THE BIRTH OF JORTIA
JORTIA is the leading weapons manufacturer in Hepheast, as well as the largest military sanction, spanning all across Hepheast. It was founded by Alazar Jortia, who worked for Insignia, the leading weapons manufacturer before JORTIA was established. Alazar did not have a high position, but was an engineer, along with many other citizens of Hepheast. Disappointed with the quality of the weaponry, and terrible management, he quit Insignia, and looked into other possibilities.
Alazar Hepheast began working with a mining company known as Timpanion, who mainly drew oil and other fossil fuels from beneath the Hepheast Sea (the only and largest body of water on the planet). Alazar rose in the company extremely fast. Due to his outstanding work ethic, and leadership qualities, he became promoted to Operations Manager. Alazar was stationed at an Oil Rig off the port of Turan, one of the largest trading roots, and a port town in Hepheast. He directed a group of 68 individuals in different mining operations, one of which would become his future wife, and mother of his child, Amiel Jortia.
Many years passed, and Alazar had created a name for himself, so much that when you heard the word Timpanion, Alazar Jortia was the next name to come to mind. Aside from managing the Oil Rig, he created weaponry in his spare time, but without the right tools, it was impossible to create anything as efficient as the Insignia weaponry, but he never lost hope.
By the time Amiel was 8, Alazar realized that the income from Timpanion alone would not be enough to support him, and his family. He turned to his co-workers from Timpanion, and ex-co-workers from Insignia to start a small weapons manufacturing facility. One thing he wanted to accomplish was to use raw materials, and never resort to mass produced weapons, as the quality would not be as great (such as the weapons from Insignia). A couple months later, JORTIA was born. They produced handmade weaponry using Iron, Brass, and Steel. They could not compete with the productivity of Insignia, but JORTIA soon had a large following, and received great reviews in its starting years.
Alazar was still working at Timpanion, while managing JORTIA on the side. Around the time Amiel was 12, Alazar and his crew at Timpanion were sent down on yet another Oil expedition. It was during this expedition that Alazar’s crew accidently found a rare mineral, known as Mithril.
As it turned out, Mithril was more durable and stronger than Iron, Brass, or Steel, so Alazar used this new found material to his advantage, and introduced the product to Hepheast through means of JORTIA, creating the first ever Mithril weaponry. Word spread, and demand for Mithril became high. Since JORTIA was the only weapons manufacturer that had access to it, the company expanded, eventually buying out Insignia, and taking its place as Hepheast’s leading weapons manufacturing company.
JORTIA now had over 20 types of weapons, all in Iron, Brass, Steel, and Mithril, and was making more money than any other company in Hepheast. JORTIA Mithril weaponry was not mass produced, unlike the standard metals, which most soldiers in the Hepheast Guard used. It was this point that got the attention of the Grand Council. They wanted their soldiers to be able to use advanced weaponry, and arranged a deal with JORTIA. Alazar wouldn’t give up the rights to his weapons, so he was granted with even more expansion. JORTIA would now have a military unit, being led by Alazar, along with a member of the Grand Council, Edgar Noran. Alazar and Edgar began taking in only the most prestigious soldiers from the Hepheast Guard, and training them in the art of Mithril weaponry. JORTIA had become a company of war.
Now that Alazar was working with the Grand Council, JORTIA soon became a government run organization, maintaining peace and order across Hepheast, as well as supplying military weaponry. It wasn’t until Ameil was 17 that Alazar would find his true calling.
THE LEGEND OF THE SHARDS
In many legends and folk tales, Shards are the frozen tears of the God’s themselves, sent down to Hepheast during the Great War thousands of years ago. These Shards contained great power, of which were responsible for the rise and fall of many great civilazations. These stones had unimaginable power, such as the ability to turn castles into ice, and rain lightning down from the heavens. Some legends even speak of Shards that can cure the wounded, and raise fallen men. Alazar was not a man of belief, thus blew off the legends, regarding them as “Fantasy”, the bedtime stories for little girls and boys, but Edgar, on the other hand, was a believer, and if the Grand Council had a reason to believe in such power, than Alazar must be missing something.
Edgar spoke with Alazar about the legends many times past, and eventually, pin pointed the location that the legends speak of. The Shards fell from the sky all across the world of Hepheast, some in the snowy mountains, others fell in populated rainforests, and some sank to the bottom of the Hepheast Sea. Edgar, full well knowing that Alazar was an expert and deep sea drilling, knew that he would be a vital partner to help in the finding of these rare stones.
Alazar reluctantly decided to help with the project, only because of the rewards that he could reap, regardless if they found any Shards or not. After all, it was only a myth.
The Grand Council aimed to keep this project top secret. It would be best not to cause panic in Hepheast, for even the slightest reason for them to believe that Shards exist, would be devastating. This would only be known to the Council, and the appointed members to take on the project. After many years of searching the seas, no evidence was ever found to prove that the shards exist, and the project was called off.
Alazar never wanted to join the project to begin with, but when it was called off, he felt as if there was something missing, a place they haven’t looked. But he had no way of knowing if the legends were reality, or just a fantasy.
THE STORM (ODIN)
Odin, 22, lives in the portside town of Turan, not too far from where the Timpanion Oil Rig was standing. He worked for a company called Turan Trading. He worked the trading routes, meeting up with the ships that came into port, and handling all the goods that they were delivering . Turan, being a port town, was always the first to receive notice of a storm, and when one was coming, it was Odin’s responsibility to check the docks and warn leaving, and incoming ships to stay in Turan, and let the storm pass. It was on a night like this, that he acquired the first Shard.
The storm came from nowhere, and tore apart ships at sea, along with the Timpanion Oil Rig far in the distance. Every member of Turan Trading was called to help aid the crew members washed on shore, and to evacuate the ships already in port. Moments later, lightning began to strike from the sky, finishing off the Oil Rig, and causing mass panic in Turan. It drew closer, and closer, and began to strike the town itself. Odin and the others had no other choice but to run. But in there escape, Odin heard a cry of help from one of the ships, and turned back to help. Being the only person there, it was dangerous, but someone had to help. It was then that a bolt of lightning struck him, and when a Shard materialized in his hands. The Thunder Shard. Odin immediately realized what it was, and couldn’t believe his eyes. Shortly after, the storm began to drift away, and daylight broke through the clouds, revealing the destroyed port, leaving the oceans raging with fury.
THE STORM (ALAZAR)
At the time of the storm, Alazar, his wife Rachel Jortia, and his daughter Amiel were stationed at the Oil Rig, about to leave back to Turan, and take the railways back home. But due to the impending clouds, they decided it would be best to bunker up, and not be caught in the rain. But no one expected what would happen. The storm grew closer, and the winds grew stronger. The oceans waves breaking against the Rig, leaking into the cabin they were staying it. Alazar made a last attempt to rescue them, for if they were to stay inside of the Rig, they would surely die. He fights through the wind and rain to bring his 17 year old daughter, Amiel, onto the ship at the Rig. Now, it was Rachel’s turn. But with that first strike of lightning, that shook the earth, she slipped and fell into the waters. Alazar dived in to save her, with his daughter screaming for help, he managed to bring Rachels lifeless body out from the oceans, and attempted to reciesitate her. In this moment, is when the wave came. He could not bring his wife back, she had drowned. Screaming in agony at the wave, it struck the ship.
It was at this moment that the oceans collected in his hands, and thus gave birth to The Water Shard, leaving himself, the boat, and his daughter, untouched.
THE AFTERMATH
The storm at Turan changed everything.
Odin, now having the Thunder Shard, doesn’t know what to do. He is stuck with this power that he does not understand, and now has to live with this secret forever.
Alazar, having lost his wife in the storm, now lives a ruined life, while the only thing keeping his faith, is his daughter, but he cannot bear to look her in the eyes without thinking of his wife, Rachel. On top of it all, he receives a Shard, a stone of myth that’s not supposed to exist.
THE CATALYST
Alazar presents the Shard to the Grand Council, and recaps the events of the storm.
The Council decides to re-establish the Shard project. Now that they have something to study, they might be able to determine why it appeared to Alazar, and if any other Shards might have fallen.
The Shards are real, and the Council now has proof of that. In an attempt to uncover more Shards, they make a drastic decision. Evacuation of the portside town, Turan. They believe that the storm might have created more Shards, not just the one that Alazar received, and if any other person was in possession of a Shard, that they be questioned, and the Shard confiscated. It was important to not let any other have knowledge that these Shards exist, for it could cause havoc in Hepheast.
THE EVACUATION
JORTIA Soldiers are sent into Turan to begin the evacuation, stating that they are moving people out of Turan to repair the town from the Storm that happened 2 days prior. Most of the townsfolk obeyed the orders, and went to stay with family in other towns, or rent rooms at Inn’s until they could find a more suitable home. Others, had no where to go, so what other choice did they have?
Many of the townsfolk refused to leave, which caused major problems with the JORTIA Soldiers, who had no choice but to forcefully remove them from their homes. Odin’s mother, Hannah, was one of these people.
Due to this traumatizing event, one of the local townsfolk grew desperate. He managed to steal one of the JORTIA Soldier’s pistols, and held him at gunpoint, stating that this was his home, and no one could make him leave. All the soldiers turned their guns at the man, and when he wouldn’t comply, they did the only thing they could. They fired their weapons.
The death of this man at JORTIA’S hand sparked panic in Turan. The word now was, “Resist, and die”.
Many people lost their lives that day, either fighting for their home, or running away from the crossfire. What once was an evacuation, turned into a massacre. There were only 2 options, leave Turan, or fight for it. Along with the high death toll, many of the citizens were taken in, going to be imprisoned, and questioned. Hannah, was now a prisioner of JORTIA.
In his rage, there was only one thing he could do.
He unleashed the Thunder Shard against the soldiers, who were not prepared for anything of that magnitude. It was the shard, and that alone, that allowed him to escape from the JORTIA soldiers.
He escaped along with Kenick, a 23 year old woman he barley knows, running from a force that he could never understand.
THE SHARD BEARER
Alazar was informed of the situation of Turan, how one of the townsfolk used a Shard against his military, and murdered his soldiers. The Grand Council issued a reward for the capture of Odin, claiming him to be a “Threat to Hepheast”. Now Odin is on the run, his mother imprisioned, his home quarantined, and on top of it all, he is in possession of the greatest force the world has ever known.
Discord
Light Style