Dawn of Legends

And it came to pass, that Adam and Jezara, the first of the living, did partake of the tree of knowledge, and their eyes were opened. And they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

And the Architect walked in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and Jezara hid themselves from the presence of the Architect amongst the trees of the garden.

And the Architect called unto Adam, and said unto him, "Where art thou?"

And Adam answered, "I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."

And the Architect said, "Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?"

And Adam said, "The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat."

And the Architect said unto Jezara, "What is this that thou hast done?"

And Jezara answered, "The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat."

And the Architect said unto the serpent, "Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life."

And the Architect said unto Jezara, "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee."

And unto Adam He said, "Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life."

And thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

And the Architect made coats of skins, and clothed them.

And the Architect said, "Behold, the man is become as one of Us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever."

Therefore the Architect sent him forth from the garden of Nirvalah, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Nirvalah cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

And it came to pass, that Adam and Jezara, though banished from the garden, walked upon the earth. And the earth was full of thorns, and the wind howled in the barren places, and the sun scorched the land.

And the Architect looked upon His creation, and He saw the suffering of His children. And His heart was moved with compassion, for they were but dust, and knew not how to protect themselves from the perils of the world.

And the Architect spake, saying, "Let there be a gift for the children of the earth, that they may endure the trials of life. I will bestow upon them the power of Magic, a force that is born from the very breath of the Architect, to be wielded by those who seek it with wisdom."

And the Architect raised His hand to the heavens, and spoke unto the wind, saying, "Let Magic flow through the veins of the earth, let it be carried by the wind, and let it be a force that lives in the hearts of the living. Let it be a shield for the weak, a weapon for the brave, and a light for those who walk in darkness."

And lo1, Magic was born. It flowed as a current of light within the earth, unseen by mortal eyes, yet felt in the hearts of those who were attuned to its presence. It was a gift that could be harnessed, but only by those who knew its ways. And it would not be granted freely, for the heart of the wielder must be pure and true, or the power would consume them.

The Architect said, "Whosoever shall seek the gift of Magic, let them walk the earth with humility, for the power of the earth shall not be given to those who seek dominion over others. Let them learn the ways of balance, and let them use this gift to protect, not destroy."

And He spoke further, saying, "The gift of Magic shall be known as the Essence of Life. It shall protect those who are weak, and give strength to those who are valiant. But beware, for the force of Magic is not without peril, and those who would abuse it shall fall into shadow."

And so, the Magic of the earth was divided into different forms, each with its own purpose. There were the forms of Light, and of Flame, and of Stone, and of the Waters. There were the forms of the Wind, and of the Mind, and of the Spirit. And the living, who walked the earth in the days that followed, would come to learn these forms and wield them with wisdom.

The Architect spoke once more, saying, "In time, those who walk the earth shall know how to draw upon the Magic, and they shall build kingdoms and forge empires. But let it be known that the true power of Magic lies not in the hand, but in the heart. For those who would seek the Magic for glory or selfish gain shall find only ruin."

And the Architect, having spoken, withdrew from the earth, leaving His gift of Magic for the living to learn and to master. And it was said that those who walked in harmony with the land would find their hearts open to the Essence of Life, and would wield its power with grace and wisdom.

And the living began to speak of the Magic, and of the power that it held. And they sought it in the fields, in the mountains, and in the rivers, and they came to understand its mysteries. And the Magic became a part of them, flowing through their veins as it had through the earth, a force of life and light to protect them from the shadows.

And so it was, that the gift of the Architect, the power of Magic, became a legacy for all the living. And the Architect looked upon His creation, and saw that it was good.