What do we know of life's building blocks, the endless information it holds, and, most importantly, the potential of the beings that give it significance? Was God attempting to end human suffering by offering what was to come? Or to help us realize what lies at the end of a journey through the hellish manifestations of humanity's downfall? Regardless, one aspect of life remains the central purpose that we, as a species, strive to uncover: the blinding light of perfection that dwells behind the obscuring curtain of our own minds' curiosity.
Yes, curiosity is genuinely the only reason we create and destroy, win and lose, strive and fail. It is the answer to the question no one asks, yet everyone longs to understand. It is the bastion of meaning.
In the year 2021, the world was progressing through a seemingly ordinary phase of development until everything changed. A tear in the fabric of the universe appeared over the continent then known as North Arakia. A black substance, possessing the qualities of a gas, liquid, and solid, emerged from the rupture.
Today, it is known as the Harbinger. When it came into contact with inanimate objects such as rocks or manmade structures, it converted them into itself. When it touched living beings, however, it transformed them into grotesque abominations born from nightmares. Humans, in particular, became horrifying manifestations of their own deepest desires.
Through expeditions into the affected zone now called the Corrupt Soil we have recorded the existence of five such creatures.
Gebra, or the Lion Pigeon, is a creature with three insect-like wings covering its chest. One of these wings features four ear-like appendages used for echolocation, as the creature has no eyes. Around what is presumed to be its head grows thick fur, from which only a crimson beak protrudes. It is said that Gebra reads the thoughts of any who approach it. If those thoughts are selfish, they suffocate the intruder and then display their body in its open mouth.
Shketh, or the Silent Cry, is a humanoid figure with the form of a woman shrouded in cloth which is its shed skin. It moves silently and only across liquid surfaces. The translucent cloth reveals a face that combines features of every race in the world, with piercing crimson eyes. This being is the only non-hostile entity encountered, though its presence seems to draw two of the other creatures nearby.
Ryonsa, or the Accomplice of Luck, is a small, spider-like entity. Each of its eight legs is taken from other beings: four are rooster legs, and the remaining four two arms and two legs are human. Its body remains hidden in a veil of darkness. Ryonsas sole purpose is to carry the body parts of another creature.
Sonkan, or the Unholy Corpse, is the being Ryonsa supports. It resembles a man with a megaphone in place of a head. Sonkan does not attack but instead functions as a warning system, alerting every other creature in the area of intruders.
Aytbolu, or the Dishonored Knight of Joy, reveals only one physical trait: a massive sword shaped like a dragon, with the dragon's head as the guard and its tongue forming the blade. The creature's form is beyond human comprehension and is described as akin to looking at sound. It is believed Aytbolu is directly tied to the Harbinger and may only be perceived through extrasensory means. The being is highly aggressive, attacking anything that enters its four-meter radius.
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Most expeditions ended in disaster, but the sixth expedition achieved an unprecedented breakthrough. Humanity returned with a gift for the curious and a nightmare for the ignorant. That discovery was an airborne organism capable of activating dormant circuits in the human brain. These circuits were previously theorized by a few but fully understood by none.
This organism introduced the concept of “Presence” a form of energy latent in all humans, able to be controlled and used to manifest extraordinary abilities. Presence is governed by three basic principles:
- Silence- the suppression of energy flow, isolating it within the brain. Prolonged use can cause seizures or death.
- Charge- the outward exertion of energy to affect the surroundings or other people. This is linked to desire whether for power, blood, or fear, and is commonly used for intimidation.
- Authority- the internal circulation of energy to enhance physical or sensory functions, including regeneration and heightened strength.
When Charge and Authority are combined, the user gains access to Coercion, a higher-order ability that allows them to transform imagination into reality. Coercion manifests in one of four types, and each user can wield only one:
- Bargaining allows the user to give or take energy from others via an ability. Mastery includes stealing abilities, though with all original limitations.
- Creation is the power to form objects from energy. These can be inanimate or living, though the latter consumes far more energy.
- Subjugation control over elements such as fire, water, wind, earth, or abstract forces like time and space.
- Conquest is the ability to influence living beings, including their emotions, thoughts, and abilities. Often underestimated, it is one of the most formidable powers when mastered.
Our story begins in Komolo, a city in Central Baria. There lived a seventeen-year-old named Ran a tall young man with black hair and silver eyes. The most capable in his household, Ran was responsible for everything from fetching water to hunting.
He lived with his quiet, kind father, whose only desire was the well-being of his children. Ran also had a fifteen-year-old sister named Elian, who cared for the home and prepared meals. While their lives were simple and content, curiosity stirred within their hearts. They longed to explore the world beyond the horizon but could not bear the thought of leaving their aging father alone.
Yet fate, as it often does, provided an opportunity.
One day, the three sat together reminiscing and dreaming of the future. Suddenly, the father stood and looked out the window.
You both want to go there, don't you?
Stunned, the siblings were speechless. They had never voiced their desire, never betrayed it through words or action.
Ran hesitated, then sighed. Dad, it doesn't matter what we want. We won't leave you. You're important to us, old man. You gave us everything.
Elian nodded silently, her eyes full of emotion. The father smiled and replied:
You're both kind. But your souls are drawn to the unknown it's impossible for a father not to see that. And... you misunderstand who I am. And who your mother was.
Time froze. The siblings had never heard their father speak of their mother. She had passed away soon after Elians birth, and neither child remembered her. Out of respect and love, they never asked. But now, a door to their past had opened.
The father continued:
Before I tell you what lies at the edge of the endless stream of knowledge this world holds, know this: your mother and I loved you deeply. We wanted you to be safe. And though we feared this day, we also felt immense pride because there could be no other path.
Long ago, your mother and I were the only survivors of the fifth expedition into the Corrupt Soil. We were madly in love with each other, and with the untapped truths that land promised. We were young, reckless, and endlessly curious. That hunger still haunts me. And I know it would have haunted her, too, had she lived to see this day.