Greetings friends. I was talking at length over a drink with an old friend about the history of our lands,
about the days when we first arrived. There is much unknown about the events of that time many hundreds
of years ago...
It was then that my old friend, with a twinkle in his eye, said I might be interested in some documents
he had discovered in an old Insect Empire library. It seems they were wedged between the pages of an old
book, entirely forgotten for these many years.
He had them with him at his home as he was transcribing them and offered to let me transcribe a copy too.
Of course, I jumped at the opportunity and so a few precious diary fragments of Fortingale, our great
founder, are found here.
Day 297 Season of the Falling, Year 26 Lord’s Age - The Home-World
I had never seen such a sight as the device that enabled me to cross into the new world. To call it a
device would be wrong for it was more of a creature. Steps rose from the floor of the cavern upward,
suspended by some force that I can only presume was magical. At the top of these hundred or so steps was
a roughly hewn hexagonal platform suspended by angular rods that jutted out in every direction, connected
by fine glowing wires that shuddered and whined in the cavernous chamber. All of these supports and
struts were used as a focus to the purpose of the chamber itself, the gate crossing. Beyond the suspended
platform, opposite the steps that lead to it was a broad ring held in place by a series of cables
radiating outward and attached, at the extremes of their various lengths, to the walls, the floor and
the roof of the chamber. Beyond the main ring lay dozens more, each suspended in the same way as the
first, leading to it as if leading into the mouth of some air-bordered tunnel. The rings seemed to move
together, as if a force connected them like a long tube. The rings were not however a tube or a tunnel
but rather a cage. Pointing in towards their centres lay rows of barbs or teeth digging into unseen flesh.
As I ascended the steps I could see what it was, a glimmering rainbow of colours phasing in the light,
passing in and out of vision, blurring coronas catching the rings and reflecting from them. A gigantic
serpent-like creature was caught in the ring tunnel; its mouth forced gaping wide by the gate-ring, semi
visible teeth each as long and sharp as a spear pointing into its centre. It would be my privilege to
cross into that phantasm mouth.
When I arrived on the platform the humming and crackling that came from the wires and struts began to
intensify, glowing as flashes of energy danced, focusing in on the ring tunnel and the open mouth of the
creature. The visibility of the creature increased, its silvery rainbow form grew more opaque and I could
see wisps of wings or fins like silk ribbons flowing out from the sides of the its body.
I was ordered to strip and replace my clothes with a robe of fabric that I could not discern. My
possessions were placed in a large sphere that was rolled up a ramp to the mouth ring of the creature
and pushed in. Several more barrels were rolled into the mouth of the creature, looking on occasion to
be floating in mid air as the creature phased in and out of visibility. When it came to my turn the
sphere that I would be travelling in was rolled forward. It was constructed of metal; its insides padded
with plush textiles and although it was rather cramped it was relatively comfortable, so long as the
journey was not too prolonged.
In the darkness of the sealed barrel I felt a jolt as the gate attendants pushed it onto the ramp and
rolled it up into place. Lying there, moving in the fluid motion of the trapped creature, the noise that
had been muffled by the sealing of the barrel grew once more in intensity. In the noise the sphere began
to buck and judder, my ears began to hurt from the vibrating din. A retained scream began to rise even
beyond all this noise and commotion and upon this I began to black out. That was the last time that I
could ever consider myself part of the home-world.
Day 1 Year 1 AC (After Crossing) - The New World
It is useless to persist in using the old dating system of the home-world, this new world needs a new
method. This is my first day after crossing so that shall be how it is seen from now on, ‘After Crossing’.
This world is extraordinary, so beautiful and wild. On the home-world I was used to seeing great cities
with buildings stretching out as far as the eye could see, vast spires reaching to touch the skies. The
only spires that I see here are those of its majestic mountains, their lonely peaks buried amongst the
clouds. When I awoke from the crossing, prone among the many barrels that had joined me in my journey I
was surprised by the noise of life all around. Shaking myself from the aches and the grogginess I noticed
several creatures already looking interestedly at my strange emergence.
Gathering my wits I managed to chase them from my sight back into a nearby tree line. I suspect that these
creatures may be the lowermost of this world if the many terrible roars and screams that live in the
wilderness are to go by. It will require fortitude to tame this world and so, therefore, I name it
Fortitude.
Day 4 Year 1 AC - The New World known as Fortitude
Already the normal humans begin to arrive on Fortitude, the people that will from now on call me their
Founder. They began arriving perhaps the day after I crossed, bringing with them the necessities for
survival. The lesser creatures that facilitate the crossing of the normal citizens do not have the powers
to ‘tie’ them with their forms and so they exist as they would on the home-world, temporal, brief and
vital. As I will forever be attached to the life of that majestic creature that enabled me to cross I
will perish as slowly as it does, never removed in spirit from its existence. This knowledge leaves me
with a great sense of strength; that I, over time, can shape this world as I desire. As my wisdom and
knowledge increases I can aid these fluttering lesser humans with their lives, I can help them to make
this world great.
Day 7 Year 1 AC - Fortitude
I have met briefly several of my subject settlers, those original ten that accompanied me across. They
appear unwilling to aid me in shaping this land, in ridding it of the terrible creatures that lay in the
shadows. I tried to offer them an incentive, by ruling that each pairing of settlers would have a specific
time to clear this land of the monsters that inhabit it. He or she who has slain the most by the time that
I decree will gain ruler-ship of an empire, the other may contest co-rule as consort as they see fit. To
set an example I will gather up my sword and set about banishing the monster threat.
Day ? Year ? AC - Fortitude?
Well, that was most unexpected. It feels like only a day since I wrote the last entry but I can see there
the paper and ink stained with time. Have I really been away that long? I took up my sword as intended
and ventured out into the wilderness. I came upon a large dragon that was not a dragon; it looked more
like an ape, almost noble. Deciding to make a lesson of this beast before the others I went to slay it
(to my mistake). The last thing I remember before waking up here was it looking in annoyance at me as it
raised its tail as if to fling me far away. I can only guess the rest.
Day 11 Year 51 AC - Fortitude
I was shocked to find that I have been absent from Fortitude, the land that I named, for some fifty years.
We founding settlers have our spirits tied so completely with the crossing that we are virtually immortal.
But, it is the rules of settlement that, upon our removal from this world, we leave all claims to our
titles as rulers and founders. My precious title, I am nothing without it! Fortitude is nothing without
Fortingale! I must find some way of rekindling some authority; I cannot wander powerless here for the rest
of my long life!
Day 12 Year 51 AC - Fortitude
It turns out that several others lost their claim to title on this land and perished on the same day as I
did. We decided to draw lots so that we may claim some rule here as consorts to the present rulers, I
have sadly won the hand of the White Widow. She is apparently a most disagreeable woman but it will be
better to rule as her consort than live as a lowly, common settler.
Day 15 Year 51 AC - Fortitude
The past couple of days have been most eventful. As I have travelled to meet the White Widow I have seen
much more of this land. In even fifty years of settlement the countryside still teems with all manner of
grotesque monsters. Between my drawing of the lot to court the White Widow and now I have met a multitude
of creatures that have been dispatched by my most expert hands. I have also met a most strange young
woman named Pipa. I found her chained out as a meal for the dragons (do they eat people? I should find
out) and in my disgust at this barbaric act freed her from her fate. It is true to say that she fascinates
me like no other woman before. She is remarkably beautiful with a figure finer than any I have seen in a
long time, yet she troubles me still for I am unsure of her. She seems to cling to my every action as if
she is driving me somewhere. I get the feeling that she is trying to manipulate me, through her
considerable physical talents, into doing something I do not wish.
Day 38 Year 51 AC - Fortitude
Well, it has been an eventful couple of weeks. Pipa was indeed a ruse laid to mislead me, tangled by some
plot that desired her actions to create trouble. There are unclear forces controlling parts of this
world that I have only began to understand, perhaps the dragons have some knowledge of it that they have
yet to disclose. Pipa, who I now know as the ruler of the Bird Empire, did indeed desire to seduce me, to
use her gifts so that she may have a consort easily pliable to her whims. She also required me to release
these mysteries of which I speak and for this I thank the sky that the dragons remain here not to destroy
us but to protect us (her apparent sacrifice to the dragons was plainly a lie). This ‘White Widow’ saw
everything; she saw the actions of her sister and my abstinence from her seductions. She knew from this
that I am strong and so chose to reveal herself to me and we have chosen to rule her empire as the rules
state, as ruler and consort. I feel that we will prove good leaders of her empire.
Day 120 Year 51 AC - Fortitude
The levels to which my fellow settlers have developed themselves here on Fortitude are incredible. We, as
humans, have formed governments supported by the watchful eyes of the dragons. With my knowledge of
danger that Fortitude has, both hidden and obvious, it makes me feel secure to think that they observe
our actions. Even with my powers as the then-Founder of the land I had no hope of defeating even one
dragon, let alone five. The Dragoncode that governs our relationship with these creatures ensures that we
may never endanger the land or ourselves. We are allowed to vent our anger with each other as we brief
creatures are wont to do so long as it does not endanger the fabric of the world. I thank the sky that
this way remains as long as I remain on Fortitude. May we continue to live in relative peace.
Original at Codemasters
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