Story:Kings of Strife II

https://i793.photobucket.com/albums/yy220/SilverCrono/KoS%202%20Logo%20smol_zpsmov6i2jy.png

"Until you've seen a world without ruin, even your eyes will forever be blind."

21 years after the final King of Strife took to their throne, a new princess seeks her destiny.

Story

World of Snow and Stars

Bounty hunter Alstromya "S" has been hunting the Scorned Dragon - a world-renowned terrorist - for weeks now. For some reason, Alstromya's extremely difficult bounty has been given to her by the Empire itself. As she hunts down the elusive Dragon, she soon discovers a secret of the Empress' that may end up placing Alstromya on the world's most wanted list as well.

After a titanic battle with the Scorned Dragon, Alstromya heads back to her home base of New Mortis City, only to cross paths with her old mentor Lancer. Now that the two are together on the Lower Lands, Alstromya is let in on the secret searches that Lancer embarks on, all for the purpose of solving a mystical mystery that neither the Queen of the Raised World or the tyrannical Empress of Eternia have knowledge of...

Volume 1 includes the story chapters "Diamond Dragon" and "Lapis Love".

Sacred Descendants

On the anniversary of the passing of Queen Vainia, while the whole of the Empire celebrates in her name, Sanadus Sestrum - the Scorned Dragon, former prince - mourns alone. While stealing into the imperial palace at New Grainis City to visit the Queen's grave, he is forced to confront regrets from his past and face the worst kind of enemy: one that was once his dearest friend. By the end of their encounter, both must accept they can never be reconciled again.

In the meantime, whilst partaking in the Queen's memorial festivities herself, Alstromya is spotted and attacked by someone who recognizes her own royal ties - a noble from the Raised World that just so happens to be infatuated with her. What ensues is a gripping game of cat-and-mouse as Alstromya must grapple with the responsibilities of her blood along with the yearnings of her heart.

Volume 2 includes the chapters "Lost Lazuli" and "Garnet Guardian".

An Endless Flawed Earth

Seeking shelter on the cusp of a winter that looks more devastating than ever, Alstromya wanders into Tlerius City, the independent stronghold of the peacekeeping Eternal Corps. By sheer (bad) luck, she gets into a fight and accidentally reveals her Tyrant eyes to a crowd of Corps members, prompting them to arrest her and bring her to the attention of Leader Moritaka Posmos. She is given a tense ultimatum: join the Corps or die.

After training throughout the winter and joining a small squad of the Eternal Corps, Alstromya finds her first mission taking her to the distant continent-isle of Nneoh. Here she finds a world seemingly untouched by the Great Separation - as well as the calling of an immense power the likes of which she has never felt before. A typical grunt-level mission devolves into the adventurous princess to discover a titan that the world forgot in the dense jungles of the hidden sun.

Volume 3 includes the chapter "Sapphire Surveyors" (Parts I and II).

Futurism and Retrogrades

Alstromya finds herself unsure of her destiny and the consequences of her choices as her Eternal Corps comrades return to the ruined continent of the Empire. It is by chance that they come upon a helpless child born with the Tyrant Eyes in the midst of a struggling village - and it is by chance that her and her squad are attacked by the merciless Scorned Dragon. Alstromya alone has the power to hold him off... but is she right to do so? What are the true motives of the group she wishes to understand? She grapples with commitment, the will of her heart, and the bitter strength of her rival.

In search of answers and the Dragon's wisdom, Alstromya finds herself lost in New Zeta Academy, a decadent utopia of knowledge surrounded by ruin and decay. The Academy is a dazzling labyrinth of architecture and mysteries, but before she can hope to escape the maze, she is confronted by Neo Zeta, a radical revival of legendary Queen Vainia's Revolutionary Council. Confronted with a difficult choice, Alstromya must unearth the true source of her loyalties and listen, for once, to the whims of her heart.

Halfway across the world, the reclusive Lancer follows the nigh-invisible footsteps of the Scorned Dragon in the hopes of finding an ally for her desperate, mystical quest. Instead she is confronted by Ivyn, Alstromya's noble suitor-slash-stalker, and is given a message from someone she thought would never speak to her again.

Volume 4 includes the chapters "Pleonast Prisoners", "Vivianite Victors", and "Opal Obsolescence".

Nineteenth Starlit Heaven

Some time after freeing him from the clutches of Neo Zeta, Alstromya - now a runaway from the Eternal Corps - bumps into the Scorned Dragon in the cobblestone streets of the Eastern Isles. It doesn't take long for their incognito leisure to be interrupted by an assassin of the Holy Eastern Order, a burgeoning cult-like militia bent on cleansing the world via the elimination of Tyrant Eye wielders. After surviving an assassination attempt by the skin of their teeth, the captured Seeker engages them in a heated ideological discussion... and after Alstromya convinces the Dragon to leave him alive, zealous Seeker Keshir faces dire consequences.

Elsewhere, some of Alstromya's former Eternal Corps team members are approached by a clandestine group of individuals with troubling questions about their comrade. Confronted with the fact that their lost peer might be in greater danger than she imagines, the 108th Scouting Division must decide for themselves how involved they wish to be. Loyalties will be tested and promises will be both broken and made... in blood.

Volume 5 includes the chapters "Onyx Order" and "Turquoise Trials".

Shattered Paradise

Alstromya reluctantly returns to the heavens in secret to make her mother's birthday ceremonies. Though the Queen is pleased with her return, tensions run high between the two as Alstromya is informed of the public controversy her disappearance has caused. The two have a sincere and dramatic conversation - punctuated by high-octane sparring sessions - and ultimately Alstromya must decide if she feels ready to accept her destiny as next Queen of the Raised World.

In the midst of visiting an orphanage he helps organize, Sanadus is informed of renewed Inusian presence in the [area]. He investigates and catches wind of the 108th S. Division's brush with the mysterious "Margraves"; after he uncovers a troubling connection between the Margraves, the Holy Eastern Order, and the remains of the Inusian government, the Scorned Dragon takes it upon himself to incite a rampage in the name of the Empress' wrath. The Dragon's rage is scathing, but the return of a bitter enemy from the past gives even Sanadus Sestrum a fight he will never forget.

It doesn't take long for Sanadus to hide out in a remote part of the Wastes to heal after that legendary encounter. It takes even less time for him to be discovered by the Lancer, who troubles him with urges to action and tales of haunting future-visions. In deciding if he will listen to her dark prophecies or not, Sanadus must overcome his own regrets and addiction.

Volume 6 includes the chapters "Csarite Crown", "Spinel Slaves", and "Serpentine Stars".

Stardust Moonlight

Soon after returning to the Lower Lands, Alstromya turns herself into the Tlerius City Eternal Corps headquarters for her own desertion - only to be bailed out within hours by someone she has never met before. The man that arranges for her freedom is beguiling young politician Lauvel Vinahkman, a man with unexpected interest in her and tempting offers for employment.

• Erythrite Evolution

Absolute Inheritance

• Bloodstone Bastard
• Malachite Mystery
• Tourmaline Throne

Boisterous Holy Land

• Ruby Revolution

Heir to the Depraved

• Pearl Pretender

Background

Kings of Strife 2 begins in SC 4998, about 20 years after the Great Separation depicted in the original Kings of Strife, and the world in it still remains permanently engulfed in a neo-ice age. Main character Alstromya "S" roams and performs bounty hunts along the Lower Lands for a living, taking in the sights of the ruined world and doing her best to save it; despite her best efforts otherwise, she finds herself embroiled in an international conflict. The Eternian Empire raised by Vainia Sestrum in the end of KoS still stands, but the Queen has recently perished - and in her stead rises an unlikely new Empress, the volatile princess Noltia.

Characters

• Alstromya S: 20 years old. The main protagonist. She is an intelligent yet foul-mouthed rogue with surprising strength and ability. Though she is quite skilled, she can be very naive, and doesn't seem to know much about how the world works. No one has ever gotten her to speak about her parents or her hometown. Fights with a longsword, but keeps an old gunblade wrapped up in canvas with her like it's a treasure.
• Sanadus S: 21 years old. The main male character. Strong, sullen, and brooding, Sanadus has a great reputation in various small towns and hovels for sticking up for the downtrodden - but he is wanted by the entire Imperial military for a crime he will never admit to. Known as the "Scorned Dragon", for his ferocious fighting skills, apparent resistance to the cold, and his personal history of strife with the Empire.
• Noltia Sestrum: 19 years old. The new Empress of the Eternia Empire. She is usually calm and quiet, but her taciturn demeanor hides a cruel and ambitious nature. Has become famous throughout the Empire because she ascended to the throne in a flashy and exciting manner, much like her mother, the legendary Queen Vainia.
• Lancer: ?? years old. An infamous warrior with a gigantic lance that strikes fear in any who know of her throughout the lands. None have ever seen her in the Raised Lands, and none has ever dared to ask why she roams the Lower Lands almost aimlessly.
• Vaszt Vinahkman: 27 years old. A high-ranking officer of the Margraves, a clandestine organization dedicated to investigating and detaining dangerous artifacts and peoples of the world. He is carefree and light-hearted, but can get extremely serious and even intimidating when it comes to his work.
• Keshir: 19 years old. A Seeker of the Holy Eastern Order. He is very pious and devoted to studying and religion, to the point where he comes across as a bit narrow-minded and boring when anything other than religion is being discussed. His rare Tyrant Eye abilities are formidable, especially for a first-generation Tyrant.
• Tasshon el Divrus: ~43 years old. Secretary of War for the Empire since Queen Vainia created it. He has remained a staunchly militaristic, conservative advisor, and rumors state he has been looking into seizing power since Vainia's death.
• Moritaka Posmos: ~40 years old. The Leader of the Eternal Corps. Despite his unchanging youthful looks, he is extremely powerful and has almost superhuman reflexes, made all the more impressive because he does not possess the Tyrant Eyes.
• Ayrius Vahlart: ~16 years old. One of Alstromya's few friends, and her main informant / aid on missions. Lives in Morshia City and studies / games in his free time.
• Ivyn Helena: ~23 years old. A young lord from the Raised Lands sworn to protect Alstromya. Has been searching for her for more than a year now.

World

Kings of Strife 2 takes place in the same world as its predecessor, but with massive differences. There are two major parts of the world; the Raised World and Lower Lands.

• Lower Lands
• Raised World

Eternian Empire

The largest and most populous nation of the world. Takes up the west and most of the north of the main continent. Raised by Queen Vainia immediately after the Great Separation; her massive popularity and influence not only stabilized the world in a time of immense crisis, but it also guaranteed huge amounts of land and citizen content for the Empire. Currently ruled by Vainia's daughter, the Empress Noltia, after Vainia's sudden and untimely death to illness and the subsequent disappearance of her son, Prince Sanadus. It maintains a military that is strong and secure despite its relatively small size, due to the splitting of the Eternal Corps from the rule of the Empire some 10 years ago.

• New Grainis - Capital city of the Empire, on the western coast. A large metropolis with very strict military rule.
• Neo Zeta - Eastern-most city of the Empire. Has recently gone from simply rebuilding the city to re-opening the prestigious Zeta Academy.
• Nolstuvain - Second largest city of the Empire, close to where Morshia City once stood, more than two decades ago. Has a great wall around it, and a thriving market due to its proximity to the northern ocean.
• Mortis City - Stands where Inusia City once rose. Largest city south of the Great Wastes.
• Crystal Tower - A large tower-like pillar of pure crystal that goes from the bottom of the ocean to the foundations of the Raised Lands. The main method of transportation between the Raised and Lower Lands, though because the Empire controls most of the process, it is very expensive and undesirable for most people.

Rinistan State

A small land-locked region that achieved its independence some 10 years back. Completely ruled and governed by the Eternal Corps, who peacefully seceded from the Empire under the permission of then-Empress Vainia despite grave concerns from War Secretary el Divrus. Though it's only territory is little more than a single city and its outlying lands, it has remarkable military strength and economic value. Ruled by Leader Moritaka Posmos.

• Tlerius City - The capital city of the state, it is a massive metropolis named for the original Leader of the Eternal Corps.

Holy Eastern Order

A small nation on the eastern seaboard that rose to independence after the Eternal Corps left Imperial rule some 10 years back. The territories that now make up the Order were free for months until a local "lord" and his followers started a campaign protesting against the Tyrant Eye mutations and the Empire, claiming that the recent outbreak of Tyrant children were abominations that were implanted by the Empire before fleeing the lands in order to poison and brainwash its peoples. Despite the hateful nature of the campaign, it succeeded, and the Holy Eastern Order now acts as a nation so fanatical in its beliefs that it believes itself religious. Has always been ruled by Lord Inquisitor Altiss Tapanius.

Nneoh

A great nation that has been fractured and damaged since the Great Collapse. Ruled by Revulcia Castion Immanuel.

Kornelia

The nation that takes up more than 90% of the lands in the Raised World. Most of its population lives in either the great city of Castelia or are scattered about in various villages. Despite the fact that the Raised Land is literally a floating continent, its land is very fertile and prosperous, and the Kornelia Kingdom thrives on its trade with the agriculturally barren Lower Lands. Most of the Kingdom's government stands as a ghost of the Inusian Empire, though it has jettisoned most of its predecessor's corruption and militant nature. Ruled by Queen Kornelia.

• Castelia - Capital city of the nation, standing where Castle Kornelia once stood (and still does, albeit highly revamped).

Datalog

/Notes - CAUTION: FILLED WITH SPOILERS

• Lower Lands
• Raised World

• Under-Cities are, unsurprisingly, underground cities made immediately after the Great Separation (by then-Chancellor Gnever Maebyss, but soon seized by the Empire) to protect citizens from the War of Separation as well as the rampant radioactivity issues that happened thanks to Crystal-based powers and mass destruction weapons. The Under-Cities are often hugely sprawling and haphazardly-planned structures that are ridiculously over-populated; to that extent, they are very dangerous places to live in. That being said, they are absolutely essential for long-term life the nearer one gets to the Crystal Tower, and their characteristic Entry Towers dot the Great Wastes. The Under-Cities are some of the only places in the Lower Lands that can practice agriculture (albeit only thanks to the artificial sunlight and chemical methods invented by Queen Vainia some 3 years after the Great Separation), so they are well-protected by Imperial forces and there are constant projects undertaken to expand them, though not nearly the same amount of effort is used to ensure their living conditions improve.

---

• Queen Vainia is the idolized sovereign of the Eternian Empire. Originally a princess of the weak nation of Mortis, she infiltrated the nation of Inusia for years and gathered inside information on it before shocking the world in a bold attack on the nation of Shorekeep. Taking advantage of the nation's political instability as well as coincidental natural (?) disasters bringing chaos to the world media, Vainia Sestrum gathered forces and international power at legendary speeds over the course of the next year. After a failed invasion attempt and the destruction of her homeland Mortis, Vainia started an all-out war against Inusia that was interrupted at a crucial time by the Great Separation ruining the planet's surface. After surviving the disaster, Vainia rebuilt her army and used it to help stave off the mass deaths and chaos that the near-apocalyptic event caused; with this and her own diplomatic skills, Vainia's regime soon became the only stable political power on the continent, and her Eternian Empire became an official power a single day before the Crystal Tower rose and the Raised World became a permanent fixture of the planet.
• Queen Vainia (2) ruled for more than twenty years before passing away of natural causes at the age of 44. Though she ruled in an empire, she specially requested that she be uniquely known as a Queen after her death, in honor of her lost homeland of Mortis and its long monarchic history. Though Vainia had two heirs before her death, the Prince of the Empire vanished shortly after her funeral ceremony, and the reins to the empire were passed down to Crown Princess Noltia Sestrum.
• The Undying was a figure of legendary status that was instrumental in Queen Vainia's life and rise to power. Touted as immortal, he was a peerless warrior always cloaked in blood-red that was a lawless exile before meeting Vainia and swearing his life for her. When the Queen faltered, the Undying stood as an unwavering blade; it is said that he slaughtered thousands, all in the Queen's name. However, the Undying disappeared after the rising of the Crystal Tower, never to be seen or heard from again. In his honor, Queen Vainia wore a massive red cloak at all times and had her throne be decorated by two larger-than-life golden swords; Empress Noltia continues to wear the noble symbolic cloak to this day.

The Raised World exists as a large continent-sized chunk of land (~30,000 km of land area) floating in the air, entirely supported by a single pillar to the earth known as the Crystal Tower. It is confirmed that the circumstances of the Raised World's existence and its origin are entirely influenced by magic - a fact that does nothing to appease the endless engineers and scientists who study the makeup of the Raised World and its Tower. The Raised World has a climate that borders on the tropical; despite its high height in the air (~11km, making the Crystal Tower the tallest free-standing structure in the world), it enjoys a mild climate awash with semi-regular periods of rain and sunshine. The actual "earth" of the continent, as well, is quite arid and receptive to agricultural growth.

The innards of the Raised World suggest a startling amount of technology and geological alteration that has gone completely unnoticed for all of human history. Some distance within the earth scientists found a frankly amazing system of machinery, ranging from advanced weather control devices, semi-perpetual motion engines, atmosphere-to-water filtration devices, massive cooling and heating complexes, solar panels, liquid nitrogen production facilities, and positions of immense magnetic influence. The non-solidness of the Raised World's innards provides a somewhat believable explanation for why the massive structure does not crumble beneath its own weight at its height in the atmosphere. Many of these structures showed signs of abandonment for what could have been millennia, and they are almost uniformly coded and constructed with a language long-lost to time. What is most baffling about the inner-continent system is that it all seems to run on its own, with its power being generated due to its many listed facilities as well as some unknown form of very efficient energy coming from the Crystal Tower. As the Tower itself has been impossible (and dangerous) to penetrate, the true energy constraints of the Raised World are undefinable for the foreseeable future.

---

• Queen Kornelia is the current sovereign of the Raised World, and she rules in a complicated fusion of a constitutional monarchy and representative oligarchy. Hero-Queen Kornelia was one of the small group of heroes (which also included the Crystal Savior) that traveled to the Raised World and liberated it from the Ouroboros organization of terrorists and scientists that caused the Great Separation in the first place. The ensuing battle collapsed the organization from within, and with its fall, the Raised World began to fall down to the earth, as well. When the Crystal Savior gave his life to summon the Crystal Tower, thus preventing an extinction-level event on both parts of the world, his only remaining comrade was named a savior as well. She helped immensely in the resulting revival of peaceful political order, especially with the rush of refugees from the ruined Lower Lands; before long, Kornelia (as she named herself post-Separation) became so popular that she was elevated by the voting majority to her current role of Queen, where she rules in a step of power above the Raised Senate. Her daughter, Princess Kornelia - whose father is rumored to be the Crystal Savior - is next in line for the throne.
• The Crystal Savior is the nameless hero that gave his life to unleash enough magic power to destroy the Crystals and summon the Crystal Tower that holds up the Raised World to this day. Little is known about his life before the Great Separation, only that he fought bravely and selflessly when the time came to save the world. He is known more as a saint-like figure of virtue and prosperity to the residents of the Raised World, wheras Queen Kornelia is actually loved because of her magnanimous actions and personality.

Soundtrack

Entirely for fun!

• LOST LAZULI 03, originally "Someday You'll Have to Answer Them"