Early concept of the amulet on the forest floor.
A girl: Marlene. A post grad student struggling to graduate, finish her thesis, find a job and maintain a relationship...
An amulet: An enchanted item from another world that opens a portal to a parallel dimension of magic...
A prophecy: An ancient evil power, long thought destroyed, will return to Thera bringing doom to all. But the prophecy also reveals another outcome. It foretells of the existence of a hero, who alone holds the power to defeat this evil.
Long ago, a portal between the Earth and Thera was opened. Now the fate of the two worlds are intertwined, as an ancient evil force threatens to destroy them both. The prophecy states an enchanted amulet holds the key to avoiding this terrible fate. Having been "chosen" by the amulet, only Marlene can use it to travel between both worlds. But the portal between the two worlds has entangled them, and she quickly learns that her actions in one world ripple into the other ... with consequences that are unforeseen and sometimes undesirable.
Is Marlene really the hero of the prophecy? Did the amulet chose her or did she find it by mistake? Can she save Thera and Earth as the prophecy foretells?
Marlene finds the amulet.
For generations, magic provided great advances for Theran civilization. But peace and prosperity ended when a dark magic emerged. Obsessed with obtaining immortality, a wizard named Razuse believed Azura could grant him eternal life. He soon learned harvesting Azura directly from living beings yielded far more potent and powerful magic, but extraction either killed the victim or turned them into undead wraiths. This unethical, self-serving use of magic violated the edicts of the Theran Order. When his practices were discovered, Razuse was cast out of the Order and ordered to stand trial for his heinous misuse of wizardry.
But he would not be so easily defied. He escaped capture and soon began to recruit a following. Tempted by the promise of immortality, many disciples were drawn to his cause. They became known as the Anlu Nari. Gathering in secret to practice and refine their dark magic, they kept their numbers as hidden as possible. As their power grew, they came to view themselves as gods, and believed they alone should rule over all of Thera. Soon their power and numbers were great enough to emerge from hiding and challenge the Theran Order.
A great war followed; the most terrible war Thera had ever seen. Although the Anlu Nari's numbers were smaller in comparison to the Theran Order, they possessed far greater power. The Theran Order soon realized they were no match for the Anlu Nari's more powerful dark magic. Thera's fall to the forces of Razuse was all but inevitable.
The war with the Anlu Nari almost destroyed all of Thera, but the Anlu Nari were eventually defeated. The Theran Order did not have the power to vanquish the Anlu Nari, so instead a trap was set. A portal was created and used to banish the Anlu Nari to a world without magic, where they would be powerless. That world was Earth.
After their victory, the people of Thera vowed to never let such a thing happen again. A prophecy orb was created and used to gaze into the future and look for warning signs of future calamity. This orb required incredible amounts of power, so the ritual was performed only once every decade. Centuries have passed, and the custom is still performed. But these days it has become more of a celebration for Therans, as the prophecy has not revealed anything more threatening than the occasional drought, flood or storm.
Until now.
The most recent prophecy revealed something terrifying: the imminent return of the Anlu Nari. Those in the Theran order were rocked by this revelation. How could they still be alive after thousands of years? How could they return? A wizard, Leo, quickly began probing the prophecy for more clues. As more of the prophecy was revealed, hints to defeating the Anlu Nari emerged. This led Leo to create the amulet, which then (unknown to Leo or anyone else on Thera) re-opened the door to Earth.
And this is where the series picks up.Thera is a story involving two parallel worlds: Earth and Thera. Earth, as we know, is governed by the laws of science. Thera is an alternate world governed by magic. Magic on Thera is the equivalent of technology on Earth. Just as our cars, computers and other technologies require energy sources (electricity, batteries, etc), so does the magic of Thera. Magic is powered by a substance called Azura, named for it's glowing blue properties. Azura is left behind by living creatures when they die. Its discovery lead to the inception of magic. Over time, sorcerers across the lands gathered and united to form the Theran Order. Its purpose was to ensure Azura and its powers were used for the good of all Therans.
Early concept art. Marlene with James in the forest of Thera.
Marlene finds the amulet on the forest floor. When she puts it on, it transports her to Thera. Here she meets the wizard, Leo. Seeing her with the Amulet, Leo believes she is a great warrior or sorceress who has come to fight the Anlu Nari once they return. Of course, Marlene has no idea what he's talking about. She wants nothing to do with this, but she is now inextricably part of the the events that will lead to the final battle between the Anlu Nari and the Theran Order.
The series will provide more detail about the backstory, revealing crucial information and unraveling some of the mysteries of the Anlu Nari's existence on Earth: how they managed to survive, and how far the influence and power of the Anlu Nari's secret cabal on Earth reaches. It will also follow Marlene as she travels between worlds, trying to figure out where she fits into all this. We will explore the fantastic world of Thera, with all it's magical places, creatures and mysteries. Ultimately, the series will lead to an epic showdown where the fate of both Thera and Earth will hang in the balance.
Early concept art. Marlene defends James from the Reaper.