Prologue

The Ephidar family is one of researchers and scholars. Even now there is some high mage in the Solius Academy of Dagrun who bears that name. In the past some Evali traveling through the Zineshri tradehouses would be employed to seek ancient artifacts and old burial grounds in their journeys. The Ephidar Name would become synonymous with curiosity first, and foolishness later. 

You see, many of these expeditions would be utter failures, finding old ruins and tombs indeed, but long forgotten and empty already. Much of what is known of older Nurastian civilization is due to these expeditions, but nevertheless this was not the desired outcome of these folk. The quest for the origins of magic always ended up being unsuccessful, yet strangely profitable. Every few generations, some notable member of this family would prsonally set out into an airheaded new venture. None ever returned.

From what was once a fabulously wealthy family, little of that now remains, though its influence still remains, there can be no compare to what was not but a few generations ago. The stories of the family begin long before Nurasti, before the Seventh Age. At that time the family had not yet gained the Ephidar name, but that older name is long forgotten, buried in sand. 

Still, the grace and disgrace of one family, consequential as it is for the world at large, remains a secret to most, though of course the ramifications do not.