Myriad

The Myriad was an era of wild prosperity and growth in Landfall, about one thousand years ago, when man-kin openly embraced and studied wizrada. Magic was part of daily life, and man-kin relied on magic for nearly all essential functions of society -- such as irrigation, harvest, engineering, architecture, medicine, travel, and communication. Life expectancy was long; quality of life was high; and great wonders of art and engineering were achieved. Magic was also used in war, to fearsome effect.

The Myriad lasted for several generations, then abruptly ended without warning or explanation. Man-kin's gift for magic was suddenly blocked by the Barrier, and everything that depended on magic collapsed or stopped working. Because man-kin had grown so completely dependent on magic to survive, this catastrophe plunged Landfall into centuries of famine, disease, and strife which became known as the Lost Years. By some estimates, man-kin population declined by 90% during the Lost Years and still has not recovered.

In present-day Landfall, the Myriad is remembered not for the prosperity it brought, but rather for the destruction that followed. It is now a cautionary legend, warning man-kin to avoid the mysterious, sinful allure of wizrada and instead to rely on hard work, physical labor, and science. Magic is outlawed by the Conclave; ziraduun are now hunted and killed by the Ardent. Most commoners no longer believe that the Myriad actually happened. They consider it a myth.

Relics, ruins, and aftereffects from the Myriad are scattered throughout Landfall. Buried, woe-stained totems and tokens randomly turn up everywhere. The Ardent collect all known jaishen'tarr and maeren'tarr, but most magical artifacts remain unaccounted for. Lost, ruined cities hide in haunted swamps and forests. Fae dells swallow unwary wanderers. Siabra race through the night. Woespawn suddenly appear to belch forth monsters like ga'arg and ghuul, then inexplicably disappear just as suddenly. The Myriad permanently changed the face of Landfall, mostly for the worse.

The Study of Magic
Ziraduun academically studied wizrada during the Myriad, as though it was a science. The prevailing metaphysical understanding of magic (the so-called "philosophy" of magic) was developed during this time. The names "shadow" and "grim dream" were coined, as well as all common related terms, like facet, aspect, jaishen'tarr, raistinmaeren, fiorah, totem, etc. Woe was understood, but the scope of its polluting effect was not fully appreciated.

Children were systematically tested for magical potential. If detected, their gift was cultivated. Schools of magic appeared throughout Landfall, but the premier university was the nine-tower Academy in Bahd'Aireal. Only the most gifted ziraduun were accepted to the Academy, where the most leading-edge research was done. Suul Barat (the most powerful grim dreamer to ever live) and Cyrildrim (the most powerful shadowcaster to ever live) were contemporaries at the Academy, near the end of the Myriad. A dispute between Suul Barat and Cyrildrim toppled eight of the nine towers, effectively destroying the Academy and the world's greatest repository of magical knowledge, immediately before the appearance of the Barrier. The Tale of the Falling Towers today stands as an allegory for the violent end of the Myriad itself.

Most of the magical research and knowledge of the Myriad has been lost. In modern Landfall, few records and academic treatises remain. Most were destroyed, either intentionally or not, during the Lost Years. The remainder were seized by either the Ardent or the Cayrien Order. Very few works can still be found in private libraries. The Arcanium, in the Lothaen private library in Snow Anchor Palace, is one such book.

The Second Myriad
In the Grim Dream series, the events of Book 3 trigger what becomes known as the Second Myriad. Books 4 through 9 take place during this new era.