All the tales
Picture by Ri_Ya
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A Glimmer of Hope
Now that Esperia had been rebuilt on new foundations, which seemed obvious to have been put in place after careful reflection, thinking back to the world as it had been just before the War of Chaos seemed unreal. “How could we possibly have behaved like that?” wondered a young Esper, incredulous as he studied the…
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A Collective Responsibility
Whether they wanted it or not, every new Esper brought into the world was part of a whole: a family, a clan, an elemental region, the civilization of the Espers as a whole… Until very recently, it had been inconceivable for Espers of different elements to even attempt to communicate with one another. Simply because…
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The Foundations of Health
Even though Esper society had changed greatly with the use of magic, an analogy with previous civilizations, some of which had disappeared, was still possible at its core. Whatever the era, fundamental needs, whether food or sleep, had always existed. Having easier or more difficult access to these needs had, moreover, often been the reason…
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The Shadow of Consciousness
Every Esper had this Shadow within them, which acted in their place whenever they failed to act consciously. Imperceptible until the discovery of the StarDust that brought an end to the Chaos War, this Shadow was nevertheless the one that had built their civilization until then. This Shadow, which favored immediate gains for its host,…
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The Shadow of Empathy
If there is one Shadow that causes a great deal of harm, whether on an individual scale or on a broader scale, it is surely that of Empathy. It often takes control of behavior when emotions speak for themselves: anger, fear, suspicion. It is often said that the beings who can hurt us the most…
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The Shadow of Wisdom
As for Wisdom, the Shadow within each of the Espers was no less present. On the contrary, when faced with difficult questions or complex problems, this Shadow would often avoid the real issue and instead answer something simpler, something it was capable of solving without effort. That was why the Espers sometimes behaved in contradictory…
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The Shadow of Balance
In a world of choices that seemed almost infinite, where overconsumption had been made possible by the abundance resulting from the use of magic, the Espers were overwhelmed by sensory stimuli and bombarded with information. It was difficult, then, for the Shadow present within each Esper to make the choices that would promote the balance…
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The Shadow of Time
The Shadow that resides within each Esper has the unfortunate tendency to prioritize short-term benefits for its host. When an Esper reacts unconsciously, their Shadow takes over and acts in their place. Instead of thinking about the long term, which is difficult and requires time, effort, and concentration, their Shadow prefers the lure of an…