"The Evermen planned a great project. My brothers wanted to open their first door to another world. For this they would need essence, always more essence. A great number of humans were to be harvested like wheat.

"The humans rose up, all of them. And so I, Evrin Evenstar, Lord of the Sky, led the revolt against the gods. The struggle was long and bitter, and in the process I was captured by my former brothers.

"They stripped my powers from me. I was rescued by my human allies, but my love was… killed… while I was held captive."

Ella looked at Miro, and then at Amber with her babe in her arms. She saw Bartolo and Shani standing close together. Rogan had a far off look in his eyes. Jehral had a wife back in the desert, Ella remembered. Ella shied away from looking at the prince.

"I'm sorry," Ella said.

"I won't say more, but against all odds we won. You… won. You cast off the shackles of your overlords.

"Yet even in victory, and even with the death of my love, I could not kill my brethren. I gave them a choice: to die, or to flee through the portal into their new world. They left, but not before the Lord of the Night said his parting words. He said you humans would not be able to control your emotions; you are too filled with love and hate, ambition and aggression. You would not be able to rule yourselves, and if you called, the Evermen would return.

"I vowed not to rule the humans as my brothers had. Instead, I looked on and stayed silent as you fought amongst yourselves, though it pained me to see. I watched and did nothing as the nine loremasters formed nine separate houses. Each house took a land for their own, and a colour, and then I watched in silence as builders fought enchanters, animators fought illusionists, and chaos took the land.

"With no lore of their own, the templars stayed neutral, and as they were the only ones who knew how to operate the machines in Stonewater, they enjoyed a special status, able to shape the events of the war of the houses and bide their time until a victor became clear.

"I stayed silent, deciding my role was to intervene only when the most dangerous magic came into your possession, such as the Primate with his elixir, and the discovery of the portal inside the Sentinel.

"Eventually the Tingarans became dominant, leading to the formation of the Tingaran Empire and the banishment of the Akari — who were never one of the nine — to the north.

"The templars continued to occupy Stonewater, a sacred place even for the Evermen, and a distorted truth was put out, what you call the Evermen Cycles. Still, I did nothing as my brothers came to be worshipped, and the story of the brave humans who cast off their overlords was forgotten.