In a time now long past, mankind faced extinction at the hands of the "Black Beast", a creature that appeared out of the darkness. The Beast was possessed by an awesome power, and it appeared that the time of man would soon be at an end. It was then, in humanity's darkest hour, that six heroes of unknown origin came forward to defeat the Beast. They brought with them the ancient power of "magic", which they freely shared with mankind. Turning their ingenuity to the formation of new, more powerful weapons, humanity discovered a process by which they could infuse their own technology with the power of ancient magic. It was in this way that humanity created the "Armagus" and discovered a power far beyond what magic or technology alone could have given them.
With this newfound power, mankind once again confronted the Beast, with the six heroes fighting alongside them. After many long, blood-soaked battles, the Beast finally fell, ending what would come to be known as the "First War of Magic". The heroes who fought beside human warriors in the First War of Magic were immortalized for their deeds and, through generations, came to be known as the "Six Heroes".
An organization was formed during the First War to regulate the use of the "Grimoire Armagus", the Armagus training texts. This "Novus Orbis Librarium", and the power it wielded with the Grimoire Armagus, brought about great advances across the the spectrum of human technology. These gains threw mankind into a vast and all-encompassing reconstruction.
Decades have passed since the Librarium established itself as a dictatorship, and Armagus became the deciding factor in nearly all of humanity's affairs. This has led to a large socioeconomic gap between those who can wield the power of Armagus and those who cannot. Tensions began to flare, and before long a rebel organization calling itself the "Ikaruga Federation" appeared, defying the totalitarian authority of the Librarium. With the creation of the Federation, angry thoughts became open hostilities, and the "Second War of Magic" began. It was this conflict, which also came to be known as the "Ikaruga Civil War", that saw human using the power of Armagus against one another for the first time.
The Second War came to a close with the destruction of the Ikaruga Federation. Afraid of further conflict, the Librarium consummated its subjugation of the populace by issuing the following decree: "Whosoever chooses to defy the Novus Orbis Librarium shall be put to death, without exception."
Several years after the end of the Second War, a branch of the Libraruim, reputed to command a force as powerful as an entire nation's army, was suddenly and utterly destroyed. The few survivors spoke in hushed, shaken tones of a single man who had appeared out of nowhere, cutting down all in his path.
His name was "Ragna the Bloodedge"...
By the end of the year, most citizens were expecting the beginning of an era of unprecedented development. Unfortunately, 2199 was also the year that the Librarium's greatest foe, the man with the highest single bounty on record, Ragna the Bloodedge, was rumored to have appeared in the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutuschi. People gave him the nickname Grim Reaper, and it was said that his goal was the obliteration of the librarium in its entirety. Following the rumors, people began to make their way to Kagutsuchi-some after the incredible bounty on his head, others after the "ultimate power" said to be in his possession...and a few whose only interest was his assassination for the Librarium.
|