New Lore

Ares' domain, Olympus

Even in the lofty heights of Mount Olympus, nothing was deeper than Ares' anger and spite towards his godly colleagues. Always scheming and manipulating against him, how else should he feel towards his oppressors? If only he had more power, he could show those arrogant fools the extent of his rage and vengeance! But how? As it stands, all the Greek city-states are already at war, and all avenues of worship are at their maximum. Nothing save creating new nations to go into war would increase his power; but if he were to even attempt that, the other gods would, of course, rally together to thwart him. There is also the option of expanding his influence to other nations, but the problem of encountering and fighting other gods still exists, which could be troublesome. The ideal situation to increase his power would be to infiltrate a land where the gods are weak, and the people are strong. But where would such a place exist?

Imperial Chamber, The Holy Empire of Arabic

With eyebrows furrowed, and fist to his face, the young emperor, Damion, darkly brooded on his imperial throne. The people of the empire expected great things from the son of the Drakor the Great, but what was there to give them? The borders of the empire are set due to tentative peace treaties with the Alliance, and the soldiers are well equipped to contain the monster threat. The treasury coffers are full, and all roads are well-kept. Times are at their best, but the people are still getting restless. Will his reign be one of complacency and peace? No, something must be done¡¦soon, but beyond killing a few nefarious beasts, what avenue of glory could there be?

Chamber of the Council, The Religious Alliance of Arabic

Emanating strength of spirit and will, Abner looked at the other members of The Council. It is he who first proposed peace with the Empire five years ago, and it is he who upholds it to this day. Nothing is more important than the safety and security of his people, especially Aleria, and he'll be damned if anyone, be it Empire or Alliance, jeopardizes it. It's rumored that this young emperor, Damion, is eager to make a name for himself, which is fine by Abner as long as he keeps to his own borders. But if this Damion character steps out of line¡¦or rather¡¦over the line even once, he better be prepared for a fight! He'll take that boy of an emperor by the throat and gut him like every other nefarious beast he's defeated. Even if it means taking over the entire continent, nothing will endanger the future of his people, nothing!

Somewhere in the heavens above Arabic

Things are getting out of hand amongst the Arabic nations. Shaking his head, Kulam paced back and forth, occasionally peering into the minds of his waning worshippers. More and more the people of Arabic were forsaking their gods for more "modern" paganistic views. Where is the gratitude for their prosperity and safety? Why is it that they turn so quickly away from the beliefs of their forefathers, whom he has nurtured generation by generation? What will the future hold for the people of Arabic as his power wanes?

Prologue

Sitting upon his throne with a resolute thud, Damion peered over the heads of his courtiers out the window. Would his fate as an Emperor of the Holy Empire be confined to mundane matters of state? If only the gods would send a calamity, or perhaps even war, to stir up the blood of his people; then he'd be able to show his people how great an emperor he really is.

In the midst of his ruminations, Damion noticed a black raven from afar fly and perch on his window. Oddly, the raven neither crowed nor moved on the window, to the point where Damion began to wonder if the bird was alive. The raven continued to remain immobile while his courtiers droned on about their concerns. Even after their departure, the raven continued to stare at Damion until at last it hopped into the room.

"Your duties as a ruler are quite dull, emperor."

Shocked, Damion drew closer to the bird, "How is it that you can speak, bird? Are you a messenger from the gods relaying that they've heard my prayers?"

Transforming himself from the form of a bird Ares replied, "I am no messenger, boy, and I am no god you've heard of. Yet I have heard your pathetic prayers. I have the power to grant you the fame, glory, and immortality that you desire, but you must first obey and follow my demands. Your people must worship me, but not in the ways of your former gods. Worship me through the blood, battle, and strife of war! Gather your people and prepare for conquest, so that you may be the first emperor of Arabic. As unifier of the people of this land, your name will be remembered for all eternity!"

Overwhelmed and excited by Ares' words, Damion rushed to his council chamber to call on his generals and priests. Preparations for war must be made! Weapons must be sharpened, armor burnished, and soldiers equipped. But first, a nation-wide religious conversion must be organized! Ares, the mysterious foreign god, must be worshipped and honored; for it he who will bring our people honor and victory.

Chapter II

"Wake up, godling! Your people are being snatched from under you, and here I find you slumbering. The time for your intervention is at hand."

Drowsily, Kulam, the native god of providence lifted his head to peer at the intruder, "And who might you be, to treat a god with such disregard? Leave now, and I will forget your intrusion" "My apologies godling, my name is Athena, Greek God of Wisdom, and your people are being snatched from under your nose. My brother Ares, Greek God of war, is, even now, planning to plunge the continent of Arabic into war by influencing the people of the Holy Empire towards continental conquest. You must thwart him, lest he succeed and further augment his power."

Fully aroused, Kulam scrutinized the Greek goddess. "Why are Greek gods involving themselves in the affairs of Arabic? And whatever the reason may be, what am I supposed to do against the power of the Olympian gods? As it stands, my power wanes as people become godless. And if what you're saying is true, Ares' action only act to weaken me further. What would you have me do goddess?"

Moved by Kulam's despair, Athena embraced him, "Worry not, god of providence. As you provide your people with sustenance and prosperity, I will provide you with wisdom."

"There is a legend that tells of how Ares was entrapped by giants for over a year. According to this legend, Ares was so distraught with his confinement that he was willing to acquiesce to any of the giant's demands including relinquishing his position as god of war. Unfortunately, Ares was rescued by another Olympian before any vows could be made. The legend also speaks of the item that the giants used to confine Ares, the Circle of Confinement. Any immortal who touches this item will be forever bound unless released by its owner. I have arranged for this item to be placed in the tower of your holy land. Find a worthy candidate to retrieve this item and entrap Ares so that you may stop his nefarious scheme."

Bolstered by Athena's advice, Kulam rushed to the council chambers of the Religious Alliance. There, he approached the ruler, Abner, with all that Athena had revealed. While it was Kulam's intention to send Abner and his men on a quest for the Circle of Confinement, Abner had other plans.

"God of providence, I do not doubt your words nor the words of the foreign goddess. But if what you say is true, I have much work to do with regards to the defense of my nation. This mystical item will only be useful to my people if Ares presents himself on the battlefield. Until then, we must hold our defense and prevail. For this reason, I can neither go nor send my best men. Go and find a devout zealot to complete your quest, and we will use the item when the time is ripe."

Furious and distraught with Abner's denial, Kulam searched the Alliance for any who would heed his call. As fate would have it, Abner's daughter, Aleria, was praying in the nation's high temple, and heard Kulam's summons. After hearing Kulam's plea, Aleria agreed to the quest and ventured to retrieve The Circle of Confinement!

(to be continued in Episode 1: Prelude of Ruin)