A hundred years ago, arrogant wizards ignored the will of the Ascended and defied the orders of the High King, grasping for secrets not meant for mortal minds. Their punishment was swift and just, and before long their citadel of iniquity shattered before the wrath of the Stormbreaker. In every town square, pentagrams were paved over with cobblestones; in every temple, arcane symbols drawn in blood were painted over with scenes of victory. The King outlawed any practice or study of the dark arts of Temesvar, and everyone shunned the twisted and blackened ruins of the Emerald Spire.

But now the Cycle turns. Three generations have passed since that fateful Crusade, and the pain of the past has begun to heal. A few brave souls, remembering all the good that magic can do, gather in the ruins to plan a bold and ambitious project: to rebuild the Emerald Spire, restore the reputation of wizardry across the land, and relearn the knowledge that has been forgotten.

Out of the shadows come families whose heirlooms have long been secret, cults who once hid in darkness, and individuals who unearthed knowledge that should have been lost. All are joined together by a desire for knowledge of history and magic, by a hunger for power both mystical and physical... and by questions that have gone unanswered for too long.

Was there truly no light in the darkness the ancient wizards wrought? Can we learn from the errors of the past, and rekindle the flame of magic from the ashes of the Spire, using the lost power for good rather than evil? Or are we fools to consider it at all?