New Continent

Feanor and the Exiles

Since Arcanum is a self-proclaimed 'Tolkien-esque' game... perhaps we could have a 'Tolkien-esque' solution? Let us lay down the facts:

~As a elf, you can lie to Myrth, and tell him you are from another continent.

~If you're persuasive, he'll belive you.

From that alone you know that that the Elves are aware of another continent. I don't think any non-elf knows of another continent, 'cept maybe Teach. Therefore, I propose that the Elves originated on another continent. This is their Story:

~

In an act of supernatural selection, one of the Elven gods takes a group of humans, who are especially in-tune with nature, and whisks them off to another continent to the East of Arcanum. There, this god (which i will name Kaelis) teaches these men the ways of nature and magick. They are quick learners.

But still, they are men, not yet elves. Their lifespan is still a petty 70 years. One of the noblemen (whom i will name Antare) of this eastern continent (which i will name Morahen; old-elfen for 'Land of the Divine') grows older and older. He begins to fear death more and more. He pours over his books of magick, trying to find a way to extend his lifespan. He gathers many people to him and they all study and try to find a way. They still cannot find a way, but some of the men blame Kaelis for their short lives. They began to turn away from worshipping him, and became facisnated with another god. Eventually, Kaelis discovers their dissent, and dispells the whole cult from Morahen, declaring to them: "You wished for eternal life, and I give it to you; Your lives shall be eternal on this plain. If your physical bodies are slain or succumb to illness, you shall walk in torment as ghosts amonst the living"

So the elves left Morahen, and landed on the shores of Arcanum (Near Present-Day Ashbury) There, they setteled in the forests of Morbihan (old-elfen for 'Land of the Exiles' it has also been translated as 'Land of the Damned') Antare now feared his 'ghostwalk' more then anything else, and slowly turns to dark necromancy, and to his ever-darkening god. Eventually, They establish the Order of Darian-Ka, and the Molochean Hand.

Some of the Elves (For they are no longer the men of Morahen) turned away from their darkness, and settled with the less-advanced humans, and tought them of their ways. By doing so, they hoped to emulate Kaelis, and one day be forgiven. Through interbreeding, these eternally-lived elves evolved into the elves of today (those who live a mere 2000 years). At some point their was a schism, as the jealous men who lacked any elven blood chased away the Elves. The elves went into reclusion for several thousand years until the Age of Legends.

The darker, immortal elves slowly grew darker, eviler. Their forms became hunched, green, and vicious. They also bred with men, but the offspring of these unions were far more vicious: Orcs. And that is why modern elfs are so repulsed by the greenskins.

During the Age of Legends, Contact was restored with Morahen, and many elves removed themselves from Moribhan, and returned to their 'rightful home'. However, after the War with Arronax, contact was again lost.

~

The game starts in Tarant, where, through a series of seemingly unconnected events, you arrive in Qintarra. There, it is revealed that the Silver Lady is one of the Ancient Immortals of Morahen. She longs to recieve word of the old land, and sends you out to restore contanct. When you return, you find that the order of Darian-Ka, although it may be dead in Arcanum, is thriving in the Divine Land. Through your travels, you meet Kaelis himself, in the form of a sick elderly man. He is greatly weakened by lack of worship to him, and he sends you out on several plot-missions, Gilbert Bates style. From there, you can decide whether you bring down Darian-Ka, or help it thrive, and aid in its return to Arcanum.

 

Interesting thoery...but the Darian-Ka was formed by fallowers of Kerghan, first of the dark necormancers. Also, they say (the elves), that Quintarra is the ancestral home of the elves. The elves evolving into Orcs would be natural selection, and would not provide for breeding among humans and orcs. I dont think at least.

 

Perhaps... But maybe Kerghan was an Immortal, and kept his order secret until the Age of Legends?

And concerning Orcs: Mr. Beddoe's book does suggest supernatural selection for the creation of orcs. However, the basis of his theory is due to the magical aptitude of their tissue. Elves have magical tissue, when you mix it with human tissue, you get semi-magical tissue. Now, in the case of these darker human/elf pairs, you get semi-magic monster things. OR, orcs.

And jsut because Qintarra is an ancestral home; it doesn't mean it is the first home. It just means that many generations have inhabited the place.

 

I like this idea :thumbup: good thinking

/still hopes for arcanum 2

 

No, that was why he got so obsessed with Dark Necromacy. He was angry that despite all his power, he would only live so long.
Its possible Quintarra is not the first home of the elves. However how come when elves and humans mate now they dont produce Orcs? Also, Kerghan was the first to discover Dark Necromacy.

 

He didn't say that common elves mating with humans produce orcs, he said that some sort of weird evil greenish elves mating with humans produce orcs.

 

Well... I havn't even finished the game yet... So, I guess I don't know all the details to the story. But still, I think that my potential Arcanum 2 backround would make good stuff, once it has been sufficiently modified to fit in with Arcanum 1's story.

By the way: Maybe the Speakers of Evil and other Ghostly Beings in the Terian-Ka Temple could be fallen immortals? And, perhaps Kerghan was jealous of the Immortals' immortality, and tried to emualte them by following the lost art of Dark Necromancy (therefore, he was not the first Necromancer, but the first in recorded history)

 

What do you mean?

 

According to Tolkein, (Which alot of stuff from Arcanum is from.) Orcs were Elves once, but torured and evil.

 

How about this:

Some rather unscrupulous individuals plan invoking Moorindal and bringing his incarnation onto the earth. You need to stop this. Add two more continents and 1 faction that is going to help you save the day. An ancient order that is adept at fighting, has almost no morals, but still enough not to want the complete and utter destruction of all Arcanum. In short, you get to fight WITH the Hand.