I've recently been writing about a giant universe that's been in the works explicitly for over a year and implicitly for more around four years, possibly more. These little passages are just tidbits to help explain the big, generic topics that need covering but are hard to cover with comics (which happens to be my planned method for telling my stories). So, here we go--the following are from a conversation thingamabob, and thus might have a few references to other people. Come around, children, and let me regal you with tales from another land... Long ago, there existed many universes within the Multiverse; then, for various reasons, they all exploded, before reforming into a new megaverse, filled with the thoughts and ideas that were the very essence of the individual universes. When this happened, a race of the Multiverse, known by many names such as the Ancients and the Infinites, was caught in the explosion, and found themselves recreated within it. These beings, which existed outside of time, their lives spanning all of eternity and yet for only a moment, were now made into corporal bodies, even as they existed without. Many of these corporal forms were simple, only bodies similar to humans yet different, with most of such individuals appearing as white as porcelain and bearing expressionless masks. Many more, in fact the major majority, were recreated as objects. Among these objects was The Box--a powerful Ancient who made himself into a box about the size of a house. Within this box was an infinite space; the rooms broke the foundations of science, and could place any resident wherever The Box pleased. He became so well known that he even received his name, The Box, a gift rarely--if ever--offered to an Ancient. Within his infinite expanse there came about many people, from foxes to scientists, and even another Ancient. The most important was a dragon named Jierik, though he is a tale for another day. There came a time where within The Box, a corner was made. This corner began as a place of shame, though it soon escalated to a place of gathering, a place of fellowship and acceptance; many brought gifts to the corner, adorning it with entertainment and comfort. Then, with a rush of denizens, a power beyond the very existence of the megaverse, the type which was often whispered of in the farthest corners (even the corner of this tale); it was the power of the ever-known yet ever-denied Storymaker. Guided by the hand of his Teller, he made the corner into yet another Ancient, and even adorned him with a name: The Corner. It was, undoubtedly, the most anticlimactic way for the Storymaker to affect the megaverse, and was the subject of much angered debate, frustrated ranting, and even denial of existence. However, the deed was done, and now we are left with the aftermath: The Corner. P.S. Don't touch the coffee. Just don't do it. P.P.S. This is official story shiz biz. This is now canon int he universe Laurence and all of my other stories. Be proud. P.P.P.S. Post-Scripts!! Do you know, perhaps, what a Valkyrie is? No? Well, children, I suppose a small little story wouldn't hurt... The Perfect Gift by Ethan Seward Jonas walked among the forlorn isles, fluorescent light cascading through the thick dust. He raised a grimy, metal hand to reach for a small trinket; a torn up, pitiful looking little bear. His thumb brushed over the clammy, synthetic fur, completely unfeeling. Jonas paused. No. This was no good. Too old. Too dirty. Too fake. It was too much of a metaphor of himself. He lay the poor animal back on the rusted metal plate, and walked onward in mechanical fashion. The store owner, a man of perhaps forty, stared widely at Jonas from behind the counter, his eyes standing starkly white in the gloom of the store. The man muttered a question in his foreign tongue, falling short as Jonas’ neck turned sharply to face him. “THIS UNIT CANNOT INTERPRET THE MEANING.” It had been years. He would never get used to that hateful, metallic voice. He had not asked to be Weaponized. No one had. All he had ever wanted was to go home. See his girl. His wonderful girl. He had glimpsed his child, a while back. She had utterly changed. So had Jonas. His receptacles picked up on a nearby object. Was it… A rose? Jonas turned curtly toward it, his heels scraping the floor in what could only be an unbearable fashion. With an unnatural delicacy, his hand, built to lift a Bird of Prey Warship and to rip out the throats of his enemies, caressed the petals of this pathetic, malnourished, darkened flower. She had always loved flowers. There weren’t many left; it would be the perfect gift. Jonas walked to the man, flower in hand. But the man did not wish for payment. He wished that Jonas should leave; that much was obvious. But Jonas would not mind. He had the perfect gift. For the perfect girl. Optional Ending: POP! Jonas' battle instincts began processing, sending his body into a vicious attack stance--only to realize, too late, that it was only a broken electrical cord. Slowly, painfully, with jumps and twitches, he looked down to his clenched hand, which opened to reveal the crushed fragments of the rose. It would have been the perfect gift. Here is a bit of stuff about Maximus and the Valkyries, both of which are vital to my universe I'm making (in which exists this very Corner, mind you). :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The Maximilian Conflict is viewed as one of the worst time periods in recorded history; however, it must not be thought of in the constrained time period to which is often referred. The Maximilian Conflict officially began when Virmalus first spoke of the oncoming horrors Maximus and his Valkyries would bring. The horrors themselves existed since the universe began over eight hundred years ago (an amazing length in itself, but only imagine that there were thousands, even millions of years before then; but I digress). We all know of the Happening--the event when many universes were all destroyed, and all reformed into the present universe. In one of these many universes there was a powerful king named Maximus. He ruled over all, and had his general lead a slave army to conquer the edges of space. However, an outnumbered and outgunned force was able to infiltrate his flagship, and his general, showing what Maximus viewed as treacherous chivalry, had refused to protect the interior of the vessel whatsoever, believing that should the enemy breach the exterior defenses, they deserved victory. Enraged, Maximus ran to the core of his ship, detonating the power core and destroying the universe. As the universe burned, Maximus was reformed, and became immortal and powerful. His enemy, the glorious and powerful Valkyries, who served peace and freedom, were twisted into his vile servants, and his slaves, whom Maximus saw as little more than animals, became animals themselves. Thus was born the military of Maximus, the chaotic beast of many and the orderly Valkyries of power. Maximus was quick to invade any worlds he encountered. As the universe was new, he was free to shape it however he pleased, and saw no resistance as he conquered world after world. With every conquest, he would construct new warships, convert the strongest of the population into Valkyries, and twist the rest into his beasts. The vicious cycle continued unimpeded for centuries; all the way into the Maximilian Conflict itself. However, this tale, and all others like it, should never mislead any to believe that the Valkyries, the very image of Maximus's cruelty and viciousness, are themselves inherently evil. The Valkyries did not choose their lives as death machines; they were forced into it, with their families held to the blade and slain once the weaponization had completed. Maximus is gone, and with him went the drive to war of the Valkyries. They now seek peace and acceptance. Their bravery in trying to start anew should be applauded, not denied; for recall, not all Valkyries chose to continue living after the Maximilian Conflict ended. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: And that's the basic stuff bout Maximus and the Valkyries. I need to write up an in-depth story sometime; I doubt I'll be able to get the time to make it into comic format, and I think that the basic backstory stuff is better off written anyways. And now an ode to dragons: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The word dragon is used to refer to a wide range of species, each simply similar in appearance and function. As a rule, dragons must be able to fly, and, if not, must at least possess wings; by this very definition, the so-called dragons of the Dragon Empire are not, in fact, dragons at all, though this should not be surprising seeing as their Empire was not an empire at all until Catherine took control, and even then she soon passed in the Battle of Maximus. These 'dragons' are, in reality, humans, the same as all other races often mistaken for animals, and merely possess many traits similar to real dragons. After the fact of flight and wings, we can discuss common dragon traits. Dragons must possess several of these or similar traits in order to be considered a dragon: a scaly hide, or, in some cases, simply a very thick hide; talons and horns; sapience (often confused with sentience; all animals are sentient, while humans are both sentient and sapient); a large body often surpassing most other creatures in size, though there are numerous exceptions; a tail; four limbs, preferably each functioning as both arm and leg, depending on circumstance; generally slitted eyes, like those of a small cat; and several other factors. Many are surprised to find that fire breathing is not classified as a necessity of dragons, nor breath abilities in general. However, these abilities, when found, are almost always attributed to a high Mythica presence in the veins, and removal of said Mythica would, presumably, remove their abilities. Mythica, as is well known, is simply a substance that creates a near-magical level of energy, and creates near-magical levels of effects. It is found in most lifeforms, if in a diluted state. Of the dragons, some of the most terrifying were the ancient Greater Dragons, which reined terror upon the stars; luckily, they destroyed themselves in a bloody civil war, and the only surviving members were petrified or trapped (the tale of Karranak, Neval, and Zekkora is something deserving of its own entry in these expansive tomes). Another well known, though poorly recognized, example of a dragon was Queen Catherine herself, who was, in fact, a dragon; beyond possessing wings unlike her kin, she was also not born in her material form, and is in fact an ancient being from before the Happening who simply retook form to lead the Dragon Empire. Now that we are exiting the first era of our universe--referred to such things as The Age of Calm or The Age of Maximus, both of which are accurate depending on whether you look at Draco-Tallan or Maximilian Space, respectively--dragons seem to be on the rise. In this past era, dragons were, at most, a nuisance on most known worlds; now worlds are being found and formed where dragons are a very important part of daily life, and without which society simply would not function. Because of these advancement, space craft are being designed and constructed to better suit dragons, though it may be a while still before such things are both common place and affordable. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Everline Studios? Well, they're some big conspiracy thing that everyone's talking about. Well, everyone on the ite, anyway--what? Oh, ite is just how most people say IIT, which is short for... I think it's Instant Information Travel? Maybe transport... I dunno, anyways, what I was saying--there are all these stories about them, right? I mean, we've all noticed the movies and books and stuff--huh? Oh, right. Future generations and stuff. I got you. So... Everline Studios is plastered all over the place, on billboards, in magazines, on the ave... Oh, um, that's AVD, for... Audible Visuals... Device? Or maybe Audio-VisualDetail... It's this thing that shows pictures and plays sound. It sounds super lame when you say it like that, but, I dunno, that's... What it is. But really, Everline Studios. They're always releasing all this schluk that makes no sense, at all, so there are these theories about the hidden meaning, and some people say they're sending messages or brainwashing us or--What? Schools?! Look, man, I thought you said you had serious questions! What the heck would E.S. have to do--ugh, it's short for Everline Studios! What would they have to do with mucking education? What? Dude, I've never heard about that in my whole life. And I know, like, everything about Everline Studios. Trust me. Oh, please. You got invited to this fake academy? Lemme see the invitation. Or did you leave it at home? Oh, you... You actually have it? Oh, uh, well... Lemme see, man... ... ... Whoah. Seriously? This schluck is legit, dude. Like, that's some seriously accurate layout they put into this. You download this or something? Well, no, of course it's fake, what the muck would E.S. have to do with some Primum Academy bolshevik? Listen, man, this thing is totally fake. Hey, don't gimme that schluk! I ain't some "Waste of time!" You said I'd get money for this interview. Well, thank y--HEY! The muck is this?! Some mucking COINS?! Hey, get back he--*click* *End of Recording.* --Interview between Nahte S'Vard, scholar, and Harry Rains, IIT Junkie She, the propulsion based ammunition. He, the mental innards. Together, true love. The moment they laid eyes upon one another, there was love. The hammer fell, she flew from the barrel. He stretched out his arms and held her in loving embrace. Yet as star-crossed lovers, their very affection would separate them. Her power was too much, scattered him across the limits of space and time. She, sobbing and awaiting her time to die. He, lying in lamentation of the universe. Together, a tragedy. The Love Story of a Bullet and a Brain. Have you ever heard of heroes? 'Hero' is a general term used to describe individuals beyond the scope of normal, everyday life. It describes great warriors, flying amongst the stars and battling against evils; it describes shrewd diplomats, traversing kingdoms and laying the groundwork for everlasting peace; it describe people that go above and beyond, that exceed our wildest dreams and the impossible. It does not, however, describe the common men and women that seek small improvements; it does not describe the countless brave souls that have, do, and will sacrifice themselves to save their friends and families; it does not describe all of the people that are infinitely important, if even to only one other. The tales of so-called heroes shall be sung throughout thee ages; however, the tale of the common hero, the one found in every living soul, only waiting for the right time to emerge and prove its worth to those that need it; that tale is never sung, and with it dies the lives and stories of individuals more numerous than the stars. This is why I exist; this is why I was created, and why I shall last for as long as our speck we call the universe shall persist to exist; to hear, to remember, to tell the stories that truly matter. I am the Ark. And I have much to tell you, dear hero. --The Ark's Introduction ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: This one's a nice culmination of things; the Ark is an idea I've had for a while, which is meant to solve my utter horror at the idea of lost information. The thing with the heroes is actually my viewpoint on the comics I plan to make; while their are various important heroes with tales to be told, I'm going to first focus on the everyday people of the universe, allowing me to build the lore and improve my skills before I move onto the daunting task of action-packed stories. And, for clarification, when he says "dear hero" at the end, he means the common-day hero, not the typical kind. How long has the universe existed? Dear child, such a question is taught in almost every place of education across the stars! Practically every society that exists today, even those without sophisticated technology, can easily answer your question; and still you wish to spend the opportunity of any knowledge conceivable or otherwise on this simple query? Oh? Really?... Well, when you put it that way... I suppose I misunderstood you. As is well known--so well known that the thought of you asking such brought near to a fit--our universe, the one in which we exist, according to the most commonly accepted measurement of time, has existed for nearly eight and a half hundred years. I won't restrict you with the convoluted arguments concerning the precise year and date--let us simply agree that, for well over eight hundred years, the universe has existed. And, as you ought to know, the universe began after a several year period in which everything was exploding and imploding alternately and indefinitely--the Happening, as it is known. Again, the specifics of the length and how many explosions- and implosions- there were per second are up to strenuous debate; let us agree, however, that for a few 'years' (I apologize for the inability of so-called 'scientists' to actually determine anything) everything exploded and imploded at least one thousand times per second. Ah, yes, you know, you know; of course you do. Again, the prospect of relating solely this information was very upsetting. It is now that we move on to your actual question: How long has everything existed, including the many universes that merged during the Happening? To this, I must sadly say, there is no definite answer. For to find the answer, one would have to ask how long the universes of the multiverse have existed, which requires that one count the universes, and this isn't even considering the question of each universe's own laws of physics (or lack there-of). No, I must apologize; the question you ask is nearly impossible to answer properly, let alone by one who's knowledge is limited to what has transpired in our own universe (my knowledge from beyond our speck is garnered entirely from legend and myth, and those that lived before the Happening). Yes, yes, I know, it is a very displeasing answer. However, I have something that might quench your inquisitive thirst--it is a book, well known as The Book of Promises. While I shall remain impartial as to whether or not you shall listen to any of the 'promises' concerning how you ought live your life, I can say that it includes a very interesting look at how everything began. Do not worry; your age shall not prove a problem. For while you are certainly young, you have also reached my presence; a task accomplished only by the mightiest of heroes. *Chuckle* Yes, I know what I said about heroes. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Here the Ark discusses the general history of the universe and beyond. oh stars such countless stars the day when stars stars were only stars planets were planets men were men made to be ruled a dark day a shameful day a day so long ago it creeps back to me i must hide it away past is past now is now i must be strong these people need me i cannot fail them they say past is past that what i have done now outweighs my past if only i held their optimism if they knew me if they had seen me i served an evil King i led his armies i gave death to all today is a new day no more no more shall there be suffering i see a world of peace burning under tyranny let them be awash in peace in joy and freedom i am general karlus of the tyrant maximus i shall become keeper of the peace --Karlus' Promise. While presumably written by Nik Karlus, protector of the Realm, there is no official documentation to confirm this piece's author. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: This one's about a really interesting character; a warlord turned world hero. Your thirst for knowledge is understandable, dear child; this is, indeed, a very confusing topic for discussion. The physics within our plane of existence are very well known; there is a set of rules and laws that must be followed, at all times. These rules can never be broken by anything within our plane of existence; gravity, light, sound, all work as they should within our plane of existence. And yet there is that common motif, if you will--in our plane of existence. For you see, there are many planes that exist, some of which we understand, some of which we study, and some of which we can know of or theorize to exist, but can never be conceived. Well, I have understanding of such topics, as do my kin, but we were born between planes; a story for another day, dear child. As I said, there has been much study into many of the 'neighboring' planes. In nearly every living being is Mythica--a near magical substance that can grant an individual unimaginable abilities. I say 'near magical' as it is not magic at all; Mythica is comprised of matter within our plane of existence closely linked to matter in a neighboring plane, a plane in which matter holds immense power. While these areas of easy study are to be appreciated, they are not common; far more apparent are the times when planes appear nearby, but are hard to reach fully. The most common example is the planar drive; a device that allows large vessels to travel any distance instantly by cutting through a plane in which time is compressed all at once. That is, of course, a very gross oversimplification, but it serves its purpose. Most frustrating, perhaps, are planes that do not align at all with our plane. The Spectral Plane, for example, is constantly in motion, while our plane is permanently sedentary. Whenever a bond is made between these planes, the Spectral Plane is forced to sit still--a very hard task. Because of this, gates between these planes fall apart almost immediately, with only the utmost powerful individuals being capable of sustaining a gate for any extended period of time. This is why Spectrals are so difficult to find in our plane. There are, of course, exceptions to whatever vague rules I may have alluded to; the Chaos Regions of space are filled with inter-planar gaps, some of which even enter into the Spectral Plane. Furthermore, many objects have been found to have left their plane to enter our own, sometimes distorting physics in strange ways. It is, as I said, a very confusing topic; and we haven't even finished yet. --The Ark on Physics ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: I've been working on physics and such in my universe--as in, I've been saying "Physics don't work and here's why." And he's right; I'm not nearly finished yet. I still have the various regions of space, the history of the Realm (which includes the Old Lands and the Free Lands, and later probably the Deadlands and the story of Nik Karlus as it pertains to the Realm), a full explanation of the Maximilian Conflict, explanations of the Dragon Empire and Tallan Republic, a full description of the Happening, the legend of the True Tallans, the history of the greater dragon, the legend of the greater dragons Karranak and Neval (and Zekkora)... And all this is before I can even get started on Caline and Gabin, the two characters that started this whole mess!! Man, I have plenty of writing to do...
This thread appears to be a little neglected, which I'm judiciously presuming is a direct cause of the slow and stagnating activity in the Writing sub forums. Nevertheless, I really like your work. Your writing style is strange—but a new, refreshing, type of strange—that captivates me. Though I'm not very fond of the 'Karlus' Promise' piece, what I can say is that your other works definitely compensate for it, perhaps twofold, even. Keep it up, and I'd definitely like to see more from you.
Thanks! Yeah, the Karlus one isn't too great; it'd meant to be a hastily written note by a character struggling between his vile past and a promise for a clean future. But I'm glad you like the rest, as well as view my work as the good kind of strange (I like to imagine that my writing often leans on eccentricity).
