Origins: Prologue

[The Big Pointy One]

Well, as many as you may soon find out, my good friend Tamaranis has decided to create a world of his own. By this I mean a global setting for his writing (and perhaps others who are interested, I'm sure.) Most of us who participated on the AMBB wrote and based their characters from Terra, based on the Archmage Game, if not loosely. I have decided to follow in my friends footsteps because like all authors, at least those with serious dreams of getting published, I need a world of my own. I have no problem writing in other worlds, other universes, but I do need my own.

 

That being said, I present to you, the creation of my Existence, my world. I chose to use Gaia, as it is a common name, and I felt an original name would take away from the effect. I haven't really gone into detail with various aspects of my Gaia, simply because it is simple to imagine what it would look like. Water is still blue, grass is still green and flowers still smell just as sweet. If I feel I need to make more in-depth descriptions, I shall do so at the appropriate place and time. I hope it is not too hard to follow, and not too commonplace. I hope to open up any reader's imaginations, if even by the slightest bit. I also hope that this appears of high standards, or at least the ones I have attempted to set for myself.

 

Thank you, enjoy your reading, and feel free to leave commentary, as it is *always* appreciated.

 

And thank you again, to every one who has inspired me, especially my good friend, Tamaranis.

 

I The Beginning

 

In the beginning, like all beginnings, there was darkness. Existence was in its purest form; a stasis of non-life. This state lasted for eternity and ended in a flash. There was light. Tiny sparkling bursts. These bursts expanded into stars, thus giving birth to Chaos. There was no anti-chaos, and Chaos was Balance. Out of Chaos sprung Creation. Creation flew through Chaos and left physical form. The first formed was Gaia. Others later came, but their significance is not of current relevance. Before long and after another Eternity Chaos was weighted down by the physical forms. Chaos took hold of the forms and made them into spheres. The spheres were hurled at the stars and caught by Balance. Balance attached the spheres to the stars with the tiniest fragments of Existence while Creation breathed life from star to sphere. Plant life soon started to form as Gaia's surface shifted and re-arranged itself, forming mountains and recesses of greatly varying size. After thousands of years, water filled many of these recesses creating the oceans and lakes that cover a large portion of the planet today. With the rapid development of all the different plants, an atmosphere eventually came into place. The atmosphere further pushed the evolution of the plantlife, and also created the fourth element: Air. The first and second were Earth and Fire which both came into existence at the same time when Gaia was first created. Water was the second. Each element had a special tie to Creation which would later spawn Magic.

 

II The Age of Immortals

 

In the next beginning, Chaos and Creation came together to create dwellers on the spheres. Balance and Existence created a council of twelve to guide over the Dwellers. The Council were of varying shape and form, their images reflecting their will. They also had immense power over reality. With their power they created a domain to watch over the dwellers. It touched Gaia in certain places, but was of the ethereal. Only the most true-sighted could see the connection of Domain on Gaia. The first Dwellers were the Dragons, a reflection of the Council. They were granted the ability to speak with the elements. As such, they could wield and shape said elements as they saw fit. For the time, it was used to uphold harmony, which, at the time, was a rather easy task. The Dragons then passed this ability on to the next race of Dwellers- The Elves. The Elves, instead of shaping Gaia into her magnificent form, helped maintain it. They tended to the plants and handled positive and negative flows of energy. The Elves and the Dragons maintained the beauty of Gaia for an eternity, and all was shared in harmony. To this end, elvish society advanced at a fast but peaceful rate while technology barely inched forward. Both elves and dragons had a great harmony with the land and were able to live off of it without taking away from it. They simply shaped nature around themselves. Essentially, they *were* nature. Neither race aged too far, and neither fell from mortal wounds. It lasted for eternity, and passed in a flash.

 

III The Age of Corruption

 

From the four entities (Balance, Chaos, Creation and Existence) sprung a new being: Death. Death was an unwelcome being, except by Chaos. Balance didn't like the possible impact, while Creation and Existence were simply repulsed. Death meant to end the Age of Immortality and the beginning of a new Age. This came forth when the first conflict between a single elf and a single dragoon took place. It took many a year, and much manipulation, but the two finally met on a battlefield, eventually dying at each other's hands. Balance came to understand with Chaos while Chaos and Existence brought forth the third dwellers: Humans. This was done at the request of Death, as part of a deal unbeknownst to all but the eldest of the original entities. The Dragons and Elves would retain their eternal lives, although they could be slain. Humans would be completely mortal. Creation felt an impurity within itself and unknowingly created a thirteenth council member which was immediately rejected. This new council member, Evil, was banished to Chaos, who sent Evil back to Gaia. Evil waited in stasis while humans grew and learned from Elves. Elves and Dragons had begun to stray from their original lifestyle after the 'First Death' as it is referred to in both Draconic and Elven history. Elves started to civilize and advance technology towards a more natural, but unmagical lifestyle. Dragons, distraught with the thought of mortality scattered and hid themselves across Gaia. After many a millenia, humans had spread and multiplied. Civilization had taken place, and Evil's stasis was rapidly decaying. The Council Split up, as they could not agree on the fate of Gaia. Many of the former Council manifested on Gaia, and gathered followers. To lead them all was War. War paired with Death, who's presence was already well known among the humans. Out of War came Destruction, and the face of Gaia was scarred forever.

 

IV The Age of War

 

War had taken reign over Gaia and the human race. The remaining council was at a loss. Balance was slowly fading while chaos grew and thrived. Creation was sickened while Existence was in turmoil. Seeking an age long past The Dragons and Elves banded along with a small group of humans in an attempt to force War away. All efforts were futile. With their resistance, the Dragon-Elf alliance only fueled War, Destruction and Death. Their numbers were greatly diminished, so they retreated to Gaia's protection. The humans were left behind to fend for themselves. It was at this time that Evil broke free of it's stasis. Evil quickly gained a following with promises of glory and power, so long as the humans followed its will undyingly. The remaining council knew something had to be done, and finally acted. A triumrivate manifested. Two were unnamed. One of those two was the direct daughter of Creation, and the sister of the third, Life. The other would later take up the mantle of 'good'. They imbued a group of humans with the ability to channel the council's energies directly. Thus, the first Clergy and the first Hierocracy was born. The first Clerics and Druids joined and fought back War. The Clerics reduced Death's hold over humanity and the Druids forced Destruction into a minimal state. Creation was pleased, and granted the Druids greater power over the elements, but with warning to use it only against destruction. Many humans as well as a small amount of elves who were repulsed by Evil fled to the open arms of the Clergy. Not all of the Clergy's new members were granted holy powers, however, so some became disenfranchised and left for the Temples of Evil. None the less, the followers of Good were many, even if all they could do was follow. Those able eventually formed a faction of devotees called the Warrior Monks. All who were able bodied enough yet unable to channel Good's power instead trained body and mind to be zealous warriors that could protect the Clerics and the untrained followers in times of need. Eventually, Life granted benefits to the Clerics of Good, giving them powers of healing and to the most faithful and powerful, the gift of Resurrection. It was a rarely seen and used gift, only used in the times of most dire consequence; the sacrifice recquired for a mortal to use such a power was great.

 

V The Fifth Age

 

Balance and Chaos returned to one; they were both present, but as one entity. Good and Evil, Life and Death, Creation and Destruction- they all shared Existence with Balance, but held pieces of Chaos. The remaining council members re-united and returned to watching over Gaia. Some of the Dragons came out of hiding, finding a desire for man's simplistic lifestyle. Perhaps it suited as a reflection to their own arrogance- a trait so rightfully held. The elves factioned; some mimicked human civilization, others stayed under Gaia's protective shroud, more retreated deeper within Gaia while the small amount left assimilated among the humans. Those who assimilated taught a select group the secrets of elemental speech, or 'Magic' as it was called, in their day. From all the colliding forces new races were born: Ogres and Goblin-kin, Kobolds and various anthropomorphic forms, merfolk and treefolk among many more.

 

Gaia was now in her ripest state. Fate was undecided, and Balance was achieved through Chaos. The world was not at complete peace, but at least, now, there was time for rest.

Edited April 29, 2004 by Alaeha

[The Big Pointy One]

(Volume 1 would be Sliver's on-going story...)

 

Just a note, this is more of a summary than a story, as compared to Volume 1. This is probably because I may expand on the whole thing, perhaps one day in novel form. Who knows.

 

Origins: Volume 2 - BigPointyStick

 

Dierden was born during a war between a Human-Elf alliance and a large Ogre army. Though disorganized, the Ogres had taken a sickening toll on the nation. Dierden's father was a stout young man by the name of Stal Serradin. After a victorious raid on an Ogre encampent just outside the town he was defending, Stal had run into a Dryad disguised as a human going under Sieara Samshae. Taken in by her beauty, combined with the air of victory, Stal found himself sharing a bed with Siera by the end of the night. Sieara didn't exactly know what was going on, or what she was doing, but she couldn't help but be taken up in the moment herself.

 

Waking up in the middle of the night, Sieara was overcome by emotion and fled to her woodland home. Stal would be completely unaware that nine months later, he had a son. He was also clueless as to Sieara's true nature. Sieara knew she could not turn to Stal now, so she decided to raise young Dierden alone. Her community quickly shunned her because of her half-human son, and she was forced to flee again. Feeling the strain of raising a half-human boy alone, Sieara soon realised that she could never find acceptance in a regular society. Not knowing what to do, she left Dierden on the doorstep of a Temple outside of a small, nameless village. Giving Dierden a small charm as a symbol of his heritage, (although no one but a woodlander would recognize what it meant) an emerald leaf set in a silver frame, Siera fled back to the woodlands in search of a home. What happenned to her after that still remains a mystery. As for the charm, Dierden would find its use in his later years.

 

As a child, Dierden was kind of an introvert. He lived and helped out at the temple. Despite his nature, he managed to make a few friends within the village, although it never really extended farther than playing together during the day. A lot of people attributed his usual air of singularity to the fact that he didn't have any real parents to care after and love him. (Not that the priests and priestesses at the temple were doing a bad job.) Regardless, he perservered. As he grew, Dierden found he had a strange affinity with all forms of plant life. The village noticed this as well, and Dierden soon found his money pouch filled, as well as his spare time; within a short while he was working as a gardener for almost everyone in the village.

 

By the age of eighteen, Dierden had gained in himself a yearning. He yearned to see the outside world; he yearned to see all the great forests Gaia had to offer. One day a pair of mysterious travellers stopped in the village. They soon learned of Dierden's abilities. Intrigued, they sought him out and after a short discussion, the travellers told him to gather his belongings, say his goodbyes, and meet them on the road heading west at sunset. Wasting no time, Dierden headed to the temple. He gathered his prized possessions: his gardening tools, a carving knife, a book of pressed leaves from the surrounding region, and of course, his mother's charm. (Which a blacksmith had earlier attached to a fine gold chain.) Leaving all but a few of his coins in the temple's collection box, Dierden snatched a few provisions from the temple's pantry and made his way to the road out of town. Dierden walked with the travelling pair into the sunset, and never looked back.

 

Later, on the road, the pair revealed themselves to be elves, going by the names Rocoss and Roxxia. One was male, the other female, respectively. Oddly, they also happened to be twins. They explained to Dierden that they were going around the country, the world even, looking for people with special talents to help prevent a catastrophic even that could bring an end to this Age. They further explained that his abilities extended much deeper than an affinity with plants. As it turned out, Dierden had the rare ability to harness Nature's energy, like the Druids of Old. According to a prophecy, this ability would become vital in a battle yet to come. This was essential because of the living druids, (which were of small number as it was) none wished to partake in any war, and did their best to live in solitude. It was a lot for Dierden to take in, but he agreed to undergo training as well as assist in the events that were to come.

 

Rocoss took it upon himself to teach Dierden the art of self-defence. The Elven ranger was surprised to see how well the young man could handle himself with a spear, as well as his accuracy with thrown weapons. After five years on the road together, Rocoss, Roxxia & Dierden parted ways. Rocoss explained that the twins had to attend to business in the southern realm of Estal. Roxxia noted to Dierden that part of his training involved immersing himself in Nature anyways. She said he must take it upon himself to follow his instincts and learn Nature's way. The twins also noted that their paths would cross again. Dierden accepted this, and headed north. After a year of travelling, Dierden joined a campaign to eliminate a goblin raiding force that was a threat to a handful of nearby towns.

 

It was on that campaign that Dierden earned the nick-name he now carries, as well as the weapon that goes with it.

 

OOC: Special thanks go out to my good friend Gyrfalcon; he helped me correct all the errors from this and my previous post. I really appreciate it, and I may as well call him my official editor ^.^ (Second opinions are equally appreciated... feel free to comment within the thread or without- if you have any comments/criticizm's/questions)

 

~~~

BigPointyStick

 

-----------------

 

The Trenchcoat Monk

Wielder of the BPS

Companion of Mr.Bunny

 

"Stand ho, varlet! Thou shalt not take mine bunny!"

 

Edited by: The Big Pointy One at: 10/3/02 11:14:59 pm

Edited April 29, 2004 by Alaeha