Intro

Reconstructed screenplay

The kingdom of Myrtana, united by king Rhobar II.

(THE THRONE ROOM; THE KING SITS ON THE THRONE)

During the long years of his reign, he was able to defeat all foes of his realm... all except one.

(A BATTLEFIELD; ORCS TRIUMPH OVER HUMAN SOLDIERS, FIRES ARE RAGING)

(INSIDE A MINE; ARMORED GUARDS OVERSEE THE MINERS)

The war against the orcs took its toll, and the prisoners of the realm were to pay the price.

The king needed swords for his army, and every man guilty of a crime, no matter how insignificant, was forced to work in the ore mines of Khorinis.

(THE MOUNTAIN PASS; A PROCESSION OF CHAINED PRISONERS OVERSEEN BY ARMORED GUARDS WALKS TOWARDS THE MINE VALLEY)

To make it impossible for them to escape, the king sent out the best magicians of the kingdom to create a magic barrier around the entire valley. I was one of them.

(THE MINE VALLEY; THE HOODED MAGE CASTS A SPELL, A MAGIC BARRIER STARTS TO EXPAND FROM THE CENTER OF THE VALLEY)

Something disturbed the delicate structure of magic. We were trapped inside our own barrier.

(THE BARRIER KEEPS EXPANDING UNTIL IT SURROUNDS THE ENTIRE VALLEY, INCLUDING THE HOODED MAGE)

(THE PRISON COURTYARD; PRISONERS SUDDENLY MURDER THE CONFUSED PRISON GUARDS USING PICKAXES AND DAGGERS)

One second of negligence was enough for the prisoners. Khorinis was now under the control of the convicts.

(THE THRONE ROOM; KING HANDS A SEALED SCROLL TO A SOLDIER)

The king had no choice, he had to negotiate, he needed the ore.

(THE EDGE OF THE BARRIER; A PERSON ON THE ELEVATED OUTER SIDE THROWS THE SEALED SCROLL TO A PERSON INSIDE)

(THE EDGE OF THE BARRIER, DAYS LATER; ON THE ELEVATED OUTER SIDE WORKERS PLACE GOODS INTO A LIFT MECHANISM; THERE’S A TIED, BARELY CLOTHED WOMAN SITTING THERE TOO; THE LIFT IS LOWERED INTO THE BARRIER)

Month after month the king supplied everything the prisoners needed. Month after month they brought the ore to the edge of the barrier in exchange, until the present day.

(THE EDGE OF THE BARRIER, YEARS LATER; ON THE ELEVATED OUTER SIDE THE NEW CONVICT IS BROUGHT BY TWO ROYAL GUARDS, ACCOMPANIED BY A PRISON GUARD AND THE JUDGE)

Another convict was brought to the cliff. He did not know, but he would change everything.

THE JUDGE: In the name of king Rhobar II, bearer of the scepter of Varant, I sentence this convict to...

(THE HIGH MAGE OF FIRE SUDDENLY WALKS INTO THE SCENE)

THE HIGH MAGE OF FIRE: Stop! Convict, I’ve got an offer to make you: this letter must reach the leader of the Magicians of Fire.

THE NEW CONVICT: You’re wasting your time.

THE HIGH MAGE OF FIRE: You may choose your own reward, they’ll give you anything you ask for.

THE NEW CONVICT: Very well, I’ll take your letter... on one condition: spare me the rest of his nonsense.

THE JUDGE: How dare you!

THE HIGH MAGE OF FIRE: Keep silent! Right, send him in.

(TWO ROYAL GUARDS PUSH THE NEW CONVICT DOWN THE CLIFF, MAKING HIM FALL TROUGH THE BARRIER INTO A SMALL LAKE, THE NEW CONVICT CRAWLS OUT OF THE WATER ON THE OTHER SIDE, WHERE THREE BRUTAL PRISONERS AWAIT)

THE BRUTAL PRISONER: Welcome to the colony.

(THE BRUTAL PRISONER KNOCKS OUT THE NEW CONVICT, THE FRIENDLY PRISONER ENTERS THE SCENE)

THE FRIENDLY PRISONER: That’s enough, leave him alone. And now scram.

(THREE BRUTAL PRISONERS LEAVE)

THE FRIENDLY PRISONER: Get up.

Character details

• RHOBAR II: wears a simple crown, and his scepter has a form of common-looking spear, reassembling the Holy Lance (real-world insignia of the medieval Holy Roman Emperor, also known as the Spear of Destiny)
• THE HOODED MAGE: wears a robe of Archmage of Water, is voiced by the same actor who dubbed both Xardas and Saturas
• THE BRUTAL PRISONER: later introduced as Bullit
• THE FRIENDLY PRISONER: later introduced as Diego
• THE NEW CONVICT: the player character

Text version by Kai Rosenkranz (translated)

Before every battle, there is silence. Tense silence. Like in the eye of a hurricane. For a moment, time seemed to stand still. The air pressed down on the ground like a dense blanket of dust. Suddenly, howling broke the silence, and like a storm wind, the orcs swept across the land, ready to mow down anything that stood in their way. The soldiers’ arrows brought the giant bodies to the ground, yet every gap was immediately filled again.

The war with the orcs took its toll, and the prisoners of the kingdom were to pay it.

In those days, anyone who was guilty of a crime, no matter how minor, was taken to the mining colony of Khorinis to mine ore for the king’s weapons. The fires in the smelters burned day and night, and the hammering of the forges could be heard constantly.

The great blast furnace generates immense heat in the mine. The men work day and night, hacking the valuable ore from the impenetrable rock.

The king summoned the twelve most powerful mages of the realm, six from the Circle of Water and six from the Circle of Fire. He ordered them to create a magical barrier around the mining colony of Khorinis to prevent the numerous escape attempts by the workers. A barrier that let all life in, but not out again.

Lightning flashed across the sky, and like an explosion, the streams of magic united. The barrier was created, but it enclosed a much larger area than intended. The mages were also trapped inside.

The prisoners needed no more than a second of inattention. As the barrier covered the sky, they seized the opportunity and killed the guards who were trapped with them in the barrier. No one who could challenge the insurgents for control of the area enclosed by the barrier was left alive.

Only the mages they did not dare to attack, but even they were unable to end the uprising. The entire region was now in the hands of the prisoners.

The king had no choice. He had to negotiate, for he needed the ore. Reluctantly, he wrote a letter in which he proposed an exchange to the prisoners. One of his messengers was sent to bring the letter to the edge of the barrier and throw it to one of the prisoners inside the dome.

With this letter, an agreement was born that would ultimately work out.

Some of the prisoners continued to mine the precious ore for the king. Once a month, the collected ore was brought to an exchange point at the barrier, where it was transported outside on a cable car.

In payment, the king sent the prisoners everything they demanded. Month after month, he ensured that food and goods of all kinds were transported into the barrier. Sometimes he even had to throw women to the prisoners in the barrier.

Today, another convict is being brought to the mine. This convict is you. Just another prisoner who will be trapped in the barrier for the rest of his life. At least, that’s what they think....

On a cliff near the exchange point, the sentence is read, after which you are unceremoniously pushed off the cliff. Penetrating the barrier robs you of your senses for a moment. As the dizziness subsides, you realize that you have landed in a lake. With your last bit of strength, you save yourself on the shore.

In front of you, a foot stomps into the mud. You look up. Several prisoners stand over you with their arms crossed. The guy right in front of you leans down, looks you directly in the eye and growls at you with stinking breath:

“Welcome to the Colony!”

He rams his fist into your face and everything around you turns black...

Text version by Kai Rosenkranz (German)

Vor jeder Schlacht herrscht Ruhe. Angespannte Ruhe. Wie im Auge eines Orkans. Für eine Augenblick schien die Zeit stillzustehen. Die Luft drückte wie eine dichte Staubdecke auf den Boden.  Heulende Stimmen durchbrachen die Stille und wie ein Sturmwind fegten die Orks über das Land, bereit alles niederzumähen, was sich ihnen in den Weg stellte. Die Pfeile der Soldaten rissen die riesigen Körper zu Boden, doch jede Lücke füllte sich sofort wieder.

Der Krieg mit den Orks forderte seinen Tribut, und die Gefangenen des Reiches sollten ihn bezahlen.

In diesen Tagen wurde jeder, der sich eines Verbrechens schuldig gemacht hatte und sei es auch nur so gering, in die Minenkolonie von Khorinis gebracht, um dort Erz für die Waffen des Königs zu fördern. In den Schmelzen brannte Tag und Nacht das Feuer und beständig war das Hämmern der Schmieden zu hören.

Der große Schmelzofen erzeugt in der Mine eine gewaltige Hitze. Die Männer arbeiten Tag und Nacht, hacken das wertvolle Erz aus dem undurchdringlichen Fels.

Der König rief die zwölf mächtigsten Magier des Reiches zu sich, sechs vom Kreis des Wassers und sechs vom Kreis des Feuers. Er erteilte ihnen den Befehl, eine magische Barriere um die Minenkolonie von Khorinis zu errichten, um die zahlreichen Fluchtversuche der Arbeiter zu unterbinden. Eine Barriere, die alles Leben hinein, aber nicht wieder hinaus lies.

Blitze zuckten am Himmel, und wie eine Explosion vereinten sich die Ströme der Magie. Die Barriere war erschaffen, doch sie umschloß ein weit größeres Gebiet als vorgesehen war. Auch die Magier waren eingeschlossen.

Mehr als eine Sekunde der Unachtsamkeit brauchten die Gefangenen nicht. Als die Barriere den Himmel überzog, nutzten die sie die Gunst der Stunde und töteten die Wachen, die mit ihnen in der Barriere gefangen waren. Keiner, der den Aufständigen die Macht über das von der Barriere eingeschlossene Gebiet streitig machen konnte, wurde am Leben gelassen.

Einzig die Magier wagten sie nicht anzugreifen, doch auch ihnen war es nicht Möglich, den Aufstand zu beenden. Der gesamte Landstrich war nun in den Händen der Gefangenen.

Der König hatte keine Wahl. Er mußte verhandeln, denn er brauchte das Erz. Notgedrungen setzte er einen Brief auf, in dem er den Gefangenen einen Tausch vorschlug. Einer seiner Boten wurde losgeschickt, um den Brief an den Rand der Barriere zu bringen und einem der Gefangenen innerhalb der Kuppel zuzuwerfen.

Mit diesem Brief war eine Abmachung geboren, die sich letztendlich bewähren sollte.

Einige der Gefangenen schürften auch weiterhin das kostbare Erz für den König. Einmal im Monat wurde das gesammelte Erz zu einer Austauschstelle an die Barriere gebracht, wo es auf einer Seilbahn nach außen befördert wurde.

Als Bezahlung schickte der König den Gefangenen alles was sie verlangten. Monat für Monat sorgte er dafür, dass Nahrung und Waren aller Art in die Barriere transportiert wurden. Manchmal mußte er sogar Frauen zu den Gefangenen in die Barriere werfen.

Heute wird ein weiterer Verurteilter in die Mine gebracht. Dieser Verurteilte bist Du. Nur ein weiterer Gefangener, der für den Rest seines Lebens in der Barriere gefangen sein wird. So denken sie jedenfalls....

An einer Klippe in der Nähe der Austauschstelle wird der Urteilsspruch verlesen, danach wirst du unsanft von der Klippe gestoßen. Das Durchdringen der Barriere raubt dir für einen Moment die Sinne. Als sich die Benommenheit zurückzieht, merkst du, dass du in einem See gelandet bist. Mit letzter Kraft rettest du dich ans Ufer.

Vor Dir stampft ein Fuß in den Matsch. Du blickst auf. Mehrere Gefangene stehen mit verschränkten Armen über Dir. Der Kerl direkt vor Dir beugt sich herab, blickt Dir direkt ins Auge und raunt dir mit stinkendem Atem entgegen:

“Willkommen im Knast!”

Er rammt seine Faust in dein Gesicht und um dich herum wird es schwarz...