Sael the Great was part of the legendary Heroes' Party that defeated the Corrupted One and brought about the longest era of peace the world has ever known. He stood at the forefront of humanity's greatest triumph, an Archmage without equal whose actions ended an age of darkness.
But that was four hundred years ago.
Now, most of the people Sael knew are gone. The world moved on while he remained behind, forever young. His name survived in stories and songs, but the man himself retreated to a cloud in the sky—thought dead by all but a few, fading into legend alongside his fallen comrades.
Until a young woman comes looking for him.
Ilsa is a descendant of one of Sael’s earliest companions, and she’s come to ask for his help. Whispers from the West speak of settlements vanishing overnight, swallowed by a creeping entity that even the mages cannot explain.
The stories sound familiar, echoes of an evil Sael thought gone forever.
To investigate this threat, he'll need to traverse lands that have forgotten his face, dodge the cults that have formed around his legend, confront all manner of monsters, correct a few misunderstandings, and perhaps even train a student or two as he remembers that life has much more to offer than just smoking on a cloud and longing.
Strange things are happening in the world and if the peace his friends died to create is truly at risk, it is fortunate, then, that the greatest Archmage in history is still alive and has more power than any crisis could possibly warrant.
***
This story was inspired by One Punch Man, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, The Lord of the Rings, Avatar: The Last Airbender and Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, among others. I suppose this is not quite helping in the what-to-expect side for some people since these references are all over the place. But to most of you guys, I hope it makes sense.
Please enjoy, and thanks for reading!