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Hello everyone, this is Asclepius, with the final chapter in this wonderful story from the pen of enderandrew. It is entitled
“The Four Eras” , by Joorus the Scribe
Background music is by Smartsound.

Volume IV

As the Obsidians vanished, the Oracle emerged bringing us into the fourth age, Oracular Enlightenment.

The timing of these two events seems more than coincidental.

One could suggest the Obsidian Empire created the Oracle with their vacuum, or more directly that they simply created the Oracle to spy on Novia so they would know when to return. But that seems unlikely as the Titans support the Oracle and the Oracle advocates for a return to the virtues of the Avatars.

You could also suggest it was the arrival of the Oracle that caused the Obsidians to disappear, that she somehow vanquished their mighty empire with her mere presence. This seems like a stretch, but it cannot be completely discounted.

She does not command any army by conventional definitions, though she has a large contingent of clockwork servants called Watchers that keep her informed of near every activity in Novia.

For the first time since The Fall, the citizens of Novia can hope for more than mere survival. There is an optimism in some corners that the darkest days may be behind us, that we’ve been living in an age of enlightenment.

Confirmatories were erected in major cities so people could seek her wisdom and guidance, even from a distance.

Some cities have grown into peaceful kingdoms and shogunates. We have trade and growth reaching the far corners of Novia. We’ve had a return to the arts and academia (of which I am grateful evidence). We’ve had 200 wonderful years of prosperity.

But the Dirae Prophecies suggest change is coming. We have outlanders pouring in. Will they be Avatars? Will they uphold virtue and serve as defenders of Novia or portend darker days? We may be entering a fifth age.

What this fifth age might be, I do not know. But I do know that our eyes have turned to these outlanders. Will they shape our future?

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Hello everyone, this is Asclepius, with the next chapter in this wonderful story from the pen of enderandrew. It is entitled
“The Four Eras”, by Joorus the Scribe
Background music is by Smartsound.

Volume III

It seemed that no one could create anything lasting or with any reach, except for the newly formed Obsidian Empire. Their power and reach grew at an almost impossible rate. Exactly how they pulled it off is a bit of a mystery. If anyone truly knew all the details, they might replicate it today.

As a scribe (I’m reticent to call myself a historian when I largely record the findings of so many others that worked before me), I feel a duty to report all that I can uncover. But when it comes to the Obsidians, I at least give pause. The thought has crossed my mind more than a few times that in providing any knowledge of the Obsidians, I might encourage or enable someone else who wants to follow in their footsteps.

Despite those concerns, I do promote knowledge over ignorance when at all possible and I’ve yet to see that anyone is truly poised to re-enact their previous conquest.

What we do know is that a mighty military Empire was controlled by a fairly small Cabal of sorcerers. Their magical mastery was enough to instil terror and/or loyalty enough that they did not need bureaucracy or appeasement to rule.

As they overtook each city, they would add to their ranks in varied ways. Some people saw them as the inevitable rulers of all of Novia and simply accepted their rule quicker than most rather than fighting to the death. Others resisted, were captured and then changed into slaves, stripped of both their free will and humanity.

The Obsidians developed terrifying rituals by which they could harness the power of shards to morph Humans into Fomorians. From their magic we have Fauns, Satyrs, Elves and Kobolds.

We know the Titans opposed the Obsidians, but just as we do not know how the Obsidian Empire nearly covered all of Novia, we don’t understand what undermined them. The Empire crumbled and failed to complete their continental conquest. It was not mere attrition that stopped their advances. Their Empire withered quickly and the Cabal itself vanished almost as quickly as it has appeared.

More than a few believe the Cabal merely retreated into the shadows, that they are biding their time for their eventual return. If they slinked back because of the Titans and the emergence of the Oracle, then perhaps we have nothing to fear so long as they persist.

Maybe there is nothing to fear at all. They could have self-cannibalized with betrayal and power struggles since they didn’t have a larger structure of bureaucracy. I wish I could find evidence that was the case to assuage our fears.

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Hello everyone…Here is a post of the listening party story we heard on Saturday November 14, 2015. A very fine ‘Spooky’ story from our champion writer Gabriel Nightshadow. Hope you enjoy!

Legacy Part I: Written By Gabriel Nightshadow

Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Mario4536

The New Britannia Theater Troupe
Presents

Legacy

Directed and Produced by Lord Baldrith
Writer and Music Supervisor: Gabriel Nightshadow

VOICE CAST
Lord Baldrith as Asteedo, Quentin Kane, Marcus Blaine, Lucas, and the Narrator
Doctor Shroud as Giles, Rupert, Grim Reaper, and Dinsoo
Amber Raine as Anna Devereux and Simone Devereux

NARRATOR
Prologue:
Midnight, Braemar, 25 years ago…

On the fifth level of his stone basement, the famous court composer, Asteedo, stares at the light emitted from the candelabra as he bites off the last of the tender, seasoned meat from the thigh bone. He places the bare bone on the silver plate in front of him. Asteedo hears his latest masterpiece playing on the nearby ornate metallic phonograph while he chews. After a few minutes, he is done, and washes everything down with red wine from his golden goblet.

ASTEEDO
Mmm…perfectly cooked and seasoned this evening. Perhaps tomorrow night I shall experiment with the seasoning by adding some tarragon.

NARRATOR
Suddenly, Asteedo hears loud voices outside his basement door, which is suddenly forced upon by a large, angry crowd of villagers wielding sharp farm implements!

QUENTIN KANE (yelling)
There is the monster! Seize him!

ASTEEDO (angry)
What is the meaning of this?! How dare you barge into my home and interrupt my dinner!”

ANNA DEVEREUX (screaming)
Oh my god! He kept trophies…

NARRATOR
The crowd turns to look at the mahogany shelves lining the left wall. Dozens of human skulls are on display, each accompanied by a bronze nameplate indicating the deceased’s name, age, and date of consumption. Many in the crowd gasp in horror, and a few of them even begin vomiting.
Two burly farmers named Jed and Ted grab Asteedo and restrain him. The blacksmith, a fellow by the name of Marcus Blaine, takes a sniff of the odor coming from the golden goblet. He raises it to his lips and takes a sip. He immediately spits the wine out and gasps.

MARCUS BLAINE (gasping)
This is not wine! It’s human blood…

QUENTIN KANE (yelling)
How could you do this? We have known you for years and treated you well. We respected your desire for privacy from the ever watchful eyes of the royal court. You repaid our kindness by kidnapping our children and devouring them!

ASTEEDO (calmly)
I could not help myself. This ever present hunger for tender, human flesh is in my blood, for I am the last surviving descendant of the Kaitoth tribe!

ANNA DEVEREUX
I remember my grandmother telling me tales about the Kaitoth when I was a child. They were fierce hunters who lived long ago in the area now occupied by Paxlair. They took refuge with the others in the caves during the Great Cataclysm 400 years ago. When food became scarce, they began using their superior hunting skills against their fellow Britannians. They were eventually wiped out by General Jeremiah Dane and his men at the direction of the surviving members of the Great Council.

ASTEEDO
A handful of my ancestors managed to survive the Great Purge and retreated even further into the underground caverns, where they remained until it was safe to return to the surface once more…
QUENTIN KANE
We heard that Guard Captain Duncan Congreve and his men will be by in a few hours to arrest you for your crimes, but we will not take a chance that your influence will cause the magistrate to set you free! We demand justice now! Bring him!

NARRATOR
Jed and Ted force Asteedo forward.

Damnation by Jens Kiilstofte

Soon the crowd is gathered in the backyard of Asteedo’s isolated manor.

QUENTIN KANE
How shall we dispose of this criminal?

ANNA DEVEREUX
Burn him!

MARCUS BLAINE
Stone him!

QUENTIN KANE
Let us decide by a show of hands. All those in favor of burning, raise your hands!

NARRATOR
Seven people raise their hands.

QUENTIN KANE
Those in favoring of stoning?

NARRATOR
Eleven people raise their hands.

QUENTIN KANE
Stoning it is, then. Jed and Ted, bind the criminal to the stone ankh!

NARRATOR
Jed and Ted use steel chains to bind Asteedo to the large stone ankh. Everyone in the crowd begin picking up the largest stones they can find on the ground.

QUENTIN KANE
Any last words?

ASTEEDO (defiant)
You may kill me tonight, but this is not the last you have heard of the Kaitoth!

NARRATOR
Asteedo spits in Quentin’s face.

QUENTIN KANE
That’s what you think!

NARRATOR
Quentin wipes the spit off his face.

QUENTIN KANE
Come on, let us get this over with quickly! I need to get home soon. My pregnant wife, Mara, must be wondering why I still out playing poker with the guys…

NARRATOR
Asteedo suddenly smiles wickedly and begins laughing, as the villagers start throwing stones at him.
Fifteen minutes later, he breathes his last, as his bloody and battered form goes limp.

QUENTIN KANE
Jed and Ted, weigh down his body and toss it into the well over there. The rest of you go inside, throw some animal blood around and smash the furniture. That way it will look like robbery plus abduction and/or murder. We must not let Guard Captain Congreve and his men learn the truth about what we have done here tonight!

NARRATOR
The crowd proceeds to carry out Quentin’s instructions.
Another fifteen minutes later, Jed and Ted dump Asteedo’s body into the well as the remaining villagers disperse.
As Asteedo’s body falls down the well, his eyes stare vacantly at the blood red shattered moon in the dark night sky…

Beyond the Clouds (Theme for Modern Broadcast) by Matthew Pablo

NARRATOR
One year ago…

NEWSFLASH – JACK TWITT MISSING, PRESUMED DEAD! By Anasche Cumberbatch. Authorities in Braemar are investigating the mysterious disappearance of local resident Jack Twitt, last seen exiting the local tavern late Friday evening. Eyewitnesses report that Mr. Twitt, who was a close personal friend of Lord Enmar, was rather inebriated that evening, lamenting how much he missed his “Hollywood” lifestyle and his recent rejection for membership by The New Britannia Theater Troupe. A search of his manor suggests that he may have been abducted or even killed, as evidenced by all of the smashed furniture and blood splatter found in his library.
When contacted, one of the cofounders of the Troupe, Asclepius, had this to say. “Yes, it is true that Mr. Twitt applied to join our group, but Lord Baldrith and I felt that his acting skills were only average. Furthermore, during his audition, he was rather arrogant and kept hitting on our lead actresses, Amber Raine and Lady Adnor. In light of all this, we felt that he would be a disruptive influence to our organization and decided to reject his application.”
Many of the local residents did not seem to have a very high opinion of Mr. Twitt, who was an Outlander. Quentin Kane, a local farmer, complained that Mr. Twitt had seduced his innocent teenage daughter, Melody, and had gotten her pregnant and often used to make fun of his frail, older son, Obadiah, while he was growing up. Seamstress Anna Devereux said that Mr. Twitt, who was employed as a drama teacher at the Braemar School for the Gifted, had also been secretly seeing her teenage daughter, Simone, who was one of his students. Marcus Blaine, the local blacksmith, claimed that Mr. Twitt had also seduced the wives of many of the village’s most prominent citizens, which allowed him to live rather lavishly in this small farming community. Jed Crumfelt, his next door neighbor, complained that Mr. Twitt was a rather obnoxious fellow who often held loud, wild parties at his town home late at night on the weekends and goaded Jed’s teenage son, Lucas, and his schoolmates to fight him for gold in the secret caged arena he had constructed in his basement.
Rumors that the authorities had received a note from the mysterious anti-Outlander group, the Homeguard, claiming responsibility for Mr. Twitt’s disappearance were flatly denied by their official spokesman, Captain Norden Haktell, however, our good friend, Guard Bob, was able to confirm its existence, but not its authenticity. It should be noted that Guard Bob was suddenly transferred to the port city of Ardoris late last night and his duties have been assumed by his replacement, Guard Michael (formerly of Owls Head)…

Beyond The Clouds (Theme for Modern Broadcast) by Matthew Pablo

One month later…

NEWSFLASH – “BLOOD MANOR” SOLD TO NEW OWNER. By Anasche Cumberbatch. The mysterious Baron Nicolai Darmu has purchased the infamous “Blood Manor” here in Braemar. As listeners are well aware, both of its previous owners, the famous court composer, Asteedo, and the outlander known as Jack Twitt, vanished under mysterious circumstances. Foul play was suspected in both cases based on the amount of blood found at the scene, but no bodies were ever recovered. Baron Darmu moved into the manor late last week, but has rarely been seen in public. When reached for comment, his servant, a rather tall, thin fellow by the name of Giles, explained that Baron Darmu is a very busy businessman and spends most of his time away conducting business in Rifts End.

Waltz of the Undertaker by Aaron Spencer

NARRATOR
The present. 10:00 PM. Halloween night.
The blood red shattered moon hangs in the dark night sky as the costumed teenagers Simone, Lucas, and Rupert approach “Blood Manor”. Simone, a beautiful, raven-haired 16 year old, is wearing a zombie mask. Lucas, a muscular, blond, 17 year old boy, is wearing a bear mask. Rupert, a, tall, thin, 16 year old, bespectacled, brown haired lad is wearing a wolf mask.

RUPERT (British accent)
Are you sure we should be doing this? This place really gives me the creeps!

LUCAS (taunting)
What’s the matter, Rupert? Are you scared?

RUPERT (stammering)
No…

SIMONE
I still don’t know why the village elders decided to start celebrating this earth holiday known as Halloween. This zombie mask is really uncomfortable…

RUPERT
It’s because of the many Outlanders who have been settling here in Braemar lately. They have started having an influence on our culture…

LUCAS (excited)
All I know is that I love this earth holiday! I love sweets!

SIMONE (teasing)
Careful there, Lucas! Eat too many of those and you’ll start looking like DarkStarr’s blimp…
LUCAS (laughing)
Yeah…and then you’ll end up dumping me and start dating Rupert! Not much of a chance of that happening…

NARRATOR
Both Lucas and Simone fail to notice the sad look in Rupert’s eyes, for he has been secretly in love with Simone since they were both seven years old. Rupert manages a half-hearted laugh and looks away.

SIMONE
Have either of you ever seen what Baron Darmu looks like?

LUCAS
No, but my dad met him once. He said that he is a tall, but rather chubby, middle-aged fellow with jet black hair, piercing blue eyes, and a Van Dyke beard. Dad also mentioned that Lord Darmu speaks with a strange foreign accent.

NARRATOR
Rupert strokes his chin and ponders things.

RUPERT
Hmm…how interesting. He probably hails from the Eastern lands…

SIMONE
Well, all I know is that none of the other kids from school will dare go to his house for treats this evening. We will be the first…

NARRATOR
As they approach the manor, they notice the six Jack-o-Lanterns and six skeletons scattered about the front yard. An ominous looking statue of the Grim Reaper is also on display. Nine giant spiders are mounted on the exterior of the house. A solitary light is visible on the second floor and a rotund shape is visible behind the curtains, most likely Baron Darmu himself. As Lucas uses the skull shaped knocker on the front door, Simone and Rupert glance at the ornate skull candles on either side of the doorway.
The door creaks open, and a tall, thin grey haired man dressed in a servant’s uniform addresses them.

GILES (gleeful)
Ah, our first guests for the evening…Please come in and make yourselves comfortable. I will fetch the treats and apple cider from the kitchen…

RUPERT (uneasy)
Um…I really don’t think we should be going inside…

LUCAS
Come on, Rupert. We can’t turn down the nice man’s invitation! Right, Simone?

SIMONE (wary)
I guess so…But as long as I have you here, Lucas, I am sure that everything will be OK!

NARRATOR
Giles ushers them into the parlor and shuts the door behind them. The teenagers fail to notice that there is a glowing mystical rune engraved on the deadbolt lock. Giles ushers them into the parlor where a silver punch bowl and porcelain cups await them on the table.

GILES
Please help yourselves to some warm apple cider! I will fetch the pastries and candies from the kitchen.

NARRATOR
Giles ventures into a side room as the three teenagers remove their masks and use the ladle to fill their cups.

SIMONE
Mmm…this is mighty tasty apple cider! I detect a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg in it.

NARRATOR
Lucas notices all of the rare and valuable antiques in the room.

LUCAS
Wow, this guy is really rich!

RUPERT
I heard that Baron Darmu is in the import and export business…

NARRATOR
Suddenly, they hear a loud crash from the kitchen!
SIMONE (startled)
What was that?

LUCAS
Let’s investigate! You two stay behind me…just in case…

Derelict Ship by Per Kiilstofte

NARRATOR
The three teenagers enter the kitchen. Simone begins screaming! The serving tray and pastries are strewn about on the kitchen floor. Giles dead body lies there too. It appears that he has been stabbed several times as evidenced by the large blood spots on his uniform. A long butcher knife is sticking out of his chest and his vacant eyes stare upward.

LUCAS
Let’s get out of here!

NARRATOR
The trio rush to the front door. Lucas spends several minutes trying to turn the knob, but to no avail!

LUCAS (exasperated)
Argh! I can’t seem to turn the knob! Let’s try the back door!

NARRATOR
The trio pass by the kitchen again on the way to the back door.

SIMONE
I’m scared, Lucas…

LUCAS
Nothing for you to be afraid of, Simone! I will protect you from…

NARRATOR
Suddenly, Lucas is decapitated by a scythe and his body falls to the ground! His severed head rolls to a stop directly in front of Simone.

Both Simone and Rupert begin screaming as a tall, black robed figure emerges from the kitchen! He is wearing a Grim Reaper mask and is breathing heavily.RUPERT (yelling)
Upstairs!

NARRATOR
Rupert quickly grabs Simone’s hand and pulls her along as he races up the stairway.
The Grim Reaper drops his scythe and pulls out the long, bloody butcher knife from underneath his robe. He runs up the stairs after Rupert and Simone.
Both Rupert and Simone try to hide in one of the rooms on the second floor, but find that all of the doors are locked. As they reach the end of the hallway, the Grim Reaper appears at the other end.

RUPERT (yelling)
Make your way up to the roof! I’ll try and hold him off!

NARRATOR
Rupert grabs a longsword which happens to be lying on the floor and charges toward the Grim Reaper.

SIMONE (yelling)
Rupert, no…!

RUPERT (shouting)
I won’t let you harm the woman I love!

NARRATOR
Rupert begins wildly swinging the longsword at the Grim Reaper.
The Grim Reaper laughs as he easily dodges Rupert’s attacks and then disembowels him with the long butcher knife!

Rupert drops his sword and coughs up blood.

RUPERT (muttering)
Damn, never a Slayer around when you need one…

NARRATOR
Rupert falls to the ground and dies.

NARRATOR
Simone screams as she turns and runs up the staircase to the third floor. The Grim Reaper pursues her.
On the third floor, Simone finally finds an unlocked door and quickly enters, bolting the door shut behind her. She places a nearby chair against the door and then looks around. She is in the main bedroom. She notices a mannequin by the open window. A Baron’s tunic is draped on it, with a lot of padding sewed underneath it. On the nearby table is a head mannequin with a jet black wig and fake Van Dyke beard on it.

SIMONE (surprised)
Oh my god, this is a disguise! That means that Baron Darmu doesn’t really exist…

GRIM REAPER
That’s right, you have discovered my little secret, Simone. My immense wealth really derives from my work as a Grandmaster Bard.

NARRATOR
Simone turns around and sees the Grim Reaper standing there!

SIMONE (shocked)
“How did you get in here? The door is still locked…

GRIM REAPER
I used a secret door, my dear. Giles doesn’t exist either…I just pretended to be dead so that all of you would panic.

NARRATOR
The Grim Reaper removes his mask. Simone gasps!

SIMONE (surprised)
I recognize you! You’re Obadiah Kane…Quentin Kane’s eldest son. But you don’t look frail at all…”

GRIM REAPER
I grew up to be big and strong by consuming a lot of meat. It seems that I inherited this hunger from my real father…

SIMONE (confused)
Your real father?

DINSOO
Yes, the court composer Asteedo was my true father. He was having an affair with Mara Kane. That makes me the last of the Kaitoth! I have given myself a new name to reflect my heritage – Dinsoo. Your friends are much too dry and tough for my taste, but I will take great delight in feasting on your tender flesh tonight…

SIMONE (screaming)
No!

NARRATOR
Simone turns toward the open window. She tries to make a break for it, but Dinsoo is too fast. He pounces on her and knocks her to the ground.
Dinsoo suddenly licks her right cheek and becomes visibly aroused.

DINSOO (whispering)
Mmm…Soon you shall become a part of me…

NARRATOR
Dinsoo grabs Simone’s head with both of his hands. He twists it 180 degrees, causing her neck to snap!

Horror Game Menu by Eric Matyas

NARRATOR
Dinsoo stands up and slings Simone’s dead body over his right shoulder. He walks over to the bookcase on the far side of the room and pulls on a certain book. A section of the bookcase swings open, revealing a hidden staircase. Dinsoo begins whistling a merry tune as he proceeds to walk down the dimly lit staircase to his basement…

THE END

MUSIC CREDITS
The following music tracks used in this production are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
and can be found at:
https://machinimasound.com

“Damnation” by Jens Kiilstofte
“Waltz of the Undertaker” by Aaron Spencer
“Derelict Ship” by Per Kiilstofte

The following music track is
licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)
and can be found at: http://www.matthewpablo.com

“Beyond the Clouds (Theme for Modern Broadcast)” by Matthew Pablo

The following music tracks are
licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)
and can be found at: http://www.opengameart.org

“Toccata and Fugue in D Minor” by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Mario4536
“Horror Game Menu” by Eric Matyas

SOUND EFFECTS CREDITS
All sound effects used in this production are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)

The following sound effects can be found at:
http://soundbible.com

“Decapitation Head Fall Off” – Recorded by Mike Koenig
“Gutting Someone” – Recorded by Mike Koenig
“Neck Breaking” – Recorded by Mike Koenig

The following sound effects can be found at:
http://opengameart.org

“Falling Body” – Recorded by remaxim

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Hello everyone, this is Asclepius, with the next chapter in this wonderful story from the pen of enderandrew. It is entitled
“The Four Eras”, by Joorus the Scribe
Background music is by Smartsound.

Volume II

The survivors of the cataclysm emerged to find total chaos and anarchy. Old alliances and feudal oaths were meaningless. It was largely every person for themselves as best we can tell, though some did band together based on proximity. Warlords organized mobs to conquer and defend, but it is hard to call these groups organized armies.

Historians refer to this second post-cataclysm age as “The Warring Cities” for obvious reasons.

These early battles were very costly. Troops were not trained and they were desperate. There were few healers and no real support systems. Magic was changing, different and unpredictable.

There were no Titans. There was no Oracle. There was no one to protect and look over Novia. Whatever Avatars may have existed in Novia before The Fall were gone, one way or another. Perhaps they were killed for causing The Fall. It seems unlikely they would simply abandon Novia in its time of greatest need if they did truly advocate and defend virtue. But for whatever reason, there were none to be found.

Thankfully a few did see the bigger picture of survival. Loose city states started building walls, gates and varied defences. Citizens banded together, and while it wasn’t always enough to stop one rampaging mob, the cost of conquering a town was often so costly that it was all they could do to hold onto the one city they conquered. No one could maintain a large enough army to continue on and unite these cities into empires.

There were rumors that some men did not seek power in the immediate or more traditional senses. They had their eyes on a much larger prize. Many powerful mages disappeared and rumors spread of an underground cabal that formed. These mages sought to understand the shards that nearly destroyed the planet.

Were these origins benevolent? Were they merely looking for a way to prevent further calamities? It is hard to know. That isn’t to say that all knowledge of the Obsidians has disappeared. We’ve discovered some of their ruins and relics, but they did not carelessly write down any secrets. I suspect their most important knowledge was passed on verbally in protected rites only to those who proved their worth.

What is known is that as cities and society sought to reform through war, a few had grander schemes. They saw the chaos that infected the land and thought they could install order across the entire continent through force.

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Hello everyone, this is Asclepius, with a wonderful story from the pen of enderandrew. It is entitled

“The Four Eras”, by Joorus the Scribe
Background music is by Smartsound.

Volume I

I may sound like a broken phonograph, but we know very little about the time before The Fall. There are some records carved in stone, and we do study them as much as any focus of history. But I fear we may never answer the one question everyone wants to know, who or what caused The Fall?

Some suggest Avatars caused the cataclysm in their hubris, others think they may have caused it desperately to wipe out some evil that had spread. Others think it is absurd to suggest any person could control celestial bodies.

We want to know both because we want to make sure the guilty parties are held accountable, and we need to be reassured it can’t happen again. I can offer you assurances on the former if not the latter.

In the Age of Survival, everyone suffered. If there was any one person or group of people who smashed the moons together and made the sky bleed dangerous shards of Daedalus, then it is very likely they suffered the same horrific fate as everyone else.

The cataclysm wasn’t merely one moment but a prolonged period of suffering and anarchy. When the sky literally falls, no one imagines they have long to live. Some died quickly as cities burned and the earth shook. Others waited in abject terror for a slower death as civilization crumbled.

Bandits attacked brazenly with no one to stop them, taking for themselves at the expense of helpless families all across Novia. In some ways we know even less of the years right after The Fall. Before, scholars still had reason to record history with the belief life on this world would continue.

But continue it did. Some took to the underground, finding old tunnels. They were expanded in some places, creating a system of catacombs. Agriculture was nearly non-existent, but at least shards of Daedalus didn’t rain down on people in the catacombs. They were hidden from the anarchy and destruction above.

But death did not come for everyone. People emerged from the catacombs or boarded up homes when starvation forced them to. At times these frightened survivors ran into each other and suddenly realized they weren’t all alone. At other times they ran into warlords organizing the bandits. They began to realize that looting would only get you so far.

For humanity to survive they needed people to return to the fields. But who would they work for? Where would their food go? Who would protect them or rule over them? Various warlords were power hungry as well.