The Story of the Raven & Alaunus
Since time immemorial, the people of the kingdom have lived in peace, and sorcery and magic have been used as a force for good throughout the realm. At one point in the history of these lands, the sun disappeared behind the moon in a seemingly eternal eclipse; the sorcery was lost, and the lands began to wither under the darkness...
To return the lands to their former state, six special symbols were forged from gold, and cooled with water from the deepest of lochs. The forging of the six magic emblems was the catalyst the lands needed to give birth to the Raven — an immortal warrior, who is both man and bird, able to shift between forms at will, and who commands the spirits of truth and virtue. It was Raven's birth at the thousand-year-old Great Oak on Alaunus that brought about the return of the sorcery to the lands, and they were restored to their former glory, with life and light returning once more.
The Raven's Early Years
Raven's childhood was spent on the island of Alaunus. Soon after his birth, he was met by Princess Erina, the daughter of the King and Queen of the island, at the Waterfall of the Little Fawn, when they were both young children. Both he and Erina grew up together on the island, and through their many adventures together she came to be his most trusted friend.
Under the benevolent rule of the royal family, the lands thrived and the people were happy for many a year.
A New Darkness Falls
However, one of their subjects was not content with the peace they brought — an upstart baron who would torment a few peaceful subjects with his garrison of brigands. Though he was thought of nothing more than a mere irritation on Alaunus, and certainly never a threat, he proved such doubters wrong when in his greed he cut down the Great Oak, used to provide magic staves to the deserving, and cut from it his own staff. From that moment, he became less than human; an evil creature, obsessed with power and greed. Darkness began to descend on the land once more, and soon this creature, calling himself Nevar, had begun to gain control of the Island, wiping out resistance warriors with his Staff of Power and his now-transformed, demonic followers. Raven and Erina fought side-by-side with the warriors of the land at many battles in the events that followed; they were unable to stop him, and Raven was ultimately banished to the mainland, exiled from his home, along with the royal family and the Island's people.
It is here that the main series joins Raven, who searches among the many eager young recruits — warriors — who wish to prove themselves worthy of fighting Nevar and his demons. As children, their life force — visible to Nevar and his henchmen, and which shines more brightly as a person ages — will be much diminished, allowing them to evade Nevar and his demons more easily, and though surely not as strong as the remaining adult warriors of the land, many of them prove themselves, in their determination, skill and courage, to be just as worthy. The few that become champions of Raven's tournaments will earn their title, Ultimate Warrior, and move forward to fight side-by-side with Raven himself when that epic final battle with Nevar comes...