Fork I: Splendor Solis
The Fork I is the major event in the history of Brume, and the beginning of this Realm History in the Log. It is the event that caused the creation of the Myth Realm and it's associated with the alchemist's ~Great Work.~ The Fork I is also known as the ~Splendor Solis,~ since it's lead to the burgeon of a new Sun in the sky of Log.
Fork Context
After the poisoning of the Old King, in the years leading up to the Fork-I, also known as the Splendor Solis, the various cults within Brume delved deeper into the alchemical arts, each pursuing their own goals and understanding of the Great Work. The Aurora Consurgens sought to bring forth a new era of enlightenment and understanding by perfecting the ~Great Work,~ the ultimate alchemical transformation. The Order of the Ninth Sun pursued the study of solar alchemy, harnessing the power of the sun and celestial bodies to transmute the reality. Meanwhile, the Church aimed to maintain the balance between the material and spiritual realms, seeking to refine the soul through inner alchemy.
Fork Event
Many years post the Snow banishment, and 1001 days prior to Fork I, the Old King fell to poisoning. Members of The Order of the Ninth Sun were primarily suspected of this act, particularly the Lead, an ex-member1 of the Order.
With the Old King's demise, the Church emerged as the most potent cult in Brume. Their traditional ally, The Aurora Consurgens, received adequate support to work on the Magnum Opus, with each relic2 from the monarch used as a catalyst for the alchemical process of metal transmutation into gold. As the relics became the primary source of alchemical power in Brume, the Church utilized the King's death as a pretext to intensify the persecution of The Order of Ninth Sun. Consequently, their members were forced into deeper obscurity.
Brume's cults' diverse alchemical practices culminated in an unprecedented phenomenon commencing with the King's last breath. This event encapsulated not just the profound effects of the Great Work undertaken by Aurora Consurgens, now with more resources than ever, but also the exploration of solar alchemy by The Order of the Ninth Sun. Upon becoming entirely clandestine, they embraced their sinister aspects, permitting their members to utilize any means, even those previously prohibited within their order3, to achieve the ultimate alchemical transformation - the King's rebirth.
The Great Work
As the alchemical currents started merging, reality began quivering. Rivers flowed backward, blossoms burst in alien hues and seasons, and fauna exhibited peculiar behaviors, indicative of a profound disruption in natural order. The metaphorical poison spread through the realm, sparking the manifestation of Fork I. Astonishing transformations occurred amongst Brume's fauna. Birds, symbolic of spiritual freedom, emerged with feathers of brilliant gold, indicating a transcendent evolution. Other animals morphed into grand creatures reflecting the purity of alchemical gold.
The Order of Ninth Sun's pursuit of the fallen King's rebirth gradually intertwined with the fork process. From the heart of the alchemical blast, a radiant beacon - a new Sun - ignited in Log's sky, symbolizing the successful completion of the Magnum Opus and the creation of the Gold. Through the power of alchemy, the King was reborn, now as a magnificent golden Sun, rejuvenating the entire realm. The King's rebirth signifies the continuous rebirth of the realm in the Log, wherein the King perpetually dies from poisoning and is reborn through the alchemical process.
Post-Fork
Several Post-Fork events carry a legendary aspect, such as the birth of the Damn and the Life, eventually leading to the creation of Ossum and Tree creatures. The establishment of a noteworthy Library in the Misty Peaks is another significant Post-Fork event.
The Damn and the Life
The Damn and the Life are remarkable entities whose origins intertwine in a tale of transformation and rebirth.
Once, the being now known as the Damn was a common critter, member of the Order of the Ninth Sun. This critter's fate took a turn when the followers of the Aurora Consurgens cult captured it. Attempting to hang the critter from a tree, known later as the Life, the execution failed four times due to the tree's unique magical characteristic of being unable to serve as a gallows.
Baffled by these events, the cultists decided to bind the critter to the tree, abandoning it to its fate. Forced to witness the passage of thousands of loops, the critter and the tree endured a prolonged period of hardship. Over time, the two beings started to merge into a single entity. This unity subsequently ignited into flames, a process that seemed to liberate them from their original forms.
From the ashes of this conflagration, both beings emerged anew. The critter transformed into a different form, an entity now known as the Damn, credited with the creation of the ~ossum~ critters and to whom many necromantic rituals are dedicated. The tree, on the other hand, gained consciousness, evolving into the entity known as the Life. It is celebrated in a poem called ~Songs of the Woods,~ which describes the Life as the force that awakens the forest, bestowing consciousness upon the ~trees~, and sparking the emergence of a new type of critter.
- Despite the Lead's experiments with impure metals, there's no concrete evidence confirming them as the poisoning's perpetrator.↩
- Though the presence of relics in a Pre-Fork context seems paradoxical, the Myth realm, being the most ancient of the known realms, harbors its own complexities. It underwent countless Loop cycles before the documentation by the first librarians and wanderers began.↩
- Practices such as necromancy, critter transmutation, violation of free will, creation of unstable materials, tampering with planetary alignments, creation of artificial life, unsanctioned transmutation of currency, unregulated critter enhancement, and use of Lead were prohibited by The Order of Ninth Sun prior to the King's death.↩