Lore

[[Category:Runes of Magic]]
<big>The story so far...</big>

Over a thousand years ago, a great civilization rose on Taborea powered by the endless magic harnessed by the use of Rune Science, a method of binding Runes to tools and weapons to make them much more powerful and imbue them with power and action. They built great {{racelink|Rune Guardian|Automatons}} that defended them and performed most of the menial labor. The knowledge and wisdom of the five civilized races ({{racelink|Human|Humans}}, {{racelink|Elf|Elves}}, {{racelink|Dwarf|Dwarves}}, {{racelink|Angren}}, and {{racelink|Rhino|Rhinos}}) accomplished incredible feats of construction and engineering. A Great Society rose and Peace and Prosperity were enjoyed by all five kingdoms.

Then, and we are sure no one knows who discovered it first, someone realized that instead of bonding Runes to inanimate objects, they could bind them to living tissue. We are sure there was a brief renaissance as they explored the heights of augmentation they could achieve. Then it turned dark. The unnaturally-augmented declared themselves gods but became known as Demons, and they turned their attentions towards acquiring territory and fighting among themselves. Cowering amidst the growing chaos, the unaugmented discovered common cause and, a thousand years ago, they rose in rebellion and fought the Demons for control of their world.

When the war was over the natural had triumphed and the Demons were history. Absolute laws were passed forbidding the binding of Runes to living flesh. Much celebrating was done but also much sorrow. The war had destroyed much of their great works and, in death, much of the knowledge of the Runes had been lost or abandoned for fear of creating new Demons.

The last surviving Prophetess, before she passed away, wrote a final Prophecy, predicting that the Demons were not gone forever and, in some dark and distant time, they would rise again and threaten the world anew. But there was hope in her Prophecy as well! in the final stanzas, she predicted that a hero would rise. Through many trials and adversity, they would become a mighty being of blended abilities: The Strength of a Warrior, the Wisdom of a Priest, the Knowledge of a Mage, the Cunning of a Rogue. The coming Blood of the Prophecy would be an adventurer of all paths and a master of all of them.

Slowly, over a thousand years, the march of knowledge has sought to re-learn much of the lost Rune Sciences without triggering the conflict anew. Still, in the shadowed places in the world, some sought to unlock the Dark Knowledge of the Demons, to reclaim the power of gods.

Today, there are rumors of awakenings in the wilder parts of the world. If true, the strength of the {{mglink|Order of Dark Glory}} and the wisdom and knowledge of the {{mglink|Eye of Wisdom}} and {{mglink|Ailic's Community}} will stand against the darkness again.

But they will need a focus, a mighty hero who can unite the scattered kingdoms to fight again to save the world. Is it possible that you might be that hero? Many trials and dangers await you on your path to prove yourself as the awaited Blood of the Prophecy and save the world from the new Rise of the Demon Lord.


''For those of you that enjoy the story behind the game, the following wiki pages all contain bits and pieces of that story, adding color and depth to the game-world.''