. But rather than intervening, the Illusory continued to wait. They waited for the Nine Original Rings to select their new masters. They have been waiting for 100 years. Now the time has come. The Illusory know that one of the Eight Legionary Ring Bearers will be the master of two rings: their own and the Orange Ring. However, who it is remains a mystery to even the Illusory.
Now, the Chosen are on their way to the Fade, the home of the similarly-named Fade Legion, the masters of the Violet Rings of Illusions, in order to receive their first rings. However, they are in for a surprise…
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