Lore

I will be explaining the whole story of all Heroes and the base story of OMD 1 and 2. I will be calling all characters by their names not nicknames from OMD 1 and 2...The best place to start is the Orcs Must Die comic this explains the main premise of the series and Cygnus training Maxmilian. Here is an online version of it File:OMD!.pdf (Thanks to whoever runs the OMD Youtube channel for giving me the link).

Quick summary of comic: The Rifts have always existed, these Rifts give magic and also links to other worlds. The orcs came from another world to kill and pillage. War mages who could use magic, fought these orcs by protecting the rifts and founded the order. Massive castles were constructed around the rifts in the orc world to defend the human world from invasion. Weavers a branch of the Order, support the War mages, with their great amounts of knowledge and power from the rift *(upgrades in game)*. There is non magical beings who also help to protect the rifts, these are the paladins and the elves *(AKA guardians, they change names throughout, also Sir Winston is a Paladin)*.

Each War Mage was given an Apprentice, so they can teach and train the next generation. Cygnus was given Maxmilian as an apprentice. *(We also learn later in OMD 2 that Gabriella is also an apprentice of Cygnus)*. The people they were protecting forgot the War Mages over time and one by one the War Mages died. So the only War Mages left were Cygnus and Maxmilian left protecting the world from the orcs.

*All Credits of this writing and summaries go to User:Humblethief, "EffingWorms" in-game name.*

# Orcs Must Die 1

This starts with Cygnus slipping in Kolbold blood and he splits his head open on the cobblestones, killing him instantly. So Maximilian is the only War Mage left defending the rifts. He fights alone against the might of the orcs. Over time a ex member of the order(Gabriella), we find out, is mind controlling the orcs into an army, to destroy the order and everything they have been fighting to protect. Maxmilian beats back the army and makes the decision to close all the rifts, this has the downside of removing all magic from the world. Gabriella was left trapped in the orc world.

# Orcs Must Die 2

The world has fallen into disaster because of droughts, famine and disease were killing the people. With magic all of this could be solved. A rift appears in front of Gabriella in the Orc world, when she entered the rift she came out in front of Maximilian. With Orcs coming through the rift, they decide to team up to fight off the orcs coming through. Maximilian has been working in the dwarf mines. We later find out that Cygnus didn't die and only awoke when he realised that magic was gone from the world. Because he is the oldest War Mage this means he has the ability to create the rifts, and he decided that to save the world he needed Gabriellas help and he opened the rift that saved her. Cygnus then takes charge of his former apprentices on a journey to open all the rifts again to save the world from disaster. They fight bravely and open the rifts. After this task is complete Cygnus disappears and is never seen again. Gabriella and Maximilian then set about creating the Order again but doing it right this time.

# Cygnus' Adventure:

These are letters written from Cygnus to Maximilian after he disappears in OMD2. They can be found on Cygnus' Adventure or the spoiler below.

 Chapter 1: I’m Sorry to leave again…

War Mage-
My apprentice, I am sorry to have disappeared so suddenly yet again. First it was the Kobold blood, now it is a quest of utmost importance.
I am writing to you for two reasons. One, because it is vital that no one know where I am just yet. Two, because I do not fully trust the Sorceress. Though she agreed to my terms before I brought her back, it is up to you to watch her.
Keep an eye out for my messages, and be vigilant very aware. Not everyone who seeks to join the New Order will have good intentions.
    -The Master

 Chapter 2: I have found something!

War Mage-
I have found something! An old vault, sealed against time itself! I may or may not have lost my pinkie toe while trying to open it. But that is not important. What is important is that while most of the stuff is unsalvageable cannot be saved, there are a few artifacts I can bring back with me. Some books, and a strange amulet that is cold to the touch.
I am including a picture of it.

… I am sorry, art was never my forte strongest subject. I may be missing a very important part of my foot, but the find has motivated me to carry on, and I wish you were here to share in this discovery.
Wait.
I take it back, you would likely have bungled it and I may have lost more than a phalanx! I am not explaining that one, get a dictionary. You do remember how to read, right? Please tell me I am not writing these letters in vain...!
Alas. Please remind the new recruits that with hard work, they will certainly achieve new levels of power, and with experience, even the aloof oblivious …even the Weavers will notice their potential.
    -The Master

 Chapter 3: It’s time to come clean.

War Mage-
I think it is time I reveal to you my intent. When the Sorceress returned, she told me that the Dead World has a name: Vergon.
And that it is not the only world from which monsters such as orcs and ogres come.
While we have always assumed that our world has only linked to this one Dead World, it appears that many worlds are connected to each other, to our world, to Vergon; all using the Rifts as some sort of network. I am going to travel to some of these worlds, see what it is like on the other side. Hopefully I will learn something about our history, and about the magic on which our lives depend.
This is the first message I am attempting to send from another world. Paper tends to turn into mulch if sent through a Rift unprotected… no, it was not potato salad that one time. It tasted like paper because it WAS paper, I said that it was potato salad sarcastically and I did not mean for you to eat it.
Anyway.
If this message reaches you, my theory about sending it in a glass bottle proved correct. Good thing we have a million potion bottles left. War Mage. Do not just toss these in a corner somewhere and say ‘I’ll read them later’, do you understand me?
    -The Master

 Chapter 4: We must proceed with caution…

War Mage-
There are worlds beyond our own full of more beauty than you can possibly imagine.
And there are worlds choking on their own filth, acid rain and desolation a match only for the cruelty of the people who inhabit them.
Magic is at the core of every world I have been to so far, but the largest difference is how it is used. Some use it to bring rain, growing gardens and acres of crops; others use it to bring light to the darkness. Still others warp it to the will of a conqueror, unleashing war and destruction on those in their path.
Seeing what can be done with the power we have been given, my apprentice, I feel it is most important to impress upon you that you must use magic responsibly. The Sorceress, before she betrayed the Order, had great potential and I was very fond of her; but she pursued a darker path. Sometimes I wonder if I had been more attentive, less critical… perhaps even kinder, I might have showed her another way to achieve what she desired most in all the world.
I believe that she was merely misguided. I must believe that all people have goodness in them, even if they squander it on wenches. Yes, I am talking about you, War Mage.
Though perhaps I merely believe that so I do not have to admit my mistakes in granting her access to Order secrets… things she later used against us, things that allowed her to hit the Order where it was weakest and ultimately caused our downfall.
I can only hope that she was sincere when she agreed to return to Eidolon through the Rift I opened, honest in her intentions to change her ways. I say this as I look over at a painting I… liberated… which bears a remarkable resemblance to our favorite former Empress. There is no telling how far her dominion truly stretched, as it seems she knew about the Rifts leading to other worlds long before she informed me.
    -The Master

 Chapter 5: Choose your friends wisely

War Mage-
One of the most important things you will do as a leader is to forge alliances with others. When you find people whose interests and goals line up with yours, you must seize those opportunities, and approach the table with the ability to compromise and work together to create something larger than either of you could create alone.
In this way, you can reach across an entire world, over oceans and mountains, and so help me if the first thing you say to the people you meet is ‘Pull my Finger’ I will disown you.
    -The Master

 Chapter 6: Send Help

War Mage-
I am being held against my will for ransom. Please send help in the form of coin, addressed to a Mssrs. Gak and Fik, or you will “never see me again”.

    -The Master

 Chapter 7: Seriously. Send Help

War Mage-
If not paying for my release is your idea of a joke, it is not funny.
    -The Master

 Chapter 8: I have escaped on my own.

War Mage-
I have escaped captivity on my own, no thanks to you. I am sending your Ogremas present back to the warehouse thanks to my Ozon-amay Rime-pay subscription. I simply print out the return label, they pick it back up and process the refund to my account within a few days. Probably less time than I would have spent waiting on you.
    -The Master.
P.S. Hobgoblins are apparently the worst at keeping up a ruse… all that spooky gibberish and they cannot tie a knot for all the tea in the Seven Vaulted Kingdoms.

 Chapter 9: A History Lesson

War Mage-
There comes a time in all our lives when our options are either rise to the occasion, or lay down and feign death.
Don’t be like me.
When a Quest is given to you, accept it. Even if that Quest is ‘Turn this rascal into Gibs or else’... You can probably just trade those Gibs later for something more useful. Maybe.
…If you are expecting an explanation, I am not inclined to share. It is rather embarrassing.
…Alright, fine. But only because you asked. And no, I am not ‘cracking up’ just because I have been wandering through a desert world without water and companionship for a week.
I arrived in this world to scorching heat and enough blasting sand that I am quite sure my wrinkles were exfoliated right off my face. I took refuge in a nearby ruin, piles of dirt as high as my chest in every corner but at least it was in the shade. Once I got most of the grains out of my teeth (there are probably still some in places I would rather not mention) I looked around… the crumbling stones appeared to have once been a fortress. The architecture is at once like and unlike the Order’s, crude and yet on a grand scale I have never seen. A sculpture of a lion with a woman’s head took up an entire room!
The walls were painted with grand scenes and tiny pictographs, animals and plants and symbols- but also, runes. The very same runes we have seen on old Order ruins in Eidolon, on several of the artifacts I have found, and scattered about many of the places I have already been.

I think that these runes are some sort of universal language, something we share with every world that is connected by the Rifts.
Alas, here is the embarrassing part. Trapped inside an old building while a sandstorm raged outside, I found some strange mushrooms growing out of a pot. I was starving, and they did not appear poisonous, so I ate them.
Shortly afterward, I witnessed a procession of strange peoples, one of whom stopped and spoke to me in a bizarre language. I expressed that I did not understand, so he wrote the words ‘Quest’, ‘Kill’, and ‘Shoes’… I took that to mean he was on a quest to kill me and steal my shoes so I simply fell over and pretended to be dead until they all left.
I awoke what must have been several hours later, the storm was over, and no evidence of people in sight. The stars in this world, however, are beautiful… as are the two moons. I almost thought I saw a woman and a rabbit playing chase between them, but, I’m fairly certain that was just the after-effects of consuming strange fungi in urns from long-abandoned fortresses.
    -The Master

 Chapter 10: Just a taste.

War Mage-
After going through another Rift, I have happened upon a strange village in which all houses are made of edible materials. People are wearing odd confections called ‘cupcakes’ on their heads like hats and everyone seems to be on a permanent sugar high. Their mayor is a man named ‘Mister Muddybuddy’ and I do not think they have heard of a vegetable that isn’t cucumber-melon flavored gummy candy.
It is terrifying. Let us never delve too greedily into the creamy, golden abyss called ‘salted caramel’… I fear for our futures if we do. Although a quick dip may not be too bad. Just a taste. For science.
    -The Master

 Chapter 11: There are more Weavers!

War Mage-
I met a Weaver today. Fancy that, a Weaver, on a planet far from Eidolon, and not even human! Granted, she didn’t call herself a ‘Weaver’, but she certainly did the sort of thing our Weavers do. As I watched, she called upon the power of the Rift I had just come through. Ribbons of light wrapped around her body, and as she raised her hands above her head, the earth followed her motions. Before my very eyes, the shape of a tower appeared out of the dirt. She clapped her hands together and the soil fell away, leaving an actual tower three men high made out of stone! It was truly remarkable, as are all the feats a Weaver may accomplish by virtue of their unique connection to the Rifts.
You did not pay much attention when I introduced you to them as a child, and as you got older, all you saw was their beauty- but the Weavers are the source of many of the inventions you and I enjoy as mages, such as the Bladestaff and your favorite Crossbow. Their creations are what enable even the Paladins to use magic, even though they weren’t born to it.
Who ever said that gorgeous women can’t also be smart and inventive, eh? Especially the head weaver, Merilee. The stripe of white in her hair, the way her eyes sparkle with her years of wisdom, her… why am I telling you this, you could probably care less and you probably think it’s gross. I may be old but I am not an emotionless robot, I have feelings you know.
    -The Master

 Chapter 12: What is the meaning of this?

War Mage-
What is this? Why are you sending me autographed photos?

… You ARE just throwing my letters in a corner and not actually reading them! And that is not your handwriting, who did you coerce into answering your fan mail this time?!
When I get back, I have half a mind to bend you over my knee like I did when you were younger. You are in SO much trouble.
    -The Master

 Chapter 13: I am sending you help. You need it.

War Mage-
My apologies that it has been so long since my last corresponden letter. I found myself deep in a jungle world, populated with agile cat people. I narrowly escaped being strung up from a tree and used as a dangly toy, though I am far too stringy to be left on someone’s doorstep as a present. I did, however, stumble upon a rather interesting tuber… that is, a vegetable… with peculiar healing properties. Please do not attempt to eat it because it smells like pepperoni.
Seriously.
Do not.
It occurs to me now that I have left the man who eats things because they smell pretty in charge of rebuilding the Order. Perhaps I should have warned you not to waste all our funds on ale and feather beds? I can only hope the Sorceress has more sense, but in the case that she does not- I have met a pair of dwarves, and I have recommended they join the Order. The Prospector has a keen eye for money, and his lovely wife Brass has a keen mind for finances. They are quite fun, I think you shall like them.
I am also sending with them a chalice I discovered in an old Order fortress. I do not think it has any special significance, but the runes carved into the rim are similar to those we have seen in some of the fallen fortresses beneath Rifts.
    -The Master

 Chapter 14: I hate the cold

War Mage-
I hate the cold.
The blizzard in which I was stuck has finally abated let up. My fingers are no longer turning blue and I may emerge from this cave (it smells like something had curled up and died a long time ago but I do not fancy figuring out what it was, in case it was in fact still alive and just extremely smelly).
From what I can see, the world is white. The sun is glittering off the mountainside like it is made of diamonds, and the great green forest still stands despite the incredible winds from last night. It is remarkably beautiful. Though it snows on Eidolon, I do not think I have ever seen it completely cover the world like it does here, just one endless rolling hill of powdery, slippery snow. I can also see what appears to be some ruins out to the northwest of my position.

Now, to get down this mountain with the least amount of effort…
Perhaps if I use this old shield I recovered, grease it up with a little wax from this candle and attempt to slide down?

    -The Master

 Chapter 15: Teamwork works

War Mage-
Turns out, a waxed shield is an excellent and swift way of navigating down a snow-covered hill, and you will rapidly leave behind any pursuers- such as the VERY displeased white bear, who did not take very kindly to me dropping the shield after I rubbed a candle all over it.
I did, however, catch a glimpse of a peculiar red paw mark that appeared painted on the bear’s face before I jumped on my make-shift sled and kicked off down the slope. I wonder what that was about.
It is about half a day’s trek to the ruins I saw, and I suspect I shall be sore in the morning. After a few hundred years, one’s body is not quite as resilient to bumpy rides. Trying to concentrate on two things at once (steering and not dying in this case) tends to be confusing. I strongly suggest you pick one aspect and concentrate on it. If it were team sledding, for instance, one person would steer and one person would not-die and in the end, you have a much more successful experience through cooperation without everyone running all over the place trying to do two things at once.
    -The Master

 Chapter 16: Nature hates me

War Mage-
I am beginning to notice a pattern here, as I am writing this letter from the shelter of some tree roots while the sky liberally dumps water on us unsuspecting mortals. Every single time I step through a Rift, nature tries to attack me. Sandstorms, snowstorms, now this rain that hasn’t let up for two whole days.
Those mushrooms on the log beside me are looking tasty, but I have not yet recovered from my last experience so I shall resist.
The last ruins I visited were covered in chickenscratch rune scrawls but not much else. I coped down as many of them as I could find in hopes that the Weavers could make sense of them- you have been delivering the research materials I’ve been sending, yes? It would be nice, after suffering bug bites in places unsuitable for discussion, to finally have some answers.
I left on this sabbatical to visit these other worlds, and what I have found is that we all share at least a very distant history of magic. Where there are Rifts, there is magic, and there are Weavers who can shape it, as well as Mages who can channel it. There are intelligent beings and there are monsters much like orcs. I have seen cities rising up out of the water, and monuments taller than mountains, and so many different architectural styles of Fortress it is baffling. How could we ever have thought that we were the first to experience what we did? A foreign force of invaders seeking to conquer us all, so we build up defenses and use the tools at our disposal to defend. A tradition of tower defense appears to reach back in time, probably to the very beginning, when the Rifts were made.
And yes, I do believe they were made. There is a nearly mathematical precision to the conditions that must be present for a Rift to be opened; as we were coming to discover before the Order was destroyed, a Rift could exist only on a convergence of magical energies, and that a Rift can be closed but never truly destroyed. As long as the conditions are right, any closed Rift can be opened again by a person with the knowledge how. (I am sorry I never got the chance to teach you… except, not that sorry, because I believe the only thing you would do with that skill is open countless Rifts trying to find the world of Booze and Wenches.)
Now, I am trying not to be alarmed at this moment, so I will continue writing, but there are a pair of eyes staring at me right now. I thought it was just a large, docile lizard, but it appears to be somewhat intelligent. I despise lizards, ever since you put them in my bed that one evening after the party. If this is the last letter I ever write, at least you’ll know what happened to me and may mourn appropriately.
    -The Master

 Chapter 17: I am still alive. Again.

War Mage-
I am not dead. Nor have I been body-snatched by a small chameleon, although I did for a moment believe I was being consumed by a giant ooze with too many tentacles but that was just an illusion. Thought you would like to know.
    -The Master

 Chapter 18: Most Peculiar – Fortress pairs!

War Mage-
I have come across the most bizarre phenomenon. I stepped through a Rift into a nearly untouched Fortress, and though it was clearly abandoned, neither time nor nature had done any serious damage to it. It is quite dusty, however.
The fairly solid keep, however, is not the bizarre part.
Across a short river, there is another, nearly identical Fortress, also in good shape. Each Fortress guards a Rift in its center, and I am honestly bewildered. We have never seen two Rifts so close together, much less guarded by two Fortresses in a world that seems utterly abandoned. The Rifts themselves are… different. They seem to almost sing to one another, in so much as all Rifts play a sort of magical tune. I wish Merilee were here to see this, she would be quite beside herself as head Weaver in the center of a magical conundrum.
I stepped through the Rift opposite the one I arrived from, and immediately found myself on a world which smelled of sulphur and smoke. I promptly turned around and returned to the world with what I am calling, at least temporarily, a Rift Pair; as they seem to be a pair, like cherries.
After slightly more exploration, which yielded (I am not surprised) evidence of more rune carvings in both fortresses, I also found a journal. Stuffed haphazardly into a niche in a wall and covered hastily with a loose brick, someone had made an effort to hide it, likely before making a hasty retreat through the Rift… or, Magus forbid, before being horrifically cut down by monsters from the fumigated world over yonder.
This journal… it is beautiful. A rich red leather, inlaid with gold and gemstones, with runes gilded onto the cover and spine. The inside is almost entirely scribed in runes! There are pictures, with runes beside them; it looks like an observation notebook of the birds and flowers in the area. There are more pages, with animals and plants from countless other worlds… I am not the first to have gone Rift-hopping for the sake of science! Who knows who this person was, or when she lived, or where she came from, but this journal may be the key to translating the runes themselves. The plain text language is like nothing I’ve ever seen, but, perhaps one of the many people I met in my travels have seen it before and can be of assistance. Either way, it is perhaps one of the most important discoveries I have made on this journey.
    -The Master

 Chapter 19: The Order has a new enemy…

War Mage-
Remember when I mentioned that people seeking to join the Order might not have the best intentions?
I emerged from a Rift on a coast, a long beach covered in white sand as far as the eye could see, and what could have been a serene place to which I would love retiring was playing host to a motley collection of monsters.
They did not, however, attack me on sight. Orcs, trolls, the tall ones to which we are accustomed and what appears to be a much smaller and fatter version of the troll species, plus some spindly creatures that look to be made of splintering twigs, and I thought I saw some hobgoblins scampering about; they raised their weapons and looked menacing but did not attempt to kill me.
Instead, someone bound my arms and brought me to their ‘leader’.
I have never seen an orc woman before, and if you can believe it, they are uglier than orc men. She was dressed in a chainmail bikini that appeared to have been ripped off some poor sod with her bare hands and her skirt of suspiciously flesh-colored strips was held up by a very large dead snake. When I was deposited at the base of her ‘throne’, a chair made of bones and an old cauldron, she actually cooed at me! Like I was a puppy! The insult!
She then surprised me by speaking very plainly in our own language, explaining that I looked like an Order mage, she had heard of my kind and had heard about how we had been responsible for the deaths of many of her children.
She went on for quite some time about how she was on her way to ally with something called “The Unchained”, and that she would have revenge on all the “nasty clean magic-mages”. Through subtlety and flattery (remind me to wash my mouth out with soap when I return), I was able to ask a few more questions of her.

The Unchained, it turns out, is some sort of collection of folks who feel as though they got the short end of the magical stick. Many have been stuck on dead worlds for ages, some simply are not content with what they have and want more, and others just like making bloody messes; but all of them feel generally that they should be able to use the Rifts and Magic as the will and that somehow the Order (you should hear them speak of us!) is going around sticking their noses where it doesn’t belong, trying to keep Magic out of the hands of the free people, closing Rifts and interrupting people’s ways of life.
I was not aware that was how the Order is being perceived, but, I shall have to have some words with the Sorceress about how exactly she managed to send so many waves of malcontent across so many worlds, that monsters half a galaxy away have heard of ‘The Enchantress of Worlds’ and are rallying to join her in the fight against the ‘Hated Order’. Then the orc woman decided she would “keep me”… not sure what she meant. Maybe like a pet.
I do not believe they are aware of the Sorceress’… ah… abdication. Nor did tell them. I will let them figure that out on their own if ever they should be part of an assault against us.
Clearly, I am no longer in their possession, as I am writing this to you. I managed to bonk my little orc guard over the head and slip away. I am sending this to you, and then I will be traveling through a Rift toward the gathering place of The Unchained- it was mentioned by the orc woman… I heard them call her ‘Mama’ and also ‘Ball-and-Chain’… one may be her name, or her title, or just the weapon she carries, orcs are very strange.
    -The Master

 Chapter 20: I am coming home. The Unchained are upon us.

War Mage-
For being an uncouth assortment of rebels and beasts, the camps of the Unchained are relatively… organized. There is a legion of kobolds with, would you believe it, some sort of crowned king. There are many large, brutal orcs with weapons and trophies, there are trolls and there are some humans as well. All of them are somehow managing to work together while arguing with each other, no one really seems to be in charge except for a very loud orc that yells at everyone alike.
I have kept to the outskirts of the… I do not know what to call it, camp, base, none of them quite do the layout justice. I figure, out of sight, out of mind, that sort of thing while spying on everyone to get the measure of this gathering. I overheard a conversation between two Gnolls about their assassin’s guild preparing an attack on one of the other Gnoll groups present. With any luck, these yahoos will tear themselves apart before they ever get around to attacking us.
I am not holding out hope for that, though.
They seem to believe that controlling the Rifts and the Fortresses thereby gives them control over magic itself. As what I have learned, this could be true enough. Magic is a tool, as I have been trying to teach you for years, neither evil nor good until you use it for such a purpose. If these creatures were to gain control of the Rifts, I fear they will use it for violence and bloodshed.
I think I have seen enough. What began as an innocent quest for history and knowledge has rapidly become a mission for military intelligence and I feel a heavy burden I thought to be free of falling once again upon me. Today I begin my search for a Rift back home, to Eidolon, to the Order. As much faith as I have in you, and the new friends and allies we have gained, I am needed more there than I am out in the wilderness chasing shadows of the past.
I will see you when I return.
    -The Master

 Chapter 21: What mysterious powers were hidden by the Rift Lords?

11 Springmarch
Ever since I returned to Eidolon with the Runebound Journal and the knowledge that our enemies are building up their forces, I have not rested easily. There is too much to do, and not enough time to do it. We must rebuild the Order, we must bolster Eidolon’s defences, and we must not allow ourselves to surrender in the face of unconquerable adversity.
I have come to spend my nights poring over the pages of the journal with Merilee, translating what I can, searching for anything that can help us. Being the all-knowing ‘Master of the Order’, people look to me to have all the answers.
Well, they look to Maximilian too, but the last time he went about saving the world we saw orc giblets being used as currency. It was NOT my fault I was unconscious for that! Regardless, it is my responsibility that no one repeats that rather messy experience. So here I am copying research notes, long past my bedtime, with cold coffee and stiff joints.
There are mentions in the journal about beings of great power, “Rift Lords”, who were able to harness the power of the rifts in a scope beyond which any of us have ever seen. Not only could they open and close the rifts at will, they could re-direct them. They could supposedly perform incredible feats of magic that would take the entire Order combined to even attempt. The Journal details one event where a Rift Lord caused three days and nights of darkness out of grief for a lost love.
However, except for the partially-translated schematic for increased control over the weather (and I am quite certain we have a word wrong; hurricanes should probably not rain skulls instead of hailstones…), neither I nor the Weavers have come across anything more useful to us than a few rituals. We are still planning on attempting them. Strange esoteric rituals from a book we only half understand… in the words of my apprentice, what could possibly go wrong?

 Chapter 22: I KNEW IT!

12 Springmarch
I KNEW IT. I KNEW SOMETHING WOULD GO WRONG.

 Chapter 23: The ritual worked… mostly.

12 Springmarch, Evening
Now that the initial chaos has died down, I may record these events with less… emotional influence.
After much coaxing, Gabriella and I managed to convince Maximilian that he needed to stand in the center of a summoning circle, underneath a rift. The ritual the Weavers decrypted called for ‘a human channel’ or something of the sort. It DEFINITELY was not the word sacrifice. (We decided to skip over that particular ritual entirely… although I did notice Gabriella’s eyes light up a little too brightly when we mentioned it. I should probably keep an eye on that girl.)
After he agreed, and by that I mean we told him he could host the pie-eating contest he’s been bugging me about, I performed the rest of the ritual. The first time, I did it without magic. When dealing with such power, it behooved all of us to be sure I had it right. The second time, after calling up a great lightning storm, we reached the climax and my apprentice… my incredibly stupid and irresponsible apprentice… sneezed.
He sneezed.
And lightning went everywhere.
Now, aside from the damage it did to nearby trees, a tower, and most regrettably the same lamp that has been caught up in the crossfire before, no one was hurt. We should all be grateful for that. My beard, however, is sticking straight out from my face and does not seem to be de-electrifying anytime soon- which makes it positively impossible to meditate.

 Chapter 24: What an unusual side effect… Rift Shards

14 Springmarch
I believe I may have found an unintentional side effect of the other day’s ritual mishap. After, everywhere I went, tiny rifts keep popping up. At first I did not realize they were mine- small, unstable anomalies that appeared with something of a pop, whirred about a bit, and then collapsed in on themselves.
Then, as Maximilian was going on about whether cheesecake was a pie, I nearly had an aneurism and POP! There one appeared a little too close to Maximilian’s head. He said ‘Aww, how cute!’ and foolishly stuck his hand in it… it shocked him, but he was otherwise unharmed.
I gathered that my emotions were somehow tied to the appearances. With practise, I learned that by simply reshaping my energies and harmonizing them with the electrical confluence, I can summon a miniature rift wherever I so choose, without the need for a convergence.
Being as they are, as I noted earlier, rather unstable, they are much too small for most practical purposes. Without a convergence, necessary for opening a proper sized rift, I cannot make them last more than a few moments. They are much too small for travel, and seem to suck things toward them (papers, hats, very small rocks, etc.), but then they also dissipate on contact with anything much larger, or living.
For purposes of my studies, I have taken to calling them “Rift Shards”. They are very small parts of a much larger whole, pinholes in the fabric of the rift web. We shall see if they have any practical application for battle, or if the ritual flub was just a flub after all.

Main Plot is here: **Lore**

Cygnus is writing to Maximilian because he doesn't trust Gabriella and he wants Maximilian to keep an eye on her. Cygnus finds a vault sealed against time in another world, it contains the ice amulet. Cygnus then explains the Orc world is called Vergon, all the worlds are connected through rifts like a network. Cygnus says he is looking for answers about history and magic.
Later on Cygnus says "Magic is at the core of every world I have been to so far, but the
largest difference is how it is used. Some use it to bring rain, growing
gardens and acres of crops; others use it to bring light to the darkness. Still
others warp it to the will of a conqueror, unleashing war and destruction on
those in their path." Cygnus is worried because he doesn't know the full empire that Gabriella held. *(In OMD1)*Cygnus spends time as a captive of a few Hobgoblins. Later on Cygnus finds himself trapped in a desert world, with ruins covered in runes. Cygnus hypothesises that runes are a common language between the worlds. Starving Cygnus decided to eat some mushrooms coming out of a pot, tripping out and imagining some attackers, he decided to play dead. Waking up a couple of hours later he saw two moons in the sky and a women and a rabbit playing chase between them. (Chang'E, see Yi-Lins Bio). In the next letter Cygnus describes a candy village where everything is made up of candy. Later on Cygnus encounters a weaver from another world, she was coming out of an rift surrounded by power and used magic to make a pillar come out of the ground. Cygnus then tells Maximilian to stop being infatuated with them and to learn from them. Cygnus then uses the example of Merilee the head weaver, whom he is in love with but also admires her intelligence.

Later on Cygnus finds himself on a Jungle world hiding from cat people, reminiscing about the vegetable he found with peculiar healing properties (Healing Root). He meets a pair dwarfs called Dobbin and Brass, and persuades them to join the Order, he sends them back to help Maximilian lead the Order. In the next letter Cygnus is trapped freezing to death on a snowy mountain, in a cave overlooking a ruin. Deciding to use an old shield he found to slide down the mountain. He narrowly escaped the paws of a polar bear with a red paw mark on his face (Probably Tundra). Cygnus writes down some more of his findings "I left on this sabbatical to visit these other worlds, and what I have
found is that we all share at least a very distant history of magic. Where
there are Rifts, there is magic, and there are Weavers who can shape it, as
well as Mages who can channel it. There are intelligent beings and there are
monsters much like orcs." He explains "so many different architectural styles of Fortress it is baffling. How
could we ever have thought that we were the first to experience what we did? A
foreign force of invaders seeking to conquer us all, so we build up defenses
and use the tools at our disposal to defend. A tradition of tower defense
appears to reach back in time, probably to the very beginning, when the Rifts
were made." "And yes, I do believe they were made. There is a nearly mathematical
precision to the conditions that must be present for a Rift to be opened; as we
were coming to discover before the Order was destroyed, a Rift could exist only
on a convergence of magical energies, and that a Rift can be closed but never
truly destroyed. As long as the conditions are right, any closed Rift can be
opened again by a person with the knowledge how. (I am sorry I never got the
chance to teach you..."
A few letters later Cygnus comes across a world with a pair of twin fortresses guarding a pair of twin rifts, with a short river in between (Unchained Fortress?). Cygnus calls these two a rift pair, after looking around a bit more he finds a book written in runes and decides to take it with him. The next letter Cygnus finds himself on a beach next to an army of orcs, trolls and all kinds of dark creatures. He was captured and brought to the leader an Orc woman with a chainmail Bikini, (Bionka) she started to talk in Cygnus' language, explaining that she had heard about Order mages and how they kill her children. Bionka was going to join the Unchained, "The Unchained, it turns out, is some sort of collection of folks who
feel as though they got the short end of the magical stick. Many have been
stuck on dead worlds for ages, some simply are not content with what they have
and want more, and others just like making bloody messes; but all of them feel
generally that they should be able to use the Rifts and Magic" (many getting this view off Gabriella during OMD1). Later Cygnus managed to escape and decided to follow this army to the Unchained. Once there he discovers an organised army, a legion of Kobolds led by a king, (Kobold King) large brutal orcs, trolls, and some humans. "They seem to believe that controlling the Rifts and the Fortresses
thereby gives them control over magic itself. As what I have learned, this
could be true enough. Magic is a tool, as I have been trying to teach you for
years, neither evil nor good until you use it for such a purpose." Cygnus decides to travel back to his home world to prepare for the invasion.

Once home Cygnus sets about translating the book he found covered in runes, with Merilee the head Weaver. Learning the power of Rift Lords beings able to control the rifts and control the weather. They also discovered a few rituals that might grant the power of a Rift Lord. After coaxing Maximilian into being a test subject, but at the end of the ritual he sneezed causing lightning to go every where. A day passed and Cygnus discovered tiny rifts would be created wherever he went. With a bit of training Cygnus realised he could summon an unstable rift when he wanted to.

# Orcs Must Die Unchained

In the Bios there is a story line, but a couple don't reference this story line. So I will start by going over the ones that are stand alone, because of this they are easier to explain.

## Bios Story Line

### Standalone Bios Stories

**Bloodspike:** This is a ballad written by N.E orc. Sings high praises for Bloodspike. *I don't know whether it is based before or after OMD1+2.* *It is only going to get more complicated from now on.*

**Zoey:** This is her writing a diary. Goes through Zoey losing teachers. Handed from Prof. Rodergo to Gabriella to Maximilian and then finally to Cygnus. *This is based after the events of OMD 1+ 2.*

**Ivy:** This is a number of letters between the leaders of the first grove. Ivy is in trouble for destroying the Skybridge. She is going to be thrown out of the First Grove. One of her teachers is pleading for the high warden to keep her. *(This warden is Kynd)* He explains that Ivy's parents and Ivy fought in the battle of Acacia. (This was when Ivy was still a child) Ivy's parents fell, Ivy continued fighting, driven on by rage only stopping when a warden knocked her unconscious and then they dragged her away. After reading Ivy's story the High Warden Naya changes her mind and allows Ivy to stay in the first grove.*(Sometime after this Ivy becomes a Warden of the first grove herself). Not sure if this happens before OMD1+ 2 or not, probably before.*

**Maximilian:** This is Maximilians permanent record at the Academy. Written by his professors. Mostly situations where Maximilian was rude and earned demerit. It talks about Elves from the first grove coming to visit. *(This is where Ivy comes from) It has the great reference back to the comic and OMD 1. When Prof. Tulania recommends Max to Cygnus. Based before OMD 1.*

**Blackpaw:** This is copies of the Wulfhawkinman Enthusiasts Official Newsletter. It starts off by referencing Maximilians Bio with the incident of him releasing all the chickens *(Maxmilians punishment is refilling all the order torches)*. We also find out that Cygnus is a subscriber to the newsletter. (This is also mentioned in Cygnus' bio) Perrell the president of the fan club, follows news reports to Weston-under-mountain trying to find the mythical creature known as the Wulfhawkinman. *Weston-under-mountain lies under castle Weston (AKA: Highlands)*. Perrell then encounters the source of the newsletter, Blackpaw. Blackpaw is attacking members of the cult of death*(see Oziels Bio)* for killing gnolls. Perrell is convinced that Blackpaw is a Wulfhawkinman. So Perrell organises a meeting of nearby members of the fan club. To find and capture Blackpaw to protect the Wulfhawkinman race from dying out.*(We aren't told if Cygnus is one of these nearby members, although in the OMDU tutorial Cygnus is in Castle Weston being attacked by orcs)*. The fan club then decide to team up with the cult of death to capture Blackpaw. They stumble into Blackpaw, and the cult of death start shooting Blackpaw. Perrell decides to protect Blackpaw from the cult of death and dies as a result. Blackpaw escapes and goes missing. *Based after OMD 1.*

*Now I have finished the stand alone bios. The rest of them link into the overarching plot line. I'm now going to write this part in chapters, with some side plots going on during the other Bios. A simplified version the timeline. This has a couple of assumptions, so this diagram is up for debate. In regard to Oziels Bio, Maximilians and Blackpaw I'm not sure if they connect to the story or not. There is also a couple where I don't know what side of the line they are on.*

As you can see this is very complicated. With a few branches coming off the main plot line.  When I say peoples names I mean their bios. Except for Prof Hieronyma he gets his own branch.
Lets start at the midnight branch side story.

### Midnight Branch Side Story

**Dobbin:** His bio is his messages through the ministry post by wire. Dobbin is having a territory dispute with Copperhead Joe over the Itzal mine. The bio is their argument and Joes eventual declaration of a fight. Dobbin and his wife Brass then decide to hire Maximilian to help defend there mine and also call up Sheriff Macken for help. Sheriff Macken then puts a bounty on the head of Copperhead Joe. *Quick note: this takes place in Dusty river the same area where Shark Island is also located. Based after OMD 1+2*

***Brass:** This Bio is Brass' diary following the events of Dobbins Bio. Brass starts by saying that they managed to hold out long enough in the mines, so that Midnight could kill Copperhead Joe *(see Midnight's Bio)*. Maximilian helped them fend off the invaders. Brass headed back to camp to work on her blunderbuss and turret. After a week or two, she met one of High Wardens girls, who came to check in on the dwarf couple. The girl also wanted to know the secret to Maximilian's power *(this might be a reference to the end of Cygnus' Adventures where he gives Max great power)* after casting a speed pickup spell. Brass didn't know but knew about another secret power from her ancestors writings, Brass went looking for the texts and the girl left. The texts describe the time before the Great Shift (See Great Shift Branch above). Six generations ago her ancestors lived in the fortress at Thuricvod and one of the last families to escape before the rift collapsed. The White Tiger empire ruled by an Empress who got magic from the jade Rabbits *(see Yi-Lins Bio)* and a guardian who took an elixir and turned into jade *(see Yi-Lins Bio)*. A week later the High Wardens girl returns and Brass shows her the notes, the girl is very interested in them. *So who is this High Wardens girl it could be a few people.(see Deadeyes Bio) It could be Ivy who has come looking for Deadeye (see Deadeyes bio) and also knows how to cast speedup spell. Or it could be Reve one of the high Wardens daughters who uses this information to find where Yi-Lin is (see Yi-Lins Bio).**

***Deadeye:** Her bio is a few newspaper clippings for the First Grove Messenger. It starts by detailing the murder of High Warden Naya, the leader of the Eight Groves. Nayas body was discovered by Warden Ivy, Ivy then becomes the lead investigator into Nayas death. Galadra the true shot (Deadeye) is brought into questioning. Galadra (Deadeye) is a half-elf half-orc, and is an adoptive daughter of Naya. Naya has two more daughters Tulania and Reve. Reve is a Weaver and works for the Ministry. Tulania is a Professor at the Academy. *(Tulania wrote half of Maximilians bio, and also signs Cygnus' bio).* Galadra (Deadeye) is confronted by Ivy, while being arrested Deadeye flees into the forest, Deadeye is captured by Ivy, but gets shot by in the eye by Ivy. During the trial Deadeye rejects the elf name Galadra and calls herself Deadeye. She says shes innocent and blames Reve for Nayas death. The new High Warden Kynd rejects these theory. Deadeye says the elves are racist against orcs and says Naya killed her Orc father because she saw him as a threat even with Baby Deadeye in his hands. Kynd finds Deadeye guilty and sentences her to death. On the eve of Deadeyes execution she escapes the elf jail with the help of the Sidewinder gang. Deadeyes half brother Copperhead Joe is the leader of the Sidewinders. Deadeye gets to Dusty River only to discover that Joe has been assassinated by Midnight. (see Midnights Bio). She then terrorises the citizens of Dusty River and injures Sheriff Macken (See Dobbins Bio). Ivy arrives at Dusty River and challenges Deadeye to a 1 vs 1. After a long drawn out battle both Ivy and Deadeye collapse being carried off by there allies. Deadeye becomes the leader of the Sidewinder gang and joins the Unchained. *Quick note: Naya and Kynd are the authors of Ivys Bio. Also I think Deadeye is innocent and Naya did it. Based after OMD 1+2.**

***Midnight:** This is a journal given to Midnight by her master Snowy, when Midnight left the nine lives dojo, it contains poems and Midnight uses it to record her deeds. Snowy didn't want Midnight to leave. Midnight then records her missions. Her first mission is to kill a man who fell in love with a merchants daughter. The merchant wants him out of the equation. Midnight then takes up the bounty that sheriff Macken put on Copperhead Joe (From Dobbins bio/Brass). Kills him but is being chased by Joe's sister a half orc with crossbows (See Deadeyes Bio). Midnight is then hired to steal a scroll from Cygnus, She gets caught by Cygnus and thrown in the Orders dungeon. She then escapes when Maximilian puts the wrong oil in the torches (see Maximilian and Blackpaws bio: chicken incident). Midnight then goes back to the nine lives dojo, only to find Snowy dead, killed by her rivals. She then takes up the name Twilight's Razor. *Based after OMD 1+2.**

 **That is one branch dealt with, I think I will start the hardest task, the main plot line.**

*Before I start, Smolders, Oziels and Gabriellas bios are closely connected. So I will be giving evidence for the connections throughout.*

*### Smolders, Oziels and Gabriellas Bios***Smolder:** These are log entries written by Gabriella, About Smolder being born and brought up through a few weeks, and having to suffer under the professors experiments. In the end Smolder cannot suffer under the professors experiments any longer and breaks free and escapes the order. Also the logs have been edited by the weavers/ the ministry to remove names of those involved.
*The women taking the apprenticeship uses a mind control spell on Smolder when she first hatches. Gabriellas main magic is mind control. Then at the end of the bio she says about moving out of the alchemy wing and moving to the Anthropology department studying the ruins of Thuricvod. In Gabriellas bio she is writing a piece on Thuricvod after studying it.*
*The Professor could be Oziel for a number of reasons. Oziels bio is him turning to darkness, looking for power. Joining the Order and then looking for eternal life. The Professor in Smolders story, starts looking for solutions to resurrection potions. In Smolders bio he is looking for a breakthrough or he might be demoted. I'm not sure on him being Oziel though, about 50%.*
*I know that the weavers edited the notes because Cygnus says he handed them over to the weavers and ministry and they covered up all evidence. That is explained in Gabriellas bio. This bio is based after OMD 1+2.*

***Oziel:** This is a fable written about a Order mage longing for power. He wanted to be the best in the Order, but was no where near the best. He went looking for power from the Orders enemies, the dark mages. He got dark tomes and forbidden spells. His power grew until only the Arch mage had more power. Oziel then challenged the arch mage to a fight. The Arch mage then beat him easily. Oziel then left the Order, went back to the dark mages, realised they used him and them he left them. He became a wanderer, collecting more power. After some time, his age was stopping his search for power. He became a member of the cult of death to prevent death itself. He then used the cult of death techniques to trick death into coming to take his soul. He then trapped death itself and chanted its spell right back at him. Oziels skin turned to bone and his eyes replaced with fire. *The cult of death, appears in Blackpaws bio as well. And are also talked about in other places. Lyzander is also a member of the cult of of death. The cult of death techniques to make death come for you is the poison spell. Oziel appears in Portraits as Ancestor when he was still a order mage, interesting that they wrote into the lore Oziels rework.* *This bio is based before OMD 1 + 2, Since the arch mage wasn't Cygnus.**

***Gabriella:** This is letters to and from Gabriella, after the events that occurred in Smolders Bio. It starts with Gabriella trying to get her paper, on what she discovered at Thuricvod, published in anthology today. We also get told she is now studying under Prof. Heironyma. The paper talks about the Dwarfs closing the rift back to their world, Thur. When they closed the rift, it caused an event called the Great Shift. They were also closing a rift to the dark world. The dark world, is the where the orcs come from. It then explains the possibility that the Rifts are not portals to other worlds, but parallel worlds where it is the same world but a different race lives there. Gabriellas paper then gets rejected and Prof. Heironyma is reassigned to a Oasis expedition (see Stinkeyes bio). Their travel visas have also been rejected. Gabriella is trying to get help off Cygnus. Cygnus informs her that she has been blacklisted for trying to publish information on future orc invasions. He also tells her that after the incident in the alchemy wing (Smolders Bio) the weavers and the ministry have covered up all the whole affair. The weavers then started pulling strings at the order, blacklisting professors and stopping research projects. Gabriella then decides to travel to the dark world to find evidence of the future orc invasions, planning to show the world what the Order is willing to hide. Cygnus then tries to warn her, to no effect, that the Dark World longs for magic, and the orcs that live there are drawn to magic like a moth to a flame. That Gabriella will hear voices and want power. And the true reason the Dwarfs closed the gate was to stop the orcs invading. *I think this is the reason that Gabriella left the Order and became evil. Before the events of the original Orcs Must Die. Then Gabriella saying at the end of OMD2 lets rebuild the Order but do it right this time, refers to these events of the weavers covering up the orc invasions. Other points, Thuricvod village and gates of Thuricvod (AKA: corridors) are maps, corridors also appears in OMD2 as one of the places Cygnus, opens a rift at.*Gabriella heading into the Dark World was the magic that Bionka wanted more of, so started the invasion. As detailed in Bionkas bio.*

**Well that is the most complicated Bio dealt with.**

**### Yi-Lin Bio****Yi-Lin:** This is a few prayers made by Yi-Lin to her friend and goddess Chang'E. Yi-Lin and Chang'E were trained together in the White Tiger Empire *(Another world)*. Yi-Lin was sent to the world of Centre to defend the rift in Thuricvod with the Dwarfs and cyclopes, against the Wu-Xing invading through one of the rifts. Yi-Lin provided her own troops to defend Thuricvod. The Cyclopes retreated back to their own world and barricaded their rift from their side *(To find out what happened to the Cyclopes read Stinkeyes Bio)*. The Dwarfs then decide to close their rift back to Thur knowing this will destroy Thuricvod and the White Tiger Empire *(This is the Great Shift talked about in Gabs Bio)*. Yi-Lin decides to stay in the world of Centre in the Lotus Temple on top of the Red mountain to protect the last rift to the Empire. Chang'E unites the White Tiger Empire and forms the Cloud Tiger Empire and gets the Moon Guardians to raise the Empire into the clouds *(to avoid destruction?)*. Chang'E then has to go to the Moon and give her rift magic to the jade rabbits, so she becomes a immortal *(The* Jade Rabbit *appears in Chinese Folklore, He makes the elixir of life on the moon)*. Yi-Lin decides to drink the Rabbit drought which turns her into a Jade Statue eternally protecting the rift. After over a thousand years Yi-Lin is woken up by the Temples alarm to find an Elf has broken in. Yi-Lin talks to Reve (the elf) until Reve requests entry into the Cloud Tiger Empire. Yi-Lin said no because of the Unknown power surrounding the elf. Reve then opens many small unstable rifts with Wu-Xing swarming through them. Yi-Lin deals with the Wu-Xing easily and closes the rift back to the Cloud Tiger Empire, the rift can only be opened by Chang'Es Rift Key. Yi-Lin then leaves the shrine hoping to save this world again from another Wu-Xing invasion. *Some quick information, Reve is the daughter of High Warden Naya, and probably her murderer and works in the ministry, see Deadeyes Bio. Chang'E is figure in Chinese folklore, and is hinted to also become a Hero.*

**### Prof. Heironymas Adventures***Now I going to move onto Prof. Heironymas adventures.
In Gabriellas Bio we learn that Prof. Heironyma is sent on an expedition to find Oasis. After the attempt to publish the paper. I am not sure when Prof. Hieronyma's adventures take place, since it might be during that the events of OMD takes place, or before or after.*

**Stinkeye:** This is a Account written by Stinkeye, to the rest of the cyclops race. About how he found Oasis the ancient city of the Cyclops race and became the last shaman of Oasis. Like most Cyclops he was drawn to the desert. Stinkeye then became a bodyguard for a treasure hunter looking for remnants of artefacts from before the great shift and the city of Oasis *( quick notes: the great shift was explained in Gabriellas bio, and I think that this treasure hunter is Prof. Heironyma, since he came looking for Oasis and he knew about the great shift, I'm about 40% sure).*Stinkeye is separated from this treasure hunter during a magical sandstorm. He then finds a giant stone door buried in the sand and pushes it open, discovering a corridor under the sand. Stinkeye then falls asleep, only to be awaken by totem laughing at him. He reached out to take it only for it to disappear and reappear further down the corridor, leading him down the passage, to Oasis itself. Stinkeye sees great wonders from Oasis. He was led to a giant Black pyramid with a skull on top asking him his name. Then it spewed huge amounts of magic onto Stinkeye. A staff appeared in the pyramid and Stinkeye was beckoned to take it. The staff then said it was running out of magic and declared Sinkeye the last shaman of Oasis. Stinkeye was confused and Oasis answered "your ancestors sent me across dimensions and space to find their descendants, scattered by the great shift. This is what your world looked like. It is no more. It was greatly blessed by the power of the rifts, but the rifts also tore it apart."*(See Yi-Lins Bio)* After many more questions Oasis fell silent, only to appear once it has recharged. Stinkeye was then sent to gain followers of Oasis. *So his book was written to proclaim the message to other cyclops. To read what happened during the  Great Shift see Yi-Lins Bio. I also think that every race has a world where they come from, well apart from the humans who own Centre.*

***Hogarth:** This is an account written by Prof. Heironyma, after a fruitless attempt at trying to find Oasis, he decides to go on an journey to Deg Itan, the home of the Northum. He is travelling with a scout called Rothbern. Hogarth's chieftain Beotharn welcomes the team to a party. Hogarth the right hand man of Beotharn is initially wary of the group at the party. During the night a monster attacks the camp and Rothbern was eaten. The brave thanes led by Hogarth went after the monster and chased it into the mountains.  One thane died, and the thanes returned to camp. The next night they had a funeral for the fallen. When they went to sleep again the monster attacked again. It was three meters tall and scaled like a snake. It has massive claws and teeth and glowing eyes. *(I'm thinking it is a Crogon).*Hogarth jumped on the beast and swinged his axe into it. The creature clawed Hogarth again and again, Hogarth not feeling any pain, kept fighting. He threw up his shield freezing the monster where it stood, it fell and shattered on the ground. Hogarth was a Hero, he was given the name Frozen shield of Deg Itan by the chieftain. Prof. Heironymas expedition then sets off in the direction of Arctos home to the Grizzles.*

**That is the end of Prof. Heironymas journey since we don't have anything on him turning up at Arctos. Now I will go onto Tundras branch, these Bios detail what happens before Bionkas invasion.**

***### Tundra Branch Side Story*****Temper:** This is an account of the meetings Temper has had with his anger management counsellor. Tempers Dwarf parents set up a meeting because Temper raged during a meeting with Tundra at Dusty river *(This is where Dobbin lives and Tundra going to meet with Order allies is part of the main plot).* The counsellor learns about Tempers childhood. Temper was found as a child 10 years ago in a burnt out field. He was then adopted by his dwarf parents, and trained under the dwarfs to be a blacksmith. Tundra came to Dusty River to pledge support against the unchained, during the feast Temper went off on an angry rage against the Unchained. As a result Tundra had to freeze him. During the next meeting with the counsellor, Temper has come again because he got angry and threw a hammer at someone. The counsellor then teaches Temper some exercises to keep his anger under control, by finding his "Happy Place". The counsellor then recommends that Temper uses his anger against the Unchained. In the final meeting with the counsellor Temper, says he has started fighting his own battles against the Unchained and has left the dwarfs that he lived with. *This is based after OMD 1+ 2.*

**Cygnus:** This is his last will and testament. It details his belongings and who gets it once he dies. In case he dies of natural causes the scrolls will go to Gabriella and the Yeti pelt will go to Maximilian. Everything else will be sold and the money spilt between his two apprentices. If he dies in the battle against the Unchained everything is to go to Gabriella and the funeral disregarded. *The Yeti rug Cygnus received as a gift from the grizzles, but wants it to display to the grizzle envoy coming, this links directly to Tundras bio because he is coming as an envoy to the Order. This is based after OMD 1+ 2.*

**Tundra:** This is Tundras messages to his father the king of the grizzles. Tundra is travelling to the Order to pledge support against the Unchained coming out of the rifts, after the Order sent a warning message. Tundras message to his father is good news, of arriving safety and the filth that is the Unchained. Frost, king of the ice bears, replies with joy, and tells Tundra that he will make a great leader, and his use of magic is the best in the Frost clan. *This is the setting of the battle to come. This is based after OMD 1+ 2.*
*Unto the final bio Bionka. This links the Bios together and links to the main plot.*

***### Bionka's Invasion*****Bionka:** This is the messages between her and her sons and informants and to the whole orc race. This starts with a declaration of war. Bionka has just feasted off the magic from Gabriella *(see Gabriellas Bio)*  and has decided to invade the world of Centre for more magic. The next message is to her commanders, detailing what Order strongholds they should attack. Wildshank is sent to set up a base in Thuricvod, because that is the rift all the orcs will pass through. Redhowl is to take Unchained fortress. And Bloodspike is to take his troops to sack shark island. Take some ships and attack Crogon keep in Dusty River. Wildshank sets up his base in Thuricvod. And Redhowl takes Unchained fortress. Bloodspike takes Shark island but with heavy losses, he asks for reinforcements. Bionka then gets angry with Bloodspike and reluctantly asks more orcs to join Bloodspikes army. One of Bloodspikes men reports to Bionka that Bloodspike is eating his own orcs. Bloodspike takes Crogon keep and asks for more delicious recruits. Bionka then asks Midnight for a horrible Order target. Midnight then tells Bionka about Eventide cove (Eventide fortress lies here, AKA surrounded) and that Tundra is having a diplomatic meeting with the Order there. Bionka then tells Bloodspike to attack Eventide fortress. While Bionka decides to attack the Order Academy. They mourn Bloodspike who has lost, but Bionka cheers on the rest of the orc army.*This is based after OMD 1+ 2.*

***Tutorial
--------***I will now cover **the tutorial:** Maximilian has slept in in the academy, and Bionka has circled around and have attacked the academies front gate. Maximilian was supposed to be at the meeting with Tundra at Frostbite fortress. Later on you learn that Cygnus is at Castle Weston being attacked by orcs. *So maybe this shouldn't link directly to the main plot but to Tundras bio. This is based after OMD 1+ 2.*

***Main Plot
---------****This was taken from the updates in 2016 with three in all, here is https://orcsmustdie.com/arcticprince/eventide/. Use the buttons at the bottom to navigate. I ordered the story below and added the titles.*

***### Prologue***Centuries ago, the grizzlies pleaded for the Order's help in defending their lands against a massive orc invasion. The grizzlies had never encountered the orcs before, and were caught unaware by their numbers and brute strength. The Order courageously helped their northern neighbors, fighting back against the orcs and sacrificing many of their own in the fray. Once the orcs were defeated, the grizzly royal family swore an oath to the Order that they would come to their aid and repay their debt to them, no matter the cost.

Now, the time has come for that oath to be honored. With the threat of an invasion looming over the Territories Humaine, it comes down to Prince Tundra Frost, the Oathkeeper, to pledge his troops and his life to the defense of Eventide Cove and the Capital of the Territories Humaine.

Eventide Fortress: Eventide Cove is an important trading port for the Territories Humaine. It is the port nearest the Capital, and provides most of the Capital's supplies and supports almost all of its industries. Because of this, the port is closely guarded by an Order installation: Eventide Fortress. Eventide Fortress is one of the oldest Order fortifications, second only to the Order Academy at the center of the Capital. Being stationed at Eventide Fortress is considered an honor; the port's defense can only be trusted to the best of the Order's recruits. The position is also prized because of the fortress's picturesque setting and proximity to the Capital and all its festivals and activities.

***### Chapter 1***With Bionka and her forces gaining a foothold in the Territories Humaine, Cygnus, the Master of the Order, called for a meeting with Tundra, the Oathkeeper, at Eventide Fortress. Tundra brought with him his most decorated warriors as well as gifts for the Order--yeti hides, jewels, and pickled mammal-fish. The meeting was merely a diplomatic one; the Order and the grizzlies would have a lavish meal together and discuss the commitment of troops and weapons.

During the meeting however, ships were sighted on the horizon. It was soon realized that these were the ships commandeered by Bloodspike the Brutal at Shark Island. Eventide Cove would soon be under attack. The Order and the grizzlies would have to act quickly if they were to secure Eventide Cove and keep the orcs from invading the Capital.

With Bloodspike and his troops closing in, Tundra realized that quick, decisive action was necessary to secure victory. Tundra and his retinue of warriors charged into battle using their unique Avalanche spell. The sheer magnitude of the frost magic they unleashed froze the harbor and brought ice and snow to the fortress, freezing the orcs in their tracks and defeating Bloodspike and his army.

The grizzlies are known for their mastery of frost magic. Where this mastery comes from is unclear, but it is rumored that the grizzly royal palace houses a stable rift from which frost magic flows. This rift, if it exists, is most likely tethered to the grizzlies' home realm.

With his army defeated and all escape routes blocked by ice and snow, Bloodspike was captured by Tundra and the grizzlies. Tundra haughtily laughed off the battle, saying that, "Such a trifling conflict was not worthy of discharging his oath." The diplomatic talks continued, Cygnus and the Order warning Tundra that the war was far from over. At last, Tundra bid Cygnus farewell, pledging to continue to defend Eventide Cove and any other Order fortress that needed protection from the Unchained.
Bloodspike, now a prisoner of war, was taken by Tundra to Frostbite Fortress as a trophy and a symbol of the might of the grizzlies. In a cold, dank dungeon, Bloodspike's hate for the grizzlies festers as he plans his escape.

***### Chapter 2***Bloodspike, the Brutal, is a venerated general in the Unchained Army. While a successful warrior, his success is overshadowed by his incredible cruelty. His enemies and allies fear him, wary of succumbing to his horrible appetite.

It is because of this appetite that his mother, Bionka, the Queen Momma, sent him on a mission from which she believed he would not return: an assault on Eventide Fortress. And she was right; Bloodspike was captured by Tundra and his grizzly warriors at Eventide Fortress.

And now, after months of brooding in the bitterly cold dungeon of Frostbite Fortress, Bloodspike is finally UNCHAINED!

While Bloodspike was incarcerated by the grizzlies, he was subjected to many indignities such as being led around in chains, forced to sing the Arctos national anthem, and riding a unicycle while wearing a tutu. To the grizzlies' glee, all of these activities enraged Bloodspike, but pestering him turned out to not be the best of ideas. Bloodspike vowed revenge on the grizzlies, and as he escaped, skinned and gathered the pelts of every grizzly he killed. He now wears his grisly grizzly kill as a symbol of his quest for vengence.

After attacking the Order Academy out of spite, Bloodspike is on the move again, terrorizing orcs and other members of the Unchained into submission. He now has a large, fearful following and has moved into his mother Bionka's old stomping ground, the Unchained Fortress. With his ambition unbridled and his power growing, Bloodspike now turns his attention to conquering and commanding the Unchained Army. But there's one thing that stands in his way--Bionka, Queen Momma.

Bionka, Queen Momma to the orcs, just wants what's best for her "babies" - that's why she is dead set on liberating them from the desolate Dark World and setting up a new regime in the magic-rich world of the Order: Centre.

Her sons and generals - including Bloodspike - have paved the way for her majesty's court. Now, Bionka herself descends upon Centre, leading her armies out of the Dark World to take her place as leader of the Unchained hordes.
Now, with her babies at her side (and underneath her feet), nothing's going to stop her from carving some space for her new throne room right out from under the Order's nose.

END.

*That is all the story I have found and put together. But the more times I read the bios the more connections I find  This is by far my longest post, I will now go and rest by killing more orcs
If any of you guys read through this entire post here is a cookie for you*

All Credits of this writing and summaries go to User:Humblethief, "EffingWorms" in-game name.