Post by admin on Mar 30, 2012 19:38:55 GMT -5
THE STORY
I. THE PROLOGUE
[/font]I. THE PROLOGUE
The world has always possessed two sides, as does a coin or a reflection. The realm of mortals being the reality one can see, hear, and feel... and the realm of death, of entropy, the beginning and end of existence.[/size]
This realm has been called by many names, among them the Grey Realm and the Realm of Fog. It is so named because of the legends of the place, passed down from generations of lore in many lands; it is said to be a realm without time, cloaked in eternal mist that undulates like human breath, blending the lines between reality and illusion. Most predominantly among those legends, and perhaps the closest to the truth, as some believe, comes a tale held dearly by the Garif tribe of Ivalice...
II. THE LEGEND
Four hundred years before the War of the Nethicite, the land of Ivalice was at peace. Far to the south on the continent of Kerwon resided a tribe of Garif warriors, proud men and women of hunting trade that wore skulls as masks to honor their fallen ancestors and comrades. Among them was a young man by the name of Supari, recently of adulthood and eager to prove himself.[/size]
His first hunt as an adult came on a beautifully sunny day. As per tradition, all such hunts are taken on by oneself. So it was with a confident air that the young man left the village that day, trusty spear in hand. Not far out of the settlement, he came across a wild black chocobo. Thinking that he could do better than that, he kept walking, leaving the bird alone. Soon he had passed seven animals, growing evermore anxious as he went. He feared that he would not find a mark rare enough to be worthy of his first hunt before the sun set over the land of Jahara.
He came across a tunnel he did not recognize. Seeping from the mouth of the cavern was a stream of mist, as if the breath of some mighty beast. Hefting his spear, Sugari abandoned all precautions and stormed in to investigate.
After an eternity, or a moment, he was not sure which, the young Garif hunter felt a chill creep over him. The fog had not abated over the distance he had traveled, and it seemed almost as if he was no longer in any sort of enclosed space. Deciding he would walk a little while farther before he would turn around, the warrior set off again.
In the longest time yet no time at all, he came across the silhouette of a structure amidst the fog. Caught by surprise, he continued until he could fully make out the shape of the abandoned church; pushing the thick, rotting doors open, he entered the building with some trepidation.
Within the church, he encountered a young woman, crouched behind a patch of bright flowers that had sprung up through destroyed floorboards. "Hello," the young woman said to him, rising to her feet and padding over to him.
"Hello," Sugari said back, and was immediately smitten with the maiden.
They spent what seemed like years together, all thoughts of hunts and tribes forgotten. The young man and woman fell in love. Though they were happy in each other's company, there came a time when their hands drifted apart, only for a moment - in that instant, pulled away by the eddies of fog, Supari was gone.
He wandered out of the tunnel he had entered, less than an hour after he had left. The sun was low on the horizon, and Supari made quick work of a viper to bring home to his people.
Legend has it that he died alone, some time later, an old man in a young man's body, though not before sharing his unique tale with the people of his village.
Time in the Grey Realm tends to flow in circles, repeating endlessly for as long as the loop remains unbroken. Again and again, the young woman saw the reappearance and disappearance of her love - each time was as the first, yet as if she were experiencing the events for the first time.
Eventually, the repetition, the bittersweet fate of the young woman drove her to madness. The fog of the Grey Realm responded to her despair and rage, treating her with newfound affection.
And so, the Calamity was born, with but one objective in mind - to create a world that held a different fate for herself and her lover.
III. THE CONSEQUENCES
In various worlds, at various times, the distortion began to manifest. Things that should not happen began to occur, confounding the denizens of those worlds - in some cases, locations even began to disappear, passing into a void beyond that which mortals could fathom.[/size][/center]
The Distorted World. It lies at the end of the worlds, beyond the space between reality and illusion. Locations begin to reappear in new formations and patterns, shrouded in fog that emanates from the center of the distortion. The hole in reality seems almost benign, but the threat it poses is a constant danger to those who live in this world...
From the confused populace arises a generation of adventurers, those who seek their own truth, whether they might be for or against the Calamity's actions - or committed to the restoration of the world as it was.
The ashes of the worlds give birth to new tales. What story will you tell?
[Footnote: This information is not widely known in-character; for all basic IC information, see encyclopedia entries.]