Grimrock

just something i knocked up in half an hour, grammar prob isnt amazing and spelling should be right

i basically came up with a backstory for Grimrock and if i get good feedback, hope to write more.

http://www.2shared.com/document/mXEDdtSW/grimrock.html

I know this is over four months late, but here is a reprint of the text file from the above link, and I took the liberty to fix a few typos and grammatical errors:

Grimrock: Chapter 1

The council of Kal'zar had reached no other choice, the three most powerful humans in the land each sat uneasy. They fidgeted in their designated thrones aside the round table, the most powerful mage's cloth visibly trembled, the most powerful fighter found comfort only in grasping the golden branch of his sword, and the most cunning rogue slowly rose from his throne.
“After the king's speech, as I'm sure we are all aware, the Minotaurs, insectoids and lizards will have just as many rights as us. We know what this means, the agitated Minotaurs will rise from the depths of society and consider themselves equals, they will infiltrate our councils, they will have shares in our kingdom... they will inevitably fall to their feral nature. Beer and meat won't be enough; they will start wars over feeble matters, they will meet in our markets bringing their native trinkets and vile recipes.”
The council shuddered at the thought, and the mage rose next.
“The insectoids, they are nothing compared to us, NOTHING!”
The mage brought his shaking hand and clasped within it his face.
“They are over populated, they have too many rights already, we can't even mine above one of their tunnels in case we cave one in... have you found any new mines in the past few years, their tunnels are everywhere, do we want them taking over the surface? They have no use like the Minotaurs do, the Minotaurs are strong, willing, even hard working to their credit, but what will the insectoids do? Where will their place be. They are not strong, not intelligent, they are just large in number.
My god, the Lizards. I have children, we all do, and they live in a plague free, healthy, civilized kingdom. Lizards can stay in their rotting swamps, deserts and jungles. Fourty six of them came through our capital's gate yesterday. FOURTY SIX! How can we expect our children to grow up respectably in a society where the plague ridden, filthy and not to mention criminal scum lay in our streets.”

The fighter leapt to his feet, slammed his hands face down on the table and screamed at his colleagues.
“That isn't the biggest issue here and we all know it isn't. The second that marionette pressures this council with that speech, everything will come out! How we've been pushing the Minotaurs further down the hierarchy of our kingdom since the queen passed away, how we've been quelling the Insectoids numbers by damaging the earth, letting those vile concoctions seep through the earth and into their tunnels, how we've been pitting the Lizard tribes against each other, and how we've been manipulating the kings every action, teaching him to think like us... for the good of the kingdom.
But that's what I don't understand, he's nothing but a face, a puppet; someone has got to the king, there is no way he has the will to blind side us like this. This motion is not the king's doing.”

The Mage and the Rogue looked at each other, they had thought exactly the same thing, someone was undermining them, and none of the council had any idea of who it could be.

“I'll do what needs to be done; that Judas of a king won't be a problem for much longer.
Prepare yourselves gentlemen, for when the king dies during his speech, the entire kingdom will try to drown itself in anarchy. Take Princess Azaya, make sure she knows that when she rules, we are not to be disobeyed.”

The Rogue said his piece and took his leave; the Mage and Fighter remained standing at the table - horrified, shaken and determined...

The night sky was absent of a moon, the stars lay in watch over Kal'zar, and the night eventually passed...

...

The kings' assassination was a failure, The watching sun, stars and Gods rejoiced...

“Our group was there for nothing but support for the king, Father you know that. The king ordered, requested, one from each race be blessed on this day to commemorate the new rights movement and become the ambassadors for their respective races. WHY BY THE GODS WOULD WE ATTEMPT TO KILL THE MAN WHO HAS DISOBEYED THE COUNCIL AND WAS WITHIN REACH TO EXPOSE THEM FOR WHAT THEY ARE?”
The human, Liyonas, managed to calm himself and gather his thoughts.
“Why would we try to murder the one man who can finally unite this kingdom as one?”
The priest stared at Liyonas, his piecing gaze cutting through Lionas' skin and striking his core.
“Think Liyonas, I have taught you your entire life and you're smart enough not to let your emotions get the better of you.”
The priest took a deep breath, his voice began to crumble, his head fell as he began to weep and spoke once more.
“Liyonas, your cousin is 19 years of age as of the last moon, have you spoken to her since the King was almost killed.”
Liyonas turned away and peered out of the barred window of the tower prison.
“Azaya and I have always been close father, you know that. Although, no, my anger and desperation has morphed me into something selfish since it happened.”
The priest placed a frail hand on Liyonas' shoulder and stood with him, staring out onto the plains, the swamp, the holes in the ground.
"Liyonas, your uncle, noble as he may be, is not strong in any sense. The council must have got to him already, but your cousin, she is strong like her mother was before she passed. 'For queen and council!' Every being in this land would chant the same thing. Alas, things have clearly taken a turn for the worse since her passing. The Lizardmen and their quarrels, Minotaurs have become tools, drunks, gluttonous. Insectoids are yet to be seen above the surface, they just expand their tunnels.”
The priest sat on the cell floor and cried deeply into his hands, as if his very soul had just withered and died in an instant.
“Liyonas, listen, say nothing and agree to what I am about to say. I will condemn you for your so called treason. Your position as a royal, however, will warrant you to choose: either you and your associates take torture followed by death, or you voluntarily face Grimrock, for your souls to be cleared. You MUST pick Grimrock. You will be escorted to the highest mountain in Kal'zar; you will be able to touch the Gods. But you avert your eyes, all of you shall, then you will leap into the mountain; use everything you have to reach the bottom. Meanwhile I will give Azaya everything I have discovered on the council; she is broken, but if the king falls to them I know she will shatter. She is cunning, deceiving and strong. She will clear your names and expose the council for what they are. By the time you leave Grimrock, you should all be free. I cannot help you more than this, I am not long for this world.”
Liyonas quickly fell to his teacher's level and blurted out whatever came to his mind.
“The council, they got you too, they know what you have on them, all the work you and I and the King and the other races have been doing, they know everything...”
The priest grabbed Liyonas' wrist with both of his and then slapped him in a disciplinary manner.
“BOY I TOLD YOU TO NOT LET YOUR EMOTIONS GET THE BETTER OF YOU! They know nothing, but this failed attempt on the king will raise suspicion. The council would not have messed this up, there must be someone very near them on our side. And as for my health, I have been working with the Lizards in the swamps to the north of the city; I have caught something that their bodies can handle, but a humans clearly can't.”

They were swiftly interrupted by the rising of a very large iron door, as a guard entered the cell. The consultation was over, judgement had to commence.

...

It had been but days since the confrontation and planning inside of Liyonas' cell, and now he was walking off of that airship, chained to a Minotaur, an Insectoid and a Lizard...

They were certainly high enough to reach the Gods, but they dared not face them now; one day they would have another chance. But as for this moment, they only intended to go down. They would speak to the Gods one last time and leave them behind as they leaped down into that dark abyss to crawl back to earth.

“Gods... Don't let Azaya fail...”

This was a cool read! I enjoyed seeing that someone else did the same thing I did (or I did the same thing they did!) and basically gave a back story to the Grimrock thing.

Would be a shame if this is where it stops.