*Lands of Eldaria, Shangri-la/ Year: 42*
I awaken next to a massive new tree that wasn't there before. It seems strangely twisted with technology. Three glowing green veins run up its side. As I'm inspecting the tree ten giggling Elven children appear. They do not speak but understand what I say to them. For now, I teach them to nod yes and no before scanning them.
Name: Elven Adolescent
Sex: M:5/F:5
Race: Elf [Citizen]
Age: 22/600
Strength: D
Agility: C
Endurance: D
Magic: B
So, twenty-two years?
I even made magic real.
I ask the Elven children to show me their magic. They can move the winds and raise small balls of water from the river. Contrary to their age their bodies resemble those of twelve-year-old humans but more importantly. What the hell have these Watchers been doing? Of course, I want Elves and magic. If that was possible who would even, make that shit show human earth?
"Good job children."
I praise them warmly. It's amazing how much they can do already. They all turn to look at me with such excitement. As they rush into my outstretched arms, they all appear happy to see me. I wonder if they've been waiting for me to wake up all this time.
I spend my days with them gathering fruits and exploring. It seems that while I was asleep the Mythical Beasts raised them until now. They appear well acquainted with each other as we visit each of them. It's strangely fitting for the future protectors of this land as well as heartwarming to watch.
A few days later I decided that I was going to teach them language as well as to read and write. I'd like to be able to speak and converse with the Elven children. They seem to be able to understand my words well enough and I understand their intentions and feelings, but it isn't the same as a conversation.
Although it does feel more honest and sincere. There is no deception to them at all they are truly good, pure and honest. Much more innocent than humans ever were. There is nothing malicious or aggressive about them. I've watched them interact with many different creatures as we've wandered this paradise. They show love to all, and every creature accepts them. The Elves live off the fruit of the forest and hunt only what they need. They make clothes from the game they kill and waste nothing.
After a few more months of wandering the Elves are speaking very well. I make an alphabet and arithmetic stone tablet. We practice spelling words and names of the plants and animals. They count the birds as they fly above.
I'm starting to miss some creature comforts of the humans. This may just be the human in me but really like a home. It would be nice to have a base of operations and a designated place to instruct the Elven children.
Unfortunately, the Elves as a whole aren't very interested in building a village. They don't seem to understand the concept of building. A few of them suggested we just call a nearby cave our home. One of the boys tried as hard as he could but, in the end, I did most of the work. I built three makeshift jungle huts next to the world tree.
[ESTABLISH ELVEN HOLY CAPITOL? Y/N]
A screen appears. I accept and blink.
Eight years have passed by, and the Elven children as now labeled as adults. They are now thirty years old. I feel like a bad father for missing so many years. The three huts I built have actually been moderately improved but nothing very impressive. The Elves can now fluently read and write the letters as well as do the arithmetic.
They have been diligent in their studies it pleases me. They also have much better control over their magic. There aren't any spells or chants it's all about imagination and control of mana within in the body.
A few of the more talented Elves have managed to combine their affinities and create icicles with wind and water. I've given them a gift I don't actually completely understand. I've learned that if they ask me questions about it, I can give me a yes or no however, I don't know how to explain it with words other than imagination and intention.
We spent the next 5 years on magical education and experimentation. When I created the mana tree in the world the mana enriched Eldaria as well as all life in it. However, the use of magic was determined at birth and influences personality. I'm not sure why but none of the Elves have fire or Earth mana affinity so we've only been able to test the other three so far. Out of the 10 Elven children only 1 has affinity for Life Magic.
Life magic governs healing and blessing magic. So far, I've been having her practice on blessing the Eden fruit trees and she increases the trees' fruit yields. I however haven't tried to use magic myself. I don't know if it will trigger my time skips so I've been content on watching the Elves grow and recording all the knowledge we gain on magic for them.
The three huts we built are becoming are bit cramped. The Elves have started having a few children. It isn't a problem now but eventually we need more solid structures to live in. I'd like to jump us at least into the medieval technology realm. However, Elves aren't very good craftsmen or tradesman. As I was racking my brain, I had an idea and got the Elves together for a meeting.
"My children I've been thinking of how to solve our infrastructure issue."
I explain to them.
"I worry for the young ones and wish for you all to live comfortably."
"What have you decided on father?"
The most mature of the Elven boys asks he settled on the name Aurelius.
"I'm going to make you some cousins who are talented with building things."
"Cousins?"
A few of the Elves seem lost.
"They're going to be your family. You won't share blood, but I want you to treat them like your younger brothers and sisters."
I Iook upon my children proudly. I know that I shouldn't worry they've all grown into wonderful adults so this will be a good opportunity to test them. I never liked that Dwarves and Elves didn't get along in human mythology. I want to fix that.
"I need you to raise them and watch over them until I wake up again."
"Father how long will you rest this time?" Aurelius asks me.
"I'm not sure," I ponder to myself for a moment, "but I want you to come with me to El Dorado and bring the Dwarves back here until I wake up."
"Of course, father," Aurelius diligently agrees. He seems proud that I chose him to come to El Dorado with me.
I decide to hold a feast as a celebration before I go. I'm excited and also a bit sad. I never bothered having a family when I was human. The family I was born into I never spoke to again once I joined the military. I never could trust a woman enough to get married and have kids. The thought had never even crossed my mind when I was human. Yet another reason I hate humans. They robbed me of this joy.
I decide to start designing the Dwarves. The first template made from my memory resembles common dwarf stereotypes. Small and strong. I decide to make them look more like Viking Elves only slightly shorter and way more muscle as a Dwarf should be. Their women look athletic but have beauty that rivals their Elven cousins.
Once I'm satisfied, I grab Aurelius and teleport to the highest mountain in El Dorado. I look for a cave and before long find one. I follow the path deep inside until I find a chasm that looks like it could go all the way to the center of the planet. I can imagine Dwarves mining and building here perfectly.
I start focusing on imagining Dwarven Culture; Keepers of the Mountains, stubborn, loyal, but rowdy lovers of alcohol, innate craftsman, tradesman, and if need be, warriors with some magic talent, mana source should come from flames of forges and the earth of the land.
[CREATE DWARVEN SPECIES? Y/N]
I decide to proceed. I blink and eighteen years have passed. All around me is a magnificent workshop for the Dwarves. Various advanced specialty tools and equipment lay as far as the eye can see. The technology possible to be created here would rival or surpass that of the humans of the past. I decide to return to the Elven Village.
I arrive and eighteen years with the Dwarves seems to have advanced the Elven Village nicely. The huts have been replaced with platforms in the above in the larger trees. Houses are built on the platforms, and they are connected by rope bridges. There are five elven children now of various ages the oldest being the two eighteen-year-olds born before I left. They are still listed as children so they must not reach adolescence until twenty-two years.
The Dwarves are strong and sturdy yet still curious and accel greatly at arithmetic. They enjoy a challenge and take great pride in their craftsmanship. As adolescents they look closely like their human depictions but I'm sure they'll hit growth spurts soon.
Name: Dwarven Adolescent
Sex: M:5/F:5
Race: Dwarf [Soldier]
Age: 18/400
Strength: B
Agility: F
Endurance: C
Magic: D
The Elves decided to let the Dwarves name themself upon adulthood, so they've been calling them by names of animals based on their personalities. My favorite of the Dwarves they've nicknamed Lion. He suggested moving into the trees and even came up with the design for the rope bridges. I decided to keep a close eye on him.
Today I've decided to take the Dwarves to El Dorado. We find the small cave and begin to explore it. I find a strange new ore and check it with omniscience.
Mana Ore
Only forms in areas of extreme mana density.
We continue through the cave and eventually find ourselves in the workshop. There is a moderately large flat area which extends to a cliff leading to the chasm below. Right here on the edge is a massive forge called the Aether Forge.
I look around envisioning the future of the Dwarves. They have shorter the lifespans than the Elves and I need them to provide construction where needed. However, I do not wish for the Dwarves will not be subservient to the Elves. They must be partners and allies instead. It seems that when I get a clear conveyance of what I want, my people understand instinctively.
Why were the humans so terrible then?
Were they meant to be evil?
If I had to venture a guess it was probably due to their short lifespans and constant war. Since I wasn't there, I don't know the specifics, but my guess is humans have always just been shit. The humans start fighting over who is right about God or who owns the earth's resources. Really any excuse to kill.
It's also possible that this is some sort of war simulation, and the humans were purposefully pitted against one another by their Watcher. I don't have anything for concrete answers just theories for now.
This world is oddly similar to war simulation games I've played in the past. You select a starting race and home. Set up a holy land to defend. This place wants me to be on edge, but the Elves and Dwarves have no natural predators or enemies. Wild animals don't attack them even if they're carnivorous. So, it would make sense to me that there were powers who encourage humans to fight.
If you take into account human history, they believed in multiple gods for most of their history. It wasn't until the Christian church gained power that the idea of only one God named God existed and was widespread so predominantly. It's also always been suspicious that they restarted the calendar after Jesus's death.
Almost like it was an attempt at erasing the past. The previous Watchers probably erased history on the regular that way. Whenever something didn't go their way, they'd wipe them out and try again. There were multiple accounts of Gods becoming disappointed in humans and wiping them off the planet to start over.
It's hard to say honestly whether it was the humans or the Watchers who were at fault. I don't even know what the Watchers on Earth were doing when I killed them. I wonder if they were somewhere leading them somewhere like I am. Maybe they just gave up on humans long ago and went on a long vacation. I don't have any answers though. For me in the concept of my mind when I sleep for long periods, I only perceive it as a blink. I open my eyes and suddenly a bunch of years have passed by, but I haven't changed or aged at all.
"Father."
It's Aurelius I must have lost track of time while lost in thought again.
"Are you in here?"
""What it is Aurelius?"
I greet him warmly with a smile.
"What it is you plan to do here with the Dwarves?"
He asks genuinely curious.
"I'm going to build us some entertainment while the Dwarves make us new tools. I plan to teach my children many things to help them in life."
I explain with a warm and gentle smile.
"And what are you going to teach us father?"
He's even more intrigued now. Aurelius never shies away from a challenge.
"I'm going to build you a place to train your magic and weapon skills."
I busily start gathering various supplies and components.
"There may come a day when you all need to defend yourselves from something evil."
"You mean something like humans?"
Aurelius is honestly the most mature and duty bound to do right of my children so far. I admire that his instinct is to think about things and question. I'm glad he's picked up my distrust of human even if they're gone.
"Exactly, now I'm going to work for a while please don't disturb me."
I shuffle off to get to work on my idea.
Boredom can be a dangerous thing probably even more so for long lived species like Elves and Dwarves. I need to challenge them to spark more growth, but I don't want to hurt them either. I certainly don't want them killing each other.
As a human we hand plenty of entertainment like books, movies, and video games. It got me thinking and I want to make a game for them all to play. The Dwarves may not understand all the technology in here, but I do. I want to make something similar to a full dive virtual reality game. I plan to hide them throughout the continent and dare them to conquer as many as they can find.
I imagine they have all been wanting to test their skills and magic for a while now. I looked at several of them and many of them have gained weapon mastery skills. I'm glad they took it to heart to be ready to defend this place even though they have no enemies.
I spent two months in the Forge but from the first day, one Dwarf in particular became my shadow. He is the one they Elves call Lion. He stayed out of my way and only asked me questions from time to time so I didn't mind the company.
The other Dwarves seem content on practicing with what they already understood how to use and started making various tools from higher quality materials than they've had before.
After a few setbacks I finally made what I was after.
Dungeon Heart (5/5)
Artifact made by the Mad Dog. Can be fused with the land to create dungeons.
The Dwarf that had been shadowing me during construction has gained a useful skill as well as me taking a special liking to him. The Dwarves are curious by nature, but this one showed special promise, so I ended up giving him the name DaVinci.
It had started as just a joke in playful banter on designing the first Dungeon Heart. I ran into an issue on how to make the Hearts run off Mana. When I told the Dwarf my issue he laughed at me, took my prototype, and changed a few parts out before handing it back.
Then he just sat down to watch me turn it on with a smug look on his face. In my own disbelief that he actually fixed it I laughed and said sarcastically.
"OK sure... thanks DaVinci."
However, as I pushed the button, it turned on immediately and worked perfectly. It immediately transported me and the Dwarf to the intended space.
When I looked at him with omniscience, he was officially named DaVinci as well as receiving a new Inventor * skill and title.
Name: DaVinci the Genius
Sex: M:
Race: Dwarf [Inventor]
Age: 18/400
Strength: B
Agility: F
Endurance: C
Magic: D
Skills
Fire Affinity *
Earth Affinity *
Inventor *
When we returned to the rest of the group and he told his story. The Elves and Dwarves all seemed jealous. The Elves most especially since I had never named any of them.
"DaVinci proved himself exceptionally talented so I did it as a reward to see what would happen."
They knew it was just an excuse and weren't entirely happy with my answer.
"Father, I feel like you should name an Elf as well to be fair."
Aurelius suggests.
I was always impressed by him and had always intended for him to lead the Elves when the time came.
"Aurelius"
I want to give him a title if I can.
"Yes Father?"
"That's a wonderful idea."
I think I just need to think and envision his future.
"When we get..."
I cut Aurelius off.
"Aurelius, I have decided that you shall lead the Elves into the future as their King. You will be known from this day forth as King Aurelius Pendragon."
I'm glad I got to see his shocked face right before I blinked.