Author's Notes:
Part 1 of the Iris King, the most ancient-set piece. I figured y'all probably wouldn't just want the preface in its fake-historical preface method, so I'd add this. There's probably just one or two more parts to the "Iris King" piece of the Iris Treasure Chronicles. But I thought that I'd try to wet your appetites. It's more story-telling frm like the Icelandic Sagas of the Medieval period than a novel-type/interactive form.
Many people believe that Loki and his race are the same race as the Sinistrals whom Sir Maxim, Lady Selan, Sir Guy, Sir Dekar, the elf Artea, and their friends fought against.
THE IRIS KING
On Geography
It is said that the world's circle is full of many lands, torn by many bights, so that great seas run into the lands from the outer deep. The ancient voices speak of a great sea that goes through towers of rock leading into the land called Midland. From this same sea a long sea-bight stretches northeast and is called the Golden Sea, dividing Midland. Far north of the bight lies the Great Cold, which has never been inhabited by creatures. Far west stretches the land of Slyme, the divine kingdom, separated by the great river known as the Waste. It is not for mortals to cross this river of their own accord, for it is the home of the Righteous Ones. In the earliest of times, when men first walked the ground, the land surrounding the bight was divided into two lands for two brother kings. Enea lay to the east and Erebos to the left of the Golden Sea, stretching to the shores of the Waste.
The Splintering
As time moved on the two lands splintered into many kingdoms, given to the brother kings' sons and their sons' sons and so on. This is called the Splintering and it was the beginning of evil as men became less and less united. Now there were many great domains, and many races of men, and many kinds of languages. There were giants, there were dwarves, there were elves, and there were also blue men and stranger kinds of creatures. There were huge wild beasts and dreadful dragons.
The Great Rebellion
Out of this disunity the Great Rebellion took shape. It was led against the rule of the Divine Kingdom by one called Loki, although he is known by many names. The evil arose out of the east first, spreading ever westward. Each race chose sides to battle on and many split amongst themselves. Humans all fought alongside Loki, corrupted by his malice. The elves (except the few elves of dubh, or darkness), the northern dwarves, and many beasts resisted this mutiny, but they were more and more outnumbered. Years passed on while bloodshed and ruin reigned in the land. Loki's kingdom reached the Waste, yet stopped here. He did not dare attack the Divine Kingdom directly, yet. He strengthened his hold on what he had already conquered, searching out the pockets of dissidents.
On Rath of Lughaard
Along the River Threve, which poured down from the southern slopes of the Mountains of the Great Cold into the Golden Sea stood the land called Lugh. Its chief city was Lughaard. Out of this city arose a great warrior and chief for Loki's Rebellion, whose name was Rath, yet he had been deceived. The Rebellion started long before his birth, so he knew of nothing but Loki's lies, which he called truth. Loki and his race set themselves up as though they were gods and nothing was known of the earlier history. Evil was painted as good, and good dubbed evil, while the races followed blindly and silently behind.
Rath fought mightily and mercilessly so that all feared his name on the battlefield. Yet he also fought valiantly, for he thought true justice was upon his side. It was his custom that when he sent his men into battle, or on any expedition, that he would confer with each one individually, laying his hands upon them and calling down Loki's blessings upon them. He was a brother to them all and would lead them from the front into the battle. His armies harbored no doubt and victory was their shadow.
Many times Rath also showed mercy to his foes. One such mercy shown was towards a disheveled old beggar man found in one of the enemies' camps, to feeble to escape. As battles were less, Rath stayed in Lughaard longer and visited this man, more regularly as time went on. Rath was astounded at the man's strong character, especially for his lowly stature and misguided allegiance. Yet, law would not suffer an unremorseful rebel to live longer than one year and that time quickly approached.