The earth was burned and scarred and the cities lay
in ruins, but the wizard wars were over at last. Only
five wizards remained in all the world, and they
came together on the shores of Lake Chenaria, high
in the mountains and built a great castle for themselves.
There they stayed for many years, debating how they
might prevent another war of magic like the one the
world had just suffered.
They knew that much of the magic they possessed
was far too powerful and dangerous. It must never
again be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. But
it was important magic too, and must not be lost. It
had to be preserved against a future time of need.
So they divided all the magic that was known
into two great books.
The "Right Hand Book", or Belichericom in the
old tongue, would hold only those spells that could
not be used to harm or destroy. Between its covers
would only be found spells for working good. The
"Left Hand Book", or Cinichericom, would hold
all the other spells; those that could be used, or
misused for evil purposes.
When the task was completed they saw that the
Belichericom was a book of only a few hundred
pages while the Cinichericom consisted of seven
very thick volumes. They made copies of the first
book to be given to their apprentices and followers,
but the Cinichericom was not copied. Instead, each
of the seven volumes was placed into its own chest
and each of the seven chests was sealed with three
magical seals.
The first seal would allow the chest to be opened
only in a time of great need. The second seal could
only be broken by the most powerful wizard of the
age. The third and final seal would keep out all but
the pure of heart.
Each of the seven chests was given to a different
apprentice with the command that they, when they
had pupils of their own, pass them down in turn.
In that manner were the seven books scattered far
and wide throughout the world. Generations later,
among all the wizards in the world, there were
seven who each, unknown to the others, counted
among their possessions a chest they had been told
contained great evil. Beyond that, they knew only
that the chest was to be kept secret and it could
neither be opened nor destroyed. What his chest
might contain, none of the wizards could guess.
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