Chapter 18

Kho Rhon'ah continued in that fashion until the split between Mehtron and Thaum occurred which precipitated the Great Mystical Wars. Thaum and his extreme black robes left Kho Rhon'ah and went south, passing beyond the witches Towers of the Moons. When the disagreement extended to an all out confrontation, Mehtron and his followers became increasingly fearful that Thaum would strike against the academy. They prepared powerful magical wards to guard the academy and its contents. When the war reached its height, a tremendous battle was fought just to the south of Kho Rhon'ah. There, the opposite magics collided. Enormous amounts of energy were expended and the incredible power unleashed wreaked havoc with mother nature, causing monstrous earthquakes and flooding. Tremors could still be felt more than a year later and it was several years before the geographers could map out the new lay of the land.

The partial victory for the white robes resulted in Khaballe becoming an island continent with Kho Rhon'ah a small isle itself to the north. Though the academy for the most part still stood, none, including the remaining white robes, were powerful enough to dispel the wards. Almost a thousand years had passed and no one had gained entrance to the Academy of the Stars.

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It was originally a place of learning, a university of sorts for those interested in metaphysics and the mystical way of life. The Wizards of the Stars, as they were known, travelled to the north of Khaballe (for then it was only a country in the midst of a vast continent) and congregated there to perform certain rituals and study. As the tradition grew, many stayed the year round and construction on an academy began. This mirrored similar events transpiring with the witches who were busy building their own school a little to the south. Though the studies of the witches and wizards were similar, it was believed that segregation would enhance or at least stimulate academic pursuits as opposed to stimulating other areas.