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A Brief History of Ellada and its Colonies
A Brief History of Ellada and its Colonies
By Professor Caed Cedar, Royal Snakewood
University
(Author’s
note: Professor Caed Cedar was a renowned historian of Ellada and its Colonies.
Extracts of his many works appear occasionally in the quotes at the beginning
of each chapter of the books)
Ellada was not always the great empire of
the Archipelago. It used to be weak, lacking little in natural resources. Then,
they discovered vast caches of Vestige in caves and caverns peppered through
the land. Vestige, or these remnants of technology or magic from the
long-vanished Alder, were thought to be mythical. Ellada used this Vestige to rise
and lead the other countries of the Archipelago, who, though they had more
natural resources, had far less Vestige.
It was never a bloody battle, yet the power
clearly fell in Ellada’s favour. The colonies imported to Ellada at a highly
reduced cost, but otherwise, they were more or less left in peace because
Ellada did not believe in needlessly challenging the status quo. The colonies
would try to break free occasionally, but always Ellada found a way to soothe
them, convince them that it was better to be united under the Commonwealth.
Immigration was discouraged – on both sides. There were few military bases.
Rather, Ellada dangled the power above the other colonies’ heads. We were the
glory of the Archipelago, and life for Elladans flourished.
Yet Vestige is not infinitely powerful.
Over the decades, the centuries, their power has begun to run out. And though
Ellada still has a sizeable amount of Vestige, it dwindles every year. When a
glass globe extinguishes, it cannot be rekindled. When a gun runs out of power,
it is no more than a hunk of metal. Slowly, but surely, our empire is weakening
– the colonies have drawn back from Ellada and claimed independence, and we
could not stop them seceding. It would be a bloody battle. Perhaps we are no
longer meant to be an empire. But we are not weak; we simply must change, must
adapt, or we shall crumble.
The circus lies behind
Micah Grey in dust and ashes.
He and the white clown,
Drystan, take refuge with the once-great magician, Jasper Maske. When Maske
agrees to teach them his trade, his embittered rival challenges them to a duel
which could decide all of their fates. People also hunt both Micah and the
person he was before the circus—the runaway daughter of a noble family. And
Micah discovers there is magic and power in the world, far beyond the card
tricks and illusions he's perfecting...
A tale of phantom wings, a
clockwork hand, and the delicate unfurling of new love, Shadowplay continues
Micah Grey’s extraordinary journey
Sources:
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