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7 | THE RISE OF THE MYSTARCHS, PART 2

The Eight Mystarchs

The power of the mages grew greatly with each new page of the Mysterium Primordial that was uncovered. Although only small bits of each page could be translated, these fragments provided the foundation of the arcane universities that would produce some of the most influential and powerful Beasts in the known world. Where once they could bring forth a few sparks, now they could conjure a raging storm of fire. Where once they could chill the skin at a touch, now they could cover a city in ice. To be taught the secrets of the Mysterium Primordial was the greatest honor, and the universities overflowed with students of the highest caliber.

The most powerful and most knowledgeable of the mages were those wandering souls who sought the pages of the Mysterium Primordial itself. Funding their travels by tossing the universities scraps of information gleaned from translated scrolls, they searched across the world for these pages, leaving no stone unturned. In time, eight great mages emerged from the searchers who proved to be the wisest, the most capable, and the most powerful mages of their generation, and perhaps any generation, though many would take issue with such an extreme claim.

They called themselves the Mystarchs and sought each other out to work together to seek out the coveted scrolls. Through skill, persistence, and even trickery and bribery, they managed to gather large parts of the Mysterium Primordial, hoarding them to themselves and outpacing their former peers to become masters to their students. They were well known and greatly respected in their time for the magical arts were the popular fashion.

Al‐Idrisi

Each of the Mystarchs had a particular specialization of which they were typically the greatest practitioner in the known world, which, to be fair, encompassed a smaller area than we’re familiar with today. They considered themselves equals, yet there existed among them an unspoken acknowledgement that Al‐Idrisi, a commanding Atavian noble whose word was highly respected, was the greatest of them. He cared little for the more destructive aspects of the arcane arts, and instead focused his efforts on teleportation and travel magic. Many of the advances that we take for granted today come from his work.

Heraclitus and Macha

Next was Heraclitus, a Noctari who was said to be a great master of the burning art of fire magic. He and the Hart Macha, known for her prowess with battle magic, would frequently travel together in search of the Mysterium Primordial pages, seeking them out in the perilous regions of the Earth.

Jezebel

From the southern lands of the Dog Soldiers came Jezebel, skilled in the mystic arts of planar magic. She was able to see beyond what normal mortal eyes could see, and her divination skills were legendary. She often journeyed and worked with Al‐Idrisi, and many accounts of history claim that he loved her deeply, although she did not return his love.

Tarchon

The Bandicoon Tarchon was the master of enchantment, and was known for weaving beautiful gardens of illusionary flowers and charming the young maidens of his homelands whenever he had the opportunity. With equal ease however, he was able to teach his enemies that phantasms of little substance can burn the mind and change the purpose of armies.

Jarnsaxa and Zahaak

Jarnsaxa, an Ursine, and Zahhak, a Taurian, frequented the far regions of the north that the other Mystarchs found too inhospitable. Jarnsaxa combined her great powers of the cold with Zahhak’s mastery of the air to ward off the numbing cold and icy winds of the barren reaches. Their searches proved to be most fruitful, as they went where others would not or could not go.

Nefritari

Finally, Nefritari was a Feline who studied the magic of death. She traveled alone in her journeys, and while her fellow Mystarchs respected her wisdom, she was quietly feared. In many circles, and never in her hearing, she was called the Mistress of Death, although she did not consider herself evil.

These eight Mystarchs used their collective power to construct a great stronghold in the Alpine Mountains where they could plan their travels and study the Mysterium Primordial in peace. Through the aid of their considerable powers, they were able to locate and obtain nearly all of the pages belonging to the great tome within two decades.

The Enigma

With the blessing of the arcane universities, the Mystarchs began the work of translating the complete Mysterium Primordial in earnest, applying what they learned to their studies. As they labored, it soon became clear that the tome was intended to be used in a certain, specific way. There was, for lack of a better word, a code that they needed to unlock the true potential of the Mysterium. They began to call this code the Enigma Primal, and bent all their efforts and will to discerning it. All advances they’d made so far had been, while impressive, apparently trivial to the lost authors of the Mysterium. It was, as they believed, with the inevitable discovery of the Enigma, that they would take their deserved places as lords of the Earth, bringing Beasts into a new Age of Paradise.