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It was called Doomsday by the High Tower of Sorcery, as they announced
a giant meteor was heading towards the Great Realms. It was the same
size in width as the distance between Westbridge and New Thalos, and
that it was heading for Westbridge itself. This group disappeared afterwards.
The meteor grew into the sky and did enter the planet, a group of adventurers
floated to the rock and explored what surface they could. They found
chambers inside, a circular room with four locked doors. Behind each
door was a creature made of elements, wielding a powerful sword. Earth,
Fire, Wind and Water. These weapons were held as prizes, and taken from
Ragnarok, which promptly retreated back into space, and began to hover
like a stationary moon. The Swords of Ragnarok were scattered to the
winds, auctioned and sold, changing hand after hand. Elder gods are
the highest form of deity on a planet, a god capable of creating a planet
and life itself. Ao is the Elder God of Toril. Elder Gods in certain
times in the cosmos will take on apprentices, typically an immortal
or deity found on their own planet. This immortal or deity would be
trained in the arts of an elder god, and given a final test which simply
was, to create a perfect world on one of the continents of your trainers
planet. Ao found an immortal being that seemed to be balanced in alignment,
an equal feeling of both good and evil. He felt this balance would work
perfect in the training of a new Elder God. Ao allowed his Apprentice
one year to create his perfect world, and selected a continent from
Toril. A barricade was placed over the continent, shielding it from
the rest of the world. One year passed. Something had gone wrong, the
perfect world of the Apprentice was one of horrors and nightmares as
Ao appeared on its shores. The oceans boiled and churned with blood,
the forests burned and the skies were black. Massive rogue armies moved
about the continent destroying all that came in their path. In the middle
of all this chaos stood the Apprentice. Ao realized he had been blinded,
that this immortal had not been born on Toril. Human in form the Apprentice
was something else deep down. He was a disease, a plague, a virus. Godly
Lore and Legend spoke of a 'planetary virus' which travelled the planes
of existance, seeking out planets and feeding on the life from it until
everything dies. Ao could not believe how blinded he was, and drew his
sword. Mountains crumbed and valleys forged as Ao and the Apprentice
faced off, swords clashing. This battle was for rulership of Toril,
and for an untold time it went on. Its said the landscape of the modern
Great Realms was formed from this battle. In the end, the Apprentice
fell to Ao's sword. Wrapping his hands around the blade he cursed the
planet with his return, shattering the blade into five pieces. Ao banished
the apprentice's soul into a pebble, and casted it into space.
It is said that RagNaRok is the return of the Apprentice, taht in the
vast coldness of space he slowly grew in power, thus the pebble his
soul was trapped in grew in size. The arrival of the Rok at the Great
Realms signifies that the Apprentice will fufill his prophecy, that
he will return to Toril and claim ruleship over it. With the appearance
of RagNaRok and the 4 Elemental Swords, also came the arrival of mutated
life and destruction. The meteor has been known to mutate wildlife creatures
and those of weak minds. Several pieces of the meteor itself have fallen
from the sky, most notably the destruction of New Ofcol which is now
always enhabited by Mutate Ragnarok Creatures and Demons. It has also
been known to spread disease, such as Hemelia. A humanoid creature appeared
with the arrival of RagNaRok, and claimed to be the High Priest of the
Apprentice. He has been charged with the task of resurrecting the Apprentice
from RagNaRok, which involved the meteor striking the planet. He gave
only a single name, Sephiroth. Little is known about Sephiroth besides
what he has told the world. He laid claim over the barren and empty
wasteland of Mahn'Tor, enslaving its few minotaur inhabitances and building
a Makou Reactor, before the technology was auctioned off by the Tripower.
A major religious uprising has appeared in the Great Realms since the
arrival of RagNaRok. Churches and Factions have appeared in all of the
towns, some worshipping the Apprentice, others worshipping Sephiroth
himself. Three of the Four Swords of Ragnarok are currently held by
the Tripower Kingdom, Earth, Fire and Water. The location of the Sword
of Wind is unknown. The Swords of Fire and Water are held directly by
the Tripower Government, while the Earth Sword is kept by a member who
is currently exploring for a location known as the Temple of Light.
Written on the circular chamber the swords were found in was talk of
the Temple of Light, in which the Four Swords were to be placed. This
would unleash their true power upon the Apprentice and Ragnarok, and
once again stop him from taking control of Toril.
Each Sword gives the wielder great powers, including control over the
elemental of the sword. The swords themselves are capable of casting
intense elemental spells. It is known if a person is capable of wielding
two of the swords, that the powers of the swords are multiplied. Even
wielding a single Ragnarok Sword gives its user heighten abilities such
as giant strength and endurance. The Four Swords of Ragnarok are forged
from the broken blade of Ao, the sword that killed the Apprentice. Ao
had blessed these fragments and casted them out into space with the
pebble. The blessing would cause the swords to grow in power along side
with the Apprentice.
The Prophecy is the written testiment that claims the Apprentice will
return to the planet to reclaim it as his own. Only his followers can
bring about the end of the known world and resurrection of his perfect
world, and that once enough people dedicate themselves to him it will
bring about the fall of Ragnarok, and his resurrection. Only the 4 Elemental
Swords blessed by Ao can bring about the destruction of the Apprentice.
The Jihad Faction is the primarily worshippers of the Apprentice, and
believe in helping bringing about his resurrection. The Black Church
is a secondary worshippers who primarily follow Sephiroth. Hemelia was
a plague that appeared in the Great Realms after a piece of Ragnarok
fell and destroyed the village of New Ofcol. From this crator a mist
crept out and began to infect all living things until almost everyone
had been infected. The Tripower Kingdom spent countless time trying
to research a cure, but never developed one. The cure was found deep
inside a crypt which appeared in the ruins of New Ofcol, along with
the Ragnarok Sword of Earth. With this the plague was literally destroyed.
Hemelia is now seen as a blessing of the Apprentice of those who follow
him. |
