September Submissions for the Lore Contest
Avatar: Fatteus Fatty Thorsson
Date Submitted: 09/30/2022
Time Submitted: 9:10 AM
Entry #1
A Day in Ancient Greece – Part 3: The Blood of Gods
Short Story by Fatteus “Fatty” Thorsson
Mount Olympus was shrouded in dark clouds that were buzzing with electricity. Booms rumbled continuously interspersed with loud thunderclaps accompanied by arcing bolts of lightning that carved out the landscape as it blasted away trees and rocks alike. Zeus was in a towering anger, so much so that the other Gods were trying to console him. Veins popped in his gray flesh and his eyes burned brightly, energy spilling from them. It looked as though he were crying lightning, but far from weeping, he was in a fury, having just been bested by a mortal. Hera, Goddess of fertility, having just arrived back at Olympus from a mission, stepped up to him and put a dainty hand on his massive shoulder.
“Come now, Zeus. You weren’t bested by a Human. He will meet his fate one day and it will be as though he never existed.” She said in a soothing voice. Zeus gazed up at her from his sitting position. To a mortal man, she would appear beautiful and terrible in equal measure. Her skin was as gray as Zeus’ and her eyes also burned with light, though she lacked the nimbus of crackling clouds that Zeus possessed, having not earned it. Zeus’ face contorted into a grimace.
“But I will never forget this injustice, Hera. He will meet his fate now, along with the worms he saved with his stunt.” He stormed over to the side of the stone balcony and looked down upon Ancient Greece. Hera smirked coyly.
“You don’t intend on getting your own hands dirty with this matter, do you?”
Zeus closed his eyes and sighed, the air blowing his beard. “Of course, I wouldn’t waste my precious time. But I have many followers who would do just fine.”
“But the Atom Pylis would be more than a match for your minions, your highness.” Hera stared sternly at her mate.
“I have my ways. The very blood that saved them will be their downfall.” Zeus’ temper seemed to be cooling slightly, the storm around the mountain cleared up and shafts of sunlight touched the land.
“What do you mean?” Hera asked, concern showing in her countenance.
“I will have my creations plant some of my blood into the ground, thus poisoning the land for the Humans. And…” Zeus’ eyes lit up with malice. “I will give some to HER.”
Hera gasped and brought her hands up to her mouth. “You mean that bitch Gorgon?”
Zeus laughed softly but dangerously. “Yes. You catch on fast. Gorgon was your rival when it came to beauty before you cursed her, but she still rivals even you in power.”
Hera looked skeptical of his plan. “It won’t be easy to convince her to help us.”
“True. She wouldn’t agree to helping YOU, my sweet.” Zeus perambulated to the other side of the balcony. “But she might agree to help ME. Especially if I give her true immortality.”
Hera’s face twisted in anger. “You would make HER a Goddess?!”
“Not quite.” Zeus said sedately, ignoring his mate’s growing anger. “She will be a cursed Goddess, not a true Goddess. She will not be able to die, but she will not want to live either.”
Hera’s face calmed a little and then she smiled. “Hm… I suppose I could accept that.”
In the coming days, Hera began drawing Zeus’ blood and distributing it to the chieftains of the Cyclops tribes and the warlords of the Myrinian tribes, who then followed Zeus’ orders and buried the blood deep underground. Finally, Zeus himself arrived at Gorgon’s Lair.
Zeus floated through the marshy land, past extremely life-like statues of Minotaur and men. Daudaomur worms wriggled beneath him in a disgusting display of greeting. Finally, he happened upon a cave.
“Gorgon!” he shouted into the stygian blackness of the yawning mouth of the cavern. There was a low hiss coming from inside, almost like a sleeping snake. Then several Daudaomur burst from the darkness and behind them…
“Really, Zeus. You are going to interrupt a woman’s beauty rest?” Gorgon spoke in perilous undertones, each syllable ending in a hiss, the snakes on her head, which served as her hair, undulating in a grotesque manner. She was a woman from the waist up, save for her hideous face and head, but from the waist down, she was a massive snake.
Zeus guffawed. “I’m sure it can wait for what I have for you.”
Gorgon’s eyebrows lifted in interest. “What gifts did you bring the lady of snakes?”
Zeus held out a vial of glowing, blue blood which crepitated wildly as energy dispersed across its surface. Gorgon’s eyes widened in awe.
“What is this?” She asked sibilantly.
“This is power.” Zeus said simply. “This will give you eternal life.” Gorgon snatched the vial away from Zeus greedily and coveted it in her hands. “Which should give you plenty of time for beauty rest. However…”
Gorgon glanced from the vial to Zeus, distrust plaguing her hideous features. Then Zeus continued.
“There is just one thing you must do for me in exchange.”
Gorgon looked up at Zeus winningly and smiled. “Anything for such a gift, my lord. You need only ask, and I will obey.”
“Kill Creon, Archon of Thebes, and anyone he holds dear.”
Gorgon’s eyes lit up. She knew not this Creon, Archon of Thebes though he may be. But she would find out who he was and eliminate him easily. After all, no man could so much as look upon her “beauty” without turning to stone.
Entry #2
A Day in Ancient Greece – Part 4: Gorgon’s Shade
Short Story by Fattues “Fatty” Thorsson
Gorgon slithered across her domain, which, although already dead, seemed even more desolate than normal. The land around her was withering, but she did not understand why. No matter, she thought. She would soon possess immortality and whether the whole world died around her mattered not in her eyes. She would take the vial of liquid and receive her gift from Zeus, then she would carry out his simple request. Such a simple request to kill one man and maybe a few more loved ones. Killing took but a glance for her. But how to use the gift? Was it a potion? Was it an ointment? Zeus gave her no instructions on the matter.
Gorgon settled on it being a potion which she should imbibe. She uncorked the vial, the contents were rolling and crackling like they were alive. She made a face at the stench of it. It smelled like blood, metallic and musty. Well, she thought, even if it is disgusting, eternal life is surely worth the suffering. The most bitter medicines hold the greatest cure, or so they say. Soon she would cure her mortality.
She lifted the vial to her lips, the pungent, acrid reek made her gag, but she held back her urge to vomit and instead downed the contents as quickly as she could. What followed is something she would never forget, even in an eternity. The taste was worse than the odor, if that were even possible, but what happened next was even worse than the sapor of the liquid. Her body ached; her forehead burned with fever. She felt like it was tearing itself apart from the inside. She cursed Zeus. He had tricked her! He had promised eternal life and had given her the opposite, death! Surely this was a poison!
She writhed in agony, her head felt like it was splitting in twain. Sweat beaded across her brow and dripped from her face. The snakes on her head fell limp as if dead but continued to wriggle as if they too were feeling sick. Gorgon had no senses, certainly not enough to realize that her body was indeed splitting in two; two separate Gorgons. From her arms sprung two more arms. From her head sprung another head. Then it was like she molted her skin, only this time, the molting was also alive.
The second Gorgon was one of shadow, darker and more vile than the original. Her eyes blazed red. Her countenance was even more hideous, if that were even possible. The original Gorgon lay on the ground passed out as the new Gorgon stretched her sinewy, snake-like body.
“Finally, I am free of that soft, bleeding-heart simpleton,” she said looking down in disgust of what she had once been a part of. “It’s time for me to get everything I deserve, and damned be they who stand in my way.”
This new Gorgon slithered off, vanishing through the entrance of Gorgon’s Lair. Sometime later, the original Gorgon came to. She rubbed her still aching head, which throbbed mercilessly. Her breathing had been labored but now had calmed. She remembered dreaming of a shadowy twin emerging from her, but it was so very real, she was certain that it actually happened.
Other than this, she felt mostly the same. Had she survived? Was Zeus’ concoction actually a poison meant to kill her, or had it indeed granted eternal life? She had to know. She would see Zeus and demand that he explains what just happened. Yes, she thought, if he wanted her help, he should prove to her that he had in fact helped her.
Meanwhile, out in the hills of Ancient Greece, “Gorgon’s Shade” began making a name for herself, attacking man, woman, and even beast to get what she desired. Many were confused to see Gorgon, who was normally conceited and not easy to get along with, so violent, but some were keen enough to point out that this creature was not Gorgon but appeared to be a shadow clone of her. How she came to be, no one knew, but they surmised that something must have happened to Gorgon for this monster to be on the loose and to appear so much like her. Soon the land was littered with stone warriors who tried to fight back the beast. No one was safe, and the Atom Pylis were once again called on for their assistance.
Entry #3
The Mystery of the Lost Skull
Research by Fatteus “Fatty” Thorsson
Many don’t know this, but there is a very special skull floating around Ancient Greece. Well, not literally floating, but you know what I mean. It can be anywhere in Ancient Greece, because it keeps getting kicked along. It’s a daily mission, you know. Kick the skull. Sounds fun, right? But who’s skull is this? That is the mystery that I set out to explore in today’s research paper.
As usual, theories abound. Some believe it is simply the skull of a simple, unfortunate soul who was killed by the monsters of Ancient Greece. Some say it is a simple Greek farmer who was killed while he was plowing his field. Some think it is a person from the first wave that was among the first who came to Ancient Greece through the time portal. But could it belong to someone a little more well-known? Perhaps the missing scientist Dr. Paul Kylon’s head was taken to Ancient Greece and lost when monsters attacked the person or thing carrying it? That may seem to be the most far-fetched theory, but it is still viable at this point.
The fact remains that we do not know who these remains belong to. In my tireless search for the truth, I wasn’t able to come up with any satisfactory answers, but I fervently believe that answering this question could shed a lot of light on other Next Island/Ancient Greek mysteries that need to be solved. Perhaps forensics need to be brought in on this. If it was a murder or foul play, should the perpetrator not be brought to justice? Perhaps they already have. We just don’t know at this time. If nothing else, I hope this report has piqued someone’s interest in solving this conundrum. Only time will tell. Until we know the answers, we’ll continue to kick this can down the road… or should I say skull?
Fatty out.
Entry #4
The Secrets of the Sunken Gallery
Research by Fatteus “Fatty” Thorsson
The Sunken Gallery. What is it? Where is it? Why should we care? The answers will shock you! Not long ago, a strange building has appeared at Paradise Landing. It’s a very small replica of a museum. At first, some thought it was a mausoleum, due to its architecture. The Teleporter didn’t work, but speculations were rising. Finally, we are allowed to use the teleporter pad, and it takes us to an amazing place! The Sunken Gallery.
It appears to be located somewhere in the Northern Wastes of Next Island. Quite a conspicuous location, to be sure. Until very recently, you wouldn’t want to teleport from there to the nearest revival point, or you may be stranded in the middle of the desert, surrounded by monsters. Thankfully, today, the revival terminal is inside the gallery. If you flew above the Sunken gallery, you would notice one conspicuous land marker in the middle of the wasteland: a huge, natural stone arch. Most people do not know this, but there is a second way into the gallery, aside from the teleporter at Paradise Landing. Simply stand under the stone arch and ‘T’ teleport to the nearest revive terminal.
Inside the gallery, in a jocose juxtaposition to its arid surroundings, there are beautiful works of art, and the atmosphere is pure tranquility. The exhibits are still expanding, so coming check them out from time to time is encouraged. This is the perfect tourist trap for newcomers to Next Island. And if you want to create some art of your own, bring 45 PED worth of Animal Oil Residue and give it to the museum curator for a couple dozen blueprints for frames and other art gallery selections. Want to decorate your shop or apartment with new decor? This is a perfect place to start. I hope this research clears things up for everyone. If there is anything else that arises, I will be the first to let you know. Until then, pay the Sunken Gallery a visit and relish in the richness of the art.
Fatty Out.
Entry #5
About L.A.R.A
Special Report by Fatteus “Fatty” Thorsson
Chances are, if you’ve spent any amount of time on Next Island, that you’ve seen the cute, little robot called L.A.R.A. She’s been mass produced for the past few years and was actually the center of a small controversy at one point, but let’s just touch on her origins and a little bit more about her in general.
First, L.A.R.A, or Lovable And Ready Assistant, is a prototype of the later introduced C.A.R.E. (which originally stood for Comprehensive Advantages Robotic Engineer and now stands for Corrupted Advantageous Robotic Enemy), whom it turns out went rogue and now attacks travelers in parts of Next Island’s badlands. Thankfully, L.A.R.A has not gone berserk as of yet and doesn’t appear to be in danger of doing so, either. Her core is powered by chrysoberyl crystals, unlike the Amethyst Crystals which powers C.A.R.E, which are fairly common on Next Island, making the mass production of L.A.R.A possible. Her purpose is to attend to your every need dutifully.
But she won’t just attend to just anybody. She needs to be tamed first. Taming L.A.R.As can be done just a little way from Paradise Landing in the L.A.R.A training pens. Every few defeated in combat makes one willing to be your assistant appear. They will also work for people whom the original trainer designates as their master, so trading tamed L.A.R.A is also possible. As I mentioned in an older report, 20 are required to make and then tame the Asclarias. But I digress, let’s talk more about L.A.R.A’s humble beginnings, specifically her mysterious past.
There’s some debate over which scientist designed L.A.R.A. The debate ranges from little known NEO scientists to more well-known ones such as Dr. Kylon. There’s one theory that Perik, the creator of Asclarias, found a way to become immortal, traveled to Next Island in the distant future back to the present era, and designed L.A.R.A himself, knowing that it would one day inspire him to create Asclarias and other fantastic inventions. The truth may well be out there, but until it is known, we can but speculate. Personally, I think Mr. David Post, the founder of this world, designed her. Maybe one day those records will be made public.
Regardless, thank you for getting this far in the article. This is the conclusion. L.A.R.A will forever be a part of many people’s lives and live on in our hearts long after she has rusts away. Until next time.
Fatty out.
I hope you enjoy these.
