--- deliantra/server/pod/books.pod 2007/01/01 14:50:15 1.1 +++ deliantra/server/pod/books.pod 2007/01/02 17:26:14 1.5 @@ -1,3 +1,5 @@ +=encoding utf8 + =begin comment This is the source for some of the books in crossfire, at least, it should become one. @@ -6,13 +8,14 @@ Gorlin Mark Wedel Marc Lehmann +The Crossfire Wiki Each =head1 should become its own book. =end comment -=head1 Ancient History, by Khalis, Volume I +=head1 History of Creation, by Khalis, Volume I In the beginning the land was barren. No life yet moved upon the large continents and islands that lay empty between the seas. In the seas, @@ -49,7 +52,7 @@ she and her Elemental allies fought them back, and tried to heal what they could. -=head1 Ancient History, by Khalis, Volume II +=head1 History of Creation, by Khalis, Volume II In that time it also happened, that a great many of the creatures the Fire Elementals had helped to make were betoken of great madness, and @@ -99,7 +102,7 @@ swamps. Wars broke out between some of the races, none however anywhere in that measure as the Great War of the Second Age. -=head1 Ancient History, by Khalis, Volume III +=head1 History of Creation, by Khalis, Volume III In the Third Age it also happened, that spirits from the outside, who had been content to watch until that time, took pity on some of those races. @@ -149,7 +152,7 @@ to the worship of Gaea, hoping that the forces of Life would protect them, a few humans even went to the goblin, elven and dwarven gods for help. -=head1 Ancient History, by Khalis, Volume IV +=head1 History of Creation, by Khalis, Volume IV As the human worship began to spread out among all the gods and beings of power who had entered the world, a small group of them who wished not for @@ -234,3 +237,394 @@ claim they could be descendants of some of the forgotten gods so little i known about nowadays. + +=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis. + +=head2 Calendrical Introduction + +Present Day + +We are currently in 8437 Era Khelentari (EK). + +=head2 Volume I: The Early Days + +Around 350 EK: The Story of the Fourth Mariner is written by an unknown author. + +435 EK: Colony of Skorn Founded. It would eventualy become the city of Scorn. + +711 EK: The outpost of Heaven’s Gate is founded. + +=head2 Volume II: Second Millenia EK + +1223 EK: Ekkis the Drunk leads a disastrous crusade against the Sirens in the southern seas. + +=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis. + +=head2 Volume III: Third Millenia EK + +2287 EK: Battle of Tered - The Kingdom of the Masts is dismantled by Navar. + +2567 EK: Fernast Fergono, exiled from Navar, leads a famous exploration expedition in the south-east seas. + +2765 EK: The city of Heaven’s Gate is burned by pirates. + +=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis. + +=head2 Volume IV: Fourth Millenia EK + +3084-3154 EK: The Artificers' Wars take place in the East. + +3154 EK: The High Tide of the Gears: End of the Artificers' Wars; many islands are flooded or disappear forever in the depths of the Eastern Ocean. + +3867 EK: Juradiths take the direction of Scorn and create a republic. + +3885 EK: Juradiths are expelled from Scorn by revolting citizens. They are vainquished at Battlefield Lake. + +=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis. + +=head2 Volume V: Fifth Millenia EK + +4127 EK: King Kadriosa IV of Scorn leads a Crusade against the elves of the south-east, who flee the country. + +4131 EK: Foundation of the Elven City of Tashkeren-tah at Vkovzerov (Lake Country). + +4453 EK: The Elven City of Tashkeren-tah sinks into the largest lake of Lake Country. + +=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis. + +=head2 Volume VI: Sixth Millenia EK + +5524 EK: The Meteomage Grab of Ledh fails an experiment, making the weather mad for a while, an event remembered as “The Weather Madness”. + +Late LVIth Century EK: The Great Schism between the Simplifists led by Mish the Toon and the Stabilists: The Sedition Wars. + +5581 EK: Battle of the Glowing Crystal: the Order of the Careful Coders is disbanded. + +5598 EK: The Simplifists exile themselves into the Pocket Dimension of Daï-Moh-Nî, “The World With a Future”, in Ancient Daigojij Language. + +=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis. + +=head2 Volume VII: Seventh Millenia EK + +6356 EK: Butakis settles in Lake Country and starts building the Lake Pump. + +6356 EK: The Lake Pump is destroyed by Twak. Lake Country is covered by fog. Butakis is disfigured. + +=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis. + +=head2 Volume VIII: Eighth Millenia EK + +7124 EK: Harta accidentally creates a Dimensional Grid, connecting the Crossfire Continuum with the Daï-Moh-Nî Dimension. + +7563 EK: The tower of Melficef the Red explodes. + +=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis. + +=head2 Volume IX: Ninth Millenia EK + +8009 EK: Euthville is destroyed. + + +=head1 Euthville History + +The Ruins of Euthville can be found just off the Imperial Highway north of +Scorn. + +=head2 The Origins of the City + +The Codex Skudensis tells that Euthville was founded by the Euthanasia the +Builder, hence its name. + +=head2 Past and Destruction + +Ah, Euthville - “City of the Pearl”, in Old Hemdalite, has indeed a +rather sad story!! + +If you went there about half a millenia ago, you’d have seen something +very different than the field of haunted ruins it has since become. It +was initially founded by a handful of industrious, clever dwarves, that +had found a mystical way to locate fields of precious Karitta, the famous +metal that is as transparent as a pearl of the North Sea, yet as strong as +the best irons of Navar. + +And thus, they found at the location of Euthville a lot of that raw metal, +which quickly made the city one of the richest of all. And for a long +time, it stayed so. The inhabitants of Euthville weren’t interested by +war, work, or anything else too tiresome - they preferred to pay somebody +else to do all of this. And with the advanced technical knowledge bring by +the dwarves, working was less and less an issue for them. + +Yet yhey were facing a problem. All their devices, all their machineries, +all their tricks to cheat with nature required energy. Lots of +energy. They relied first on the strength of horses and donkeys, but it +wasn’t enough. Then, they tamed the dangerous Wyverns of Kal-Durandasi, +so that the hot lizards would provide them with the full force of their +steamy breath. But soon, it wasn’t enough. They also used the hidden +power provided by the Faeries of the Tarniska river, building a dam, so +that they could put the invisible horses of water that the sylphids are +rumored to breed in use. + +But even so, their hunger for power wasn’t satisfied, and became an +increasing nuisance for them. So, the Commander of Euthville (which was, +more or less, the equivalent to our King at Scorn), finally decided to +send messengers across the whole Continent, calling the world for a +challenge. Whoever would be able to fulfill the needs of Euthvillians of +energy would become the new Commander, thus the ruler of the richest city +ever built since Khelens. + +Many answered the call, of course, and many failed. Wind, Sun, Stars, even +dwarven beer were proposed, but nothing seemed to be enough. For years, +wizards tried. And failed. + +And then came a boy. He wasn’t a wizard, nor pretended to be one. He was +young, but the story didn’t kept the record of his name, and some now +think it is because he was damned. Who knows? The Boy sat in the middle +of the city, playing with his flute, laughing whenever he saw one of the +demonstrations the powerful wizards and engineers failing again and again. + +After several days, the Commander noticed the Boy, and said: “who +are you to laugh, you, who has only a flute ?” “I have only a +flute for sure - but there’s more in my simple pipe than in those +legions of wizards.” “Really ?” said the Commander, half-laughing, +half-curious, “so you think you can solve my challenge ?” + +The Boy smiled. “Not only I can, but I shall - and my price will be +quite acceptable to give you the energy you need.” “And that would +be...?” - “A new pipe.” came the reply “That one is becoming +old.” “Agree, you have your chance.” + +The Boy then started to play an amused melody. It sounded like an +invitation to a great feast, the opening of a meeting where everybody was +invited. And then came from earth itself sounds of steps, climbing from +the depth. The fountain that stood in the middle of the place crumbled, +leaving a great hole from which flames emerged. But the fire seemed to +dance at the rythm of the music itself. + +The Boy then said to the Commander: “As long as you keep playing for +the Demons there, at least 23 hours each day, you’ll get them to make +whatever you need.” And he gave them the score, took a brand new silver +flute, and left, and never was seen again at Euthville. + +At first, things seemed fine, and the Commander couldn’t believe his +luck, as a pipe was a feeble price to pay for such a powerful recipe of +prosperity. Who wouldn’t want to tame the Demons themselves? Quickly, +though, it appeared obvious that, for enough demons to be there, that +music needed to be played rather loudly. And if, at first, it sounded +entertaining, joyous, and funny, it quickly grew on the nerves of +many. And especially because it was played 23 hours a day. + +Finally, the Commander decided that the city couldn’t stand this +anymore, and ordered that the Demons had to be attracted faraway from the +city. On this fateful day, a whole fanfare left the city, hoping that the +demons would follow, attracted by the music. + +And so, they did. One after another, they climbed out of Earth itself, and +walked in the direction of the music, obviously unaware of the hundreds of +buildings they were crushing by their giant footsteps, and the thousands +of inhabitants that they toasted with their dark fire. Seeing that, +even the bravest ones went mad, and ran for their lives, leaving pipes, +clavicelles and harpsichords fall on the ground. + +The rest of the story is easy to understand: Demons, free from the magical +music that enslaved them, crushed what remained of the city, in a bloody +fest that they will forever keep in their twisted memories. + +The Commander went mad, of course, and it is said that his madness was +so strong that his mind was unable to understand that he was dead. If +you search enough in the ruins of Euthville, you’ll probably encounter +his ghost, as well as those of the many who perished for having believed +that mortals could enslave the hell. Some demons stayed there, obviously +enjoying the area and its newborn ashes that smelled fresh blood and +carnage. Euthville is now, of course, a dangerous, deserted place, and the +richesses that are still sleeping below the ruins of its former palaces +are now guarded by powerful entities of the 9th Circle. + +Many said that, if the Enchanted Music could be found, it would open the +gates of many treasures, but because none of the former Euthvillians +survived, and because nobody knows where the Boy went afterwards, those +gates are still closed. I’ve heard that the School of Daemonology was +precisely founded to rediscover that spell. But who am I to claim this to +be true ? I’m only a man of the past that tells stories before a fire, +and the fire is dying, and so has my tale reached the end. + + + +=head1 The Kiritani Pass (from "Euthville Legends") + +The "Kiritani Pass" is the part of the map you can see on world_104_114, +between the two random caves and the forest full of hidden +stuff. Nowadays, it is marsh and beach, but centuries ago, it was a +passage for boats sailing from and to Euthville. + + +=head1 Sannistra (from "Euthville Legends") + +The Sannista is a legendary flying boat that was powered by the reaction +of a fire and a water elemental. It was built by the tenth Commander of +Euthville, Farkennis, as a gift for the 18th Birthday of his daughter, +Sannista. That’s the boat that was stolen by Fax when he fled from +Euthville, and that he used to get to Khelens. Giusitta the Verbous then +sailed it back to the Continent, and hid it “somewhere in the mountains +of Euth”. + +So I *guess* she would have put it there, although I’m not *sure*. Many +people thought the story was speaking about the mountains just east of the +ruined city, but now that I’ve discovered those two caves, I’d rather +bet on them - it seems more logical. + + +=head1 The Name of the World + +I, Forag the little-known, have invested my lifetime into exploring +the various names of this, our World. In this tome I wrote down all my +knowledge. Be careful with it, else it might overwhelm you, as it did me! + +In Khelens and most of its territories, it was named “The Earth”, +while the major western landmass was called “The Continent” while the +eastern landmass was called "the Wilderness". + +Fendrakis used “Raxida”, which is also the name they gave to the Fox +Lady, Mother of All Things, deity. + +Elves traditionally use “Eänella”, which translates as “The Land of +Green” + +Dwarves of Khorolizov use “Herdankaupf”, “Country of the Horses”, +which is a reference to their mythology (see the legend of the Twelve Days +for that) + +The Orcish name is “Knâgsh-Ishzeh”, “Rotten Branch” + +The people of the Old Wall, used the name “Harinappa”, “Bottom of +the Pit”, to designate the world. + +Most people nowadays use the old Khelenti name ("The Earth") or its direct +translation in local languages/idioms. + + +=head1 Melficef the Red + +Melficef was a powerful mage that conducted thaumical studies to +try to store magical energies in an efficient way. He created many +self-recharging rod spells that are still commonly used today, as well as +the thaumic bomb, a device storing a massive amount of mana and releasing +it in a violent explosion - such an explosion actually killed the +unfortunate Melficef himself. + + +=head1 The Kingdom of Scorn + +Nestled snugly in a sheltered bay at the west of the Imperial Highway, +Scorn is a safe and welcoming place for those who pass by. Once a great +military force whose power affected the entire world, its influence +has since waned, the castle in the centre of town now serving a mostly +ceremonial purpose. Nonetheless by virtue of its position on the Imperial +highway the city has maintained its importance as a stopping off point +for travellers between the other major cities and it is an attractive +location for trade and commerce in its own right. This combined with the +sheltered harbour and key shipping lines, ensures that Scorn remains a +key crossroads bustling with activity, long after its former military +dominence has diminished. + +=head2 History + +435EK: The colony of Skorn was founded by Skud the Great, when his +expedition reached the shores of the continent. It is said that he first +pitched his tent on the site where the inn now stands. + +1064-1135EK: The war against the Dragons. Scorn is destroyed. Most of its +inhabitants flee to the south. After 1115EK, the city is progressively +rebuilt on top of the now buried ruins nowadays known as the Old City. + +1177EK: War of the Sea Princes. The last imperial ship reaches +Scorn. Contacts with Khelens are now broken. Scorn becomes an independent +kingdom. + + +=head1 History of Lake Country + +Lake Country originaly was where the elves who where exiled from the north +by the kings of Scorn, during the Vth millenia EK. They named the area +Vkovzerov. The major elven city of Vkovzerov was Tashkeren-tah. It was +destroyed by a Water arch-elemental in 4453EK. + + +=head1 Visit our Training Centres! + +We, Training Centres Incorporated provide the best service for warriors, +wizards and anybody else who wants to improve quickly. + +For a modest fee, you can get almost exclusive access to our large +training areas. + +=head2 Pricing + +Humamoid + +A Bonecrusher, a Firestar, and a Demonspawn Shield. + +Undead + +Lich dust, a Spectre’s ectoplasm, and a Skull’s tooth. + +Dragon + +An Ancient dragon’s steak, an Ancient Blue Dragon’s steak, and an Ancient red dragon’s steak. + +Demon + +A Demonbane, a Belzebub’s sword, and a Firebrand. + +=head3 Free Centres + +As a special service, we provide access to two of our older training +centres completely free of charge, although you will understand that there +will be no guarentees given for success: + +Goblin & Zombie - Located south of Scorn + +Skeleton & Ogre - Located somewhere around Navar + +=head2 Locations + +These are the locations to the entrances of the Training Centers. + +world_107_128 + +world_118_101 + +world_106_109 - Humanoid + +world_124_113 - Undead + +world_107_120 - Goblin & Zombie + + +=head1 The Kingdom of Navar + +Straddling the corner of the Imperial highway as it turns North near the +Eastern border of the known world, and surrounded by dangerous territory, +Navar is an unlikely site for one of the world’s grandest cities. Yet +there it stands, dominating the skyline for miles around and showing the +same bustling activity expected of any thriving market town. + + +=head1 The Kingdom of the Masts + +A Merchant Republic led by the now destroyed city of Kari Kori. At its +peak, the Kingdom of the Masts ruled nearly a quarter of the world, and +its fleet was unmatched. Kari Kori was opposed to Navar in a series of +wars that it finally lost at the Battle of Tered in 2287 EK. + + +=head1 The Artificers' Wars + +A series of wars conducted between 3084 and 3154 EK by a coalition led by +Navari Princes against the Artificers, a group of mages that were masters +in the now banned magical field of Technomancy. The Artificers were close +to obtain a complete victory, but were finally destroyed by the raw power +of their own biggest creation, The Thaumic Gear. The explosion of the Gear +shattered the whole east of the world, and many territories forever sank +into the ocean, including Kari Kori, the Technomages’ city. + +