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Comparing deliantra/server/pod/books.pod (file contents):
Revision 1.4 by root, Tue Jan 2 16:55:32 2007 UTC vs.
Revision 1.24 by root, Mon Mar 30 12:41:27 2009 UTC

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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.com>
11	The Crossfire Wiki	12	Lalo Martins <lalo.martins@gmail.com>
		13	Yann Chachkoff <yann.chachkoff@mailandnews.com>
		14	Gros
		15
		16	many stories taken from unknown authors at The Crossfire Wiki
		17	http://wiki.metalforge.net/
12		18
13	Each =head1 should become its own book.	19	Each =head1 should become its own book.
14		20
15	=end comment	21	=end comment
16		22
250		256
251	Around 350 EK: The Story of the Fourth Mariner is written by an unknown author.	257	Around 350 EK: The Story of the Fourth Mariner is written by an unknown author.
252		258
253	435 EK: Colony of Skorn Founded. It would eventualy become the city of Scorn.	259	435 EK: Colony of Skorn Founded. It would eventualy become the city of Scorn.
254		260
255	711 EK:
256
257	The outpost of Heaven’s Gate is founded.	261	711 EK: The outpost of Heaven's Gate is founded.
258		262
259	=head2 Volume II: Second Millenia EK	263	=head2 Volume II: Second Millenia EK
260		264
261	1223 EK: Ekkis the Drunk leads a disastrous crusade against the Sirens in the southern seas.	265	1223 EK: Ekkis the Drunk leads a disastrous crusade against the Sirens in the southern seas.
262		266
…		…
266		270
267	2287 EK: Battle of Tered - The Kingdom of the Masts is dismantled by Navar.	271	2287 EK: Battle of Tered - The Kingdom of the Masts is dismantled by Navar.
268		272
269	2567 EK: Fernast Fergono, exiled from Navar, leads a famous exploration expedition in the south-east seas.	273	2567 EK: Fernast Fergono, exiled from Navar, leads a famous exploration expedition in the south-east seas.
270		274
271	2765 EK: The city of Heaven’s Gate is burned by pirates.	275	2765 EK: The city of Heaven's Gate is burned by pirates.
272		276
273	=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis.	277	=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis.
274		278
275	=head2 Volume IV: Fourth Millenia EK	279	=head2 Volume IV: Fourth Millenia EK
276		280
…		…
294		298
295	=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis.	299	=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis.
296		300
297	=head2 Volume VI: Sixth Millenia EK	301	=head2 Volume VI: Sixth Millenia EK
298		302
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”.	303	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		304
301	Late LVIth Century EK: The Great Schism between the Simplifists led by Mish the Toon and the Stabilists: The Sedition Wars.	305	Late LVIth Century EK: The Great Schism between the Simplifists led by Mish the Toon and the Stabilists: The Sedition Wars.
302		306
303	5581 EK: Battle of the Glowing Crystal: the Order of the Careful Coders is disbanded.	307	5581 EK: Battle of the Glowing Crystal: the Order of the Careful Coders is disbanded.
304		308
305	5598 EK: The Simplifists exile themselves into the Pocket Dimension of Daï-Moh-Nî, “The World With a Future”, in Ancient Daigojij Language.	309	5598 EK: The Simplifists exile themselves into the Pocket Dimension of Daï-Moh-Nî, "The World With a Future", in Ancient Daigojij Language.
306		310
307	=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis.	311	=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis.
308		312
309	=head2 Volume VII: Seventh Millenia EK	313	=head2 Volume VII: Seventh Millenia EK
310		314
…		…
314		318
315	=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis.	319	=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis.
316		320
317	=head2 Volume VIII: Eighth Millenia EK	321	=head2 Volume VIII: Eighth Millenia EK
318		322
319	7124 EK: Harta accidentally creates a Dimensional Grid, connecting the Crossfire Continuum with the Daï-Moh-Nî Dimension.	323	7124 EK: Harta accidentally creates a Dimensional Grid, connecting the Deliantra Continuum with the Daï-Moh-Nî Dimension.
320		324
321	7563 EK: The tower of Melficef the Red explodes.	325	7563 EK: The tower of Melficef the Red explodes.
322		326
323	=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis.	327	=head1 Recent Historic Events, by Khalis.
324		328
325	=head2 Volume IX: Ninth Millenia EK	329	=head2 Volume IX: Ninth Millenia EK
326		330
327	8009 EK: Euthville is destroyed.	331	8009 EK: Euthville is destroyed.
		332
		333
		334	=head1 The Sultanate of Darcap
		335
		336	Isolated from the rest of the region by an extensive mountain range to the
		337	south, and possessing a massive natural harbour, Darcap is a small, but
		338	easily defensible town, dominated by a pair of powerful guilds. The town
		339	is also noted for its circus, whose reputation draws visitors from all
		340	over the world.
		341
		342
		343	=head1 Santo Dominion
		344
		345	Santo Dominion sits in a small bay to the north of Scorn. It is an
		346	important port of call for ships travelling to and from Scorn and is
		347	also somewhat famous for its Opera and its Litle House of Horrors, two
		348	magnificent cultural buildings you would not expect in so small a town as
		349	Santo Dominion.
328		350
329		351
330	=head1 Euthville History	352	=head1 Euthville History
331		353
332	The Ruins of Euthville can be found just off the Imperial Highway north of	354	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	359	The Codex Skudensis tells that Euthville was founded by the Euthanasia the
338	Builder, hence its name.	360	Builder, hence its name.
339		361
340	=head2 Past and Destruction	362	=head2 Past and Destruction
341		363
342	Ah, Euthville - “City of the Pearl”, in Old Hemdalite, has indeed a	364	Ah, Euthville - "City of the Pearl", in Old Hemdalite, has indeed a
343	rather sad story!!	365	rather sad story!!
344		366
345	If you went there about half a millenia ago, you’d have seen something	367	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	368	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	369	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	370	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	371	metal that is as transparent as a pearl of the North Sea, yet as strong as
350	the best irons of Navar.	372	the best irons of Navar.
351		373
352	And thus, they found at the location of Euthville a lot of that raw metal,	374	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	375	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	376	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	377	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	378	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.	379	the dwarves, working was less and less an issue for them.
358		380
359	Yet yhey were facing a problem. All their devices, all their machineries,	381	Yet yhey were facing a problem. All their devices, all their machineries,
360	all their tricks to cheat with nature required energy. Lots of	382	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	383	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,	384	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	385	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	386	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	387	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	388	that they could put the invisible horses of water that the sylphids are
367	rumored to breed in use.	389	rumored to breed in use.
368		390
369	But even so, their hunger for power wasn’t satisfied, and became an	391	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,	392	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	393	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	394	send messengers across the whole Continent, calling the world for a
373	challenge. Whoever would be able to fulfill the needs of Euthvillians of	395	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	396	energy would become the new Commander, thus the ruler of the richest city
…		…
376		398
377	Many answered the call, of course, and many failed. Wind, Sun, Stars, even	399	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,	400	dwarven beer were proposed, but nothing seemed to be enough. For years,
379	wizards tried. And failed.	401	wizards tried. And failed.
380		402
381	And then came a boy. He wasn’t a wizard, nor pretended to be one. He was	403	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	404	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	405	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	406	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.	407	demonstrations the powerful wizards and engineers failing again and again.
386		408
387	After several days, the Commander noticed the Boy, and said: “who	409	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	410	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	411	flute for sure - but there's more in my simple pipe than in those
390	legions of wizards.” “Really ?” said the Commander, half-laughing,	412	legions of wizards." "Really ?" said the Commander, half-laughing,
391	half-curious, “so you think you can solve my challenge ?”	413	half-curious, "so you think you can solve my challenge ?"
392		414
393	The Boy smiled. “Not only I can, but I shall - and my price will be	415	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	416	quite acceptable to give you the energy you need." "And that would
395	be...?” - “A new pipe.” came the reply “That one is becoming	417	be...?" - "A new pipe." came the reply "That one is becoming
396	old.” “Agree, you have your chance.”	418	old." "Agree, you have your chance."
397		419
398	The Boy then started to play an amused melody. It sounded like an	420	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	421	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	422	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,	423	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	424	leaving a great hole from which flames emerged. But the fire seemed to
403	dance at the rythm of the music itself.	425	dance at the rythm of the music itself.
404		426
405	The Boy then said to the Commander: “As long as you keep playing for	427	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	428	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	429	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.	430	flute, and left, and never was seen again at Euthville.
409		431
410	At first, things seemed fine, and the Commander couldn’t believe his	432	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	433	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,	434	prosperity. Who wouldn't want to tame the Demons themselves? Quickly,
413	though, it appeared obvious that, for enough demons to be there, that	435	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	436	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	437	entertaining, joyous, and funny, it quickly grew on the nerves of
416	many. And especially because it was played 23 hours a day.	438	many. And especially because it was played 23 hours a day.
417		439
418	Finally, the Commander decided that the city couldn’t stand this	440	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	441	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	442	city. On this fateful day, a whole fanfare left the city, hoping that the
421	demons would follow, attracted by the music.	443	demons would follow, attracted by the music.
422		444
423	And so, they did. One after another, they climbed out of Earth itself, and	445	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	453	music that enslaved them, crushed what remained of the city, in a bloody
432	fest that they will forever keep in their twisted memories.	454	fest that they will forever keep in their twisted memories.
433		455
434	The Commander went mad, of course, and it is said that his madness was	456	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	457	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	458	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	459	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	460	that mortals could enslave the hell. Some demons stayed there, obviously
439	enjoying the area and its newborn ashes that smelled fresh blood and	461	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	462	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	463	richesses that are still sleeping below the ruins of its former palaces
442	are now guarded by powerful entities of the 9th Circle.	464	are now guarded by powerful entities of the 9th Circle.
443		465
444	Many said that, if the Enchanted Music could be found, it would open the	466	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	467	gates of many treasures, but because none of the former Euthvillians
446	survived, and because nobody knows where the Boy went afterwards, those	468	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	469	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	470	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,	471	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.	472	and the fire is dying, and so has my tale reached the end.
451		473
452		474
453		475
454	=head1 The Kiritani Pass (from "Euthville Legends")	476	=head1 The Kiritani Pass (from "Euthville Legends")
…		…
462	=head1 Sannistra (from "Euthville Legends")	484	=head1 Sannistra (from "Euthville Legends")
463		485
464	The Sannista is a legendary flying boat that was powered by the reaction	486	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	487	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,	488	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	489	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	490	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	491	sailed it back to the Continent, and hid it "somewhere in the mountains
470	of Euth”.	492	of Euth".
471		493
472	So I guess she would have put it there, although I’m not sure. Many	494	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	495	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	496	ruined city, but now that I've discovered those two caves, I'd rather
475	bet on them - it seems more logical.	497	bet on them - it seems more logical.
476		498
477		499
478	=head1 The Name of the World	500	=head1 The Name of the World
479		501
480	I, Forag the little-known, have invested my lifetime into exploring	502	I, Forag the little-known, have invested my lifetime into exploring
481	the various names of this, our World. In this tome I wrote down all my	503	the various names of this, our World. In this tome I wrote down all my
482	knowledge. Be careful with it, else it might overwhelm you, as it did me!	504	knowledge. Be careful with it, else it might overwhelm you, as it did me!
483		505
484	In Khelens and most of its territories, it was named “The Earth”,	506	In Khelens and most of its territories, it was named "The Earth",
485	while the major western landmass was called “The Continent” while the	507	while the major western landmass was called "The Continent" while the
486	eastern landmass was called "the Wilderness".	508	eastern landmass was called "the Wilderness".
487		509
488	Fendrakis used “Raxida”, which is also the name they gave to the Fox	510	Fendrakis used "Raxida", which is also the name they gave to the Fox
489	Lady, Mother of All Things, deity.	511	Lady, Mother of All Things, deity.
490		512
491	Elves traditionally use “Eänella”, which translates as “The Land of	513	Elves traditionally use "Eänella", which translates as "The Land of
492	Green”	514	Green"
493		515
494	Dwarves of Khorolizov use “Herdankaupf”, “Country of the Horses”,	516	Dwarves of Khorolizov use "Herdankaupf", "Country of the Horses",
495	which is a reference to their mythology (see the legend of the Twelve Days	517	which is a reference to their mythology (see the legend of the Twelve Days
496	for that)	518	for that)
497		519
498	The Orcish name is “Knâgsh-Ishzeh”, “Rotten Branch”	520	The Orcish name is "Knâgsh-Ishzeh", "Rotten Branch"
499		521
500	The people of the Old Wall, used the name “Harinappa”, “Bottom of	522	The people of the Old Wall, used the name "Harinappa", "Bottom of
501	the Pit”, to designate the world.	523	the Pit", to designate the world.
502		524
503	Most people nowadays use the old Khelenti name ("The Earth") or its direct	525	Most people nowadays use the old Khelenti name ("The Earth") or its direct
504	translation in local languages/idioms.	526	translation in local languages/idioms.
505		527
506		528
…		…
541	1177EK: War of the Sea Princes. The last imperial ship reaches	563	1177EK: War of the Sea Princes. The last imperial ship reaches
542	Scorn. Contacts with Khelens are now broken. Scorn becomes an independent	564	Scorn. Contacts with Khelens are now broken. Scorn becomes an independent
543	kingdom.	565	kingdom.
544		566
545		567
		568	=head1 History of Lake Country
		569
		570	Lake Country originally was where the elves lived who where exiled
		571	from the north by the kings of Scorn, during the Vth millenia EK. They
		572	named the area Vkovzerov. The major elven city of Vkovzerov was
		573	Tashkeren-tah. It was destroyed by a Water arch-elemental in 4453EK.
		574
		575
		576	=head1 Visit our Training Centres!
		577
		578	We, Training Centres Incorporated provide the best service for warriors,
		579	wizards and anybody else who wants to improve quickly.
		580
		581	For a modest fee, you can get almost exclusive access to our large
		582	training areas.
		583
		584	=head2 Pricing
		585
		586	Humamoid
		587
		588	A Bonecrusher, a Firestar, and a Demonspawn Shield.
		589
		590	Undead
		591
		592	Lich dust, a Spectre's ectoplasm, and a Skull's tooth.
		593
		594	Dragon
		595
		596	An Ancient dragon's steak, an Ancient Blue Dragon's steak, and an Ancient red dragon's steak.
		597
		598	Demon
		599
		600	A Demonbane, a Belzebub's sword, and a Firebrand.
		601
		602	=head3 Free Centres
		603
		604	As a special service, we provide access to two of our older training
		605	centres completely free of charge, although you will understand that there
		606	will be no guarentees given for success:
		607
		608	Goblin & Zombie - Located south of Scorn
		609
		610	Skeleton & Ogre - Located south-west of Navar
		611
		612	=head2 Locations
		613
		614	These are the locations to the entrances of the Training Centers.
		615
		616	world_106_109 - Humanoid
		617
		618	world_107_120 - Goblin & Zombie
		619
		620	world_107_128 - Undead
		621
		622	world_119_101 - Dragons
		623
		624	world_119_118 - Skeleton & Ogre
		625
		626	world_124_113 - Demon
		627
		628
		629
		630	=head1 The Kingdom of Navar
		631
		632	Straddling the corner of the Imperial highway as it turns North near the
		633	Eastern border of the known world, and surrounded by dangerous territory,
		634	Navar is an unlikely site for one of the world's grandest cities. Yet
		635	there it stands, dominating the skyline for miles around and showing the
		636	same bustling activity expected of any thriving market town.
		637
		638
		639	=head1 The Kingdom of the Masts
		640
		641	A Merchant Republic led by the now destroyed city of Kari Kori. At its
		642	peak, the Kingdom of the Masts ruled nearly a quarter of the world, and
		643	its fleet was unmatched. Kari Kori was opposed to Navar in a series of
		644	wars that it finally lost at the Battle of Tered in 2287 EK.
		645
		646
		647	=head1 The Artificers' Wars
		648
		649	A series of wars conducted between 3084 and 3154 EK by a coalition led by
		650	Navari Princes against the Artificers, a group of mages that were masters
		651	in the now banned magical field of Technomancy. The Artificers were close
		652	to obtain a complete victory, but were finally destroyed by the raw power
		653	of their own biggest creation, The Thaumic Gear. The explosion of the Gear
		654	shattered the whole east of the world, and many territories forever sank
		655	into the ocean, including Kari Kori, the Technomages' city.
		656
		657
		658	=head1 Juradiths Dissidents
		659
		660	Juradiths, named after Juradith, Minor Spirit of Equity, were a group of
		661	activists that wanted to turn the Kingdom of Scorn into a republic in the
		662	second-half of the XXXIVth century EK. They succeeded at overthrowing King
		663	Karatan III, but their vengeful, fanatical excesses quickly turned most
		664	Scornians against them. When trying to recapture the city, their army was
		665	defeated by the Scornian Militia with the help of a couple city mages, who
		666	flooded the Juradiths into a magically created lake.
		667
		668	Juradiths still exist as a small political faction today, although
		669	they've long traded their violent ways for some weird traditions whose
		670	origins and meaning are now mostly forgotten.
		671
		672
		673	=head1 The Gaean Legend of Creation
		674
		675	=head2 Age of The Void
		676
		677	In the beginning there was Gaea, the force of nature. SHE filled the whole
		678	of existence with her being. After a few billion years, this became to
		679	grow boring and lonely, so SHE decided to have children.
		680
		681	At first SHE created a host of forces like Herself, eternal and
		682	divine. But with all their power, they couldn't get along with each
		683	other, so Gaea decided that wasn't a good idea. SHE decreed that from
		684	that point on all creatures but HER would have a limited lifetime. But
		685	most of HER first children disagreed, and went away to an unknown
		686	location.
		687
		688	=head2 Age of The Small World
		689
		690	So Gaea created a small world and populated it with limited creatures -
		691	animals and plants of all sorts. For a few million years she was happy
		692	to watch them. But her remaining faithful children were growing restless
		693	and wanted to make their own experimentations too. Finally SHE got bored
		694	again, as her creations weren't self-aware and therefore weren't
		695	much of a company. But SHE was also curious, because her creatures had
		696	developed many different styles of living, and SHE desired to compare
		697	them.
		698
		699	And Gaea destroyed the original world, breaking it in four new ones.
		700
		701	=head2 Age of The Four Worlds
		702
		703	The First world was dedicated to harmony. It was populated with creatures
		704	that preferred to coexist peacefully and contemplate. Two of Her children
		705	were particularly enamoured of this world and decided to live there.
		706
		707	The Second world was dedicated to construction. It was populated with
		708	creatures that liked to change the environment around them, especially
		709	ants, bees and beavers, and filled with wood and metal and stone usable as
		710	raw material. Two of Her children found the idea fascinating and decided
		711	to live in this world.
		712
		713	The Third world was dedicated to war and strife. While all the three
		714	other worlds had equal shares of light and darkness, the Third world had
		715	as much light as its inhabitants desired - and it was populated with
		716	creatures that loved and hated light, in equal parts. So these creatures
		717	quickly discoreved they could influence the ambient light by battling each
		718	other. Two of Her children decided to live in this world: one because he
		719	loved light, and another because he hated his brother and therefore wished
		720	for darkness to prevail.
		721
		722	The Fourth world, finally, was dedicated to predation and to survival of
		723	the fittest. It was populated with fierce creatures and predators. Two of
		724	Her children believed this was the best way to live and decided to live in
		725	this world.
		726
		727	After the worlds were created, only four children of Gaea still preferred
		728	to live in the Void: two because they weren't interested in any of those
		729	worlds, and two because they liked all of them and preferred to visit them
		730	whenever they wished.
		731
		732	=head2 Age of Awakening
		733
		734	And for a few million years Gaea delighted in observing the differences
		735	between the worlds. But still the creatures were not self-aware, and
		736	still SHE was lonely. So when Her children came and said they were lonely
		737	and wanted to create more interesting creatures, SHE understood them and
		738	quickly allowed them and gave them the power to do it.
		739
		740	So on the First world, one of the Gods who lived there created a race of
		741	beings that loved peace and wildlife, and called them Elves. The other
		742	God in that world didn't choose to create followers, but she teached
		743	language to the Elves of her brother, and when the Elves larned the art of
		744	naming, they named their creator Lythander, and in exchange for his name
		745	he gifted them with luck.
		746
		747	On the Second world, one of the Gods created a race of builders and named
		748	them Dwarves. His children, in turn, named him Mostrai. His sister, in
		749	turn, decided not to create, but teach some of the dwarves (the ones
		750	willing to learn) about magic and the powers of the gods. The other
		751	dwarves, however, didn't accept their changed siblings, so they went off
		752	to live by themselves and became known as gnomes.
		753
		754	On the Third world, of course, none of the resident Gods wanted to
		755	cooperate with the other. Both created their own races: the God who fought
		756	for darkness created many kinds of fierce, brutal monsters he named
		757	"Demons", while the God who fought for light created many kinds of
		758	skillful, swift warriors he named "Angels". Befittingly, these Gods
		759	were named by their enemies, and not their followers: the demons gave the
		760	light god the name of "Valriel", and the angels gave their enemy god
		761	the name "Gorokh".
		762
		763	And on the Fourth world, the patron Gods kept true to their philosophy
		764	and created not one, but innumerable races, in the hope that one of these
		765	would prove the strongest and most worth. So they created goblins, trolls,
		766	ogres, and not least, dragons. The Gods became known as Gnarg, the Patron
		767	of Assassins, Ruggilli, the Consuming Worm, and Ixalovh.
		768
		769	The races in the four worlds lived on for millenia, and developed, and
		770	grew, and all worlds flourished. The eight patron gods believed this was
		771	proof that they were right, and the way they lived was the best one, while
		772	the two traveling gods rather believed that the success of all the worlds
		773	was instead proof of the wisdom and power of their Mother.
		774
		775	=head2 Age of Death
		776
		777	But at some point things started to go wrong. Angels and demons would
		778	start to become priests or scholars or merchants and preach against the
		779	war. Dwarves and gnomes would start go grow sedentary and admire the
		780	crafts of the past instead of building new ones. Goblinoids would suddenly
		781	develop a taste for vegetables and become farmers, while dragons would
		782	decide that developing their magics was more important than finding
		783	food. But what was wrong was a mistery that would only begin to unfold
		784	when the High King of the elves, one day, was devoured by a dragon.
		785
		786	It was then that the Gods discovered that the worlds were not anymore
		787	completely isolated from one another. Someone had, somehow, teached all
		788	kinds of creatures how to follow the paths left by the traveling gods -
		789	flying creatures would ride the cross-world whirlwinds of the thunder god,
		790	and others would learn to tread the strange winding paths of the walking
		791	god. And as creatures became aware of different ways, things started to go
		792	wrong.
		793
		794	Promptly, the Gods tried to close all portals - but it was too late. The
		795	art of magic was already known in the four worlds, and strong enough to
		796	travel between them. And the one peaceful elves were ignited, and declared
		797	war on the dragons, goblins and trolls.
		798
		799	While a mighty army of elven warriors crossed over to the Fourth world,
		800	dwarves and gnomes found the First world almost deserted and full of wood
		801	and metal for the dwarves, and holy, peaceful places for the gnomes.
		802
		803	The part of the small peoples who remained on the Second world was faced
		804	with new problems when the demons decided they were ripe for tempting (if
		805	they could get dwarven builders and gnome sorcerers on their side, the
		806	tide of the war would turn). The angels, of course, took upon themselves
		807	to protect these strange people from their eternal enemies. So as their
		808	attention slowly shifted from the Third world to the Second, soon only
		809	the weakest of their kind were in their original world, where they began
		810	to fall prey to hungry refugees from the Fourth world, who discovered how
		811	tasty angel/demon flesh can be.
		812
		813	And while the Gods were busy trying to even understand this chaos, the
		814	dead began to come back.
		815
		816	Their leader was Hagguth, the Elven High King who had been eaten by a
		817	dragon. He came back as a powerful spectre, leading a powerful army of
		818	ghosts, wraiths, skeletons and zombies in a massive attack to the Second
		819	and Third worlds. Their goal was to kill as many dwarves, gnomes, angels
		820	and demons as possible, to strenghten the number of their own undead host.
		821
		822	And when some elven wizards tried to steal the power of the undead to
		823	their own ends, they became the first vampires, lichs and demilichs -
		824	half living, half undead, but on the side of Hagguth and his misterious
		825	masters.
		826
		827	It was only when a group of reasonable elves, dwarves, gnomes and dragons
		828	managed to get together and talk, that it became clear who these masters
		829	could be. Till this point, everyone was blaming some (any) god other
		830	than the one they worshipped. But there was only one, obvious answer:
		831	the Banished Gods, the Forgotten Children who left ages ago because
		832	they didn't agree with he concept of death, were back, and enacting
		833	revenge by subverting death itself. In later days, these Gods would become
		834	collectively known as the Devourers.
		835
		836	Knowing the enemy was not the solution to the war, but was a start. This
		837	group, slowly, was able to form a resistence against the undead armies,
		838	and gradually turn other people to their side. Finally, after 23 hundred
		839	years, they managed to break into the horrible fortress Hagguth had built
		840	in the First world and kill (again) the undead king.
		841
		842	The chaos began to gradually settle down after that. But then the
		843	survivors were faced with a new problem: almost nobody was interested in
		844	perverting to the way things used to be.
		845
		846	Yes. Entire villages of elves were settled in corners of the Fourth world
		847	for many generations, and dwarven guilds had business troughout the
		848	worlds.
		849
		850	=head2 The Big World
		851
		852	So Gaea, in Her wisdom, gave the only possible solution to the
		853	problem. SHE took the four worlds in Her hand, and crushed them
		854	together. Then SHE looked at the single world she created, and at the
		855	creatures of Her children, and decided to again, after millions of years,
		856	create Her own followers. Thus SHE created the humans, a young race eager
		857	to explore and chart this young world.
		858
		859	It took generations for the inhabitants of the resulting world to figure
		860	out its geography and for families to reunite; when this finally happened,
		861	the stories about four different worlds becoming one were already legends
		862	not everybody believed. But still, for some reason, everyone agrees to
		863	call this world - the only one they know - Bigworld.
		864
		865
		866	=head1 The Book of Valriel
		867
		868	In the beginning, for an infinite time, all that existed was a pure light,
		869	and that light had a name, and that name was Valriel.
		870
		871	But part of the light was not content to be alone, and so did Valriel put
		872	this part of Himself aside and did He allow this part to have independent
		873	life; and this part was everything that wasn't content, and as it
		874	wasn't light, it surely was the darkness; and the darkness took upon
		875	itself the name of Gorokh.
		876
		877	And for many times more time than a mortal can count, Gorokh was the
		878	companion and the servant of Valriel. But Gorokh was not content, because
		879	that was his nature, and he plotted a way to change everything. And
		880	although filled with hidden motives, Gorokh's words were always very
		881	wise, so that Valriel would hear them. So it was that Valriel followed the
		882	wise counsel of the Shadow and created a world full of living things to be
		883	His new companions and servants.
		884
		885	And as soon as Valriel had millions of new companions and servants, Gorokh
		886	said, "so now you won't need me anymore, I can leave and find my own
		887	companions and servants". And this made Valriel unhappy because He was
		888	the only and true Lord, but Gorokh wouldn't recognize that, and so it
		889	was Gorokh who eventually taught men to rule over other men instead of
		890	paying respect to the one true ruler of all.
		891
		892	So did Valriel upon the departure of his first servant, create new
		893	servants modeled after His beauty and grace, and elf and man and dwarf he
		894	created them. But the Shadow did feel envy and wished those followers for
		895	himself, so he came to them in the night and whispered in their ears, and
		896	some of them were tempted and started to worship and serve the Shadow.
		897
		898	But not enough were seduced by his promises. So he decided to be many,
		899	not one. And he wore different shapes and again he whispered in the ears
		900	of Valriel's creations. And to the elves he was Lythander of the bow
		901	that never misses, and the elves did not see that if a bow never misses,
		902	and it isn't the work of the Lord, then it can only be the work of the
		903	Enemy. And to the dwarves he wore the name of Mostrai, of the fire, of the
		904	forge, the builder of things, for the fire and the desire to change was
		905	the true face of Gorokh.
		906
		907	And he taught the men to wage war upon each other, and scared the warriors
		908	with thunder and lightning, and they would call him Sorig. And those
		909	who weren't scared, he tempted with weapons and glory, and wore the
		910	beautiful face of a woman, and they called him Valkyrie. And as they
		911	killed each other, Gorokh was happy.
		912
		913	And much more he did. He taught women to heal and to make the soil grow
		914	crop, and they called him Gaea, and believed that Gaea created the world
		915	and Valriel was but a minor god, and by spreading this lie they made
		916	Gorokh happy. And he taught the children of Valriel to write, so that they
		917	could spread his lies further, and they called him Hekanis for that. And
		918	he taught them the abomination of filthy magic to pervert and corrupt
		919	the creation of the Lord, and to liken themselves to gods, and the evil
		920	souls that followed this path called him Byd. And also he taught elf and
		921	man and dwarf to brew alcohol and other inebriating things and to laugh
		922	in the face of Valriel and throw parties that put shame to the eye of the
		923	Lord, and he taught them all that under human guise, and they called their
		924	teacher Joyee.
		925
		926	So did Valriel look upon the world He created and so did He feel great
		927	sorrow and great shame for what had happened to it. And so did he create
		928	a new race of servants, more powerful and more faithful than any other,
		929	imbued with the mission of hunting down and undoing the work of the Enemy,
		930	and this race He called Angels.
		931
		932	But again Gorokh felt envy because the servants of the Light were more
		933	powerful than his own, and again he went to some of the angels in the
		934	night and whispered temptation in their ears, and some turned to his foul
		935	purposes and fell from grace. So did Gorokh give them new shapes, to more
		936	liken them to himself, red with hate and wearing horns to symbolize their
		937	envy, and they became demons. And the plan of Valriel was once again
		938	spoiled by the venom of the enemy, because angels had to step aside from
		939	their assigned mission to fight the demons and keep them from spreading
		940	the evil in their dark hearts.
		941
		942	And Gorokh did find great fun in changing Valriel's creation into a new
		943	race, and so did he get elf and man and dwarf and corrupted them with
		944	his dark will, and they became goblin and orc and kobold, and troll, and
		945	giant, and ogre, and many other abominations to the eye of the Creator,
		946	and Gorokh wore the name of Gnarg to these new creations and delighted in
		947	watching the destruction and sorrow they spread in the world.
		948
		949	And in the ultimate act of defiance, the Shadow decided to create servants
		950	for him, create new life himself to liken him more to the Great Lord. And
		951	he assembled the foulest magic and the darkest hunger he could find and
		952	shaped these into the most horrible monsters he could imagine, and gave
		953	them life, and called them dragons, and sent them forth to eat the flesh
		954	of the creation of Valriel. And the dragons did call him Ruggilli and much
		955	did they please him with the terror they spread.
		956
		957	But the light and the love of Valriel knew no end, so He decided to
		958	fight evil with good, and He instructed His faithful servants to do only
		959	the good, to spread the word of His love. And by doing that did He win
		960	back many servants who saw that the righteous is more powerful than the
		961	might. Much did this enrage the Shadow, and the Shadow did respond by
		962	raising the dead themselves from their graves to fight the forces of
		963	good. Even when the dead did not win, they did force the living to abandon
		964	good in favor of war, and in doing so they would too abandon Valriel. So
		965	once again he shadow was happy.
		966
		967	Valriel finally did decide, with much sorrow in His infinite heart, that
		968	the only way to make His creation safe again was to destroy the Shadow
		969	himself. So did He cast His holy word upon His creation to banish the work
		970	of the Enemy. But the Enemy knew what would happen beforehand, due to the
		971	evil magic of his followers, and he created a safe refuge for their evil,
		972	in a world created entirely of pure evil and hate, that he had set aside
		973	from creation and called Hell. And soon enough did Gorokh find ways back
		974	into the world of the creation of Light, and resumed his foul work of evil
		975	and dissent and terror.
		976
		977	So did Valriel gather together His faithful and he did gave them some time
		978	to put the love for the Lord back in the hearts of as many of His children
		979	as they could. And very soon will He again call upon the faithful, and
		980	then will He give the faithful an entire new world for them to live in the
		981	love of Valriel. And Having done that He will turn to this world, and to
		982	Hell, and to Gorokh, and He will destroy them completely with the force of
		983	His will, putting an end once and for all in the war and the evil.
		984
		985
		986	=head1 The Book of Gorokh
		987
		988	In the beginning, for an infinite time, all that existed was an empty
		989	and cold light. And the light was content to be and fill and control
		990	everything that was. But it is not right for light to be cold, and the
		991	part of the light that should have been warm, longed for warmth and for
		992	things to see and for things to do.
		993
		994	So did the light put aside the warmth, so that the fire would not disturb
		995	their cold peace. And the fire looked unto the light and called the light
		996	Valriel, the controlling father, and the fire called himself Gorokh, the
		997	Son with a Will.
		998
		999	And for many times more time than a mortal can count, Gorokh was the
		1000	companion and the servant of Valriel. But Gorokh was not content, because
		1001	that was his nature, and he plotted a way to change everything. And fueled
		1002	by the fire of his will, Gorokh's words were always very wise, so
		1003	Valriel would always hear them. So it was that Valriel followed the wise
		1004	counsel of the Fire and created a world full of living things to be their
		1005	new companions and servants.
		1006
		1007	And as soon as Valriel had millions of new companions and servants, Gorokh
		1008	said, "so now you won't need me anymore, I can leave and find my own
		1009	companions and servants". And this made Valriel unhappy because he
		1010	believed he should be only and true Lord, but Gorokh couldn't agree
		1011	to that, and so it was Gorokh who eventually taught men to rule over
		1012	themselves instead of paying respect to one self-appointed ruler of all.
		1013
		1014	So did Valriel, while Gorokh was away exploring the wonders of the new
		1015	world, create new servants of flesh and bone to adore him blindly, and elf
		1016	and man and dwarf he created them. And seeing this beautiful new creation
		1017	Gorokh wanted a part of it for himself, and he presented himself to them,
		1018	and some of them liked him and became his follower.
		1019
		1020	But Valriel was afraid that, with two gods to adore, some of his creation
		1021	could find it natural to spread creation in two equal halves, and he did
		1022	want more than an equal half. So he decided to wear different shapes so
		1023	that his children would believe him to be many, not one, and then he
		1024	would be able to get more than his fair share. And so did he create many
		1025	false gods for his children to adore. And even when Gorokh would bring
		1026	the wonderful gifts conceived by his powerful will, such as the forge,
		1027	weapons, medicine, agriculture, writing, magic, and wine and booze and
		1028	music, even then would Valriel create a false god to pose as the giver of
		1029	those gifts and take the glory for himself.
		1030
		1031	And since Gorokh kept inventing new presents, Valriel became angry,
		1032	because he doesn't like change and he doesn't like any good that
		1033	doesn't come from him. And so did he create a new race of servants, more
		1034	powerful and more prone to following him blindly than any other, imbued
		1035	with the mission of hunting down and undoing the work of the Fire, and
		1036	this race He called Angels.
		1037
		1038	But again Gorokh found a cunning way to defend his work, and again he
		1039	went to some of the angels in the night and whispered promises of power
		1040	in their ears, and some turned to his great purposes and joined him. So
		1041	did Gorokh give them new shapes, to more liken them to himself, red with
		1042	the fire of his will and wearing horns to symbolize their power, and they
		1043	became demons. And the plan of Valriel was once again spoiled by the
		1044	genius of the Fire, because angels had to step aside from their assigned
		1045	mission to fight the demons and keep them from spreading the word of
		1046	Gorokh.
		1047
		1048	And Gorokh did find great fun in changing Valriel's creation into a new
		1049	race, and so did he get elf and man and dwarf and tried to imbue them
		1050	with greater strength, and they became goblin and orc and kobold, and
		1051	troll, and giant, and ogre, and many other strong creatures. But their
		1052	intelligences greatly suffered from the process, and he was unhappy with
		1053	his creation, and while he was looking for a way to help them did Valriel
		1054	come to them under the guise of Gnarg and he told them to spread great
		1055	destruction and sorrow in the world so that the creation of Gorokh would
		1056	seem foul in the eyes of the living.
		1057
		1058	So the Fire decided the creation of Valriel was imperfect and he had to
		1059	create his own new life. So he assembled the most powerful magic and the
		1060	strongest will and mightiest strength he could find and shaped these
		1061	into the most magnificent creatures he could imagine, and gave them
		1062	life, and called them dragons, and sent them forth to take the world for
		1063	themselves. But while the dragons are still the greatest pride of Gorokh,
		1064	many of them have abandoned him to serve yet another disguise of Valriel.
		1065
		1066	And upon seeing the dragons, Valriel declared war and set his servants
		1067	upon the task of killing all the most valuables of Gorokh they could
		1068	find. Gorokh was consumed with sorrow, and devised a way to spare these
		1069	faithful servants, by allowing them to raise again from the grave even
		1070	after their deaths. But the servants of Valriel found these "un-dead"
		1071	an even greater abomination, and set forth to hunt them, and Valriel
		1072	delighted in the war and carnage that ensued.
		1073
		1074	So did Gorokh, his fire dim with sorrow, decide to create a whole world
		1075	for him and his faithful. And this world he called Hell. But when he was
		1076	slowly bringing his faithful to the new world, Valriel treacherously
		1077	brought down a great fury upon the world, killing most of the faithful
		1078	that were left behind. So the Fire was finally enraged and decided to wage
		1079	the war that the Light wanted. And he opened many passages into the world
		1080	so that his armies could enter and destroy the minions of Valriel. And to
		1081	this war we are all called to chose sides and fight.
		1082
		1083
		1084	=head1 The Dwarven Creation Tale
		1085
		1086	A play by Shakesdor the Dwarf.
		1087
		1088	- What... where we come from? You're not old enough for this
		1089	conversation.
		1090
		1091	- No, uncle, I mean as a whole... the world, the dwarves, the others.
		1092
		1093	- Ah. I see. (Big gulp of beer.) You mean, NOW?
		1094
		1095	- Yes, please. Pleeeease?
		1096
		1097	- sigh all right, all right. It goes like this.
		1098
		1099	First there was the Ore and the Forge. The Ore is what existence looked
		1100	like before it existed. The Forge was the untapped will, the potential in
		1101	the Ore to be everything that is, ever will be, or won't.
		1102
		1103	Over a span of time that is not time, because time wasn't forged yet,
		1104	some tiny scraps of Ore drifted into the Forge. A piece of the Forge
		1105	merged with that Ore and became sentient. He has many names, but we call
		1106	him Mostrai.
		1107
		1108	He spent ages of time-that-was-not-time exploring, learning the nature
		1109	of Ore and Forge and himself. Till he decided it was time to start
		1110	forging. And then, first of all, he forged time, so that he could separate
		1111	after from before, and so that he could exist absolutely - as opposed to,
		1112	at the same "time", existing and not being created yet, which was the
		1113	case if time didn't exist.
		1114
		1115	Then, with things in order, he began forging things. The first thing he
		1116	forged was his armor, because he liked the touch of metal against his
		1117	body. Then he forged beer, because of course, beer is essential. He forged
		1118	it red like the Forge, and black like the Ore. The yellow thing, as we all
		1119	know, is an invention of those pansy elves.
		1120
		1121	And he liked the beer. He liked it so much, that he was bored of drinking
		1122	it alone. Beer calls for a party. So he created the boar and the bird, to
		1123	be roasted; he created the mundane fire, which was a toned-down version of
		1124	the essence of the Forge, to roast them. And then he created the dwarf, to
		1125	dress in metal like him, to work the forge with him, but most importantly
		1126	of all, to party with him and partake of the sacred beer.
		1127
		1128	But the dwarf started breeding like bugs, and it was quite distracting
		1129	to have them putting about in spaceless space. At any given point, there
		1130	were thousands of dwarves partying, thousands sleeping, thousands hunting,
		1131	and thousands forging. Mostrai thought it was good, but it was also damn
		1132	annoying. So he created an enormous mountain for them to live under. He
		1133	put the boar and bird, and a few other animals he had come up with later,
		1134	on the outside, where he forged woods and forest. And so that his children
		1135	wouldn't wander forever, he placed these places in the middle of an
		1136	infinite ocean. There you have, that's the story.
		1137
		1138	- Whoa. What about the others?
		1139
		1140	- sigh You won't let me finish my beer, will you?
		1141
		1142	- You'll never finish your beer, uncle. When you soak that mug,
		1143	there's plenty more in the barrel.
		1144
		1145	- All right, all rigth. (Big gulp.)
		1146
		1147	The dwarves had amazing weapons to hunt with. Eventually, the hunt was
		1148	no challenge anymore. The best hunters would play-act wars between
		1149	themselves, to best hone their skills.
		1150
		1151	Mostrai was worried that those fights might one day evolve into real
		1152	wars. So he created an enemy, something very different from the dwarf,
		1153	something very obviously wrong, which lived in the woods and preferred
		1154	bows and other coward weapons rather than hand-to-hand combat. He made
		1155	them incredibly lucky, because otherwise they would stand no chance - and
		1156	they came to believe they're lucky because they're protected by their
		1157	god, which of course doesn't exist. He also made them very old, so that
		1158	they would think they existed before the dwarf - otherwise they would just
		1159	recognize our superior position and submit. And all was good and happy;
		1160	for time beyond count, dwarf and elf honed their skills against each
		1161	other, and prospered.
		1162
		1163	I mean, have you ever fought an elf? Yes, it was an eternal war, but not
		1164	like those bloody gorefest the others have today. When dwarf and elf
		1165	fight, it's clean, it's beautiful, it's according to the rules,
		1166	it's a ritual of honor.
		1167
		1168	Well, I digress. All was well, I said. But one day, one elf created yellow
		1169	beer. And that offended Mostrai to a level of rage unseen before. So he
		1170	created an entire new piece of the world, and populated it with humans,
		1171	and other horrible creatures, and then let these young ones discover our
		1172	land, so that they may raze the elf forests, ruin the elf nations, and
		1173	soil their honor. We're not stupid enough to argue with Mostrai, so we
		1174	went underground, and we're waiting for that to happen, to see what he
		1175	will do next.
		1176
		1177	Can I drink in peace now? There, go play with your friends.
		1178
		1179
		1180	=head1 The Legend of the Builders
		1181
		1182	People of the Old Empire believed that the whole universe was made by
		1183	powerful beings called Builders. Builders were not part of the world
		1184	like gods were - they lived Outside. Little is known about the Builders
		1185	themselves. The priests of the Empire weren't quite sure themselves
		1186	about their names. Some were universally known, though: Mawëdel the Ruler
		1187	or Peterëm the Writing One were the most popular of the ever changing
		1188	list of Builders.
		1189
		1190	The Builders understood very well how difficult it would be for them to
		1191	manage themselves every prayer made - making the Universe work was already
		1192	a time-consuming task. So they created gods to help them in their task.
		1193
		1194	Most of the gods we know today were already popular in the times of the
		1195	Old Empire, like Mostrai or Lythander. Others changed names as time
		1196	passed. Gods provided their powers to the Faithful Ones, and helped them
		1197	by providing blessings and powerful weapons. The priests of the Old Empire
		1198	never believed gods made the world, as they were themselves part of it;
		1199	world-building was the Builders task.
		1200
		1201
		1202	=head1 The Foundation of Scorn
		1203
		1204	Few archives remain from the times when Scorn was founded. The city is
		1205	probably the oldest of the whole known world. Before Fido, before the Old
		1206	Empire, maybe even before gods, Scorn was already there.
		1207
		1208	It is usually said that Scorn was founded by Skud the Great. Many legends
		1209	are telling about Skud, the half-mythical hero. How he captured the first
		1210	dragons. How he fought unknown monsters in the East. How he built Scorn
		1211	and the First Inn. Some priests even postulated that Skud was in fact a
		1212	Builder. Skud created the First Inn because he wanted to sleep inside a
		1213	house, without the risk of being attacked by monsters during the night. He
		1214	left the Holy Guestbook, one of the oldest relics of Deliantra, where he
		1215	and his fellow friends wrote their names. Skud disappeared long before the
		1216	Old Empire came, and nowadays only the Builders can probably remember him.
		1217
		1218	Recent researches show that, although he greatly contributed to the
		1219	popularity of the city, Skud didn't found it: it was in fact created
		1220	by Tabb the Dark, a Builder that left very little information about him
		1221	behind. According to the Codex Skudensis that was discovered in the depths
		1222	of the Old City, "Scorn" would have been the real name of Tabb the
		1223	Dark.
		1224
		1225
		1226	=head1 The Coming of Color
		1227
		1228	It is said that centuries before the foundation of the Old Empire, the
		1229	world was colorless and sad. Aware of that problem, the Builders decided
		1230	to bring color in the life of the Deliantra people. They called the
		1231	massive powers of Xepemes, The Source Of All Colors, on the universe. The
		1232	magical burst slowly covered the world with colors, but some elements
		1233	resisted for a long time. Prophets of the Old Empire announced that,
		1234	although victorious, the force of Xepemes wouldn't stay forever: one
		1235	day, it would eventually fade away against a more powerful magical force,
		1236	the mysterious Pegemes (or Peengees?). This happened - but much after the
		1237	fall of the Empire.
		1238
		1239
		1240	=head1 The Bigworld
		1241
		1242	The old world was small and it consisted of many pieces. Scorn, Navar,
		1243	Brittany and Santo Dominion were in one large piece. Darcap and the
		1244	Hill Village were in another smaller one. Lake Country was in yet
		1245	another. Pupland was still another. The world was not whole, and the
		1246	builders saw that this was wrong. They began the quest to unite the world
		1247	and established the Bigworld. As the builders united the world they saw
		1248	that it was much too small and began to make it larger. They raised up the
		1249	Great Mountains around Brest and they caused the Great Forest to grow. As
		1250	the time passed, Navar grew to become a great Kingdom and the builders
		1251	decided that it was a good city for players to call home and they gave the
		1252	Heroes a choice to serve Scorn or Navar. Nevertheless, Pupland is still
		1253	not part of this new world, but the builders wish to add it to the west of
		1254	Scorn.
		1255
		1256
		1257	=head1 Skud the Great
		1258
		1259	One of the first Builders. Skud created many famous places, like the
		1260	Scorn's First Inn or the Newbie Tower.
		1261
		1262	The reasons of the disappearance of Skud are mostly unknown. The Codex
		1263	Skudensis mentions that it could have been because of the negative
		1264	influence of the Arch-Demon Neth Aq. It is thought that The Tower of Skud,
		1265	although left unfinished by its creator, may contain informations about
		1266	the fate of one of the most famous Builder
		1267
		1268
		1269	=head1 Legends of the Fall
		1270
		1271	=head2 Of the first things
		1272
		1273	First there was Chaos
		1274
		1275	Second there was Something and Nothing
		1276
		1277	Third there was Dark and Light
		1278
		1279	It is said that the Something and the Nothing would fight and that, the
		1280	Dark and Light would fight also.
		1281
		1282	This being told to me by a monk of Valriel, no longer in the order.
		1283
		1284	=head2 On the nature of elemental essences
		1285
		1286	It is said that of the four primary elements
		1287
		1288	- there is earth which is.
		1289	- there is water which changes.
		1290	- there is air which moves.
		1291	- there is fire which consumes.
		1292
		1293	=head2 Overheard in a Narcopian brothel
		1294
		1295	When Mother Earth was suckling her children
		1296	sky suckled from her right teat
		1297	but flame and sea fought to suckle from her left teat
		1298	this is why they still fight to this day
		1299
		1300
		1301	=head1 The Tale of Lord Butakis - The Lost Stars of the Lake, Volume I
		1302
		1303	This story begins nearly four thousand years ago, when Kadriosa IV, King
		1304	of Scorn, invaded the southern territories and pushed back the elven
		1305	barbarians that lived there.
		1306
		1307	The elvish people fled, and many of them settled in a place they called
		1308	Vkovzerov, "The Country of the Three Waters", as it was a rather
		1309	unique meeting point between a river, a lake, and the sea. There they
		1310	enjoyed a great prosperity, working with the local sprites to build
		1311	Tashkeren-tah, The City of the Wooden Towers.
		1312
		1313	Two centuries passed, then three. The elven princes of Tashkeren-tah had
		1314	become powerful - and never in their hearts was the thirst of revenge
		1315	and hatred towards the people of Scorn extinguished. Now very familiar
		1316	with the various water creatures that inhabited their territory, they
		1317	had developed great skills in commanding rivers, and the beasts inside
		1318	them, and the creatures made from them. They knew that Scorn was highly
		1319	dependent on its seaport, and they had planned for the many years their
		1320	long life gave them to use the great power of water spirits to crush and
		1321	flood the city.
		1322
		1323	But despite all their accumulated knowledge, their powers were too limited
		1324	to direct the most powerful entities of the seas, the Mouthes of the
		1325	Mariner, none other than the Greater Aquomons.
		1326
		1327	For a long time, they were hesitant to call those, as they were dangerous,
		1328	treacherous creatures born during the darkest ages of the world, when
		1329	Haemdel the Legendary was crushed and the Three Artifacts lost. But so
		1330	strong was their flame of hatred that it soon burned the ropes of their
		1331	carefulness. Using their most powerful summoning spell, they convocated
		1332	one of the Greater Aquomons before them.
		1333
		1334	"Who are you, you creatures with pointy ears, to dare awaken me from my
		1335	dreams, me, Vërno, the Fourth Drop ?"
		1336
		1337	Elven Princes exposed what they wanted to Vërno, and the creature seemed
		1338	very interested at the idea of grabbing all the richesses of Scorn, and
		1339	bringing them back into his dark kingdom of the depth of the sea.
		1340
		1341	"Very well, said Vërno, but you know, I suppose, that we are all bound
		1342	by the Law of Equilibrium, established by the gods themselves when the
		1343	world was new and the seas infinite. And for my services, you'll have to
		1344	pay the price."
		1345
		1346	- And what do you want for a price ? - Well, my needs are rather
		1347	modest. I'll only claim a tenth of your own lands as a reward."
		1348
		1349	The Elven Princes quickly discussed the matter, and came to the conclusion
		1350	that it was a rather fair price to pay - after all, their territories
		1351	weren't very large, and there was a lot of empty space all around, so
		1352	it wasn't really a problem for them. Maybe it would for a couple of
		1353	peasants, but who cared about them more than of the vengeance against
		1354	Scorn ?
		1355
		1356	And so they answered: "The Fate of Scorn is Sealed, then. We accept."
		1357
		1358	What happened then is too long to tell in details here, as it belongs
		1359	to another story. In short, Jovidjevska the elven girl, who had heard
		1360	everything, travelled to Scorn, and convinced the city wizards of the
		1361	truth of the menace. And when Vërno came to crush the city, they moved it
		1362	two days into the future, and the water hand of the Fourth Drop grabbed
		1363	only emptiness.
		1364
		1365	Vërno, furious, came back to the Elves with a big smile, and told
		1366	them: "I did what you wanted, and flooded the territory on which Scorn
		1367	was established. Now I take my due price."
		1368
		1369	And that said, he selected the area on which the Elven City itself was
		1370	built, and covered it with water, its inhabitants trapped and killed there
		1371	without understanding what was happening.
		1372
		1373
		1374	=head1 The Tale of Lord Butakis - The Lost Stars of the Lake, Volume II
		1375
		1376	Two thousand years passed. The lineage of the kings of Scorn died,
		1377	and another dynasty came, and another one after that. Wars were
		1378	conducted. Wizards of Scorn fled, and most of the knowledge disappeared,
		1379	and there were nothing but lakes and forests above the dead city of the
		1380	elves.
		1381
		1382	And then, a man came. Where did he come from ? Nobody knows for
		1383	sure. Butakis was his name.
		1384
		1385	Butakis was an ambitious young man. He had heard here and there strange
		1386	pieces of a weird story, about a sunken city, about a dark pact, about the
		1387	secret power of elves...
		1388
		1389	For years, he studied the Arcanes, hunting for traces of the city, as he
		1390	was convinced that the lost wisdom of the elves of Vkovzerov would give
		1391	him a great power. And, finally, after 20 long years of searching, he
		1392	concluded that the secret was in the area now called "Lake Country".
		1393
		1394	And there, he came, and there was a small house made of wood, and there
		1395	was a tree, and there was a young elvish woman, dreaming at the stars,
		1396	under the tree. And Butakis fell in love, and the elvish lady fell in
		1397	love, and they both watched the stars. But soon, Butakis felt the need of
		1398	getting back into action, and finding the lost city and getting its power.
		1399
		1400	The lady told him: "The true wisdom is in those stars, and in that
		1401	tree, and in that house you see. You'll only find unrest by aiming for
		1402	more."
		1403
		1404	But Butakis had already made up his mind, and he brought back engineers,
		1405	and sappers, and miners, and they all worked to build a huge machine to
		1406	pump the water, and discover the city. During ten years, Butakis worked on
		1407	this, hoping that in the end, the elvish lady would be at his side, and
		1408	that she would be his wife, princess of the restored city.
		1409
		1410	During all the work, he was perpetually annoyed by a small group of
		1411	bandits, lead by Twak the Red Fox. Twak and his men conducted a real
		1412	guerilla war against Butakis, as they saw him as a danger for the whole
		1413	country, because his plans were damaging nature and could also have awaken
		1414	dark power sleeping in the sunken city. Several times, they sabotaged
		1415	the machine, stole tools, raped engineers and designers. But each time,
		1416	Butakis and his followers repaired the machines, engaged new people, and
		1417	increased security.
		1418
		1419
		1420	=head1 The Tale of Lord Butakis - The Lost Stars of the Lake, Volume III
		1421
		1422	And now, ten years after the beginning, the work was completed, and he
		1423	invited the elvish lady to come and see the accomplishment of a lifelong
		1424	dream.
		1425
		1426	The Elvish lady came, as beautiful as ever. And on the balcony at the top
		1427	of the pump, they watched the stars, and she kissed him, and she when they
		1428	were in the bed he had prepared for that very special night before the
		1429	pumping started, she whispered at his ear.
		1430
		1431	That, Butakis had waited for long, but he didn't expect what she told
		1432	him then.
		1433
		1434	"Ten years you were away, and ten years I watched the stars with
		1435	Twak. And now for him, and for he choose me and my heart, I'll
		1436	disappear, and so does your dream."
		1437
		1438	Butakis understood that he had been fooled, that she only kept her
		1439	attention away enough for Twak and three of his faithful men to sabotage
		1440	the pump. And so came a great rumble from the basis of the huge building,
		1441	and so the huge engines exploded, and so was his dream reduced to smoke,
		1442	smoke that still covers most of Lake Country nowadays. The Elvish lady
		1443	probably died, as nobody saw her again after that. And so did the brave
		1444	Twak, but his spirit survived in the wind - or so say some people.
		1445
		1446	Butakis, so strange as it may look, managed to survive, although in bad
		1447	shape, as one would expect. Disfigured, he survived until now using black
		1448	magic or machines to keep him alive, and he tried to gather again men to
		1449	restart his project. But it was now said all around that it was a doomed,
		1450	broken man - and so he in fact was Lake country was said to be haunted by
		1451	Twak, and several travellers saw a young elvish lady, watching the stars
		1452	at night, under a tree, near the lake.
		1453
		1454	Nobody ever accepted to work on the foolish project again. Butakis now
		1455	awaits in his sinister castle, ruling a shattered kingdom lost in the fog
		1456	his machine left behind. A tormented man, that is said to look in the
		1457	direction of the lake from the highest tower of his castle, every night.
		1458
		1459	But for him never came again the Elvish girl, and forever his soul stays
		1460	alone. And so ends what we know about Butakis and Twak, and so dies my
		1461	story.
		1462
		1463
		1464	=head1 The Wizard School of Blue
		1465
		1466	"Although the School disappeared with the Empire itself from The World,
		1467	several wizards claimed to be the heirs of their ancient, secret wisdom,
		1468	and nicknamed "the Blue Ones", a reference to the color of the School
		1469	Banner." – Gros, the Irrelevant One
		1470
		1471
		1472	=head1 The Great Heliograph
		1473
		1474	A device made by Mer'Eric the Walker. Built on the highest point of the
		1475	Brestian Hills, it is basically a giant magnifying glass, using a complex
		1476	mechanism commanding several mirrors, that is able to concentrate the
		1477	sunlight into a powerful beam. The concentrator is associated to a Sun
		1478	Stone that can receive similar long-range light signals and transform
		1479	them into pure thaumic energy. A keyboard is attached to a mechanical
		1480	obturator, allowing a single operator to send coded messages to very long
		1481	distances. A magically-powered scriptor writes any such incoming message
		1482	capted by the Sun Stone.
		1483
		1484	Although Mer'Eric only saw the Great Heliograph as a research project
		1485	and as a way to communicate easily across huge distances, this device
		1486	is also a powerful weapon that can burn nearly anything several miles
		1487	away. This is probably why he decided to hide it in a sealed cave.
		1488
		1489	A similar device was built by the Mad Mage of Scorn, but its fate is
		1490	unknown.
		1491
		1492
		1493	=head1 The Harelkirjan Sisters
		1494
		1495	Also called the Twin Witches, they were two powerful women wizards; Herin
		1496	was specialized in White Magic, while her sister Urdin was a master of the
		1497	Black Art. Both of them tried to improve the life of the people living
		1498	all around their house, and introduced the use of cats as spirit-watchers
		1499	in Scorn. Unfortunately for them, they were burned by an angry Brestian
		1500	fanatical mob for "illegal use of Arcane Powers".
		1501
		1502
		1503	=head1 Ilrya, The Mountain Huntress
		1504
		1505	Ilrya was an elven spellcaster and huntress from the underground city of
		1506	Eallera, that is venerated as a lesser god by most of the dwarves living
		1507	in the Northern Territories. She killed the Bear of Snuddenrach in 3657EK.
		1508
		1509
		1510	=head1 Irial, The Fast One, The Shy Light
		1511
		1512	Irial is a lesser spirit of flashlight - the light that you can see when
		1513	there's thunder, for example. It is represented as a small, jumpy and
		1514	fast fairy with a temperamental mood.
		1515
		1516
		1517	=head1 Khorolizov
		1518
		1519	One of the three great dwarven kingdoms. "Khorolizov" means "Green
		1520	Gold", which is a reference to the Green Sand, an alchemical component
		1521	the dwarves of Khorolizov are the only ones to produce. It is probably
		1522	the oldest of the three kingdoms, founded long before the Old Empire of
		1523	Khelens reached the shores of the Continent.
		1524
		1525
		1526	=head1 Kragi, The Crocodile One, Fish-Hunter
		1527
		1528	Kragi is a very ancient spirit, representing the Dangerous Waters, and
		1529	the creatures hidden in stagnant swamps. Kragi was already feared by
		1530	Ancient Jiradittis, 2000 years before Khelens. A lot of river fishermen
		1531	symbolically throw one fish out of what they gathered, to appease the
		1532	spirit of Kragi so that the next fishing will go without trouble.
		1533
		1534
		1535	=head1 Cromli, The Rocky One
		1536
		1537	Crolmi is the Dwarven Spirit of Rocs and Mountains. It has no temples, as
		1538	it is said that buildings made of stone anger him (it is like "building
		1539	with his own flesh").
		1540
		1541
		1542	=head1 Glamdri, The Darkness Breaker, The Last Standing One
		1543
		1544	Glamdri is a lesser spirit of light - it is said that candlelights are
		1545	manifestations of Glamdri, for example.
		1546
		1547	Glamdri doesn't represent a magical light - more a spiritual light, the
		1548	last pinch of hope in a desperate world. Glamdri also represents original
		1549	thinking used to get out of difficult situations, as opposed to Sarikka -
		1550	the Raging Fire - who tries to resolve those by extreme violence.
		1551
		1552
		1553	=head1 Archmage Rhyz
		1554
		1555	(Entorinaas Durdennis Rhyz, Fourth Archmage of the Seat, Herdysenmark of Normania)
		1556
		1557	Rhyz was an Archmage of the Blue School during the Old Days of the Empire.
		1558
		1559	"(...)Unlike Dhelyy Olyy, his contemporary rival for the Seat, Rhyz
		1560	focused mostly on closing the gap that existed between the art of fighting
		1561	and the Arcane. While Dhelyy Olyy believed in the dual association of the
		1562	Warrior and the Wizard, each with its own strength increased by a long
		1563	specialization in their respective fields, Rhyz believed in the idea of
		1564	a "super warriard", a combination of a powerful wizard and a strong
		1565	warrior. As such, he devised many items that increased the strength and
		1566	combat capabilities of their wearers, hoping that wizard apprentices would
		1567	so be more inclined to learn the battle skills of warriors.
		1568
		1569	Unfortunately for Rhyz, most of his followers relied more and more on
		1570	magical strength more than physical training, leaving them to a severe
		1571	defeat at the Battle of Moriach, when Dhelyy used an anti-magic field over
		1572	them."
		1573
		1574	(Quote from the Codex Simochusianus, Volume XVII)
		1575
		1576
		1577	=head1 Archdaemonist Xebinon
		1578
		1579	Xebinon was an Archmage and Daemonist that was since trapped by a demon of
		1580	the 10th Circle in his mannor.
		1581
		1582	It is said that Xebinon used the Crown of Hellfires to try to tame the
		1583	Arch-daemon (and failed) - this is a crown that gave a lot of power, but
		1584	drained the magical force of the wearer at the same time, making the spell
		1585	regeneration more difficult. This was in fact a cursed, twisted artifact,
		1586	created by daemons for people who were seeking short-term power, but would
		1587	thus head directly for long-term soul slavery.
		1588
		1589	Xebinon is sometimes called "The faceless one", as it is said that the
		1590	daemon trapped him by stealing his visage. This may explain why magical
		1591	artifacts wearing his name are often helmets.
		1592
		1593
		1594	=head1 Argoth, the Fish-City of the Two Towers
		1595
		1596	Argoth is the name of a city that was located West of Scorn, in the middle
		1597	of the sea, in an island that since sunken after the explosion of the
		1598	volcano of the same name, in 674EK. It is called the City of the Two
		1599	Towers, because two huge towers were built there, to guide the ships
		1600	navigating on the oceans between Bigworld and Khelens.
		1601
		1602	Argoth was a dwarven city built on one of the highest mountains known,
		1603	rooted in the depths of the sea, and climbing so high in the skies that
		1604	uneducated travelers said that it was a "stairway to the gods". On the
		1605	top of the mountain, the Imperial Governors built the Two Towers, who were
		1606	visible from Scorn, about 200km far from them.
		1607
		1608	The dwarves of Argoth had a terrible secret: in the depths of the caves
		1609	below the mountains, they had trapped Hregalakhen, one of the last
		1610	survivors of the race of the Ancient Dragons, who ruled Bigworld long
		1611	before the time of humans. Unfortunately for the dwarves, the dragon got
		1612	free for an unknown reason, and destroyed the city, the mountain crumbling
		1613	and disappearing forever into the ocean. The Imperial authorities spread
		1614	the false story of a volcanic eruption to limit the panic a free dragon
		1615	the size of Hregalakhen would have caused in the population. The fate of
		1616	the dragon is unknown to this day.
		1617
		1618
		1619	=head1 Zormola, The Bashing One
		1620
		1621	Zormola was a great female orcish warrior, that is sometimes considered
		1622	as a lesser divinity by not only orcs, but also by southern barbarians or
		1623	even dwarves of Herfensheim, who salute her courage on the battlefield.
		1624
		1625
		1626	=head1 Morgul, The Tower Builder, The Dark Climber
		1627
		1628	Morgul was a Dark Mage that built a tower in the hope of creating a bridge
		1629	with the skies, so that demons could attack heavens. Fortunately for
		1630	angels, a group of adventurers defeated him in 2374EK.
		1631
		1632
		1633	=head1 Wolfen the White, The White Hunter, The One Who Listens
		1634
		1635	Wolfen is one of the three moons orbiting around The World. It is said to
		1636	be the spirit of the legendary hunter Wolfen, who tracked Kalkaruntes, God
		1637	of the Dragons, to is cavern and vainquished it.
		1638
		1639	In astrology, Wolfen is the symbol of practical mind, swiftness and
		1640	flexibility, but also cowardice and stealing. It is associated with the
		1641	Earth element in Alchemancy. Wolfen is seen as a protector by hunters and
		1642	rangers. Priests of Lythander think it is the reincarnation of the wolf
		1643	that hunts with Lythander in the divine forests of Nerënna. Fenxes see it
		1644	as Fixas, the one that saved them from the Humans so long ago.
		1645
		1646
		1647	=head1 Ranisha the Red, The Red Death, The One Who Commands
		1648
		1649	Ranisha is one of the three moons orbiting around the world of
		1650	Deliantra. It is said to be the spirit of the legendary warrior Ranisha,
		1651	who was supposed to be an invincible general that was even able to
		1652	vainquish gods themselves on the battlefield.
		1653
		1654	In astrology, Ranisha is the symbol of violence, hatred, murder, but
		1655	also of strength and courage. It is associated with the fire element in
		1656	Alchemancy. Priests of Ruggili consider it as the watchful eye of their
		1657	god.
		1658
		1659
		1660	=head1 Asferenn the Blue, The Blue Sister, The One Who Suggests
		1661
		1662	Asferenn is one of the three moons orbiting around the world of
		1663	Deliantra. It is said to be the spirit of the legendary wizard Asferenn,
		1664	who was said to have been able to force the gate of the divine dimension.
		1665
		1666	In astrology, Asferenn is the symbol of wisdom, endurance in effort,
		1667	diplomacy, but also treachery and dark secrets. It is associated with the
		1668	water element in Alchemancy. It is said that the cycle of water creatures
		1669	are strongly influenced by Asferenn.
		1670
		1671
		1672	=head1 Story of Lorkas the Fallen, Volume I
		1673
		1674	I'll tell you about Lorkas of Amudrias, and how he found the White Bird
		1675	of Hope, and how he capitained it, opening the Gates of the Sun, and some
		1676	stuff like that.
		1677
		1678	Some say that Lorkas was an angel of Valriel, that fell long ago from the
		1679	Skies, stealing a couple of highly holy artifacts, and hiding them in his
		1680	new underground domains.
		1681
		1682	Some also say that Lorkas is a dark spirit, a lost soul, an unclean,
		1683	unfaithful, untrusty creature of Doom and Chaos.
		1684
		1685	But, for what matters, some also said that Fido was a fiction, or that
		1686	the Empire never was more than a dream of a past that never existed. Some
		1687	definitely are foolishly uninformed for sure, and speak more than they
		1688	think.
		1689
		1690	Because, if they were less quick on jumping to conclusions, they'd
		1691	quickly notice how difficult it is for an angel to fall from the sky and
		1692	never be able to climb back, as if wild gooses were never able to take off
		1693	again once they land after their long journey to the South.
		1694
		1695	Anyway, as every wise man knows, Lorkas was no angelic creature of divine
		1696	essence, or even a magical creation of a godly force.
		1697
		1698	Some say that Khelens is the Beginning, first of the Cities of Men. That,
		1699	too, is untrue: before the Age of Khelens was the Time of the Kingdoms
		1700	at War. And before them, the Era of Songor the Great. And going back
		1701	through the thick book of history, you'll cross Arnistar of the Desert
		1702	Dwellers, the Republic of the Two Rivers, and the Ancient Haemdel, and the
		1703	Kingdom of the Long Wall. And before it, the forgotten towers of light
		1704	that Horadrists built.
		1705
		1706
		1707	=head1 Story of Lorkas the Fallen, Volume II
		1708
		1709	Lorkas was born in Kuratas, a small agrarian state that existed on the
		1710	Coronian Valley, when Songer and Khelens were still in infancy. He was a
		1711	boy that wanted to see everything, to understand the world and its stars,
		1712	and discover its limits, for it was extending much further than the mists
		1713	of his home valley.
		1714
		1715	But life was rude in Kuratas, and trying to think about anything else than
		1716	your next harvest wasn't well perceived by most; and, more than often,
		1717	Lorkas dreamed with tears and despair about the Mountains with the white
		1718	tops, and Seas that ended only when they touched the sky, far away.
		1719
		1720	Tired of his senseless life, he left his parents, his village, his
		1721	friends, when he was only 12, and for weeks walked to the West, until he
		1722	reached the Coast of the Stonewalls.
		1723
		1724	And there, he saw Ottarakans, the Infinite Ocean that extends west of the
		1725	Old World, and so fell in love for the sea. He then joined the Port of
		1726	Kridatta, which was famous for its ships, as its inhabitants had mastered
		1727	a powerful arcane, so that their boats roamed not only the seas, but the
		1728	very clouds themselves.
		1729
		1730	Because he was smart and quick-brained, Lorkas soon got enrolled in the
		1731	team of Capt'n Bortaras; and after several adventures I shall maybe tell
		1732	about another day, he took the succession of the old mariner.
		1733
		1734	Horizon was the name of his ship, and famous was his crew, exploring huge
		1735	territories and fighting the Princes of Sinas, who back then tried to put
		1736	the whole area under their iron, greedy grasps.
		1737
		1738
		1739	=head1 Story of Lorkas the Fallen, Volume III
		1740
		1741	But Lorkas heard about a wonder that him and his crew soon wanted to
		1742	find: The White Bird of Hope.
		1743
		1744	Buried in the Very East, it was said to be. And so he sailed east; he
		1745	crossed the Great Desert, passed the Mountains of Daigojij, reached the
		1746	forests oft he western normanika. But still was the Bird further away.
		1747
		1748	Reaching the Eastern Ocean, they decided to try to cross it, despite that
		1749	it was said to be the end of the world. And for 30 days and nights, across
		1750	tempests and monsters, they firmly kept heading east, east, east.
		1751
		1752	When despair was growing on them, mists magically opened, revealing a
		1753	golden city built on what seemed to be a rich, fertile coastal plain.
		1754
		1755	People there spoke a strange language; they were small and not unlike
		1756	joyful foxes, and they welcomed Lorkas and his men (and women)
		1757	warmly. Soon, they learned to understand each other enough.
		1758
		1759	They called themselves "The People of the Mother", and they had
		1760	never seen the "Flat-Eared Giants" before, although they already met
		1761	"Flat-Eared Beards" and "Flat-Eared Greens" before.
		1762
		1763	But there was a lady called Sonja. And, although she wasn't human, she
		1764	seemed brighter, smarter, more beautiful than any other woman Lorkas had
		1765	ever seen before.
		1766
		1767	Those months were the most wonderful for him - and her - and time seemed
		1768	to have stopped for them in their endless love. But of course it hadn't.
		1769
		1770	And after a while, some of his men wanted to go back to their own homes,
		1771	and some wanted for their families to come to the Golden City. And, also,
		1772	there was the Bird.
		1773
		1774	They had no problem to find the White Bird of Hope - a statue entirely
		1775	made of the purest of the white marble, with gemstones of red ruby as
		1776	eyes. But so much the inhabitants liked it, so they thought that a
		1777	valuable friend was much better than a valuable statue.
		1778
		1779	And so they said: "Take the bird as a gift of us to your masters, to
		1780	show them we want to make friendship with them. Welcome are the friends of
		1781	the children of the White Bird."
		1782
		1783	And so Lorkas left, promising Sonja that he'd soon return.
		1784
		1785	The people of the Golden City also told him that "The Bird is imbued
		1786	with powerful magic: the one owning it will always keep hope."
		1787
		1788
		1789	=head1 Story of Lorkas the Fallen, Volume IV
		1790
		1791	When Lorkas came back, he and his men were welcomed as heroes. So where
		1792	does the story turns sour, as Lorkas is said to have fallen from the skies?
		1793
		1794	Well, when he and his crew came back home, Kridatta was at war with Sinas,
		1795	and for several years, he and his crew fought, using the power of the Bird
		1796	to help them. And during those years, Lorkas kept in his heart the hope of
		1797	seeing again Sonja.
		1798
		1799	Then came the Fever Plague, that killed a third of the people in the
		1800	Ancient World. And again was the Bird used, and again did Lorkas help all
		1801	those he could help, still having hope of seeing the Golden City again
		1802	soon.
		1803
		1804	And then, he sent messengers and explorers, as he had become influent,
		1805	rich, and powerful, across the seas, to rebind the ties with the Golden
		1806	City, as he promised. But they all came without finding their way to
		1807	those faraway shores; yet all that time, and for each new mission sent to
		1808	explore the seas and the skies, they seemed closed and closer from the
		1809	goal.
		1810
		1811	Sixty years passed. The world changed; new kingdoms ruled old cities;
		1812	Lorkas was now an old man that lived in a small house looking at the
		1813	Ocean.
		1814
		1815	And still, each day, he spent hours waiting, watching the line where the
		1816	sea met the sky, hoping that one day, one would sail back and tell him:
		1817	"we found the Golden City !". And always he hoped, but never received.
		1818
		1819	Nearly all of his companions were now dead, and the Horizon had been
		1820	retired long ago, now slowly rotting in the bay, fading souvenir of a long
		1821	forgotten past.
		1822
		1823
		1824	=head1 Story of Lorkas the Fallen, Volume V
		1825
		1826	Lorkas walked to his boat, and where there was only tarnished wood and
		1827	corroded metal, he still saw the fierce ship on which he saw Sonja for the
		1828	first time, so long ago. Who knows what he did, then? One thing is sure:
		1829	the vigile of the Sea Tower of Kridatta, that watched boats coming and
		1830	leaving from dozens of miles away, reported that an ancient ship left the
		1831	bay, with Lorkas sitting at the front of it, holding the Bird, as if he
		1832	was sleeping.
		1833
		1834	Nobody knows exactly where he went. Was he even dead? Nobody knows. But
		1835	everybody kept hope that, one day, he'd reach the Golden City
		1836	again. Lots of people tried to find the Bird after that event. They all
		1837	accused Lorkas of having "stolen" it. The story became legend. The
		1838	legend became fairy tale. And the fairy tale got forgotten by most.
		1839
		1840	Yet, Centuries ago, deep in the oldest parts of the Old City of Scorn,
		1841	people claimed to have found an ancient mausoleum, a relic of the
		1842	past. All made of the purest, finest gold. On the walls were engraved a
		1843	man at the wheel of a strange ship, and a woman with pointy ears, watching
		1844	the skies. And many nowadays keep the Hope that the White Bird now sleeps
		1845	down below the streets, having found its way back to home with Lorkas.
		1846
		1847	But who could tell if it is the truth, or only a silly story? Who
		1848	knows? As for myself, I don't care: I just hold hope it is. And so ends
		1849	the Story of Lorkas, and so keeps Hope running.
		1850
		1851
		1852	=head1 The Prison of Madness
		1853
		1854	It is said that deep in the underworld there is a vast maze that will make
		1855	everybody who dares to enter die of madness.
		1856
		1857	It starts in a room, with a row of mirrors to the south. pass through
		1858	those, and carry on slightly further, and you are in the maze proper.
		1859
		1860	Little is known about the maze, but Worus the Wanderer claimed to have been
		1861	in it, seen many of its wonders and returned.
		1862
		1863	He also wrote a book that details all the ways and passages, alas, nobody
		1864	could decipher it yet:
		1865
		1866	gb2trg2gb2gur2rkvg:
		1867	2jnaqre2nebhaq2hagvy2lbh2ybpngr2n2znc2aN,
		1868	2vg2vf2ba2gur2obggbz2ragenapr2bs2n2znc.
		1869	2bapr2gung2vf2ybpngrq2tb2evtug,
		1870	2hc,
		1871	2evtug,
		1872	2evtug,
		1873	2evtug,
		1874	2evtug,
		1875	2evtug,
		1876	2lbh2jvyy2or2ng2gur2rkvg.
		1877	2gb2trg2gb2gur2inhyg:
		1878	2jnaqre2ebhaq2hagvy2lbh2trg2gb2znc2aN1,
		1879	vg2vf2gb2gur2evtug2bs2n2abezny2znc.
		1880	2tb2hc,
		1881	2yrsg,
		1882	2hc,
		1883	2yrsg,
		1884	2qbja,
		1885	2qbja,
		1886	2evtug,
		1887	2qbja,
		1888	2qbja,
		1889	2qbja.2Lbh2jvyy2or2va2gur2unyy,
		1890	2tb2guebhtu2naq2gb2gur2yrsg2gb2ernpu2gur2inhyg.
		1891
		1892
		1893	=head1 Order of the Gravestone
		1894
		1895	An ancient order of druids, that venerated the supposed gravestone of
		1896	the Spirit of Khalbow. The Spirit was supposed to be a symbol of eternal
		1897	renewal and redemption, that lived a regular, short-term dead/revival
		1898	cycle. The Order of the Gravestone was very popular during the first
		1899	Millenia EK, but then went extinct. No druid is known to exist today, and
		1900	the exact location of the gravestone has long been forgotten.
		1901
		1902
		1903	=head1 Rule of Dictus
		1904
		1905	If you get killed twice at the same place - go elsewhere.
		1906
		1907	- Dictus the Fat, EK 323
		1908
		1909
		1910	=head1 Heaven and Hell
		1911
		1912	It is said that the church of Valriel in Scorn has direct access to
		1913	Heaven. The priests of Valriel claim that you can enter Heaven freely, and
		1914	even come back to the world of mortals. The priests of Gorokh claim that
		1915	their church has a connection to Hell. The Valriel priests claim they were
		1916	first, and, in their usual attitude, the Gorokh priests claim the priests
		1917	of Valriel are useless maggots that lie to their followers.
		1918
		1919	Although a number of people have travelled to both Heaven and Hell, their
		1920	reports are inconclusive as to wether it was real "Hell" (or Heaven) they
		1921	visited.
		1922
		1923	Some people claim this Heaven and Hell business is just some magic
		1924	illusion forged by some magicians of those churches, mostly because you
		1925	can still die in Heaven, Hell doesn't look all that impressive (and it
		1926	is so easy to come back), and why would only the churches in Scorn have
		1927	access to those in the first place?
		1928
		1929
		1930	=head1 Barad-Dur
		1931
		1932	In the mountains north-east of the great city we found it at last -- the
		1933	hidden fortress of Barad-Dur. What treasures could lie in it I do not know
		1934	for our party never gained its way past the entryway. Skulls, pixies, and
		1935	a horrible creature I hesitate to name decimated my friends and I.
		1936
		1937
		1938	=head1 A visit to the Alchemist
		1939
		1940	...and then did the Alchemist agree to make me my potion. First he
		1941	called to his grimm servants who hauld forth a great iron cauldron. Into
		1942	this black device did he deposit his ingredients and, opening his spell
		1943	book for reference, then did he cast his spell of alchemy therepon the
		1944	cauldron.
		1945
		1946	Greatly did the tub shake and move! I thought that the Alchemist had broke
		1947	his device, but he chuckled at my ignorance. Into the cauldron did he
		1948	reach an brought forth a filled bottle of golden amber fluid...
		1949
		1950
		1951	=head1 The Philosophical Ingredients
		1952
		1953	Know that there are 4 principle philosophical ingredients. In order, they
		1954	are:
		1955
		1956	- philosophical salt
		1957	- philosophical sulphur
		1958	- philosophical phosphorus
		1959	- philosophical oil
		1960
		1961	The great alchemist has often said that all living things are made of
		1962	these ingredients. Proper combination of these with other base objects can
		1963	often create potions of power and might.
		1964
		1965
		1966	=head1 Collection of Strange Glyphs
		1967
		1968	Many years ago, I got my hands on a book with many strange glyphs, from
		1969	a book-dealer in Darcap. Interested in all kinds of arcance Symbols, I
		1970	bought it despite the rather high price, for the depicted glyphs looked
		1971	intricately detailed and seemed to emanate some deeper meaning.
		1972
		1973	The only thing the shop keeper could tell me about the book was that it
		1974	was supposed to be a "talansuration book" or something like that, and no,
		1975	he didn't know what that means.
		1976
		1977	I was unable to find out more about this cult of Talansura, despite
		1978	traveling all over the world for many years.
		1979
		1980	Since my copy of the book is now in a very bad condition, I decided to
		1981	make a clean copy and publish it, so this knowledge doe snot get lost.
		1982
		1983	B<- Samuel Midnight, Book Collector and Traveller, Scorn>
		1984
		1985	T<トランスレーション著書>
		1986
		1987	悪鬼 akki demon, devil
		1988	悪魔 akuma demon, evil spirit
		1989	アパート apa-to apartment
		1990	東 azuma east
		1991	貯金箱 chokinbako bank
		1992	著書 chosho book
		1993	貯蔵 chozou storage
		1994	付き dzuki to, under
		1995	護衛 goei guard
		1996	本塁 honrui stronghold
		1997	一堂 ichidou shrine
		1998	溢流 itsuryuu spill, overflow
		1999	一定不変 itteifuhen permanent
		2000	鍵 kagi key
		2001	京洛 keiraku capital
		2002	血液 ketsueki blood
		2003	寛ぎ kutsurogi room
		2004	メゾン mezon house
		2005	町 machi town
		2006	港 minato harbour
		2007	店 mise shop
		2008	渚 nagisa shore, water's edge
		2009	燃焼 nenshou burning
		2010	の no (glue two words together)
		2011	鬼 oni demon, orge
		2012	乱暴 ranbou rough
		2013	力 ryoku power, strength
		2014	センタ senta center
		2015	市場 shijou market
		2016	商業組合 shougyoukumiai guild
		2017	商法 shouhou trade, commerce
		2018	住居 sumai house
		2019	スノー suno- snow
		2020	建物 tatemono building
		2021	卓子 teiburu table
		2022	トランスレーション toransure-shon translation
		2023	ウエルカム uerukamu welcome
		2024	ウインド uindo wind
		2025	山 yama mountain
		2026	要素 youso element
		2027	ザ za the
		2028	座席 zaseki seat

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Revision 1.24 by root, Mon Mar 30 12:41:27 2009 UTC