Reminiscing | March 10, 2011

I brushed the dust off the PS3 that’s lying under my desk and powered it up. I looked at the list of games and remembered that I had downloaded Final Fantasy Tactics off PSN a long time ago. One of my favourite games!

FFT is one of the inspirations for The Pocalypse (especially the art style, of course). It also inspired a game that my cousin and I started many years ago that we never completed. Here’s a little screenshot:

It was called “Cardkeeper” and it was going to be a turn-based tactical RPG, much like FFT and other tactical games. The player would traverse dungeons and collect cards from fallen enemies. These cards contained magic spells and summonable monsters that would aid the player in battle.

I rummaged through my computer and I found the backstory that went with it! It went like this:

Thousands of years ago in the world of Pannotia, there lived an ancient, wise and pure-hearted wizard named Olgahm. One night, the night that Olgahm had been waiting for his entire life, he opened a portal to another world. He hoped to share magical secrets with a kind, mystic being from a foreign land. Alas, the being that came through the portal was neither kind nor willing to share any magical secrets. Olgahm was attacked by the portal-traveller who called himself Rekharsem.
A great battle between Olgahm and Rekharsem ensued. They both had incredible magical abilities and it seemed as if they were evenly matched. After forty-four long days of heated battle, both fighters were exhausted. Olgahm knew that he could not defeat Rekharsem by force, but perhaps he could defeat him through wit and cunning. As they were both recovering their energy, Olgahm proposed a deal to Rekharsem. “I will grant you immortality, if you would let me live in peace,” said Olgahm.
Rekharsem’s greed was aroused by this proposal. He knew that Olgahm was the kind of wizard that would not go back on his word. Rekharsem, on the other hand, was exactly that kind and he planned to kill Olgahm once he had the gift of immortality. He accepted the deal with a malicious grin on his face.
Olgahm began the ritual, but not the ritual that Rekharsem had in mind. Rekharsem did not realise until it was too late. When the ritual was complete, Olgahm held a Card in his hand. Sealed in this Card was Rekharsem himself. “Here, you shall live for eternity.”
Olgahm returned home and rested for one year. During his long slumber, Olgahm had terrible nightmares. A great conflict plagued his mind. Even while sealed inside a Card, Rekharsem’s power influenced the vulnerable sleeping mind of Olgahm. Rekharsem wished to control the mind of his enemy. He succeeded.
Olgahm awakened and did not recognise his own body. He was now Rekharsem. He felt a new power flow through his fingers. With the knowledge of the magic of two worlds, Rekharsem set out to enslave the people of Pannotia. However, before he could harm any living being, he felt the unstoppable force of Olgham’s mercy and kindness. All of Rekharsem’s offensive magic was silenced by the unconscious will of his host.
Enraged by his weakness, Rekharsem opened a portal to his world. He summoned his minions and hoped that they would help him carry out his evil plans. Powerful creatures entered Pannotia through Rekharsem’s portal. Rekharsem beckoned his soldiers to obey him. However, not recognising their master and sensing his lack of offensive magic, they attacked Rekharsem, accusing him of blasphemy.
Defenceless, Rekharsem fled into a deep cave, where he was soon trapped. His soldiers had him cornered until he frantically began the same ritual that Olgahm used to seal him within a Card. He successfully completed the ritual and then held the Cards of his sealed minions. Fearing the immense power emanating from the Cards, Rekharsem used his remaining energy to divide the powers into multiple Cards, splitting the creatures’ spirits and separating them from their magic. Now with each Card containing a fraction of its original power, Rekharsem banished the Cards from himself and they were spread throughout Pannotia. He no longer had the fear of any of his minions entering his mind. These acts had depleted all of Rekharsem’s energy. Clinging to a thin thread of life, Rekharsem entered a deep slumber that would last hundreds of years.
The kingdom of Kalini was built around Rekharsem’s Cave and all memory of Olgahm faded into the dusty pages of history. Not long after Kalini was established, many treasure hunters, adventurers, and even villagers stumbled upon the Cards that contained the magic of Rekharsem’s army. Accidentally realising the power held within each Card, the people of Kalini quickly took advantage of these strange artefacts. Harnessing the magic within the Cards, the people of Kalini now had new magical tools to aid them in their daily lives. But like any great power, some people abused the privilege and used the Cards as weapons. Many conflicts broke out between those that wished to obtain more Cards and more power. The Cards were collected by many people, some good and some bad. These people came to be known as Cardkeepers.
One day, inside a small cottage on the outskirts of Kalini, a young Cardkeeper held a new Card that she had just found on her most recent journey. This Card was different from the others. It had a strange aura about it that separated it from her other Cards. Deep down, she feared this new Card, but her sense of adventure and curiosity compelled her to use the Card, regardless of the consequences. After all, didn’t the first Cardkeeper fear the first Card too?
After summoning the Card’s power, the young Cardkeeper was astounded. Unlike the others, no spell spewed forth from the Card. Instead, a living being stood in front of her. The large, reptile-like animal stared down at its summoner and spoke, “Command me, master.”

Haha, it’s funny reading old stuff :D

Enjoy Scene 38 – “Sentinel in Need, Part Two”! (Yup, I went the Bernie route. Chapter 2 is almost done!)

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