Prologue

It had begun with Drysart.

Few people remember who he is or what he was like, but all in the land of EverCrest knew what is was he did.

Some said he was a god, and none were louder in saying so than he. Some said he was a demon, and none were louder in saying so than he. However, it is widely believed that Drysart was, at his core, a man.

The vast lands of EverCrest were not always populated by the myriads upon myriads of monsters, animals, sages, heroes, and other far stranger creatures. It was after Drysart discovered such a land that it became thus.

He was, at his core, a man. And like all other men, he had an urge. His urge usually came to him in the form of a need for women or fine foods, but there was one day when his urge was to seek.

And seek he did. The tales of Drysart's discovery of EverCrest were known only to he himself, and it is unlikely that he would ever have shared them. Eventually, however, those tales ended with him stumbling upon the vast lands that he later dubbed EverCrest.

Once again, Drysart had urges. And his urge was to find those who would share this bountiful land with him.

And he did.

They came from all dimensions, realities, and areas. Creations as simple as the meagerest of humans or as complex as the most distant, alien life form. Undoubtedly, each of them have a tale to tell: why they left where they did, what they sought, and how they came to EverCrest.

However, their tales are meant for another time.

Drysart was a man, true, but most revered him as they would a god. For only he knew the secrets of EverCrest and only he could keep it and its peoples stable and secure.

Some said he was a man, most said he was a god. And then there were those who said he was a demon...

They began as small, insignificant creatures at first. Cowardly creatures filled with rage and fury towards the Keeper of EverCrest. They would come from the depths to attack the Keeper and seek to dethrone him.

And they failed. With each attempt, they were met with fierce retaliation by the peoples of the land. They were fond of Drysart and the land he provided, and sought to defend he and the land he had given from all of them. Drysart was content and allowed them to do so.

Then, came the Greater One.

The name of the Greater One is no longer spoken, for what it wrought is something nobody wishes to remember. As history progressed, its name was forgotten, but its deed was not...

The Greater One was aptly named for its rising from the depths where the creatures spawned and attacking, like the creatures. And like the creatures, it was retaliated against.

However, the Greater One did not fall so easily.

It continued to strike out against the Keeper, crushing those who got in its way beneath its heel. And with the Greater One came the lesser ones. The creatures now had something to rally behind, to voice their love of chaos and hatred of those who would oppose it.

The peoples of EverCrest were torn to pieces, unaccustomed to such fire and pain the creatures wrought in their wake. Slowly, one by one, they fell to the side and the Greater One cleared a path to the Keeper himself.

Drysart was waiting for it, and attacked the Greater One and its minions to defend his land against it. A battle ensued that the people of EverCrest no longer like to speak of, but they have dubbed the Flame.

The carnage that followed was too horrible for words.

Eventually, the Greater One and its minions were banished into the depths for all time, and the peoples of EverCrest rejoiced. The land was peaceful again.

However, Drysart was not pleased. He knew that for every Greater One to fall, more would rise to take its place. Embittered by his struggle against the creatures, he saw only fields of fire in his future.

So it was that Drysart forsook EverCrest and left it to its own devices. Without a word except the assurance that he would not be back, Drysart left EverCrest forever.

The confusion that followed was quickly interrupted as the land degenerated into chaos. It was in this time that the Flame Lords came into power.

They are forgotten now, but when they lived, they were huge titans wreathed in flames that struck down all in their path and engulfed the land in fire and fright. Many died beneath their reign.

The Flame Lords were fighters at heart, however, and when there was no one left to fight, they fought each other. In great infernos of fire, the Flame Lords slew each other.

But one survived...

His name was Tregion, the weakest of the Flame Lords and for the most part, overlooked by the people. But, while he was weak in fire, he was strong in discipline. He focused himself and learned the powers of the slewn Flame Lords.

Eventually, Tregion gathered power and with power came followers. Tregion created an army with which to conquer, and with it, he had a goal.

EverCrest would be his.

The people were resiliant, though, and Tregion knew they would not collapse easily. However, their spirits were weak now, living in the carnage and burnt-out ruins left by the Flame Lords.

Tregion was clever, though, and he knew of how to conquer EverCrest without even lifting a finger to fight, but instead, lifting one to point.

They were the Anthromorphs before, but now, they are the Furries. A derogatory name for the most hated creatures in EverCrest.

It was easy to blame the Furries, and Tregion knew this. Their ways were unnatural, and their resemblance to the people unnerved them. Surely, they could bring nothing but trouble. And surely, in this time of peril, they would try to seize power for their unnatural ways.

It was easy to blame them. Tregion knew this, and the Furries became the scapegoats for EverCrest's ruin.

Thus the people have rallied behind Tregion, the Flame God, and thus have the Furries been persecuted for almost a year now. Hunted and killed for bounties on their heads, they live a restless, peaceless life.

However, there are those that question Tregion's rule. Those that see through his scapegoats. There are even those who rally to dethrone the Flame God.

Whether they will succeed or not, I cannot say. I have been around long, living through the Greater One's Attack, the Departure of Drysart, and the Reign of the Flame Lords.

My time here is growing short. Perhaps soon, I shall follow the Keeper beyond this land in search of new prospects.

Perhaps soon...but not now. Not until someone else can fill these pages with this history. Perhaps I'll find that person, and perhaps not. Who can say for sure?

And thus it is that I end this document of history on a note of query. Will Tregion be dethroned or will the Flame God burn for all eternity? Will the Furries be as forgotten as the Greater One's name in a few years?

Will I still be penning these pages when the time is done?

This....I cannot say.

-Parcelan, Historian of EverCrest and Last Remaining Elder

runs away from his Storm Troopers

An adolescent boy took a plate to the head. "Okay! I'm not human... but..." He took of the ring, and the illusion began to wear off. His form changed to more of a foxlike state.

"See? He even admits it!"

The boy continued to change, though. The angry man began to look puzzled. The boy had now changed into a fox. Not a furry, but just a fox. Granted, it was standing on its hind paws, but it was undoubtedly not at all human. "...I'm not a furry, either."

The man calmed down. "What... what are you, then..." He said, sitting down.

"A fox. Simply a fox."

"I... don't know... you're still... I... you... ugh! This is giving me a headache!"

"What if I'd truned out to be an elf? I could have just been posing as a human because of those who hate elves. You shouldn't be so quick to judge others."

"Grah! Get out of my bar anyway!"

"Sheesh! Fine! I'll go..." The fox walked out the door. He walked a short distance before hearing a shocking thing. Parcelain proposing to Deth!!!

quote:

---

Folx had this to say about Pirotess:
"Furry!" yelled a man in a bar. "I know exactly what that ring does! It makes you look human!"

An adolescent boy took a plate to the head. "Okay! I'm not human... but..." He took of the ring, and the illusion began to wear off. His form changed to more of a foxlike state.

"See? He even admits it!"

The boy continued to change, though. The angry man began to look puzzled. The boy had now changed into a fox. Not a furry, but just a fox. Granted, it was standing on its hind paws, but it was undoubtedly not at all human. "...I'm not a furry, either."

The man calmed down. "What... what are you, then..." He said, sitting down.

"A fox. Simply a fox."

"I... don't know... you're still... I... you... ugh! This is giving me a headache!"

"What if I'd truned out to be an elf? I could have just been posing as a human because of those who hate elves. You shouldn't be so quick to judge others."

"Grah! Get out of my bar anyway!"

"Sheesh! Fine! I'll go..." The fox walked out the door. He walked a short distance before hearing a shocking thing. Parcelain proposing to Deth!!!

---

psst...it's a story, not an SL