The Origin of Magic

Before the rise of the Empire of Man, magic was a rarity in the world. Some people possessed magical powers as a result of a pact with an otherworldly being or devotion to a god, but even magic such as this was a very rare sight to see. Dragons, fey, and all manner of otherworldly creatures were, of course, capable of magic and elves had a natural affinity for it, but were unable to use or master anything beyond what they were born with. People lived fairly primitively, advancing the technology they had to the best of their ability. Various races, sticking to their homelands, advanced at different rates. Humans, though, always advanced the fastest. Gnomes were a close second, but their disregard for their own safety led to quite a few mishaps, and their main focus was mechanisms that didn't always contribute to their survival. Humans had diverse interests, leading to a much steadier and broader advancement.   Then came the discovery of the Imagicanium: the language of the arcane. The stars in the sky were always a source of inspiration for people (thanks to Constelion), leading them to imagine things far beyond themselves; to imagine what could be. The stars, the landscapes people found themselves in, and even their day-to-day routines were sources of inspiration for people, leading to the creation of art: music, storytelling, woodwork, and other forms of rudimentary crafting. One day there arose a great artist, a musician whose notoriety spread across the world, with people flocking from all over to hear his performances. He was a human, named Ebun Rakhe. During one of his performances, arcs of light suddenly shot from his lyre, wowing the audience (and Rakhe). Many people became frightened of what had happened and fled, others stood in awe. Rakhe stopped his performance, examined his instrument, and called it off until he could figure out what was happening. It was eventually determined that Rakhe had cast a spell. Thus, the first magic wielder in the world was a bard, harnessing his imaginative power through music. He founded a school of the arts to teach others his craft, known as the Rakhe School of the Arts.   Quite rapidly, human civilizations began to band together around this newfound power. New discoveries were made about the nature of the Imagicanium every day, as people learned to control and understand the patterns of nature, the arts of writing, craftsmanship, and even just the power of an idea. Only a special few ever managed to channel this power, leading the Empire to create the Imagicane Beacon, a beacon that 'put the power of magic in the hands of the people.' This beacon made magic much more accessible so that more people could study and practice it, allowing further enrollment in the magical universities, and helping people to use magic in their everyday life. Protecting this beacon was always a top priority in the Empire, but the beacon has disappeared since the empire's fall, leading to a still active search for it. Many believe the Myst hides the beacon.

Much of this tale is based on real history, though some details may have been fabricated for the sake of the empire. Many scholars debate whether Ebun Rakhe was actually the first person to discover magic, citing examples like the Cypress Queen, who ruled her forests for over 500 years before Rakhe's discovery. Others regard this debate as completely irrelevant because Rakhe was still the most important out of any who came before him.   Magic stands as clear evidence of the reality of the tale. The inability of anyone to find the Imagicane Beacon does cause some to question how magic came to be as prominent as it is.

This myth, or at least general details of it, is pretty common knowledge in most circles.