Prologue
Hello there, reader - I greet you before the gates of Batavia to warn you that this tale is an alive one. Not just alive in the sense it is ridden with emotions and the non-sensical behaviours of a humanoid’s existence (though this is true). No, I say it is alive, as this tale remains unfinished up until the last word I tell you, still being enacted and decisions made. I tell you information as I am able to gather, and no quicker, I’m afraid. I am a translator of a story spoken in another tongue. A speaker for the chances being taken, and the fights being fought by our possible heroes. Their weighing histories still seeking an arch to salvation, and their collective responsibilities only grow. They each may be looking for redemption, salvation, purpose, or just their next lunch; but all, in their own right, should evoke emotion in their actions, and resolve in their inaction.
So again, my dear reader, I warn you; there may be details that seem unimportant that become a crux of anguish for these nomadic individuals, and tempting paths of a great creative story you can imagine, that the collective decides to avoid. I ask a simple amount of trust that though I - as your humble literary guide - may not have all the answers to your immediate questions, there is still a story to enjoy and probably more theorising to come.
Let us begin. I welcome you to the realm of The Kingdom of Batavia 4042 P.F (post-fall), a region of great peace for many years prior. The half-human king of this golden continent has been praised for the management and the civil rest between all races in his land, and though there is still racial pressure, the bigger picture shows the testament to what an era of quiet quaintness, and an indifferent ruler, can bring for the collective.
All the societal factions have been at peace for decades - notably greater than the life times of numerous beings that live in these plains - but in recent years general tensions has been rising. The Emperor, Edward Windmere, has no Heir to his throne, and the restless individual regions are pre-emptive in a possible power struggle that looms with the king’s old age being more noticeable each day. These growing feelings of tension flow through the kingdom, strengthened by an existing unease when it comes to magic.
Throughout the majority of the kingdom, different views can be found on magic. Starting with the strong sense that Magic is a volatile, unrefined, practice, all the way to general acceptance of magic uses. This places a strong unease between sections of the kingdom, allowing for a greater feeling of dividedness, giving more political power within each domain, and allowing for the average person to feel a greater impact on the movement within their land.
Due to this deviation from this great empire’s image, individuals within and external to the Kingdom seek to set in the seed of negative change deeper, and profiteer from the turns of events. Creating trouble and allowing for this growing issue to continuously expand and fester into commonality. This is only further shown in the unfortunate sight of Adventuring being forced to become a dying art, as borders are harder to cross, and social restrictions on curtain ways of life becoming more pronounced. With the last 100 year war still looming over this modern peace, fear is beginning to reign again.
Monsters, in both the literal and metaphorical sense, are unintentionally given more room to rise and reap havoc -unchallenged in their slaughter of tranquillity for the horror of innocent individuals.
And that is where we are. If you choose to read on from here, I must say you are a subscriber to personal turmoil, endless questioning, and most of all… To read on. I can’t promise a happy ending, but I can promise a very real and strong emotional outlook on what you may perceive as just characters. So I assure you that these are not just Characters, you must read them as embodiments of possibilities, histories, emotions’ , dedications’ , sorrows’, and possibly your tears to borrow.
Now, Let us bring in our canvases of possible futures.
