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1	=encoding utf8	1	=encoding utf8
2		2
3	=begin comment	3	=begin comment
4		4
5	This is the source for some of the books in crossfire, at least, it should become one.	5	This is the source for some of the books in deliantra.
6		6
7	Authors:	7	Authors:
		8
8	Gorlin <gorlin@freibier.htu.tuwien.ac.at>	9	Gorlin <gorlin@freibier.htu.tuwien.ac.at>
9	Mark Wedel <mwedel@scruznet.com>	10	Mark Wedel <mwedel@scruznet.com>
10	Marc Lehmann <crossfire@schmorp.de>	11	Marc Lehmann <support@deliantra.net>
11	The Crossfire Wiki	12	Robin Redeker <support@deliantra.net>
		13	Lalo Martins <lalo.martins@gmail.com>
		14	Yann Chachkoff <yann.chachkoff@mailandnews.com>
		15	Gros
		16
		17	many stories taken from unknown authors at The Crossfire Wiki
		18	http://wiki.metalforge.net/
12		19
13	Each =head1 should become its own book.	20	Each =head1 should become its own book.
14		21
15	=end comment	22	=end comment
16		23
17		24
18	=head1 History of Creation, by Khalis, Volume I	25	=head1 History of Creation, by Khalis, Volume I
19		26
250		257
251	Around 350 EK: The Story of the Fourth Mariner is written by an unknown author.	258	Around 350 EK: The Story of the Fourth Mariner is written by an unknown author.
252		259
253	435 EK: Colony of Skorn Founded. It would eventualy become the city of Scorn.	260	435 EK: Colony of Skorn Founded. It would eventualy become the city of Scorn.
254		261
255	711 EK:
256
257	The outpost of Heaven’s Gate is founded.	262	711 EK: The outpost of Heaven's Gate is founded.
258		263
259	=head2 Volume II: Second Millenia EK	264	=head2 Volume II: Second Millenia EK
260		265
261	1223 EK: Ekkis the Drunk leads a disastrous crusade against the Sirens in the southern seas.	266	1223 EK: Ekkis the Drunk leads a disastrous crusade against the Sirens in the southern seas.
262		267
…		…
266		271
267	2287 EK: Battle of Tered - The Kingdom of the Masts is dismantled by Navar.	272	2287 EK: Battle of Tered - The Kingdom of the Masts is dismantled by Navar.
268		273
269	2567 EK: Fernast Fergono, exiled from Navar, leads a famous exploration expedition in the south-east seas.	274	2567 EK: Fernast Fergono, exiled from Navar, leads a famous exploration expedition in the south-east seas.
270		275
271	2765 EK: The city of Heaven’s Gate is burned by pirates.	276	2765 EK: The city of Heaven's Gate is burned by pirates.
272		277
273	=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis.	278	=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis.
274		279
275	=head2 Volume IV: Fourth Millenia EK	280	=head2 Volume IV: Fourth Millenia EK
276		281
…		…
294		299
295	=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis.	300	=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis.
296		301
297	=head2 Volume VI: Sixth Millenia EK	302	=head2 Volume VI: Sixth Millenia EK
298		303
299	5524 EK: The Meteomage Grab of Ledh fails an experiment, making the weather mad for a while, an event remembered as “The Weather Madness”.	304	5524 EK: The Meteomage Grab of Ledh fails an experiment, making the weather mad for a while, an event remembered as "The Weather Madness".
300		305
301	Late LVIth Century EK: The Great Schism between the Simplifists led by Mish the Toon and the Stabilists: The Sedition Wars.	306	Late LVIth Century EK: The Great Schism between the Simplifists led by Mish the Toon and the Stabilists: The Sedition Wars.
302		307
303	5581 EK: Battle of the Glowing Crystal: the Order of the Careful Coders is disbanded.	308	5581 EK: Battle of the Glowing Crystal: the Order of the Careful Coders is disbanded.
304		309
305	5598 EK: The Simplifists exile themselves into the Pocket Dimension of Daï-Moh-Nî, “The World With a Future”, in Ancient Daigojij Language.	310	5598 EK: The Simplifists exile themselves into the Pocket Dimension of Daï-Moh-Nî, "The World With a Future", in Ancient Daigojij Language.
306		311
307	=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis.	312	=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis.
308		313
309	=head2 Volume VII: Seventh Millenia EK	314	=head2 Volume VII: Seventh Millenia EK
310		315
…		…
314		319
315	=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis.	320	=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis.
316		321
317	=head2 Volume VIII: Eighth Millenia EK	322	=head2 Volume VIII: Eighth Millenia EK
318		323
319	7124 EK: Harta accidentally creates a Dimensional Grid, connecting the Crossfire Continuum with the Daï-Moh-Nî Dimension.	324	7124 EK: Harta accidentally creates a Dimensional Grid, connecting the Deliantra Continuum with the Daï-Moh-Nî Dimension.
320		325
321	7563 EK: The tower of Melficef the Red explodes.	326	7563 EK: The tower of Melficef the Red explodes.
322		327
323	=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis.	328	=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis.
324		329
325	=head2 Volume IX: Ninth Millenia EK	330	=head2 Volume IX: Ninth Millenia EK
326		331
327	8009 EK: Euthville is destroyed.	332	8009 EK: Euthville is destroyed.
		333
		334
		335	=head1 The Sultanate of Darcap
		336
		337	Isolated from the rest of the region by an extensive mountain range to the
		338	south, and possessing a massive natural harbour, Darcap is a small, but
		339	easily defensible town, dominated by a pair of powerful guilds. The town
		340	is also noted for its circus, whose reputation draws visitors from all
		341	over the world.
		342
		343
		344	=head1 Santo Dominion
		345
		346	Santo Dominion sits in a small bay to the north of Scorn. It is an
		347	important port of call for ships travelling to and from Scorn and is
		348	also somewhat famous for its Opera and its Litle House of Horrors, two
		349	magnificent cultural buildings you would not expect in so small a town as
		350	Santo Dominion.
328		351
329		352
330	=head1 Euthville History	353	=head1 Euthville History
331		354
332	The Ruins of Euthville can be found just off the Imperial Highway north of	355	The Ruins of Euthville can be found just off the Imperial Highway north of
…		…
337	The Codex Skudensis tells that Euthville was founded by the Euthanasia the	360	The Codex Skudensis tells that Euthville was founded by the Euthanasia the
338	Builder, hence its name.	361	Builder, hence its name.
339		362
340	=head2 Past and Destruction	363	=head2 Past and Destruction
341		364
342	Ah, Euthville - “City of the Pearl”, in Old Hemdalite, has indeed a	365	Ah, Euthville - "City of the Pearl", in Old Hemdalite, has indeed a
343	rather sad story!!	366	rather sad story!!
344		367
345	If you went there about half a millenia ago, you’d have seen something	368	If you went there about half a millenia ago, you'd have seen something
346	very different than the field of haunted ruins it has since become. It	369	very different than the field of haunted ruins it has since become. It
347	was initially founded by a handful of industrious, clever dwarves, that	370	was initially founded by a handful of industrious, clever dwarves, that
348	had found a mystical way to locate fields of precious Karitta, the famous	371	had found a mystical way to locate fields of precious Karitta, the famous
349	metal that is as transparent as a pearl of the North Sea, yet as strong as	372	metal that is as transparent as a pearl of the North Sea, yet as strong as
350	the best irons of Navar.	373	the best irons of Navar.
351		374
352	And thus, they found at the location of Euthville a lot of that raw metal,	375	And thus, they found at the location of Euthville a lot of that raw metal,
353	which quickly made the city one of the richest of all. And for a long	376	which quickly made the city one of the richest of all. And for a long
354	time, it stayed so. The inhabitants of Euthville weren’t interested by	377	time, it stayed so. The inhabitants of Euthville weren't interested by
355	war, work, or anything else too tiresome - they preferred to pay somebody	378	war, work, or anything else too tiresome - they preferred to pay somebody
356	else to do all of this. And with the advanced technical knowledge bring by	379	else to do all of this. And with the advanced technical knowledge bring by
357	the dwarves, working was less and less an issue for them.	380	the dwarves, working was less and less an issue for them.
358		381
359	Yet yhey were facing a problem. All their devices, all their machineries,	382	Yet yhey were facing a problem. All their devices, all their machineries,
360	all their tricks to cheat with nature required energy. Lots of	383	all their tricks to cheat with nature required energy. Lots of
361	energy. They relied first on the strength of horses and donkeys, but it	384	energy. They relied first on the strength of horses and donkeys, but it
362	wasn’t enough. Then, they tamed the dangerous Wyverns of Kal-Durandasi,	385	wasn't enough. Then, they tamed the dangerous Wyverns of Kal-Durandasi,
363	so that the hot lizards would provide them with the full force of their	386	so that the hot lizards would provide them with the full force of their
364	steamy breath. But soon, it wasn’t enough. They also used the hidden	387	steamy breath. But soon, it wasn't enough. They also used the hidden
365	power provided by the Faeries of the Tarniska river, building a dam, so	388	power provided by the Faeries of the Tarniska river, building a dam, so
366	that they could put the invisible horses of water that the sylphids are	389	that they could put the invisible horses of water that the sylphids are
367	rumored to breed in use.	390	rumored to breed in use.
368		391
369	But even so, their hunger for power wasn’t satisfied, and became an	392	But even so, their hunger for power wasn't satisfied, and became an
370	increasing nuisance for them. So, the Commander of Euthville (which was,	393	increasing nuisance for them. So, the Commander of Euthville (which was,
371	more or less, the equivalent to our King at Scorn), finally decided to	394	more or less, the equivalent to our King at Scorn), finally decided to
372	send messengers across the whole Continent, calling the world for a	395	send messengers across the whole Continent, calling the world for a
373	challenge. Whoever would be able to fulfill the needs of Euthvillians of	396	challenge. Whoever would be able to fulfill the needs of Euthvillians of
374	energy would become the new Commander, thus the ruler of the richest city	397	energy would become the new Commander, thus the ruler of the richest city
…		…
376		399
377	Many answered the call, of course, and many failed. Wind, Sun, Stars, even	400	Many answered the call, of course, and many failed. Wind, Sun, Stars, even
378	dwarven beer were proposed, but nothing seemed to be enough. For years,	401	dwarven beer were proposed, but nothing seemed to be enough. For years,
379	wizards tried. And failed.	402	wizards tried. And failed.
380		403
381	And then came a boy. He wasn’t a wizard, nor pretended to be one. He was	404	And then came a boy. He wasn't a wizard, nor pretended to be one. He was
382	young, but the story didn’t kept the record of his name, and some now	405	young, but the story didn't kept the record of his name, and some now
383	think it is because he was damned. Who knows? The Boy sat in the middle	406	think it is because he was damned. Who knows? The Boy sat in the middle
384	of the city, playing with his flute, laughing whenever he saw one of the	407	of the city, playing with his flute, laughing whenever he saw one of the
385	demonstrations the powerful wizards and engineers failing again and again.	408	demonstrations the powerful wizards and engineers failing again and again.
386		409
387	After several days, the Commander noticed the Boy, and said: “who	410	After several days, the Commander noticed the Boy, and said: "who
388	are you to laugh, you, who has only a flute ?” “I have only a	411	are you to laugh, you, who has only a flute ?" "I have only a
389	flute for sure - but there’s more in my simple pipe than in those	412	flute for sure - but there's more in my simple pipe than in those
390	legions of wizards.” “Really ?” said the Commander, half-laughing,	413	legions of wizards." "Really ?" said the Commander, half-laughing,
391	half-curious, “so you think you can solve my challenge ?”	414	half-curious, "so you think you can solve my challenge ?"
392		415
393	The Boy smiled. “Not only I can, but I shall - and my price will be	416	The Boy smiled. "Not only I can, but I shall - and my price will be
394	quite acceptable to give you the energy you need.” “And that would	417	quite acceptable to give you the energy you need." "And that would
395	be...?” - “A new pipe.” came the reply “That one is becoming	418	be...?" - "A new pipe." came the reply "That one is becoming
396	old.” “Agree, you have your chance.”	419	old." "Agree, you have your chance."
397		420
398	The Boy then started to play an amused melody. It sounded like an	421	The Boy then started to play an amused melody. It sounded like an
399	invitation to a great feast, the opening of a meeting where everybody was	422	invitation to a great feast, the opening of a meeting where everybody was
400	invited. And then came from earth itself sounds of steps, climbing from	423	invited. And then came from earth itself sounds of steps, climbing from
401	the depth. The fountain that stood in the middle of the place crumbled,	424	the depth. The fountain that stood in the middle of the place crumbled,
402	leaving a great hole from which flames emerged. But the fire seemed to	425	leaving a great hole from which flames emerged. But the fire seemed to
403	dance at the rythm of the music itself.	426	dance at the rythm of the music itself.
404		427
405	The Boy then said to the Commander: “As long as you keep playing for	428	The Boy then said to the Commander: "As long as you keep playing for
406	the Demons there, at least 23 hours each day, you’ll get them to make	429	the Demons there, at least 23 hours each day, you'll get them to make
407	whatever you need.” And he gave them the score, took a brand new silver	430	whatever you need." And he gave them the score, took a brand new silver
408	flute, and left, and never was seen again at Euthville.	431	flute, and left, and never was seen again at Euthville.
409		432
410	At first, things seemed fine, and the Commander couldn’t believe his	433	At first, things seemed fine, and the Commander couldn't believe his
411	luck, as a pipe was a feeble price to pay for such a powerful recipe of	434	luck, as a pipe was a feeble price to pay for such a powerful recipe of
412	prosperity. Who wouldn’t want to tame the Demons themselves? Quickly,	435	prosperity. Who wouldn't want to tame the Demons themselves? Quickly,
413	though, it appeared obvious that, for enough demons to be there, that	436	though, it appeared obvious that, for enough demons to be there, that
414	music needed to be played rather loudly. And if, at first, it sounded	437	music needed to be played rather loudly. And if, at first, it sounded
415	entertaining, joyous, and funny, it quickly grew on the nerves of	438	entertaining, joyous, and funny, it quickly grew on the nerves of
416	many. And especially because it was played 23 hours a day.	439	many. And especially because it was played 23 hours a day.
417		440
418	Finally, the Commander decided that the city couldn’t stand this	441	Finally, the Commander decided that the city couldn't stand this
419	anymore, and ordered that the Demons had to be attracted faraway from the	442	anymore, and ordered that the Demons had to be attracted faraway from the
420	city. On this fateful day, a whole fanfare left the city, hoping that the	443	city. On this fateful day, a whole fanfare left the city, hoping that the
421	demons would follow, attracted by the music.	444	demons would follow, attracted by the music.
422		445
423	And so, they did. One after another, they climbed out of Earth itself, and	446	And so, they did. One after another, they climbed out of Earth itself, and
…		…
431	music that enslaved them, crushed what remained of the city, in a bloody	454	music that enslaved them, crushed what remained of the city, in a bloody
432	fest that they will forever keep in their twisted memories.	455	fest that they will forever keep in their twisted memories.
433		456
434	The Commander went mad, of course, and it is said that his madness was	457	The Commander went mad, of course, and it is said that his madness was
435	so strong that his mind was unable to understand that he was dead. If	458	so strong that his mind was unable to understand that he was dead. If
436	you search enough in the ruins of Euthville, you’ll probably encounter	459	you search enough in the ruins of Euthville, you'll probably encounter
437	his ghost, as well as those of the many who perished for having believed	460	his ghost, as well as those of the many who perished for having believed
438	that mortals could enslave the hell. Some demons stayed there, obviously	461	that mortals could enslave the hell. Some demons stayed there, obviously
439	enjoying the area and its newborn ashes that smelled fresh blood and	462	enjoying the area and its newborn ashes that smelled fresh blood and
440	carnage. Euthville is now, of course, a dangerous, deserted place, and the	463	carnage. Euthville is now, of course, a dangerous, deserted place, and the
441	richesses that are still sleeping below the ruins of its former palaces	464	richesses that are still sleeping below the ruins of its former palaces
442	are now guarded by powerful entities of the 9th Circle.	465	are now guarded by powerful entities of the 9th Circle.
443		466
444	Many said that, if the Enchanted Music could be found, it would open the	467	Many said that, if the Enchanted Music could be found, it would open the
445	gates of many treasures, but because none of the former Euthvillians	468	gates of many treasures, but because none of the former Euthvillians
446	survived, and because nobody knows where the Boy went afterwards, those	469	survived, and because nobody knows where the Boy went afterwards, those
447	gates are still closed. I’ve heard that the School of Daemonology was	470	gates are still closed. I've heard that the School of Daemonology was
448	precisely founded to rediscover that spell. But who am I to claim this to	471	precisely founded to rediscover that spell. But who am I to claim this to
449	be true ? I’m only a man of the past that tells stories before a fire,	472	be true? I'm only a man of the past that tells stories before a fire,
450	and the fire is dying, and so has my tale reached the end.	473	and the fire is dying, and so has my tale reached the end.
451		474
452		475
453		476
454	=head1 The Kiritani Pass (from "Euthville Legends")	477	=head1 The Kiritani Pass (from "Euthville Legends")
…		…
462	=head1 Sannistra (from "Euthville Legends")	485	=head1 Sannistra (from "Euthville Legends")
463		486
464	The Sannista is a legendary flying boat that was powered by the reaction	487	The Sannista is a legendary flying boat that was powered by the reaction
465	of a fire and a water elemental. It was built by the tenth Commander of	488	of a fire and a water elemental. It was built by the tenth Commander of
466	Euthville, Farkennis, as a gift for the 18th Birthday of his daughter,	489	Euthville, Farkennis, as a gift for the 18th Birthday of his daughter,
467	Sannista. That’s the boat that was stolen by Fax when he fled from	490	Sannista. That's the boat that was stolen by Fax when he fled from
468	Euthville, and that he used to get to Khelens. Giusitta the Verbous then	491	Euthville, and that he used to get to Khelens. Giusitta the Verbous then
469	sailed it back to the Continent, and hid it “somewhere in the mountains	492	sailed it back to the Continent, and hid it "somewhere in the mountains
470	of Euth”.	493	of Euth".
471		494
472	So I guess she would have put it there, although I’m not sure. Many	495	So I guess she would have put it there, although I'm not sure. Many
473	people thought the story was speaking about the mountains just east of the	496	people thought the story was speaking about the mountains just east of the
474	ruined city, but now that I’ve discovered those two caves, I’d rather	497	ruined city, but now that I've discovered those two caves, I'd rather
475	bet on them - it seems more logical.	498	bet on them - it seems more logical.
476		499
477		500
		501	=head1 The Name of the World
478		502
		503	I, Forag the little-known, have invested my lifetime into exploring
		504	the various names of this, our World. In this tome I wrote down all my
		505	knowledge. Be careful with it, else it might overwhelm you, as it did me!
		506
		507	In Khelens and most of its territories, it was named "The Earth",
		508	while the major western landmass was called "The Continent" while the
		509	eastern landmass was called "the Wilderness".
		510
		511	Fendrakis used "Raxida", which is also the name they gave to the Fox
		512	Lady, Mother of All Things, deity.
		513
		514	Elves traditionally use "Eänella", which translates as "The Land of
		515	Green"
		516
		517	Dwarves of Khorolizov use "Herdankaupf", "Country of the Horses",
		518	which is a reference to their mythology (see the legend of the Twelve Days
		519	for that)
		520
		521	The Orcish name is "Knâgsh-Ishzeh", "Rotten Branch"
		522
		523	The people of the Old Wall, used the name "Harinappa", "Bottom of
		524	the Pit", to designate the world.
		525
		526	Most people nowadays use the old Khelenti name ("The Earth") or its direct
		527	translation in local languages/idioms.
		528
		529
		530	=head1 Melficef the Red
		531
		532	Melficef was a powerful mage that conducted thaumical studies to
		533	try to store magical energies in an efficient way. He created many
		534	self-recharging rod spells that are still commonly used today, as well as
		535	the thaumic bomb, a device storing a massive amount of mana and releasing
		536	it in a violent explosion - such an explosion actually killed the
		537	unfortunate Melficef himself.
		538
		539
		540	=head1 The Kingdom of Scorn
		541
		542	Nestled snugly in a sheltered bay at the west of the Imperial Highway,
		543	Scorn is a safe and welcoming place for those who pass by. Once a great
		544	military force whose power affected the entire world, its influence
		545	has since waned, the castle in the centre of town now serving a mostly
		546	ceremonial purpose. Nonetheless by virtue of its position on the Imperial
		547	highway the city has maintained its importance as a stopping off point
		548	for travellers between the other major cities and it is an attractive
		549	location for trade and commerce in its own right. This combined with the
		550	sheltered harbour and key shipping lines, ensures that Scorn remains a
		551	key crossroads bustling with activity, long after its former military
		552	dominence has diminished.
		553
		554	=head2 History
		555
		556	435EK: The colony of Skorn was founded by Skud the Great, when his
		557	expedition reached the shores of the continent. It is said that he first
		558	pitched his tent on the site where the inn now stands.
		559
		560	1064-1135EK: The war against the Dragons. Scorn is destroyed. Most of its
		561	inhabitants flee to the south. After 1115EK, the city is progressively
		562	rebuilt on top of the now buried ruins nowadays known as the Old City.
		563
		564	1177EK: War of the Sea Princes. The last imperial ship reaches
		565	Scorn. Contacts with Khelens are now broken. Scorn becomes an independent
		566	kingdom.
		567
		568
		569	=head1 History of Lake Country
		570
		571	Lake Country originally was where the elves lived who where exiled
		572	from the north by the kings of Scorn, during the Vth millenia EK. They
		573	named the area Vkovzerov. The major elven city of Vkovzerov was
		574	Tashkeren-tah. It was destroyed by a Water arch-elemental in 4453EK.
		575
		576
		577	=head1 Visit our Training Centres!
		578
		579	We, Training Centres Incorporated provide the best service for warriors,
		580	wizards and anybody else who wants to improve quickly.
		581
		582	For a modest fee, you can get almost exclusive access to our large
		583	training areas.
		584
		585	=head2 Pricing
		586
		587	Humamoid
		588
		589	A Bonecrusher, a Firestar, and a Demonspawn Shield.
		590
		591	Undead
		592
		593	Lich dust, a Spectre's ectoplasm, and a Skull's tooth.
		594
		595	Dragon
		596
		597	An Ancient dragon's steak, an Ancient Blue Dragon's steak, and an Ancient red dragon's steak.
		598
		599	Demon
		600
		601	A Demonbane, a Belzebub's sword, and a Firebrand.
		602
		603	=head3 Free Centres
		604
		605	As a special service, we provide access to two of our older training
		606	centres completely free of charge, although you will understand that there
		607	will be no guarentees given for success:
		608
		609	Goblin & Zombie - Located south of Scorn
		610
		611	Skeleton & Ogre - Located south-west of Navar
		612
		613	=head2 Locations
		614
		615	These are the locations to the entrances of the Training Centers.
		616
		617	world_106_109 - Humanoid
		618
		619	world_107_120 - Goblin & Zombie
		620
		621	world_107_128 - Undead
		622
		623	world_119_101 - Dragons
		624
		625	world_119_118 - Skeleton & Ogre
		626
		627	world_124_113 - Demon
		628
		629
		630
		631	=head1 The Kingdom of Navar
		632
		633	Straddling the corner of the Imperial highway as it turns North near the
		634	Eastern border of the known world, and surrounded by dangerous territory,
		635	Navar is an unlikely site for one of the world's grandest cities. Yet
		636	there it stands, dominating the skyline for miles around and showing the
		637	same bustling activity expected of any thriving market town.
		638
		639
		640	=head1 The Kingdom of the Masts
		641
		642	A Merchant Republic led by the now destroyed city of Kari Kori. At its
		643	peak, the Kingdom of the Masts ruled nearly a quarter of the world, and
		644	its fleet was unmatched. Kari Kori was opposed to Navar in a series of
		645	wars that it finally lost at the Battle of Tered in 2287 EK.
		646
		647
		648	=head1 The Artificers' Wars
		649
		650	A series of wars conducted between 3084 and 3154 EK by a coalition led by
		651	Navari Princes against the Artificers, a group of mages that were masters
		652	in the now banned magical field of Technomancy. The Artificers were close
		653	to obtain a complete victory, but were finally destroyed by the raw power
		654	of their own biggest creation, The Thaumic Gear. The explosion of the Gear
		655	shattered the whole east of the world, and many territories forever sank
		656	into the ocean, including Kari Kori, the Technomages' city.
		657
		658
		659	=head1 Juradiths Dissidents
		660
		661	Juradiths, named after Juradith, Minor Spirit of Equity, were a group of
		662	activists that wanted to turn the Kingdom of Scorn into a republic in the
		663	second-half of the XXXIVth century EK. They succeeded at overthrowing King
		664	Karatan III, but their vengeful, fanatical excesses quickly turned most
		665	Scornians against them. When trying to recapture the city, their army was
		666	defeated by the Scornian Militia with the help of a couple city mages, who
		667	flooded the Juradiths into a magically created lake.
		668
		669	Juradiths still exist as a small political faction today, although
		670	they've long traded their violent ways for some weird traditions whose
		671	origins and meaning are now mostly forgotten.
		672
		673
		674	=head1 The Gaean Legend of Creation
		675
		676	=head2 Age of The Void
		677
		678	In the beginning there was Gaea, the force of nature. SHE filled the whole
		679	of existence with her being. After a few billion years, this became to
		680	grow boring and lonely, so SHE decided to have children.
		681
		682	At first SHE created a host of forces like Herself, eternal and
		683	divine. But with all their power, they couldn't get along with each
		684	other, so Gaea decided that wasn't a good idea. SHE decreed that from
		685	that point on all creatures but HER would have a limited lifetime. But
		686	most of HER first children disagreed, and went away to an unknown
		687	location.
		688
		689	=head2 Age of The Small World
		690
		691	So Gaea created a small world and populated it with limited creatures -
		692	animals and plants of all sorts. For a few million years she was happy
		693	to watch them. But her remaining faithful children were growing restless
		694	and wanted to make their own experimentations too. Finally SHE got bored
		695	again, as her creations weren't self-aware and therefore weren't
		696	much of a company. But SHE was also curious, because her creatures had
		697	developed many different styles of living, and SHE desired to compare
		698	them.
		699
		700	And Gaea destroyed the original world, breaking it in four new ones.
		701
		702	=head2 Age of The Four Worlds
		703
		704	The First world was dedicated to harmony. It was populated with creatures
		705	that preferred to coexist peacefully and contemplate. Two of Her children
		706	were particularly enamoured of this world and decided to live there.
		707
		708	The Second world was dedicated to construction. It was populated with
		709	creatures that liked to change the environment around them, especially
		710	ants, bees and beavers, and filled with wood and metal and stone usable as
		711	raw material. Two of Her children found the idea fascinating and decided
		712	to live in this world.
		713
		714	The Third world was dedicated to war and strife. While all the three
		715	other worlds had equal shares of light and darkness, the Third world had
		716	as much light as its inhabitants desired - and it was populated with
		717	creatures that loved and hated light, in equal parts. So these creatures
		718	quickly discoreved they could influence the ambient light by battling each
		719	other. Two of Her children decided to live in this world: one because he
		720	loved light, and another because he hated his brother and therefore wished
		721	for darkness to prevail.
		722
		723	The Fourth world, finally, was dedicated to predation and to survival of
		724	the fittest. It was populated with fierce creatures and predators. Two of
		725	Her children believed this was the best way to live and decided to live in
		726	this world.
		727
		728	After the worlds were created, only four children of Gaea still preferred
		729	to live in the Void: two because they weren't interested in any of those
		730	worlds, and two because they liked all of them and preferred to visit them
		731	whenever they wished.
		732
		733	=head2 Age of Awakening
		734
		735	And for a few million years Gaea delighted in observing the differences
		736	between the worlds. But still the creatures were not self-aware, and
		737	still SHE was lonely. So when Her children came and said they were lonely
		738	and wanted to create more interesting creatures, SHE understood them and
		739	quickly allowed them and gave them the power to do it.
		740
		741	So on the First world, one of the Gods who lived there created a race of
		742	beings that loved peace and wildlife, and called them Elves. The other
		743	God in that world didn't choose to create followers, but she teached
		744	language to the Elves of her brother, and when the Elves larned the art of
		745	naming, they named their creator Lythander, and in exchange for his name
		746	he gifted them with luck.
		747
		748	On the Second world, one of the Gods created a race of builders and named
		749	them Dwarves. His children, in turn, named him Mostrai. His sister, in
		750	turn, decided not to create, but teach some of the dwarves (the ones
		751	willing to learn) about magic and the powers of the gods. The other
		752	dwarves, however, didn't accept their changed siblings, so they went off
		753	to live by themselves and became known as gnomes.
		754
		755	On the Third world, of course, none of the resident Gods wanted to
		756	cooperate with the other. Both created their own races: the God who fought
		757	for darkness created many kinds of fierce, brutal monsters he named
		758	"Demons", while the God who fought for light created many kinds of
		759	skillful, swift warriors he named "Angels". Befittingly, these Gods
		760	were named by their enemies, and not their followers: the demons gave the
		761	light god the name of "Valriel", and the angels gave their enemy god
		762	the name "Gorokh".
		763
		764	And on the Fourth world, the patron Gods kept true to their philosophy
		765	and created not one, but innumerable races, in the hope that one of these
		766	would prove the strongest and most worth. So they created goblins, trolls,
		767	ogres, and not least, dragons. The Gods became known as Gnarg, the Patron
		768	of Assassins, Ruggilli, the Consuming Worm, and Ixalovh.
		769
		770	The races in the four worlds lived on for millenia, and developed, and
		771	grew, and all worlds flourished. The eight patron gods believed this was
		772	proof that they were right, and the way they lived was the best one, while
		773	the two traveling gods rather believed that the success of all the worlds
		774	was instead proof of the wisdom and power of their Mother.
		775
		776	=head2 Age of Death
		777
		778	But at some point things started to go wrong. Angels and demons would
		779	start to become priests or scholars or merchants and preach against the
		780	war. Dwarves and gnomes would start go grow sedentary and admire the
		781	crafts of the past instead of building new ones. Goblinoids would suddenly
		782	develop a taste for vegetables and become farmers, while dragons would
		783	decide that developing their magics was more important than finding
		784	food. But what was wrong was a mistery that would only begin to unfold
		785	when the High King of the elves, one day, was devoured by a dragon.
		786
		787	It was then that the Gods discovered that the worlds were not anymore
		788	completely isolated from one another. Someone had, somehow, teached all
		789	kinds of creatures how to follow the paths left by the traveling gods -
		790	flying creatures would ride the cross-world whirlwinds of the thunder god,
		791	and others would learn to tread the strange winding paths of the walking
		792	god. And as creatures became aware of different ways, things started to go
		793	wrong.
		794
		795	Promptly, the Gods tried to close all portals - but it was too late. The
		796	art of magic was already known in the four worlds, and strong enough to
		797	travel between them. And the one peaceful elves were ignited, and declared
		798	war on the dragons, goblins and trolls.
		799
		800	While a mighty army of elven warriors crossed over to the Fourth world,
		801	dwarves and gnomes found the First world almost deserted and full of wood
		802	and metal for the dwarves, and holy, peaceful places for the gnomes.
		803
		804	The part of the small peoples who remained on the Second world was faced
		805	with new problems when the demons decided they were ripe for tempting (if
		806	they could get dwarven builders and gnome sorcerers on their side, the
		807	tide of the war would turn). The angels, of course, took upon themselves
		808	to protect these strange people from their eternal enemies. So as their
		809	attention slowly shifted from the Third world to the Second, soon only
		810	the weakest of their kind were in their original world, where they began
		811	to fall prey to hungry refugees from the Fourth world, who discovered how
		812	tasty angel/demon flesh can be.
		813
		814	And while the Gods were busy trying to even understand this chaos, the
		815	dead began to come back.
		816
		817	Their leader was Hagguth, the Elven High King who had been eaten by a
		818	dragon. He came back as a powerful spectre, leading a powerful army of
		819	ghosts, wraiths, skeletons and zombies in a massive attack to the Second
		820	and Third worlds. Their goal was to kill as many dwarves, gnomes, angels
		821	and demons as possible, to strenghten the number of their own undead host.
		822
		823	And when some elven wizards tried to steal the power of the undead to
		824	their own ends, they became the first vampires, lichs and demilichs -
		825	half living, half undead, but on the side of Hagguth and his misterious
		826	masters.
		827
		828	It was only when a group of reasonable elves, dwarves, gnomes and dragons
		829	managed to get together and talk, that it became clear who these masters
		830	could be. Till this point, everyone was blaming some (any) god other
		831	than the one they worshipped. But there was only one, obvious answer:
		832	the Banished Gods, the Forgotten Children who left ages ago because
		833	they didn't agree with he concept of death, were back, and enacting
		834	revenge by subverting death itself. In later days, these Gods would become
		835	collectively known as the Devourers.
		836
		837	Knowing the enemy was not the solution to the war, but was a start. This
		838	group, slowly, was able to form a resistence against the undead armies,
		839	and gradually turn other people to their side. Finally, after 23 hundred
		840	years, they managed to break into the horrible fortress Hagguth had built
		841	in the First world and kill (again) the undead king.
		842
		843	The chaos began to gradually settle down after that. But then the
		844	survivors were faced with a new problem: almost nobody was interested in
		845	perverting to the way things used to be.
		846
		847	Yes. Entire villages of elves were settled in corners of the Fourth world
		848	for many generations, and dwarven guilds had business troughout the
		849	worlds.
		850
		851	=head2 The Big World
		852
		853	So Gaea, in Her wisdom, gave the only possible solution to the
		854	problem. SHE took the four worlds in Her hand, and crushed them
		855	together. Then SHE looked at the single world she created, and at the
		856	creatures of Her children, and decided to again, after millions of years,
		857	create Her own followers. Thus SHE created the humans, a young race eager
		858	to explore and chart this young world.
		859
		860	It took generations for the inhabitants of the resulting world to figure
		861	out its geography and for families to reunite; when this finally happened,
		862	the stories about four different worlds becoming one were already legends
		863	not everybody believed. But still, for some reason, everyone agrees to
		864	call this world - the only one they know - Bigworld.
		865
		866
		867	=head1 The Book of Valriel
		868
		869	In the beginning, for an infinite time, all that existed was a pure light,
		870	and that light had a name, and that name was Valriel.
		871
		872	But part of the light was not content to be alone, and so did Valriel put
		873	this part of Himself aside and did He allow this part to have independent
		874	life; and this part was everything that wasn't content, and as it
		875	wasn't light, it surely was the darkness; and the darkness took upon
		876	itself the name of Gorokh.
		877
		878	And for many times more time than a mortal can count, Gorokh was the
		879	companion and the servant of Valriel. But Gorokh was not content, because
		880	that was his nature, and he plotted a way to change everything. And
		881	although filled with hidden motives, Gorokh's words were always very
		882	wise, so that Valriel would hear them. So it was that Valriel followed the
		883	wise counsel of the Shadow and created a world full of living things to be
		884	His new companions and servants.
		885
		886	And as soon as Valriel had millions of new companions and servants, Gorokh
		887	said, "so now you won't need me anymore, I can leave and find my own
		888	companions and servants". And this made Valriel unhappy because He was
		889	the only and true Lord, but Gorokh wouldn't recognize that, and so it
		890	was Gorokh who eventually taught men to rule over other men instead of
		891	paying respect to the one true ruler of all.
		892
		893	So did Valriel upon the departure of his first servant, create new
		894	servants modeled after His beauty and grace, and elf and man and dwarf he
		895	created them. But the Shadow did feel envy and wished those followers for
		896	himself, so he came to them in the night and whispered in their ears, and
		897	some of them were tempted and started to worship and serve the Shadow.
		898
		899	But not enough were seduced by his promises. So he decided to be many,
		900	not one. And he wore different shapes and again he whispered in the ears
		901	of Valriel's creations. And to the elves he was Lythander of the bow
		902	that never misses, and the elves did not see that if a bow never misses,
		903	and it isn't the work of the Lord, then it can only be the work of the
		904	Enemy. And to the dwarves he wore the name of Mostrai, of the fire, of the
		905	forge, the builder of things, for the fire and the desire to change was
		906	the true face of Gorokh.
		907
		908	And he taught the men to wage war upon each other, and scared the warriors
		909	with thunder and lightning, and they would call him Sorig. And those
		910	who weren't scared, he tempted with weapons and glory, and wore the
		911	beautiful face of a woman, and they called him Valkyrie. And as they
		912	killed each other, Gorokh was happy.
		913
		914	And much more he did. He taught women to heal and to make the soil grow
		915	crop, and they called him Gaea, and believed that Gaea created the world
		916	and Valriel was but a minor god, and by spreading this lie they made
		917	Gorokh happy. And he taught the children of Valriel to write, so that they
		918	could spread his lies further, and they called him Hekanis for that. And
		919	he taught them the abomination of filthy magic to pervert and corrupt
		920	the creation of the Lord, and to liken themselves to gods, and the evil
		921	souls that followed this path called him Byd. And also he taught elf and
		922	man and dwarf to brew alcohol and other inebriating things and to laugh
		923	in the face of Valriel and throw parties that put shame to the eye of the
		924	Lord, and he taught them all that under human guise, and they called their
		925	teacher Joyee.
		926
		927	So did Valriel look upon the world He created and so did He feel great
		928	sorrow and great shame for what had happened to it. And so did he create
		929	a new race of servants, more powerful and more faithful than any other,
		930	imbued with the mission of hunting down and undoing the work of the Enemy,
		931	and this race He called Angels.
		932
		933	But again Gorokh felt envy because the servants of the Light were more
		934	powerful than his own, and again he went to some of the angels in the
		935	night and whispered temptation in their ears, and some turned to his foul
		936	purposes and fell from grace. So did Gorokh give them new shapes, to more
		937	liken them to himself, red with hate and wearing horns to symbolize their
		938	envy, and they became demons. And the plan of Valriel was once again
		939	spoiled by the venom of the enemy, because angels had to step aside from
		940	their assigned mission to fight the demons and keep them from spreading
		941	the evil in their dark hearts.
		942
		943	And Gorokh did find great fun in changing Valriel's creation into a new
		944	race, and so did he get elf and man and dwarf and corrupted them with
		945	his dark will, and they became goblin and orc and kobold, and troll, and
		946	giant, and ogre, and many other abominations to the eye of the Creator,
		947	and Gorokh wore the name of Gnarg to these new creations and delighted in
		948	watching the destruction and sorrow they spread in the world.
		949
		950	And in the ultimate act of defiance, the Shadow decided to create servants
		951	for him, create new life himself to liken him more to the Great Lord. And
		952	he assembled the foulest magic and the darkest hunger he could find and
		953	shaped these into the most horrible monsters he could imagine, and gave
		954	them life, and called them dragons, and sent them forth to eat the flesh
		955	of the creation of Valriel. And the dragons did call him Ruggilli and much
		956	did they please him with the terror they spread.
		957
		958	But the light and the love of Valriel knew no end, so He decided to
		959	fight evil with good, and He instructed His faithful servants to do only
		960	the good, to spread the word of His love. And by doing that did He win
		961	back many servants who saw that the righteous is more powerful than the
		962	might. Much did this enrage the Shadow, and the Shadow did respond by
		963	raising the dead themselves from their graves to fight the forces of
		964	good. Even when the dead did not win, they did force the living to abandon
		965	good in favor of war, and in doing so they would too abandon Valriel. So
		966	once again he shadow was happy.
		967
		968	Valriel finally did decide, with much sorrow in His infinite heart, that
		969	the only way to make His creation safe again was to destroy the Shadow
		970	himself. So did He cast His holy word upon His creation to banish the work
		971	of the Enemy. But the Enemy knew what would happen beforehand, due to the
		972	evil magic of his followers, and he created a safe refuge for their evil,
		973	in a world created entirely of pure evil and hate, that he had set aside
		974	from creation and called Hell. And soon enough did Gorokh find ways back
		975	into the world of the creation of Light, and resumed his foul work of evil
		976	and dissent and terror.
		977
		978	So did Valriel gather together His faithful and he did gave them some time
		979	to put the love for the Lord back in the hearts of as many of His children
		980	as they could. And very soon will He again call upon the faithful, and
		981	then will He give the faithful an entire new world for them to live in the
		982	love of Valriel. And Having done that He will turn to this world, and to
		983	Hell, and to Gorokh, and He will destroy them completely with the force of
		984	His will, putting an end once and for all in the war and the evil.
		985
		986
		987	=head1 The Book of Gorokh
		988
		989	In the beginning, for an infinite time, all that existed was an empty
		990	and cold light. And the light was content to be and fill and control
		991	everything that was. But it is not right for light to be cold, and the
		992	part of the light that should have been warm, longed for warmth and for
		993	things to see and for things to do.
		994
		995	So did the light put aside the warmth, so that the fire would not disturb
		996	their cold peace. And the fire looked unto the light and called the light
		997	Valriel, the controlling father, and the fire called himself Gorokh, the
		998	Son with a Will.
		999
		1000	And for many times more time than a mortal can count, Gorokh was the
		1001	companion and the servant of Valriel. But Gorokh was not content, because
		1002	that was his nature, and he plotted a way to change everything. And fueled
		1003	by the fire of his will, Gorokh's words were always very wise, so
		1004	Valriel would always hear them. So it was that Valriel followed the wise
		1005	counsel of the Fire and created a world full of living things to be their
		1006	new companions and servants.
		1007
		1008	And as soon as Valriel had millions of new companions and servants, Gorokh
		1009	said, "so now you won't need me anymore, I can leave and find my own
		1010	companions and servants". And this made Valriel unhappy because he
		1011	believed he should be only and true Lord, but Gorokh couldn't agree
		1012	to that, and so it was Gorokh who eventually taught men to rule over
		1013	themselves instead of paying respect to one self-appointed ruler of all.
		1014
		1015	So did Valriel, while Gorokh was away exploring the wonders of the new
		1016	world, create new servants of flesh and bone to adore him blindly, and elf
		1017	and man and dwarf he created them. And seeing this beautiful new creation
		1018	Gorokh wanted a part of it for himself, and he presented himself to them,
		1019	and some of them liked him and became his follower.
		1020
		1021	But Valriel was afraid that, with two gods to adore, some of his creation
		1022	could find it natural to spread creation in two equal halves, and he did
		1023	want more than an equal half. So he decided to wear different shapes so
		1024	that his children would believe him to be many, not one, and then he
		1025	would be able to get more than his fair share. And so did he create many
		1026	false gods for his children to adore. And even when Gorokh would bring
		1027	the wonderful gifts conceived by his powerful will, such as the forge,
		1028	weapons, medicine, agriculture, writing, magic, and wine and booze and
		1029	music, even then would Valriel create a false god to pose as the giver of
		1030	those gifts and take the glory for himself.
		1031
		1032	And since Gorokh kept inventing new presents, Valriel became angry,
		1033	because he doesn't like change and he doesn't like any good that
		1034	doesn't come from him. And so did he create a new race of servants, more
		1035	powerful and more prone to following him blindly than any other, imbued
		1036	with the mission of hunting down and undoing the work of the Fire, and
		1037	this race He called Angels.
		1038
		1039	But again Gorokh found a cunning way to defend his work, and again he
		1040	went to some of the angels in the night and whispered promises of power
		1041	in their ears, and some turned to his great purposes and joined him. So
		1042	did Gorokh give them new shapes, to more liken them to himself, red with
		1043	the fire of his will and wearing horns to symbolize their power, and they
		1044	became demons. And the plan of Valriel was once again spoiled by the
		1045	genius of the Fire, because angels had to step aside from their assigned
		1046	mission to fight the demons and keep them from spreading the word of
		1047	Gorokh.
		1048
		1049	And Gorokh did find great fun in changing Valriel's creation into a new
		1050	race, and so did he get elf and man and dwarf and tried to imbue them
		1051	with greater strength, and they became goblin and orc and kobold, and
		1052	troll, and giant, and ogre, and many other strong creatures. But their
		1053	intelligences greatly suffered from the process, and he was unhappy with
		1054	his creation, and while he was looking for a way to help them did Valriel
		1055	come to them under the guise of Gnarg and he told them to spread great
		1056	destruction and sorrow in the world so that the creation of Gorokh would
		1057	seem foul in the eyes of the living.
		1058
		1059	So the Fire decided the creation of Valriel was imperfect and he had to
		1060	create his own new life. So he assembled the most powerful magic and the
		1061	strongest will and mightiest strength he could find and shaped these
		1062	into the most magnificent creatures he could imagine, and gave them
		1063	life, and called them dragons, and sent them forth to take the world for
		1064	themselves. But while the dragons are still the greatest pride of Gorokh,
		1065	many of them have abandoned him to serve yet another disguise of Valriel.
		1066
		1067	And upon seeing the dragons, Valriel declared war and set his servants
		1068	upon the task of killing all the most valuables of Gorokh they could
		1069	find. Gorokh was consumed with sorrow, and devised a way to spare these
		1070	faithful servants, by allowing them to raise again from the grave even
		1071	after their deaths. But the servants of Valriel found these "un-dead"
		1072	an even greater abomination, and set forth to hunt them, and Valriel
		1073	delighted in the war and carnage that ensued.
		1074
		1075	So did Gorokh, his fire dim with sorrow, decide to create a whole world
		1076	for him and his faithful. And this world he called Hell. But when he was
		1077	slowly bringing his faithful to the new world, Valriel treacherously
		1078	brought down a great fury upon the world, killing most of the faithful
		1079	that were left behind. So the Fire was finally enraged and decided to wage
		1080	the war that the Light wanted. And he opened many passages into the world
		1081	so that his armies could enter and destroy the minions of Valriel. And to
		1082	this war we are all called to chose sides and fight.
		1083
		1084
		1085	=head1 The Dwarven Creation Tale
		1086
		1087	A play by Shakesdor the Dwarf.
		1088
		1089	- What... where we come from? You're not old enough for this
		1090	conversation.
		1091
		1092	- No, uncle, I mean as a whole... the world, the dwarves, the others.
		1093
		1094	- Ah. I see. (Big gulp of beer.) You mean, NOW?
		1095
		1096	- Yes, please. Pleeeease?
		1097
		1098	- sigh all right, all right. It goes like this.
		1099
		1100	First there was the Ore and the Forge. The Ore is what existence looked
		1101	like before it existed. The Forge was the untapped will, the potential in
		1102	the Ore to be everything that is, ever will be, or won't.
		1103
		1104	Over a span of time that is not time, because time wasn't forged yet,
		1105	some tiny scraps of Ore drifted into the Forge. A piece of the Forge
		1106	merged with that Ore and became sentient. He has many names, but we call
		1107	him Mostrai.
		1108
		1109	He spent ages of time-that-was-not-time exploring, learning the nature
		1110	of Ore and Forge and himself. Till he decided it was time to start
		1111	forging. And then, first of all, he forged time, so that he could separate
		1112	after from before, and so that he could exist absolutely - as opposed to,
		1113	at the same "time", existing and not being created yet, which was the
		1114	case if time didn't exist.
		1115
		1116	Then, with things in order, he began forging things. The first thing he
		1117	forged was his armor, because he liked the touch of metal against his
		1118	body. Then he forged beer, because of course, beer is essential. He forged
		1119	it red like the Forge, and black like the Ore. The yellow thing, as we all
		1120	know, is an invention of those pansy elves.
		1121
		1122	And he liked the beer. He liked it so much, that he was bored of drinking
		1123	it alone. Beer calls for a party. So he created the boar and the bird, to
		1124	be roasted; he created the mundane fire, which was a toned-down version of
		1125	the essence of the Forge, to roast them. And then he created the dwarf, to
		1126	dress in metal like him, to work the forge with him, but most importantly
		1127	of all, to party with him and partake of the sacred beer.
		1128
		1129	But the dwarf started breeding like bugs, and it was quite distracting
		1130	to have them putting about in spaceless space. At any given point, there
		1131	were thousands of dwarves partying, thousands sleeping, thousands hunting,
		1132	and thousands forging. Mostrai thought it was good, but it was also damn
		1133	annoying. So he created an enormous mountain for them to live under. He
		1134	put the boar and bird, and a few other animals he had come up with later,
		1135	on the outside, where he forged woods and forest. And so that his children
		1136	wouldn't wander forever, he placed these places in the middle of an
		1137	infinite ocean. There you have, that's the story.
		1138
		1139	- Whoa. What about the others?
		1140
		1141	- sigh You won't let me finish my beer, will you?
		1142
		1143	- You'll never finish your beer, uncle. When you soak that mug,
		1144	there's plenty more in the barrel.
		1145
		1146	- All right, all rigth. (Big gulp.)
		1147
		1148	The dwarves had amazing weapons to hunt with. Eventually, the hunt was
		1149	no challenge anymore. The best hunters would play-act wars between
		1150	themselves, to best hone their skills.
		1151
		1152	Mostrai was worried that those fights might one day evolve into real
		1153	wars. So he created an enemy, something very different from the dwarf,
		1154	something very obviously wrong, which lived in the woods and preferred
		1155	bows and other coward weapons rather than hand-to-hand combat. He made
		1156	them incredibly lucky, because otherwise they would stand no chance - and
		1157	they came to believe they're lucky because they're protected by their
		1158	god, which of course doesn't exist. He also made them very old, so that
		1159	they would think they existed before the dwarf - otherwise they would just
		1160	recognize our superior position and submit. And all was good and happy;
		1161	for time beyond count, dwarf and elf honed their skills against each
		1162	other, and prospered.
		1163
		1164	I mean, have you ever fought an elf? Yes, it was an eternal war, but not
		1165	like those bloody gorefest the others have today. When dwarf and elf
		1166	fight, it's clean, it's beautiful, it's according to the rules,
		1167	it's a ritual of honor.
		1168
		1169	Well, I digress. All was well, I said. But one day, one elf created yellow
		1170	beer. And that offended Mostrai to a level of rage unseen before. So he
		1171	created an entire new piece of the world, and populated it with humans,
		1172	and other horrible creatures, and then let these young ones discover our
		1173	land, so that they may raze the elf forests, ruin the elf nations, and
		1174	soil their honor. We're not stupid enough to argue with Mostrai, so we
		1175	went underground, and we're waiting for that to happen, to see what he
		1176	will do next.
		1177
		1178	Can I drink in peace now? There, go play with your friends.
		1179
		1180
		1181	=head1 The Legend of the Builders
		1182
		1183	People of the Old Empire believed that the whole universe was made by
		1184	powerful beings called Builders. Builders were not part of the world
		1185	like gods were - they lived Outside. Little is known about the Builders
		1186	themselves. The priests of the Empire weren't quite sure themselves
		1187	about their names. Some were universally known, though: Mawëdel the Ruler
		1188	or Peterëm the Writing One were the most popular of the ever changing
		1189	list of Builders.
		1190
		1191	The Builders understood very well how difficult it would be for them to
		1192	manage themselves every prayer made - making the Universe work was already
		1193	a time-consuming task. So they created gods to help them in their task.
		1194
		1195	Most of the gods we know today were already popular in the times of the
		1196	Old Empire, like Mostrai or Lythander. Others changed names as time
		1197	passed. Gods provided their powers to the Faithful Ones, and helped them
		1198	by providing blessings and powerful weapons. The priests of the Old Empire
		1199	never believed gods made the world, as they were themselves part of it;
		1200	world-building was the Builders task.
		1201
		1202
		1203	=head1 The Foundation of Scorn
		1204
		1205	Few archives remain from the times when Scorn was founded. The city is
		1206	probably the oldest of the whole known world. Before Fido, before the Old
		1207	Empire, maybe even before gods, Scorn was already there.
		1208
		1209	It is usually said that Scorn was founded by Skud the Great. Many legends
		1210	are telling about Skud, the half-mythical hero. How he captured the first
		1211	dragons. How he fought unknown monsters in the East. How he built Scorn
		1212	and the First Inn. Some priests even postulated that Skud was in fact a
		1213	Builder. Skud created the First Inn because he wanted to sleep inside a
		1214	house, without the risk of being attacked by monsters during the night. He
		1215	left the Holy Guestbook, one of the oldest relics of Deliantra, where he
		1216	and his fellow friends wrote their names. Skud disappeared long before the
		1217	Old Empire came, and nowadays only the Builders can probably remember him.
		1218
		1219	Recent researches show that, although he greatly contributed to the
		1220	popularity of the city, Skud didn't found it: it was in fact created
		1221	by Tabb the Dark, a Builder that left very little information about him
		1222	behind. According to the Codex Skudensis that was discovered in the depths
		1223	of the Old City, "Scorn" would have been the real name of Tabb the
		1224	Dark.
		1225
		1226
		1227	=head1 The Coming of Color
		1228
		1229	It is said that centuries before the foundation of the Old Empire, the
		1230	world was colorless and sad. Aware of that problem, the Builders decided
		1231	to bring color in the life of the Deliantra people. They called the
		1232	massive powers of Xepemes, The Source Of All Colors, on the universe. The
		1233	magical burst slowly covered the world with colors, but some elements
		1234	resisted for a long time. Prophets of the Old Empire announced that,
		1235	although victorious, the force of Xepemes wouldn't stay forever: one
		1236	day, it would eventually fade away against a more powerful magical force,
		1237	the mysterious Pegemes (or Peengees?). This happened - but much after the
		1238	fall of the Empire.
		1239
		1240
		1241	=head1 The Big World
		1242
		1243	The old world was small and it consisted of many pieces. Scorn, Navar,
		1244	Brittany and Santo Dominion were in one large piece. Darcap and the
		1245	Hill Village were in another smaller one. Lake Country was in yet
		1246	another. Pupland was still another. The world was not whole, and the
		1247	builders saw that this was wrong. They began the quest to unite the world
		1248	and established the Big World. As the builders united the world they saw
		1249	that it was much too small and began to make it larger. They raised up the
		1250	Great Mountains around Brest and they caused the Great Forest to grow.
		1251
		1252	As the time passed, Navar grew to become a great Kingdom and the builders
		1253	decided that it was a good city for players to call home and they gave the
		1254	Heroes a choice to serve Scorn or Navar. Nevertheless, Pupland was still
		1255	not part of this new world.
		1256
		1257	This was the state for a long time, until the builders decided that the
		1258	Big World was not good, and set out to change it again. Everything
		1259	changed. So much changed that, in fact, the world was completely
		1260	unrecognisable to its denizens after the change.
		1261
		1262	Except the area around Brest, at least according to the people living
		1263	there. Or maybe they were just too busy fighting monsters to notice it.
		1264
		1265	This time Pupland became part of the new Big World, and can be found in
		1266	the very north, past Santo Dominion.
		1267
		1268
		1269	=head1 Skud the Great
		1270
		1271	One of the first Builders. Skud created many famous places, like the
		1272	Scorn's First Inn or the Newbie Tower.
		1273
		1274	The reasons of the disappearance of Skud are mostly unknown. The Codex
		1275	Skudensis mentions that it could have been because of the negative
		1276	influence of the Arch-Demon Neth Aq. It is thought that The Tower of Skud,
		1277	although left unfinished by its creator, may contain informations about
		1278	the fate of one of the most famous Builder
		1279
		1280
		1281	=head1 Legends of the Fall
		1282
		1283	=head2 Of the first things
		1284
		1285	First there was Chaos
		1286
		1287	Second there was Something and Nothing
		1288
		1289	Third there was Dark and Light
		1290
		1291	It is said that the Something and the Nothing would fight and that, the
		1292	Dark and Light would fight also.
		1293
		1294	This being told to me by a monk of Valriel, no longer in the order.
		1295
		1296	=head2 On the nature of elemental essences
		1297
		1298	It is said that of the four primary elements
		1299
		1300	- there is earth which is.
		1301	- there is water which changes.
		1302	- there is air which moves.
		1303	- there is fire which consumes.
		1304
		1305	=head2 Overheard in a Narcopian brothel
		1306
		1307	When Mother Earth was suckling her children
		1308	sky suckled from her right teat
		1309	but flame and sea fought to suckle from her left teat
		1310	this is why they still fight to this day
		1311
		1312
		1313	=head1 The Tale of Lord Butakis - The Lost Stars of the Lake, Volume I
		1314
		1315	This story begins nearly four thousand years ago, when Kadriosa IV, King
		1316	of Scorn, invaded the southern territories and pushed back the elven
		1317	barbarians that lived there.
		1318
		1319	The elvish people fled, and many of them settled in a place they called
		1320	Vkovzerov, "The Country of the Three Waters", as it was a rather
		1321	unique meeting point between a river, a lake, and the sea. There they
		1322	enjoyed a great prosperity, working with the local sprites to build
		1323	Tashkeren-tah, The City of the Wooden Towers.
		1324
		1325	Two centuries passed, then three. The elven princes of Tashkeren-tah had
		1326	become powerful - and never in their hearts was the thirst of revenge
		1327	and hatred towards the people of Scorn extinguished. Now very familiar
		1328	with the various water creatures that inhabited their territory, they
		1329	had developed great skills in commanding rivers, and the beasts inside
		1330	them, and the creatures made from them. They knew that Scorn was highly
		1331	dependent on its seaport, and they had planned for the many years their
		1332	long life gave them to use the great power of water spirits to crush and
		1333	flood the city.
		1334
		1335	But despite all their accumulated knowledge, their powers were too limited
		1336	to direct the most powerful entities of the seas, the Mouthes of the
		1337	Mariner, none other than the Greater Aquomons.
		1338
		1339	For a long time, they were hesitant to call those, as they were dangerous,
		1340	treacherous creatures born during the darkest ages of the world, when
		1341	Haemdel the Legendary was crushed and the Three Artifacts lost. But so
		1342	strong was their flame of hatred that it soon burned the ropes of their
		1343	carefulness. Using their most powerful summoning spell, they convocated
		1344	one of the Greater Aquomons before them.
		1345
		1346	"Who are you, you creatures with pointy ears, to dare awaken me from my
		1347	dreams, me, Vërno, the Fourth Drop ?"
		1348
		1349	Elven Princes exposed what they wanted to Vërno, and the creature seemed
		1350	very interested at the idea of grabbing all the richesses of Scorn, and
		1351	bringing them back into his dark kingdom of the depth of the sea.
		1352
		1353	"Very well, said Vërno, but you know, I suppose, that we are all bound
		1354	by the Law of Equilibrium, established by the gods themselves when the
		1355	world was new and the seas infinite. And for my services, you'll have to
		1356	pay the price."
		1357
		1358	- And what do you want for a price ? - Well, my needs are rather
		1359	modest. I'll only claim a tenth of your own lands as a reward."
		1360
		1361	The Elven Princes quickly discussed the matter, and came to the conclusion
		1362	that it was a rather fair price to pay - after all, their territories
		1363	weren't very large, and there was a lot of empty space all around, so
		1364	it wasn't really a problem for them. Maybe it would for a couple of
		1365	peasants, but who cared about them more than of the vengeance against
		1366	Scorn ?
		1367
		1368	And so they answered: "The Fate of Scorn is Sealed, then. We accept."
		1369
		1370	What happened then is too long to tell in details here, as it belongs
		1371	to another story. In short, Jovidjevska the elven girl, who had heard
		1372	everything, travelled to Scorn, and convinced the city wizards of the
		1373	truth of the menace. And when Vërno came to crush the city, they moved it
		1374	two days into the future, and the water hand of the Fourth Drop grabbed
		1375	only emptiness.
		1376
		1377	Vërno, furious, came back to the Elves with a big smile, and told
		1378	them: "I did what you wanted, and flooded the territory on which Scorn
		1379	was established. Now I take my due price."
		1380
		1381	And that said, he selected the area on which the Elven City itself was
		1382	built, and covered it with water, its inhabitants trapped and killed there
		1383	without understanding what was happening.
		1384
		1385
		1386	=head1 The Tale of Lord Butakis - The Lost Stars of the Lake, Volume II
		1387
		1388	Two thousand years passed. The lineage of the kings of Scorn died,
		1389	and another dynasty came, and another one after that. Wars were
		1390	conducted. Wizards of Scorn fled, and most of the knowledge disappeared,
		1391	and there were nothing but lakes and forests above the dead city of the
		1392	elves.
		1393
		1394	And then, a man came. Where did he come from ? Nobody knows for
		1395	sure. Butakis was his name.
		1396
		1397	Butakis was an ambitious young man. He had heard here and there strange
		1398	pieces of a weird story, about a sunken city, about a dark pact, about the
		1399	secret power of elves...
		1400
		1401	For years, he studied the Arcanes, hunting for traces of the city, as he
		1402	was convinced that the lost wisdom of the elves of Vkovzerov would give
		1403	him a great power. And, finally, after 20 long years of searching, he
		1404	concluded that the secret was in the area now called "Lake Country".
		1405
		1406	And there, he came, and there was a small house made of wood, and there
		1407	was a tree, and there was a young elvish woman, dreaming at the stars,
		1408	under the tree. And Butakis fell in love, and the elvish lady fell in
		1409	love, and they both watched the stars. But soon, Butakis felt the need of
		1410	getting back into action, and finding the lost city and getting its power.
		1411
		1412	The lady told him: "The true wisdom is in those stars, and in that
		1413	tree, and in that house you see. You'll only find unrest by aiming for
		1414	more."
		1415
		1416	But Butakis had already made up his mind, and he brought back engineers,
		1417	and sappers, and miners, and they all worked to build a huge machine to
		1418	pump the water, and discover the city. During ten years, Butakis worked on
		1419	this, hoping that in the end, the elvish lady would be at his side, and
		1420	that she would be his wife, princess of the restored city.
		1421
		1422	During all the work, he was perpetually annoyed by a small group of
		1423	bandits, lead by Twak the Red Fox. Twak and his men conducted a real
		1424	guerilla war against Butakis, as they saw him as a danger for the whole
		1425	country, because his plans were damaging nature and could also have awaken
		1426	dark power sleeping in the sunken city. Several times, they sabotaged
		1427	the machine, stole tools, raped engineers and designers. But each time,
		1428	Butakis and his followers repaired the machines, engaged new people, and
		1429	increased security.
		1430
		1431
		1432	=head1 The Tale of Lord Butakis - The Lost Stars of the Lake, Volume III
		1433
		1434	And now, ten years after the beginning, the work was completed, and he
		1435	invited the elvish lady to come and see the accomplishment of a lifelong
		1436	dream.
		1437
		1438	The Elvish lady came, as beautiful as ever. And on the balcony at the top
		1439	of the pump, they watched the stars, and she kissed him, and she when they
		1440	were in the bed he had prepared for that very special night before the
		1441	pumping started, she whispered at his ear.
		1442
		1443	That, Butakis had waited for long, but he didn't expect what she told
		1444	him then.
		1445
		1446	"Ten years you were away, and ten years I watched the stars with
		1447	Twak. And now for him, and for he choose me and my heart, I'll
		1448	disappear, and so does your dream."
		1449
		1450	Butakis understood that he had been fooled, that she only kept her
		1451	attention away enough for Twak and three of his faithful men to sabotage
		1452	the pump. And so came a great rumble from the basis of the huge building,
		1453	and so the huge engines exploded, and so was his dream reduced to smoke,
		1454	smoke that still covers most of Lake Country nowadays. The Elvish lady
		1455	probably died, as nobody saw her again after that. And so did the brave
		1456	Twak, but his spirit survived in the wind - or so say some people.
		1457
		1458	Butakis, so strange as it may look, managed to survive, although in bad
		1459	shape, as one would expect. Disfigured, he survived until now using black
		1460	magic or machines to keep him alive, and he tried to gather again men to
		1461	restart his project. But it was now said all around that it was a doomed,
		1462	broken man - and so he in fact was Lake country was said to be haunted by
		1463	Twak, and several travellers saw a young elvish lady, watching the stars
		1464	at night, under a tree, near the lake.
		1465
		1466	Nobody ever accepted to work on the foolish project again. Butakis now
		1467	awaits in his sinister castle, ruling a shattered kingdom lost in the fog
		1468	his machine left behind. A tormented man, that is said to look in the
		1469	direction of the lake from the highest tower of his castle, every night.
		1470
		1471	But for him never came again the Elvish girl, and forever his soul stays
		1472	alone. And so ends what we know about Butakis and Twak, and so dies my
		1473	story.
		1474
		1475
		1476	=head1 The Wizard School of Blue
		1477
		1478	"Although the School disappeared with the Empire itself from The World,
		1479	several wizards claimed to be the heirs of their ancient, secret wisdom,
		1480	and nicknamed "the Blue Ones", a reference to the color of the School
		1481	Banner." – Gros, the Irrelevant One
		1482
		1483
		1484	=head1 The Great Heliograph
		1485
		1486	A device made by Mer'Eric the Walker. Built on the highest point of the
		1487	Brestian Hills, it is basically a giant magnifying glass, using a complex
		1488	mechanism commanding several mirrors, that is able to concentrate the
		1489	sunlight into a powerful beam. The concentrator is associated to a Sun
		1490	Stone that can receive similar long-range light signals and transform
		1491	them into pure thaumic energy. A keyboard is attached to a mechanical
		1492	obturator, allowing a single operator to send coded messages to very long
		1493	distances. A magically-powered scriptor writes any such incoming message
		1494	capted by the Sun Stone.
		1495
		1496	Although Mer'Eric only saw the Great Heliograph as a research project
		1497	and as a way to communicate easily across huge distances, this device
		1498	is also a powerful weapon that can burn nearly anything several miles
		1499	away. This is probably why he decided to hide it in a sealed cave.
		1500
		1501	A similar device was built by the Mad Mage of Scorn, but its fate is
		1502	unknown.
		1503
		1504
		1505	=head1 The Harelkirjan Sisters
		1506
		1507	Also called the Twin Witches, they were two powerful women wizards; Herin
		1508	was specialized in White Magic, while her sister Urdin was a master of the
		1509	Black Art. Both of them tried to improve the life of the people living
		1510	all around their house, and introduced the use of cats as spirit-watchers
		1511	in Scorn. Unfortunately for them, they were burned by an angry Brestian
		1512	fanatical mob for "illegal use of Arcane Powers".
		1513
		1514
		1515	=head1 Ilrya, The Mountain Huntress
		1516
		1517	Ilrya was an elven spellcaster and huntress from the underground city of
		1518	Eallera, that is venerated as a lesser god by most of the dwarves living
		1519	in the Northern Territories. She killed the Bear of Snuddenrach in 3657EK.
		1520
		1521
		1522	=head1 Irial, The Fast One, The Shy Light
		1523
		1524	Irial is a lesser spirit of flashlight - the light that you can see when
		1525	there's thunder, for example. It is represented as a small, jumpy and
		1526	fast fairy with a temperamental mood.
		1527
		1528
		1529	=head1 Khorolizov
		1530
		1531	One of the three great dwarven kingdoms. "Khorolizov" means "Green
		1532	Gold", which is a reference to the Green Sand, an alchemical component
		1533	the dwarves of Khorolizov are the only ones to produce. It is probably
		1534	the oldest of the three kingdoms, founded long before the Old Empire of
		1535	Khelens reached the shores of the Continent.
		1536
		1537
		1538	=head1 Kragi, The Crocodile One, Fish-Hunter
		1539
		1540	Kragi is a very ancient spirit, representing the Dangerous Waters, and
		1541	the creatures hidden in stagnant swamps. Kragi was already feared by
		1542	Ancient Jiradittis, 2000 years before Khelens. A lot of river fishermen
		1543	symbolically throw one fish out of what they gathered, to appease the
		1544	spirit of Kragi so that the next fishing will go without trouble.
		1545
		1546
		1547	=head1 Cromli, The Rocky One
		1548
		1549	Crolmi is the Dwarven Spirit of Rocs and Mountains. It has no temples, as
		1550	it is said that buildings made of stone anger him (it is like "building
		1551	with his own flesh").
		1552
		1553
		1554	=head1 Glamdri, The Darkness Breaker, The Last Standing One
		1555
		1556	Glamdri is a lesser spirit of light - it is said that candlelights are
		1557	manifestations of Glamdri, for example.
		1558
		1559	Glamdri doesn't represent a magical light - more a spiritual light, the
		1560	last pinch of hope in a desperate world. Glamdri also represents original
		1561	thinking used to get out of difficult situations, as opposed to Sarikka -
		1562	the Raging Fire - who tries to resolve those by extreme violence.
		1563
		1564
		1565	=head1 Archmage Rhyz
		1566
		1567	(Entorinaas Durdennis Rhyz, Fourth Archmage of the Seat, Herdysenmark of Normania)
		1568
		1569	Rhyz was an Archmage of the Blue School during the Old Days of the Empire.
		1570
		1571	"(...)Unlike Dhelyy Olyy, his contemporary rival for the Seat, Rhyz
		1572	focused mostly on closing the gap that existed between the art of fighting
		1573	and the Arcane. While Dhelyy Olyy believed in the dual association of the
		1574	Warrior and the Wizard, each with its own strength increased by a long
		1575	specialization in their respective fields, Rhyz believed in the idea of
		1576	a "super warriard", a combination of a powerful wizard and a strong
		1577	warrior. As such, he devised many items that increased the strength and
		1578	combat capabilities of their wearers, hoping that wizard apprentices would
		1579	so be more inclined to learn the battle skills of warriors.
		1580
		1581	Unfortunately for Rhyz, most of his followers relied more and more on
		1582	magical strength more than physical training, leaving them to a severe
		1583	defeat at the Battle of Moriach, when Dhelyy used an anti-magic field over
		1584	them."
		1585
		1586	(Quote from the Codex Simochusianus, Volume XVII)
		1587
		1588
		1589	=head1 Archdaemonist Xebinon
		1590
		1591	Xebinon was an Archmage and Daemonist that was since trapped by a demon of
		1592	the 10th Circle in his mannor.
		1593
		1594	It is said that Xebinon used the Crown of Hellfires to try to tame the
		1595	Arch-daemon (and failed) - this is a crown that gave a lot of power, but
		1596	drained the magical force of the wearer at the same time, making the spell
		1597	regeneration more difficult. This was in fact a cursed, twisted artifact,
		1598	created by daemons for people who were seeking short-term power, but would
		1599	thus head directly for long-term soul slavery.
		1600
		1601	Xebinon is sometimes called "The faceless one", as it is said that the
		1602	daemon trapped him by stealing his visage. This may explain why magical
		1603	artifacts wearing his name are often helmets.
		1604
		1605
		1606	=head1 Argoth, the Fish-City of the Two Towers
		1607
		1608	Argoth is the name of a city that was located West of Scorn, in the middle
		1609	of the sea, in an island that since sunken after the explosion of the
		1610	volcano of the same name, in 674EK. It is called the City of the Two
		1611	Towers, because two huge towers were built there, to guide the ships
		1612	navigating on the oceans between Bigworld and Khelens.
		1613
		1614	Argoth was a dwarven city built on one of the highest mountains known,
		1615	rooted in the depths of the sea, and climbing so high in the skies that
		1616	uneducated travelers said that it was a "stairway to the gods". On the
		1617	top of the mountain, the Imperial Governors built the Two Towers, who were
		1618	visible from Scorn, about 200km far from them.
		1619
		1620	The dwarves of Argoth had a terrible secret: in the depths of the caves
		1621	below the mountains, they had trapped Hregalakhen, one of the last
		1622	survivors of the race of the Ancient Dragons, who ruled Bigworld long
		1623	before the time of humans. Unfortunately for the dwarves, the dragon got
		1624	free for an unknown reason, and destroyed the city, the mountain crumbling
		1625	and disappearing forever into the ocean. The Imperial authorities spread
		1626	the false story of a volcanic eruption to limit the panic a free dragon
		1627	the size of Hregalakhen would have caused in the population. The fate of
		1628	the dragon is unknown to this day.
		1629
		1630
		1631	=head1 Zormola, The Bashing One
		1632
		1633	Zormola was a great female orcish warrior, that is sometimes considered
		1634	as a lesser divinity by not only orcs, but also by southern barbarians or
		1635	even dwarves of Herfensheim, who salute her courage on the battlefield.
		1636
		1637
		1638	=head1 Morgul, The Tower Builder, The Dark Climber
		1639
		1640	Morgul was a Dark Mage that built a tower in the hope of creating a bridge
		1641	with the skies, so that demons could attack heavens. Fortunately for
		1642	angels, a group of adventurers defeated him in 2374EK.
		1643
		1644
		1645	=head1 Wolfen the White, The White Hunter, The One Who Listens
		1646
		1647	Wolfen is one of the three moons orbiting around The World. It is said to
		1648	be the spirit of the legendary hunter Wolfen, who tracked Kalkaruntes, God
		1649	of the Dragons, to is cavern and vainquished it.
		1650
		1651	In astrology, Wolfen is the symbol of practical mind, swiftness and
		1652	flexibility, but also cowardice and stealing. It is associated with the
		1653	Earth element in Alchemancy. Wolfen is seen as a protector by hunters and
		1654	rangers. Priests of Lythander think it is the reincarnation of the wolf
		1655	that hunts with Lythander in the divine forests of Nerënna. Fenxes see it
		1656	as Fixas, the one that saved them from the Humans so long ago.
		1657
		1658
		1659	=head1 Ranisha the Red, The Red Death, The One Who Commands
		1660
		1661	Ranisha is one of the three moons orbiting around the world of
		1662	Deliantra. It is said to be the spirit of the legendary warrior Ranisha,
		1663	who was supposed to be an invincible general that was even able to
		1664	vainquish gods themselves on the battlefield.
		1665
		1666	In astrology, Ranisha is the symbol of violence, hatred, murder, but
		1667	also of strength and courage. It is associated with the fire element in
		1668	Alchemancy. Priests of Ruggili consider it as the watchful eye of their
		1669	god.
		1670
		1671
		1672	=head1 Asferenn the Blue, The Blue Sister, The One Who Suggests
		1673
		1674	Asferenn is one of the three moons orbiting around the world of
		1675	Deliantra. It is said to be the spirit of the legendary wizard Asferenn,
		1676	who was said to have been able to force the gate of the divine dimension.
		1677
		1678	In astrology, Asferenn is the symbol of wisdom, endurance in effort,
		1679	diplomacy, but also treachery and dark secrets. It is associated with the
		1680	water element in Alchemancy. It is said that the cycle of water creatures
		1681	are strongly influenced by Asferenn.
		1682
		1683
		1684	=head1 Story of Lorkas the Fallen, Volume I
		1685
		1686	I'll tell you about Lorkas of Amudrias, and how he found the White Bird
		1687	of Hope, and how he capitained it, opening the Gates of the Sun, and some
		1688	stuff like that.
		1689
		1690	Some say that Lorkas was an angel of Valriel, that fell long ago from the
		1691	Skies, stealing a couple of highly holy artifacts, and hiding them in his
		1692	new underground domains.
		1693
		1694	Some also say that Lorkas is a dark spirit, a lost soul, an unclean,
		1695	unfaithful, untrusty creature of Doom and Chaos.
		1696
		1697	But, for what matters, some also said that Fido was a fiction, or that
		1698	the Empire never was more than a dream of a past that never existed. Some
		1699	definitely are foolishly uninformed for sure, and speak more than they
		1700	think.
		1701
		1702	Because, if they were less quick on jumping to conclusions, they'd
		1703	quickly notice how difficult it is for an angel to fall from the sky and
		1704	never be able to climb back, as if wild gooses were never able to take off
		1705	again once they land after their long journey to the South.
		1706
		1707	Anyway, as every wise man knows, Lorkas was no angelic creature of divine
		1708	essence, or even a magical creation of a godly force.
		1709
		1710	Some say that Khelens is the Beginning, first of the Cities of Men. That,
		1711	too, is untrue: before the Age of Khelens was the Time of the Kingdoms
		1712	at War. And before them, the Era of Songor the Great. And going back
		1713	through the thick book of history, you'll cross Arnistar of the Desert
		1714	Dwellers, the Republic of the Two Rivers, and the Ancient Haemdel, and the
		1715	Kingdom of the Long Wall. And before it, the forgotten towers of light
		1716	that Horadrists built.
		1717
		1718
		1719	=head1 Story of Lorkas the Fallen, Volume II
		1720
		1721	Lorkas was born in Kuratas, a small agrarian state that existed on the
		1722	Coronian Valley, when Songer and Khelens were still in infancy. He was a
		1723	boy that wanted to see everything, to understand the world and its stars,
		1724	and discover its limits, for it was extending much further than the mists
		1725	of his home valley.
		1726
		1727	But life was rude in Kuratas, and trying to think about anything else than
		1728	your next harvest wasn't well perceived by most; and, more than often,
		1729	Lorkas dreamed with tears and despair about the Mountains with the white
		1730	tops, and Seas that ended only when they touched the sky, far away.
		1731
		1732	Tired of his senseless life, he left his parents, his village, his
		1733	friends, when he was only 12, and for weeks walked to the West, until he
		1734	reached the Coast of the Stonewalls.
		1735
		1736	And there, he saw Ottarakans, the Infinite Ocean that extends west of the
		1737	Old World, and so fell in love for the sea. He then joined the Port of
		1738	Kridatta, which was famous for its ships, as its inhabitants had mastered
		1739	a powerful arcane, so that their boats roamed not only the seas, but the
		1740	very clouds themselves.
		1741
		1742	Because he was smart and quick-brained, Lorkas soon got enrolled in the
		1743	team of Capt'n Bortaras; and after several adventures I shall maybe tell
		1744	about another day, he took the succession of the old mariner.
		1745
		1746	Horizon was the name of his ship, and famous was his crew, exploring huge
		1747	territories and fighting the Princes of Sinas, who back then tried to put
		1748	the whole area under their iron, greedy grasps.
		1749
		1750
		1751	=head1 Story of Lorkas the Fallen, Volume III
		1752
		1753	But Lorkas heard about a wonder that him and his crew soon wanted to
		1754	find: The White Bird of Hope.
		1755
		1756	Buried in the Very East, it was said to be. And so he sailed east; he
		1757	crossed the Great Desert, passed the Mountains of Daigojij, reached the
		1758	forests oft he western normanika. But still was the Bird further away.
		1759
		1760	Reaching the Eastern Ocean, they decided to try to cross it, despite that
		1761	it was said to be the end of the world. And for 30 days and nights, across
		1762	tempests and monsters, they firmly kept heading east, east, east.
		1763
		1764	When despair was growing on them, mists magically opened, revealing a
		1765	golden city built on what seemed to be a rich, fertile coastal plain.
		1766
		1767	People there spoke a strange language; they were small and not unlike
		1768	joyful foxes, and they welcomed Lorkas and his men (and women)
		1769	warmly. Soon, they learned to understand each other enough.
		1770
		1771	They called themselves "The People of the Mother", and they had
		1772	never seen the "Flat-Eared Giants" before, although they already met
		1773	"Flat-Eared Beards" and "Flat-Eared Greens" before.
		1774
		1775	But there was a lady called Sonja. And, although she wasn't human, she
		1776	seemed brighter, smarter, more beautiful than any other woman Lorkas had
		1777	ever seen before.
		1778
		1779	Those months were the most wonderful for him - and her - and time seemed
		1780	to have stopped for them in their endless love. But of course it hadn't.
		1781
		1782	And after a while, some of his men wanted to go back to their own homes,
		1783	and some wanted for their families to come to the Golden City. And, also,
		1784	there was the Bird.
		1785
		1786	They had no problem to find the White Bird of Hope - a statue entirely
		1787	made of the purest of the white marble, with gemstones of red ruby as
		1788	eyes. But so much the inhabitants liked it, so they thought that a
		1789	valuable friend was much better than a valuable statue.
		1790
		1791	And so they said: "Take the bird as a gift of us to your masters, to
		1792	show them we want to make friendship with them. Welcome are the friends of
		1793	the children of the White Bird."
		1794
		1795	And so Lorkas left, promising Sonja that he'd soon return.
		1796
		1797	The people of the Golden City also told him that "The Bird is imbued
		1798	with powerful magic: the one owning it will always keep hope."
		1799
		1800
		1801	=head1 Story of Lorkas the Fallen, Volume IV
		1802
		1803	When Lorkas came back, he and his men were welcomed as heroes. So where
		1804	does the story turns sour, as Lorkas is said to have fallen from the skies?
		1805
		1806	Well, when he and his crew came back home, Kridatta was at war with Sinas,
		1807	and for several years, he and his crew fought, using the power of the Bird
		1808	to help them. And during those years, Lorkas kept in his heart the hope of
		1809	seeing again Sonja.
		1810
		1811	Then came the Fever Plague, that killed a third of the people in the
		1812	Ancient World. And again was the Bird used, and again did Lorkas help all
		1813	those he could help, still having hope of seeing the Golden City again
		1814	soon.
		1815
		1816	And then, he sent messengers and explorers, as he had become influent,
		1817	rich, and powerful, across the seas, to rebind the ties with the Golden
		1818	City, as he promised. But they all came without finding their way to
		1819	those faraway shores; yet all that time, and for each new mission sent to
		1820	explore the seas and the skies, they seemed closed and closer from the
		1821	goal.
		1822
		1823	Sixty years passed. The world changed; new kingdoms ruled old cities;
		1824	Lorkas was now an old man that lived in a small house looking at the
		1825	Ocean.
		1826
		1827	And still, each day, he spent hours waiting, watching the line where the
		1828	sea met the sky, hoping that one day, one would sail back and tell him:
		1829	"we found the Golden City !". And always he hoped, but never received.
		1830
		1831	Nearly all of his companions were now dead, and the Horizon had been
		1832	retired long ago, now slowly rotting in the bay, fading souvenir of a long
		1833	forgotten past.
		1834
		1835
		1836	=head1 Story of Lorkas the Fallen, Volume V
		1837
		1838	Lorkas walked to his boat, and where there was only tarnished wood and
		1839	corroded metal, he still saw the fierce ship on which he saw Sonja for the
		1840	first time, so long ago. Who knows what he did, then? One thing is sure:
		1841	the vigile of the Sea Tower of Kridatta, that watched boats coming and
		1842	leaving from dozens of miles away, reported that an ancient ship left the
		1843	bay, with Lorkas sitting at the front of it, holding the Bird, as if he
		1844	was sleeping.
		1845
		1846	Nobody knows exactly where he went. Was he even dead? Nobody knows. But
		1847	everybody kept hope that, one day, he'd reach the Golden City
		1848	again. Lots of people tried to find the Bird after that event. They all
		1849	accused Lorkas of having "stolen" it. The story became legend. The
		1850	legend became fairy tale. And the fairy tale got forgotten by most.
		1851
		1852	Yet, Centuries ago, deep in the oldest parts of the Old City of Scorn,
		1853	people claimed to have found an ancient mausoleum, a relic of the
		1854	past. All made of the purest, finest gold. On the walls were engraved a
		1855	man at the wheel of a strange ship, and a woman with pointy ears, watching
		1856	the skies. And many nowadays keep the Hope that the White Bird now sleeps
		1857	down below the streets, having found its way back to home with Lorkas.
		1858
		1859	But who could tell if it is the truth, or only a silly story? Who
		1860	knows? As for myself, I don't care: I just hold hope it is. And so ends
		1861	the Story of Lorkas, and so keeps Hope running.
		1862
		1863
		1864	=head1 The Prison of Madness
		1865
		1866	It is said that deep in the underworld there is a vast maze that will make
		1867	everybody who dares to enter die of madness.
		1868
		1869	It starts in a room, with a row of mirrors to the south. pass through
		1870	those, and carry on slightly further, and you are in the maze proper.
		1871
		1872	Little is known about the maze, but Worus the Wanderer claimed to have been
		1873	in it, seen many of its wonders and returned.
		1874
		1875	He also wrote a book that details all the ways and passages, alas, nobody
		1876	could decipher it yet:
		1877
		1878	gb2trg2gb2gur2rkvg:
		1879	2jnaqre2nebhaq2hagvy2lbh2ybpngr2n2znc2aN,
		1880	2vg2vf2ba2gur2obggbz2ragenapr2bs2n2znc.
		1881	2bapr2gung2vf2ybpngrq2tb2evtug,
		1882	2hc,
		1883	2evtug,
		1884	2evtug,
		1885	2evtug,
		1886	2evtug,
		1887	2evtug,
		1888	2lbh2jvyy2or2ng2gur2rkvg.
		1889	2gb2trg2gb2gur2inhyg:
		1890	2jnaqre2ebhaq2hagvy2lbh2trg2gb2znc2aN1,
		1891	vg2vf2gb2gur2evtug2bs2n2abezny2znc.
		1892	2tb2hc,
		1893	2yrsg,
		1894	2hc,
		1895	2yrsg,
		1896	2qbja,
		1897	2qbja,
		1898	2evtug,
		1899	2qbja,
		1900	2qbja,
		1901	2qbja.2Lbh2jvyy2or2va2gur2unyy,
		1902	2tb2guebhtu2naq2gb2gur2yrsg2gb2ernpu2gur2inhyg.
		1903
		1904
		1905	=head1 Order of the Gravestone
		1906
		1907	An ancient order of druids, that venerated the supposed gravestone of
		1908	the Spirit of Khalbow. The Spirit was supposed to be a symbol of eternal
		1909	renewal and redemption, that lived a regular, short-term dead/revival
		1910	cycle. The Order of the Gravestone was very popular during the first
		1911	Millenia EK, but then went extinct. No druid is known to exist today, and
		1912	the exact location of the gravestone has long been forgotten.
		1913
		1914
		1915	=head1 Rule of Dictus
		1916
		1917	If you get killed twice at the same place - go elsewhere.
		1918
		1919	- Dictus the Fat, EK 323
		1920
		1921
		1922	=head1 Heaven and Hell
		1923
		1924	It is said that the church of Valriel in Scorn has direct access to
		1925	Heaven. The priests of Valriel claim that you can enter Heaven freely, and
		1926	even come back to the world of mortals. The priests of Gorokh claim that
		1927	their church has a connection to Hell. The Valriel priests claim they were
		1928	first, and, in their usual attitude, the Gorokh priests claim the priests
		1929	of Valriel are useless maggots that lie to their followers.
		1930
		1931	Although a number of people have travelled to both Heaven and Hell, their
		1932	reports are inconclusive as to wether it was real "Hell" (or Heaven) they
		1933	visited.
		1934
		1935	Some people claim this Heaven and Hell business is just some magic
		1936	illusion forged by some magicians of those churches, mostly because you
		1937	can still die in Heaven, Hell doesn't look all that impressive (and it
		1938	is so easy to come back), and why would only the churches in Scorn have
		1939	access to those in the first place?
		1940
		1941
		1942	=head1 Barad-Dur
		1943
		1944	In the mountains north-east of the great city we found it at last -- the
		1945	hidden fortress of Barad-Dur. What treasures could lie in it I do not know
		1946	for our party never gained its way past the entryway. Skulls, pixies, and
		1947	a horrible creature I hesitate to name decimated my friends and I.
		1948
		1949
		1950	=head1 A visit to the Alchemist
		1951
		1952	...and then did the Alchemist agree to make me my potion. First he
		1953	called to his grimm servants who hauld forth a great iron cauldron. Into
		1954	this black device did he deposit his ingredients and, opening his spell
		1955	book for reference, then did he cast his spell of alchemy therepon the
		1956	cauldron.
		1957
		1958	Greatly did the tub shake and move! I thought that the Alchemist had broke
		1959	his device, but he chuckled at my ignorance. Into the cauldron did he
		1960	reach an brought forth a filled bottle of golden amber fluid...
		1961
		1962
		1963	=head1 The Philosophical Ingredients
		1964
		1965	Know that there are 4 principle philosophical ingredients. In order, they
		1966	are:
		1967
		1968	- philosophical salt
		1969	- philosophical sulphur
		1970	- philosophical phosphorus
		1971	- philosophical oil
		1972
		1973	The great alchemist has often said that all living things are made of
		1974	these ingredients. Proper combination of these with other base objects can
		1975	often create potions of power and might.
		1976
		1977
		1978	=head1 Collection of Strange Glyphs
		1979
		1980	Many years ago, I got my hands on a book with many strange glyphs, from
		1981	a book-dealer in Darcap. Interested in all kinds of arcance Symbols, I
		1982	bought it despite the rather high price, for the depicted glyphs looked
		1983	intricately detailed and seemed to emanate some deeper meaning.
		1984
		1985	The only thing the shop keeper could tell me about the book was that it
		1986	was supposed to be a "talansuration book" or something like that, and no,
		1987	he didn't know what that means.
		1988
		1989	I was unable to find out more about this cult of Talansura, despite
		1990	traveling all over the world for many years.
		1991
		1992	Since my copy of the book is now in a very bad condition, I decided to
		1993	make a clean copy and publish it, so this knowledge is not lost forever.
		1994
		1995	B<- Samuel Midnight, Book Collector and Traveller, Scorn>
		1996
		1997	T<トランスレーション著書>
		1998
		1999	悪鬼 akki demon, devil
		2000	悪魔 akuma demon, evil spirit
		2001	アパート apa-to apartment
		2002	東 azuma east
		2003	貯金箱 chokinbako bank
		2004	著書 chosho book
		2005	貯蔵 chozou storage
		2006	付き dzuki to, under
		2007	ギリ神 girisin Ruggili
		2008	護衛 goei guard
		2009	本塁 honrui stronghold
		2010	一堂 ichidou shrine
		2011	溢流 itsuryuu spill, overflow
		2012	一定不変 itteifuhen permanent
		2013	鍵 kagi key
		2014	京洛 keiraku capital
		2015	血液 ketsueki blood
		2016	寛ぎ kutsurogi room
		2017	メゾン mezon house
		2018	町 machi town
		2019	港 minato harbour
		2020	店 mise shop
		2021	渚 nagisa shore, water's edge
		2022	燃焼 nenshou burning
		2023	の no (glue two words together)
		2024	鬼 oni demon, orge
		2025	乱暴 ranbou rough
		2026	力 ryoku power, strength
		2027	センタ senta center
		2028	市場 shijou market
		2029	商業組合 shougyoukumiai guild
		2030	商法 shouhou trade, commerce
		2031	住居 sumai house
		2032	スノー suno- snow
		2033	建物 tatemono building
		2034	卓子 teiburu table
		2035	トランスレーション toransure-shon translation
		2036	ウエルカム uerukamu welcome
		2037	ウインド uindo wind
		2038	山 yama mountain
		2039	要素 youso element
		2040	ザ za the
		2041	座席 zaseki seat
		2042
		2043
		2044	=head1 The Spectre Mountain
		2045
		2046	When you travel borth from Scorn to Euthville, and then the same distance
		2047	to the west, you will arrive at the Spectre Mountain.
		2048
		2049	It is thought that it got it's name from wandering spectres that were
		2050	often seen in this area, although the exact origin of the name cannot be
		2051	reconstructed for sure today.
		2052
		2053	Even in ancient times this area was known for the rich veins of the
		2054	spectrolite mineral that you can find there - in fact, the mineral
		2055	actually got it's name from the mountain.
		2056
		2057	While it is a well-known area today, it was not till Hanur Sknorson's
		2058	travels in EK 8333 that it became generally known that the Spectre
		2059	Mountain is actually an enourmous ring-shaped mountain, only at one side
		2060	is it disturbed by a river.
		2061
		2062
		2063	=head1 The Mineral Brazilianite
		2064
		2065	Herein will you find useful facts about the mineral Brazilianite.
		2066
		2067	It has a rough texture and is of pale yellowish-white colour and a biting
		2068	smell.
		2069
		2070	Nobody knows for sure who named it like this, but since no natural sources
		2071	of it have been found it is rumored that it came from a far-away country.
		2072
		2073	The value of Brazialinite lies in its stored magical energy. Weapons and
		2074	other items imbued with its energy improve the wielder's dexterity.
		2075
		2076	It can often be found in old and thinned-out, rough walls.
		2077
		2078	=head1 The Mineral Dolomite
		2079
		2080	Herein will you find useful facts about the mineral Dolomite.
		2081
		2082	It is sharp-edged and is of dark green colour.
		2083
		2084	The name is thought to come from the archaic Do-l'os - "he who continues".
		2085
		2086	The value of Dolomite lies in its stored magical energy. Weapons and
		2087	other items imbued with its energy improve the wielder's stamina and
		2088	constitution.
		2089
		2090	It can often be found in the rock of very high mountains.
		2091
		2092	=head1 The Mineral Flourite
		2093
		2094	Herein will you find useful facts about the mineral Flourite.
		2095
		2096	It has a porous texture and is of bright green colour, almost as if glowing.
		2097
		2098	The name is thought to come from the archaic Flu-l'dos - "he who inflicts
		2099	pain", as it is often used to improve weapons.
		2100
		2101	The value of Flourite lies in its stored magical energy. Weapons and other
		2102	items imbued with its energy improve the wielder's strength.
		2103
		2104	It's only known natural sources can be found on the so called "Three
		2105	sisters Island" between the Scorn and Navar continents.
		2106
		2107	=head1 The Mineral Marcasite
		2108
		2109	Herein will you find useful facts about the mineral Marcasite.
		2110
		2111	It has rough rock-like texture and is of greyish colour.
		2112
		2113	It was named after the great philosopher Marcas, who, today almost
		2114	unknown, was widely known during his lifetime. Only considerable time
		2115	after his death was it found out that all his wisdom came from one of his
		2116	rings made of Marcasite. While this didn't diminish his great words, it
		2117	did diminish his fame.
		2118
		2119	The value of Marcasite lies in its stored magical energy. Items imbued with
		2120	its energy improve the wearer's wisdom.
		2121
		2122	The best known source for this mineral can be found in the Church of
		2123	Gorokh in Scorn, very deep down in their so-called "Hell", which they
		2124	apparently think to be a nice place to be in.
		2125
		2126	=head1 The Mineral Olivine
		2127
		2128	Herein will you find useful facts about the mineral Olivine.
		2129
		2130	It consists of two different, green and dark-green globule materials.
		2131
		2132	It was named by empress Olo of Orn in or around EK 8317, who couldn't
		2133	satiate her lust for this mineral, and almost caused an economic disaster
		2134	because she spend all her money on it instead of more important things,
		2135	and somehow nobody managed to convince her otherwise.
		2136
		2137	The value of Olivine lies in its stored magical energy. Items imbued with
		2138	its energy improve the wearer's charisma.
		2139
		2140	The best known source for this mineral can be found in the Church of
		2141	Valriel in Scorn, apparently very high up in their so-called "Heaven".
		2142
		2143	=head1 The Mineral Phlogopite
		2144
		2145	Herein will you find useful facts about the mineral Phlogopite.
		2146
		2147	It looks like a dark brown rock, not unlike the colour of excrements (but
		2148	of course with a more rock-like texture).
		2149
		2150	Since the mineral is so worthless but yet so common, miners often say "Oh
		2151	Flog!" when they get Phlogopite instead something more valuable. It was
		2152	named after the minor goddess of Flog, one of the beings that miners often
		2153	pray to, to ensure (as they think) their survival. Apparently she does not
		2154	care much about her name being used as an obvious invective...
		2155
		2156	The biggest value of Phlogopite lies in its beauty, in which it is
		2157	considerably lacking, so it isn't worth all that much. At least it can be
		2158	somewhat useful to miners, as the presence of Phlogopite often hints at
		2159	the presence of other, more useful, minerals.
		2160
		2161	It can be found in rock almost anywhere.
		2162
		2163	=head1 The Mineral Rhodochrosite
		2164
		2165	Herein will you find useful facts about the mineral Rhodochrosite.
		2166
		2167	It easily crumbles in your hand and has a pinkish colour.
		2168
		2169	Nothing is known about the origin of its name (which is very pretty, I
		2170	tell you).
		2171
		2172	The value of Rhodochrosite lies in its stored magical energy. Items imbued
		2173	with its energy improve the wearer's magical powers, which makes it very
		2174	valuable to all kinds of practitioners of the arts.
		2175
		2176	It is best found in Valleynoy, which has a mining guild specialised on
		2177	Rhodochrosite.
		2178
		2179	=head1 The Mineral Spectrolite
		2180
		2181	Herein will you find useful facts about the mineral Spectrolite.
		2182
		2183	It has a very smooth texture, and has a slightly transparent yellowish
		2184	colour with dark corners.
		2185
		2186	It is named after the only place where it can be found naturally, the
		2187	Spectre mountain ring. Having been mined for centuries, however, it can
		2188	now only be found in mindes deep under ground, however.
		2189
		2190	The value of Spectrolite lies in its stored magical energy. Items imbued
		2191	with its energy improve the wearer's brightness, making him or her
		2192	more intelligent, which makes it especially valuable to all kinds of
		2193	practitioners of the arts.
		2194
		2195	The Spectre mountain ring is, surprisingly, a ring-mountain north of
		2196	Scorn.
		2197
		2198	=head1 The Gravedigger
		2199
		2200	All around the world adventurers, wizards, explorers and warriors are killed
		2201	by the dangers they are exposed to. And while they are riddling with the Gods
		2202	in Nimbus the world has one more gravestone that needs to be take care of.
		2203
		2204	You might wonder: Who takes care of them? Why are they disappearing?
		2205
		2206	The gravedigger family takes care of them! The long line of gravediggers have
		2207	devoted themselves to look after the remains people leave.
		2208
		2209	Of course you can help the gravedigger to do his work. You can sell him your
		2210	gravestones or the gravestones of others. He will pay you well for your
		2211	troubles.
		2212
		2213	You can find the gravedigger in the south of the city of Navar.
		2214
		2215	The amount the gravedigger pays you depends on the fame the dead
		2216	adventurer has gained and also partially on the inscription on the
		2217	gravestone.
		2218
		2219	Even for the most unexperienced adventurer's gravestone you will receive
		2220	at least 10 gold. High level adventurer's gravestones will pay even
		2221	better, you can get up to 37 platinum for your efforts!
		2222
		2223	But be warned, gravestones by those who killed themselves by suicide are
		2224	not welcome!
		2225

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Comparing deliantra/server/pod/books.pod (file contents):
Revision 1.2 by root, Mon Jan 1 15:29:42 2007 UTC vs.
Revision 1.37 by root, Fri Apr 23 17:32:12 2010 UTC