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Date |
: Dec 11th, 2001 |
| Genre |
: Strategy |
| Developer |
: Nival Interactive |
| Author |
: Jin-Ning Tioh |
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Ether - From the simplest Gibberling, to the very crust of the earth itself - Ether is everywhere. Flowing from the very fabric of the universe, Ether knows no boundaries. It's flow - the essence of life. Worlds spring from its arcane energies, and change with its flow. Pure energy, dazzling like fresh white snow, flows through the center of the universe as White Ether. Only those souls who are bold and mighty enough to curb it are granted great powers. Unfortunately, only a precious few have managed to achieve such a bold feat. White Ether exists only for a few brief, elusive moments. Now and then however, its arcane energies spill out into four currents. While these currents are not as powerful as the pure energy found in White Ether, they endure much longer. The Ether of Chaos is scarlet like blood. The Ether of Motion is as blue as the skies. The Ether of Vitality is green like a freshly unfolded leaf. And the Ether of Synthesis is as black as scorched stones. These energies form the basis of everything existing in this Universe. When the flow of the ether is smooth and measured, they emit pure energy. But when their pace quickens, ether whirlwinds form and give birth to matter. With inexorable regularity the four multicolored flows of energy rush to join each other and become White Ether again. And where they mix their kaleidoscope of streams in an impetuous whirlwind, the World of the Lords begins.
The World of Lords is but a single world in a universe filled with ether. Intelligent inhabitants know that the crust under their feet is in reality, just another ether whirlwind, a clot of energy. Four celestial bodies travel over that world. The Red Sun, Blue Star, Green Moon and Black Planet, named an eternity ago after the Ether flows whose energy they emit. Spending eternity upon eternity hovering in space, they are deceptively idle. This is not so. Time passes and a mysterious force lines up the stars in single file aimed at the center of the universe, at the point where White Ether is created. Like any creature destined to go through a dawn, zenith and decline in life and then to return in another incarnation after death, the World of Lords emerges, reaches its full beauteous bloom and then dies, in order to be born anew in all its wonder. A Time of Change... The long awaited Time of Change comes to the World of Lords. As soon as the planets combine, their energies flow into a single blinding beam that streaks to the center of the whirlwind. It then unfolds and starts moving backwards. The World of the Lords begins to change wondrously - Imposing mountains turn into flat plains, troughs in the sea turn into dry land, previously unexplored lands now appear in plain view and impregnable fortresses deteriorate into nothing more than mere mirages. The inhabitants must then rewrite their history and redraft their maps. Powerful mages and wizards who control the direction and speed of ether flows using invisible currents of energy flows must discover new spells and hexes from this renewed source of energy to create armor, weapons and servants to combat new foes and old enemies alike or perish in this time of great change.
And thus begins the deadly battles between the four races and their respective Lords. Will the sacred alliance between the Lord of Vitals, Lord of life and diversity, and the Lord of Kinets, Lord of harmony, order and wisdom, manage to reach the Temple of Time and defeat the White Lord to preserve the world from further destruction? Or will the unholy alliance between the Lord of Chaots, Lord of raw power and pure rage, and the Lord of Synthets, Lord of refinement and mechanical monstrosities prevail in this time rife with chaos and destruction? Only time, wisdom, courage and a keen tactical mind can tell...
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