The Magic Dwindles

The Plot

The magic energies (derived from outer space :-)) are dwindling, slowly but surely. At this time only the most advanced magicians have noticed that their most powerful spells are beginning to fail more and more frequently.

My explanation is that there is three kinds of magic in the world:

1. White magic: creative magic, healing, alteration. The white- magicians are generally the good guys, mostly elves, priests (Gods of Light) and fairies.
2. Black Magic: Necromatics, destructive magic, summoning. The black- magicians are generally the bad guys, mostly humans, black-elves, trolls and the demons & devils.
3. The Old Magic: The magic that rules it all; but now almost a forgotten art, only used by the extinct race of Wizards (yes, wizards are a distinct race in my world) and the dragons.

Unfortunately the magic energies are only dwindling for the white- magicians, since the black-magicians derive their power from the negative dimension and have opened the gate, so that negative energies flow freely into this dimension blocking the white-magic.

The objective is to close the gate, before even the simplest white- magic is rendered useless and impotent. This cannot be done with the use of white-magic, but only with the use of the Old-Magic (use of black- magic will only worsen the situation).

The problem is to find someone or something that have access to the Old-Magic and is sufficiently skilled in this art, to reverse the situation. (this is what the players must think is the objective for them or initially be let to believe).

The real problem is that the division between black- and white-magic is artificial, and will always lead to this problem sooner or later, and only the Old-magic can prevail (since the white- and black-magic is derived from the Old-magic, but the separation will corrupt both branches). So the players are to be the prophets of the new world order of magic (or front-runners), after being taught the basics of this by the only Wizard left on the planet (unless they destroy him in their folly!!!). But to find the information that there is such a creature alive should be very difficult and only referenced by vague hints in old legends etc.

My suggestion for the Wizard is that the group can find (after lengthy research) the place he is rumored to live (e.g. inside a volcano). And when they arrive he is there, but frozen inside a huge iceblock, by a pair of Ice-Dragons that he once forced to humiliate themselves to assist him, and this is their revenge. Once every 100 year they let him free for a day to scorn him, and then deep-freeze him again. And they will not take it lightly if the players are to take away their sweet revenge.