Year 266, green season, week of the Eagle, first day.
The sun was dying out, everyone knew it. Every race knew it. Soon, the surface of the planet would be nothing more than a shell of ice. But, they still had time to save themselves. The humans, led by king Lunshire, son of Poxsellis decided to act now, and move their city underground. In this age of swords, bows and magic, this was a monumental task, one that would require the help of every last race in Arx. For the first time ever, dwarves, trolls, and goblins all worked together towards a common goal, their survival. During this time, attacks from the rat men living in the sewers of the humans became few and far between. Co-operation between the races was at an all time high. The site chosen for the site of their new underground city was an old dwarven mine. The migration took five full years during which the sun vanished from the sky completely. Despite Lunshire's best efforts, many still died from the extreme cold. However, Arx was saved when the underground city was complete.
Thanks to the outstanding dwarven knowledge of ventilation systems, they were able to create an underground home in which they could all breathe in. With the help of the snake women, known as the Sisters of Edurneum, plants and vegetation grew underground through their vast knowledge of magic manipulation. Unfortunately, however, race relations began to slip into the way they always have been. Each race was given its own level, its own little kingdom. The dwarves had always preferred to live underground, so they naturally took the deepest level there was, where there was hot lava and danger. The rat men occupied the level above the dwarves, lurking in a strange land filled with mushrooms and strange vegetation. Above the rat men were the Sisters, where their dark scaly skinned queen resided. Above them was a population of trolls and goblins vying for control. Above them were the kings of both races, who shared a very uneasy mining relationship. A cave connected this level to the human kingdom in which king Lunshire still resided. In this kingdom, there was a passage that led to another level higher up. On this level, there was a human outpost.
A guard stood outside the outpost, standing guard at the small bridge. Outpost was something similar to a very small keep. Over the bridge, there were living quarters and a kitchen for the guards, as well as a small farm containing vegetables, pigs and chickens. His chainmail hood was down, revealing his short brown hair. He had a brown beard at his jaw line, the coarse hairs being one inch in length. He was an average looking guy, although he trained hard to get a position with the guards. The man was five foot ten, and his hazel eyes gazed down to the book that he held now in both hands. His long sword was firmly sheathed in his wooden scabbard, which hung off his leather belt. Just like all the other guards at this outpost, he wore the standard chairman's outfit. A full chainmail suit to keep his body protected during all the skirmishes he expected to participate in.
"What are you reading this time Hadrian?" The guard besides him asked. This guard had his chainmail hood up, and had fair skin with dark eyebrows. His voice seemed quite deep, especially for a guy like him. His name was Karlock, one of three guards who passed their training to take a place at this outpost.
"The Kings of Arx, by Greenonic Warmhill. Hmm, that reminds me, do you know when the guild of travellers are coming back?" Hadrian asked the other guard. The guild of travellers were a group of survivors on the surface. Despite all odds, they survived, and travelled from other underground cities to bring news, and sometimes items back and forth. They were the only means of communication the underground cities had. They survived by ingesting alchemists drugs, giving them a big resistance to the extremely low temperatures they had to live with every day. They were very well respected by all who met them. Near the outpost that Hadrian guarded, there was the one and only door leading to the surface. It was kept tightly sealed, only those equipped to deal with such harsh conditions dared to open the door.
"I don't know, but let's hope they bring some good news. I haven't heard any good news in a while." Karlock replied to him before then noticing someone approaching. Karlock's heart nearly stopped as he drew his long sword from his wooden scabbard. "He's back!"
Author's Note: Okay, so why am I doing a story on Arx Fatalis? Because honestly, I was kind of shocked no one else has. There are some games that often leave a deep impact on our lives as gamers, some teach us to be better people, alter the way we see things, or inspire projects. To me, this game symbolizes everything I now look forward to in a game. It left its mark on me, and damn it was good. Not only do not many people know about this game, but before this fic, there wasn't a single story to this game on this site. After the many hours of enjoyment the game gave me, and after how much it has inspired my own stories, I felt it was time to give something back to the game. I am currently playing through this game again, reading through all the books, doing as many things as I can possibly do. Even today, even after playing it on both PC and Xbox, I still love going through the world one more time, and digging into everything it has to offer.
Anyway, thank you all for reading! I hope you all enjoy what will become my own personal tribute to this hidden gem. :)