Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-5583089-20150319125326/@comment-25926288-20150319131039

I think the Dark One may go back to the early days of man, at least in the Enchanted Forest. And maybe a dozen or a handful of Dark Ones came forth. We know Zoso was Dark One for a number of decades, whereas Rumple was for 300-400 years (They retcon'd and said Killian was 385).

Maelficent isn't a fairy, but is a fuctional immortal, but she seems to have been at most a hundred or two hundred years old, since Rumple said that tree was burning for half a lifetime (30-50 years) and the fact that Cora(50-60) had her spellbook.

I think Reul Ghorm and the Sorcerer are the oldest beings whioch is why they know of the Dark One and its powers. I had this theory, or at least idea, that the Sorcerer was the first baby born, full of the most powerful magic, and his birth/first laugh gave rise to the first fairy, Reul Ghorm. I think the Sorcerer and Reul Ghorm work together for the greater good or balance of things, while the Dark One is an ancient entity cursed (probably killed) and its power bound to the dagger transferring it to the valiant hero that slew him, becoming the first Dark One wizard.

But I do like your theory that the world progresses with each new Dark One, but between Zoso and Rumple, neither displayed to have changed the economy, technology, or simply the advancement of civilization. It almost looked like the EF regressed or at least stagnated.