Eternium Lore, Acts I - IV

[Coda]

Letter to Alistair Thadden
A Letter by Professor Xagan
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Professor Xagan writes to his colleague, Alistair Thadden, about the concerning events in Elderath.
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To:
Professor Alistair Thadden
Anderra Academy of Natural Philosophy

From:
Professor Alexander Xagan
Lighthouse Laboratory


Dear Alistair,

I hope my letter finds you as tireless and witty as ever.

Alistair, you know I was never one to fall to superstition or to discourage research, but I am very troubled about this Lifecrafting Order at the Academy. Studying Lifecrafting is a noble pursuit, but I fear they are not doing that, my friend.

I have been visited by a triad of Lifecrafters here at the Lighthouse. They have taken to wearing uniforms and bleaching their beards. They requisitioned all the books from the Lighthouse Library against my protests. They were followed by walking skeletons, Alistair!

I fear they are dabbling in necromancy, I think you suspect that too.

The Elderan’s nights have been tormented enough by these restless dead. You know the will that moves them is not of this world, and cannot be bent by us. Raising them only gives more power to their puppeteer, whose name I will not write or utter.

I urge you, try to contain this Lifecrafter Order for as long as you can.

I will arrange for ______ to leave for Anderra.

It is time.

Hoping to hear from you soon, old friend.

Yours truly,
Alexander


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Typos & omissions -- let me know!

[Coda]

Reserved for ACT VI

...wishful & long-term thinking...

[Coda]

Reserved for ACT V :

Act V
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The level designers have already started producing levels for the fifth act. They have also re-done the not so good looking levels from the first three acts, we’ll released that polished content as soon as we get some breathing room.

[Coda]

Act IV: Ragadam's Dominion -- Demeter, The Shattered World

41. Demeter, the Shattered World
We traveled to the place that could not be seen from afar and have discovered the fragments of a world floating in space, teeming with life. Whether these people will receive us as allies or conquerors remains to be seen. The temple-ship dropped us in a forest.

42. On Wings of Aether
The aether is the mysterious energy source that still holds these shattered remains together. There should be 5 kinds of crystals: Red, Yellow, Green, Blue , and White. We must collect them all to be able to travel freely across the aether.

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So far, yellow and white aether crystals have not been found. Read more here.
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43. Darkhold Citadel
The once great Keep of Whitemoon, the Ursoc bulwark against the Minotaurs’ savage attacks, is now a dark shadow up on the bleak land of the Isle of the Ursoc Kingdom. The blood-crazed servants of Rak’shul now call it Darkhold Citadel. One thing hasn't changed: it is still considered impregnable, so forbidden knowledge is brought here to be stored. Perhaps this knowledge can be used to reactivate the gateway that would take us to Ragadam.

44. Blenheim
We learned that Rak’shul is an agent of Ragadam that holds one of the keystone fragments used to power the gateway, someone named Sivari holds the other. The town of Blenheim seems to be at the center of the spreading corruption. The town is guarded by a fallen champion of the Ursol that has eventually succumbed to the same mysterious blood-craze as most of their warriors.

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So, Rak’shul has one keystone shard, and Sivari the other, right?
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45. The Highroad
We discovered that the blood-craze is fabricated by corrupting dragon blood. We must cross the Highroad, the path through the mountains and through Ursoc territory, to get to Dragon’s Crag -- the only likely source of dragon blood on Demeter. Curing the blood-craze will surely disrupt whatever plan Rak’shul has.

46. Dragon’s Crag
Gram, the Keeper guards the Dragonspawn at the center of Dragon’s Crag. He could be under Ragadam’s control, or he could be his captive. Either way, this is where the alchemist corruptor got the dragon blood from.

47. Morgenheim
Once we stopped the corruption rituals, most of the Ursoc begin reverting to their regular selves. Rak’shul the Usurper, Ragadam’s minion who caused the blood-craze, retreated inside Morgenheim Castle together with his loyalists. He must be dealt with, and we must recover the keystone fragment from him.

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So, the first keystone shard should be found near Rak’shul in Morgenheim, right?
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48. Desolation Desert
With the Ursoc usurper dealt with, the blood-craze cured, and the rightful king back on the throne, we focus on the Minotaur tribes. The Minotaurs are savage warriors who respect strength above all else. We travel to the Desolation Desert in search of the second keystone fragment.

49. Scartree Forest
We learned that Sivari is the former Warchief of the Scartree tribe, that proclaimed herself Overlord of the Minotaurs. Although not all follow her rule, she and her followers display unnatural strength. We travel through Scartree Forest to reach the Scartree tribe’s home grounds and find the source of her strange and newly gained power.

50. Scartree Hold
Before their newfound mysterious strength, the Scartree were the weakest of the Minotaurs. These outcasts learned to construct their settlements undergrounds, unlike the rest of their kind. Scartree Hold is their underground capital. We could find the answers we are looking for here.

51. Crystal Mountain
The Void Infusers at Scartree Hold were corrupting aether crystals from Crystal Mountain. If we cut their supply, the source of the Scartree power will be shattered, and the way to Sivari will be open.

52. Drakenmoor Forest
The watchtower in Drakenmoor Forest could warn Sivari of our impending assault. We must capture the watchtower before we proceed any further.

53. Drakenmoor Citadel
Drakenmoor Citadel is the seat of power of the Minotaur Overlord. Sivari, the great agent of Ragadam that holds the second keystone shard, must be here with her elite forces.

54. Drakenmoor Catacombs
Sivari fled in the underground catacombs below Drakenmoor Citadel. We must pursue her and obtain the Keystone shard.

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So, the second keystone shard should be found near Sivari in Drakenmoor Catacombs, right?
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55. The Underworld
Kara, the Tempest Queen, leads what's left of Ragadam’s forces on Demeter from the center of the underworld Necropolis. Ending her means undoing the threat that Ragadam poses to this collection of worlds.

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Typos & omissions -- let me know!

[Coda]

Act III: Pyramids of the Gods -- Nirgal, The Rusty Planet

30. The Rusty Planet
Elban’s temple turned out to be a space-faring vessel, and has transported us to Nirgal, the rusty planet in Elderath’s sky. Maybe he and his master Ragadam hide here, among palm trees and pyramids…

31. Twilight Garden
The beautiful stone cities of Nirgal are inhabited by a reptilian species, who coexist with Ragadam’s undead minions. They look like brutal warriors, but architecture (or clothes) seem to elude them.

32. Beneath the Pyramids
The lush garden’s alleys lead us to the entrance to one of these magnificent pyramids. The corridors inside are lit by glass tubes, cold to the touch, and lined by iron conduits that carry fire.

33. Path of Sand
We exit the catacombs into a sandy canyon, walled by red, Nirgalian cliffs. The manuscripts we found inside the pyramid indicate this is the way to The Wall, and to Elban's city of Malador.

34. Oasis
We have been wandering the desert canyons for days. From the top of the high dune, we see in the distance a lake, palm trees, and ruins.

35. Ruins of Minaris
Beautiful arched gates and decorated walls slowly crumble into the red sounds. This must have been mean Minaris, the City of Three Canyons, the old capital of the southern Nirgal lands, from before the Coming of the Demiurge.

36. The Wall
Built between two mountain ranges, the titanic Wall once protected the realms of Minaris from the more aggressive peoples of the Mire and Malador in times of war, while the narrow path on its top was used by traders in times of peace.

37. Trial of the Mire
As we descend off the Wall into the mire, we find ourselves in a sturdy wooden enclosure. Whatever its purpose might once have been, now it's a place for us to be ambushed by Elban’s reptilians and Ragadam’s dead.

38. Murkvale
Murkvale was a village of the Mirefolk, or, as we knew them on Elderath, the Merloks. Now it has been taken over by the Demiurge’s creations, the vile reptilians. Beyond it, we can see the walls of Malador.

39. The City of Malador
Malador, the Crown of the Mire, is being slowly consumed by the jungle’s neverending twilight. The screeches of Elban’s abominations echo among the stone walls. This is their city now, and the seat of their warlord, Gorlak.

40. The Crucible of Mawrth
Deep beneath Malador lies the Crucible of Mawrth, a vast dungeon built among flowing fires to contain Mawrth, Nirgal's ancient demon. The demon was long since slain by Elban, and the crucible is his lair now.

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Typos & omissions -- let me know!

[Coda]

Act II: Project Desparia -- Levania, Eldarath's Moon

17. Currents of the Ether
We have defeated the Dragon, and removed Ragadam’s Claw from her head, unbreaking her spirit. She now relishes flying between the worlds on the currents of the ether. She has taken us to Levania to hunt for Ragadam, and left on a journey among the stars to cleanse her mind of his terror.

18. Rain of Fire
We were awed to find our moon is inhabited by strange creatures that seem sentient. Too bad they are aggressive. As we ponder this, several meteors blast huge craters in the plateau ahead. A minute passes, then several more. It almost looks like someone is doing this with a purpose.

19. Stones and Bones
A crater is a perfect place for an ambush. Let's hope instead of a fight we can have a talk. We just want to find Ragadam.

20. Canyon of Whispers
The alien creatures we've come to call Levans are not willing to talk to us, and seem to get along well with the walking dead. They look sentient, but not sane. Alien whispers fill this valley, like shreds of the Levan’s ragged minds.

21. Stairway to Levania
The air is fresher, the sand is moist, and lichens grow on some stones. Could the myth of the Levanian Gardens be true?

22. The Levanian Gardens
The Levanian Gardens are real, but most things growing in them are twisted and tortured, like the spirits of their wretched Levan gardeners.

23. The Levanian Jungle
The thick forest on the bottom of these once barren canyons weeps quietly in the wind. It could be beautiful, in an alien way, but in the weeping wind we hear a whisper… “Ragadam…” and beauty is drowned by anxiety.

24. The Scent of Home
We found a huge stone structure, filled with the sound of flowing water and with familiar smells. There are plants from Elderath here, but they’re confined and ordered like the vials in (an) alchemist's lab.

25. River of Blood
In the stone laboratory, we found a log written in archaic Elderan by Elban the Demiurge. It speaks of Levans as “drones”, mentions “Master Ragadam”, “Project Desparia” and a “lying snake-witch”. We reach a canal where rivulets of thick red ooze are gathering into a sickly parody of a river.

26. River of Dreams
Flowing out of the colossal system of dams and reservoirs, the ooze changes into clear water, and green plants grow on the shores. We rushed to get a drink of water…

27. Going with the Flow
After drinking the river’s water we had hours of horrifying hallucinations. We waited them out in agony until evening, and then continued downstream, keeping our distance from the bank. The river leads us underground; it looks like another of the Demiurge’s water enrichment mills.

28. The Seeds of Life
The Demiurge’s Log, the whispers in the air, the nightmares in the water, tortured denizens and plants leave little doubt: Ragadam wants to grow a whole world for himself here, Desparia, a world of beings knowing only anguish, and speaking only his name, for his eternal sustenance.

29. The Temple
We reach a vast temple, bearing Elban’s seal and the words “Elban’s Holy Halls” in archaic Elderan above the entrance. As we step in, the gate closes behind us, and a humming starts filling the air, followed by a deep rumble.

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Typos & omissions -- let me know!

[Coda]

STORY

Act I: The Broken Dragon -- Elderath, Human Home World

1. The Shores of Hope
They burned our books and they enslaved us in the name of Ragadam, their twisted lord. On these shores begins my vengeance: I will hunt you, Ragadam, across the worlds!

2. Ruins of the Dead
I need the strong arm and sharp axe of my old friend, Marcus. I must cross these ruins to reach his village. The dead stand in the way, mumbling Ragadam's name.

3. Marcus' Village
Marcus must be here. With him by my side, this quest may stand a chance.

4. Road to Anderra
We are heading to Anderra to find Eileen the Healer. But the road ahead is crawling with the minions of Magroth, the demon of the Severed Mountain..

5. Out of Nowhere
We spent the night in peace and quiet, in an abandoned farm. But then, at dawn, the dead surround us, and so we mean them harm.

6. Misty Island (not part of the "Main Story" ; unlocks at level 20)
The peaceful sorceress Gorgana has been tortured to madness by Ragadam's disciple, Elban, until she gave up the secrets of invoking life from bare stone. Elban left for Levania, but Gorgana still haunts this island, mad and lost, poisoning the waters she once loved.

7. The Defiler
Only a graveyard lays between us and Anderra. The demon Magroth has dispatched a Grave Defiler here to unearth more minions for him.

8. Training Grounds (not part of the "Main Story")
Your personal training grounds. Hone your skills and gear against target dummies.

9. Anderra
Eileen the healer is held captive here, in Anderra. Let's hope we find her before we encounter the Demon Magroth.

10. The Severed Mountain
Magroth has dwelt for centuries in his mountain, as demons do, their love of caves and fire keeping them contained and content. But then a sinister call silently echoed across the worlds. Magroth heard himself whisper "Ragadam...", and saw himself rise. Elderath hasn't known peace since.

11. The Siege of Anderhelm
The Demon Magroth escaped to Anderhelm. We must assault the fortress and end his dominion over these lands.

12. The Gauntlet (not part of the "Main Story")
"So, you enjoy slaying my minions?", Ragadam laughs from across the ether. "What if they never stopped coming?"

13. The Wailing Peaks
Ragadam's Broken Dragon holds Robin the Archer. We must make our way through these frozen peaks to the dragon's den.

14. The Descent
The grimlins have dug their mines deep inside the mountain. They're not too welcoming of visitors, but we have no choice. We must pass through them if we are to reach the Broken Dragon's den and free Robin.

15. The Fiery Pits
This cave must be one of the Broken Dragon's lairs. She is not here, and the place swarms with restless minions. We hoped slaying Magroth would stop them, but Ragadam still grasps their feeble minds through the Broken Dragon's presence.

16. The Broken Dragon
A century ago, Ragadam found a dragon egg on the barren moon Levania. Hungry for anguish, he raised the hatchling in chains, clawing at her mind and breaking her spirit. Feeding on her terror, he was invigorated, and sent her then to Elderath, to channel his power into this world.

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Typos & omissions -- let me know!