You come to Issar Roon`s study, but find the door completely shut. Unsure of what to do, you knock in hopes of an answer. No sound escapes through the oak door. In the mood for a story, you decide to take a chance and open the door. The metal latch holding the door shut rises with a loud metallic click as you push inwards. The door swings open to expose an empty room. The candles are lit, but you see no one in the study. You scan the bookshelves in case there`s been another mini-earthquake, but see nothing unusual.

Assuming the old man will eventually return, you walk into the study to take a peek at his books. On top of his desk lies a slender book that looks to be covered in ash. Upon closer inspection, you notice that the book is already open, but the pages are as black as the cover. A title in white lettering covers the top of the first page.

“The Fallen.”

Intrigued, you ignore the uneasy feeling that has begun creeping into your stomach and turn the page.

“The Fallen are what remains of mages who have meddled with magic beyond their power. The Fallen are generally seen as husks of their former selves, with reduced intelligence and awareness of the world around them. Though their minds seem to lack many of its previous abilities, The Fallen usually retain all of their former power and magic. Thus, The Fallen are a danger to innocent citizens, and should be eradicated from our midst.”

Curious as to why the book condemns these people you read on.

“No one quite knows how The Fallen are created, or who can become one. What little research that has been done has revealed that anyone practicing the arts of magic carries a grave risk of becoming one. Stories have been told of mages creating twisted experiments that turn on their masters. Some even say powerful sorcerers have the ability to turn others into The Fallen, removing their soul. By far, the most common explanation given is a phenomenon known as mana burn. Wizards draw mana from the land to fuel their spells, but it is said that they don`t always use it. Those who retain mana within themselves for a prolonged period of time are burned, and become something other than human, assuming they were human in the first place.”

You begin to understand why the book looks as if it was made of ash. You wonder if it`s time to ask the old man what mana is. Perhaps then you could better understand all of these crazy stories.

“During these dark times The Fallen are another threat to our world. Not only do we have magicians and artificers roaming free to do as they wish, but we are forced to deal with their failures and mistakes as well. Only by eradicating magic from our world can we be free of horrors such as The Fallen.”

You are curious why the old man would have a book so violently opposed to something he seems to revel in. As you turn the page, you notice that the uneasy feeling has grown.

“Though dangerous, The Fallen do have some uses. The Conclave of Mages use The Fallen during their initiation rites. While The Conclave of Mages itself is corrupt, we see no reason to stop them from helping us destroy The Fallen for the time being. Another use has been discovered by a group in Alsoor. They found that a small percentage of The Fallen retain enough of their consciousness to be commanded. Ironic, that they are being used against other mages and artificers.

Unfortunately, most of The Fallen have lost all connection to their former selves. To have any hope of interaction one must treat them as a mere baby. Of course, if they ever become upset or temperamental, they lash out with their undiminished magic, destroying the fools trying to reason with them.

A few of the more powerful mages known to have been a victim of mana burn and lived have retained almost their entire conscious. These are the most dangerous as it is believed the only change is an increase in aggression and anger.”

At the bottom of the page is writing in a very difficult-to-read scrawl.

“The new planeswalkers I’ve been researching seem to be able to control mana burn. I have a hard time believing it, but there have been accounts of some planeswalkers drawing mana within themselves only to allow it to dissipate when it’s gone unused. Perhaps this is yet another result of The Mending.”

Thinking it better to finally listen to the warning in your gut, you close the book. Deep red lettering announces the title in a foreign tongue. The black book with its blood red title looks as if it could bring about disaster. As you take one last glance at the book, your eyes settle on small lettering in the bottom right corner of the cover.

“Church of Tal”

Having never heard the name from the old man, you reflect upon its meaning as you leave the study. Would the old man be mad if you admitted to reading the book and asked about it?