FIGHT BETWEEN REALMS

Locations, characters, and story by Geoffrey Day

Artwork by Kina Lee

AUTHOR’S NOTE
I’ve always been a believer that instrumental music as an art form only has meaning when
paired with the context of other things - visuals, words, experiences. The following is my attempt
at giving context to my original music which otherwise would have none. Maybe one day the
songs from “Fight Between Realms” can be experienced while playing a real video game, but
for now you’ll need to use your imagination.

Is the music inspired by soundtracks like Doom Eternal’s? Yes, but in philosophy only. Hopefully
you will find that this universe has its own unique musical (and visual) identity.

- Geoff
 LOCATIONS
This story takes place between four “realms” - single planets within systems separated by space
and time. Discovering and traveling between realms takes a huge amount of energy, but despite the
limitations people have settled on the following four over the last millenia:

— Oris —
The domain of ascended beings. All other realms are governed according to the word of the
Oris joint-monarchy, represented by nine world leaders known as “Crowns”. The citizens of Oris
are physically, cognitively, and biologically superior to citizens of the other realms, thanks to a
millennia-long policy of selecting only the strongest bloodlines for reproduction.

Over recent centuries, their state of being has been politicized and used to discourage dissent
from colonized realms, claiming that only people of Oris blood can – or deserve to – be godlike
beings. In reality, the process of “ascending” their citizens began shortly after discovering and
colonizing the realm of Providence. By being stronger, smarter, and more resilient than people
of other realms, Oris and its people can safely remain anchored as the central governing power
of all.

— Livitica —
The first realm. Before a way to travel between realms was discovered, all people lived in
Livitica. Considered a relic of the past, most people have since left this location for Oris more
than a millenia ago. Those who remain in Livitica are committed to maintaining old ways of
living, and due to its small population, the realm is now a ruin-covered garden world. It is visited
only out of tradition during the ceremony of appointing a new Crown of Oris. Livitica’s lack of
population makes it an especially useful location for the combat ritual part of the ceremony, as
each Crown is capable of tearing apart the landscape on their own, let alone when two or more
are fighting.

— Providence —
The city world. A technological marvel. The citizens of Providence have mixed opinions about
the citizens of Oris after centuries of rule. Some believe Oris is the land of gods worthy of ruling
them, but many others believe it is just propaganda to maintain order. The government of
Providence is run by a Grand Advocate, who is always a former citizen of Oris. The citizens of
Providence have integrated technology into every facet of their lives, and some sects believe
that soon they can use these enhancements to separate themselves from Oris as their own
form of ascended beings.
— Maker’s Hand —
The lawless frontier. Maker’s hand is mostly harsh wasteland – the remnants of Oris’s most
recent colonization effort which never took hold. Messengers frequent this realm but often never
return. The small population is divided up into self-governing factions who battle over territory
and resources. The start and the subsequent collapse of the Oris colonization effort happened
centuries ago, and now the generations of people in Maker’s Hand are so caught up in their own
affairs that most of them have never learned that Oris and the messengers exist.

In order to maintain power over the other realms, the Oris government must rely on
messengers. Read more below.

CHARACTERS & TITLES

— Messengers —
People are unable to communicate between realms because they are separated by space and
time. Joining realms together so that people can travel between them takes an extremely large
amount of energy. So large, in fact, that each realm maintains a massive sprawl of
building-sized batteries which can be drained after one jump. When these are not providing the
power for jumping between realms, they are utilized for general energy use in the surrounding
cities and towns.

In order to overcome this limitation and enforce its will onto other realms, Oris has developed
personal realm-traveling technology (known as “jump tech”) and given it to a small number of
messengers who are sanctioned to consume that energy.

Typically, a messenger can only “jump” at a gate, a place that

was built specifically so enough energy can be channeled for
the wearable tech to work. However, any large energy source
can enable a jump assuming it can be directed into the tech.

Messengers are elite operatives whose priority is to carry

communication between the governing bodies of the realms
and enforce the will of Oris (through force if necessary). Each
one is an experienced combatant and has the training and
expertise to train citizens of other realms into loyal forces of
Oris.
There are three messengers at any given time, one for each realm. The main character of this
story is one of them: Regius, the Messenger of Providence. (see image)

The other messengers are Gabriel of Livitica, and Bazett of Maker’s Hand (formerly Akis, who is
presumed dead).

Gabriel spends most of his time socializing in the Oris courts because Livitica needs little
governing. He is the weakest combatant of the three, still achieving a term as messenger while
in the academy, but performing less well than highest-scoring Regius and
second-highest-scoring Bazett.

While Regius has been given the prestigious honor of overseeing Providence, Bazett has been
dispatched to Maker’s Hand and she has not yet returned.

— Oris Leadership —
Oris is governed by the 9 Crowns, which are representatives of each of the nine sectors of that
realm. Crowns serve for life, and when one dies, there is a superiority ritual to choose the next
one, the final stage of which takes place on Livitica. This way rulers of Oris are, in theory, the
strongest and most intelligent individuals to ever exist.

Crown Andreus Faldis is the leader of the sector which contains the Chamber of the Crowns
(government building) as well as the main jump gate.

— Providence Leadership —
The Grand Advocate of Providence is Nalus Westmaker. He was born in Oris and has served as
the GA for more than fifty years.

During this time, Westmaker has been a staunch supporter of furthering advancements in
cybernetic technology, even eventually augmenting himself with sensory implants and interfaces
for exosuit components. The Crowns suspect that Westmaker has devoted himself to becoming
the first independent leader of Providence free from Oris control. He has already begun building
up a militia of heavily-augmented soldiers.
STORY

Pictured: Livitica
 — PROLOGUE —

In Oris, Gabriel approaches Crown Faldis in a courtyard, who is looking up at the daylight sky.

“I must congratulate you on a job well done, Gabriel,” Faldis says without turning his gaze. “Your
work today may change our people’s history forever.”

“Thank you, Crown. I believe all of the realms deserve this opportunity for a new enlightened
era,” Gabriel responds. Faldis can hear the forced charisma in his tone of voice but hearing it
now after years of interacting with Gabriel in the courts was nothing out of the ordinary.

After a moment’s pause, the Crown becomes tired of staring at the open sky and turns to his
messenger. “Let us retire to the main hall. We have much to discuss.” Gabriel gives a nod and
they turn back towards the chamber entrance.

Not seconds after they face the door, a massive sonic boom shakes the courtyard. Shards of
fractalized light scatter across in the sky, sprawling out from behind the chamber building.
Gabriel and Faldis, posing defensively, collect themselves and make haste into the main hall.

Regius is already running towards them. “Come this way”, he motions to the pair. “It is safe, but
you must look.” Faldis and the messengers walk cautiously to the opposite doorway where the
Crown finds his first unobstructed view.

Far away above the cityscape, an area of sky appears to have been torn open at the molecular
level. The central point is fairly small, but the “shards” of light and suspended debris were
blasted out from that point with such force that they now cover most of the northern hemisphere.
Objects and bits of earth are falling to the ground, perhaps not affected by the tear in spacetime.

Regius, standing back inside the chamber, turns to Gabriel. “What is it?”

Gabriel’s face shows no trace of emotion.

“It’s Livitca,” he murmurs. “Someone wants to erase us.”

 — PART ONE: PROVIDENCE —

Regius steps into the executive office past the two entrance guards. “Westmaker, it’s over.”

Grand Advocate Nalus Westmaker looks up from his datapad and locks his gaze on the
messenger. “So did those all-powerful crowns finally decide to retire me after all?” He stretches
and clenches the fingers in his artificial right hand. The machinery clicks.

Regius keeps walking towards the office desk. “That was a nice little display of power, Nalus.
The Crowns know you arranged for the destruction of Livitica and we found your soldiers in the
debris. But the Crowns do not bow to Providence,” he reaches the desk and puts one hand on
the gun strapped to his back. Nalus hadn’t blinked once. “So I’m giving you this one chance to
explain your case in person before you die, or I can end you here. Pick one.”

The Grand Advocate finally breaks his stare, looks down at his desk, plants two hands on it, and
stands up slowly. He begins circling around the front of his desk while buttoning his jacket. “I’ve
learned a lot about power during my time holding this office. You and I are both Oris-born, we
both know what it means to be superior.” He moves up close enough to Regius to be considered
a breach of personal space and fixes the last button. “You must feel strange knowing that your
whole family fled to Providence when Oris threw them out like trash. You’re all alone up there.”
Regius says nothing. Nalus smirks. “And so you know as well as I do that the Crowns are afraid.
The people of Providence are becoming equals now. This little story about Livitica won’t change
anything.”

Regius keeps his expression cold as ice. “What’s your choice.”

Westmaker rolls his eyes and steps back to a more comfortable distance. “I will not be coming,”
he puts his hands behind his back, “and you will be sending this message back to Oris, although
probably not in the way you intended.” He looks at the guards and raises his eyebrows.

Regius unstraps his gun, but before he can engage, he is met with a pulse blast from Nalus’s
mechanical right hand. Sliding backwards but keeping his footing, Regius assumes a combat
stance just as the two doorway guards open fire. Westmaker strolls out of the office while
Regius takes cover behind the desk. The Grand Advocate manages a two-finger wave before
he moves out of sight, “The people will ascend, Regius!”

Regius cocks his gun. “They will not.”

[PLAY TRACK 1 - PROVIDENCE]

Regius fights through the executive building against waves of cybernetic militia who
have been preparing for war with Oris. In the atreum, Nalus Westmaker is equipped with
a massive exosuit and attempts to kill Regius, but fails and dies. Once he escapes the
building, Regius fights straggler soldiers in the city on the way to the jump gate.

He meets no resistance in the jump gate complex, as though no one had yet been given the
directive to kill him. The jump process is automated, so Regius only needs to stand in the gate
to activate the jump.

Reaching the platform, the messenger activates his jump tech and tunes to the Oris gate.
Moments before the jump initiates, Gabriel bursts through the jump chamber entrance. He runs
up onto the platform.

“Gabriel what are you doing?!” But mostly, Regius is surprised. How long has Gabriel been in
Providence?

Gabriel slaps his hand onto the charging jump tech connected to Regius’s suit. “Don’t hate me.”
When he removes his hand, a small device is seen to be attached to the tech with adhesive.
Gabriel steps back from the platform seconds before the jump.

“Gabriel wha–” the small device catches fire and Regius is cut off as he is sent in an instant from
Providence to a derelict gate in the middle of Maker’s Hand.
 — PART TWO: MAKER’S HAND —

Derelict gates means no jumping. Hole burned through the tech means definitely no jumping.
Regius is stranded.

There are only two gates in the failing colony of Maker’s Hand, so although traveling to the other
would take some time, Regius suspects that Bazett would be near the other gate. She hasn’t
been in contact with Oris for months, however, which means he may have to come up with a
new plan if he can’t find her.

The walk begins long, but Regius soon crosses paths with a small group of scouts looking to
relieve him of his Oris-made specialty gear. The scouts get nothing but bullets, and Regius soon
enjoys the breeze while riding in his new vehicle.

On the way to the gate, there is much time to try and make sense of the events which just
transpired. If the Grand Advocate did want to start a war with Oris, where did he possibly get the
means to destroy an entire realm? And what did he mean by “this little story about Livitica”? And
why the hell did Gabriel interfere with the jump?

Regius arrives at Battery Steppe, named after its somewhat obvious state of being the only
functional battery site on Maker’s Hand. From a distance, Regius can spot the complex where
the gate would be. It is surrounded by an expanse of newer, improvised structures and a large
wall. Hopefully this means the gate is functional and hasn’t been stripped for parts or turned into
some sort of shrine, he thinks.

As Regius pulls his vehicle up to the wall’s opening, he is met by three entrance guards. One of
them points their gun and shouts before Regius has time to open the door. “Hey! Explain why
you’ve got our ride!”

The messenger puts one hand on the controls with attitude. “Oh… those were your friends?”.
After a moment of silence, the other two guards point guns.

Regius sighs. “Here we go.”

Bullets rip through the air. Regius dives behind the vehicle and readies his weapon. Other
faction fighters hear the gunfire and prepare for a fight.

[PLAY TRACK 2 - MAKER’S HAND]

Regius tears through wasteland faction fighters in order to reach the jump gate complex.
Once at the gate complex entrance, Regius is pinned down. The faction leader reveals
herself and starts a dialog.

“Is this what you’re looking for?” The bandit waves around a jump tech gauntlet. “I know Oris
armor when I see it. In fact I’ve got a little collection.”

Regius remembers that it’s rare for people of Maker’s Hand to know that Oris even exists. “Tell
me where the messenger of this realm is. If you do, you will remain safe.” She laughs.

“You’re talking to her! Born and raised in Oris and appointed by the Crowns, straight from the
Academy.”

She is not Bazett. She’s either lying or something is wrong. This is the only working gate out of
Maker’s Hand. The woman walks confidently over to Regius’ position behind cover and peeks
her head into view.

“Look gunslinger, between you and me, there’s something about this place that just turns your
soul inside out. It doesn’t give a shit if you’re the smartest, strongest thing in the universe. It
makes you prove that you deserve to live another day, every day. And I like these new rules. I
like them a lot.”

Regius isn’t interested. “The messenger. Where.”

The faction leader sighs. She puts her hands in the air and walks around the cover so that
Regius can see her. “You mean Bazett”. There is a long pause. Regius lowers his gun. “Yeah.”
The woman is impossibly fast, and lowering the gun was a mistake. Before he can raise it, she
pins it to the ground with first a hand, then a foot. She plants an extremely firm punch into
Regius’s face. “Shes!”

Another punch. “Dead!” They hit hard. She is definitely Oris-born.

“Because I killed her!” She reaches for a knife. With the right leverage, Regius is able to slip the
gun out of its hold and lets loose a barrage of fire which is barely dodged. The faction leader
leaps behind cover.

“Akis! Are you hurt?” a fighter shouts. Akis was the messenger assigned to Maker’s Hand
before Bazett. This changes things. Regius knew he was in for a tough fight.

[PLAY TRACK 2 - MAKER’S HAND]

Regius fights Akis and her remaining fighters and relieves her corpse of the jump tech.

Although they probably wouldn’t be charged again for a long time, the batteries on the steppe
still have enough power to activate a jump back to Oris. Regius calls a session with the 9
Crowns.

In the Chamber of the Crowns, the messenger recounts all of the events of Providence, Maker’s
Hand, the deaths of Nalus Westmaker and Akis, and of Gabriel’s intervention. However, the
response was not what Regius expected.

“It is unfortunate that we will need to find a replacement for Grand Advocate Westmaker,”
bellows Crown Andreus Faldis, “but it is more unfortunate that you have allowed Providence to
amass this much power while assigned to it.” He pauses for a moment. “We are aware of your
familial connections there.“

Regius’s uncle, aunt, and twin cousins, his only remaining family, live in Providence. The couple
did not meet the requirements for a “superior bloodline” and were not allowed to have children
according to Oris law. Instead of accepting this, Regius’s father arranged for a way for them to
jump to Providence where this law could not be enforced. Although his aunt and uncle made the
jump successfully, Regius’s father was discovered some time later and both of his parents were
put to death for treason to make an example of them. Regius was very young, and was enrolled
into the academy for messengers shortly after those events.

“I do not speak to my family in Providence,” Regius replied. This was a lie. He has visited them
frequently, often after taking care of his business in the realm. But claiming that his family is a
reason to lean towards treason would be a long stretch, even for a politician like Faldis.

“Regardless,” says the Crown, “you will be detained until we have settled matters.” Regius is
stripped of his gear and locked in a holding cell.
 — PART THREE: LIVITICA VOID —

“Knock knock”. Gabriel opens the door to Regius’s holding cell. Regius catches him off balance,
grabs his armor plating and throws him on the ground. With a knee on his chest and a hand
pushing his face into the floor, Gabriel waves off the door guard. “It’s fine! It’s fine.”

Regius knows Gabriel has been up to no good. “Explain. Now.”

“I sent you to Maker’s Hand to protect you from this.” Gabriel gestures aimlessly at the holding
cell walls from the ground with both of his arms. “The only reason I’m still alive is because I was
tipped off before Livitica was blown to bits. There is something very big going on.”

Not impressed, Regius pushes his hand harder into Gabriel’s face. “I know. Westmaker wanted
independence for Providence so he found a way to destroy the realm. It was a statement. We
both saw the soldiers falling out of the sky debris.”

“But did – ow – but did Nalus say that’s why?”

Regius is quiet for a moment and then releases the hold on Gabriel which was pinning him to
the floor. “He said something about it being a little story that won’t change the outcome. I don’t
know what he meant by that.”

“You would think he would have wanted the opposite if he blew up a whole realm to send a
message.“
“Right, yeah.”

Gabriel stands up and brushes the dust off of his armor. “Look, Regius. I think you’ve been set
up by the Crowns. And once you were tasked with bringing Westmaker to justice on false
accusations I felt that you deserved a chance to escape instead of being a scapegoat for…
whatever this is about. You haven’t had it easy in life.”

“And yet, here I am in a holding cell.” Regius waves his arm aimlessly around towards the walls,
mocking Gabriel’s gesture from moments earlier.

The other messenger smiles, “momentarily.” He draws one of his pistols and shoots the door
guard in the head.

Regius lunges for him but stops short when Gabriel holds jump tech in his outstretched hand.
He looks Regius in the eye, “You’re going to Livitica and you will return. I can only clear a path
for you, but you can break this whole thing wide open. Count to ten.”

Gabriel drops the jump tech, kicks the door guard’s gun into the holding cell, and runs down the
hall. Gunfire can be heard moving further into the distance. Regius, combat instincts kicking in,
counts to ten and follows behind with his new gear.

On the way to the gate, there is no resistance. Regius is surprised at the number of dead Oris
soldiers he encounters along the way. The harder they tried to stop him, the faster they fell,
Regius thought. The gate complex is also lifeless. He initiates the jump to Livitica.

A flash, then immediate disorientation.

Livitica is nightmarish. Regius quickly realizes that the gate platform is on a piece of earth that is
floating in a void of empty space, and yet the gravity is normal. He looks around at the
suspended architecture, looping events, and shards of light in every direction. There are some
places where people and creatures warp in and out of the void without warning.

The twisted physics let Regius navigate from floating structure to floating structure mostly
without problems. Soon he notices that the pattern of lights and distortions seem to all be
pointing to the same area of space in the near distance. The closer he gets, the more intense
the tears in spacetime become.

[PLAY TRACK 3 - LIVITICA VOID]

Regius fights creatures and void monsters being spawned in from other planes while
traveling to the central point of the blast that destroyed the realm.

The meeting point of the spacetime wreckage is a single building. When Regius gets to solid
ground outside of the building, he notices that there are “statues” of people walking around, into,
and out of it. Upon closer inspection, it seems that each person is blurred in time, perhaps
frozen in multiple moments of time at once.

Inside the building is a tech lab. Regius follows the shards in the void until he reaches a gigantic
room with many frozen technicians in it. Some are wearing Oris military uniforms. There are
some in Providence militia garb as well. Maybe a joint operation? Hard to confirm if they are
legitimate uniforms.

The shards connect at the center of a multi-story-tall device. Many sections look like they would
be components in a jump gate, except much, much larger. Regius begins to put the pieces
together in his head.

The technicians attempted to jump the entire realm of Livitica into the same plane as Oris, but
failed. This caused a catastrophic spacetime event that annihilated everything.

He scans the frozen lab technicians to his left and recognizes a familiar face. It’s Gabriel.

When was this? Regius clearly saw Gabriel alive and mobile not long ago. “You will return,” he
said.

“Ah… Dammit.” Regius realizes that Gabriel had played him. While pretending to advocate for
exposing the truth, he instead took advantage of Regius’s survival training and manipulated him
to escape custody and travel straight into another form of custody. There is no way to draw
enough energy to power jump tech in this realm’s ravaged state.

Grasping at straws, he interacts with the devices in the lab. After a couple of button-presses and
knob-turns, a tree flashes into reality a few feet from him and a cliffside is now pushing through
the lower balconies. Regius rushes outside and notices that the whole lab building is not in the
same location as before. More button presses create other similar results. The next lever pull is
met with immediate noise of whirring machines and talking people.

“–nd of course if we WHOA SHIT!” a now-unfrozen technician screams at her coworker who is
now cowering with her hands on top of her head.

Regius is startled by the screamed expletive and turns around, “yeah, shit.”

“Oh no, oh god, what happened to everything? I can’t… I … “ she begins hyperventilating. The
other technician is still silent.

Regius stops touching the devices and puts both hands on the technician’s shoulders. “Look,
this is all obviously bad, but you were here and you have to tell me now, what happened?”

“I … ah… ” her mouth stays open but words don’t form. The other technician takes a deep
breath and stands up. “We are–er–were testing this jump tech before it is built in Providence.”
“What’s your name?”

“Marzi. She’s Vinna,” she puts a hand on Vinna’s back which calms her hyperventilation.

Regius nods. “The machine sounds like it’s still working somehow. Can it make small jumps?”

Vinna takes a deep breath. “I don’t know if we can or where the energy is coming from… but we
can try.” She steps past the others and onto the controls. “The worst that could happen is that
we could be blasted into a void of corrupted spacetime,” she mutters to herself.

Regius taps on his gauntlet. “I have my jump tech here.” Vinna taps on the machinery above her
with her knuckles without looking up from the controls. “Me too”.

Marzi turns to Regius, “Vinna is a senior technician. She designed most of this thing. I bet she
can get us out of here.”

Vinna turns around and stands up straight with one hand still on a control lever.

“Alright team, we’re either going back to Oris or we’re going to die abstract interdimensional
deaths. Give me a countdown from three. Ready?”

Marzi alone starts counting while Regius watches. “Three… Two… “

Vinna pulls the lever early. The entire immediate lab area is carved out of the building and
ripped through spacetime. They materialize in Oris about a half meter above the courtyard of
the Chamber of the Crowns. The massive jump tech stays in one piece despite the small impact
with the ground. Regius, Marzi, and Vinna are shaken but alive.

The Oris soldiers in the courtyard move into position and quickly begin shooting.

“Go! This is my fight!” Regius yells over gunfire to the technicians. They run.

Regius cocks his gun. “Okay Gabriel…”

 — PART FOUR: CROWN OF ORIS —

“Back for more, traitor?!” the Oris soldier screams moments before Regius breaks his arm and
shoots him point blank in the face.

More? Gabriel must have blamed him for the massacre between the holding cell and the jump
gate. That’s unfortunate.

Regius tears through the artificially-lit Oris night straight for that same jump gate. If Gabriel is
still in Oris, he would have noticed a towering piece of experimental technology crashing into the
courtyard. And if he is not in Oris, there is only one other realm he would be in.

Luckily for Regius, he was right. Upon entering the gate complex, he catches a glimpse of
Gabriel jumping out of the realm. Regius heads towards the gate at a brisk walking pace.

A soldier to his left, gun drawn but hesitant to shoot the messenger, yells “if you jump so soon
after him, the batteries won’t have any power!” Regius doesn’t even turn his head or slow his
walking speed when shooting the soldier in the chest. He stands up on the platform. “Why would
I give a shit about the lights right now,” he grumbles.

Gabriel was waiting for Regius, and within a second of arriving at the Providence gate, Gabriel
was already on him. They both disarm eachother but Regius’s superior strength and speed
which often bested Gabriel at Academy now bests him again. Regius’s punches land more and
more frequently. When he finally stops, the other messenger slides down the wall and onto the
floor, breathing but unable to move.

He spits blood into his chin and laughs. “Do you really love this realm?”

Regius picks up his gun. “The way you loved Livitica?”

“Livitica was progress. Realms may die so others can ascend.” His breathing is labored.

“The realms are unraveling!” Regius screams.

“Not if you had just fucking died!” Gabriel screams back, with all the strength left in him. He
coughs. “I would have been a Crown. The tenth…” There is a moment of pause.

Regius is pacing. “But your experiment failed,” he says sternly.

Gabriel wheezes and laughs again. “Did it?” He rolls his head to a tilt. “I made a bomb that
destoys worlds.”

Regius recalls the conversation with Grand Advocate Westmaker where he said, “you know as
well as I do that the Crowns are afraid. The people of Providence are becoming equals now.”

With a weak shoulder, Gabriel lifts his arm and slaps the wall behind him. “This stupid realm and
all its stupid people will ascend into the fucking void.” Suddenly his face is covered in
amusement and surprise, “oh, your traitor uncle lives here! Well that will be extra sad”.

Regius stops pacing, points his gun at Gabriel, and fires twice. Gabriel stops laughing. Regius
takes his jump tech.

Covered in blood, Regius manages to stay out of sight in the shadows of the Providence
streets. He visits his aunt, uncle, and cousins at their home, who clean him up and give him a
meal. They tell him about the aftermath of the Grand Advocate’s death and how the lack of
further directives from Oris has forced the local factions to coordinate and appoint an interim
Grand Advocate who is born of Providence. Things were becoming stable again. As Regius
leaves their home, he hands Gabriel’s jump tech to his uncle. “If things start to look bad, maybe
you’ll need this.”

Regius starts his journey back to confront the Crowns about their plot to destroy Providence to
protect their supremacy. He returns to the jump gate and prepares for the fight of his life.

Upon arriving, he sees that doing a second jump has, in fact, caused a blackout across this
region of Oris. Fighting between Regius and the Oris forces rages through the night.
[PLAY TRACK 4 - CROWN OF ORIS]
Regius fights from the jump gate to the Chamber of the Crowns.

Regius reaches the dark and empty chamber and his yells echo off of the high ceilings.
“Crowns! I demand an audience! Providence is no longer yours!”

Only Andreus Faldis has remained in the region during the fighting. He appears on the balcony.

“How quickly you toss aside your Oris bloodline at the notion that you might be second best,” he
bellows, projecting all of his massive stature in his voice. “No doubt you saw Gabriel’s work.
Together he and I would join all of the realms into one, and they would assume their rightful
place in the hierarchy as we had intended for them.”

Regius projects in response, “And how do you plan to do that by destroying realms?”

FaIdis is amused. “There will be more realms.” He begins walking around the circular chamber
balcony. “I was hoping for a less… messy solution from Gabriel. But a weapon will do for now.”

Regius cocks his gun. Faldis looks down from the balcony at it.

“Ahhh… yes. And so it comes to this. Regius, do you know why I bear the Crown and you do
not?”

The Crown lifts his warhammer from its resting place against the balcony railing and throws it
directly at Regius. While Regius avoids being smashed by the hammer, Faldis jumps over the
railing and lands 7 meters below, cracking the floor tile.

“Because I am the strongest of an entire nation,” he continues at full bellowing strength, “My
peers are afraid but I am not. They flee to safe places while I await my enemies. For the sake of
this realm, I will show you why I deserve my Crown.”

[PLAY TRACK 4 - CROWN OF ORIS]

Regius fights the Crown Andreus Faldis in the Chamber, as well as waves of Oris
soldiers. Regius kills Faldis and survives the encounter.

The battle is over. Conflicted and exhausted, Regius comes to terms with a new, incredibly high
criminal status and the current situation during a moment of peace in the chamber. Oris is
desperate to maintain the supremacy that they enjoyed for so long but cannot keep. The only
thing allowing Oris to influence these realms is jump tech and messengers, all of which have
proven to be fallible.

Regius walks out to the courtyard where the Livitica experimental jump tech is still standing. He
gets an idea. “I can give them time.”
Regius fights to each known gate in Oris, all of which are close to the Chamber of the Crowns,
and rigs them with explosives. Fire and debris spreads across the cityscape as he moves from
one to another.

With all gates now in ruin, Regius returns to the experimental jump tech in the courtyard and
puts his hands on the controls. For an unexplained reason, this tech is still able to pull energy
from the Livitica void it is tied to. He dials in what he hopes to be a destination and pulls the
lever. The machine whirs and the air crackles.

Regius, the giant jump gate, and chunks of the courtyard materialize in uninhabited territory on
Maker’s Hand, 10 or so meters above the surface. Regius dives off the platform and rolls onto
the sand. The experimental tech, unfortunately, fares worse and collapses under its own weight
upon impact with the ground.

Regius, bruised and tired, stumbles across a small village of scavengers and is met by a guard
on the perimeter. When asked for his name and story, Regius replies:

“My name is Providence… and I’ve been traveling far too much.”

FIGHT BETWEEN REALMS