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In Depths of Peril we present the background story a little bit different than most games. Instead of a short boring blurb inside of a manual we have many tomes in the game that you can find and read more about the background history of Aleria. Typically these are in short story form but there are also some histories and some myths. Currently the stories amount to about 60,000 words (about half of a novel). Of course, Depths of Peril is an action game, so the background stories are completely optional to read but they do tend to give more meaning to a lot of the monsters, items, and places in the game. Anyways, we plan on publishing many of these stories right here. Up until we ship Depths of Peril we will probably publish a new story every week or two. All stories were written by Delilah Rehm. Here is how all of the stories are related to each other. Click on any of the links to go straight to the selected story or scroll down farther on this page to see the first paragraph of each story.
 Barbarian Required Reading Great Wars of Aleria, Depths of Peril, Dragon Stone
Great War 1: Theft of a God Time Renewed, Wind of Din, Gift of a Thief, Abode of the Spider, Fallen Statue, Fuse Douleur's Statue Trap
Great War 2: Globe of Darkness The Dark War, Tover of the Dark, Forgotten Cave, Fire Scrape, Dark Escape
Great War 3: Crusades The Crusade of Light, Frozen Crystal, Murder in Markar, The Taken
Great War 4: March of Evil Reign of Terror, Double Edge, Draaien and the Ring, Tribute, Battle of Forfarshire, Orc Mother, Zombie Deadfall, Looking Red the Crystals' Cry
Myths/Legends Myths of Origins: Wood Elves, Myths of Origins: Teratai, Myths of Origins: Human, Myths of Origins: Barbarian, Myths of Origins: Dwarves, Myths of Origins: Sade, Myths of Origins: Dark Elves, Myths of Origins: Lumen, The Legend of Rimround
Other Necromancer, In the Eye, Inheritance, Assassin Hide and Seek, Oath Undone
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 “Do you see that? The shimmer behind those vines?” the elf, Drelianlis asked his cousin. Click to continue reading Frozen Crystal |
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The red tailed hawk circled in the sparkling summer sky. Something about the pattern pulled Amma from the crystal ruins where she spent much of her time, down the grassy hill and away from her friends. Wild animals, like the hawk, called her more strongly than the spirits. The wind picked up, whipping her long chestnut hair into her face. She lifted her hand toward the shape in the sky, reaching upward as though to touch it. Click to continue reading Looking Red the Crystals Cry |
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by Derwen Teratai believe they are the oldest race. I am unable to ascertain the nature and dates of teratai oral history since little exists in written form and most of it is withheld from outsiders. Only the Gods know which race is the eldest, though the teratai qualify as one of the oldest races. Though teratai are amphibious, they prefer living in freshwater lakes rather than land. Their primary language is spoken underwater using high-pitched whistles and melodic calls. Click to continue reading Myths of Origins: Teratai |
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by Derwen Wood elves believe they are the oldest race. They possess the oldest written documents I have yet to find, dating back to 3,000 DA. The dates of oral history is much more difficult to define because of conflicting reports, some marking the first to be at least from 10,000 DA, while others indicate the time is 17,000 DA. Only the gods know which race is the eldest; however, if wood elves are not the first race, they qualify as one of the oldest. Click to continue reading Myths of Origins: Wood Elves |
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by Derwen the Historian The gods warred among the stars, and splatters of immortal blood fell from the sky, hitting the land. The barbarian people were born from the ice and snow touched by the blood of the gods. Thus, according to the barbarian myth, the barbarian’s were the first race. Click to continue reading Myths of Origins: Barbarian |
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by Derwen the Historian According to lumen, they were the first race. The God of magic, Brujar, had a grand idea to populate the world with people in the image of the gods and goddesses. He summoned magic inherent in the life among the stars. Among the caves deep in the mountains where magic echoed and pooled, Brujar surrounded himself with lifestones. He spun the magic as it turned, a whirlwind of power whipped through the circle of stones. New life pushed free of the lifestones. Click to continue reading Myths of Origins: Lumen |
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by Derwen The First Great War in the year 01 Dark Age was sparked during a trade treaty skirmish between the barbarian race of the north and the human Brechin Kingdom. Mercenaries from the Krieg territories brought a statue into Dorr’s temple in Drasill. My interviews have ascertained that they believed the rite preformed would disrupt the God Dorr’s blessing on the barbarians. Instead, the humans, tricked by the naga (snake-men), unknowingly ensnared Dorr himself. Click to continue reading Time Renewed (Great War 1) |
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by Derwen the Historian In the year 614 NA, the dark elves began their crushing campaign aboveground. A powerful darkness coursed through the sky blocking sunlight, the thing most feared and hated by dark elves. The savage elven warriors followed, destroying settlements, villages and cities in their wake. Click to continue reading The Dark War (Great War 2) |
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by Derwen the Historian In 927 new age, the human kingdoms reached an agreement and began a campaign of the sade, barbarian and teratai neighbors to join them in a war of wars, a war to honor the Gods and Goddesses by eliminating evil races. The leaders of these kingdoms never intended to wipe out all enemies, only knock them back below ground, where they came from. Click to continue reading The Crusade of Light (Great War 3) |
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by Derwen the Historian In 1142 New Age, the march of evil began invading the west. The leader of the orcs was Draaien the Grimp, a powerful beacon to his followers. The human necromancer Ciglio Chandmir, loomed large, combining his vast army of zombies to the cause. Saurians and nagas joined in lesser numbers. Click to continue reading Reign of Terror (Great War 4) |
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 Knight Latham Bergren kicked the sides of his horse to gallop across the meadow toward his castle walls. He’d been away for some time, and looked forward to seeing his wife and daughter again. The guards at the gate saluted as he passed into the bailey. He rode on the path between stalks of wheat on one side, and beans on the other. The castle crops grown within the wall’s protection were luscious and healthy. It’d be a good harvest this year.Click to continue reading The Oath Undone part 1 |
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... continued from part 1 Bergren camped near a small tavern, Swamp Light, which lay close to the swamp. He could’ve stayed in the main room overnight for two copper, but he’d rather keep an eye on the place, see who showed up. Click to continue reading The Oath Undone part 2 |
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 Thayer, Thayer, Thayer. He slipped on the familiar personality like well worn gloves. Thayer the clever assassin, never caught no matter the price on his head. He tucked his chin, hiding his eyes from the two rough looking men passing him in the shabby alley. The place reeked of vomit, urine, and dead things. The men shouted, punching each other in the arm, entering the Goat N Ale bar.Click to continue reading Assassin |
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 Welcome, stranger, to the city of Jorvik. Our situation is grim and we are grateful you’ve come, but before I go on, we should first remember the old wars. For we must use our past mistakes and hard earned triumphs to be wary and avoid the pitfalls before us, if we are to have a chance to survive these trying times. Click to continue reading Great Wars of Aleria |
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 “Practice meditation,” Kivi’s father said. “You must become a better magician to attend the academy or the temple.” The older lumen polished a stone by hand. There were spells for that sort of thing, but he preferred the old way.
Click to continue reading Depths of Peril part 1 |
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... continued from part 1 Kivi climbed down quietly and returned to camp in the Hall of Noise. He told the group about the beast. Click to continue reading Depths of Peril part 2 |
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 During Theft of a God (Great War 1):
Greta straightened her stance as she faced an old, weathered tree. The dying tree stood unbalanced, half living with red, gold and brown hues, while the rest was dead, peeling bark. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and looked within to find her center. Click to continue reading Wind of Din |
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 During Theft of a God (Great War 1):
Greta closed the Practical Defensive Spells for Priestesses and set it on top of Advanced Offensive Spells for the Priestess, the books Priestess Mother Margareta gave her before she left The Holy Temple of Din. Mudbeard threw a stick in the campfire as Retter scowled at Greta. Click to continue reading Gift of a Thief |
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 During Theft of a God (Great War 1):
Greta’s Step Lightly spell kept Mudbeard from sounding like a styrac tromping through the trees on the way to a watering hole. Dwarves had a hard time navigating through the woods without being detected. The road, overrun with brambles and weeds, offered no shelter from the multitude of buzzing mosquitoes and gnats. Click to continue reading Abode of the Spider |
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 During Theft of a God (Great War 1):
A mix-matched party of three ran headlong through Wailing Forest with an army of lizard-people on their heels. The barbarian , Retter, broke the path ahead as the human woman, Greta, followed. She held the statue containing the God to her chest, after stealing it from the saurian camp. Her breath frosted around her mouth in the cold. Snow and brown pine needles crunched beneath boots. Click to continue reading Fallen Statue |
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 A quick note before the story starts, this story won 1st place last year in FenCon's short story contest.
Jarvis Bauern walked the dirt rut from his small barn to his house, where he glimpsed his young daughter running in with a handful of flowers. His mind, though, was on the dark sky overhead, wondering if the storm clouds still gathered. If the rain would hold back one more day, he’d have the plowing done on time. If this year’s harvest was good, and he and his neighbor pooled their money, then they could buy a work ox in Talhof, the village to the west. He’d be able to plow twice as much land, hire a hand, and invest in some cows. Click to continue reading Double Edge |
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 Without joy or animosity, Malica watched Big Sister sit by the spring in the mountain jungle. Malica knew the place well, knew the animal pit, where she crouched among the sharp wooden stakes pointing up for prey. This place had been hers before Big Sister pushed her out. Malica’s territory shrank at an alarming rate to the large imp’s advances. Soon there’d be nothing left but the cliffs. Click to continue reading In the Eye part 1 |
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... continued from part 1 “There you are.” Casimir rounded the circling staircase where Nadia stood looking out a window. “I thought you’d be preparing with the others in the open cellar.” Click to continue reading In the Eye part 2 |
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 Rollo stared at the spear sticking out of his chest.Click to continue reading Dragon Stone part 1 |
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...continued from part 1. The leader of Dragon’s Breath, Rus, sat before a fire talking to the warriors. His honey brown hair was neatly combed and tied at the nape of his neck. He kept his scruffy bread short. It was the fierce dark eyes and quiet competence that won his reputation. Rus groomed Rollo from a gangly adolescent to a skilled warrior, ready to take a place within Dragon’s Breath. The covenant was his family, and Rus was like a father. Click to continue reading Dragon Stone part 2 |
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 Bluefoot sat on the canvas covered cargo in the middle wagon. Most dwarves didn’t favor horses, and he was no exception. He shifted, trying to get comfortable, and scanned the horizon to the left of the merchant caravan. High green grass grew along the plain, dotted with purple bull thistles. Firewheel, the only other dwarf in the group, kept watch on the right from atop a horse; he’d spent entirely too much time with the humans. Flies buzzed around the animals.Click to continue reading Inheritance part 1 |
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... continued from part 1 The caravan couldn’t possibly have withstood such a number. Bluefoot cleaned the gore off his axe. He kept rubbing it, thinking something was wrong. The cutting edge glowed. He didn’t have time to figure out what was the problem. He sheathed it. His arm seized up in a severe cramp. He fell to his knees and gripped it with his other hand, gently rubbing it. The pain eased. Click to continue reading Inheritance part 2 |
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 “What is this place?” Brenna stared into the dark maw of the cave hidden behind layers of toothy cacti. Hot and sticky under her long red-brown robe, she sat and drank from her water skin. After hiking up a desert mountain, with no trail or path, Brenna suspected Sven had gotten them lost. Click to continue reading Forgotten Cave |
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 Ciglio’s lead zombie, Turen, leaned over the map. The dead man reeked of rotting flesh, a bittersweet smell. Ciglio smiled. It was the smell of power, a necromancer’s power. News of his rampage probably circulated like fire in the capital. He didn’t know how much time he had left before the King sent the Krieg armies against him.Click to continue reading Zombie Deadfall |
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 Draaien pushed his way past the other orc boys. The tall one shoved him in return, but let him pass. He didn’t fear any of them, though some, like the tall boy, were older than his ten years. The adults wouldn’t tolerate a fight on the trail, and if any held a grudge, he enjoyed a brawl after the grueling day’s march. His side ached. After stretching his arms, he adjusted the heavy sword strapped to his belt. He was clumsy with it, still new to the art of war. Draaien watched the adults closely, and not just at battle.Click to continue reading Draaien and the Ring |
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 Night turned to twilight, twilight to night. The sun vanished, replaced by the darkness that coursed across the sky on magic winds. Heading deeper into the gloom, Sven, Damek, Brenna and Tover crossed Low Desert. They switched from night travel, staving off the sun’s heat, to day. Without the sun, the twilight offered little warmth. Were it not for the sand, Brenna would question if this was a desert.Click to continue reading Fire Scrape |
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 Ivar joined his conscripted son on the battlefield rather than take his place on the wall of the keep. How could the city’s defenses hold under the necromancer’s vast, fearless army of rotting zombies and ragged skeletons? For each soldier lost, the undead grew in number. Click to continue reading Necromancer |
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 Bevan peered through the window overlooking the waterway. He couldn’t see the waterfall pouring into the narrow lake. The river split at the ends of the lake and circled around the noble houses before rejoining. Bevan watched a man push a raft with a long pole toward the lesser houses. Click to continue reading Tribute |
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 Drelianlis, the elven adviser to the Brechin Kingdom’s General, looked out beyond the high, stone city walls, onto the burning plains, and the vast sea of enemies. The attacking zombie and orc army drew some saurian, lizard men from the deserts, to their cause. They laid siege to Forfarshire, the capital and largest city of all humankind. Click to continue reading Battle of Forfarshire |
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 Prince Alek Carmelo threw dry beans at a tin cup in the command tent. On the edge of Wayward Desert and the dry scrub and wood of the Barrenlands, the winter encampment was more boring than he ever envisioned. The conscripts drilled in the morning and afternoon. Patrols watched for the enemy, naga and scorpid, but none had been spotted in weeks. There was nothing to do but practice swordsmanship, and he was tired of the routines. If Drel and Lulan hadn’t left for the southern camp investigating the missing messengers, he could have learned new foreign techniques. Not for the first time, he wished he’d brought paints and canvases. Click to continue reading The Taken |
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