Post by Rorujo on Feb 15, 2012 6:38:28 GMT -5
Chapter 1: Origins
In the decades following the founding of Rull in Rise of 629, settlers from all over Mirugan began to congregate in the city. The city had grown to three times its size in merely twenty-five years. The Great leader Carlonaro Rull had aged gracefully, but he was aware that his strength was slowly diminishing as the years passed him by. Knowing there were others that required a safe haven from the dangers of the night, he planned to leave Rull in order to help others create other settlements. In the year 667 Carlonaro stepped down from the throne, and passed the torch on to his nineteen year old son Macenor. He packed a single travel bag, leaving the rest to his family, and left upon a ship destined to sail around the world. It was by pure luck that Black Rock was founded in its current location. A collision with a reef called for an early end to the voyage, resulting in Carlonaro and his men to drop anchor off the coast of the small island which would become home to Black Rock City.
After a thorough examination of the ship’s hull, the captain of the vessel informed the rest of the crew that the ship was no longer sea worthy. Despair filled the hearts of the crew, but they would survive for as long as possible until help arrived. It was within the next few weeks that Carlonaro noticed how bountiful the island actually was. In addition to the water they had in their remaining rations, water could also be found in coconuts from trees scattered around the island. The reef that had destroyed their ship was home to an abundance of oceanic life, enough to support a small city for years. They still had a few lifeboats, and with the aforementioned food and water, a small team could make it back to the continent. Carlonaro then issued an order which would result in one of the most influential cities of Mirugan. He told his crew to disassemble their sinking vessel, and use the wood to construct platforms above the ocean. He told a smaller group to take a large portion of their provisions and a lifeboat. They would take the risk of making it to the continent, where they would spread the word of a city in the middle of the ocean. It would be safe from all of the hostile mobs people were too familiar with on the continent, and they would be able to live there as long as they brought materials to aid in the construction.
Construction began in Silence of 668. The men built sturdy platforms over the water, supported by the thick masts of the ship (which would eventually be replaced by stronger stone supports). Out of the remains of the ship, they were able to build a dock and two platforms. Just as Carlonaro had planned, a large ship docked at the island after a few months. It was full of people tired of living in fear of the mobs. They brought all sorts of materials, mostly wood, stone and stone slabs for building homes and more platforms to expand their city.. At first, most people lived on the island. However, as the city expanded, more and more started moving into the community. All worked to build and expand, and eventually, the city came to be quite large. Carlonaro described the camaraderie and collaborative effort of the people to be as strong and steadfast as stone, and so he named the city Rock City. He gave the presidency of the town to the ship captain Ho’okoa Ruiz, and returned to Rull to be with his family.
Chapter 2: A Bloody Past
In 669, the town thrived. Imports from all over came into Rock City Port, and in return Rock City would export the exotic goods they had to offer. However, this would forever change the city. In early Rise of 670, workers unearthed an underground cavern with magma flowing freely from the earth. It was in this cavern below the city that man first created obsidian. Ho’okoa Ruiz, the president of Rock City already knew the value of naturally occurring obsidian from his time spent travelling the world, and greed got the best of him. Soon after, exports consisted mainly of obsidian, and the city came to be called Black Rock City by many of its clients. Once King Macenor heard of this, he demanded that Black Rock cease immediately, or else Rull would have to use their military might in order to preserve the balance of the world. It was already known that obsidian could form a gateway to the nether, and so Macenor was willing to do anything to prevent chaos. The president refused, and instead turned his home into a nearly impregnable fortress. He named this fortress The Obsidian, and issued a challenge to the government of Rull.
The fleet of Rull arrived at Black Rock early morning in Reign of 670. Fire rained from the sky. The death cries of soldiers and civilians alike rang through the air, a chorus of death harmonizing with the sounds of battle. The Battle of the Black Bay would be the beginning of a vicious nine year conflict between Rull and Black Rock: The Black Rock War. It was in Reign of 671 that construction of Cloud Mountain Temple began, as a response to the war. Macenor feared the war would last for decades.
In 674, Carlonaro Rull sailed out to Black Rock to try and negotiate with his former ally. His crew was executed, and he was thrown into the depths of the Obsidian, where he was expected to die. However, he miraculously escaped, and was able to stow away on a ship to another settlement. After a year of journeying across the continent he was able to return to Rull, but became ill soon after arriving. Some say he had fallen into a depression, due to the two cities he had founded caught in the downward spiral of war. As he lay on his deathbed, he advised Macenor to try and end the war peacefully.
“The foundations of camaraderie Rock City was built upon have already crumbled. The black rock you see before you now is a boulder formed by a thirst for power and greed. It has become the greatest obstacle you must face as a king of Rull. You can resort to using force, and crack the stone, but at what cost? If you strike one rock with another, both may break. If you were strike it with a pick, the pick would be damaged. Remain cautious as you proceed, for the consequences will be dire if you continue using might to solve your problems.”
Macenor paid no heed to his father’s dark prophecy, and continued with siege after siege upon the Obsidian. The war consumed him, and he spent every waking hour figuring out how to break through the defenses. Some say that it drove him insane, for his final plan would nearly cut Rull’s population in half. In Silence of 679, Macenor and the entire army of Rull mounted an offensive on Black Rock. It was the greatest display of military force the world had ever witnessed. Although Black Rock had the Obsidian and the advantage of the terrain, Rull was winning the battle due to sheer numbers. In the end, Macenor and a battalion of his finest soldiers finally broke through the gates of the Obsidian. His men perished all around him, but Macenor charged forward with an unmatched zeal. He entered the Obsidian’s war room and began fighting their commander. After a heated duel, Macenor received mortal wounds, and in the end he sat in a puddle of his own blood, his life force quickly diminishing. Ho’okoa stood over him, waiting for him to die. However, Macenor was not yet finished. He gathered all of his remaining energy, and in one final thrust, he plunged his blade deep into the breast of his foe, successfully ending the war at the cost of his own life. After the two fell to the ground, all fell silent in the City of Black Rock. The only remaining sound was the waves rolling onto the shore.
Of the 20,000 men from Rull who entered the battle, only 1,200 men returned to the city. Black Rock’s forces had been completely decimated. The houses were empty. The platforms were stained with blood. Black Rock remained abandoned for nearly ten ages.
Chapter 3: Rising From the Ashes
In the period of time between 1700 and 1800, Black Rock bustled with life once more. But it had become a nest of sin. Thieves, rogues, mercenaries, smugglers, and nearly every kind of criminal one could imagine inhabited it. It became so dangerous, that it was not uncommon to see people casually stepping over a dried corpse in the street. Obsidian became the main object of trade once again, and Black Rock had the highest concentration of obsidian in Mirugan. The lure of a quick and easy fortune caused many to flock to the city to become obsidian traders. In an attempt to prevent the distribution of obsidian on a global scale, the king of Rull initiated a plan to take the obsidian. King Felix Carlonaro Rull was able to maintain an uneasy truce with the thieves who had inhabited the city, and in 1793 the first trade route since the Black Rock War was established between Black Rock and Rull. Felix knew that if he were to trade with the city, much of the obsidian could be taken and confiscated. In the months following the signing of the trade agreement, the rate at which obsidian was being distributed throughout Mirugan drastically decreased. The plan was beginning to come to fruition. Unfortunately, it would be the last document the good king would ever sign.
After Felix Rull’s death, the city was at its worst. There was no city in the world that could ever compare to what it was in those times. People reverted back to their most animalistic instincts. Men killed others without a second thought. The last traces of the obsidian trading ring had finally disappeared, and people resorted to theft and deceit to get by. More than half of the population was destitute. It was complete chaos. In the year 1802, Rorujo Rull, the son of the late king, travelled to Black Rock, and saw how corrupt it had become. Under the flag of the Blades of Gaia, Rorujo sought to bring balance to the world, and the hive of villainy Black Rock had become was a blemish on the face of society. He led a small group of Blades into Black Rock, and killed nearly every man he found. Women and children were spared, but were ordered to leave the city. With the help of Atlas Salas, a retired general of Rull, Rorujo began restoring Black Rock, in hopes it would return to its former glory as a prominent trading town in Mirugan. The project continues to this day.
In the decades following the founding of Rull in Rise of 629, settlers from all over Mirugan began to congregate in the city. The city had grown to three times its size in merely twenty-five years. The Great leader Carlonaro Rull had aged gracefully, but he was aware that his strength was slowly diminishing as the years passed him by. Knowing there were others that required a safe haven from the dangers of the night, he planned to leave Rull in order to help others create other settlements. In the year 667 Carlonaro stepped down from the throne, and passed the torch on to his nineteen year old son Macenor. He packed a single travel bag, leaving the rest to his family, and left upon a ship destined to sail around the world. It was by pure luck that Black Rock was founded in its current location. A collision with a reef called for an early end to the voyage, resulting in Carlonaro and his men to drop anchor off the coast of the small island which would become home to Black Rock City.
After a thorough examination of the ship’s hull, the captain of the vessel informed the rest of the crew that the ship was no longer sea worthy. Despair filled the hearts of the crew, but they would survive for as long as possible until help arrived. It was within the next few weeks that Carlonaro noticed how bountiful the island actually was. In addition to the water they had in their remaining rations, water could also be found in coconuts from trees scattered around the island. The reef that had destroyed their ship was home to an abundance of oceanic life, enough to support a small city for years. They still had a few lifeboats, and with the aforementioned food and water, a small team could make it back to the continent. Carlonaro then issued an order which would result in one of the most influential cities of Mirugan. He told his crew to disassemble their sinking vessel, and use the wood to construct platforms above the ocean. He told a smaller group to take a large portion of their provisions and a lifeboat. They would take the risk of making it to the continent, where they would spread the word of a city in the middle of the ocean. It would be safe from all of the hostile mobs people were too familiar with on the continent, and they would be able to live there as long as they brought materials to aid in the construction.
Construction began in Silence of 668. The men built sturdy platforms over the water, supported by the thick masts of the ship (which would eventually be replaced by stronger stone supports). Out of the remains of the ship, they were able to build a dock and two platforms. Just as Carlonaro had planned, a large ship docked at the island after a few months. It was full of people tired of living in fear of the mobs. They brought all sorts of materials, mostly wood, stone and stone slabs for building homes and more platforms to expand their city.. At first, most people lived on the island. However, as the city expanded, more and more started moving into the community. All worked to build and expand, and eventually, the city came to be quite large. Carlonaro described the camaraderie and collaborative effort of the people to be as strong and steadfast as stone, and so he named the city Rock City. He gave the presidency of the town to the ship captain Ho’okoa Ruiz, and returned to Rull to be with his family.
Chapter 2: A Bloody Past
In 669, the town thrived. Imports from all over came into Rock City Port, and in return Rock City would export the exotic goods they had to offer. However, this would forever change the city. In early Rise of 670, workers unearthed an underground cavern with magma flowing freely from the earth. It was in this cavern below the city that man first created obsidian. Ho’okoa Ruiz, the president of Rock City already knew the value of naturally occurring obsidian from his time spent travelling the world, and greed got the best of him. Soon after, exports consisted mainly of obsidian, and the city came to be called Black Rock City by many of its clients. Once King Macenor heard of this, he demanded that Black Rock cease immediately, or else Rull would have to use their military might in order to preserve the balance of the world. It was already known that obsidian could form a gateway to the nether, and so Macenor was willing to do anything to prevent chaos. The president refused, and instead turned his home into a nearly impregnable fortress. He named this fortress The Obsidian, and issued a challenge to the government of Rull.
The fleet of Rull arrived at Black Rock early morning in Reign of 670. Fire rained from the sky. The death cries of soldiers and civilians alike rang through the air, a chorus of death harmonizing with the sounds of battle. The Battle of the Black Bay would be the beginning of a vicious nine year conflict between Rull and Black Rock: The Black Rock War. It was in Reign of 671 that construction of Cloud Mountain Temple began, as a response to the war. Macenor feared the war would last for decades.
In 674, Carlonaro Rull sailed out to Black Rock to try and negotiate with his former ally. His crew was executed, and he was thrown into the depths of the Obsidian, where he was expected to die. However, he miraculously escaped, and was able to stow away on a ship to another settlement. After a year of journeying across the continent he was able to return to Rull, but became ill soon after arriving. Some say he had fallen into a depression, due to the two cities he had founded caught in the downward spiral of war. As he lay on his deathbed, he advised Macenor to try and end the war peacefully.
“The foundations of camaraderie Rock City was built upon have already crumbled. The black rock you see before you now is a boulder formed by a thirst for power and greed. It has become the greatest obstacle you must face as a king of Rull. You can resort to using force, and crack the stone, but at what cost? If you strike one rock with another, both may break. If you were strike it with a pick, the pick would be damaged. Remain cautious as you proceed, for the consequences will be dire if you continue using might to solve your problems.”
Macenor paid no heed to his father’s dark prophecy, and continued with siege after siege upon the Obsidian. The war consumed him, and he spent every waking hour figuring out how to break through the defenses. Some say that it drove him insane, for his final plan would nearly cut Rull’s population in half. In Silence of 679, Macenor and the entire army of Rull mounted an offensive on Black Rock. It was the greatest display of military force the world had ever witnessed. Although Black Rock had the Obsidian and the advantage of the terrain, Rull was winning the battle due to sheer numbers. In the end, Macenor and a battalion of his finest soldiers finally broke through the gates of the Obsidian. His men perished all around him, but Macenor charged forward with an unmatched zeal. He entered the Obsidian’s war room and began fighting their commander. After a heated duel, Macenor received mortal wounds, and in the end he sat in a puddle of his own blood, his life force quickly diminishing. Ho’okoa stood over him, waiting for him to die. However, Macenor was not yet finished. He gathered all of his remaining energy, and in one final thrust, he plunged his blade deep into the breast of his foe, successfully ending the war at the cost of his own life. After the two fell to the ground, all fell silent in the City of Black Rock. The only remaining sound was the waves rolling onto the shore.
Of the 20,000 men from Rull who entered the battle, only 1,200 men returned to the city. Black Rock’s forces had been completely decimated. The houses were empty. The platforms were stained with blood. Black Rock remained abandoned for nearly ten ages.
Chapter 3: Rising From the Ashes
In the period of time between 1700 and 1800, Black Rock bustled with life once more. But it had become a nest of sin. Thieves, rogues, mercenaries, smugglers, and nearly every kind of criminal one could imagine inhabited it. It became so dangerous, that it was not uncommon to see people casually stepping over a dried corpse in the street. Obsidian became the main object of trade once again, and Black Rock had the highest concentration of obsidian in Mirugan. The lure of a quick and easy fortune caused many to flock to the city to become obsidian traders. In an attempt to prevent the distribution of obsidian on a global scale, the king of Rull initiated a plan to take the obsidian. King Felix Carlonaro Rull was able to maintain an uneasy truce with the thieves who had inhabited the city, and in 1793 the first trade route since the Black Rock War was established between Black Rock and Rull. Felix knew that if he were to trade with the city, much of the obsidian could be taken and confiscated. In the months following the signing of the trade agreement, the rate at which obsidian was being distributed throughout Mirugan drastically decreased. The plan was beginning to come to fruition. Unfortunately, it would be the last document the good king would ever sign.
After Felix Rull’s death, the city was at its worst. There was no city in the world that could ever compare to what it was in those times. People reverted back to their most animalistic instincts. Men killed others without a second thought. The last traces of the obsidian trading ring had finally disappeared, and people resorted to theft and deceit to get by. More than half of the population was destitute. It was complete chaos. In the year 1802, Rorujo Rull, the son of the late king, travelled to Black Rock, and saw how corrupt it had become. Under the flag of the Blades of Gaia, Rorujo sought to bring balance to the world, and the hive of villainy Black Rock had become was a blemish on the face of society. He led a small group of Blades into Black Rock, and killed nearly every man he found. Women and children were spared, but were ordered to leave the city. With the help of Atlas Salas, a retired general of Rull, Rorujo began restoring Black Rock, in hopes it would return to its former glory as a prominent trading town in Mirugan. The project continues to this day.
