The Tale of the Four Great Heroes
"The world of Alore was initially a hostile and nearly inhospitable planet. Demonic creatures ruled over the land, air, and sea: the land was constantly being set ablaze and tarnished by chaotic feuds, the seas were toxic and boiled frequently, and the air was befouled by pollutants. The ancestors of humanity – driven underground by the demonic scourge – clung to their technology and their magics, and gradually constructed an underground society, separated by the differences in their ideals. Some thought technology would better the species, while others thought only magic could do such a thing. There were also those who were more open-minded, and decided to use both. These differences kept humanity spread far apart from each other, in deep natural caverns which they expanded upon, and all talk of reclaiming the lost lands on the surface were barely even scarce, only kept written down in history books. Humanity would live out its existence, underground. Years passed. Decades turned to centuries, turned to ages. Several generations came and went as humanity continued to survive and advance beneath the surface.
Then on one, seemingly arbitrary “day”, word spread of a young man, who dreamed about returning to the surface – living as humans once did in the distant past. His name was Tyrra, a short, care-free, childish, and reckless, yet promising and talented machinist. He headed what would become one of the largest technology guilds to ever grace humanity, and had tested the might of his machines on multitudes of gladiatorial opponents, becoming an undefeated champion. With his new-found prestige and public image, he spoke his mind on what everyone thought of as wild fantasies. “Humans returning to the surface: what a load of pure nonsense,” members of his guild would say. “He may be starting to let the fame get to his head.”
Tyrra’s talks and speeches of reclaiming the surface spread across the ranks of skeptic men and women like wildfire, even so far as the magical communities on the opposite side of the underground, and to the ears of another, quieter advocate of the same idea: a woman named Ysrai. Ysrai was an honored military leader, who led countless battles against the weaker underground demon hordes. Her stern and ruthless exterior merely hid her true personality: those who she kept close spoke of her as kind, gentle, almost motherly. When Ysrai heard of the strange man named Tyrra, she decided to do something usually frowned upon by the magic community: travel to the land of machinists. She made her way across many miles of underground waters and lands, until finally reaching this so-called, “land of machinists”. She hid her magics from public eye as she searched for, and eventually met with the man named Tyrra. She was confused at first – hearing of him through local talk – she believed him to be a beaming pillar of strength. But to then see the man who was practically as small as a child was… underwhelming, to say the least. However, when he challenged her to a bout in the arena and jumped into his machine suit, it put him at eye level with her. The match between them was the most awe inspiring – and destructive – thing that anyone had seen to that point: machines versus magic. Fire and steam shot out everywhere, electricity arched through the air, and blow after blow was knocked away by shield systems and magic barriers. And when the dust cleared, the two were standing there, shaking hands. They both decided to throw the match – resulting in a draw – and agreed to speak with one another about a more serious idea. A more serious return.
News of the match spread just as quickly as Tyrra’s words: magic had equaled the most powerful of machines. Word of this soon became public knowledge, and made its way to a pair of siblings: a sister and brother. Their names were Saera and Gjalva, both more open-minded, and wielders of magic and machine. Saera was the eldest, and was calm, peaceful, and benevolent – her supportive personality mirroring her insane abilities to heal and protect others. Gjalva was the younger, though was stoic and grave, but also honorable and just. The duo decided to travel to the place where these two almost mythical icons were staying. The four met at a tavern ironically called “The Guiding Light”, and spoke for hours about a possible return to the surface. Onlookers and bystanders gradually crowded around, listening to these champions and military figures converse about forming a plan to take back the surface for humanity. When their talks eventually came to include these onlookers, they were met with loud cheers, and an overwhelming amount of support. People gave them large sums of money as donations, hoping to further this once unthinkable cause. “Humanity's Four Heroes!” was heard across the entire community. It was then that they – Tyrra, Ysrai, Saera, and Gjalva – realized that they had a long and arduous task ahead of them, one that would eventually lead humanity back to the light. For six straight months, they laid out the groundwork of their siege on the demon held territory. They decided that they would punch through the surface at its weakest point – at the center of the island continent that would eventually become Sancturalore – and that is where they will begin to take back the land that was once wrenched from human grasp. They gathered every single soul that would volunteer for something that sounded like a suicide mission, turning out to about one-million and some change, almost eighty percent of the population of the time. For the first time since their initial retreat into the underground, the factions of humanity were united as one – seeking their end goal together. They prepared every machine and magic that could have possibly been available to them at the time. Tyrra assisted with the majority of the construction of a massive tunnel-boring machine, directly beneath one of the weakest points in the crust. Ysrai and Gjalva trained their armies to complete elite status. And Saera kept the burning passion that served as their figurative “fuel for the fire” alight. With their efforts combined, and their six months of preparation, they were finally ready to accomplish the impossible: retake the surface.
Tyrra’s bore cut through the earth above them, bursting into the light of the starry night, and demolishing a small demon tribe situated there. The four heroes then became the first humans to set foot upon the surface ground since ancient times. They bravely leaped into combat with their respective weaponry of choice: Tyrra had his machine suit, Ysrai had her magic blade, and Gjalva pummeled their enemies with magic bolts and explosive ammo alike. Not a single man or woman fell on the battlefield that day – it was impossible to do so under Saera's radiance. Each time one of their soldiers died, they were immediately resurrected by Saera's light. Within a few days, the entire demon horde upon the island continent was destroyed. They reveled in the glory of this victory, and named the land they stood upon: Sancturalore, humanity’s sanctuary. It was there that they planned the next phases of their conquest, what the other continents would be called, who would rule what, and so on, while their forces gained strength. They eventually decided on this: Tyrra would rule the continent to the east, Saera would rule to the north, Ysrai to the west, and Gjalva to the south. Together, they lead the charge against the disorganized demon hordes on the other four main continents, first the eastern, mostly desert land, then the northern frozen wastes, then the blazing planes and mountains of the west, and finally, the southern continent’s crags and toxic flats. They then returned to Sancturalore, and at the behest of their people, named the four newly captured continents after their rulers: Tyrralore , Saeralore, Ysrailore, and Gjalvalore. Their campaign to reclaim the surface – to do the impossible – was successful. Humanity’s four heroes were then renamed, “ The Four Great Heroes.” It was then that they built The Crown of the World upon the highest mountain on Sancturalore, to act as a bastion of champions for generations to come. The massive structure was adorned with four enormous statues of the great heroes, which would act as literal symbols of their nation’s stability. If the nation were to fall, that respective statue would crumble in response, and the three other countries – regardless of any difference they are experiencing at the time – would be required to rebuild the fallen nation, ensuring that the world remains in balance. Only then would the statue of the great hero be restored.
With The World Crown constructed, the heroes said their goodbyes, and departed with their people to their countries. The world was purified of its every corruption: from the polluted air, volcanic wastes, monstrous terrain, and poisoned waters. Each continent became habitable, with its once feared natural features – like Saeralore’s massive blizzards – becoming part of that country’s pride. Massive facilities were constructed to purify the waters, both allowing aquatic life to return, and filtering the salt from it to become able to drink. The Four Great Heroes have returned humanity to the surface, and have given humanity the means to survive on its own.
And with their arduous tasks completed, they returned to Sancturalore – to The World Crown – to bask in the glory of their achievements and live out the remainder of their lives. The followers that remained in Sancturalore tended to their needs, and constructed tombs at the base of each statue, each one attuned to every aspect of that hero’s abilities, weapon preferences, and a little of that heroes’ personal flare. There, the people of Alore were renamed “Aloreans,” to fully emphasize the new lives they would lead. And finally, at the very end of their lives, they gave their final farewell to the world they helped to create, and hoped that the next generations can use this gift to the best of its possibilities. Thus, the world of Alore was truly born: each person has a story, each continent has a champion, and each act – no matter how small – can mean a world of difference. And should any choose to threaten the world in its entirety, they will be met by its heroes, and all the might they bring."
The true validity of this story is constantly debated by scholars and historians alike, as the text seems to contain several points of what seems to be obvious embellishment. That said, whether or not the story presented here is factual, its impact on Alore's people is far too important to ignore, and perhaps disproving segments of the story may end up causing more cultural damage than its worth. Nevertheless, the debate will continue...
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