i. Dead Souls

Wisps guide the way to the next destination. The concept of the ritual dream is a strange one indeed.

ii. Crystal Forest

The Crystal Forest was also known as Silver Forest, but the name “Crystal” referenced the large stones that grew in the center of it. The woods used to be a sacred place of healing, the same place where Archer Revenge once stood and proclaimed it as such. Several temples were littered about its interior, their names lost. The only temple that had a name that anyone knew of was the Sun Temple, or Temple of the Sun. It was under the control of a handful of different priests while it was still in its prime. These priests were some of the ones that had such despicable control over Unknown Iahae, the original composer of the Serenade for the Dead. As the wind continued to blow, Reve decided to move towards Castle Norfell. Her family would be there waiting for her.

~~~

Upon following a trial that some wisps laid out for her, Reve comes across the Crystal Forest. Within the boundaries, she gives Tereban a proper burial.

”I don’t know exactly who you are, but you saved me,” said Reve quietly.

The forest itself seems to be a lot different from the surrounding desolate landscape, like a sanctuary for those who seek it. Thinking about it a little more, Reve began to wonder whether this forest and the one on the southern part of Unkardia were connected. And for that matter, were the two islands connected in the past as well?

iii. Ocsania

On the way to Castle Norfell, Reve entered Heretmedel. However, after the Sharhodeon colonists arrived, they gave the ruined town the name Ocsania. The town never really was much to look at until the settlers made it into a port of commerce. Unkardia was an untapped land full of natural resources, and the Sharhodeon Territories knew it. Competing with the Kingdom of Lavu was not always easy, but at the capital of Lavu was destroyed by a giant dragon carrying a weapon of war in its talons. Thus, the Kingdom of Lavu was still recovering. It was before the 100 years ago when that occurred that Reve took her ritual dream in the Crystal Forest. It was quite an enlightening experience, and it helped shed some light on a couple of different things. Reve continued walking through the town. Though she was well known throughout the Unkardian land as royalty, most of the townsfolk in the village were Sharhodeon fishermen and miners. They didn’t know that she was normally feared. Then at last, Reve spotted her informant, but it was only after she got closer that she recognized who the person was.

“Adelais?”

Reve’s sister Adelais turned around. Somehow, she had managed to brave Du Garma Canyon to get to Ocsania.

“Reve! So you’ve finally woken up. Have you had a good nap?”

“Yes, more or less.”

“What did you find out?”

“Let’s discuss it once we get back to Castle Norfell.”

“Reve…”

“What?”

Adelais turned pale.

“Castle Norfell was attacked by three men. All of them used magic to encase our soldiers in ice in an instant. They went for the throne room. Dad, Dränsilane, and Emeroch managed to escape, but Mom, Lydia, and I were trapped. Then, out of the blue, a young swordsman came and wounded one of the attackers. I didn’t catch her name.”

“So why are you here? Did anyone survive?”

“Everyone did as far as I know. The attackers didn’t seem to want to kill the guards. I’m here search for our brothers and Dad.”

“Adelais, we need to go back to Castle Norfell. Let’s move through the canyon and get there before nightfall.”

iv. Glory

Isaac, another one of the Terror, was feeling rather anxious. He felt he needed to do something, but he wasn’t sure what it was. He quickly recalled after pacing around rather frequently. It was that boy Roanin that needed to be found. He was a strange boy, that one. He was the son of Rowland, the first Governor of Lavu. Of course, Isaac wouldn’t have known what Lavu was if he hadn’t traversed the Putrid Sea in his past. The Putrid Sea was generally treacherous, but that one day, it just suddenly opened as if in a dream, and he was able to cross into the abyss that lay beyond. The Chaoslands were and interesting place to be sure. When he crossed the ocean and landed in Icrifeani though, he had something else in mind besides looking for Roanin. He had to visit the Kingdom of Lavu itself in order to save the world. He knew that although he was not the strongest of anyone he had ever met (he was a bit of coward), he knew what had to be done. Tereban gazed in the direction of Anne. If he were able to see miles, he could see its scraggly coast, full of dark, pointy rocks jutting out of the coast and the cliff sides. Apparently, Lydia had gone there to do some work with her brothers. Although Dränsilane and Emeroch had once ruled with some integrity, they had lost sight of what was truly important.

v. Across the Plains

Dränsilane and Emeroch’s joint reign was not a pretty one. Taxes were high, starvation was also incredibly common. Plagues would rip through the resident town of Cathrop, while the brothers sat like kings in their own strongholds. Eventually, the people rebelled, not just to save themselves, but also prove that they were not to be stepped on by their leaders. They soon invaded the castles and walled the brothers up in their own rooms, condemned to never emerge alive. Archer Revenge also met doom at the hands of the villagers of Cathrop. When he visited Anne, the people accused him of neglecting their colony and misusing his powers of omnipotence. Regardless of the fact that Archer only commanded an army of thirty, he also had command over a mystical power known as “Darko”. People feared him because of this, but due to the desperation and anger that he caused the villagers, he was unable to stand against their own power. The day Archer Revenge died became known as “The Day of Glory”. While the villagers rioted, Archer Revenge managed to come back to life. How he managed such a feat was unknown, but nevertheless, he returned. People began to panic in Cathrop, since the prospect of vengeance seemed imminent. Attacks on regular citizens began to occur, as other citizens fought over shelter from the imminent attack. It was when a ghost descended from the two castles in the mountains that the people were forced to make peace. The ghost claimed to be that of the then-late Dränsilane, and by using the magic that he possessed, he temporarily paralyzed the movement that was destroying the main town. The townspeople suddenly became more passive.

~~~

Reve, after her asking around is approached by a man.

”Hello, do you need something, sir?” she asks.

”Actually, yes. Are you the one who’s asking around if you’re in Ocsania?”

”Why…?”

”You are truly?! Oh happy days! Please, come with me!”

The Isga brothers weren’t always evil. According to an obscure legend, there was once a horrible, horrible winter that struck. The Isga brothers, along with the King, Queen, and their sisters were in the castle. Suddenly, the guards suddenly dropped dead to what was assumed to be some sort of psychic power. Three demons then advanced into the throne room. They were Arc-Demai. However, the King, the Queen, and the two brothers escaped into a secret passage near one of the columns in the throne room, leaving the three sisters behind. According to the legend, the brothers were cursed for abandoning their sisters in their time of need in order to save their own skins. In fact, the King died exactly seven days after the escape. The Queen would later return and find no sign of her daughters or her step-daughter. The harsh winter would later kill Queen Mathilda, who died without knowing if any of her sons or daughters were still alive.

”If you’re asking around, and, if my calculations are correct, you must be Reve.”

”What if I am?”

”Well, there’s no need to be nervous about it. We’ve been tracking your various movements across time, and we have come to the conclusion that we should entrust a certain item to you.”

”Movements across time?”

”You’ve gone back to this time a total amount of 513 times if I remember correctly…”

Reve suddenly remembered. Her dream self had mentioned something to that extent.

”We need you to help us with a certain issue that has happened in Rasoe. Since you and Tereban are experienced, we’d like you to aid us.”

”Sir, Tereban’s dead.”

The man appeared to be shocked.

”Are you… Are you serious…? We’ve… we are no more then.”

He sat down, as if he was trying to grasp the gravity of the situation. Tereban seemed to be of a large amount of importance to this man.

”What’s going on? Who are you…?

”Reve… I mean, whoever you are, I really can’t explain. We may be being watched. In any case, I need you to help a party of men defend a town from an unknown beast. Here, take this sword I was going to entrust to you. It will hopefully aid you on your journey.”

vi. Rasoe Bell Tower

When Reve arrived from Ocsania with Adelais, Lydia was missing. The castle was cold with snow, as all the windows had been broken in some sort of attack. Reve quickly dashed into the throne room. “Mother!” she called. After searching, she found no trace of Queen Mathilda. It was only after she reached the Queen’s chambers that she saw the slightest trace of blood. It was on the carpet and it wasn’t much, but a thin trail of it led to a wall. Upon knocking on the wall a few times, it gave in, allowing Reve to follow a secret staircase to the lower levels. The stench of bodies soon became apparent, and at the very bottom of the steps, there was a fairly expansive room. It was like the throne room, but Reve had never seen it before. On the left, there were two seats, covered in years of dust. At the foot of the stairs leading up to these thrones, there was a ragged red carpet that led all the way to two doors at the right. Quickly wiping away the cobwebs, Reve drew her sword and looked about the walls. There were no human remains in this place, despite the dark appearance. Surely there must’ve been someone here. Looking at the dust on the faded carpet at her feet, Reve could make out footprints.

“How did you get in here…?” said a voice.

Adelais approached from behind Reve, looking paler than the full moon.

“Adelais! What’s going on? What is this?”

Adelais didn’t respond. Instead, she quickly drew her sword and lunged at her sister. Reve was prepared for this, however. After a quick parry, Reve stabbed Adelais through the stomach and kicked her to the dusty ground. Holding her gleaming blade against Adelais’ neck, she spoke in harsh tones to her dying sister.

“You wretch! What made you think you could just come and take my kingdom away from me while I was asleep?!”

Adelais coughed and moaned but had no answer.

“I should just kill you right now, sister…” Reve said to herself. She thought about it briefly, but then decided against it. It was odd. Something in her head was telling her to resist the temptation. Well, whatever. Leaving Adelais to her death by keeping her in this hidden room was much more satisfying anyway. Suddenly, a familiar scent drifted into Reve’s nostrils. It was one that she feared.

“I leave you to your death, Adelais!” Reve said hastily as she ran up the stairs out of the room. Adelais had no words for Reve. It pained her greatly that she could not speak to her sister in the way that she normally could. As the light disappeared due to the closing door above, Adelais knew for certain that she would die down here.

~~~

Another legend is the one of the demon that haunted the Rasoe Bell Tower. The demon, supposedly the decaying angel of the late Queen Mathilda, came to torment the town. But just as it arrived, it was struck down by a woman clad in chain mail, calling herself Reve. Later on, the Decaying Angel would return, this time cursing the entire population to only appear in the light of a full moon. Remarkably, the Decaying Angel would be challenged another 514 times, all by a woman named Reve. Although the Decaying Angel took some victories, after the 514th time, it appeared that the beast was slain for good. Reve wasn’t sure about this. She had been trusting too many random people. Though she had a sense of who all of them were, she wasn’t entirely confident regarding their identities. Ooh, if only she could remember! She kept trusting them however. That’s the only thing she could do, since time had been manipulated so many times. But enough was enough. Here was the town of Rasoe. It seemed rather empty, with not a single person to be found. The bell tower was still ringing though, and a lot of the other men were starting to show signs of anxiety. Reve wondered what could be up there, since there was no wind. The sound of the bell wasn’t that pretty either. A certain smell filled the air as they began to climb to the top of the bell tower. It wasn’t quite a rotting smell, but it was close. A chill went down Reve’s spine.

vii. On The Roof

Reve descended from the tower, trying to gain control of her senses. She could hear frogs croaking, and the smell of decaying flesh had become overpowering. This couldn’t be happening now! A voice began to mutter ominously in her brain, telling her to quit resisting. The host and already begun to separate from its parasite. Reve was slammed onto the floor and watched as another figure began to manifest itself in front of her. It was a strange being, one in torment. It let out a loud scream and sprouted decaying wings, moving swiftly out of Castle Norfell. As for Reve, she was now just an empty shell, incapable of thinking or feeling.

~~~

A malevolent presence was in the air. Reve told the men to stay on their guard. The smell was getting stronger.

viii. Decaying Angel

Suddenly, a large flying zombie attacks the party. Many of the men are pushed off the roof. However, Reve clings to the railing, determined to stay in the battle. As the beast came around for a second strike, Reve held up the sword that the strange man gave her, catching the zombie in the stomach and slicing a long gash through the length of its abdomen as it flew by.

ix. Do Without It

As is apparent, time and time again, history had repeated itself. When Roanin Meylith was born, he was born with a special gift. His father, Rowland Meylith, was not of the world commonly referred to as Earth. Although he had been at one point, he was not now. In the past as a boy, Rowland had befriended a certain man who had been experimented upon by Félix Oarr. His name was only something he came up with, and he didn’t seem to recall his real name. The man introduced himself as “Dr. Uy”. Although the young Rowland had heard of this man through the wanted posters that were plastered all over Blueheart, he decided to make friends with the strange man. He was starving, Dr. Uy had food, and he had no other friends anyway. It was after a day or so that Dr. Uy revealed that he had been destined to be the one to speak with the gods. When Félix Oarr found out, he and the rest of the Windy Summit made an effort to extract through scientific means.

x. I Can’t Shake Him

Reve and the men quickly made it back to Ocsania by nightfall under the order of the strange man. Upon reaching the man’s compound, Reve and the man enter a room to have a discussion about the current state of things. The man does everything in his power to seal all the doors and windows.

”Now that that’s over with…”

The man sat down. “Let’s begin, shall we? As you may know, you have been sent back in time 513 times as part of a loop in time that is currently occurring for the 514th time. In order to break this loop, you need to preserve everything in your memory that I will discuss now.”

”What’s that?”

”You were born to a very important person in the future. This person was a ruler of the Kingdom of the Pathiers, better known as the Kingdom of Lavu.”

xi. Castle Dränsilane

One of the most prominent legends in all of Unkardia and Anne is the legend of the Human Overmind. Although it is speculated that it began with the Isga brothers, the idea is that some humans plague others by just existing. It was later hypothesized that each human represents a cell in a larger omnipotent being call the Human Overmind. However, just like the Isgas, cells of this Human Overmind can psychically “fuse together” and form hostile organisms that destroy the rest of the cells. These beings, once they become complex enough, sporting about fifty human souls or so, become hypothetical parasites, called “human bradyzoites”, and manifest themselves in the real world as distorted, dark, corrupted beings.

~

”It started when a young boy was seduced into thinking that he could rule all of the world by himself. Disillusioned by the death of his parents, he sought to find his way to a place known as the end of time. That place is a little east of here, right where Tereban was taking you before the ship you were on was destroyed: Anne. Due to the properties of Anne, anyone who travels to the island causes time to flow faster and faster until it reaches a point of infinity. Thus, anyone who travels too close to the island ages faster and faster until they die. But the boy somehow made it. It was here he met two ancient monarchs, one by the name of Emeroch, the other by the name of Dränsilane. The two had been walled up in their castles by the townsfolk of Cathrop, who had then escaped the island. Bit by bit, the two monarchs of the house of Isga began to die. But Dränsilane escaped, chipping at the walls bit by bit, moving to Castle Emeroch to save his brother.”