Development Background: Skulhoarse

So today I'm focusing my spotlight on the Xhelian character that people know the most about.

Yes, our favorite undead knight, Skulhoarse. If anything I'm just going to shed some light on his development history in very general terms, so that I don't have to keep trying to explain things.

This guy's name in general goes way back, back to the days when I just mashed words together to make names (well heck I still kinda do, but instead I do it with syllables now). He was some random skeleton general guy who was a bad guy but that's about it. That old story died, and so did he, but I resurrected his name and attached it to a familiar zweihander-wielding undead knight when I first made the Immortal Avatar about 3 years ago, making him one of its 10 protagonists. Here's what he looked like then:


He looked a bit more ragged but otherwise the same guy. I liked this look actually, but at some point I got fascinated with gothic armor (probably thanks to Medieval 2) and decided it would be cool if he was a fully armored guy, essentially making the armor his body. And plus I was getting tired of people saying he looked like Skeletor. I don't have any beef with Skeletor or anything but I usually prefer my characters to stand on their own. So yeah, I came up with his current appearance.

Some months after, I decided to create the Hundred Suns storyline and took most of the IA protagonists and stuck them in there, except for Skul and a couple others. Skul's story was still strong on its own so I decided to keep it that way. After the GW Tourney hype died down, and I started reading more graphic novels (specifically Conan ones), I got some serious influence and wanted to make a storyline series that follows one guy's adventures around the world, where I don't have to write huge long-winded stories every time and instead write smaller episodes. With that in mind, I started to go crazy creating possible Skulhoarse stories and it just took to the sky after that.

So we come to today, where he's pretty much the poster boy of Xhelia and his story is basically the flagship of it. Other than Skulhoarse's story, the Xhelia story I'm developing the most is Immortal Avatar, to which he is still a protagonist. So yeah, he's definitely the bigshot now. Not bad for a formerly invalidated character.



So why did I get so attached to him? Probably because he represents some of my desires and ideals in some cases. I'll admit that the concept of immortality and being able to travel the world without risk of harm and with all the time of the world is perhaps my biggest unattainable dream.

At the same time, I made sure that Skul was not like every other undead protagonist you see out there, who is usually some kind of antihero or is woefully powerless to their own dark side. Nope, Skul is a total saint and the personification of a "white knight", and the only thing dark or evil about him is the fact that he's undead. This goes as far as making him actually dislike the idea of vengeance even though he was brought back from the dead to bring about just that.


Does that make him a mary sue? Well from what I know, a mary sue is a character for whom all good things happen and always wins. In this aspect, he definitely isn't, because a lot of his stories revolve around his idealism making him gullible to manipulation and the fact that he seems powerless to save the people he cares about despite his best efforts. Dying wasnt enough for this guy; fate constantly throws him a crappy hand and he has no choice but to shoulder it.


But at the same time, he has a strong will as undying as his body and is determined to do what mortals or weaker beings are unable to do so they don't have to do it themselves. So no matter how much crap fate buries him in, he will constantly push on and continue to do good deeds. Besides, he's immortal and he's undead. What excuses does he have?

Current Timeline of Events

Well here's a rough timeline of what I have so far. This should put this whole "10,000 year period" thing into better perspective. Note that most of this deals with Phycos because as I mentioned earlier, most of my major stories happen there.

Note that the SC years I indicated are rough approximations and not specific dates.

Some background on the entries there:

FOUR METEOR CALAMITY - A legendary war between the gods that ripped apart both the mortal and immortal planes. It was finally ended when the goddess Tyrnaxhel deprived the gods of most of their power by taking the Immortal Heart (source of the gods' powers) and shattering it into 4 large fragments, then sending these fragments into the mortal plane, out of their reach. However, these 4 fragments descended as meteors and caused serious damage to the continent, nearly eradicating all life. For the next few centuries, the remaining gods did what they could to repopulate and rebuild the continent. At the same time, these four meteors leaked out the same powers of the gods, filling the planet with it. This same energy, and the changes and powers it brings, would later be known as "magic".

During these early years, the Goddess of Nature, Krinafalda, created the lizard race using humans as a base, and called them the Faldax. She used the Faldax to rebuild the continents of Phycos and Krinakros, and as a result, the two continents grew lush and healthy, and great lizard kingdoms were established. When she left them to their own devices, however, they became mortal once more and were subjected to mortal whims and desires.


TIME PERIODS:

Old Krinakros Civilization - Refers to when the pure ones settled Krinakros and built their new civilization there until they were driven out by the demons.

1st (Phycosian) Dark Age - Refers to the time after the exodus from Krinakros, where the survivors of those civilizations were still weak and struggled to rebuild their old glory in the shadow of the lizard kingdoms.

Adurian Empire - The first great empire to unify most of Phycos, this empire was instrumental in standardizing language and sharing ideas across Phycosian cultures, laying the groundwork for many future nations.

2nd (Phycosian) Dark Age - Occurred after the Adurian Empire splintered into smaller nations. These nations resorted to infighting, and many of the achievements of the previous empire were overwritten by chaos.

The (Phycosian) Holy Age - Also referred to as the Phycosian Middle Ages, this was a time when great religions controlled the fates of nations, and when the 2nd dark age gave way to great advancements and developments in society and civilization overall.

The Zarkenic Empire - The second empire to unite Phycos, though its later years were plagued by corruption and its fall nearly threw the continent into another dark age.

The Phycosian Golden Age - When the last lizard kingdom, Myr'ahn, took up the banner and desire for unity of the fallen Zarkenic Empire and reconquered the continent, finally uniting all the nations of the continent for the first time in history. The Phycosian Confederation is born, and it ushered in a period of relative peace for centuries, though slowly succumbing to corruption over time.

(Phycosian) Age of Bloodshed - The decline of the Confederation and the damage done by the Second Demon War led to widespread unrest and the rise of many rebel nations, specifically the Sirh Empire which would become the Confederation's greatest enemy. This period is characterized by constant conflict.

3rd (Phycosian) Dark Age - Following the victory of the Tyrant Legion in the Third Demon War, the continent is split between the leaders of the legion, who rule with cruelty and do as they please, while making war with each other, effectively throwing civilization back more than 1000 years.

MAJOR CONTINENTAL BATTLES:

1. The Ancestor Wars - This was the first great war between the so-called "cursed ones" (later to be known as demons) and the "pure ones" (ancestors of the non-demon races). "Demon" at this point referred to anyone who was not mutated by the energies of the meteors. This resulted in the pure ones being defeated and driven to the continent of Krinakros where they built their civilization. The great Demonarchies (demon nations) developed a grudge against them that they would hold for millennia.

2. War of Krinakros - The Demonarchies attempted to do something about their grudge, and waged war on the descendants of the pure ones and their great civilizations in Krinakros. Once again, the pure ones were defeated, and the demons placed a sort of energy all over the continent that did ill to all pure ones within. Eventually, the pure ones once again had to flee, this time north into Phycos, in what came to be called the "Exodus from Krinakros".

Some centuries before this, a great war erupted in Phycos between the lizard kingdoms and the age became known as the "Age of Blood and Cold". This conflict serverely weakened the lizard kingdoms to the point that the fleeing survivors of Krinakros were able to establish a foothold in the continent with ease.

3. First Demon War - Occurring during the Holy Age, or the Phycosian Middle Ages, the dragon demonarchies of Forneos banded together and launched a massive invasion of Phycos across the oceans. However, Phycosian civilization grew powerful, and this time the Demonarchies suffered a crippling defeat.

4. Second Demon War - The Demonarchy returned once again, this time using subtler means to wage war. They took advantage of the Confederation's weakening state and caused unrest, finally culminating in a demon invasion. The invasion was stopped, but not without causing serious damage to the nations under the Confederation.

5. Third Demon War - The greatest and bloodiest of the Phycosian demon wars. Taking advantage of the constant conflict between the Confederation and the Sirh Empire, the Demonarchies rallied those disillusioned with both into one powerful military force known as the Phycosian Legion. With the demons supporting the Legion, it became a faction so powerful that the demons hardly had to involve themselves in the war. Due to its ferocious speed of conquest and brutality, the legion would later be known as the "Tyrant Legion" by its enemies, a name that it later took for itself. This resulted in a crushing defeat for both the Empire and Confederation, and the Legion conquering all of Phycos.

MAJOR PHYCOSIAN WARS
(Note: most of these have already been described above. I'll talk about the ones that weren't)

2. War of Myr'ahn - The greatest war of the Holy Age, it was a war fought over the resource-rich lands of Myr'ahn. Countless nations from around the continent banded together and joined one side or the other. Ultimately, very little was achieved, but this weakened many nations to the point that the Zarkenic Empire saw its opening and began its conquest shortly after.

5. Black and White Conflict - Refers to the period of about 2 centuries where the Confederation and Sirh Empire fought wars on and off. It's called this both because of the national colors used by these two nations, as well as the kind of technology they used.


MAJOR STORIES

1. The Lost Age - Refers to a flashback or a telling of life as it was in the highly advanced Lost Civilization, shortly before it was ripped apart by the Four Meteor Calamity.

2. The Ancestor Wars (see above)

3. Old Krinakros - A story detailing the conflicts between nations of Old Krinakros, which was ended abruptly by the invasion of the Demonarchies.

4. Skulhoarse - Refers more to when Skulhoarse rose from the dead, some time in the Holy Age. Skulhoarse is a wandering undead knight who strives to do god's work while claiming vengeance for lost souls, which runs contrary to his beliefs. His story extends all the way to the end of the timeline, but this is where it begins.

5. The Hundred Suns - A story of a medieval mercenary group that strives to be more, trying to become a more honorable and dependable group that protects the weak and innocent. The Hundred Suns endure up to the end of the timeline, but this is where their major story is.

6. The Immortal Avatar - A story set in the aftermath of the War of Myr'ahn, where the news of powerful artifacts sent down by the gods sends people and nations alike into a crazed search for this power. This story follows 10 characters from different walks of life and their attempts to gain the fragments fo the avatar for various reasons.

6a.. Eighteen Heroes - Did not list this on there because this is more of a Skulhoarse story, but this happens immediately after the Immortal Avatar story. Skulhoarse goes back to his home land to remove the 18 corrupt "heroes" who control society.

7. Rise and Fall of the Zarkenic Empire - A story that follows Milius Zarkenda, emperor of the Zarkenic Empire, and how he goes from a great visionary conqueror and unifier to a corrupt and twisted tyrant.

8. The Tyrant Slayer - A story about a rebel who rose up against the declined Confederation, gathering followers and ultimately laying the groundwork for the future Sirh Empire.

9. The Third Demon War (Serian's story) - This story is about a common man named Serian who joins the Holy Army (Confederation Army) in search of a lost love, and takes him through a series of events during the Third Demon War that would change him and the people he knows forever.

10. The Reclamation of Phycos - The latest story in the timeline, but also one of my oldest stories. This story follows the people of Phycos who band together to form a fighting force bent on removing the Tyrant Legion's various cruel rulers from rule and "reclaiming" the continent to rebuild civilization back to what it used to be.

The World Itself

Of course it'd be best to start the blog off by giving a description of what Xhelia looks like. But let's start it off with an amusing picture so you can get a rough overview.


As the immortal historian, Dronos, says in this picture, Xhelia is a large planet with 4 moons and some weird things going on. Specifically we have the "Wall of Light" which divides the planet into east and west hemispheres. This ring is some kind of discharge of energy from deep in the planet that seems to go on constantly, and is so strong that the energy is literally shot into space and accumulates there, seen as a sort of ring for the planet. It also serves to keep the oceans in the area turbulent and has served as a sort of natural barrier between east and west.

The four moons are equally as strange, being that they seem to be very different from each other. The white moon, Lasta, is the most "normal" one, being the standard white moon we're familiar with. Paghdal, on the other hand, looks more like a secondary planet complete with its own atmosphere and water and all that fun stuff. Vulkas is a constantly-burning magma moon, and Sirh is a moon that is pitch black. All these strange quirks of the planet came into being thanks to the Four Meteor Calamity which I will touch on later.

The four or possibly five continents are more straightforward.

Phycos - The continent in which most of my stories take place, and also the smallest. Phycos consists of several landmasses around a central "Dark Sea", which is where one of the four meteors of legend smashed into the continent and split it into its current form. The meteor constantly radiates magic energy which has served to make this continent extremely abundant with magic. It is home to many species of intelligent life and a vast range of cultures.

Krinakros - A massive and largely unexplored continent that connects directly to the south of Phycos, across a great desert. Krinakros is said to be the cradle of civilization, where the races that now occupy Phycos once dwelled before a great evil drove them north to find a new home. Krinakros is a colossal and untamed landmass of undiscovered riches, but due to the above legend, it was largely ignored by Phycosians for centuries.

Forneos - Known as the demon continent, Forneos has been in a state of chaos for millennia ever since the Four Meteor Calamity. It was once the greatest continent of the lost civilization, and it was said that the entire continent was covered by one massive, continuous network of advanced cities. The calamity caused magic and otherworldy energies to rip through the continent, forever mutating its landscape into strange and sometimes surreal forms. Standard laws of climate and meteorology do not apply for Forneos, which seems to have its own set of natural laws. The continent is inhabited almost entirely by demon races, often at war with each other.

Ghallios - Largely unknown land, and perhaps the largest continent. It is unknown what kind of beings live there at this time, but it's said that an advanced race may dwell there.

Southern Continent - It is unknown if this place even exists, as nobody has ever been there, or at least nobody has ever brought back anything tangible. Only legends and rumors ever come from this place. So where exactly do these legends come from? Who knows...

Ielaxus - Not a continent per se, but a massive icecap that essentially connects the continents of Phycos and Forneos on the north pole. It is said to be a safer route to Forneos as opposed to sailing across the Wall of Light, but instead of turbulent seas you get the most unforgiving cold climate in the planet. Not exactly the best trade-off. Some creatures actually live on this land, though they tend to keep to themselves.

Blog Get!

So I finally decided to create this blog. This blog will contain mostly storyline and setting information about my main universe where most of my stories take place, Xhelia. I don't have any game projects attached to this game yet, but I've been drawing and writing from this universe for more than a decade. I'll be posting anything ranging from updates to information about the universe or characters on here, as well as any Xhelia-related drawing. At least I have a better place to post my junk in case anyone may want to see it. Heh.

Note that there is about a 10,000 year time frame where most of my Xhelia stories take place, and I'll make sure to indicate the time period when I make a post. But since I'm pretty good at explaining these things anyway (or long-winded), it shouldn't be too much of a problem. I'll probably start with extremely general posts first to get a better picture of the setting.

Hope you enjoy it!