Lore

The Lore of The World 2D is based on previous versions of The World, as portrayed in Project.hack//Conglomerate.

Many players acted out variations of the events of those series within the game.

## Background

### Game **Lore**

The lore for the story of The World 2D comes from the combined lore of the following games.

* Fragment

The lore behind the story of this game is a poem called The Epitaph of the Twilight. The events of the Epitaph are highlighted in .hack//Epitaph of Twilight, and recreated in .hack//IMOQ.

* The World R:1

The lore of this story takes place during The Story of Punishment and The Story of Renewal. The events of .hack//SIGN and .hack//IMOQ take place during this time.

* The World R:2

The lore behind this story is vaguely hinted at in .hack//ROOTS and .hack//G.U.. The original lore story for this game is written here .

### **Player Lore**

The following series are combined to the Lore, as they were the events to take place within the previously listed MMOs. These series' are not canon to The World 2D, although they are heavily reflected within the game.

* .hack//Epitaph of Twilight
* .hack//SIGN
* .hack//IMOQ
* .hack//A.I.Buster
* .hack//ZERO
* .hack//Another Birth
* .hack//Liminality
* .hack//XXXX
* .hack//ROOTS
* .hack//Alcor
* .hack//G.U.
* .hack//GnU
* .hack//CELL
* .hack//G.U. Online Jack

## The Story of Alba

This is the story that the MMORPG The World 2D was based on.

### **The Story of Creation**

Long, long ago, before creation had form, two brothers lived. They were The World, and The World was them.
Able to read each others hearts, the two brothers were satisfied for a long time.
One day, the elder of the brothers accidentally broke the sword of the younger brother. In retaliation, the younger brother slashed the treasured spear of the older brother, breaking it.
Both deities, erupting in anger, fought one another for seven days and seven nights.
In the eighth day, the younger brother came to realize his foolishness and called for a truce. The older brother, still blinded by anger, took this as an opportunity, and thrust his broken spear into the chest of his younger sibling, killing him.
The final breath of the younger brother took to the sky and became the heavens, and his body fell below, becoming the earth.
The blood of his wound erupted high into the newly created heavens and became the sun, and his broken sword fell to the earth and shattered, becoming the stars and the moons.
Feeling great shame, the Elder Deity wept. His tears became rain and fell to earth, forming oceans in its deep contours.
The beginning of the physical world was set into motion.

The Elder Deity mourned the loss of the Younger Deity for many years, but eventually he grew accustomed to his sad, lonely life.

One day, unable to bear his loneliness any longer, the Elder Deity removed one of his eyes and created a Goddess.
The new Goddess looked at the Elder Deity and exclaimed: Thou art handsome.
With this voice, the world was filled with sound.
The Elder Deity and the new Goddess gave names to each other. The Elder Deity received the name of Sol the God of Creation, and the Goddess, Myulin the Goddess of Harvest.
Then the Elder Deity created a land of the dead in the darkest part of The World and sealed the spirit of the Younger Deity within.
He gave his younger brother the name of Cernunnos, the Lord of the Dead.
Myulin used this time to name The World as well, calling it Alba.

Sol created many new Gods, and Myulin gave them names. With each God that was born and named, Sol gave a purpose.
He created a God to rule over the sun and it's phases and Myulin named him Taranis; A Goddess name Anu was to rule over the stars and moon.
Aurora was born and named so that she would protect the light of heaven, and Eir was blessed with the task of preserving peace and tranquility throughout existence.
Sol also created six great elemental spirits to rule over the raw powers of nature, along with all the trees, and birds, and insects of the mortal realm.

This was how all things were named and given a purpose.

Last to be born, were the Elves.
These mortal beings were created in the image of Sol, and he loved them more than any other creature or creation.
Sol asked each God to give its blessing to the Elves, and in doing so, they became stronger, faster, and more adept than any other creature.
The only God to refuse its blessing was Cernunnos, preventing the Elves hearts from ever knowing darkness.
Because of their abundance of Light, the Elves had an incredible innocence about them.

The Gods entrusted earth to the Elves, and they created a new realm known as Airceltrai to reside within.
This great metropolis was called "The City of Dawn" by the Gods, and existed within the heavenly realms.
The Gods created a path between the two realms, earth and heaven, and called it The Heavenly Path.
The Heavenly Path was used to deliver the light of the heavens and the Gods down to earth.

Guarded by the light of the sun and the light of the Gods, life on earth flourished and it seemed that peace would last forever...

### **The Story of Betrayal**

For many hundreds of years, the Elves lived in abundance and harmony. They created many cities of worship, including Lia Fail, whose sole purpose was the devotion and worship of the Gods.
The cities of Mac Anu and Carmina Gadelica became centers of wealth, commerce, and heritage. A church of devotion was created at the center of the Lake of Alba and was used as a place of worship for the Gods Aurora and Anu.
The Gods were happy, and the Elves prospered.

After many ages of tranquility in The World, the Elves started to believe that they themselves were the true Gods, and they created the flying fortress known as Fort Ouph to ascend to the heavenly realm to insist they be granted entry as deities.
Sol, furious for the Elves show of weaponry and force, took all that was good in the Elves, known as the Spark of the Divine.
With this, the Elves prophesied their destruction, and retreated their fortress.

Two rulers of the land, Apeiron, the King of Light, and Helba, the Queen of Darkness, gathered together at the church of Hulle Granz to form an alliance against the Gods.
With this alliance, the Cursed Wave was born, rising from the Eastern part of The World and causing destruction throughout it's path.
The harbinger of the Wave was an entity known as Skeith, who burned villages and forests, causing all who heard news of his destruction to flee West for safety.
Few who encountered Skeith made it out of their home alive.

Fearing for the worst and realizing their fate to come, Helba and Apeiron sent their closest advisers, Bith the Black and Fili the White, on a quest to discover the Shadowed Ones, who were prophesied to find the Twilight Dragon, keeper of Balance within The World, who was the only creature with the power to destroy the coming Wave.

#### **The Cursed Wave**

This is a poem telling of the Quest of Bith of the Black Hat, and Fili of the White Hat; two wizard sprites, and advisors to the rulers of the land.

(This piece is not a chapter in The Story of Alba, but chronologically appears in this place. This poem is called by players by the name The Epitaph of the Twilight.)

Unknown where the Cursed Wave was born…
After the stars doth cross the heavens,
The sky in the East doth darken and air doth fill with mourning.
From the chosen land beyond the forest, a sign of the wave comes.
Riding the wake is Skeith, the Shadow of Death, to drown all that stands.
Mirage of Deceit, Innis, Betray all with the flawed image, and did aid the Wave.
And by the Power of Magus, a drop from the Wave doth reach the heavens, and creates a new Wave.
With the Wave, Fidchell, the power to tell the dark future, hope darkens, sadness and despair rule.
Gorre schemes when swallowed by the Cursed Wave.
Macha seduces with the sweet trap.
Wave reaches the Pinnacle, and escape none can. Tarvos still remains with more cruelty to punish and destroy.
And with the turbulent destruction after the Wave. Only a void remains. From deep within the void arrives Corbenik.
*Perhaps then the Wave is just a beginning as well.*

Wave soars and shrouds the eyes.
No means to fight an omnipresent force,
The shadowless ones just grieve.
Why must it be a Wave?
Divide, if it would just...
Then retaliate, we may.
*Once their magic land did glow, With vagrant, ever-present light:*

*When sprites would play in flowing fields, The twilight shining in their wings*

*As they swam through silky seas of mist, Before the coming of the Wave.*

*Untouched by fear or pain they lived, Each minute with the utmost joy,*

*Till the cursed Wave did rise, Tearing through the dusky skies;*

*Consuming light and dark in kind, And leaving none to mourn behind.*

*So to the West the sprites did flee, Though burdened by the tragedy,*

*The truth was all too plain to see: One by one their kind would fall*

*Beneath the torrent of the Wave, If none could stand before its gaze*

*And somehow fill that endless void. King of light and queen of dark,*

*Apeiron and Helba knew of one, Who might defeat the Wave:*

*A mythic beast long said to sleep, 'Neath the edge of the world's end*

*Sheathed by the Wavering Peninsula, A creature of the greatest might,*

*The sacred dragon of twilight.*

*Thus Queen Helba chose Bith the Black, Her strongest sprite, to join the quest;*

*While Apeiron sent Fili the White, To journey with them in his stead,*

*For Bith and Helba thought it best, That the king remain behind to rule*

*And calm the ever-spreading dread, Ere the dragon might appear.*

*So as the three prepared to ride, Through the aqua gate of Mac Anu*

*A fourth did come by fate's command: One part Human, one part sprite,*

*Alone for all his nameless might, He fell in stride with Helba's steed*

*As she wordlessly agreed, His will was worthy of their cause.*

*Through the Fatel Bog they sped, As onyx dust cloaked each in turn*

*From which arose a blinding pall, A living shadow born to crawl*

*Betwixt reality and mind, Till death, within them, was enshrined:*

*Each was shown their comrades slain; Illusions of Skeith's mortal game.*

*Fili wept and knelt to pray, While Bith did halt in stunned dismay*

*Ere turning back upon the path, Desires crushed by failure's wrath.*

*The halfling tore about the swamp, Searching for the fount of death*

*Whose noxious fog had claimed the lives, Of those who'd stand against the Wave.*

*Alone the dark queen Helba rode, Remorseless through the baneful mire,*

*Cursing the Wave as she progressed, Bent solely on her noble quest,*

*And as she went the darkness lifted, Till she found her friends still living,*

*Mounted on their stagnant steeds, As if enchanted by some dream.*

*Calling forth an ancient rune, The queen dispelled the evil bind;*

*Thus Skeith's hold was undermined, And as he slowly evanesced*

*Each realized they'd been possessed, While Helba foretold a prophecy*

*Of eight heralds with demons blood, Eight phases of the Cursed Wave.*

*As the boggy mud grew dry, Gyle Mountain rose before them,*

*A deadly oft avoided peak; The swiftest route to Dun Loireag;*

*For eons standing as a God, O'er looking men with its facade*

*While hiding at its center true, A molten pit of which none knew.*

*As they neared the summit's height, Something waited midst their course:*

*A Chimera of the greatest size, With sleight blue malefic eyes*

*Exuding lust for their demise; Then two, then four, then all around*

*The aberrations capped the ground, Till hundreds stood in perfect stillness.*

*Charging forth as one they came, With rumbling fury at the four,*

*Who held a circle back to back, Slaying beasts as they attacked;*

*Though as the horrors met their deaths, Each vanished with its dying breath,*

*Unfleshly as a wayward thought, But for the bloody wounds they wrought.*

*Thus the ceaseless battle waged: As each fiend fell another came*

*Till Bith cried out in dire need, A lone chimera must be real;*

*The others conjured effigies; Doppelgangers born to please*

*Their lord and master as slaves, Incarnations of the Wave.*

*Deeming true the dark knight's words, Fili beseeched her allies three*

*For time to let her mind's eye see; Hence minutes passed as Fili prayed*

*Ere she raised her longbow high, And let a single arrow fly*

*Piercing clouds upon the sky, As though the shaft were blessed by God.*

*Falling with a feather's grace, The missile knew whom to embrace,*

*And like a tear from heaven shed, Smote its wrath on the demon's head,*

*Laying to waste the vile horde; As Innis' power left the peak*

*Six words of spite he cruelly gave: "You shall never stop the Wave."*

*Past the mount they traveled far, Through Dun Loireag the highland town*

*Till they reached the woods of Breade, Where lay a mark for all to heed:*

*A sphere enclosed by myriad lines, One of many travelers' signs*

*Known by the halfling doubtlessly: A labyrinth confronts beyond.*

*Foraging down countless paths, Each branch producing two alike;*

*They hastened forth without event, Till Helba sensed a foul intent,*

*And turning, to her wonder found, A creature posing as a man,*

*Exquisite in his nakedness; A mold no Human or Elf could possess.*

*With arms spread wide the demon smiled, And Helba watched as though beguiled*

*While fallen twigs grew into trees, Forming fast a wooden shield*

*Unyielding to the fiercest blow; Then shrieks about the forest rang*

*As any beast with claw or fang, Descended on the narrow trail.*

*Besieged by creatures of the wood, They battled 'gainst undying foes:*

*Each pair slain would recompose, Birthing four at instant pace*

*As Magus watched with grinning glee, Entombed within his wall of trees*

*Which faster grew then could be hewn; A trait which spelled the heroes' doom.*

*Thus the exalting onslaught went, Till Nameless conceived a final hope,*

*And drawing out a flask of spirits, Hurled it at the barricade,*

*Then blazed a spark with blade on blade, Setting to light a rampant fire;*

*A majestic funeral pyre, Felling the wall atop its maker.*

*Soon Breade was but a memory, O'ershadowed by the floral city:*

*Carmina Gadelica by name, Of gentile and aesthetic fame;*

*Though swiftly too it fell behind, As Moyra Canyon darkly loomed,*

*Foreboding in its desolation, Ere the crossing had begun.*

*Hours aft the presaged end, Of that bleak and lengthy trek,*

*Moyra's cliffs still stood aside, Mocking each benumbing stride;*

*Till Bith remarked in somber phrase, They'd passed the same formations thrice,*

*Spun by some malign device, So deftly one might never know.*

*Having spoke his solemn fear, A haunting voice then prophesied:*

*"Your graveyard shall this chasm be For here you will remain with me;*

*Helpless as the Wave consumes, Everything you've ever known,*

*Leaving naught behind but bone, And fading whispers on the wind."*

*Searching for escape in vain, They rode the passage once again;*

*But Fidchell's brazen promise held: Nowhere could the cliffs be scaled,*

*And though their course did never veer, While racing through the corridor,*

*They came to camp just as before;, Overcome by nauseous dread.*

*Dispel charms proved fruitless too; Till Bith called for womanly aid,*

*Requesting they enchant his blade; Then slowly marching down the path*

*For hours when he sensed at last, The entrapping portal's edge;*

*Driving hard his sword to earth, Razing Fidchell's sorcery.*

Spoken thusly, Fidchell states;

"Like a frenzied horse that is driven. An unseen wind of plague shrieks across the border. Pandemonium, wailing, and stench of carnage fills the air. There is no place to run. No hope of escape. Those who are mourned will never return. The hands of time cannot be turned back."

*Long past the crucible of Moyra,*

*They sheltered in a citadel: Fort Ouph, so said its denizens*

*Where mind and body could be cleansed, Of any hardships one endured*

*Ere disembarking further north, Over the barren Veishus Plain,*

*Where most who crossed it would remain. The horses thrived on unmarked land,*

*Rejoicing in those countless miles, Till suddenly in concert halting*

*As ebon vapours coalesced, At Gorre's inhuman behest,*

*Forging whole his grotesque form: A tetra-legged mass of hate*

*Obscured midst a foul haze. With putrid limbs the demon lashed;*

*Immense weight thrown behind each strike: Through both guard and shield alike*

*The blows did wound unless evaded; While each assault the heroes launched*

*Was somehow violently repelled: Sheathed in armour craft of malice*

*The creature stood immune to challenge. Battling with their utmost might*

*Each soon grew weary from the fight, When Fili grazed the demon's hide*

*And felt its overwhelming sadness; No longer could abhorrence lie*

*Within her for the wretched fiend: T'was but a puppet of the Wave*

*Devised to delve for each a grave. As pity laced her heavy heart,*

*Fili strode towards the beast, Whose crushing limbs were now repulsed*

*Ere they touched her ivory skin; When came she nigh with rapier drawn*

*A single thrust did slay its brawn, For mercy guided Fili's blade*

*Where scorn could never penetrate. In time they reached Lia Fail,*

*Exhausted to the breaking point, Where healers did their wounds anoint*

*While speaking of the land beyond: Knemisys was the desert's name;*

*Devoid of life's too fragile flame, Though offering hope ever so slight:*

*The journey's end was now in sight. Once their strength had been regained*

*A woman of unmatched beauty came; And standing in the village square*

*With naught to clothe but flowing hair, She beckoned with an outstretched hand*

*As her siren song did ring, Throughout the quiet frontier town,*

*Calling both the knight and halfling. Doused by some seducing force*

*Helba charged to find the source, But like Fili arrived too late:*

*Bith and Nameless stood entranced, By Macha's all-enticing spell*

*With which she did their blades compel, To set upon the women with*

*Whom they'd journeyed for so long. Knowing well the quest would fail*

*If any were to perish here, They could but dodge each fierce attack,*

*Unwilling to counter back; Neither could Macha be harmed:*

*Protected by her servants two, No assault could carry through;*

*Such was the witchcraft's passion. In desperation Helba cast*

*A seldom sober sorcery: The banshee's cry for moments wailed,*

*Annulling the demon's hymn, And sealing Macha's fate therein;*

*For that lone unhindered instant, Was all the dark queen needed*

*To cut the bare seductress down. So bidding to the town farewell*

*They forged ahead through Knemisys; Uncrossed by any to return:*

*The arid distance was too great, Yet they went without debate*

*To find whatever might await, Knowing one predestined fact:*

*They'd not last the journey back. Past untold dunes the horses ran*

*Till any sense of time was gone, And each grew jadedly withdrawn,*

*When, rising from the sands ahead, A small oasis lay outspread;*

*Water sparkling through the heat, Beneath a single Godsent tree*

*Worth tenfold its weight in gold. First they drank as ne'er before*

*Upon the tiny desert shore, But found in frantic disarray*

*Just two fruits about the tree; Soon both Queen and Halfling claimed*

*Their sex deserved the greater share, While Fili spoke with fixed glare:*

*Equal parts were truly fair. Bith alone did not take part*

*For something gnawed upon his heart; Coming clear as swords were drawn*

*When words alone would not suffice; Plunging through bark and wood his axe,*

*A shriek of fury tamed the fight, As the haven left their eyes;*

*Thus Tarvos met his swift demise, Presently the thirst awoke*

*As the demon's magic broke, But soon their spirits soared anew:*

*Sand gave way to fluid ground, A joyous omen that they'd found*

*The Wavering Peninsula; Awash with instability*

*Such as none had ever seen. Colours shimmered 'round the cape,*

*Blending aimlessly together, While hoof-beats danced about the land*

*Like echoes of a mindless band; But all too soon this chaos paled*

*In contrast to the final phase: Before the Stone of Destiny*

*Corbenik stood in mockery. Titanic was his human form;*

*Eyes alight with vicious scorn, As he advanced with roaring strides*

*And spoke in truly humbling voice:*

*"You've journeyed far and suffered much To perish by my flawless touch; For as you now shall plainly see, No sprite exists to stand against me."*

*Ere the final word had died, A pulse erupted from his hand*

*Which all but one could not withstand: Nameless stood in disbelief*

*As Helba, Bith, and Fili fell, Unconscious to the shifting earth;*

*Saved by halfling blood alone, He'd fight this demon on his own.*

*Enraged that any dared resist, Corbenik charged into the duel*

*With staggering ferocity, Bent towards his enemy*

*Who spun ever-elusively, Away from each leaden blow,*

*Requiting with his lustrous blades, Like some pernicious serenade.*

*Despite the halfling's surest strike, Corbenik offered no respite,*

*For even as his steel drew blood, The lesion seamlessly would heal,*

*Till a voice in him confided: Your weapons cannot harm this fiend;*

*Fight with those attached to life, To break his immortality.*

*Unequalled was the dark queen's verve, So taking up her royal sword*

*And yearning for true faith's reward; Nameless vaulted o'er his foe,*

*Driving the blade through flesh below, And landing on the other side*

*As the demon fell beside, Both motionless for a time.*

*Soon burning with hellish fire, The fiend rose in satanic form*

*As the Halfling heard once more: A weapon in accord with death*

*Will cleave this monster's dying breath; Thus endowed with Bith's great axe*

*He snuffed Corbenik's second life; Though doubt within him now grew rife.*

*From ash the demon rose again, Empowered by the pure heart*

*And soaring high with angel's wings, As Nameless brandished Fili's bow,*

*Firing volleys at each chance, Till the fiend could fly no more,*

*And beaten to its very core, Fell to earth one final time.*

*Once the sprites had reawakened, The voice resounded in their minds:*

*You have my sincerest praises, For vanquishing the Wave's eight phases,*

*Each imbued with twisted souls, Collected by their maker;*

*Each a brutal incarnation, Embodying the psyche.*

*Skeith, The Terror of Death; Composed of deepest mortal fear*

*His morbid whispers silence cheer*

*Innis, The Mirage of Deceit; Cloaked within a deadly guise,*

*One must see truth amidst his lies;*

*Magus, The Propagator,*

*In his presence species' thrive, Ever able to survive;*

*Fidchell, The Prophet;*

*Predicating hopeless fate, To crush your will beneath its weight;*

*Gorre, The Machination; Enrobed by vicious cruelty,*

*Immune to all but sympathy;*

*Macha, The Temptress; Manifesting love and lust*

*To charm even the most robust;*

*Tarvos, The Avenger; Envy and vengeance are the tools*

*With which he transforms men to fools;*

*And Corbenik, The Rebirth; First compelled by all life's riches*

*Then drawn towards the reaper's scythe,* B*efore ascending to the skies*

*On gusts of immaculate intent.*

*When this world was barely born,The Wave and I did battle here*

*For eons at same frontier, Clashing once with utmost strength:*

*Our bodies spread across the land, Seeding all that now exists;*

*Substance did my form provide, And he the spirit held inside.*

*I've waited for your coming since; A specter sealed beneath this stone*

*Without a shape to call my own; Thus I must entreat you all*

*To pay this last, most grievous cost: Return to me what I have lost*

*That I might give my life to save, Those remaining from the Wave.*

*Each laid their hands upon the stone, Vanishing as the dragon rose*

*In magnificent repose; Feeding off his former tomb*

*Now serving as a holy womb; The peninsula soon faded too:*

*Among the saddest kinds of loss, Gone ere it could be forgotten.*

*In a breath the dragon flew, Back to besieged Mac Anu,*

*Where all the mages of the land, Had trenched their only stand*

*At the battered aqua gate, To stay the Wave in fervent hope*

*That the quest would yet succeed, As Apeiron had once decreed.*

*Streaming forth in sheer delight, The Twilight Dragon met the Wave;*

*Twirling 'round his adversary, Till inextricably entwined*

*They momently shone as one, Like a swiftly dying sun*

*Whose embers flare with glory bright, Before it's taken by the night.*

*When the aura dissipated, Wave and Dragon both were gone,*

*Though joy came not to Apeiron; He knew this victory's true price;*

*The last and greatest sacrifice, Which Helba and her friends had made*

*At land's end so far away, For every voice that now did cheer.*

*Sprites have long since lost their wings, As they did their innocence,*

*The timeless dusk in which they lived, And perhaps of all the saddest;*

*Of Helba and her servant Bith, Of Fili and the Halfling too,*

*No memories remain but this:*

The whole cannot be changed. We have already lost that chance.

Because the time left to use was short, We were mistaken in our path.

But now do we realize, we should not alter the whole, But change only the parts..

Over the Keel Mountains,
Meets an ape with human speech.
The ape asks,
"What clings to you?
Bear it—you cannot.
Accept it—you cannot.
But hidden—it is from you.
Recite its name."
Shunning the field broken by Wave.
The shadowed girl whispers,
"Surely, I will return."
Alas, the truth unbeknownst.
Awaiting her at journey's end;
Eternal mourning for her land.
:*The Keel Mountains traversed at last,*

*we met a dragon that spoke thus:*
*"Sheraton am I, who interprets the signs.*
*An answer to my question, give.*
*If you can, complete my role will be,*
*and I will leave this land.*
*Though equally it exists before everyone's eyes,*
*grasp it not one person can.*
*Tell me—what is it?"*
### **The Story of Punishment**

The Gods sent the Cursed Wave, and it tore through the land to destroy the Elves who had betrayed him. It split into eight separate phases of destruction, each one representing a facet of the Elves sin.

All those who survived the Wave were turned into slow, ugly creatures, and Myulin scorned them, calling them "Humans." Any creature that was born during the years of the Wave were born as disgusting creatures called "Half-Sprites", which were part Elven are part Human.

Death stained the land for many years.

There were some who protested the treatment to the Elves by the Gods. These were the Elves who did not go against the creators.

The followers of the Gods stormed the Heavenly Path and threw themselves before the Gods, crying, “Why must you punish us when it was not us who drew our swords against you?”

The Gods answered, “That is true. But that is not the only sin.”

The Elves questioned again, “What do you mean by that, oh Gods?”

“Very well then. When your brethren raised their swords against us, where were you and what were you doing?”

To that, the Elves replied, “We were at the altars praying to you Gods. We prayed that the fools who disobeyed you would receive your divine punishment.”

The Gods retorted, “Were you not merely praying that your own lives be spared?!”

The Elves faces turned red and they could not reply. Suddenly the Gods showed their anger. “You are more foolish than the fools who do not know their place! Lower even than the Humans! From this day on, you will wear a mark showing your supposed innocence and piety!”

And just as this thundering judgment was made, each of the Elves that gathered at the Heavenly Path began to transform. They grew tails and their beautiful faces turned into those of beasts. When they saw how they had changed, they screamed in shame and disappeared to dark corners of the world.

Having lost their wisdom, Humans brought war and chaos to the world.

They had been reduced to creatures concerned only with domination, and so they commenced to make war on all the other races.

Sol gazed down in sadness at the ruined earth, and he decided to use the spark of goodness that had been taken from the elves, to create the race of Grunties. He dispatched them to return peace to the world.

Sol asked Myulin to create another God, and she did so, naming him Hebiguso. This God was to lead the Grunties in their efforts to restore peace.

The Gods were afraid that the Grunties would suffer the same flaw as the Elves and voiced objections to Sol’s action, and so, Sol cast a curse upon the Grunties, proclaiming: “Listen carefully to me. I have cast a spell on you. It is a curse and a magic word is its key. If someone, even just one person on this earth says this word, a terrible calamity will befall on all of you.”

The Grunties beseeched him, “Great lord, when this calamity occurs, how are we to escape it?”

Sol nodded his head an answered: “You must not oppress others. You must not be bitter. You must not be envious. Have a good and pure heart and live your days peacefully.”

The secret word was told to all Gods and all creatures except for Humans. The Gods were satisfied and the Grunties were sent down to earth. Without shedding a drop of blood, the Grunties stopped the violence of the Humans. Overjoyed, the Gods created Magick and gave it to the Grunties.

Even with such great power, the Grunties did not fall prey to the sin of pride.

The Grunties were loved by all creatures with the exception of the bitterly jealous Humans. This was because all of the things that made Grunties so wonderful, had once belonged to the Humans themselves.

Humans began to look for Grunties’ weaknesses and learned of the curse that Sol had cast on them. Overjoyed, the Humans next set out to learn the secret word, but even the normally talkative monkey would not betray the secret word. To find the word, the Humans held a banquet and invited all the Gods and creatures in order to fog their minds with drink.

One after another, the guests became intoxicated until finally only the snake, the strongest drinker, remained. The snake still would not tell the secret word, so the Humans brought out their most powerful drink and gave it to the snake. As expected, the snake became drunk and told the secret word to the Humans.

The Humans rejoiced and intoned the words.

Immediately, the Grunties lost their intelligence and found themselves unable to stand upright. The humans then called them Puchi Pongo, and made them into their beasts of burden.

Humans then proceeded to continue their war against the other races.

For telling the secret words, the snake was punished by having to forever crawl about the earth on its stomach.

Since that day, the God Hebiguso had forever disappeared, none knowing what truly happened to him.

The Gods fell into despair over the Humans’ deed.

They created a great gateway called Morrigu Barrow and blocked off all earthly access to the Heavenly Path so that none could enter heaven. Along with the sealing of the Heavenly Path, the light of the Gods was also blocked from earth. A God named Folset was placed in the position of guarding the Heavenly Path, and he was dubbed "The God of Judgement" by Sol, so that he might judge those souls pure enough to be blessed with heavens Light.

Without the protection of the Gods, the earth gradually became wilder and began to be corrupted by a dark power called the Shadow.

Due to the Shadow and its corruption, the earth overflowed with monsters and demons. These demons roamed the world and killed everything in their path. Many creatures were lost as a result of their brutality. Humans also came under attack by the monsters.

To survive, the Human civilizations formed barriers in the major cities and closed themselves off. They fought against the monsters, but lost battle after battle. One by one, the cities were cut off from each other, and the barriers protecting the cities were destroyed.

Finally only five cities remained standing.

### **The Story of Renewal**

A young magician was destined to become the second great savior of mankind.
Apprenticing nearly his entire life, the magician received a vision while reading one of his lore books during a fateful afternoon.

This vision proclaimed he was to travel to the great temple of Caerleon Medb, and summon the elemental spirits of nature to physical form.

Having no previous knowledge in evocation, he packed his most treasured books and tools, and set off towards the Keel Mountains, guided by nothing but Faith.

Having spent many months on his journey, the apprentice came to the edge of the mountain, where the great dragon Gwydion was said to have fallen to form its peaks.

Upon reaching the edge of Arche Haokar, the magician cast his most powerful spells to remove the barrier blocking his entrance beyond the waterfall, and he cautiously traversed the dungeon.

It took another several days worth of harrowing journey, but the magician eventually made it to the inner chambers of Arche Koeln, and entered within the confines of the great temple.

It was here, the magician began to pray.

"Vulcan, great Lord of fire, He who creates war in the heart of man, who fuels the spark of the divine, and who kindles the forges of Steel; I beseech you, come to this mortal realm and bring the spark of Fire to the soul of Man."

"Merrows, Spirit of water, she who flows as emotion in all things, who cools the air and rivers with love, and who provides sustenance for all life; I beseech you, come to this mortal realm and bring the love of Water to the soul of Man."

"Great Krake, Spirit and Lord of all wood and forests, he who provides healing and strength for all things, who provides the nourishment of nature, and who allows for the destruction of dying creatures; I beseech of you Great Lord, come to this mortal realm and bring the healing of Wood to the soul of Man."

"Lord Yarthkins, o Spirit of Earth, he who provides a place in which to rest, he who holds us to our promises, and he who allows the physical form of all things; I beseech you Lord, come to this mortal realm and bring the strength and stability of Earth to the soul of Man."

"Lanceor, great spirit of lightning, the Lord who breaks the heavens to cast the light from above, he who makes creatures temble in fear of Nature, and the one who causes all reactions; I beseech you, highest of the Elemental Lords, please come to this mortal realm and bring the reactive force of Lightning to the soul of man.

He also called out to two of the goddesses, the only who might leave the heavenly realm, to save the earth.

"O Great Anu, Goddess of the Stars and Moon, she who protects the tides and the feminine spirit. Please leave your realm, high above, and come to purify the hearts of men. Balance the scale of Gender, and allow that all may be equal in their path. In the name of Sol I beseech you, make masculine and femine one in the same and reunite the shattered soul of Man."

As he began to call the final goddess, he knew that his journey was to end that day. It took several minutes, but he gained composure, and continued on with prayers.

"Aurora, Goddess of the Light of heaven, she who protects Man, even at his darkest. Great god I beseech you. Man is dying, killing itself off. This pitiful race has already lost any signs of its knowledge of the past, and if things continue, it will be consumed by war. I beg of you, please allow the Light of Sol back into the hearts of these fallen creatures called Man. I shall give anything, even my life to make it so. If even for only one Age man might experience the joy of love once more, I shall do anything for you in my power to make it so."

With this great calling, each elemental spirit and goddess materialized itself in the physical realm, in turn.

Materializing last, Aurora spoke to the magician "O Great apprentice of DWHTY, this magician who has evoked all physical powers to his hand, your devotion moves me in a way that I have not seen in a human before. If you are willing to offer your life, I can provide this realm with the means to defeat the Shadow and allow savior from themselves. Your life will become the spark of divine intent that goes towards this process. Be blessed, as because of you, future ages might learn, and live."

With these final words, the magician dissolved into nothingness, his spirit remaining an eternal part of The World for all time after.

The light of the gods shined once more on the blessed earth and the Shadow was contained.

Thanks to the newfound peace, humans once again prospered, but it did not last long...

### **The Story of War**

Once the threat of the Shadow was gone, the humans once again began to fight with one another. The eight Gods and Goddesses remained on earth, but they we so angered and saddened by the pitiful actions of the Humans, that one by one, the left the physical realm.

Finally, only Aurora remained.

Fearing that the light of heaven would again depart the earth, humans placed eight curses on Aurora, and sealed her within the walls of Hulle Granz Cathedral.

When the gods learned that a goddess had been imprisoned, their fury knew no bounds and they vowed to destroy mankind.

The humans had no intention of meekly succumbing to extinction and used their magic powers to devise a technology called Crest, that they could use to fight against the gods.

So began the war between the gods and the humans.

The humans were no match for the power of the gods.
The Aerial City of Fort Ouph fell from the sky and the Highland City of Dun Loireag was crushed beneath it.
The Cultural City of Carmina Gadelica was destroyed by the god of lightning, and many lives were lost.

As a last resort, the humans took all of Aurora’s power, and transformed it into a magick that was fired it at the heavens through the Crest Gun, a weapon of devestating force.
Heaven was engulfed in flame and the gods fled, or fell burning to die upon the earth.
The humans sacrificed much as well. The Relic City Lia Fail, from where the goddess’s power was fired, was reduced to ashes and many excellent magicians died along with it.

And thus ended the age of the gods.

All of the deities in heaven disappeared.
But a single god who remained on earth lived.

This was the God of Law, Folset, who guarded the gate that blocked the Heavenly Path.

Winning the war, the humans wanted the wisdom and power of the gods, and stormed Morrigu Barrow to demand that Folset to invite them in to the City of Dawn.

But Folset refused to grant them entry.

At first, the Humans pointed their weapons at Folset and demanded he open the gate.

But Folset answered thus: “Do whatever you wish. There is no way any of your weapons can harm me.”

The Humans followed his words and tried to attack Folset in any way they could, but they were unable to harm even a single hair on his head.

Once they learned that force was to no avail, they tried to convince him to open the gates by seducing him with gifts.

After seeing the gifts, Folset said, “Build a mountain of gifts for me if you wish. I’ll make a mountain twice that size in an instant.”
Before Folset was even finished completing his sentence, a mountain of gifts more lavish than the gifts created by Humans sprang up before the eyes of the Humans there.

After learning that both force and flattery were of no avail, the Humans got on their knees and begged pathetically.
“If a power that is greater than the Shadow emerges, we would fall into ruin. But if we could regain the wisdom and power that lies beyond this gate, we would be able to protect ourselves and not fight one another. So please open the gate.”

Folset laughed and answered them: “Was it not you who took up sword and shield and slew the gods? You should suffer for your sins.”

Protesting, the Humans replied, “So you are saying that we should have simply allowed the gods to drive us all to extinction?”

Folset shook his head and answered: “Recall first the sins that you committed. Is it not just that sinners receive judgment?”

To this the humans could make no reply.

Folset continued to speak: “But all beings have the right to atone for their sins. Human! Child of sin! If you want this gate opened, then bring back the lost gods. The gods will rise again, born from the dogma of the believers. If they are true gods, then I will open this gate. Bring back what has been lost and only then can you be pardoned.”

And so the Humans argued over Gods’ Rebirth and once again made war against each other.

The world fell into stagnation without the gods.

With none to command them, the sun stood in place and the tides ceased to ebb and flow. The looms gave forth no thread and the ovens no warmth.

Mankind now had to perform all of these functions themselves.

Despite these hardships, Humans did not cease their wars with each other. Soon they invented different types of magical tools to improve their lives.

Ten years after the Great War with the gods, a researcher visited the ruins of Fort Ouph.
Many had avoided the ruins of Fort Ouph, Lia Fail, Carmina Gadelica, and Dun Loireag after the Great War in fear and hatred that they were haunted by the spirits of the dead gods and goddesses.
This belief was further enhanced by the fact that most who set out to explore the ruins never came back.

However this particular researcher did return, and he brought along with him a creature with the body of a human and a head and tail of an animal. This creature was a Beast.

### **The Story of Decay**

At first, humans and beasts were friendly with each other.

But while the beasts revered nature and old ways, the humans were too innovative.

It was the beasts who first discovered the creatures called Chim Chims.
When the beasts saw the light of the gods in the Chim Chims, they decided to revere them as a legacy of the gods.
But the humans captured the Chim Chims to research them, and after discovering a way to extract energy from them, used them to invent steam machines.

The beasts protested this treatment, but the humans would not listen.

As the humans’ use of steam technology advanced, they abandoned magic as old and obsolete. The beasts continued to revere magic culture and rejected steam technology.
Humans scoffed at the beasts for being stubborn and small-minded, and beasts came to despise the humans’ foolishness.

Eventually the beasts decided they could not leave the Gods’ Rebirth to the fools and proclaimed that they too will participate in the Gods’ Rebirth.
Folset granted their participation. Humans were outraged. They believed that the Gods’ Rebirth was their right.

The two sides’ antagonism toward each other began to deepen, and finally, war broke out.

Humans gathered their armies and steam weapons, but found their weapon production was lagging behind.
Desperate, they built the great factory of Breg Epona, but still they were unable to create the necessary weapons.

Beasts were mighty in the ways of magic, but were small in numbers.
They were unable to marshal a large enough army.

Humans were weaker but more numerous. Beasts were stronger, but fewer in number.

And the war continued to rage on.

Both humans and beasts grew tired of the long years of war. However, neither side was able to strike a decisive blow and none knew a way to stop the cycle of wars and bring the entire gruesome conflict to an end.

In this never-ending cycle, a new Faction was born.
Composed of both humans and beasts, the new Faction concentrated on pure pursuit of power and incorporated the crest technology derided by humans, and the steam technology loathed by beasts.

Both humans and beasts were afraid that this new faction would enter the wars, but they sent emissaries to both humans and beasts and called for a cease fire.
At first, both races were hesitant, but they both were forced to accept from the sheer toll brought on by the war.

And so the war between the two races ended but the conflict continued.

Beasts continued to insist on participating in the Gods’ Rebirth and the new faction proclaimed their participation as well.

Humans chanted for “Steam technology and innovation.”
Beasts were for “crest technology and tradition.”
And the new faction for “the pure pursuit of power.”

They began a quiet war without a show of force.
No winner was decided in this war since no gods were born from any of these forces.
The three-way war continued, and in time the factions came to be called the following:

Arvakv the Innovators
Ogmios the Conservatives
Teutates the Pursuers

To this day, the three-way war knows no end, and it quietly drives the world ever closer to its doom.

### **The Story of The New World**

This is where our current story takes place. We have been forced to repeat the events of our previous history, and if we can not learn from it, we will continue living out past failures.

As a wise hermit once said, "*History repeats itself. First as tragedy, second as farce...*"

Quoted from the Quest of Bith and Fili;

"*No memories remain but this:*

The whole cannot be changed. We have already lost that chance.

Because the time left to use was short, We were mistaken in our path.

But now do we realize, we should not alter the whole, But change only the parts.."

I have told you our future and I have told you the past.

(We are currently reliving the end of The Story of Punishment and the beginning of The Story of Renewal.)