Cornelius's History
A sharp knock at the window startles Cornelius Witt, respectable member of the Academy, well-known scientist and artist. The venerable man turns around and sees a Spring wren, a rare bird in these parts, beating against the glass. The sight takes him back to a time three years ago, when a bird just like this was flapping its wings against the windows of the Strongford Library. And then the stained glass exploded into hundreds of piercing shards, letting an army of Dark wizards led by Kragg into the spacious reading room�?�
Witt remembers the snap decision to burn his life�??s work to the ground. He cast the Darganay Ash spell just in time to destroy his magnum opus: "Methods of Countering the Darkness." Enraged and disappointed, Kragg let out a fierce shriek. That very second, pain encompassed Cornelius' body. While the Dark squad escorted Witt, bound by magic, the scientist withdrew from the torturous sensations, trying to think the situation over in his head.
The emissaries of the Dark came for my book, and that means I must have been close to uncovering their secret, and thus became too dangerous for them. They most certainly want to find out if there are any copies of my work. As long as they are unaware of the fact that the only copy is safe in my mind, I still have a chance to survive.
Several days later, the group reached the outskirts of Graven, the capital of the Dark Elf traitors to the Dominion. At the time, high-ranking Dark officers were staying there, and they were quite pleased with such a catch. So, thus began the torture.
If only you knew, how thrilled the dark elves were to torment the scientist that brought up their hated Galahad, Aurora, and Ginger! And, trust me, mages are adept in the ways of inflicting pain without spilling a single drop of blood. His mind gripped tighter and tighter as if by a vice, Cornelius was brought to utter exhaustion. Painful hallucinations created by the best Dark sorcerers produced visions of his loved ones dying in front of his eyes, of the Dominion falling, and the Dark reigning supreme. Affect spells smothered him in clouds of utter hopelessness and despair. Two years went by from his capture, but he felt like the torture had already lasted several hundred years, and it showed no signs of stopping.
But even when his mind defied him, even when his body was about to collapse, Cornelius never gave up. Despite being a man of advanced age, almost an elder, he still managed to stay sane and never reveal the secret of his research. And do you know why? He learned to oppose, and even suppress, the magic. The Dark mages themselves held the key to solving the mystery. Cornelius had realized that a long time ago, and had been honing his skills to perfection ever since. It was a sight to behold when Witt, imperious and dignified, descended from the platform, breaking his restraints as if they were made of glass. The sorcerers around him flapped their arms, made magic passes, and muttered the strongest spells. But all in vain. Cursed by Cornelius, they were no more harmful than puppies barking at an elephant. Even the great and terrible Kragg didn't last a minute. The once mighty wizard fell, stricken aside by a huge boulder Cornelius had launched with the power of his mind alone. Powerless, the servants of Darkness could only look on as their former captive, the famous scientist Cornelius Witt, walked towards the rising sun, safe behind a protective shield.
So now, sitting in the Strongford Library, Cornelius thanks Fate for how things turned out. His research on the methods of suppressing Dark magic helps the Dominion fight evil to this day.
