PROLOGUE: THE WORLD OF MAKEHSM
"Before the rot, there was balance. Before the king, there was harmony. And before the fall, the five soul stones held the dark realm together."
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OVERVIEW
Realm Name: Makehsm
Nature: A dark dimension, parallel to the physical world, filled with mystical vegetation, cursed lifeforms, and spiritual corruption.
Current State: Overrun by rot, fungal corruption, and dark monarchy control.
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ORIGINAL BALANCE OF MAKEHSM
Makehsm was once a rich, surreal biosphere. Its balance was maintained by five mystical forces, each embedded in Soul Stones that governed their own kingdom and ecosystem.
THE FIVE SOUL STONES AND THEIR DOMAINS
Virid Stone (Plants): Growth, healing, photosynthetic life. Created lush forests and fertile lands.
Mycor Stone (Fungi): Decay, memory, and biological intelligence. Built glowing, evolving fungal networks.
Lichstone (Lichens): Endurance, resilience, and elemental survival. Maintained rugged mountains and acidic terrains.
Siphon Gem (Parasites): Consumption, mind control, and stealth. Spawned twisted jungles of host-stealing vines.
Pterid Shard (Pteris): Ancient memory, regeneration, and camouflage. Guarded shadowed groves and ancestral flora.
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TERRAIN AND KINGDOM STRUCTURE
Originally, Makehsm had 5 distinct terrains, each defined by its Soul Stone:
1. Floria – Kingdom of Plants (Virid Stone): Vast emerald woods bathed in perpetual dawnlight.
2. Rotwald – Kingdom of Fungi (Mycor Stone): Pulsing mushroom towers and bioluminescent fog.
3. Crysthorn – Lichen Domain (Lichstone): Harsh cliffs and fossilized mosslands.
4. Vireblood – Parasite Wildlands (Siphon Gem): Parasitic groves and stalker roots.
5. Verdraeth – Ancestral Fern Territories (Pterid Shard): Time-locked green labyrinths.
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THE MONARCHY AND THE FALL
The King of the Dark Realm, known as Vrathkul, was a once-wise guardian of the Mycor Stone in Rotwald. Obsessed with transcending the physical and spiritual boundaries of life, Vrathkul betrayed the balance.
Through dark rituals in Crysthorn, he corrupted and fused the powers of Mycor and Lichstone, turning his form into a monstrous hybrid of rot and endurance. His soul hollowed out, leaving behind only a will for dominion.
THE RISE OF VRATHKUL
Fungus Warden of Rotwald (Fungi Kingdom)
Claims the Mycor Stone
Corrupts Lichstone through sacrificial rites
Merges fungal decay with lich endurance
Infects the entire realm with corruption
Declares himself Vrathkul, Lord of the Blight
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CURRENT STATE OF MAKEHSM
Once-diverse terrains are now overrun by fungal infestation and rotting lichen. Towering mushroom spires block out the sky, and creeping mold blankets even the strongest roots.
Air: Heavy with spores and memory-laced fog.
Water: Thick, luminous nectar with unpredictable mutations.
Sky: Clouded in red spores; devoid of light.
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MONSTERS AND SPECIES
These are five species that inhabit the Dark Realm of Makehsm, each fitting the themes of decay, corruption, and darkness that define the realm:
1. Mycobionts
Description: The Mycobionts are twisted, sentient creatures made of living fungus and moss, created and controlled by Vrathkul's power over the Mycor Stone. Their bodies are covered in thick, spongy fungal growths that glow with a sickly, dim light. These creatures are capable of regeneration and can spread fungal spores to infect others. Their minds are linked to the Mycor Stone, giving them a collective consciousness.
Abilities: They can control and manipulate the spread of fungi, can regenerate limbs, and are often used by Vrathkul to turn enemies into fungal zombies. They also release spores that can cloud vision and disorient opponents.
2. Lichenfiends
Description: Lichenfiends are a grotesque hybrid of humanoid creatures and lichen. They are slow-moving but incredibly strong, with bodies covered in layers of hardened, toughened lichen that provide them with armor. They possess the ability to grow lichen-like tendrils from their bodies, which they use to ensnare and capture prey. Their hollow, dark eyes are said to be windows into the souls of the deceased.
Abilities: They can manipulate and control lichens in the environment, causing them to grow rapidly, creating barriers or traps. They can also use the tendrils to ensnare and bind enemies, draining the life force from those they capture.
3. Siphon Wraiths
Description: Siphon Wraiths are ghostly, shadow-like creatures that draw their power from the Siphon Gem. They are ethereal and tend to haunt the ruins of the kingdoms that once thrived in Makehsm. Their appearance is a dark mist with faint, humanoid outlines, their faces often hidden in a shroud of swirling shadow. They feed off the life force of living creatures, draining their energy until nothing remains.
Abilities: Siphon Wraiths can drain the life energy of others from a distance, weaken their victims, and use their power to rejuvenate themselves. They are nearly invisible in the dark and can phase through walls, making them difficult to defeat.
4. Vireblood Serpents
Description: These monstrous serpents are native to the Vireblood Wildlands, where parasitic growths thrive. They have scales that glisten like rotten flesh, and their elongated bodies are covered in tumors and parasitic worms. Their fangs inject venom that causes their prey to become parasitic hosts, turning them into mindless puppets under the serpent's control.
Abilities: The serpents can infect their prey with parasitic worms, controlling them through the parasites. Their venom can induce rapid decay in living tissue, making them a dangerous force on the battlefield. They can also slither through even the most treacherous terrain and possess an unmatched ability to stalk their prey.
5. Pterid Spirits
Description: Pterid Spirits are the guardians of the ancient fern groves in the Pterid Shard region of Makehsm. These ethereal beings are like wraiths of ancient trees and ferns, their bodies composed of thick vines, leaves, and branches. They are seen as protectors of the balance of nature, but their power is twisted by the corruption that has spread across the realm.
Abilities: Pterid Spirits can manipulate plant life and can summon massive, animated trees, vines, and thorns to do their bidding. They can also sense the emotions of those around them, using their powers to influence the mental state of individuals. They have the ability to blend into their surroundings, becoming nearly invisible in the dense forest-like areas of Makehsm.
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These creatures each reflect the environment and the corrupting influence of the Dark Realm. The world of Makehsm is a twisted reflection of what was once natural, filled with dangerous entities that embody the essence of decay, parasitism, and parasitic growth.
PURPOSE OF THE SOUL STONES NOW
Vrathkul now possesses two stones — Mycor and Lichstone — and seeks the remaining three: Virid, Siphon, and Pterid. Each is protected by a hidden remnant of its ancient terrain.
If he succeeds, Makehsm will become an eternal necrotic hive of decay, and its infection may spill into the surface world.
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TO BE CONTINUED...