Once an extremely popular form of instant visual communication, Magic Mirrors have become the ultimate taboo. Most have been destroyed. The history of Magic Mirror usage on the world of Akir includes both moments of great hope and events that have become infamous for their terribly wicked atrocities.
A Weapon To Kill The Elves
The powerful Demonlord Zalthor despised The Elves who lived so happily on Akir under the protection of the
Dragons. Like all demons, he wished to destroy anything good that came about during
Kaesta's Dream. Barred from The Inner Worlds by The Light of The Dragonstar, Zalthor created a race to war against the Elves in the daylight,
Goblins. Zalthor gifted each Goblin a handheld magic mirror to communicate with each other and take his direct orders. He orchestrated
The Nightspawn Incursion, a vile surprise war that The Elves could not comprehend and were totally unprepared for.
Rediscovery
Centuries later, the Humans and Dwarves found the Magic Mirrors scattered across Akir. The small handheld mirrors were used by scholars, institutions, and governments to share important data. The fact that Demons could sometimes use mirrors to communicate or spy on people did not dissuade their use.
Mirror Shrouding seemed like the perfect solution.
The Enlightenment
Once it was discovered how to create Magic Mirrors using an alchemically made
Cognizite Crystal backing instead of silver, a period of rapid learning and prosperity began for both Humans and Dwarves. A silent form of communication,
Mirrorsign was developed to make conversing through Magic Mirrors easier.
Magic Mirrors spread knowledge and use of
Contraptions powered by
Fire Spirits among the Dwarves during this period. The record-keeping skills they learned from
The Dreamstone Codex greatly improved during this era to handle the exponentially growing amount of data they were storing in
Cognizite Crystal.
Humans had already discovered
Arcaic magic from The Dreamstone Codex but few had mastered more than a word or two of the difficult language. Magic Mirrors allowed Humans to share their work and collaborate on translations. Much of Humanity discovered they had a knack for casting simple spells during The Enlightenment.
The Elves did not experience The Enlightenment. They have always shunned the mirrors and viewed them only as a tool of The Demons. The Elves are long-lived and remember the horrors of The Nightspawn Incursion well.
The Mirrorshade Insurrection
Demons were able to use Magic Mirrors (even those created by Men and Dwarves) to communicate with and influence the people on Akir. Through social engineering and psychological manipulation, they were able to recruit
Warlocks, dedicated servants sworn to a Demonlord through a
Voidbond. The Warlocks and their hangers-on became known as
The Voidbound Cult.
In another brutal and surprise attack known as The Mirrorshade Insurrection, cultists from multiple sects coordinated a single terrible night of murder. Each cultist went on a killing spree - no community among Men and Dwarves was unaffected. It was a close, personal attack but swiftly ended as most of the perpetrators were each slain by militia and community members in defense.
Taboo and Destruction
Almost all of the Magic Mirrors on Akir have purposely been destroyed to prevent further Demonic Influence. This was not an overnight event, with quite a few holdouts resisting the loss of global communication. Some of the remaining Mirrors are still in use by The Voidbound Cult. Vareena, The Warlock makes use of a large Magic Mirror in
The Demonheart Vault, hidden under
Icewraith Expanse.
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