Nerdaissance

I promised a while ago that I would post story materials. When I set out to compile them for public consumption (all of my notes are in paper form, too) I separated them into two categories: Materials that would be “included”, like ‘The Story Thus Far’ and the Map and all that business, and then for those that were curious, “non-included” material that is for my own personal reference in making the game.

This entry concerns the latter, and so that said, you’ve been warned: Spoilers Abound.

Background of Siegfried and the Order-

An ancient order of warriors, bound to one another by magic as old as the world itself has protected Solen since history has been recorded, and in fact they did so before that as well. This order, long ago, at the threshold of the emergence of the first civilization Solen would know, rallied the people of the world together to fight an evil as old as they: Siegfried. After laying waste to all of Solen, blotting that infant civilization from the face of the planet, Siegfried confronted the Order on the open plains of what would come to be called Transcaucasia. For a full week, they battled, eventually bringing Siegfried to the brink of death.

In this moment, the Order made a crucial decision. Their understanding of the Old Magic, the forces which were intrinsic to their own being as well as Siegfried’s, was as such: if they killed him, the balance would be upset. The lack of any evil in the world would demand a force to act counter to the Order. Not wishing to incite such a response from the Old Magic, the Order shrewdly imprisoned Siegfried and hid him away in the most remote corner of Solen they could find, hoping that would be the last the world would ever know of him.

In time, the Order, without the looming threat of Siegfried to keep them sharp, became disorganized and their power waned until they were simply a scattered group of aging warriors out of touch with their power that saved the world. In time, as their power faded, the evil’s grew, and soon, from his prison, Siegfried was able to exert a limited influence on Solen. From there, he began to build his forces and through them seek out those who had bound him and extract his revenge.

Rough Timeline-

596 - Thom VanVleck is born in Chechnya
600 - Ossetia rises to prominence
602 - Roman Oliver is born in Ossetia
615 - Western Ossetia is completed
620 - Queen Neko dies
621 - VanVleck attacks with the northern tribes
622 - King Phillepe negotiates a peace with VanVleck
623 - King Phillepe dies; VanVleck returns to pillage Ossetia; Western Ossetia destroyed
625 - Roman assumes leadership of Ossetia
636 - Ray is born to Roman and Marie Oliver
651 - Roman learns of the prophesy and leaves to investiage
652 - Ray leaves in search of his father
653 - Daniel and Ray meet, team up
656 - Ray and Daniel return to Ossetia; begin employment with Siegfried
659 - ‘Starting to Fear’ begins

661 - ‘A World Without Rules’ begins

Background on Roman and the Oracle-

The Order and Siegfried were not the only physical manifestations of the Old Magic. In fact, the proto-civilization that was destroyed by the war between those Sig. & the Order was rooted firmly in the practice and use of Old Magic. Little is known about those people, nearly everything they constructed or created being destroyed before the evil was finally subdued. A handful of them survived the great battle, however, and still live among the race of humans that now populate Solen. Many of them still have access to their powers of Old Magic, and some know seculuded locations on the globe where markers of that doomed people may still be found.

One such person is the Oracle, who lives in a secluded little mountain range on a small landmass east of Agloe. Her abilities of prognostication earned her a fair amount of renown, but her secluded locale meant she proved elusive to all but those most determined adventurers. Roman heard from a trusted friend, whom we meet later named Claus, where the Oracle could be found. Desperately seeking a solution to the plight of Ossetia, Roman set off to find this Oracle, and from her a solution to the woes of his town.

After Roman heard the prophesy, he went to the Aglonian Ring, and has resided their ever since, for reasons known only to him…