#naglfar drabbles

[illusionoftransience]

Template Source

And full size.

You’re not dating, you’re just two idiots shut up. Also this meme template is exhausting-

[myriadsofcorpses]

Pretty sure a whole shit-fuckton of people died when amassing on such rather small landscapes. The surface of the planet definitely got screwed down to less than half of what it originally was.

Do I need to include that? I’m sure you can imagine. Thinking about the past is fun, still so many things to work out~ ♪

[crystalbluesoul]

Alright, I wrote a whole damn frigging lot of the Naglfar Lore to one bud on Discord and will share this here. Look at this, @CApexHunter on Twitter and be amazed! Major spoilers for a thing you’d never hear about otherwise unless I’d actually get my ass up and start making it a novel, game, VN or whatever goes.

A few select people I know might be crazy enough to actually read all this nonsense, so this is for you too:

@aftertheend-gamedev @johnny-writes​ @soulwitch​

Also you @yukianesawarachia​ get your lore straight.

It’s a pretty rough summary about the most important parts up to the start of the main story, so don’t get your hopes up if you want to read about elf hierarchy (can be sorta found here), a summary of internal politics between more influental royal families, happenings that were deemed too insignificant to be relevant or the history between state and church, principles of magic and catalysts and basically everything not named until now you’ll be severely disappointed.

Alright, we're talking the world called Naglfar. It's a planet, however follows the hollow earth principle which is important, but also a massive spoiler. A planet with its own immune system, regulated through both atmospheres, outer and inner one so to say.

 [Idiot’s note: Not a reliable map but correct for visualisation.]

Scattered throughout the Overworld are the World Trees, which share information and help keep the planet's condition stable, being interconnected but also regulating said atmospheres to keep a balance. Their roots make up quite a bit of the inner landmass too.

[Terranigma, which used a similar principle with the hollow earth.]

Millions of years ago a meteorite struck and penetrated the outer husk, latching itself onto the world’s core and gradually darkened it, the underworld's sun. With it came a being carrying a virus, taking the antibodies of the planet and corrupting them which lead to the creation of even more of antibodies. Feel free to call me out for Chrono Trigger btw. Congratulations tho, we now have what I lovingly call "AIDS-earth". Lots of World Trees naturally fought for balance, but soon their roots were taken by the corrupting nature of the invader. Only a few managed to cut off their roots themselves to stop their own corruption, but most started to die from within, sapping the land surrounding them of Mana and nutrients, that's how they collapsed and crumbled further towards the core and with time the darkened atmosphere of the underworld came through.

[Ash Lake from Dark Souls, which ignited my World Tree ideas.]

That's what the situation today is like, there's only a handful continents with World Trees at their centre today, surrounded by a massive cliff with a black fog at its visible bottom. There's various human factions deciding over the future, given the chance the crumbling will continue unlike the past few 100 years. Should they just stay like this? Should they look for mechanical flight machines? Should they look for a magical engine? Or... should they research the fog and prepare for a life within that bottom?

[Fanart of the Zeal Island from Chrono Trigger. There’s a chance kingdoms like this already exist but keep to themselves. Damn, this image goes from pinterest to photobucket to shutterstock, so I’ll insert a source if someone can tell me.]

There's various local groups of descendants from other lands which were affine  to some options, skilled technicians or mages, but that's that for the current group. Here the rules are different too, aside from natural things we are used to, there's also a portion of mana in soil, air, water, heat, you get the gist. Elements. These elements have largely influenced the life of people, if you live in caves for generations you become smaller and sturdier, magma caves bring fire in, which reverses that for bigger and stronger. Places filled with water, perpetually recycled from the tree, and fresh air from forests attune the people and animals to make them more receptive (and basically elves). Animals in time could become monsters, sometimes humans had relationships with whatever they could find and so various subbreeds and variations came into existence. Humans fuck. Animals fuck. Things do weird things. Some genes are more compatible than others, so sometimes results are rather random even after generations. Yuki has an OC biologist who's researching this,  makes it quite fun. Aside from the biological view, there's also the theological view. Angels and Heaven, as well as demons. Though there's.... not yet really a hell. Heaven is purely ethereal and lower angels are sent for their mission on earth sometimes.

[Humans fuck.]

Heaven came to exist from faith and prayers of humans, praying for certain things with certain images in mind became lower deities, sub-'specialities' so-to-speak created a hierarchy with an "all-powerful" god at its top, but no one really knows about that. Likewise demons came into existence from the fear of mankind. Stories of men and women sucking blood or directly your soul and whatever else the human mind can produce. At least that's the true demons who became concepts similar to the deities. There's offspring here too (because everything fucks), but they're not true demons anymore so w/e. Our main-story follows a trio of knights in what I call different things, but most commonly... let's say the "reset"-timeline. But before that, let's go through royal hierarchy! ...or at least the most basic thing.

Aside from sending angels, the heavens chose certain bloodlines to hold their power and bring peace. If you've played the new Fire Emblem: Three Houses you've heard of crests, it's basically that funnily enough. I had the idea first, pah!! Well, it's not much of an idea, but let's continue. There are four major crests, or as they're called here "gifts", with their given nicknames: The Beast - Inconceivable power The Dragon - Unwavering heart The False Prophet - Unending magic The Wish - The power of the royal bloodline For the wish, this story is a bit more intricate too, as some people are granted their wishes for their piety or pure prayer. It plays a major role in the story too, so you better remember that.

[Indeed inspired by biblical tales! But don’t question me on them please. It has ties to what happened between religion and state, hence the names.]

In the original timeline, the three knights. Daryll, the one carrying the Gift of the False Prophet Siegmund... turning out to carry the Gift of the Dragon Nyr, turning out to carry the Gift of the Beast Are currently completing a final test for knight school and are soon to be deployed to a remote village they've been to alot for missions. Protecting citizens, routing monsters and undead in the area, pretty basic stuff. But in a larger skirmish Daryll goes missing, Nyr and Sieg turn back to report. In the meantime Daryll has joined up with the undead boss, a scientist who wants to prepare humans for life below the dark fog. They carry out a number of stuffs, promising Daryll the fulfilment of his innermost wish... This also included killing some people but Daryll is determined.  His desire burns bright and won't stop at anything, even when Nyr and Siegmund ended up opposing him. Siegmund died preventing their battle and Daryll ended up slaying Nyr in battle... but went mad, realising that this will only distance himself from the fulfilment of his wish. Upon confronting the undead Boss, Albert, he was discarded and roamed the lands alone with his thoughts.

[Best boy.]

It took Daryll a few years to come clear with his conscience, which is when he picked up Kai, a girl from the orphanage in the village he was first stationed in. Along with other people, a resistance of people not fine with basically everything, they fought Albert and the army of turned people which was established in the past few years. However soon they'd find out that Albert had taken energy from the World Tree to reach his goals, which weakened its influence and allowed beasts from within the Abyss to reach their lands, as well as continue the rate at which the continent broke off. In a last effort Kai and a few people went to steal what could still be salvaged while Daryll and the rest of their resistance keep Albert from further destroying the continent and becoming the, maybe, first man in the Abyss.

...however the Resistance is pushed back and Kai returns alone, deadly wounded and with... the Seed of the World Tree in her hands. Dying in Daryll's arms, he takes the Seed from her and confronts Albert, activating one of the ultimate spells by accident, the Divine Nova, which... is where the original timeline ends. I wanted to leave the ending open, but best case they manage to grow a new tree, but even then there's hardly anything to build up from... but mankind will push on.

[Yes, Divine Nova is basically a small Supernova. It’s also called “Heaven’s Gate”, since it’s light alone can probably burn something. Also looky here.]

In truth this Divine Nova brought the last bit of energy the heavens needed to perform a 'reset'. You could say a time-altering spell which brought us back to the point of before the test/trial the three knights underwent. Only this time, a few people were made to angels and sent back, to alter the outcome for the better. Niamh and Caireall, who are both reincarnated from Kai, who internally wished for a protector, a big brother to care for her, similar to how she came to love Daryll in her lifetime. And Shou... a girl with false memories, implanted by the heavens to keep her psyche from collapsing. Daryll, who in his final moments wished for all to start over, overcoming his original wish which lead him down his path of madness... which was funnily enough granted on a whim. Instead of going report, Shou, at this point calling herself Susan meets up with Nyr and Siegmund and convinces them to go after Daryll instead, this is where the story begins I could go into detail for some family trees here, but I'm beat up... If you'll excuse me, I'll post this here to my tumblr for now in hope of receiving internet points.

[Me walking into freedom.]

[illusionoftransience]

Creation Myth, Continuation, Downfall and Fate (Part 2/2)

Document has been savekept and transcribed for XXX years.

XXX'th Volume, by Oracle Zenia

Original by Fourth Oracle Myrell.

“The dragons guarded the skies and seas, the trees kept balance, the humans protected their parents' children. They lived, died, procreated, all in peace for what seemed like millenia. This could continue forever, until Gaia would eventually regain her powers and awake from her slumber. However, from the vast nothingness, the Seed of Perdition was already on course to crash into Gaia, the eternally sleeping.”

“Unaware of a threat from outer space, Tenma was taken by surprise. Unable to stop the comet, it crashed and penetrated Gaia's skin, latching and taking its dark root inside Gaia's heart. Tenma shook Gaia, asking her to regain consciousness, but the life inside her was yet to weak. While Tenma, dragons and humans fought valiantly to vanquish the evil at the seed's crater, the cracks across her skin couldn't be stopped.

Soon, the very trees that once spread life across the lands withered and turned dark. They spread the clouds of corruption and the land around them sank into itself. Gaia's body crumbled and her body continued to sink into itself, creating the Abyss as we know it.

Numerous World Trees fell victim to the corrupt darkness, however, a small number managed to sever their own roots to stop the corruption. Dragons helped clean the lands as it was possible and spread the lights and life of the trees as far as they could, protecting plants and wildlife.”

“Humans, however, felt panic upon seeing their beloved lands crumble and die. They were forced to leave their beloved homes, often violently invading other countries and sowing terror in their wake. They even began to slay dragons in search of power and glory for their people. The dragons, disgusted, began to live in seclusion and were never seen again.

Tenma was the last to watch over the last world trees and the chaos under his wake. He had failed but deep within he knew, one day, Gaia would awaken regardless.

She would awaken, and take all life back into her heart, to vanquish the darkness.”

- Fourth Oracle Myrell, Year 34 under King Oswald

[illusionoftransience]

Creation Myth according to Oracle Myrell (Part 1/2)

„There once was a little girl, Gaia was her name. She drifted in a wide empty space, forsaken and alone. When the distant sun caressed her back, she cried herself to sleep. When the caring sun faced her front, it dried her tears. However, as warm as its light was, they were too far to ever talk. So Gaia was left alone, for centuries.”

I don't want this.

“Gaia was sobbing in tears one night, just when the sun sent its last rays and her tears started flowing.”

I am all alone. If only I could take the life inside me, just a little. I wish I wasn't lonely anymore.

“And there, from her tears, a single light erupted and warmed her face once more, in this dark light as it spoke.”

Do not cry, my sister.

Who are you? I am... Gaia. Are you... my friend?

“The light shone brighter and descended upon Gaia's nose.”

I am Tenma, your brother, yourself. I have heard your wish from the deepest corners of your heart. I will help you, to not be lonely anymore.

“And so, from where Tenma landed, a single tree sprouted, from which numerous phantasmal beasts erupted. Some bore wings and carried the tree's seeds far and wide. Some bore fins, who gathered Gaia's tears of happiness to from oceans and rivers.”

“Gaia was happy, from within her, life was born. First the trees, who talked to her, then the beings they called 'Dragons', who played and amused her. Later smaller life. Plants, fish, birds, mammals.”

“However, as life and elements sprouted from within her, Gaia became very tired. Soon, she began to sleep not only at night, but during the day too. Longer and longer got her naps, until one day, she spoke again to her brother with a radiant smile.”

Tenma, I'm not lonely anymore. I thank you for all the wonderful things you've brought me.

Worry not sister, for it was all your wish that brought this wonderful world to life.

I will sleep now but do not worry. I know that in my dreams, the world we both created will calm me. The birds you made will bring me happy dreams, the plants will soothe my skin and you, you and the dragons will take care of all life, will you not?

“So Tenma gave Gaia one last kiss on her nose, where the first World Tree had sprouted and sealed their promise, birthing the humans to protect her and their beloved creations.”

- Fourth Oracle Myrell, Year 34 under King Oswald

[illusionoftransience]

Eri's sneakingly petting Aldea's clothes in her wardrobe, just to get the feel of the quality. Pat pat!

The shrine sees, the shrine knows. The shrine allows.

There aren’t many robes and dresses but the quality is unquestionable. Well, most of them are tailoured well-enough, about the quality you’d expect from a above-average store... Eri could definitely better.

Two robes however stuck out - from the feel, their texture, how the fabric absorbed the colour, their fall, they were just extraordinary! Upon further inspection, you’d easily find a pattern stitched on a tag close to where you’d expect the neck...

“ Yōfuku “, it read, with a fox-like logo embroidered close by.

How does one even get fabric like that?!

[myriadsofcorpses]

Following the Segregation

Formerly, I had roughly put to words what the creation myth of Naglfar would most likely be like, that was in these two drabbles.

This here ought to summarise how different peoples reacted to having their lands torn apart and sink into themselves, but there really isn’t much to tell. Lots of immigration, sometimes wars happened, all to flee the dying lands. It wasn’t hard to tell that the lands kept steady around the few remaining scattered world-trees, so population mostly gathered on those continents, until they reached a point where ruination came to halt.

What was left was both astonishing and frightening. An enormous cloud of darkness loomed several miles beneath the cliffs, formerly places that living beings once called their home. People who went to explore the dark fog returned deathly sick or at least weakened. Some proclaimed it too dangerous, while some rather tried to appease the darkness by calling it their new god. More about that another time however.

As soon as people were secluded enough and didn’t have to worry about invaders anymore, there was the question about the future. It is very likely that more advanced civilisations managed to provide a more promising future by bulding floating cities, either through magic or science. Naglfar unfortunately isn’t among them and doesn’t quite have the resources to do so either. Leading scientists are however exploring what none else have attempted - to seek life within the ruinous death that lies beyond the continent’s cliffs. Research is going steady, according to head researcher Albert, he claims to have found a lead, so that living within the Abyss might be possible in several years.

[myriadsofcorpses]

Alot of things in Naglfar seem bleak, hopeless. People are suffering, the planet itself is dying, there’s no future.

But I still want to convey a feeling of true hope. Sometimes there is a speck of light where you’d least expect it, you just need to find it.

Quintet had lots of moments like I’m looking for in their games. To acchieve a perfect world, yet having no place for yourself in this perfection. A god should be content with people not praying because it shows that the god itself is not needed for the people to be happy. Like a child that grows into an adult and fends for themself.

That’s the kind of feeling I’m looking for.

[illusionoftransience]

Doing this, I realised I messed up some height conversions on their profiles... I need to correct that some time-

[myriadsofcorpses]

The Family history of the woman Nyria Friedrich goes long past, intertwined in stories of bloodshed. Her Mother who inherited the Trait of the Beast from a long line of Adventurers, like the Hero, Sir Yvain, was proud to know her daughter carrier of this blessing. Nyria was a rowdy child and enormously strong. Always trying to start fights made the common nannies tremble in fear from just her name, when brave adventurers were hired to take care of a little girl they wore haughty smirks, soon blown off their faces.

Her demeanour only changed when she and her father took home a large egg from a business trip. Nyria begged and begged to take it with her and, conscious of her strenght, vowed to protect the thing and treated it with all care she could muster. This is how Siegmund was born, forthon raised as her buttler and bodyguard-

When she grew up and found out she was to be married, she couldn’t bear the duty entrusted to her- just a maiden to be married away for power and influence? She guessed that her father was behind this, having been married to her mother in a similar fashion. However, with Siegmund in tow she decided to leave with a few of her valuables to finance themselves. Living forthon as a man to keep hidden, she did what she could for both of them to survive.

Unbeknownst, Siegmund kept contact with her mother, who was accepting of her choice of not being a plaything, helping them off-track to ensure her future and education, just this time as a knight, similar to her family line.

Nyr and Sieg, newly made knights and forthon part of a squad with a dark-haired man called Daryll.

[illusionoftransience]

“People are giving out the answers to their quizzes, are they? Well... I suppose, if I have to...“

1.) Where did Niamh grow up?

An orphanage

“...lots of people guessed the forest... how would a child grow up in a forest? I wasn’t raised by wild animals or anything like that. A-and why would you just say I didn’t grow up? I did grow up, obviously? W-well, physically at least...“

“Lots of children were conceived despite the scarcity of our resources, as well as against the rumours that unsanctioned born children would become monsters or demons. And... most of them were abandoned and found their way to orphanages. It’s a sad fate but you get to live.“

2.) Niamh mentioned a sibling...

A twin brother

“My twin brother Caireall! I love him alot, even if he’s a bit rough with others. I try to be a big sister to him but in the end he’s always the one taking care of me... I suppose we were abandoned together, we do look similar too, see?“

3.) What's Niamh's speciality when it comes to cooking?

Soup

“Soup, soup, soup!! Grow big and strong or you’ll regret it! Eri and I read the story of Augustus who wouldn’t have any soup together, you know what happened to the boy! It’s easy to control the temperature of water, as well as stir continuously, it doesn’t take very long either and I can make a huuuge pot all at once!“

“Pasta is a fair point, since there’s lots of water involved too... but most people don’t like it as mushy as I do-“

4.) What are Niamh's favourite animals?

Fishy!

“Fish!! I love fish and am kind of sad when Tulip keeps eating them... but I suppose some can’t help it, right? Even when I used to be bullied, it didn’t change my feelings! They’re just really cute, okay?”

“I also love cats, but they merely reach second place... I think I already elaborated on that-“

5.) What according to Niamh is the most important thing to love?

Another's self

“W-what... why? What sort of answers are these? A-anyways, while conviction and dedication are definitely important in a relationship... I do think that true love lasts beyond even life and death and there’s some things that... just won’t change, that’s all.“

“...astonishingly, most of you got this right...“

6.) How is Niamh's name actually pronounced? 

Nieve

“...how did I get to have an irish name again? There are enough people around with that ethymology but... now I know they’re mostly angels, it’s weird.“

7.) Why is her scarf this long?

To look heroic To share Both of these above

“I made the scarf myself, to have something to share with Shou... which was originally why it was this long! Only later did I realise that it basically worked as a cape too! I love it a whole lot, also that Shou wears the other one I made this often too!“

8.) What was her name before ascension/reincarnation? 

Kai

“...before... I’ve always had this name, right?“

“I need to make sure I don’t die then, huh? We might be better off without such a useless softie. Dreams are to be left in your head if you value your fucking life. If I ever wake up with white hair I’ll kill myself on the spot.“

9.) How did the kids mostly bully Niamh in her past?

Compared her to fish and the likes

“It was horrible, I’m so glad I got this behind me. I could’ve retaliated, but what if I’d hurt anyone? For the question, I mean, just a few days ago I kept whining about webbed feet and glibbery skin...“

10.) With whom is she in love?

Technically more than one person Shou Daryll Diorre

“...she finally took off... I see Diorre wasn’t an option this time. I keep answering with my name in hope something changed at least. It’s not healthy to be torn apart like this... I know she’s having a hard time. I also know she keeps looking at my soul, despite usually insisting it’s too rude a thing to do.“

[illusionoftransience]

For those new and interested in Niamh, I want to summarise the gist of it really quickly again.

She was once a whole person whose soul split intwo in order to grant their wish to not be alone anymore. True to the phrase “The eyes are the mirror of the soul...” (etc) she turned blind on her left eye. Much like her twin brother, who is blind on his right eye but claims he’s hiding his’ out of solidarity. Her power is Water Manipulation or Aquakinesis, his’ can be summarised as Water Creation or Water Dispersion, respectively.

She doesn’t know much about her former life and memories have been heavily altered to go with her new personality. She only knows she used to be deeply in love with a really special person and still feels this attachment lingering.

It’s like childish innocence manifested, she’s a shy girl who tries too hard to be of help to people, claiming it’s because she read too many books about superheroes in her childhood. She wears her underwear on top because that’s what those do, also it’s not underwear but a bikini and those are fine, right? There’s no way she’s missing out on splashing fun. The coat and scarf go more into hero-territory again, also it makes the whole look more like a deliberate choice or an exhibitionist one for that matter.

Also No lewd. Stay hydrated. Eat your vegetables, just because she sometimes doesn’t doesn’t make it ok for you. Be nice.

[illusionoftransience]

“Sure, it’d be bad if a demon of a pure deadly sin such as jealousy came upon an angel. I’ve never heard of the kind in Naglfar being tainted or anything, but we’re only slightly less sinful than humans, as far as I can tell... Truly interesting would be to see vice and virtue clash at some point. Who would win? Would they polarise? Or does it take another grave sin? I’d like to push them together like some magnet and see-“

“Just why would We need to envy something obviously ranked lower than Us?“

[illusionoftransience]

Very likely the timeskip I often mention in Naglfar didn’t necessarily alter the whole globe but just this one continent. It would’ve been easier to accomplish, even if it’s the biggest spot yet untouched around the globe.

[illusionoftransience]

One thing I want to be canon in my world is, that angels and certain types of demons like succubi can see a person’s soul mingled in with their physical appearance. They can likely choose not to peek, but this also means they might accidentally call someone by the “wrong” pronouns if they’re not careful.

And by “wrong” I mean absolutely the right pronouns, even if the person in question hasn’t realised that yet. Weird but validating way to lose cover.

[illusionoftransience]

“Kids between same-sex couples are the least of our worries. Believe it or not, the boundary of biology matters little. Even our most advanced minds have already reached the conclusion that certain beings simply couldn’t exist by ordinary means.“

“Mustn’t exist, yet they do. That’s exactly why they say that children born without the blessing of church nor crown will become monsters. Because in some cases, they might already be.“