As promised, below is the new prologue for Golden Dawn.
Beginning
At the start of Leonidas, two great queens ruled over the land, bestowed upon them by the Sun, Moon, and Stars. For 1,000 years they guided their people through the ebbs and flows of life. No matter what storms they weathered, their followers always came away stronger thanks to their wisdom. Each person lived in harmony with the other. While nothing is perfect, their existence came quite close. The queens had every faith in them.
But the Gods knew better.
Slowly, people’s hearts began to change. Blind to their abundance, they sought to take from others, despite having plenty themselves. As a consequence, the Gods set into place a punishment. Whatever you stole from another would be stolen from you. Those who stole the magic of others found that after doing so, they could no longer use as much themselves. Those who disregarded such warnings and continued their thievery soon found that they lost all magical capability. They would never again sail upon the breeze, dance on the surface of a lake, or hear the quiet, ancient whispering of the trees.
Many saw their mistakes and swore never to take from their fellow people, urging those that had to turn away from their path. Despite their outreach, many of the thieves found themselves embittered, furious at their misfortune and resentful to those who had kept their magic. The world split into two. The enchanters, magicians determined not to repeat the same mistakes, and Vulcans, those who had lost their magic and blamed everyone but themselves.
Tensions between them built and built with the queens powerless to stop them, no matter how hard they tried. On the eve of the 1,001st year, everything changed. In the dead of night on a bed of silver leaves laid a man, hardly breathing. Blood poured out from beneath him, soaking the shoes of those who surrounded him. As he let out his last breath, the sky split open.
Thousands of bright, dazzling lights rained down on Leonidas, as if the Stars themselves were falling. As they crashed they shook the ground, rattling the trees and bringing with them a howling wind. The queens awoke from their slumber with a start, clambering out of their bed and out the door of their villa. Streaks of light shot across the sky, casting shadows on the land. Queen Aoife held tightly to her wife’s hand. “Xaawo, what’s happening?”
Her inky black eyes were knowing, full of sorrow. “The era of peace is over. A life has been taken.”
“Wise as always, Xaawo.” An echoing voice spoke. From above, three figures descended. Their radiance was blinding, their skin shimmering with the luster of a thousand gems. They were three times the queens’ size, tall enough that their heads were at eye level with theirs from the bottom of the stairs leading to the villa.
The queen bowed her head, great, spiraling braids tumbling over her shoulders. “An honor to see you all again, even in a time such as this.”
Aoife found herself stunned at their presence before following her wife’s lead.
The largest of them stepped forward, vibrant orange and yellow hues coloring her form. Upon her brow was her blazing insignia, the Sun. Her hair billowed out from her head like clouds at Sunset, at once solid and formless. “As are we.” She spoke, bowing. “You have done well.”
“Are we…?” Aoife asked, trailing off.
Sun nodded. “Mortal, yes.”
“Now the real fun starts!” Said the being next to her. They were much shorter than their fellow gods, and much brighter as well. The Stars on their face and body danced about, giddy as the one who bore them.
“Stars.” The Moon spoke, placing a large, blue hand on them. His soft azure waves fell like water, rippling as if they were as well.
Stars looked at him sheepishly, then bowed to the Queens. “Sorry.”
Queen Xaawo shook her head. “We have served our people as much as we could. It is time for us to move on.”
Sun nodded. “Very well. Then we have only a message to deliver.” She took hold of Star’s and Moon’s hands, their light growing until the queens could no longer look directly at them. They began to speak in unison. “Once unending, now finite, forsaken are those who steal divine light. Division shall grow to breadths unseen, drawing them to the sword’s mighty sheen. No blood that is shed, no land that is plundered, shall return to them their magic sundered. From a flood of hate a child shall be born, from their breast an oath sworn. To deliver the world from eternal night and show them the truth, hidden from sight.”
Aoife clung tightly to Xaawo. “What does that mean?”
Moon smiled. “It remains to be seen.”
This scripture was uncovered in the Sacred Caverns of the Sun outside Apollon and is allegedly one of the only remnants of the Great War.
