At the beginning there was only one of us - Ur`Al´Utuk, or the simply referred to as "The One" by our people. We have always lived in peace, we did not know of weapons, but not too long ago we were attacked. By listening to the Wind, touching the Earth and gazing into our ponds of vision - we were able to see what our aggressors were doing in their far away homelands and we copied them to create machines of war. Terrible flying fortresses that were able to defend our saplings and push back these vile creatures.

We realized that these machines could also navigate the skies, as we used them to seek out their home. However our great leader warned us of the path we were on, and that this was not our way. Our people were blind and foolish - they were too angry at the losses of their beloved ones. They were driven by rage and grief - a feeling they did not have to encounter before and it drove them towards the brink of madness.

As we landed on the enemy home-world and Ur saw how his people were turning into monsters - having their kindness and empathy replaced by blood-thirst - he made the ultimate sacrifice, as he saw it as the only way to save his people. Ur spoke to the Elements as they granted him his wish - his physical form set ablaze - transforming him into a giant cloud of dust. He spread over the battlefield and instantly put everyone into a deep slumber. After having pacified everybody the cloud collapsed, as the dust evaporated, and all that was left of it was a pile of ashes, in the middle of the battlefield, shimmering in a fluorescent amber light.

The blood-thirst had been wiped out of the mind of our people, their souls had been made pure again, and as they awoke they knew what they had done was wrong. They wept for their leader, and Er´Al´Zuk, the general on the battlefield saw it as his duty in turn, for having failed our great leader, to make amends. He gave his body to form an urn, in which the remains of Ur´Al´Utuk were carried back home.

To keep this mistake from happening our people started the construction of the Temple of the Elders. A decade after the constructions began the Temple had finally been built. Its centerpiece was a tree, nurtured by the spring the Temple was built upon, grown from seeds laced with the ashes of Ur´Al´Utuk. We re-embodied his soul within that tree. The Temple is the symbol of peace and the home to the Eldest of our kind. They have all sworn an oath to Ur´Al´Utuk, and our people, to never lead them into temptation again and that all decisions concerning such matters could only be taken by them - under the guidance of Ur´Al´Utuk.

carolean7 wrote:

I enjoy your biblical-style short story here. Cool stuff. You nicely add some lore to the Unfallen as to their motivations, history, and even technological development. You also do a nice job of focusing on their ability to induce peace by sacrificing themselves, something which I find very interesting but ignored in my story.

Thank you!

carolean7 wrote:

What are your thoughts as to the faction quest following this story? It isn't necessarily obvious to me where they go from here.

Well as every main quest you get different choices. The popular one being that your people should somehow build up their economy and stay pacifist, but there can be other choices as in some of the bloodthirst being passed down to younger saplings, ever so slightly corrupting their souls and get them on the warpath. It´s never necessarily obvious where we go from here, that´s the point of having a choice :-)

The story is supposed to give some lore on what happened when the Unfallen succumbed to their bloodthirst, it explains why and how their society strives to remain peaceful, but also that there is a way for them to go against their better nature and that there are grave consequences for doing so.

carolean7 wrote:

Small edit, this sentence is a bit confusing and repeats words: "Shortly afterwards the dust left him and all that was left of him was a...".

I don´t know what you mean? It describes how the dust infusion passes and the cloud desintegrates into a pile of ashes, the remains of his burned body.

Sir-Rogers wrote:

Shortly afterwards the dust left him and all that was left of him was a pile of ashes in the middle of the battlefield, shimmering in a fluorescent amber light.

I was suggesting an edit to the wording to make the sentence more clear, something like:

"Shortly afterwards, the dust left him. All that remained was a pile of ashes..."