Chapter 1: Master of Shadows (Or: The time a voice in my head wouldn’t shut up)
Once upon a time… I was a charming, talented, and incredibly handsome goblin with a penchant for sneaking, stealing, and stabbing. My target? The [b]Heart of the World Tree[/b], a big shiny blob of [b]Amber[/b] hidden deep inside the [b]Tower of Akenash[/b], a giant tower in human territory. Why? Because [u][b]Amber is power[/b][/u]. It’s the sweet, addictive, glowing juice that makes me me. Smart, sneaky, deadly… basically everything you humans wish you were.
[i]*The Tower of Akenash houses the only World Tree on human territory.*[/i]
But, of course, things weren’t that simple. See, the whole tower was crawling with guards, elves, and some nasty roach-like monsters. Plus, there was a little problem. Turns out, the more Amber I guzzled, the more I started to hear whispers. And a certain voice in my head that wouldn’t shut up.
[u][b]SPOILER ALERT: Major twists ahead. If you want to live in blissful ignorance, skip to the next section. Or don’t. I don’t care.[/b][/u]
Here’s where it gets really fun. That [b]voice in my head[/b]? Yeah, it was [b]me[/b]. Or, more precisely, the [b]original Styx[/b]. The first goblin. Once upon a time, he was an orc, big, ugly, and probably smelled awful. But then he got a little too friendly with the World Tree’s magical Amber. And poof! Say hello to the first goblin. Still green, but little, ugly and still smelled bad.
And me? Just a tiny sliver of Amber that grew legs, a mean streak, and a talent for throat-slitting. A clone. See, [b]Original-Styx[/b] had this neat little trick, [b]spawning disposable clones[/b] of himself. Usually, they were brainless meat puppets, but when he infiltrated Akenash, he decided to cook up something special. A clone with brains, instincts, and a real talent for being a pain in the ass. [b]Me[/b].
[i]*Yes, that’s me as a “concept”. Handsome, huh?*[/i]
So yeah, [b]I was a mistake[/b]. A walking, talking afterthought. My big destiny? Steal the Heart of the World Tree, free Original-Styx, and then march right back into my original self like a good little puppet. Because apparently, [b]Original-Styx[/b] wasn’t a fan of the voices in his head and thought merging with the Heart of the World Tree would fix everything. Ho, and I discovered this sneaky bastard had planned to eliminate me as soon as my mission was completed.
Yeah, not happening.
So I did what I do best. I sneaked into the shadow, betrayed, schemed, and murdered my way through every idiot standing in my way. And in the end? I [b]destroyed[/b] the Heart of the World Tree, took down my original self, and took a graceful swan [b]dive into a pool of Amber[/b] to die. Really die. Like being dead. Because nobody tells me what to do. Not even… well, me.
And that’s where things got really messy. Hordes of Styx clones (stupid and feral) emerge from the amber. As the World Tree dies, the magic that keeps [b]Akenash[/b] aloft fails and the tower crashes to the ground.
The feral clones of Styx emerge from the ruins and disperse into the wilderness. A whole new race was born, the [b]goblins[/b]. [b]The green plague[/b]. Most of them were dumb as rocks, except for one. A goblin who actually had a brain but no memories. Just the name [b]“Styx”[/b] rattling around in his head.
Was it me? Was it the original? Was it someone entirely new? Who knows. Who cares! All that mattered was that Styx was still alive. And that meant trouble for everyone else.
[i]*Original-Styx looks pissed.*[/i]
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Chapter 2: Shards of Darkness (Or: The time I stole, betrayed, and somehow got screwed over)
Well, well, well… look who decided to continue my story. I’ll give you this, you’ve got some staying power.
You already forgot the part 1? Tough luck. I’m not here to hold your hand. But since I’m feeling generous [i](for once)[/i], here’s the short version: I outwitted some elves and humans, killed my original self (long story), and may or may not have caused a goblin apocalypse. Oops.
Now, you’d think after all that, I’d retire somewhere nice. Maybe sip some Amber cocktails on a beach made of stolen gold. Wrong! Instead, the world kept throwing problems at me, humans, elves, Amber addiction, and, worst of all, more humans. And as usual, I did what I do best: [b]survive[/b].
So if you’re ready for more sneaky actions in the shadow, backstabbing, betrayal, and absolute chaos, strap in. Things are about to get ugly.
You know the song, in this episode we’ll go in the lore of my previous adventures and today we’ll talk about the story on [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/355790/Styx_Shards_of_Darkness/]Styx: Shards of Darkness[/url]. Spoiler ahead!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/355790/Styx_Shards_of_Darkness/
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Chapter 2: Shards of Darkness (Or: The time I stole, betrayed, and somehow got screwed over)
So, after wrecking [b]Akenash[/b] and “unleashed” my people [i](most of whom have the IQ of a damp sock, but whatever)[/i], I should’ve been sipping Amber cocktails on a beach somewhere. Instead, I’m public enemy number one. See, the humans have a [b]goblin problem[/b]. [i](Translation: they have a Me problem)[/i]. And since subtlety isn’t their strong suit, they come up with the most brilliant solution ever: [b]mass extermination[/b]. Real original. Enter [b]Helledryn[/b]. She’s the captain of the C.A.R.N.A.G.E. squad [i](seriously, who names these things? We’re not in a superhero story with spider powers)[/i]. Helledryn is a human with an attitude problem, a hood full of secrets, and an offer: [b]steal a magic scepter[/b] from some dark elf bigwig, and she’ll pay me in Amber. Now, I could’ve asked a few questions, like [i]“Who’s the target?”[/i] or [i]“Is this a trap?”[/i] but hey, where’s the fun in that? Spoiler: It was a terrible idea. [b][SPOILER ALERT: More big reveals coming. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.[/b]
[i]Helledryn, the captain of the C.A.R.N.A.G.E. squad[/i]
Some shapeshifting dark elf prick named [b]Djarak[/b] beats me to the prize. Worse, he’s got a shiny [b]Quartz[/b] crystal that paralyzes me on the spot. Ever wanted to be a living statue while some knife-ear gloats in your face? Yeah, not fun.
By the time I shake it off, the whole airship is on high alert, and I’m running for my miserable green life. [b]Helledryn[/b]’s thrilled with my failure, but instead of gutting me, she offers another job: infiltrate [b]Korrangar[/b], the dark elf capital, and spy on a political meeting. Normally, I don’t care about politics unless someone’s paying me, but since this involves screwing over my new enemies, [b]I’m in[/b].
[i]Korrangar is a city built inside the large caves and hollow areas inside this huge cliff by the sea.[/i]
Korrangar isn’t just a city, it’s a cult. Their leader, [b]Lyssril[/b], keeps her people hooked on Amber while running a goblin-juicing factory [i](yeah, literally)[/i]. And their secret weapon? A lovely little monster named Lakima, who poops out [b]Quartz[/b] [i](Blegh!)[/i], the same magic rock that nearly got me killed. If the elves get enough of it, they can turn my kind into lawn ornaments forever.
So, what do I do? Exactly what you think I do, snoop, steal, and ruin everyone’s day. First, kill the Quartz pooping monster, sparking a war between the elves and dwarves. Then, Djarak and I torch the Amber refinery for good measure. Oh, and did I mention the giant dwarven golem that wakes up and starts redecorating Korrangar with its fists?
As for Djarak, that shape-shifting elf with a martyr complex? At the end of it all, he ditched me. Flew off with Helledryn’s zeppelin while I was still busy. But I’m not one to stay behind. I caught up [i](because I’m Styx)[/i] and found him smug and comfy at the helm.
So naturally, I did what any betrayed partner-in-crime would do: I pointed my crossbow at his face.
Because let’s be real. In my world, the only person you can really trust… is yourself. And even that’s questionable.
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