The Fall of Acala

This was intended to be an story passed by oral tradition about the destruction of civilation as a result of prolonged war. It is not so much an introduction to the story as it is to just give brief insight into the world of Acala.

            There was a time when the sun lit up the entire sky with light all around the world. Long before you or I was born. Long before our fathers were born; long before even our father’s fathers were born. Long before anyone can remember now.

            There were great cities, with towers so great they could almost touch the very gates of Sayaloka itself. People lived there in huge numbers. More than anyone could possibly count. Many made peaceful lives for themselves. They grew their crops and their families. They lived lives of humble virtue. But there were others as well. Men who lived their lives devoted to wealth and power. These men, who controlled the fate of these great cities and the virtuous people they spoke for, the virtuous people they lied to, the virtuous people who gave them their trust.

            As the cities grew, so did their need for food and other things. Over time, the cities organized themselves to benefit their own needs. These became the three great nations of Acala: The Republic of Bodhi in the North, the Alliance of Ahavak to the South, and the Federation of Ananda in the East.

As their populations grew, so too did their need for resources. Tensions developed amongst the three. Before long, a great war erupted between the peoples of Bodhi and Ahavak. Both sides fought with all their might. Open warfare waged over the course of 250 long years. The once calm waters of the Pratibheda Ocean churned with black oil and the red of blood. The skies were stained with soot and the smell of gunpowder. All across the land, the scars of battle were beginning to darken.

The eye of Sayaloka watched from high above. The Gods had not remained neutral during this struggle. Hedon, Goddess of wisdom an intuition, bestowed her gifts upon the cunning strategists of the Bodhian army. Hevok, God of war and warriors, gave his favor and strength to the force of Ahavak campaigns. The divine among the Sayalokians lost their faith in the races of the world, and turned away from their creation. All mystical powers of the world ebbed away, leaving only the power of destruction.

One held faith that remained unbroken through all the atrocities of the mortal world. The Goddess Suvratya believed the world on the brink of destruction could yet be saved. She called upon a servant in both nations, Bhaj in Aravak and Ceda of Ahavak, to bear a seal of the Gods to the capital cities and call for an end to the war. Both were met with harsh repercussions. Forests died, rivers ran dry; the world was beyond saving.

So, on the Day of Judgment, Suvratya descended from the thrones of Sayaloka unto the plane of Acala bearing Altair, the sacred trident. Into the depths of the Pratibheda, hidden away from the world, She unleashed all the fury of Sayaloka, and hurled the Altair to the Heavens. Torrential storms broke the fighting that plagued the world. The waters rose up, devouring cities, destroying life, destroying hope. Great winds carried white waters high into the sky. A great inhale could be heard from every voice as the world stood still if only for an instant. Twisters rained down from gray skies, hail battered the frozen landscape, the air burned with icy heat. Acala was never the same again. That was over a thousand years ago.