Title: The Creation Myth - How All Came to Life -
Summary: The boys and girl, who barely eked out an existence in a time of harshness and cruelty, followed the path of destiny across the world, and eventually became embroiled in a great battle that decided the fate of the entire planet... Let us introduce the tale of that distant star, where people's dreams and desires mix, all circling around a Key that was left behind by God.
Ships: N/A
Notes: Last updated on [7/30/2021]
In days of long ago, there was a God who governed the movements of the heavens.
That God used the dragons as its vassals,
To fulfill their duty of maintaining the heavens in a cycle of creation and destruction.
However, the power of destruction grew each time it was used,
And eventually, the balance of power between creation and destruction had collapsed.
The power of destruction had become so great,
That if it was let loose, it would have certainly destroyed the very heavens it was created to protect.
God decided it was impossible to govern the heavens by themselves.
Using the power of creation, a cage was forged, made of countless layers of the earthen crust,
And the power of destruction was sealed within it.
The power of destruction, having lost its way, burned up, transforming into the planet's core.
Its energy blended together with the power of creation coursing throughout the land,
And the energy that flowed forth to the surface of the earth,
Giving rise to life, small existences that repeat the cycle of life and death.
God turned the last vestiges of their being into a 'Key',
Entrusting it to the life that had sprouted across the earth, and disappeared.
Over the countless years to follow, the power of destruction sometimes manifested itself on the surface,
But each time, those small lives stood side-by-side with the dragons.
In time, the 'Key' came to be known as a sword, while the power of destruction came to be known as the 'Great Darkness',
And their story was passed down as the gallant epic of the 'Star Hero'.
"Starlight Hero, Raise Your Sword and Gather The Light, You Must Vanquish the Great Darkness."
The Era in Which Life on The Earth Prospered and Civilization Became Incredibly Advanced
Millions of years had passed since the time of The Creation Myth, and humanity had reached the heights of its prosperity. It was during this era that the Key was unearthed. A power great enough to reveal the meaning of life itself: the dragons and their mission to protect the world's resources from being exploited were no longer considered to be a mere myth.
At first, humanity was excited by the discovery of such a mythical relic, but they soon grew to fear the fact they excavated the Key, considering it a sign that the clash between the Star Hero and the Great Darkness actually happened, and decided to analyze the Key.
The scientist Lees made a name for herself across the world as the leading authority of computer science. Her participation as a part of the analysis team allowed them to make remarkable leaps forward in terms of analysis, but no one was aware of her true hypothesis, which fueled her powerful, sinful ambitions...
"One can obtain the power of God."
The secret hypothesis of Lees was the unseen side of the Heroic Epic, the true identity of the Great Darkness; the Key was actually able to call forth and control the powers of creation and destruction.
The common element of the Heroic Epic of the Star Hero was that they were able to repel the Great Darkness, but the reverse must hold true as well, thus the Great Darkness must also have been created by the Key. As its name implied, it must not only have been able to lock its prison closed, but also to open it. In truth, the Heroic Epic was actually the history of the conflict of those who fought over the Key, between those who took on the mission from God and those who desired to revive the power of destruction for themselves.
The Ultimate "Jack-Knight" That Brought About The End
The Key analysis team renamed themselves "Palladion", an organization that directly answered to the Confederation. "Project Jack-Knight", a machine soldier development project, was advocated as a measure to deal with the coming threat to the world. Several years later, the ultimate weapon Jack-Knights of the Morning Star was created, using the Key as its power core.
[This can be seen in Star Relic's Mechmory.]
However, something happened when they attempted to turn it on: the Key caused the energy of the stars to immediately invert. It flowed into the Earth's core, and this overflowing energy then shattered the crust, causing the power of destruction to leak out, and the Earth's surface was scorched black.
All of this was planned by Lees.
Just as the Great Darkness was about to return, seven "Jack-Knights" built by Palladion as secondary support machines appeared and destroyed Jack-Knights of the Morning Star, then they managed to seal the Great Darkness back into the Earth's crust.
[Obviously, these seven were Jack-Knights of the Blue Sky, Green Heights, Deep Blue, Flickering Flame, Purple Nightfall, Crimson Lotus, and Yellow Bloom.]
However, fragments of the divine power known as the Great Darkness remained on the surface in the forms of seven relics known as "Star Relics", each representing portions of its power, similarly to the Key:
- Star Chalice / Envy / Its successor can take control of those they defeat in a battle
- Star Lance / Wrath / Its successor can turn nightmares/illusions into reality
- Star Armor / Gluttony / Bearer of the "Hunger" aspect
- Star Shield / Sloth / It gifts Precognition to its successor
- Star Wand / Lust / It grants one wish to its successor, but they can use this effect only once during their life, moreover, this effect can't affect the other Star Relics or interfere with life and death
- Star Crown / Pride / Its successor and their comrades gain immense physical and mental strength
- Star Ark / Greed / It gifts authority over life and death to its successor
[This is a reference to the Star Relics in Overdrive, their special abilities, and 'sins'.]
Even though the mastermind behind the disaster, Lees, died, her scheme had resulted in the damaged and ruined land around them being incapable of sustaining and supporting the human race. Palladion came to the conclusion that the reason the Star Hero who could control the power of the Key didn't appear in this era was a result of the Earth growing weaker, and thus they decided to focus on restoring the Earth's health and fostering life to spread and diversify. To that end, they gave a command to the remaining Jack-Knights, giving them orders to suppress human civilization, classifying it as their top priority, and with that, the mission to restore the Earth began.
Palladion entrusted their hopes to the future, but there was something they failed to notice: while the body of Lees had died, her personality data was linked via brain waves to the Star Chalice, which now carried her will and ambitions.
The Legend of The Rise and Fall of The World
[If this would be a book, its cover art would feature Star Relic's Front.]
The World's Ecosystem
Centuries later, the world was ruled by mechanical lifeforms, with the seven Jack-Knights standing at the top. The insectoid mekkstrosities known as "Krawlers" were a prevalent scourge across the land, and life for people was a constant fight against their threat.
[These mekkstrosities were Krawler Axon, Dendrite, Glia, Ranvier, Receptor, Spine, and Myelin.]
The People Who Lived in The Celestial Forest
There was a hidden village of humans in the great verdant forest known as the 'Celestial Forest'. This village, which worshipped the God of the Stars, had a sacred staff they used in their rites and customs that had been passed down through countless generations, creating a barrier that protected the village from threats with its power. The successor of the staff at the time was "Eve", who had an older brother, "Ningirsu", and together the two of them spent time with their childhood friend, the young boy "Auram", and the small dragon whelp "Imduk".
[They were Priestess Crowned, Beckoned, and Chosen by the Star Chalice and Star Chalice Guardragon.]
The Star Heroes and Their Encounter with The "Star Chalice"
Auram and Ningirsu, seeking a means to reduce the burden of upholding the barrier even a little, spent day and night trying to beat back the Krawlers. One day, Eve heard a strange and mysterious voice from deep within the forest. Together with her worried friends, she headed to the source of the echoes and saw what looked like a massive structure of sorts in there.
[As seen in Star Relic Chance Meeting.]
Her friends caught up to her, and together they approached the structure, when suddenly her staff emitted a dazzling glow, causing the massive structure to come to life as if in response. A small fairy, Lees, appeared before them, who were startled by the fact the structure was emitting the same kind of light as the staff.
[They were Star Relic - "Star Chalice" and Lees the Star Chalice Fairy.]
Lees said she bore the duty of leading humanity, but she was thwarted by the Jack-Knights and sealed within the Star Chalice; she then revealed to Eve and her friends that she had been waiting for those who possessed the qualities to become the Star Heroes who shall protect this world.
"You children are the Star Heroes. Please help me gather the scattered lights of this world and save it from the Great Darkness."
Wanting to protect humanity, they accepted the earnest wish of Lees, and thus she granted them a portion of Star Chalice's strength.
[As seen in Star Relic's Divine Protection, letting them become Eve the Star Chalice Priestess, Ningirsu the Star Chalice Warrior, Auram the Star Chalice Swordsman, and Imduk the Star Chalice Dragon.]
This new power allowed them to overpower the Krawlers, which up to then they had barely managed to hold off. Upon hearing there were also six other Star Relics scattered across the world with similar power, which would grant them the power to defeat even the Jack-Knights once gathered, the villagers finally felt hope. Thus the children of the Celestial Forest left their home...
The party traveled to the wetlands where the next Star Relic laid sleeping.
[As seen in Star Relic Beacon.]
The Second Star Relic Guarded by The Loathsome Swarm
What awaited them there, however, was a vast swarm of Krawlers, along with the X-Krawlers that controlled them.
[This is shown in Shadows Creeping on the Star Relic.]
The team divided their forces beneath the silent gaze of the Star Relic - "Star Armor", and though they found themselves slowly being pushed into a corner, in the end, they managed to silence a vast number of the insectoid mekkstrosties.
[This battle is shown in Swarm on the Star Relic, Star Relic's United Efforts, Battle for the Star Relic, and Star Relic's Puppets and in that said order.]
Seeing they were at a disadvantage, the remaining Krawlers opted for a new battle strategy, and gathered in the middle of the battlefield. The heroes watched in shock as they molded into a new life form right before their eyes, namely "X-Krawler Superior Enteris".
This last guardian of the Star Armor would have defeated the Star Heroes, were it not for Lees' aid: with the use of a holy ritual, she unleashed the Star Chalice's true potential for a very short period of time, allowing her comrades to overpower and defeat Superior Enteris.
[The ritual can be seen in Star Relic's Holy Advent, where Star Chalice becomes Holy Chalice.]
But Then...
The party finally arrived at the Star Armor, having given their all and used their wits to their fullest, but then the Jack-Knights, the rulers of the realm of machines, suddenly appeared, glowing in the seven colors of the rainbow. As Auram and the others were stunned by the turn of events, things went from bad to worse: the Jack-Knights ensnared Eve in energy that even the barrier abilities of her sacred staff didn't stand a chance against. Then, they disappeared into thin air with her, leaving Auram and the others behind, stunned at what had happened.
[As seen in Trap Crawling on Star Relics.]
In Search of Eve, They Came to a Place with Two Star Relics...
Lees told the party it would be dangerous to try and collect the other Star Relics by themselves, so they decided to save Eve first. After a long journey and much searching, they arrived at the ruins of a long-lost civilization the Jack-Knights had made their stronghold. There, they found the Star Relics known as the "Star Lance" and "Star Shield", both inactive.
[This can be seen in Scars Left by the Star Relic.]
Eve had doubts the Jack-Knights were the embodiment of the Great Darkness, as they refused to harm her even after they kidnapped her and seized her sacred staff, sealing it into Blue Sky's core.
[As shows Key to the Star Relic.]
Right then, Auram and the others launched a surprise attack on her kidnappers. They launched a fierce ambush attack, throwing everything they had into the fray, but their opponents combined as one into Jack-Knights of the Star Scars. In the midst of this back-and-forth battle, where even one wrong move could have spelled defeat, Ningirsu noticed a chance and gave a signal to Lees, starting the solo operation she had proposed.
[As seen in Star Relic Whispers.]
The Jack-Knights were aware Lees had disappeared, but could not afford to deal with her due to being stuck in the midst of battle.
The True Intent of Lees
Eve was relieved to see Lees, who managed to sneak into the ancient ruins by herself and reach where she was being held. But then, Eve asked her about the truth of the Jack-Knights and who they really were.
"Maybe we shouldn't be fighting against them..."
Lees slowly looked back at Eve when she said that. She then flashed a sadistic smile, dropping the adorable facade she had kept since when they had first met, and took on a much more terrifying visage, namely Lees the Star Chalice Fey. She revealed her true colors as she mentally took control of Eve's body, causing the two to be reborn as Destroymare Evelees.
[As seen in True Depths Sleeping in the Star Relic and Star Relic's True Intent respectively.]
Evelees' Power and The Heir to "The Power Of The Staff"
The battle between the Jack-Knights and the Star Heroes continued. But then, a massive explosion occurred inside the ruins, and a torrent of incredible power erupted from the Star Chalice, greater than any seen before. Then, in the next moment, she suddenly appeared: Eve. But the power that emanated from her, brimming with evil, was a telltale sign that she was no longer Eve. She smiled and told them she was Lees, and that this body now belonged to her.
Evelees released a wave of energy, forcibly canceling out the power of the Star Chalice she had granted to Auram and the others. She tried to take their lives as well, but in a twist of fate, the Jack-Knights chose to oppose her.
[As shows Star Relic Leading to the End.]
The united form of the Jack-Knights was undone as they found they could no longer endure the power of Evelees. She extracted the cores from most of the Jack-Knights by force, and tried to seize the sacred staff sealed inside the core of Blue Sky.
As the Jack-Knights knew the staff was actually the Key that controlled the fate of the stars and the very planet itself, Blue Sky attempted to make Auram his heir in this darkest hour. The young hero opened his heart to the machine and inherited the power of the staff, becoming Jack-Knights Avram. Now in his hands, the Key transformed into a pair of swords.
[As seen in Star Relic Successor.]
Destruction in The Form of a Nightmare
Even though he inherited a Key, Auram's power became a pair of swords because it was an indirect succession granted to him by Blue Sky, rather than by the one true heir, Eve. When Evelees realized that Eve, who was asleep deep within her, had the right of succession, she rushed to activate the Star Relic - "Star Lance" before Auram, who now could use the power of the Key to do so.
While Auram managed to tail her, he found himself struggling against the "Troymares", six beasts from myths and legends Evelees created using the cores of the Jack-Knights she had previously defeated, each inheriting the characteristics of its source machine. Moreover, she was able to control them thanks to the Star Chalice's power, as she was its current wielder.
[They were Troymare Mermaid, Phoenix, Goblin, Cerberus, Unicorn, and Gryphon.]
Ningirsu, aided by Imduk, managed to catch up with Auram and the monsters and swiftly defeated Mermaid in a single, deadly blow, drawing the Troymares' attention on him and giving his friends a clear path ahead to chase after Evelees. But it was no use: in the blink of an eye, she managed to activate the Star Lance first, which accepted her as its successor and turned into a portable weapon.
Using its power, Evelees brought to life nightmarish illusions to fight in her stead. While Auram and Imduk were confronted by perfect copies of themselves and Ningirsu, brimming with the same evil energy as Evelees, a new beast joined the Troymares fighting Ningirsu, one inheriting the characteristics of Blue Sky.
[They were Mystroymare Aulees, Distroymare Gilees, Castroymare Leenkidu, and Troymare Catoblepas respectively, which was shown in Delirium Born from the Star Relic.]
Without the Star Chalice's power, their chances of winning were slim. The Star Heroes were about to lose all hope when a red light glowed under Ningirsu's feet, which signed the start of a ferocious counterattack...
A Tragic Conclusion - Eve's Will To Defy Lees -
There was a reason as to why the Krawlers swarmed around the Star Armor, which were linked to it via a Neural Network. The Great Darkness wasn't just the Earth's core, but an actual organism that could feel and think for itself, which was evident from the Star Relics' powers. The Star Armor was the bearer of the Great Darkness' hunger, the will to devour what it destroys before moving on to its next meal, a hunger that won't ever be satiated.
As such, in order to eat, the Star Armor linked itself to the Krawlers' Network, and remodeled their program, going from mechanical organisms that only aim to survive in a post-apocalyptic world to hungry predators. But in order to 'eat', they had to adapt, thus they enhanced their bodies with a biological mouth, situated right under their 'eye'. So the Krawlers ate in the armor's stead, but the pleasure of this act was only registered by the Star Relic.
However, the Krawlers were defeated by the Star Heroes, leaving the Star Armor's hunger to grow until it couldn't take it anymore and had to find a new way to eat. Thus it chose Ningirsu as its new successor, bursting out of the ground under the young warrior's feet in a miniature size and attaching itself to his body. The battle came to a momentary halt as everyone stared at Ningirsu in shock, himself included.
The deep desire to save his sister, to defeat his foes, to survive, the fear of losing everything, and the continuous clash between hope and despair in his heart were what attracted the Star Armor to him. These were things the Star Relic could feed itself on telepathically now that Ningirsu was clad in the armor.
With newfound confidence and the power the Star Armor gifted him, Ningirsu defeated the six Troymares and headed towards the staggered Evelees, who clumsily ordered her illusions to block him.
Auram and Imduk tried to follow their friend's example and hit Evelees with everything they got, but she managed to overpower them nonetheless. She picked up one of the swords in order to finish off Auram, but Imduk lept in front of her and, before his endangered friend, he manifested a portion of his power as God's Vassal.
Even though it was brief, it forced the spirit of Lees to show itself, paralyzing her. That let the spirit of Eve to finally awaken from the dark depths of her own mind. Seeing the fallen Auram and the sword in her hand, she realized what was going on and made a sudden decision, turning the tip of the sword towards her own body and impaling herself...
[As seen in Awakening from the Star Relic and Resistance to the Star Relic respectively.]
The illusions created by the Star Lance dissolved into nothingness as the battle came to a close.
The power of bonds and feelings, which is the strength of living things, can easily be turned into a weakness. As long as she was in the body of Eve, Auram and the others, who had deep bonds with her, would not be able to turn their weapons on their friend...
Faced with the haughty and arrogant Evelees, Auram grew stronger, the Jack-Knights stood their determination, Ningirsu became the Star Armor's successor, and Imduk awakened a hidden power... ultimately, Evelees' ambitions were shattered by deadly irregularities caused by a series of small glitches stacking on top of one another.
However, it was a nightmarish ending for the Star Heroes.
While Auram was wounded in the aftermath, Ningirsu knocked him unconscious and took with him the body of Eve, as well as the sword she was impaled with and the Star Lance (albeit he won't be able to use its special power as he isn't its successor). Imduk couldn't do else but watch their comrade disappear over the horizon...
[As shows Yelling Echo Resounding in the Star Relic and Star Relic Treachery respectively.]
The Power of God and The Future of the World
Years had passed since the day of that tragedy.
During those years...
"Palladion" Revived
Although Auram was physically and mentally injured, he realized the danger of what Ningirsu planned to do, and decided to search for whatever remained alive on their distant star, in order to stop Ningirsu from doing something truly irredeemable.
To start, he discovered a Krawler near the Jack-Knights' stronghold, and restored its functions using the ability of the Jack-Knights he now carried inside himself, and succeeded in melding minds with it.
[As shows Star Relic's Mind Meld, making the Krawler become Krawler Palladion.]
In doing so, he learned of information about several tribes from the records he was able to access from the mind meld, with the most prominent ones being:
- Tribe of the Blazing Otherlands, lead by Palladion of the Makyo
- Tribe of the Beast King Garden, lead by Palladion of the Hundred Beasts
- Tribe of the Sacred Tree Lake, which kept the "Star Crown" hidden, lead by Palladion of the Divine Tree
Together with Imduk, Auram traveled to the lands of each tribe and learned their legends and literature, which let him slowly unravel the secrets of this world, coming to understand the existence of the sleeping power of the stars that both Lees and now Ningirsu sought.
[At this stage, Auram became Palladion of the Vast Sky, and during these years, Imduk grew into Palladion of the Star Dragon.]
In order to counter their ambitions, he asked the leader of each tribe to help him, and formed a Tribal Confederation. The alliance, likening themselves to the heroic warriors of the ancient civilization, dubbed themselves "Palladion".
[As seen in Reunite Palladion and Crusade Palladion.]
Through Auram's sword, they also reactivated the Star Relic - "Star Crown", which granted them a portion of its strength, and began their march.
[As shows Aubade Palladion, letting them become Archlord Palladion, Regulex Palladion, Verspada Palladion, and Magius Palladion.]
Ningirsu, Who Took Eve's Body and Auram's Sword...
Ever since the day of that tragedy, Ningirsu was purely driven by a single wish. To him, there was no point in a world without Eve, and if he could see her smile one more time, it didn't matter what he would have to do.
The Star Armor, bearer of the Great Darkness' hunger, by any means wasn't a brainless organism. It contained records of what it once devoured, as well as the information and memories regarding them and the Star Armor itself. As its successor, Ningirsu could access this data via his telepathic link with the Star Relic.
Thanks to this ability, he learned the truth of the world, and he immediately set out to find the Star Relic - "Star Scepter", which had the power to turn wishes into reality. However, he could only make one wish, which can't affect the other Star Relics or interfere with life and death, meaning he couldn't wish for his sister to see the light of day again, nor to gain control of the Star Relic - "Star Ark", which has authority over life and death.
But he could wish to learn "how" to do that.
Ningirsu found the Star Scepter with no interferences, and by manifesting the abilities of the sword that he had taken to make himself be considered a successor, which he learned how to do thanks to the information he recovered from the Star Armor, he wished for knowledge.
Using this new knowledge, and by using lost technology, he constructed a body to house the soul of Eve.
[As seen in Orphegel Prime, thus creating Orphegel Galatea.]
Next, he decided to create a world fit for her. Driven by an unwavering sense of purpose, Ningirsu began to build a divine gate, which he dubbed "Babel".
[In the game, the tower's called Orphegel Babel.]
But his real goal was to use Babel to drop the Star Scepter from orbit in order to destroy the Earth's core via kinetic bombardment. Then the Star Ark that slept deep underground would awaken, whose power would allow Ningirsu to revive the soul of Eve, and following that, he planned to release the power of the Great Darkness sealed deep within the Earth's core and use it to transform the revived Eve into the world's new goddess, A-vida, the Rebuilder of Worlds.
The mechanical doll that Ningirsu ultimately made, based on countless experiments, achieved replenishment of cellular induction from the corpse of Eve, and because of that, it could manifest the abilities of the sword in their possession.
Using his Galatea, as well as the Star Lance and Star Armor he had in his possession, Ningirsu reworked them to react with the Star Scepter, putting his plan's calamitous part into motion.
The Birth of the Virus Goddess
Unbeknownst to our leading actors, a great threat came to life on their previous battlefield.
Back when Lees dropped her facade and took over Eve's body, she absorbed the powers of the Star Chalice into her body, turning the material body of the Star Relic into an empty shell, which she then left inside the ruins.
What even she didn't know was that that wasn't an empty shell at all. Inside the relic now dwelled the leftovers of Lees' emotions and thoughts, as well as the destructive will of the Great Darkness, which with time, began seeping out of the Star Relic like poison, and fused to form...Lees.
Although it wasn't actually her, her appearance, emotions, thoughts, and desires were the same as Lees', thus making this entity a perfect copy of the deceased Lees.
[This is the birth of Creeper Goddess Lees, shown in The Virus Goddess on the Star Relics.]
The new Lees hoped to get revenge on the stupid brats that halted her plan, but with no idea of their whereabouts and current level of strength, that would prove difficult to accomplish. Luckily for her, she had the answer to all her problems right there, next to the ruins: Star Relic - "Star Shield", which was left untouched by Auram and Ningirsu.
Even if Lees wasn't its actual successor, because her current form was the closest to the Great Darkness, her presence resonated with the Star Shield, allowing her to wield it in battle and to use its special trait, namely the ability to see the future.
Thanks to that, she was able to learn Auram had visited the three biggest tribes on the Earth and planned to ask for their help to defeat his old friend, while Ningirsu had started building Babel to awaken the Star Ark. She also saw the kinetic bombardment being unleashed, whose destructive energy deletes her from existence.
[As seen in Fears of the Star Relics.]
She must stop Ningirsu to avoid death. But attacking him alone would be suicide, so she started creating an army of her own.
Using the bodies of the deceased Jack-Knights and Krawlers and by giving them artificial hearts brought forth with her powers, she gave birth to four new machine soldiers and a new army of insectoid mekkstrosities, all of them responding to her will.
[This is shown in Reborn Creepers under the Star Relics, with a close-up of their hearts shown in Corrupted Hearts of the Star Relics. The monsters, on the other hand, are Jack Creepers of the Indigo Eclipse, of the Crimson Sky, of the Blooming Flame, and of the Dusking Heights, as well as Creepers Gliater, Axout-C, Recepier-V, Spinete-X, Dendrache, and Quaropsis.]
But she didn't stop there. Better yet, she couldn't stop there. She wanted to make sure that, this time around, she'll be the absolute winner!
By using pieces of the ex-Jack-Knights' stronghold and her own energy, she constructed baleful copies of the Star Crown and the Star Lance. In the end, they were just cheap imitations of the real thing, meaning they didn't bear the originals' special powers, but they were still powerful on their own. She also cloaked the Star Shield with her aura, causing it to gain a new appearance.
[They were Corrupted Relics - "Creeper Shield", "Creeper Lance", and "Creeper Crown".]
She then recreated the one who was responsible for her downfall, Imduk, as her servant, taking great pleasure in controlling him as her mindless pet.
[As seen in Rotten Souls of the Star Relics, with the imitation being Imduk, the Creeper Dragon.]
With a wide grin on her face and an army to back her up, Lees, too, began her march.
[As seen in Creeping Seeds on the Star Relics.]
The Start of a New War
As the Palladion approached Babel, Auram sensed the evil that threatened the world, all the while shuddering in terror at the majesty of the tower, which reached into the very heavens themselves.
Standing between them was an endless horde of mechanical weapons called the "Orphegel". They were by-products of the experiments of Ningirsu to make a suitable vessel for Eve; with how many he conducted, he had created what could be called an army.
[His army was composed of Orphegels Canone, Diver, Scherzon, and an Orchestrion.]
In the midst of this fierce battle, Auram sensed something that had the same power as his Key, emanating from deep within Babel, which continued to shine and grow upwards, getting ready to drop the Star Scepter.
[As shows Orphegel Einsatz.]
But then, without any pleasantries, a new army joined the fight from the other side of Babel, and Auram couldn't believe his eyes when he saw its leader, Lees, who was staring back at him with murderous intent.
[As we can see in Creeper's Arrival on the Star Relics.]
Ningirsu's forces were rapidly diminishing under the Palladion's and the Creeper's assault, and he realized his plan will fail if this keeps up. Winning wasn't necessary, he just needed enough time for Babel's charge to finish and that would be enough. With that thought in mind, he unleashed the Star Lance's power, creating illusions of his Orphegel servants to block Lees' army and loosen the pressure of their assault.
[As shown in War Against the Creepers on the Star Relics.]
Auram and Lees knew they couldn't afford to dance to Ningirsu's tune or else they won't stop him in time. Together with their respective Imduks, they rushed past Ningirsu's defenses, entering the tower and coming face-to-face with their enemy.
[Namely Orphegel Longirsu, albeit without the Star Shield.]
Next to him stood a mechanical doll, one that appeared in Lees' future visions, responsible for initiating the kinetic bombardment. The Creeper Goddess rushed towards it, but found herself blocked by Ningirsu, and thus the six were dragged in a fierce battle.
During the fight, while Lees was too concentrated on Galatea, Auram managed to get a clean hit on her, causing her to drop the Star Shield with a pained cry. But then her Creeper Dragon struck back, hurting Auram and causing him to revert to his normal form.
[From Archlord Palladion back to Palladion of the Vast Sky.]
While they were distracted, Ningirsu snatched the Star Relic, making it gain a new appearance as Lees was no longer holding onto it. The battle continued, with Ningirsu now holding onto three different Star Relics.
[As seen in Orphegel Attack.]
However, the Star Shield falling into Ningirsu's hands was the turning point of this fight. Like he did with the Star Lance and the Star Armor, he made it react with the Star Scepter, causing Babel to complete its charge. Galatea then flipped the final switch, and the Earth screamed in agony as the Star Scepter dropped.
[As shows Orphegel Core.]
The "Guardragons" Born from the "Star Ark"
The Star Scepter smashed into the Earth in a massive kinetic bombardment. The resulting impact tore the planet asunder, and the warriors of the Palladion alliance and the army of Lees were caught in the aftershock.
Just like in the visions she saw, Lees and all the Creepers she forged were wiped out from existence, not leaving behind a single trace.
[We can see this in Virus' Deletion on the Star Relics.]
The same would've happened to Auram and the others, but in order to protect his beloved friends, Imduk unleashed his power once more, and created a giant barrier at the cost of his own life.
[As shows Guardragon Barrier.]
After the impact settled, the Star Ark rose to the sky, and on its own accord, it used its power and authority over death to assimilate the corpse of Imduk, who had died beneath it. To make matters worse, the aftershock of its power ran through the cracked and exposed core of the Earth and reached all of the Star Relics across the planet.
[As seen in Star Relic Guardragon and Guardragon Cataclysm respectively.]
In The Creation Myth, which was passed down by the Celestial Forest, it is said that God used dragons as its vassals to fulfill their duty of maintaining the heavens in a cycle of creation and destruction. But these dragons passed away over time, and Imduk was their last descendent.
[The new Guardragons that appear in Overdrive are these deceased dragons. Guardragon Zephyr is the only one that was revealed so far.]
Instead of a heart, each dragon possessed a 'core', which contained their powers and memories.
[We get a close-up of a core in Guardragon's Treasured Orb.]
The Star Relics, too, possess a core like those dragons as they embody the authority of God. Having absorbed Imduk, they transformed in order to exert the power of the very same God that once created them. They transformed into dragons.
[As shown in Guardragon Corewakening, becoming Guardragons Justia, Garmides, Promineses, Andrake, Elpy, Pisty, Agarpain.]
The Revived Soul
Ningirsu, carrying the body of Eve, headed for the mechanical doll. With the power of the Key transplanted into it, Ningirsu would be able to control the dragons. Finally, with all the required powers integrated, the soul of Eve was revived with the power that ruled over life and death.
[As seen in Orphegel Release.]
But the smile on Galatea's face was not the one he wanted. At the very moment he called the soul of Eve back, Lees, the real Lees, who remained a part of her, took the initiative and seized control of the mechanical doll.
[Galatea turned into Orphegel Troymare.]
There was no heir of the Key capable of reviving God among the humans born in the age of machines. Lees concluded that not even Morning Star was good enough and decided to use the machine civilization itself in order to purge the surface of the Earth. Even humanity's hope for life to take root once more was within the scope of her plans.
When an heir who could activate the Star Relics finally appeared after countless ages, she schemed again. Stopped once by the heir, her goodie-two-shoes friends, and that meddling dragon, her obsession with that power grew even greater and maddening.
Using the power of the Key inside her, she absorbed the corpse of Eve and five of the Guardragons, and having done so, became Astroymare Idlees and obtained the authority they held, and now finally had the power of God at her fingertips.
The Terrifying Power of Idlees and a Single Ray of Hope
Idlees called forth the power of God sealed inside the Earth's core, and used it to awaken the central nervous system: Deus X-Krawler. She desired to reign as a complete and perfect god, incorporating the power of God into her very being.
[As shows Star Relic's Birthing.]
Andrake was consumed by the power of death, turning into Star Relic Guardragon Merodark, and it seemed at that moment that all hope was lost, but then Justia suddenly flew in from the ruins and unleashed its power. It merged with the body of Eve, which was pulled free from Idlees, and the two were reborn as Eve the Star Chalice Miko.
[As seen in Guardragon Reincarnation.]
The Vessel with a Heart
Idlees, who had control over all the powers and authorities of God, had her power seized from her by Eve, now dwelling inside of Justia. The soul of Eve should have been erased during their fusion...but it was actually the soul of Galatea that Lees had erased.
Although the mechanical doll was originally made to be a mere vessel, at some point it gained its own sense of identity, most likely because of the cellular induction process. Galatea was a name that the doll destined to become Eve secretly gave herself, as no one else had bothered to give her one. "Galatea" was a name that belonged to a woman who was loved and became a flesh-and-blood human being, according to information she accessed from the records of the ancient civilization.
When Lees and Eve fused, Galatea sacrificed her own soul in place of Eve. Meanwhile, the soul of Eve was transferred to the Star Chalice, which had later been remade into Justia.
"The Vessel of God's Power" Appeared from the Earth's Depths
Having lost the power of the Key, Idlees went on a rampage, as she could no longer control the massive amount of power contained inside her body. So it rapidly collapsed onto itself. On the other hand, the revived Eve joined forces with Auram and called forth the soul of Imduk back from Merodark. He then evolved into Star Chalice Guardragon Almarduk, amplified by the power of life itself.
However, soon after their hopes were lifted, from the depths of the Earth destroyed by Deus X-Krawler feeding on power from the core, came the Star God Regalia Demiurgear, the vessel of God's Power.
It proceeded to absorb the material body of the Star Relics into its core, morphing them into sinister constructs. Dark miasma seeped out of the cracks over their bodies, which took the shapes of humongous creatures and attacked everything around them.
[The Star Relics were turned into their Dark Tuner forms, and their attacks were their respective 'Shadow' Dark Synchro forms.]
Standing before the Demiurgear, the embodiment of the Great Darkness, the other name of the power of destruction, Auram steeled his resolve and got ready to strike it down.
[As shows Testament Palladion.]
Birth of the "Star Hero"
As Auram tried to unite the various powers together, Idlees sensed it, and tried to make one final desperate attack. However, it was Ningirsu who stopped her. In response to the dying wish of Galatea, he used the remains of Babel and his former army of Orphegels to forge Sheorphegel Dingirsu, and struck Idless down.
[As seen in Orphegel Climax.]
The body of Idlees, which had lost all sense of higher thought and reason, was finally destroyed by the attack of Dingirsu. But her very existence continued to cling to the Throne of God until the very end despite losing all rationality or sanity; now lost adrift in a sea of madness, Lees forced her soul to merge with the Demiurgear due to its synchronization with Deus X-Krawler.
However, her body, no longer in possession of the Key, was now unable to restrain and control the incredible power the throne possessed, and as a result, the Demiurgear, reacting to the evil will of Idlees, went completely out of control.
[As shown in World Collapse Brought by the Star Relic.]
Its existence, which harbored the Power of God that could create and destroy worlds and even stars, started to bring about the destruction of the world faster as a result of its leaking power. The Demiurgear, which had become the avatar of destruction, had reached a level where it was no longer possible for it to be held back by the Seal of God in the Earth's core, and it seemed like the end of the world was all but certain, but then Auram, having fully inherited the Key thanks to Eve, became a legendary being that had been whispered of throughout eternity: Jack-Knights Palladion Astram.
In other words, he had awoken as the Star Hero.
Fusion with the Vessel of God's Power
Astram charged straight into the heart of the Demiurgear, where a remnant of the mind of Lees lingered. There he learned the truth about the God that created their world. The Demiurgear is really the prototypical form of all gods, a vessel that does the will of God in response to the will of the being inside it...in short, an Apotheosis Program.
[As seen in Star Relic Finale and Star Relic Choice respectively.]
The entity that had previously occupied the Demiurgear used it to control and operate the movements of the heavens, but whoever they were, they disappeared in the process of sealing the out-of-control power of destruction deep within the planet.
And now, once more a crisis had occurred due to its power.
If it continued to rampage like this, it would not only destroy the world, but the heavens as well. Astram, thinking that because he had become the awakened master of the Key he could control it, completely unleashed its power. Instead of trying to destroy God, he chose to try and become one with the vessel. And thus, A-vida, Twin Star God, was born.
Rebirth of the World "RE:VERSE RE:BIRTH"
The newly-born god, A-vida, armed with the power of God surpassing all human understanding that he obtained after countless merciless battles, hoped He could restore the original world He used to live on as a human, along with Ningirsu, Eve, His Palladion allies, and all the other lives lost in the war.
It might have been a very human and self-righteous thing for a god to do. Maybe it was more sensible to punish them by 'destroying the world'...but ultimately, He chose to absorb the crumbling world into the vessel, and booted up a Restoration Program for the lifeforms born on that world.
[As shows Star-Creation Revision.]
And then there was light...
...
...
...
...
...
...
On that day in a dazzling light
She lost consciousness,
And then when she awoke,
What she saw was a calm night sky laid out before her.
With the twinkling light of the stars,
Gently illuminating the world around her,
She embarked on a journey.
Sometimes, the sword she held
Would blink and glow
With a faint light.
What laid ahead on the path it guided her on
No one knew.
Still, that girl
Entrusted her hopes to its blinking light
Continuing to journey the world he left behind.
...
...
...
...
...
...
Auram disappeared from the world as the Twin Star God at the end of the war, with his name carved into history, leaving behind the Key, now in the form of a sword.
"The battle for the Power of God must never happen again."
Eve carried the sword, and together with Imduk, traveled the world restored by the person that mattered most to her. Ningirsu, who once walked down the wrong path, was revived as a 'Knight' who protects the world. Following the earnest wish of his friend Auram, he pledged to watch over and support Eve in secret. With him was the fairy Galatea, snuggled up close beside him.
[They became Star Relic - "Star Key", Reeve the Star Keymaster, World Remnant Livhrazir, and Girsu, the Jack-Knights Orphegel.]
Due to the effects of the Restoration Program executed by A-vida, the Key that was so entwined with the fate of the world was remade into a sword that absorbed the power of the Star Relics. Eve, the master of the sword known as the Star Key, went on a journey to find a place to seal it forever and prevent the tragedy from ever happening again.
Miraculously, the power of A-vida repaired the destruction caused by the Great Darkness. Countless stars twinkled in the sky, and the breath of life could be heard all around. And Eve, who was given the Star Key, pushed forward with determination in her heart.
To where the Star Relic leads next...
[The conclusion of this tale, as seen in Where the Star Relic Leads Next.]
Now this...THIS was great to finally put down on paper. It took me some time to write, but it's finally finished! It was satisfying to see my custom cards become a part of the actual lore, and with it done, making new cards for it will be easy-peasy. (Or I hope it will be...)
I will keep this chapter updated as I add new cards to the lore while continuing Overdrive, and I'll also answer any reviews regarding it down here.
As a friendly reminder, note that Overdrive's Star Relics aren't the exact ones that appear in this tale. They're simply based on them, hence why their abilities for example aren't the same. That said, I didn't implement the Consecrated Star Relics or the Dilavni archetype because I still have to decide how to add them, or if I should add them to begin with.