But hey, since you clearly need catching up, I’ve graciously dumped the whole sordid tale of Styx: Master of Shadows and Styx: Shards of Darkness right here. It’s a bit of a chunk to read, try not to strain that tiny brain of yours.
Sit back, try to keep up, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll learn something.
Just kidding. I’m standing right here, waiting for you to wishlist Styx: Blades of Greed.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3290690/Styx_Blades_of_Greed/
Go ahead. Click it. I’ll wait.
What’s that? You think you’ll just skip it and pretend it doesn’t matter? Yeah, I can hear your excuses. "I’ll do it later". Sure, sure. I get it, you’re busy blah blah. I don’t care, I am busy too!
You’ll quit first, though. I know you will.
So go on. Show me you’re not a complete waste of space. Wishlist it.
Now, last time, I gave you the grand tour of this rotten world. Humans being humans (a.k.a. the worst), orcs getting the short end of the stick, and a bunch of other races playing their parts in one giant, bloody mess. But this time? We’re talking about me. My story. My rise. My legend!
Yeah, yeah, it’s been ages since my first adventure. Cry me a river. Time to refresh your memory. And for those clueless fools who don’t know my legend… well, consider yourselves honored. Not everyone gets a history lesson from the Styx.
And before you get any bright ideas, yeah, there are spoilers if you never played my first adventure, Styx: Master of Shadows. If you don’t want your tiny brain ruined by the shocking truths of my past, now’s your chance to leave. Go on, discover my story by yourself, play my previous adventure Styx: Master of Shadows.
I’ll wait.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/242640/Styx_Master_of_Shadows/
…Still here? Good. Let’s get to it.
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 Heart of the World Tree, a big shiny blob of Amber hidden deep inside the Tower of Akenash, a giant tower in human territory. Why? Because Amber is power. It’s the sweet, addictive, glowing juice that makes me me. Smart, sneaky, deadly… basically everything you humans wish you were.
*The Tower of Akenash houses the only World Tree on human territory.*
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.
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.
Here’s where it gets really fun. That voice in my head? Yeah, it was me. Or, more precisely, the original Styx. 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, Original-Styx had this neat little trick, spawning disposable clones 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. Me.
*Yes, that’s me as a “concept”. Handsome, huh?*
So yeah, I was a mistake. 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, Original-Styx 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 destroyed the Heart of the World Tree, took down my original self, and took a graceful swan dive into a pool of Amber 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 Akenash 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 goblins. The green plague. Most of them were dumb as rocks, except for one. A goblin who actually had a brain but no memories. Just the name “Styx” 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.
*Original-Styx looks pissed.*
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 (for once), 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: survive.
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 Styx: Shards of Darkness. Spoiler ahead!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/355790/Styx_Shards_of_Darkness/
Chapter 2: Shards of Darkness (Or: The time I stole, betrayed, and somehow got screwed over)
So, after wrecking Akenash and “unleashed” my people (most of whom have the IQ of a damp sock, but whatever), I should’ve been sipping Amber cocktails on a beach somewhere. Instead, I’m public enemy number one. See, the humans have a goblin problem. (Translation: they have a Me problem). And since subtlety isn’t their strong suit, they come up with the most brilliant solution ever: mass extermination. Real original.
Enter Helledryn. She’s the captain of the C.A.R.N.A.G.E. squad (seriously, who names these things? We’re not in a superhero story with spider powers). Helledryn is a human with an attitude problem, a hood full of secrets, and an offer: steal a magic scepter from some dark elf bigwig, and she’ll pay me in Amber.
Now, I could’ve asked a few questions, like “Who’s the target?” or “Is this a trap?” but hey, where’s the fun in that?
Spoiler: It was a terrible idea.
[SPOILER ALERT: More big reveals coming. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Helledryn, the captain of the C.A.R.N.A.G.E. squad
Some shapeshifting dark elf prick named Djarak beats me to the prize. Worse, he’s got a shiny Quartz 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. Helledryn’s thrilled with my failure, but instead of gutting me, she offers another job: infiltrate Korrangar, 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, I’m in.
Korrangar is a city built inside the large caves and hollow areas inside this huge cliff by the sea.
Korrangar isn’t just a city, it’s a cult. Their leader, Lyssril, keeps her people hooked on Amber while running a goblin-juicing factory (yeah, literally). And their secret weapon? A lovely little monster named Lakima, who poops out Quartz (Blegh!), 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 (because I’m Styx) 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.
What’s Next?
So, there you have it!
The legendary, totally-not-tragic tale of yours truly. Lies, betrayal, bloodshed, and more backstabbing than a royal family reunion. basically, just another Tuesday in my life. Beautiful, isn’t it?
The real question now is: what’s next?
Oh, wouldn’t you like to know?
Let’s just say my next adventure is going to be bigger, bloodier, and way more personal. And lucky you, you actually get to be part of it. Well, if you’ve got the guts.
If you want to know what happens next, you’ll have to play Styx: Blades of Greed.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3290690/Styx_Blades_of_Greed/
Oh, and speaking of which, have you wishlisted it yet? No? Typical. Humans never learn. Do yourself a favor and do it now. Because trust me, you don’t want to miss what’s coming in my next adventure.
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