The Legend of Volarian Gems, Folk lore or History

There is a legend that exists in the Desert Realm. Bards sometimes tell of it. Storytellers among the various tribes speak of it around the fire. Smatterings of it are scattered throughout ancient lore. References to it are sometimes made in songs and in artwork.

It is the legend of the great gem of Vola, and how it came to be shattered.

This legend takes many forms and shapes. Some say the great gem was created by the Gods. And some say the gem created the Gods themselves. Some say the gem always existed, even before the Gods. And some say the gem never existed and is only a legend.

Regardless of the truth, the more common legends indicate that at some point not long after the creation of the world of Vola, the great gem was broken. And like its existence, its breaking also has many possible explanations. There are those who say that when Viedre cursed the world by requiring that magic consume water, that he broke the gem to enable this curse. The same people state that restoring them gem to one piece will remove the water curse and restore Vola back to the vibrant land it once was. But there are also those who believe that the Volarian gem had nothing to do with the water curse, and that it is merely a powerful tool that the Gods used when creating Vola. Others say that the Volarian gem is actually the tears of Foret when she wept over the death a mortal lover.

Who is to say what the truth is? But this much the mages who have studies such things have discovered. There exists in this world gemstones of great power, and they are of such force that they are suspected to be the origins of the Volarian Gem Legend. One such stone is the gem of Tecular, a great black mage who once used the power of this gem to create an empire of ice and snow. Later the gem fell into the possession of the Necromancer Tamden, who used its power to collect water in the form of ice for centuries. His goal was to collect enough water to power a massive spell that would raise all the dead of the world to serve him as his armies. Only the combined might of the champions of Viktor from the city of Forwell resisted Tamden and eventually destroyed him. But they paid for this with their lives, and very few (if any) of them still live. The Gem of Tecular was recovered by a Bard named Buster and placed within the Grand Temple of Tor for safekeeping. But it was again stolen by an agent under the control of a creature of great mental might. And the gem was given to a Templar of Tor to bear in the name of this creature that a great wrong might be put to rights. But the Templar vanished, and was never seen again. With him, the Gem of Tecular also vanished.

One other fragment of the Great Volarian Gem has also come to light recently. It has been held in trust by the Xlndrae Aristocracy. These people are the Elves who were exiled and escaped from the Drow when they came under the control of the Shimhayn order. The priests of the Gods were bent by one of great power, and she promised them dominion. They became the Shimhayn. And when they took control over the Drow Empire, the royal families who had led the drow fled. Most were killed, but a small minority of them found a place where they could survive. It was a great cavern. And with them they took the Xlndrae gem, a stone capable of manipulating life, light and magic. They used it to light their cavern.

Another fragment of the Gem is believed to exist in the distant lands of Gontor where it is used by a wizard to speak with the dead.

And yet another fragment is believed to exist in the possession of the Elves who live in the hyper magic zone in the Empire of Ve'tair.

Do other fragments of the great Volarian gem also exist? Wizards and students of the arcane believe that it is entirely likely. And one thing they all agree upon is that the magic these gems imbue is elemental in nature. It does not rely upon the forces applied to normal magic, but rather upon some other force that is woven into the very fabric of this reality. And should they be placed together again, none are sure as to what the exact outcome might be.