In mankind’s infancy, the world was a chaotic place. Loktharma was vast but its resources, the components that were vital to kindling any civilizations, were scarce. The law of men was simple: where there was need, there was war. Death and cruelty was a constant in these dark times.

The Lord Above, the god who governed over Loktharma, had tried his best to undo the suffering of the people. He conjured storms, called hails, commanded locusts to ravage the food supplies, all in an effort to halt the drums of war. But his effort understandably backfired. Instead of ceasing war, his disasters fed directly into the need for more resources. This mishap eventually culminated into the greatest war that Loktharma had ever seen.

In an act of desperation, the Lord dipped his left hand into the Great Cosmic Pool and raised it over Loktharma. From his fingertip, a single rainbow droplet fell down into the valley known only as the Cradle, where the armies of men gathered for one final stand, and crystallized into the Stone.

“My Creation! You shall be my eyes, ears, and mouth! You shall enact my will!” he announced.

With his words, the Stone was given life. Like a newborn baby, it lets out its first cry, an ungodly shockwave that leveled the nearby mountains. The fighting ceased in an instant, and all eyes turned to the strange object in the sky. At that moment, it seemed like all of the animosity that the kingdoms had for each other was gone and without a word, they at once charged at the Stone. Spears were thrown, swords swung, warcry shouted, but none could cause so much a dent in the Stone’s gleaming surface. With another shockwave, the armies were obliterated.

When it was all over, the stone coated itself inside an impenetrable layer of amber, dormant, a grim reminder to humanity about the futility of their existence.

After the first encounter with the Stone of Heaven, the borders of the world shifted. Many cities crumbled, while many more rose up to take their place. Shining brightest amongst them was Valheiros, a sanctuary of white cobblestone built by all the human races of Loktharma. Any forlorn souls who wandered here would be greeted with open arms and the promise of equality.

But, as the years went by, that promise was broken.

A race of man called the Solodian claimed that they were the ones who had contributed, and even sacrificed the most for the city in its foundation, therefore it was their birthright to rule it. Their preposterous claim, of course, didn’t sit well with the denizens of Valheiros, especially the Luxomun, people who honored freedom above all else. In an act of blind rage the head of the Luxomun challenged his Solodian counterpart to a brawl, betting their livelihood on the future of Valheiros. To the surprise of all the other races, the Solodians did not decline. A brawl was to be held the day after and the location would be at the Central Plaza for all eyes to see.

But, right at the moment when the Luxomun lord stepped up to the platform, he and his people collapsed to their side. In agony did they writhe, their ears and noses bleeding out into rivers of blood. Looks of horror and bewilderment were exchanged between the other races. Nobody could comprehend what was going on. Nobody, except for the Solodians. Even though their physical capabilities were greatly limited, they were cursed with profound intellect in all academic fields, and especially in the creation of many, many ungodly devices. After years of preparation, they had come up with ways to exploit the weaknesses of their enemies. In the night that preceded the brawl they had hidden below the Plaza an emmiter that could let out a high frequency ringing, which couldn’t be heard by the other races, but would inflict extreme discomfort and pain onto the Luxomun, leaving them completely incapacitated.

The Luxomun lost.

What followed after that eventful day was years of darkness. A new law was introduced into Valheiros. Only at night and away from the sights of any Solodian could the other, “lesser” races start their day. Anybody violation of this law would be punished by death. It was because of this that the Solodians also earned the title of “Sunwalkers”, for only they could move freely under the Sun.

As for the once proud and noble Luxomun, they suffered a fate worse than all. Having lost the brawl, they were reduced to a life of slavery and were forced to murder their own brothers and sisters in fighting pits below the city for the entertainment of the Solodian elites.

That was, until the arrival of Guinness, the Liberator.

Born with luscious crimson hair that covered his entire scalp, a sign of divinity for the Luxomun people, the child was believed to be the one who would let his people see the Sun again. As he grew older, their suspicion turned into pure faith as he possessed a strength that eclipsed even that of their already mammoth and an immense gravity that could turn even the bitterest of men into allies.

Any iota of hope for the Luxomun was a horde of danger for the Solodian, however. Turning seventeen, Guinness was abducted by Duke Gattuso and forced to become a gladiator. He fought against a myriad of dangerous foes, from common beasts and automatons to martial masters and ancient monsters. There was even an occasion where he slain the infamous Rain and Cloud, two chimeras who had been augmented by the Solodian technology. These fights amassed wealth for the men in power, and in turn, consocating with admirers of his courage by the only means a slave can. After Duke Gattuso was murdered in a struggle for power, with backing from newfound relations, Guinness was allowed to walk the streets of Valheiros, something unthinkable for a Luxomun at the time.

It was on those streets while looking for a way to free his people that a revelation came to Guinness. The Luxomun couldn’t rise up alone because they would just be put out like in those many years ago. Every other race also faced this same problem. So what if he just overwhelmed them with every race? Surely, the Solodian couldn’t deal with that?

When the heads of the races heard Guinness’ call for a revolution, they all burst out laughing. It was insane to even think about opposing the Solodian like the Luxomun once did. If the mightiest race in the city couldn’t, what chances did they have? But, upon seeing the burning determination in the young Luxomun eyes, their laughter ceased and they started listening to his story. They learned about his years of hardship inside fighting pits; they learned about the anguish and injustice his people had to suffer. Then, tears started to stream from their eyes as the secret of the mistreatment of the Luxomun people was put into light. And then, they all quietly reflected on their current state of life. They could’ve stood with the noble race on the day of the brawl, and stood up for their children the days after. Valheiros would have remained the way it was, a place where all the lost souls of Loktharma could find solace and company. By submitting, they themselves had also corroded the promise.

And so, out of shame and a burning desire to correct their wrong, they all agreed to join him in his cause.

On the week after the secret meeting, something happened on the streets of Valheiros, something that had lay absent for many years. All of the city’s “lesser” race were all outside of their abodes, basking in the morning glory. They had won back their city, and without much violence, too.

Words had gotten out and the Solodian, knowing that a battle was on the horizon, had fled the city over the week. Many scoffed at their desertion, seeing it as a sign of weakness but, little did they know, it was Guinness himself who had the information leaked. Having grown up witnessing pointless violence and bloodshed, the champion couldn’t bear to let anymore blood spill, especially those of the innocent. Of course, there were a few “Sunwalkers” who didn’t want to surrender their privileges, but they were swiftly dealt with.

And so, the future was bright.

Having united and led the Valheiros “lesser” race back into an age of freedom, Guinness was crowned the king of the city. But, on the day of his coronation, he was struck with a divine vision. Before his very eyes, the Plaza started to crumble and he was taken to a forlorn battlefield. There, he saw the horrific devastation that the Stone of Heaven had inflicted upon mankind. Then, he heard a whisper. In about a year’s time, the stone would be reawakened and what he just saw before would be repeated, only on a much grander scale. Humanity would be wiped out.

“How will you stop this calamity?” The voice from the vision called out to him.

When he finally returned to the ceremony, Guinness was forever a changed man.

For the first time in his life, he didn’t know what to do.