Mission for Lylan

Marnolians

Marnolians were one of the original species on the planet Cyrre before the humans came. They were very anatomically similar to humans, and they could easily be mistaken as such, but they had a lifespan almost 400 years longer. Their species name derives from marnol, an Astentian word that means “magical”.

Their most peculiar quality is that they only had power in numbers. When they touched each other, they gained strength. Along with a certain pattern on their faces lighting up when they touched another Marnolian, their sho capacity more than doubled, making them primarily magic users. Their language was magical, so if they did not intend on using magic with every word they said, they learned to speak Astentian. The two species were mutually friendly and allied on many occasions, and while the Astentians became masters of weapons and technology, the Marnolians fought with their magic. The Marnolians also have a particular affinity for dragons, being able to communicate with them and form mental bonds with them. Together, the three species were able to eliminate their main predators and civilize their planet.

However, this was not to last. When humans came, they enslaved the people of both humanoid races, chasing the dragons away. To differentiate between a Marnolian and a human, the common practice was to have the enslaved Marnolian touch another Marnolian and to brand the markings that appeared onto their face. For this reason the enslaved people began to be known informally as Scarburns.

The Astentians were tough and able-bodied, and were able to take the brunt of the work. The Marnolians, though, were not physically strong enough, especially after the introduction of the metal lead. Lead was not naturally present on the planet, and it was found that lead nullified the magic abilities of the Marnolians, as well as slowing their movement and making them weak. As a result, many Marnolians had earned a lead circle around their necks, bent like the link of a chain. As their mental abilities deteriorated, the dragons they were connected to also died out.

It was more than three hundred years later that PLASMA managed to liberate the Astentians and the Marnolians. But many Marnolians had died, and their species was in decline. Even after having the leaden yokes around their necks cut, many never regained their full strength, especially those who had been scarburned.

In a haste to survive, the Marnolians collaborated on writing a book of useful magic commands and other language resources. This book was over three thousand pages long, and the original copy was in the Whitesand library before it was destroyed in the fire. This book did have alternate, digital and printed copies and volumes, though, so the words and commands of the Marnolian language (in which I am one of the few living to have complete fluency) survived the flames.

The Marnolians went extinct exactly 55 years ago, or at least that’s what I had been told. There was a memorial erected in the center of Whitesand of a Marnolian girl and a boy, hand in hand, with their light markings painted a dull blue. The paint was slowly chipping after many years, and it stands there still as a testament to their fall, though damaged and blackened by the fire. This statue had been the species’ only remaining legacy, the only piece left of what had been destroyed.

But now, everything changed.

If I was a Marnolian, it would explain why magic, and the whole Marnolian language, came so naturally to me, and why my sho capacity was so high.

If I was a Marnolian, it would explain why the last dragon died in my sight.

But most importantly, if I was a Marnolian, it meant that my capabilities were far greater than I could have ever imagined. Chance and I were no longer just agents or acquaintances. We were the last of our species, and we would barely be able to survive without each other.