Disclaimer: The universe of Modern Falmart is a purely alternate reality I created specifically for the purposes of the story, that's why it doesn't follow anymore most established lore elements such as The Gods curtailing progress. I'll try to narrate and explain how in my story it managed to overcome those things in the story itself. The universe of Canon Falmart however, is going to follow the original story logic and lore as closely as possible.
Gate: The Empire Invades Sadera
Year 3022 of the Imperial Calendar.
Historical city center of Sadera.
That day it was the first day of the Classical Reenactment Week.
Cosplayers from all the country and the continent had came in Sadera, dressed up in period-appropriate dresses, to celebrate the event.
A ruined and ancient arc of stone, the Triumphal Gate, stood infront of the ancient Colosseum of Sadera, people dressed up as gladiators and legionaries were all over the place, taking selfies and trying to speak in Old Imperial, the ancient language used in Classical Falmart.
History experts were explaining the history of the monuments to the curious tourists.
The Main Imperial Palace, that was usually closed as it was still the seat of the government, was opened for tourism for this special occasion.
Thousands of years had passed since the rulers of The Empire, the huge superstate that existed before Sadera, Formalia, Mudwan, Elbe and all of the modern nation-states, lived in that palace.
The current Empress of Sadera, Pina De Moltusides XVII, was an actual descendant of the last Imperial Dynasty, the El Caesars, and shared her first name with Pina I Co Lada.
To entertain the kids, two actors dressed up as Zorzal I "The Failure" El Caesar and Pina I Co Lada were playing a stage show in the palace.
Everything was going well, no major incidents had been reported, and the police was pretty relaxed too, as it was a pretty well organized events and everything was under control.
Until during late afternoon, magic detectors in all the capital city had a spike, and citizens reported that the Triumphal Gate magically repaired itself and it was now brand new.
Ancient Imperial POV
Count Colt Formal was leading the Imperial Expedition Forces beyond the Gate that the Prince Zorzal El Caesar had decided to open with the support of his father, Emperor Sol Moltus.
With him, there was the Viscount Herm Fule Maio.
"This looks like a very big city, they even have a Colosseum, even if its a bit ruined!" Formal said.
"Its a majestic Colosseum indeed, it resembles the one they have in the Imperial Capital of Sadera… Infact, all the skyline of this new world slightly resembles the one of the Imperial Capital… obviously excluding the huge glass towers and the lack of walls…" the Viscount answered.
"My loyals legionaries, it's time to expand yet again, the borders of our great Empire! We'll ask these barbarians to join us peacefully, but be ready to strike if they refuse! For the Empire! Emroy is with us!" he then said to his men, before crossing the Gate.
He then moved forward, into the new world, and as he found himself on the other side, he proudly stood on his horse, followed by the column of soldiers, a majestic and frightening sight for most people, and declared:
"HELLO, WORTHLESS BARBARIANS. I AM VISCOUNT HERM FULE MAIO OF THE FALMARTIAN EMPIRE! AND THIS WORTHLESS CITY IS NOW OUR PROPERTY! SURRENDER TO THE EMPIRE OR WE'LL SLAUGHTER YOU ALL LIKE PIGS!"
He then immediately ordered to the wyvernry to fly out of the Gate into the sky of the new world.
He was expecting terrified civilians running away or an army ready to face them, but instead there was a smiling mob that started clapping as soon as he finished his speech.
The closest peasants started cheerfully shouting at him.
"OH DEUS, EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE, YOUR COSTUME IS SO REALISTIC, I ALSO WANTED TO COSPLAY AS HERM FULE THIS YEAR BUT I COULDN'T FINISH MY OUTFIT IN TIME! I'M ALSO A BIG FAN OF THE ANCIENT EMPIRE!"
"YOUR OLD IMPERIAL PRONUNCIATION WAS PHENOMENAL, HOW DID YOU LEARN IT SO WELL?"
Then a goblin, one of those little, stupid green humanoid rats, approached him with a strange flat and square black box.
"Hey, can i have a selfie? Thank you in advance"
The Viscount got then blinded for few seconds by a flashing light.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH, YOU LITTLE WORTHLESS GREENSHIT HOW DARE YOU CAST A BLINDING SPELL ON ME? LEGIONARIES GET HIM!"
"Damn man, you never leave your character? Supreme acting, thank you again!"
The legionaries did not attack him, they were also astonished as the crowd around them also spoke their language, although some were clearly not fluent in it, and most also wore typical imperial garments.
They were all wondering and looking around, this new world was so different yet so similar to their own.
They even saw other legionaries walking around, in full imperial armor, complete with their same shield with the Imperial dragon on it, even though some had strange looking armors… They were made of a strange material they had never seen before and had a kind of…fake feeling…
Then, they spotted a tricolor flag flying over a building. It had three purple, light purple and gold stripes, with the Imperial Dragon symbol in the middle. It wasn't a random dragon, It was exactly the very same dragon symbol used by The Empire. The three colors of the flags were also exactly the ones of the Imperial Standard.
As they marched their way in, following the road, they were greeted by a hail of flashes and positive comments.
"What the fuck, what is this? How is this possible? Did the Gate open in one of our own cities?" Count Formal asked.
"I dont know. Just keep marching and go forward, don't stop. Don't react. This place is full of demihumans, orcs, demons and other inferior species, it can't be an Imperial city because we have racial laws. Also they are all acting strange. Do you see that troll right there? He is speaking and showing signs of sapience. He is wearing clothes, but he looks the same as the trolls we have in our army, and those can match the intellect of a smart dog at most… they're clearly not sapient beings…" Herm Fule said.
Saderan Law Enforcement POV
"Unit SDR-1, i have a confirmed sight of the marching column that came out the magically rebuilt Triumphal Gate. Negative, it seems like they are not terrorists, nor troublemakers, just cosplayers and actors."
"Unit SDR-2, the organization of the event has confirmed they didn't plan anything with the Triumphal Gate. Those aren't their actors."
"SDR-1, maybe they're from another association. What else they can be? Let's keep watching them, ok? Tell the civilians they actually are actors for now. Let's avoid spreading panic."
"SDR-2. The policemen on the scene confirmed that those guys are just speaking fluent Old Imperial even among themselves, no cosplayer, no matter how dedicated, would do that. Some speak in Vulgar Italican, which is a completely dead and forgotten language that was last spoken in Formalia centuries ago. The armors they are wearing are also much more detailed and realistic than any copy. The wyverns they are flying… seems to belong to the extinct Draconis Minor Viperinus Falmartius species, aka the Lesser Wild Falmartian Wyvern… The last one died over 200 years ago in a zoo…"
"SDR-1… are you telling me that they could be straight up from the past? Oh… Deus…"
Ancient Imperial POV
The soldiers, the commanders, the mages, the noblemen, were all astounished by this strange city.
In the distance, afar from the crowd, there were horseless carriages of metal going around.
The wyverns that flew in the sky were at least 2 times as big and strong looking than theirs, and they all wore strange outfits that resembled black armors, yet they all had the Imperial roundel and symbol on them.
"Young legionary. What's your unit? What Imperial city is this? Do you know what the Empire is? How is this continent called?" Marquis Calasta asked to a kid, about 15yo, dressed up as a legionary that was also watching the marching troops.
"Oh, Ave Imperator dude! Nice outfit and yeah, i'm cosplaying as a Praetorian Guard of the Legio XI Arcticensis, the legion that fought in the Second Arctic War of 1007-1012. We're currently in Sadera, in the continent of Falmart, the capital of the Empire of Sadera, you should know too… Like, you came out of the Triumphal Arc for the famous Classical Reenactment Week of Sadera… and yeah i obviously know what The Empire is, im a huge history nerd, if i didnt like The Empire i wouldn't be here today hahaha… What about you? I assume you're cosplaying as Marquis Calasta of the Legio VI Teltide, Middle Empire Era, from the symbol on your armor, how many years ago did you get in this hobby? You look pretty old, i just started last year"
Marquis Calasta was, to say the least, absolutely confused by the boy answer.
He cited "cosplay" and "cosplaying" a bunch of times… What did it mean?
He said they were in Sadera, the capital of the State of Sadera… Which was impossible, because Sadera was already the capital of the state called "The Empire".
Also, he said that a second Great Arctic War had been fought, in the years 1007 to 1012… but everyone knew that the one and only Great Arctit War had happened in 437 Imperial Calendar… The year 1000 wasn't even happened yet… The current year was 687 IC… Right?
Marquis Calasta started processing the informations he had just received, and he looked around himself.
He started doubting something terrible.
His eyes got wide open and he started heavy breathing.
"W-Woah dude… You alright? Do i need to call someone? Remove your outfit maybe you're too hot" The boy that was speaking with him concernedly asked.
"W-What y-year is it boy? T-The Arctic War happened in 437 IC… W-what year is it now in Sadera? I-is it 687… right?"
"Uhm… We're in 3022 IC… Why do you ask? Wait, maybe your sickness is getting to the head… I'll call the emergency services…"
Marquis Calasta felt like his heart stopped. 3022 IC. If it was true, they had opened the Gate 2337 years into the future… How did this happen? Was is really the truth?
Marquis Calasta looked again around.
He saw a stone statue with the face of the Princess Pina Co Lada, which was still just a project last time he checked it out, a month ago, yet it was already there, and it even looked like it was extremely ancient and ruined.
He looked in the direction of the Main Imperial Palace.
The new sections that were still under constructions were already finished too, and there were even additional sections, and the building looked almost six times as big.
He recognized the central part, but everything else was new, the architecture and the styles too.
The only part he recognized also looked like it was the oldest.
Then he also thought about how the boy spoke. His Imperial wasn't perfect, he did understand what he said, but didn't really speak it himself and most of the times he had answered in a language that was very similar to Imperial, yet it wasn't the same… Almost like… He spoke an… evolution of the same language.
He took a huge breath, and tried to calm down.
He was definitively in the city of Sadera, there was no doubt about it.
"Kid… Listen me closely… Don't call anyone, I'm not sick… Please, listen to me. I… We… You may not believe me… B-But… We're from the past. Me and the other men that came out the Gate. We came from the past. Behind the Gate, the Triumphal Arc as you call it… There is the past. We're from the year 687. Prince Zorzal sent us, we were expecting to invade another world… This is… the future…"
The young kid looked at him with a confused and bewildered face, for few seconds, then he smiled and said "OOOH!" "I understand! You're roleplaying! Allright then, Marquis Calasta of the VI Legio Teltide! I'll play along!"
The Marquis now kind of realized what cosplaying and roleplaying meant.
Cosplaying meant dressing as a specific character, in this case, legionaries and knights.
Roleplaying meant acting like you were that specific character and acting like he would have done.
He wasn't being taken seriously because the kid thought he was an actor too.
Once again, pieces started connecting in his brain.
"Oooh, yeah, roleplaying! Uhm.. Yeah! Let's keep talking in character then! Young legionary! Guide me through this Imperial City! Tell me about the future! I'm straight up from the past and i know nothing! This is an order! Speak Imperial to me if you can"
"Oh Deus, this is so cool… Uhm, Si, Meo Marchese! I shall be your guide through the Civitas de Sadera, capital of the Imperium of the same name! …Wait, sorry for breaking character, i have to text my friends i'll be busy for the next few hours…" Eagerly answered the kid, whipping out a black flat box, similar to the one that the goblin used to blind the Viscount Herm Fule.
"Young Legionary, what kind of magical device are you using? What does 'texting' means?"
"Oh, uhm… it's a smartphone, sadly mine is not magical, mine uses an electrical charged battery, magical ones are too expensive and my parents won't get me one. You can use smartphones to communicate live with people, listen to music, see pictures and videos and a lot of other stuff… It's similar to… Uhm… one of those magic spheres that ancien- I mean, actual mages use. Ave Imperator, i shall make use of my smartphone to serve The Empire!"
Calasta was intrigued. A piece of technology that wasn't magic-based, yet it had functions that were previously thought to be only possible through magic.
Also, from how the boy talked, it sounded like The Empire didn't exist anymore in this futuristical world.
It seemed like Sadera was now its own independent nation.
Just HOW MUCH did the geopolitical situation, the society and the culture change in these thousands of years?
"Young legionary, i command you to tell me about the internal situation of The Empire! From how you speak, you make it sound like it doesn't exist anymore! Tell me about this Sadera, and its borders!"
As the pair started to walk around the city, the boy started to tell him about the current geopolitical situation of Falmart and the world, also helped by his smartphone and the internet, while also checking historical facts and events.
"…So basically, Prince Zorzal decision to open the Gate is what caused The Empire to crumble?" Calasta asked.
"Yeah, but not just that. Basically Zorzal I had opened the Gate in the middle of the capital of Elbe for mistake, causing The Empire to attack its own ally, causing a huge coalition of angered states against itself to form. But what really caused The Empire to die, was the martyrdom of Saint Cato de Altestan! Without his death, maybe today Deusism would coexist with the ancient Falmartian Paganism, and Emroy, Hardy and the other gods of the past would be still alive along with the One True God Deus! Instead, Emroy ordered his followers to burn Cato, and he launched a full invasion of Falmart to curb down its cultural and philosophical progresses, causing Rory herself to turn against him and defeat him! After this happened, Falmart was divided in Deusist and Pagan nations, and the religious wars between the Princes of the Empire caused it to fall forever. Oh, another thing. You wouldn't believe it, but Rory, the demigod from the story I just told you, is actually my history professor at school, it's so cool, she's like over 3000 years old."
Marquis Calasta listened but wasn't very focused, he had so many things to think about in that moment, so his mental information elaboration process was quite slow.
Clearly, this was a parallel world, because in his own world, the Gate had opened there, and not in Elbe.
The notion that the majority of the people in this future was monotheist and the Apostle of Emroy herself had turned against her master had blown his mind the most.
"Oh, speaking of the devil… HEY! THAT'S MY SCHOOL TEACHER, PROFESSOR MERCURY! LOOK SIR, THAT'S THE RORY I'VE TALKED YOU ABOUT!" the kid announced.
Marquis Calasta looked in the direction the kid pointed, to see a old looking lady, with red eyes and dark grey hair.
With her, there was a clearly undead man.
"How sick, in this world of the future undead beings can walk among normal people!" The Marquis thought.
As he made eye contact with the old lady that the boy had identified as "Rory", she briefly looked at him and then her jaw dropped.
Rory Mercury POV
Rory couldn't believe it.
It just wasn't possible.
"CALASTA! IS IT YOU? H-HOW IS IT POSSIBLE? YOU DO NOT EVEN HAVE THE AURA OF AN UNDEAD!" she screamed on the top of her old, tired lungs.
Calasta used to be one of her best friends, 2000 years before.
"CALLY! CALLY! IT'S ME, RORY! IT'S BEEN A LOT OF TIME! I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU!"
"…Oh… Calasta… I remember him, he was an acquaintance of mine back then, i was in the Dove Party of the Empire, and he was a Hawk Party member… I didn't know he also managed to survive through the ages…" Said Cicero De Moltose, the undead man accompanying Rory.
Calasta was with a young high school kid, and he was also dressing like an ancient imperial soldier.
Rory loved the Classical Reenactment Week. Every year she attended it with her sapient and sentient undead friends, her fellow ex-demigods or with friends from species that lived for many centuries, to feel like she was young once again, living in the world of her childhood.
Calasta used to be one of her lovers, many, many centuries before.
He used to visit the Temple of Emroy of Sadera three times a week to pray, and there, he fell in love with her, when she still looked like a young girl.
There was just one thing that wasn't right.
Rory clearly remembered that Calasta had died in war, around the Imperial Year 692.
She was absolutely sure she saw him, passing away in his bed, covered by third degree burns after a wyvern flame had struck him.
She had listened to his last words, and saw his body being buried in the ground…
Something wasn't right.
Author Notes:
Hello, I think some of you may remember me. This is a rewriting/repost of an old story I had posted last year, but took it down due to the incredible amount of hate it was receiving lol. I want to repost it because after all, there was also people who enjoyed it. My goal with this story is writing something that is truly a fanfiction, something that is different from the generic cliched "X entity massacres the evil Empire" trope, by using the world of GATE as a base to build my own story, instead of simply reskinning the original story. Hope you enjoy