Side Story 1.2: The Great Caldera of Arkanus
Side Story 1.2: The Great Caldera of Arkanus
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Maya Village lies thousands of kilometers beyond the vast Caldera of Arkanus, a majestic formation spanning 210,000 square kilometers from its center to its formidable outer mountain walls. The caldera stands encircled by ancient forests—both grand and modest—that cloak its periphery in emerald mystery, a forest spanning 4 million square kilometers.
Rising skyward, rows of mountains encircle the caldera like the exposed teeth of a colossal sandworm breaching desert dunes. These natural ramparts average 5,000 meters in height, while the most imposing peaks soar twice as high, scraping the clouds with jagged, snow-capped summits. Within this geological wonder lies an untouched paradise: pristine forests stretch across valleys, crystal-clear rivers carve ancient paths, and mirror-like lakes reflect the changing skies.
According to sacred lore, the caldera formed when the wrath of the Heavenly God King of Centuury—ruler of all beings beneath his celestial throne—shook the cosmos itself. His only daughter, the Goddess Jena, had committed the ultimate transgression by falling in love with Prince Tiberius of the Arkanus Empire, the most powerful human realm out of the many continents.
The God King had decreed the greatest of all taboos: no deity or mortal should ever be joined in matrimony, whether in the heavens above or on earth below. Yet blinded by passionate love, Jena and Tiberius defied this divine commandment.
When the Heavenly God King discovered their forbidden union, his fury knew no bounds. His rage trembled through the High Heavens, shook the Middle Heaven, and convulsed the Mortal Plane for nearly a year. Every being throughout the cosmos cowered as the skies roared and the earth beneath them quaked without respite.
In his unbridled wrath, the God King slew Prince Tiberius along with the people from the Empire of Arkanus. Then, turning to his daughter, he stripped Jena of her godhood and cast her from the celestial realm. And the child birthed form the unholy union between god and man, was thrown from the high-heavens below the mortal realm, his grandson plummeted toward the mortal world, his divine essence—still burning with celestial fire—struck the heart of the Arkanus Empire with catastrophic force. The impact shattered mankind's mightiest civilization and carved out the enormous basin now known as the Caldera of Arkanus.
For millennia afterward, the caldera blazed like a second sun, its vast depression filled with molten lava that glowed day and night. Over countless centuries, the earth gradually cooled, leaving behind this extraordinary formation—sealed from the outside world by its ring of treacherous peaks that no outsider has successfully scaled.
Fear keeps most at bay, for legends speak of mythical beasts dwelling within: the Ancient Dragons, Rulers of Elements and Magic, who claim the highest peaks as their vast nesting grounds. These majestic creatures once served as guardian companions to Solarik, God of Fire and Thunder and firstborn of the God King himself. Beyond the dragons, countless other mythical beings—unseen by mortal eyes—are said to roam the caldera's hidden valleys and shadowy forests.
Yet legends often hide deeper truths. Within the caldera's protective embrace lives the tribe of Arko, descendants of bold explorers who entered the region after the great cooling. When all others feared to approach the mountains, the Arkons traversed the treacherous passages, establishing a civilization in perfect isolation from the known world.
Through generations of careful stewardship, they have prospered in this hidden realm, becoming the devoted caretakers of a pristine world unparalleled in its natural splendor. Their settlements, nestled beneath the watchful gaze of ancient dragons, stand as testament to the possibility of harmony between humanity and the mythical guardians of this sacred land.
While outsiders speak of the Caldera of Arkanus with hushed whispers of fear and awe, the Arkons know it simply as home—a sanctuary of beauty and wonder preserved by their ancestors' courage and their own unwavering respect for the land and its legendary protectors.