Editing Subterra (section)

===History & Mastery===
No Being in Subterra, presently or in the past, knows for sure what the Squiggle 'actually' is or how it came to be. Despite that fact, there are no less than 13 but no more than 50 Subterrans that bear the Imprint of the Squiggle, known by those who bear its Imprint as 'The Gem'.  All those that bear the Imprint of The Gem know how to use it for High Order Sorcery and Magical Defense, at the very least.  One very powerful Being of Subterra has a few ideas about what the Squiggle is, and is the only Master Imprint Holder of 'The Gem'.  The only Being that knows for sure what the Squiggle is and how it was created is an Outsider to Subterra, and is the Squiggle's Creator.

Though millions of Beings, over the millennia, have crossed from one Shadow to the next within the Core Realms of Subterra upon its many Shadow Paths, nobody knew they were doing it; the commerce and wars of the Core Realms span all twelve of the Core Shadows.

The first Being to discover and assay the Squiggle was a very powerful Magic-Wielder, a Wizard specifically; a Title for a Wielder of one of the two Low Order Magic Systems that both function throughout the Subterra System. After assaying The Gem, the Wizard had a dream about the Squiggle; what it is, how to use it and that it granted Extended Life by at least 10 fold.  The Wizard found the Squiggle about 3,000 years (local time flow) before the arrival of the Jeweled Road.  After learning its initial secrets the Wizard began wandering Subterra to learn every type of Magic possible; including Clerical or Faith Magic.  

After a few centuries the now Sorcerer had mastered all of the Magics from both of the Low Order Magic Systems that Subterra had to offer and had also 'mastered' High Order Sorcery and the Powers of the Imprint of The Gem... or so the Sorcerer thought.  During time traveling the Core Realms of Subterra, learning the Magics of each Realm, the Sorcerer also learned a lot about the peoples and cultures of Subterra as well; it was a Realm (worlds) constantly at war and on the edge of total ruin. The Wizard knew something should be done but was not exactly sure what... so decided to make a Pilgrimage to The Gem to contemplate the problem and hope for inspiration and a solution.

Upon arriving at the secret location of The Gem, The Sorcerer had an instant urge to place his foot upon it and assay it again, but knew this was not possible; it had been tried twice in the past; once shortly after the Sorcerer assayed it centuries ago, and once about a decade later, both times the Sorcerer felt a resistance, a force, preventing foot placement upon it.  The Sorcerer spent many weeks regarding it from different angles, studying the many colors it produced, studying the pattern of the color changes (or more accurately lack of pattern), and all the while contemplating the fate of Subterra, if the current state of affairs didn't change soon.  Each time the Sorcerer studied either end of the Inscription, or got near either of them, again there was a feeling, a compulsion to set foot upon it and assay it again... and one day, after many weeks of resisting the impulse, the Sorcerer set foot upon what would called the 'end' of the Inscription (only because it was harder to get to and because the Sorcerer assayed it in the opposite direction the first time).  The Sorcerer's experience the second time was identical to the first, except for the direction of travel upon the Inscription; the Sorcerer felt as if he was supposed to be walking the magical inscription, despite the effort to do so, he knew he could and would complete it, despite the increased effort needed at certain points, and he also felt, and somehow knew, that the Inscription, 'The Gem', wanted him to assay it... even though that thought seemed unlikely and somewhat like the ravings of a madman, but when he finished Assaying The Gem the second time, knew that no matter how unlikely or crazy it may seem, it was true; 'The Gem' wanted to be Assayed.

inspiration strikes...


At about the same time that the Jeweled Trail appeared only twelve Subterrans, each of a different 'race' and each from a different Core Shadow, bore the Imprint of The Gem, but once the 'Jeweled Trail' was discovered, it was also discovered by The Twelve that 'The Gem' could now be assayed a second time and more powers gained, so each of The Twelve assayed it a second time and then soon after each brought 2-3 others to assay it as well, but each assayed it only once; they all did this to help strengthen their positions within their own Shadow Realm and to strengthen Subterra as a whole from what was sure to come... the Jeweled Trail had to go to/come from somewhere...

Prior to the arrival of the Jeweled Trail in Cleggane, nobody in Subterra; except the Master of the Realm and The Twelve, knew of the existence of Shadow or the Squiggle.  In fact, the Twin Cities of Sandor and Gregor didn't even exist prior the the arrival of the 'Jeweled Trail'; both cities were built near the sight shortly after its discovery.  The two cities competed with each other until they butted up against each other at the ending of the Jeweled Trail.  The City of Sandor created puzzle piece paving stones in many colors to match the Jeweled Trail and have turned their side of the road into an imitation of the JT.  The City of Sandor had been using square paving stones for its roads and tried to pull up the Jeweled Trail with no success, so special paving stones were cut to fit up against the JT, but the paving stones used were not colored.