Lore/Story Realm Of War

Continuation of the "Codex of War" story.

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While many evidence point that Corruption was a direct result of two forces - Light and Dark - coming into contact with one another, there exist one piece of paper from pre-human era of the Wynn province that casts doubt into the theory. This single piece of paper was cast aside as "does not constitute proof" due to the limited understanding of Ancient Wynnic of the researchers at the time, and was discarded alongside other papers in a pile of junk. An unknown entity recovered the paper in early 1000 AP, who has since then disappeared from the face of the world.

Some time later, a translated version with comments somehow suddenly wound up in the desk of a disgruntled Gavelian bureaucrat, who accidentally put it through a paper shredder. The next week, it found its way to the Magus Council of Gavel - they dismissed it as mere hearsay and incinerated the paper. The week after that, it was sent over to Grootslang. Once again, the paper was dismissed, stating that only a madman would write this, and there was no way anything in the paper would make sense.

But that's exactly where the problem was. The paper was warded against any and all forms of identification, deciphering and destruction. Whenever the paper was destroyed, it simply reappeared somewhere else. When someone tried to solve the cipher, they were reduced to a babbling lunatic with mental acumen possibly on par with the mushroom addled Yahya. Even the attempts to identify the sender of the paper failed, as they were instantly sucked into a dark portal when they tried.

Until one day, the paper made it into the hands of a soldier from Wynn. All of a sudden, the paper's "curse" was lifted - its cipher broken, its contents made legible, and its message was laid bare. But it was no mere message that it was conveying. Below is an excerpt from the paper that the soldier was willing to share with the Gavelian authorities, albeit with massive blocks of redacted text due to mere mentions of certain names and objects causing indescribable pain to the transcribers, perhaps as a last line of defense against people who were not that one Wynnic soldier:

Large chunks of the paper was made illegible because of the transcriber in charge of acquiring a copy of the written statement was crying blood all over the transcription. Even then, it is supposed that this isn't even the full text of the paper. Whatever is written in that paper seems to be for that soldier's eyes only, as merely reading it caused symptoms akin to unbridled insanity.

Perhaps we will never know what was written on these papers.

Spoiler: Actual content of the Papers

For those it may concern,

It has come to my attention that the Decay has made its way to the outskirts of Cinfras - closer to Kander's edges, which is highly concerning due to the fact that a threat far worse than the Decay is fast approaching to this world. My speculation is that on 1001 AP, this world will face a far more severe threat than anyone has ever imagined. One that cannot be understated. One that cannot be ignored. One far worse than Bak'al.

On the first day of 1001 AP, we will witness the apocalypse. The roots will spread, consuming large chunks of Detlas outskirts to the west, east and south - then even more of the province, as part of its uncontrollable expansion. Worse, these roots will form Nether Portals of their own, opening even more gateways to the Realm of War, from which Corruption may spew forth.

I have chosen <playername>, despite their status as the new Guardian of Light, to subdue both sources of the conflict that gives power to the force that threatens consume our world: The Darkness, and the Light. They cannot be killed, but they can be corrupted. And indeed, their conflict has corrupted the very realm that once was the Twilight Realm, turning it into the twisted and abominable Realm of War, from which the lethal force of Corruption seeps forth. The Nether Portals are but a manifestation of this deadly phenomenon, creating twisted and lethal spires of obsidian that extend from the Roots, piercing the soil and acting as beacons of Corruption, from which it can spread further. With sufficient time or with just the right push, the Roots can be made to spread exponentially, covering the entire province, and consuming it whole and alive, before strangling all life out of its soil, leaving behind a corrupted husk. It will not just the province of Wynn that will be corrupted to nothingness. Gavel is at risk as well. If the Roots are not purged within the next decade or so, it will eventually spread through the ocean to reduce Gavel to a desolate wasteland as well.

I'm afraid it is also consistent with the visions of the Forgery, as it is one of the few windows into the future that was yet to be closed by Bak'al, in an attempt to blindside me and stop my attempts to interfere with his plans. The full extent of his plan eludes me still, but one thing is certain. The Dark Beast is coming. Be prepared to fight not just for your life, but also for the lives of all those you hold dear.

If you are reading this, remember - only you can save this world. Godspeed.

Signed,
???, the Watcher Beyond