02-28-2008, 11:48 PM
This is part of an ongoing series I'm doing on another forum, and since it's been greeted with some giggles, I've decided to post them here. I've gotten different inspiration for each of them, the first was farming Cigarettes in the Orc Village around 4AM, while the last was brought on by a Within Temptation song.
THE ORC KINGDOM
Once, on a faraway land, there was a quarrel atwixt two great races; Man, and Orc. Man was more dominant in intuitiveness and intellect - but what the Orcs lacked in brain power, they made up in brute force. These two species lived together for hundreds of years, each contributing their bit into society, casting themselves headfirst into whatever troubles so happened.
As it happens, it became apparent that the women of the Orc tribes began to fall for the male members of the human tribes - and fall hard, resorting to kidnapping the objects of their affection. It was a queer sort of thing, as neither race never felt any sort of romantic emotion towards the other in recorded history, save for this.
Those in power - the Orc Lord, The Orc Hero, and to a lesser extent, the High Orcs, felt that this would corrupt the blood lines of the tribes, and destroy the Orcish culture - both species took up arms against each other. There was a great war, battles lost and won on either side - but soon the humans began to drive the Orcs back.
It soon became apparent that the Orcs would lose this war. As they were being pushed back, the Orc Lord and the Orc Hero used their magics on their dead, twisting the Orc corpses into an undead Army. Orc Zombies - brainless grunts swinging their mighty axes at whosoever stood in their path; and Orcish Skeletons - quick and nimble warriors which not even death could stop. However, it was soon found out that the undead Orcish forces were beyond control, and began to fight against both sides.
Realizing what they had done, the Orcs banded together with the human forces to fight off their undead brethren. Finally managing to seal off the menaces in an underground cave system, the Orcs claimed the surrounding area for themselves - establishing their new home on the land over top the caves. The pact atwixt the two races was shakey - the Orcs promising to keep an eye on their undead brothers in exchange for peace.
Peace from the humans - for any man caught on the soil of the Orcish lands would be considered an enemy - another human come to corrupt the proud Orc bloodline - and they would be dealt with by the Orcs themselves.
-----
GLASTHEIM
Glastheim was once a bustling, modern, religious society near Geffen; an answer to the clashing of both the church and the mage ideals. The church believed that the actions performed by the Mages within Geffens walls dealt with the forces of shadow and darkness. The church believed that the Mage guild perverted the natural order of things, and that balance must be restored.
The Mage guild completely disagreed with everything, stating in a press release - posted by Kafra Corp. - that "this was a harsh response to the rabbit-out-of-a-hat tricks" that the church officials had been viewing earlier that evening.
The church of Rune-Midgard became fraught with inner skirmishes and stand-offs, the supporters of the Mages stating that it was well within their rights as practitioners of magic to alter time and space, while others thought that the Mages were practitioners of dark and shadowy crimes - so both sides separated from one another.
Those who supported the Mage clans settled in Prontera, in a lovely little church in the north east part of the map. The nay-sayers took refuge not far from Geffen, ready to defend the kingdom when the Mage clan came to power. However, those that settled near Geffen, the clergymen who disagreed with the teachings of magic in Geffen, soon found themselves set upon, not by evil forces, but from each other.
After building a monumental cathedral, several members of the cloth began to feel uneasy about their so called evil brethren in Geffen. The Pope of Rune Midgard called them heretics, and commanded a dungeon be built to house them. He sent in those who would "save their souls." Their screams echoed in the prison for years afterwards. In that time, the Pope revealed himself to be a cruel man - but it was widely believed that he was infected. An evil entity piercing through his heart... The animosity towards the Geffenia Mages grew, and all sorts of cures were to be brought to the Pope, who had been locked in a cell in the very prison that he had been commanded to build.
Hundreds of thousands of things were tried, from spices to salves, but nothing worked. The Church was finally reduced to asking the Mages for help - and the councils of magic decided: purification by fire. They were to burn the Pope to release the evil surrounding his heart.
The cremation date arrived, and all the preparations were made. The cell where the Pope constantly paced day after day was lit aflame. There was no screams, no sounds of pain... when the fires subsided, all that was left was a body. The body of the Pope had burned away, leaving a new body. A woman, clutching a whip and holding a horned mask...
The Priests made the sign of the cross and backed away, while the Mages made ready to do battle - a battle that rocked the very core of Glastheim, and tore it to pieces. The cathedral became ruined with fire, the landscape thick and overgrown... In a final attempt to subdue the evil woman, the Zherlethsh, the Priests sealed the Prison with holy magics, binding it with the help of the Mage guild. Their dead were buried in a graveyard underneath the church... Yet even there, they felt the evil presence of the spirit who had defiled even the Holy Pope of Rune Midgard. With materials crumbling in their hands, the coffins were shodily made, the markers decaying where they stood...
Once built as a shining example of purity against defilement, Glastheim was corrupted from the inside out by one of the most holy men alive. It was marked as a reminder that hate against others turns your soul into shadow. Where you strike out against your brother, it leaves a mark, not only on him but on you as well.
The only protectors of the evil place became the alligators that had once been adopted as pets by the clergymen, now dropped through the latrines into the sewers, where they were raised by mice and Gargoyles.
-----
BIOLABS
In the Kingdom of Rune Midgard, there's a simplistic way of life, where things like technology is not really heard of. But in places like Einbroch, Lighthalzen and Yuno, technology is being invented and re-invented daily. One such invention is a computer, able to calculate extremely high numbers and come up with an accurate response.
However, even with the computers able to all sorts of scientific and mathematical research, some have decided to use this tool for entertainment. These people have created forums; a message board for one's opinion, where someone can be heard. This is a unique way of carrying on a conversation, as one is free from simple prejudices, stereotypes and biases, such as racism, misogyny, ableism, elitism, and other such lookisms.
One such forum was created by a group of adventurers whose names all suspiciously started with GM. These masters became guardians of the forum, and created a system of rules in order to ensure that everyone's voices were heard.
However, the laws of the universe decree that whenever rules are in place, someone will always break them. People insulting others, people badmouthing opinions, and others believing that they're infallible - nearly every monstrous person under the sun, everyone with an Incubus or a Succubus on the inside.
In times like these, when the rules of the forum are broken, the forum masters take it upon themselves to banish the knave - but recently many have come aware of the Biolabs, where all banished forumites are sent. These labs are located in Lighthalzen itself, under the Rebenker Corporation building.
While it's interesting to note that this is one of the very few times that the Rebker Corporation has worked in cooperation with the Rune Midgard Kingdom, it's safe to say that both factions believe in this cause.
The forum masters tend to believe that the problem stems from a deformation in the brain - somewhat akin to a genetic defect, with symptoms such as arrogance, masochism and sarcasm. Seeking to find a cure for this defect, the masters have conducted experiments on the defective forumites since the turn of the millennium... but there has always been... problems.
Though many forumites are docile when sedated, many adventurers from the Rune Midgard Kingdom have a higher tolerance to the sedative. This is believed to come from many encounters with the monster population, where some wild monsters can secrete spores or a toxin that will lull their enemy to sleep. These forum adventurers become agitated by this process, and the aggression centers of the brain began to over come the subject.
The forum masters have found that the only way to control the adventurers is to confine them into a prison that they call "Outdoors." The Outdoors have developed a reputation throughout both Rune Midgard and Schwartzgard, and is feared the world over. Only a brave few will anger the forum masters and risk being sent to the "Outdoors."
However, many adventurers have found ways inside the laboratory, and the prison. Some go inside to rescue companions, while others go in to test their abilities... It is important to note that going into the Biolabs, and progressing into the "Outdoors" is very dangerous. One should not even attempt this without a sizable force. However, most forum masters deny the very existence of these laboratories, and the "Outdoors," and if you wish to research them further, you must seek out a seasoned veteran of the Rune Midgard Kingdom.
On a lighter note, the best way to get information from said veteran adventurers is to take them to the bar in Morroc, and treat them to a Tropical Sograt or a Vermillion Under The Sun.
-----
THE VALKYRIE RANGDRIS
In the history of the people of Rune Midgard, it has long been thought that Ragnarok was upon them That the world was beginning to crash down around them, and the things that were hidden in darkness came into the light, that the end was finally upon them.
It has long been told that when the bravest warriors of the kingdom die, they are carried by the Valkyries to Valhalla, the place of the gods - where glorious battles were fought every day, wounds healed miraculously night after night , where songs and feasts and dances happened.
However, it was the gods themselves who closed the gates of Vallhalla. The souls of warriors fallen stayed preserved inside their bodies, only to be resurrected by their comrades to fight again. The gods believed the world could be saved, that man would walk once again on green fields. Odin relieved the Valkyries from their duties, leaving only one in her armor, his daughter - Rangdris, to guard the way to the heavens.
The people of Rune Midgard fought endlessly, despearately trying to stave off attacks against Prontera, Payon, Morroc - soon, though, the darkness crawled along the gates of these cities, waiting just past their doors. No matter how hard the adventurers fought, no matter how valiantly they battled, their opponents would not fall.
Eventually, a group of heroes - The Land Pirates - climbed to the top of Thanatos Tower, and defeated the evil there. But it was soon discovered that while man was battling the evil destroying the land, others were creating evil. It was in Einbroch where new buildings shot up, destroying the air and defiling the eart, creating Metalings. It was in the mines underneath the town that RSX 0806 was created, evil seeping into its cogs and gears.
It was at this discovery that the inhabitants of Rune Midgard separated themselves for the Schwarzgard Republic, disappearing into the forests of Payon, the sandy dunes of Morroc, and the strong walls of Prontera. Those that remained after fighting the evil of Ragnarok became convinced that the land could not be saved. The defeat of Thanatos was their greatest victory, but it paled in comparison to the damage that Schwarzgard was doing.
In order to prove their worthiness, all those who believed traveled to Odin's land, to where the Valkyrie guarded the way into Valhalla... to defeat her, and make their way into the land of the gods. They did this in the hopes that after years of battle, they could finally rest. That they could finally sit and feast with their elders. But it was not to be so - all who challenged the Valkyrie Rangdris failed. Born with the blood of Odin flowing in her veins, Rangdris defeated the souls of Rune Midgard, sending them back to their villages at her fathers bidding.
Unfortunately, this defeat was not as great as that which was encountered in Morroc, where without the efforts of its defenders, had fallen to darkness under the Satanic power of the darkness. The defenders continue to fight off Ragnarok... though even while there are those that fight for redemption, the safety of their lands - there are those that do the opposite to safeguard their own interests. There are those who would die, not for glory or for honor, but for the wealth that they've taken from those around them.
It is because there is still evil in the hearts of men that the gates of paradise still remain closed, and man continues to fight against the darkness that consumes the land. When the thoughts and hearts of men are pure, the Valkyries will once again don their armor to take their souls to rest.
THE ORC KINGDOM
Once, on a faraway land, there was a quarrel atwixt two great races; Man, and Orc. Man was more dominant in intuitiveness and intellect - but what the Orcs lacked in brain power, they made up in brute force. These two species lived together for hundreds of years, each contributing their bit into society, casting themselves headfirst into whatever troubles so happened.
As it happens, it became apparent that the women of the Orc tribes began to fall for the male members of the human tribes - and fall hard, resorting to kidnapping the objects of their affection. It was a queer sort of thing, as neither race never felt any sort of romantic emotion towards the other in recorded history, save for this.
Those in power - the Orc Lord, The Orc Hero, and to a lesser extent, the High Orcs, felt that this would corrupt the blood lines of the tribes, and destroy the Orcish culture - both species took up arms against each other. There was a great war, battles lost and won on either side - but soon the humans began to drive the Orcs back.
It soon became apparent that the Orcs would lose this war. As they were being pushed back, the Orc Lord and the Orc Hero used their magics on their dead, twisting the Orc corpses into an undead Army. Orc Zombies - brainless grunts swinging their mighty axes at whosoever stood in their path; and Orcish Skeletons - quick and nimble warriors which not even death could stop. However, it was soon found out that the undead Orcish forces were beyond control, and began to fight against both sides.
Realizing what they had done, the Orcs banded together with the human forces to fight off their undead brethren. Finally managing to seal off the menaces in an underground cave system, the Orcs claimed the surrounding area for themselves - establishing their new home on the land over top the caves. The pact atwixt the two races was shakey - the Orcs promising to keep an eye on their undead brothers in exchange for peace.
Peace from the humans - for any man caught on the soil of the Orcish lands would be considered an enemy - another human come to corrupt the proud Orc bloodline - and they would be dealt with by the Orcs themselves.
-----
GLASTHEIM
Glastheim was once a bustling, modern, religious society near Geffen; an answer to the clashing of both the church and the mage ideals. The church believed that the actions performed by the Mages within Geffens walls dealt with the forces of shadow and darkness. The church believed that the Mage guild perverted the natural order of things, and that balance must be restored.
The Mage guild completely disagreed with everything, stating in a press release - posted by Kafra Corp. - that "this was a harsh response to the rabbit-out-of-a-hat tricks" that the church officials had been viewing earlier that evening.
The church of Rune-Midgard became fraught with inner skirmishes and stand-offs, the supporters of the Mages stating that it was well within their rights as practitioners of magic to alter time and space, while others thought that the Mages were practitioners of dark and shadowy crimes - so both sides separated from one another.
Those who supported the Mage clans settled in Prontera, in a lovely little church in the north east part of the map. The nay-sayers took refuge not far from Geffen, ready to defend the kingdom when the Mage clan came to power. However, those that settled near Geffen, the clergymen who disagreed with the teachings of magic in Geffen, soon found themselves set upon, not by evil forces, but from each other.
After building a monumental cathedral, several members of the cloth began to feel uneasy about their so called evil brethren in Geffen. The Pope of Rune Midgard called them heretics, and commanded a dungeon be built to house them. He sent in those who would "save their souls." Their screams echoed in the prison for years afterwards. In that time, the Pope revealed himself to be a cruel man - but it was widely believed that he was infected. An evil entity piercing through his heart... The animosity towards the Geffenia Mages grew, and all sorts of cures were to be brought to the Pope, who had been locked in a cell in the very prison that he had been commanded to build.
Hundreds of thousands of things were tried, from spices to salves, but nothing worked. The Church was finally reduced to asking the Mages for help - and the councils of magic decided: purification by fire. They were to burn the Pope to release the evil surrounding his heart.
The cremation date arrived, and all the preparations were made. The cell where the Pope constantly paced day after day was lit aflame. There was no screams, no sounds of pain... when the fires subsided, all that was left was a body. The body of the Pope had burned away, leaving a new body. A woman, clutching a whip and holding a horned mask...
The Priests made the sign of the cross and backed away, while the Mages made ready to do battle - a battle that rocked the very core of Glastheim, and tore it to pieces. The cathedral became ruined with fire, the landscape thick and overgrown... In a final attempt to subdue the evil woman, the Zherlethsh, the Priests sealed the Prison with holy magics, binding it with the help of the Mage guild. Their dead were buried in a graveyard underneath the church... Yet even there, they felt the evil presence of the spirit who had defiled even the Holy Pope of Rune Midgard. With materials crumbling in their hands, the coffins were shodily made, the markers decaying where they stood...
Once built as a shining example of purity against defilement, Glastheim was corrupted from the inside out by one of the most holy men alive. It was marked as a reminder that hate against others turns your soul into shadow. Where you strike out against your brother, it leaves a mark, not only on him but on you as well.
The only protectors of the evil place became the alligators that had once been adopted as pets by the clergymen, now dropped through the latrines into the sewers, where they were raised by mice and Gargoyles.
-----
BIOLABS
In the Kingdom of Rune Midgard, there's a simplistic way of life, where things like technology is not really heard of. But in places like Einbroch, Lighthalzen and Yuno, technology is being invented and re-invented daily. One such invention is a computer, able to calculate extremely high numbers and come up with an accurate response.
However, even with the computers able to all sorts of scientific and mathematical research, some have decided to use this tool for entertainment. These people have created forums; a message board for one's opinion, where someone can be heard. This is a unique way of carrying on a conversation, as one is free from simple prejudices, stereotypes and biases, such as racism, misogyny, ableism, elitism, and other such lookisms.
One such forum was created by a group of adventurers whose names all suspiciously started with GM. These masters became guardians of the forum, and created a system of rules in order to ensure that everyone's voices were heard.
However, the laws of the universe decree that whenever rules are in place, someone will always break them. People insulting others, people badmouthing opinions, and others believing that they're infallible - nearly every monstrous person under the sun, everyone with an Incubus or a Succubus on the inside.
In times like these, when the rules of the forum are broken, the forum masters take it upon themselves to banish the knave - but recently many have come aware of the Biolabs, where all banished forumites are sent. These labs are located in Lighthalzen itself, under the Rebenker Corporation building.
While it's interesting to note that this is one of the very few times that the Rebker Corporation has worked in cooperation with the Rune Midgard Kingdom, it's safe to say that both factions believe in this cause.
The forum masters tend to believe that the problem stems from a deformation in the brain - somewhat akin to a genetic defect, with symptoms such as arrogance, masochism and sarcasm. Seeking to find a cure for this defect, the masters have conducted experiments on the defective forumites since the turn of the millennium... but there has always been... problems.
Though many forumites are docile when sedated, many adventurers from the Rune Midgard Kingdom have a higher tolerance to the sedative. This is believed to come from many encounters with the monster population, where some wild monsters can secrete spores or a toxin that will lull their enemy to sleep. These forum adventurers become agitated by this process, and the aggression centers of the brain began to over come the subject.
The forum masters have found that the only way to control the adventurers is to confine them into a prison that they call "Outdoors." The Outdoors have developed a reputation throughout both Rune Midgard and Schwartzgard, and is feared the world over. Only a brave few will anger the forum masters and risk being sent to the "Outdoors."
However, many adventurers have found ways inside the laboratory, and the prison. Some go inside to rescue companions, while others go in to test their abilities... It is important to note that going into the Biolabs, and progressing into the "Outdoors" is very dangerous. One should not even attempt this without a sizable force. However, most forum masters deny the very existence of these laboratories, and the "Outdoors," and if you wish to research them further, you must seek out a seasoned veteran of the Rune Midgard Kingdom.
On a lighter note, the best way to get information from said veteran adventurers is to take them to the bar in Morroc, and treat them to a Tropical Sograt or a Vermillion Under The Sun.
-----
THE VALKYRIE RANGDRIS
In the history of the people of Rune Midgard, it has long been thought that Ragnarok was upon them That the world was beginning to crash down around them, and the things that were hidden in darkness came into the light, that the end was finally upon them.
It has long been told that when the bravest warriors of the kingdom die, they are carried by the Valkyries to Valhalla, the place of the gods - where glorious battles were fought every day, wounds healed miraculously night after night , where songs and feasts and dances happened.
However, it was the gods themselves who closed the gates of Vallhalla. The souls of warriors fallen stayed preserved inside their bodies, only to be resurrected by their comrades to fight again. The gods believed the world could be saved, that man would walk once again on green fields. Odin relieved the Valkyries from their duties, leaving only one in her armor, his daughter - Rangdris, to guard the way to the heavens.
The people of Rune Midgard fought endlessly, despearately trying to stave off attacks against Prontera, Payon, Morroc - soon, though, the darkness crawled along the gates of these cities, waiting just past their doors. No matter how hard the adventurers fought, no matter how valiantly they battled, their opponents would not fall.
Eventually, a group of heroes - The Land Pirates - climbed to the top of Thanatos Tower, and defeated the evil there. But it was soon discovered that while man was battling the evil destroying the land, others were creating evil. It was in Einbroch where new buildings shot up, destroying the air and defiling the eart, creating Metalings. It was in the mines underneath the town that RSX 0806 was created, evil seeping into its cogs and gears.
It was at this discovery that the inhabitants of Rune Midgard separated themselves for the Schwarzgard Republic, disappearing into the forests of Payon, the sandy dunes of Morroc, and the strong walls of Prontera. Those that remained after fighting the evil of Ragnarok became convinced that the land could not be saved. The defeat of Thanatos was their greatest victory, but it paled in comparison to the damage that Schwarzgard was doing.
In order to prove their worthiness, all those who believed traveled to Odin's land, to where the Valkyrie guarded the way into Valhalla... to defeat her, and make their way into the land of the gods. They did this in the hopes that after years of battle, they could finally rest. That they could finally sit and feast with their elders. But it was not to be so - all who challenged the Valkyrie Rangdris failed. Born with the blood of Odin flowing in her veins, Rangdris defeated the souls of Rune Midgard, sending them back to their villages at her fathers bidding.
Unfortunately, this defeat was not as great as that which was encountered in Morroc, where without the efforts of its defenders, had fallen to darkness under the Satanic power of the darkness. The defenders continue to fight off Ragnarok... though even while there are those that fight for redemption, the safety of their lands - there are those that do the opposite to safeguard their own interests. There are those who would die, not for glory or for honor, but for the wealth that they've taken from those around them.
It is because there is still evil in the hearts of men that the gates of paradise still remain closed, and man continues to fight against the darkness that consumes the land. When the thoughts and hearts of men are pure, the Valkyries will once again don their armor to take their souls to rest.
