Entries

I have learned the secret of the Heaven's Rift, and have unveiled the magic behind teleportation. By which I mean that I have finally learned the truth behind the Great Separation! The priests of the high elven faith will surely try to stop me, but I will do everything in my power to report this terrible truth to the leaders of the cities no matter— (The rest is cut off and illegible). —From an inscription left by a researcher.

Arks are littered all throughout the world map. Defeating the Guardian sealed away inside an Ark will release the barrier seal connected to it, opening passageways previously closed to you.

Aincrad lost almost all of its magic after being separated from the surface and losing the protection of the two Sacred Trees. In addition, for reasons unknown, arrows no longer flew straight when released from a bow; thus was humanity's ability to wage war weakened, forcing them towards survival and cooperation.

This land, now withered, was once vibrant and green, until a "betrayal of the earth" incurred the wrath of the Great Spirit of Fire. The earth shook, rose, and erupted with flame, setting all alight and turning even the deepest roots to blackened ash.

There is no doubt about it: the Heaven's Rift is the true source of the twin goddesses' magic. It's just as I thought: they weren't deities; they were merely elves. The land of Aincrad is a man-made disaster...!

In the end, their attempt was thwarted by the other elven kingdoms, and their race was banished to the snowy regions of the north, where they came to be known as "fallen elves." In time, as is often the case with isolated groups, the lore surrounding the fallen elves grew distorted and murky; the dark elves consider them an offshoot of the forest elves, while the forest elves think them dark elves. Regardless, their true identity is not certain. —From an inscription left by a researcher.

Even in the unforgiving environment of Aincrad, where monsters run rampant and game is scarce, humans have been able to cultivate wheat, barley, and other crops to sustain themselves. However, the land needed for this has been overrun by monsters over the years, and the locals have no choice but to turn to overworlder adventurers to take back the land that was once theirs.

"The archetypal high elven faith is a form of dualistic polytheism that focuses on two twins: the Black Goddess Lura and the White Goddess Om. These are probably variants of the two priestesses of myth." —From an inscription left by a researcher.

Long ago, when this land was still part of the world below, the people worshipped a multitude of gods. But as the High Elf faith spread, the old believers quietly vanished, and the shrines and monuments that once bore those divine names crumbled into ruin. One folk legend even tells that the foul beasts wandering Aincrad today are what became of those forgotten gods—abandoned by their faithful and left to decay into something unrecognizable.

A copper core stone attuned with the Mark of the Sacred Tree. When you listen closely, you can hear the powerful rumbling of the earth.

As the underground door of the Black Iron Palace opens, the brooch changes. Hoping to find the Key Stone that will unlock its power, the party heads into the transformed dungeon...