The King in Amber
The King in Amber is a story about a supernatural being - the eponymous King in Amber - who lives inside of the , being responsible for its outbreaks. Thanks to being known almost all across Vailia, there are countless variations of this myth, some of which depict the King as a malevolent spirit whilst others interpret him to be a benevolent protector of the lands.
Here, the myth starts to diverge: in some tellings, the King simply heals his ankle and sets him on his way without exchanging a single word, whereas in others, he demands the young novice's soul in exchange for helping him.
The ultimate culmination is always an Invasion of Barbarians from the Vatelles, who are marching for the ancient city of Vailia, and knowing that their enemies expect them to pass through the wide plains to the South East, they decide to instead brave the mountains and catch the defenders off-guard.
Once more, there are two corresponding versions of the ending: in the first, the young novice flees his village as it is being raided by barbarians and seeks out the King in Amber once again, who safely transports him into the capital before unleashing a deadly eruption onto the passing Barbarian Horde, stopping the invasion dead in its track. The second one is far more sinister: here, the King offers the novice to free his soul in exchange for a thousand equal souls. He accomplishes this by getting captured by the Barbarians and passing them false information about a safe passing through the mountains that isn't guarded at all. Once again, the King destroys the army with an eruption, this time also killing the young novice, yet honouring their deal and letting his soul ascend to the heavens while he keeps those of the Barbarians.
Outline
The myth actually follows a young Alchemist's apprentice whose master regularly sends him towards the foot of the volcano - and later on farther up - to retrieve plants that only thrive in this unique environment. It is there that he breaks his ankle and, as he lays dying in the cold of night, he sees the King in Amber for the first time - a humanoid shape fully wrapped in amber cloth, including his face, whose rather than move his legs is transported directly by the surrounding fauna.Here, the myth starts to diverge: in some tellings, the King simply heals his ankle and sets him on his way without exchanging a single word, whereas in others, he demands the young novice's soul in exchange for helping him.
The ultimate culmination is always an Invasion of Barbarians from the Vatelles, who are marching for the ancient city of Vailia, and knowing that their enemies expect them to pass through the wide plains to the South East, they decide to instead brave the mountains and catch the defenders off-guard.
Once more, there are two corresponding versions of the ending: in the first, the young novice flees his village as it is being raided by barbarians and seeks out the King in Amber once again, who safely transports him into the capital before unleashing a deadly eruption onto the passing Barbarian Horde, stopping the invasion dead in its track. The second one is far more sinister: here, the King offers the novice to free his soul in exchange for a thousand equal souls. He accomplishes this by getting captured by the Barbarians and passing them false information about a safe passing through the mountains that isn't guarded at all. Once again, the King destroys the army with an eruption, this time also killing the young novice, yet honouring their deal and letting his soul ascend to the heavens while he keeps those of the Barbarians.
Historical Basis
There have been countless attacks by Barbarians onto Rameria before the Ramerian Empire managed to unite and decidedly force them back, even taking some territory from them. This has further been proven by finding various remains among the cold lava at its foot, yet thanks to the heavy state of degradation, it is impossible to say whether these truly belonged to barbarians or were indeed natives.Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
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