Of Times Forgotten...

Only one Scion remained alive. From that day forward, his was a life of hiding. For many years, the few remaining Paladins of the Ankh remained vigilant, dedicating themselves to finding the sorcerers that they feared may have escaped them. They sought any trace of the Silver Ginseng that had been stolen, certain that it would be required when the sorcerers made their next attack. But they could find no trace, and after a time, the Sacred Order of the Ankh focused almost solely on the healing aspects of its creed. The Paladins grew old, and with no one to take their place — memories of the inquisition had left a long-standing scar in the minds of the people — the Paladins of the Ankh faded into memory, and most of their sacred arts were lost. Only the Healers of the Ankh, surrounded by a handful of able-bodied men who served as “paladins”, continued the legacy. Though they had never successfully cured the Affliction, the cases slowly dwindled, and that fact was lost to antiquity as well.

People have a way of forgetting. It is easy to do when one generation passes to the next. For men and their kingdoms, the world reinvents itself every few hundred years. As time passed, the “Sacred Order of the Ankh” became forgotten by all but a handful. Healers throughout the land adopted the symbol, however. It was instantly recognized, though many forgot its origins. The Scions, those dark and sinister sorcerers, were forgotten as well. The true Paladins of the Order were the last to hold memory of the threat, but when their numbers faded, so did recollection of those dark and deceptive fiends. Children’s lore still tells of them sometimes, though the references are often obscure. They tell how the Scions lived on, quietly feeding from the powerful life force of Dragons and Wisps. But they are faerie tales, no more true than the tales of elves that walked the land.

People have a way of forgetting. But a Scion... kept alive for centuries by carefully feeding, and using as little power as he can... he does not forget.