Black Gates

The Black Gates are large constructs, not actually gates, created by the Sha’rek’ta over the large nodes where the ley lines of the Shadow Realms cross. Only one gate still remains on the world, all of the others were rendered useless at the end of the Age of Legends.

Although the Black Gates do not exist when the world is created - the seven nodes of power that power of the gates does exist. Each node is a specific binding of the various streams of the Shadow Realms and serves a specific purpose. It is those streams (ley lines) and loci (ley nodes) that enable the Earthmother to bind and control the Heart of Mir.

The True Elf and Ancient Dwarf both knew of these seven special locations on the world, but not the true purpose. The Elves, being souls closely tied to the Shadow Realms, drew wisps of the Shadow Realms to themselves simply by existing. In places were large numbers of elves gathered every more wisps of power would come towards them until a new (and much smaller) node was created. The nature of this node was dependent upon the elves that were there. These otherworldly places became known as Sylvan Vales.

The nature of the dwarves was to repel and bind the power of the Shadow Realms. Created by the Earthmother to heal the “damage” caused by the elves and return the world to as she created it, the dwarves were naturally opposed to the gathering of large numbers of elves. While outright conflict never broke out, there was a natural friction between the first two sapient species on the world.

The Sha’rek’ta created seven Black Gates during the Age of the Ancients for the purpose of drawing more power from Miranda than already existed in the world. These gates were built over the seven large nodes on the world.

The Sha'rek'ta created the magi to serve these gates. The magi became the watchmen, protectors, and guardians of the gates. When the Sha'rek'ta warred among themselves the magi defended the gates even from the beings that created them. In the end it is believed that the Sha'rek'ta were wiped out and the magi continued their task of guarding the gates.

Without their creators for guidance, the magi disagreed among themselves how to use the power of the gates. Eventually a movement arose among them to use the power of the gates themselves - to fashion the world in their image as others have done before them. The Age of Legends is the name used by scholars to represent this time of intense magical power upon the world and the world created by the magi.

The power of the Shadow Realms eventually began to poison the world and soon the changes grew out of the magi control. Several of the magi tried to gathered together and destroy the gates, but they were opposed not only by their kin, but those who were created in this crucible of power.

The world would have been lost and Mir's heart freed if not for the intervention by the Earthmother. She awoke the Children of Mir, the great dragons that slept upon the world. These dragons were drawn to the power of the gates for it was the power of their blood. They devoured those who defended the gates and destroyed them in a frenzy to consume the power.

With the gates destroyed most of the power of the Shadow Realms was diminished. Those creatures who only lived because of this power either went to sleep or ceased to exist. Only the magi around the remaining gate still lived. They kept the gate nearly closed so as to not draw the attention of the dragons nor awaken the creatures of the Legendary Age.

The surviving magi swore a blood oath of power with the Earthmother to stand apart from the world, so allowing no other to comprehend the function of the Black Gates. In exchange the Earthmother agreed to keep alive the last of the Sha'rek'ta for all time as the magi did not wish their creators to fully pass from this world.

Main Article: Chrysalis

The exception to this was the seventh (|| || || |) gate, which was never fully sealed. As the centuries wore on power slowly began to once again flow into this world faster than the world was created to handle. This gave rise to a small reflection of the Age of Legend upon the world during the Age of Empires and Age of Heroes. It is said that when the Age of Heroes comes to an end the seventh gate will either be destroyed or opened completely.

The Sha’rek’ta built a total of seven gates upon the world. What made these gates so dangerous was that they tapped into the power of the Heart of Mir and co-mingled it with the power of the Shadow Realms, corrupting the very bindings that kept the heart trapped.

The Gate of Life is located on the Tomon Island in the middle of Seimei Noyurikago Umi. Although the gate was damaged, it can never be fully closed or all life on Miranda will die. Ellowyn referred to this gate as the Well of Life and it was poisoned long before the Sha'rek'ta ever arose on this world. It is the power of this gate that allowed the Sha'rek'ta to create life. They created the kithkin, magi, and many others using the power of this gate.

Life is not creation. The power of Creation must always stay in the Divine Realms or risk the destruction of all. Life is the consciousness, the soul, of the sapient mortals.

The great dragon Sha'harra lives in the all but shattered remains of this gate as she has since she was first awoken by the Earthmother. It is believed to be from her that all dragonkin have been born upon this world - for none of them existed until she awoke.

This gate once stood in opposition to itself in all things. It was both light and dark, repel and attract, male and female. Half of the gate must always stand in opposition to the other half and neither could exist without the other. When the gate was fully functional half of it would always reflect the truth of those around it, while the other would show only their lies.

Scholars believe that the madness that struck the Sha'rek'ta originated from this gate. No creature could see all things so clearly and remain sane.

The gate itself has not been destroyed - instead it has simply ceased to function. No dragon ever has claimed this gate and most will actively avoid being within sight of it. Until someone who arrives who commands the power of the other gates it will remain inert. Those mortals who do visit the remains are often driven mad by why that see in the ruins - those who are not maddened are said to be granted great insight although always at a terrible cost.

The gate of waves was located at the bottom of the deepest trench in the oceans. It is so deep beneath the waves that not even the light of the sun reaches the gate. Life, unlike any found anywhere else, lives within the trench constantly feeding upon the power leeching from the mangled gate. The power from this gate is still strong; although it ebbs and flows.

It is believed that this was the first gate constructed and set the pattern for all other gates. Upon completion of this gate the Sha’rek’ta were able to greatly expand their power over the world around them. This new knowledge lead to a revolution among the Sha'rek'ta that in time destroyed them.

This is often referred to as the Gate of Insight or Intellect. The power of this gate grants flashes of brilliance, but can just as easily extinguish it. Those Sha'rek'ta who lived near the gate became the great inventors and oracles of their people, but they also led their people to their greatest disasters. The near infinite knowledge led many to misunderstand what they were truly seeing.

Several dragons live near the gate, seemingly sleeping in harmony with each other. Those that awake clash, often killing each other in the process, but still more dragons come. It is believed that the sleeping dragons number in the thousands. Should they awake their bodies would fill the skies and cast darkness over the entire land.

The smallest and most simple gate ever constructed - it also took the longest time to complete. Consisting only of a single flawless diamond floating in a pool of quicksilver. The diamond glows with a white light so pure it will blind any that look upon it. Many even claim that a sound so pure your ears will bleed rings true from the gem. Those beings who senses extend beyond others find that the light and sound reach to them as well.

Those who look into the light are stuck blind not only physically, but also spiritually. Physically they are blinded to the flaws and darkness of the world. Spiritually they are blind to the flaws and darkness within themselves and others. This is the power of unconditional love and true devotion for both self and others. It was the power of this gate that gave the Sha'rek'ta the belief in self-sacrifice that stopped them from destroying the world during their war.

This gate cannot be found, instead it seems to move throughout both time and space. It is possible that the gate was not actually created by the Sha'rek'ta only discovered by them. It might have existed for all time and the Sha'rek'ta only uncovered how to find it.

The Gate of Storms was actually composed of five separate gates. The largest gate was actually a impenetrable labyrinth fashioned from obsidian. The other four gates orbited the world high up in the ionosphere where they frequently clashed with one another as they drew close. One gate erratically orbits over each pole, while the others orbit around the equator always equidistant from each other.

To scholars this is the gate of anger, rage, destruction - the gate that drives personal power and wealth above the needs of any other. Control of this gate was fiercely contested by first the Sha'rek'ta and then the dragons. The magi sunk the large labyrinth beneath the earth, but the gates orbiting above the world are still fought over by the dragons that live there. No dragon has ever fully controlled a single gate for more than a century - so overpowering is the nature of this gate.

The labyrinth is located deep beneath Chrysalis, but what power remains there still poisons the land and drives its inhabitants to acts of violence and ambition. Many people have sought out the labyrinth, a few have even found it, but none have ever found its center and returned.

The Gate of Fire was built from glass inside the magma chamber of Mount Sumendia, the largest volcano in the world. It was nearly completely destroyed during the Age of Legends and its scraps now fought over by the brood of Vadunna, the dragon of flame. Vadunna drinks the power of the ruins and belches forth its children. A few of these children linger near the ruined gate to drink of the power themselves, but most spread across the world.

This was the gate of governs passion, lust, and physical pleasure. Those who venture too near to the ruins of the gate lose themselves to their most primal needs. The children of Vadunna are drawn to those who are controlled by their own desires - they slowly consume their soul - driving the mortal to ever more primal acts. These mortals include not only the who committed the most despicable acts, but the those most creatively inspired. In the end however, they are all driven to their own destruction.

The gate of stone was the largest gate reaching from the heavens deep into the earth. One of the tips that rise into the sky is the massive peaks in the Iron Mountains called the Gate of the Gods. Some of the power of the gate still resonates in these peaks, which have been guarded by the dwarves for thousands of years.

This is the gate that taps into the very power of the world itself - directly into the Earthmother. Strength, stability, and protection all resonate from this gate. The giants were creatures of legend that feasted upon the its power until their hands could reach the clouds. No dragon has ever settled into this gate and the Earthmother would not allow the gate to be close it it might very well crack the world. She uses the power of the gate to draw upon the strength of the world to maintain the seal around Mir's heart.