Other Literature The Lore Space of a Shovel

Nordic Relic Hlidskjalf 🪓 said:
This is but a space for me to deposit all me lore bits and bobs. Always open for criticism, as this is my first real attempt at something like this.
(Please note everything here is still under construction, hence why some things I've referred to aren't yet present.)
The world of Variyla is ruled by 4 different Empires, each in an eternal struggle for power. Here's your means of learning more about them.
The Emerald King is an... enigma. Unlike the other Rulers, they have made active attempts to hide their face, save for his green eyes, which always look at you, even in paintings...

The Emerald King rose to power through gladiatorial ascension, as his people believe the strongest must rule, lest they all fall to weakness. To accentuate this, he constructed the Starfell Arena, which calls for all who which to test their power. Rumors circulate the Emerald King built it to find a worthy heir to the throne, but few believe it. After all, why would you give up such godlike power?
The Sapphire Lord is an odd character. They are the most public of the Rulers, often making rounds through their lands and greeting locals. They also seem to have an affinity for puppets and the like, making puppeteers and puppet makers a high occurrence.

The Sapphire Lord rose to power through right of birth, having been the 9th in their lineage. To honor their past, they constructed the Glimmering Whirls, a massive oceaniac city which rivals even Atlantis in its splendor.
The Ruby Queen's are a complete and utter mystery. What is known, however, is that they are a Ruler in title only, as they arent even human. From what little recordings have been recovered, the entire empire is made of liquid humanoids sharing a hive mind.

The Ruby Queen's never ascended to power, as their entire species has its own hierarchy similar to ants. The Queen's land is a wasteland scattered with the remains of would-be treasure hunters. Though the Queen's may be the weakest Rulers, as they lack the power gained from the title, the sheer quantity of their people prove difficult to overcome.
The Topaz Master is the most peaceful of the Rulers. Whereas the others are constantly fighting for the smallest territory, the Topaz Master instead seeks peace treaties with the other Rulers, to varying degrees of success.

The Topaz Master ascended to power through show of valor, as they were the one to stand against the Storm King in times long past. As if to mock the King she once bested, she had the Cloud Gardens constructed, a marvel of magic and technology which allows for the harvesting of clouds, ushering in a new era for her people.
The history of Variyla is one of bloodshed and war. Before the Arrival, as it has come to be known as, the lands were swarmed in demons and devils, the strongest of whom held the title of Ruler. Once the Arrival occurred, the demons were banished to Neltix, and the previous Rulers eliminated, save for one.

The Arrival did not signal an era of peace, however. It instead brought forth its own horrors, which are known as the Checkmates. The Checkmates are the wars and battles Variyla is currently stuck in; a perpetual cycle of the Rulers being unable to break the power struggle. It also refers to the attempts to keep the demons in Neltix sealed, as they have been fighting to escape ever since the initial containment.

Despite the constant warfare, the people of Variyla have been still able to make leaps and bounds in their technology, and with the Topaz Masters' Cloud Gardens, the invention of Cirrus gear was made, combining the strength of steel with the weight and magic conductivity of a raincloud.
The aim of the Cultists of Xylath is quite simple. They wish to free Xylath, the last demonic Ruler alive, from their prison in Neltix, believing it is the only way to stop the Checkmates.
It was the earlier years of the Checkmates. The Emerald King was in a fierce battle against the Ruby Queen's over a set of Cirrus refineries. While the King's troops were stronger, the Queen's were both more abundant, but had easier commands. Whereas the Variylians the King had needed people to relay messages, the Queen's species, Navlis, were all apart of a hivemind, meaning it was easy to command the otherwise senseless hordes.

The King soon realized of this hivemind, and initiated Project Reboot, with the sole intent of turning this boon into a crippling weakness. To start, he had a member of his Valus Force separate and capture a Navlis, a random grunt soldier named Ichea. Then, he'd strike a deal with the Cult of Xylath. In exchange for their services, he'd grant them a hidden sanctuary in one of his cities, Qualvin.

Using the forbidden and dark magics wielded by the Xylath, hundreds of souls were forcefully bound into the body of Ichea, while they were still alive. The hope was to use the immense emotional and mental turmoil generated to cause the entire empire to fall prone. However, he underestimated the Queen's intelligence, who promptly severed Ichea's connection to the hivemind before any permanent damage was had. A byproduct of this was Ichea was now their own person, no longer a mindless drone.

The King, disappointed in the failure, and ashamed of the cost it had, attempted to execute Ichea personally. But thanks to the immense power of all these damned souls granted, Ichea was able to escape. Now alone, and constantly in a mental hellscape caused by hundreds of other minds all attempting to be the one in control, Ichea wanders Variyla, without purpose, and rarely ever in control of their own body.
[Note: the following logs were salvaged from Neltix Watcher Base 3. Files were either corrupted or purged of sensitive data.]
"Personally, I don't get why everyone acts like this is some super hard job. I mean, I've been here for 3 weeks, and all I've seen is Nalu getting caught stealing snacks. Really, the toughest thing has been trying to not be bored out of my mind. But hey, the pay's good, so I can't complain too hard.
Watcher [REDACTED], signing out."
*sounds of screaming and metal tearing*
"Watcher's Eye, this is Base 3. Those damned Xylath cultists broke in! We were in the middle of changing watch when they slipped past! They've opened the-"
*Explosion*
"AGH! Th-they've opened the gate! This is a code Emerald, I repeat, this is a code Emer-"
*static*
"This is the personal log of Watcher [REDACTED]. I was alerted of the Code Emerald at Base 3. When I arrived, however, it was a wasteland. The base was barely standing, and the bodies of countless Watchers lined the halls. I knew some of them...."

"The futher I go in, the worse it got. For the sake of those listening, and for my own sanity, I won't describe what it looks like. At the Gate, there's a few Cultists amongst the dead, along with a dried blue fluid. Guess whatever they summoned wasn't happy, was it?"
It was a few years after the First Breach. The people of Variyla were terrified. Somewhere, theres any number of demons roaming the world. And although the Watcher's were able to close the Breach, the ruins of Base 3 told the story well enough.
In contrast, the Cult of Xylath was estatic. After all these years, they've finally done it! They were emboldened by this, perhaps too much. They acted in public far more than before. Who cares if they lose a dozen or more members every time? They can always bring more through the Gates. But the Emerald King had enough. And so, engaged the greatest risk in recent history.

Going to the sanctuary within Qualvin, the King personally tore it to pieces. None were spared from his wrath. In his eyes, everyone was guilty. And once the blood stopped spilling, he began to scour the tomes and scrolls held there, searching. What he learned I cannot say, but what I can say is he found what he wanted.

Using the bodies of all the Cultists, the King enacted a ritual to draw the demons towards him. To his surprise, there was only 2. One was a floating head and hands, forged from some purple smoke. The other was a large construct, a collection of shields and gloved hands floating around a core, all while a crystal eye gazed from within. Immediately, the 2 tried to attack. But now, utilizing the souls of the Cultists, the King attempted to bind the demons to his service. For the smoke demon, it worked. It was now forever under his command. But the construct, clearly the stronger of the 2, wasn't so easily controlled. Although it was able to flee, the ritual crippled it's power, leaving it harmless.

The King, content with the results, named his new servant Watveh, and bestowed upon him the role of his Left Hand. Over time, people forgot the escape of the demons, and Watveh was accepted- nay, loved by those under the King's rule. The Cult, terrified of what might happen, retreated further into hidden cities, vowing to never let this happen again.

As for the construct? It seemed to just fade away into nothingness. All search attempts came up empty handed, and eventually stopped all-together. And yet, some poor Variylians claim that in the dead of night, under the moonless sky, they see a single gloved hand wave at them in the dark, or a lone eye gazed into their soul.
The Queen's were tired. Tired of the struggle for power. Their troops, for the first time in millenia, went down in numbers. And so, they began to plot.
"How can we fix this?"
"We must make them pay...."
"Pay!"
"PAY!"
The Queen's talked amongst themselves for weeks. The armies, without the commander, crumbled. But it didn't matter. If this worked, none of this will matter.

And finally, they had an epiphany. They were to gift a soldier what they had. They were to be given independence.

And so, they created a new Nalvis, the first in weeks. But this one, named [REDACTED], was to be unique. It would be independent. It would have free will.

And at first, it worked. With [REDACTED]'s newfound freedom, it's power grew exponentially. For the first time in the Checkmates, there was a clear advantage. The Queen's, happy with this decision, made more. And [REDACTED] was given less and less attention. He lost his importance. And with that, he had time to think.

One day, [REDACTED] found himself wandering through a village in the Sapphire Lord's rule. The people were initially terrified, expecting a siege. The guards were rallied, the gates raised. But as day turned to night, and a brave soul looked out, they saw not a ravenous army, but [REDACTED], occasionally knocking on the door. When asked why it was there, he simply responded;
"I want to know. What have my people done?"

And so they showed him the outside view of the Queen's work. And [REDACTED] saw what he had caused. And he was sickened. Up until now,all the knowledge given to him was given by the Queen's. Despite having free will, he was effectively brainwashed into being a loyal pet.

And as he left, [REDACTED] swore he'd change this.

At the dead of night, it entered the home of all the other free willed Navlis. And he absorbed every last one. And with that, [REDACTED] died.

And Boris arose.
Wylath is... an enigma, to say the least. He is not from Variyla, instead hailing from a different reality in it's entirety. According to him, his original world was destroyed, and he arrived in Variyla through a desperate attempt of escape. As such, his state is unstable, constantly adapting to match the world he's in, as the universe attempts to correct this supposed "anomaly". Currently resides in the Topaz Master's estate, although he sometimes slips into a different world.
Oh, where to begin with Xee...
The world of Variyla has several unique methods of gaining power. Some are familiar, others are classics, and a few are a new breed. Here, we shall talk about Titles.
Titles are, as the name suggests, various honors and phrases certain people have earned. Almost anyone can  have a Title, but thats the easy part. The hard part is getting one that benefits you.
Depending on the Title, your strength, and your conviction in said Title, they are capable of something as simple as a minor boost to one's physical capabilities, to allowing a self resurrection. There does not seem to be a true limit to what Titles can grant, but few ever achieve a Title worthy of the truly powerful effects.
To acquire a Title, one can pursue any number of paths, to varying degrees of success. You could try earning on through a showcase of prowess in a certain field, certain masters of arcane arts believe it is possible to steal a Title through powerful magic, and simply giving yourself one are but a few methods. Not all are created equal, however. Declaring yourself a Ruler will not give anywhere close to the same benefit as those who earned it.

There's also the matter of how many you wield. Some fools of the past attempted to surpass quality with quantity: they would amass so many Titles even the Rulers would be ants. In theory, a perfect plan. But unfortunately, the power of a Title, no matter how weak, is not something to handle en mass. The most someone has ever held was 5, and they risked life and limb on a daily basis to earn them. Most simply settle for 1 or 2. Besides, having so many Titles would make it a nightmare introducing yourself.
The Title of Ruler is by far the strongest discovered. In addition, it is also one of few that can gained in multiple ways. The power it grants the wielder varies from person to person, but all recieve physical benefits to be considered superhuman. Lifting trees with a hand and running up a mountain are the more basic benefits. In addition, it seems to slow down aging massively, allowing the wielder to stay in prime shape for decades.
The Title of Valix is one granted by the Emerald King to his Valus Force, an elite vanguard of his. The power granted stems from the King himself, and as his power grows, so does that of the Valix. It also grants the wielder some control over basic elemental manipulation, if not already possessed.
The Title of Herald is not a good one. It is a mark of sorts, a sign that whoever had it is an outcast. It is earned when someone is discovered to work in the Cult of Xylath, a group dedicated to opening Neltix and releasing the demons inside. As such, the power it grants is miniscule.
A Title gifted to all in the Indigo Circle. The people of the Circle have long been associated with dead, having the ability to communicate with those long passed. The Title amplifies this power, allowing those with it to call upon the Spirits as a means of defense.
A Title given to those who have delved into rabbit holes, and have spent so long digging they resurfaced at the other end. Puts a voice to their maddening thoughts, ands aids them in uncovering yet more secrets.
In honor of coming so close, Strawberry hereby earned the title of Hushed Flame.
And on this day, Kitnight earned the title Champion.
Click to expand...
I read it!
You no longer have to feel cheated!
But yeah, great job.
This is great.
I'm especially intruiged at Ichea.
And i gotta say, I feel like Azzouru would fit the feel of this RP well.
Despite the fact that I decided to stop using him and that i already have two characters, I'll see what I'll decide to do.
I though you said demons were banished to Netflix at first.
 
Rouxls Kaard said:
I read it!
You no longer have to feel cheated!
But yeah, great job.
This is great.
I'm especially intruiged at Ichea.
And i gotta say, I feel like Azzouru would fit the feel of this RP well.
Despite the fact that I decided to stop using him and that i already have two characters, I'll see what I'll decide to do.
I though you said demons were banished to Netflix at first.
Click to expand...
You found the hidden lore
Ichea is the more refined version of a similar character idea I've had for a while.
 
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