The problem
The world flame keeps the cycle moving and enables life. The dragons feasted on this source, to an extent that neither humans nor gods have managed. They were able to take great quantities of it into themselves, and create great destruction. Thirteen rose up from humankind and performed a ritual, using a single dragon, to take control of the world flame, cutting off the dragons supply and making them easier to defeat.
The gods took power to maintain ascendancy and do good works. They left their mortal bodies behind them, giving up what it is to be human. In return they let the world flourish and the power flowed back into the soul.
Some, however, were unbearable tyrants to their people. It is not such a surprised that those who came to take power from the gods came from Savronar’s people. These 5 took the power but did not understand their role, or were just unwilling to give up on being human. Evinar said the cost was too great. And besides, that wasn’t their intention. The world flame started to die. As life dies the anti-mana/anti-life/anti-matter surrounding it crept in, and started making its way through the cracks.
The healthiest system seems to be one of constant flow of mana out of the source of the world flame, through all life, and then back into the world flame. A fast flowing stream, rather than stagnant water.
Solutions
Being an incomplete list of every idea out there
- Bring back the old gods
- Bring back the dragon
- Bring back some of the old gods and the dragon
- Make new gods, and bring back the dragon
- Have those with the powers currently, ascend
- Have new gods that we choose ascend, by following the original ritual
- Have new gods that we choose ascend by following the failed ritual, but completing ascension (c.f ghost walking)
- Attempt to put power back into the land without bringing back the dragon
- Put power back into the land via the dragon, and then kill the dragon
- Kill the world, then revive it, as we did on a small scale with the anti-mana infected (note: this might actually be part of the other solutions too)
- Spread the power of the world flame more widely, by increasing the amount of mana each creature on earth can hold.
… please leave your suggestions, or preferences, below!