Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale
The tale of a fateful trip.
That started from this tropic port aboard this tiny ship.
The mate was a mighty sailing man
The skipper brave and sure
And Dave's fans set sail that day for the 13th chapter!
The 13th chapter!
Chapter 13
A long, long time ago, back when Oddworld was young, there was a small troop of spiritual travelers. There were ten in this band, and each had dedicated its soul to the preservation of their own respective species.
Each of these travelers was a respected sage among their own, and they had a pact of peace among themselves.
Arid the Paramite, like all creatures of the time, shared the common language of all beings in the universe, inglish. Likewise, Cicatrize the Scrab and Haste the Slog could speak the language. Branch the Slig and Caw the Gabbit were closer friends in this group. Ned the Intern was known for his loud and obnoxious behavior, and only relaxed around Tore the Vykker. Volvo was the first incarnation of the Big Bro Slig, but his constant bouts of disease made him an unlikely candidate for evolution. Avid the Glukkon was very bossy and strict, and didn’t like being disagreed with. Lastly, there was Sake the Mudokon. He said hardly anything about anything, and was very passive.
The group was a true band of brothers. They were able to help and solve the problems of all they found. And thanks to them, there was peace between their species for a long time.
But, as is true throughout the universe, all good things must come to an end. Avid and Tore made an agreement with each other, and made a private, anti-aggression pact between their species. This was important, as the group was aging, and though their wisdom expanded, their influence failed. Avid and Tore both saw the importance of creating alliances for when their wisdom vanished from Oddworld.
Arid and Cicatrize did not foresee any trouble. But, they ended up being the cause of all the problems that would separate the Ten.
The paramite, as we all know, is a social animal, but prefers, specifically, its own species. But, in Arid’s position, he had to settle for the most animal-like create in the pack, Cicatrize. The scrab, in return, was fiercely territorial, and traveled a bit away from the troop as it was. On the occasions when Arid tried to communicate, Cicatrize would strike a warning pose, and Arid backed down, tired and defeated.
Branch believed in the power Avid professed, and was willing to follow him. Haste, meanwhile, had adopted Branch as a master. Volvo eventually realized he had power and strength to surpass the whole pack. And, as he was the cousin of Branch, he could only go along with him.
Finally, Caw and Sake were left unallied and uncomfortable. They both sought peace among the group, but they had different ideas. Caw wanted them all to try and teach their wisdom and experience to others, so that it would live on. Sake wanted to construct temples and monuments to his pack so that those who were worthy of the knowledge they held could earn it, instead of being force fed the knowledge, as Caw proposed.
This only led to a dispute, and gabbits and mudokons became fierce rivals.
Eventually, the pack divided and returned to their own species, as wise old individuals. The shared what they knew of other races with their own, and each decided what they should do.
Arid returned to the forest, and told his fellows what he knew. The glukkons and vykkers were greedy, and would do whatever they could to gain power.
Cicatrize quickly became the alpha male of a scrab herd (and kept that position until he drowned in a flood). Passing his knowledge on, the scrabs learned of the greed of the glukkons and vykkers.
Haste spent no time in deciding he would follow Branch anywhere. Branch did not mind, and thought it would be convenient to have an animal like that on his side. It could probably be trained to be vicious, and hopefully to Avid’s satisfaction.
Tore gave Ned his first job as a henchman for the newly established Vykker’s Conglomerate. Tore had gained quick favor among his colleagues, what with his information on other species. He was the first president of the Conglomerate, and the founder of the first incarnation of Vykker’s Labs. Taking Volvo to his lab, he tried to recreate the genetic mutation found in sligs that made them mutate. It would take generations to perfect.
Avid began his own business: the manufacture of a worldwide currency: moolah. This was introduced to his glukkon friends, and there was a set standard for the worth of moolah. Basically a type of credit system, moolah soon became widely valued by glukkons and vykkers alike. Avid began the Margaret Cartel, named for his Mother (Through the generations, it was slurred and changed to simply the Magog Cartel). It became a true power, pulling up all world resources and creating smoke-belching factories. And so the Cartel was born.
Caw returned to the sea, and explained not the danger of the glukkons and vykkers, but the ignorance of the mudokons. The gabbits swore to never leave the seas, so that they would not risk meeting the pesky mudokons, with their ridiculous ideals.
When Sake arrived in his home village, he didn’t warn of the arrogant gabbit, but rather preached to his brothers about his encounters, and paid particular attention to the majesty of paramites and scrabs. His proposition was to dedicate the lives of their people to spiritual expansion and enlightenment, along with the study and preservation of paramites and scrabs. His ideas were widely received and immediately accepted. The center of mudokon influence was called Mighty Sake’s Temple. But, again, as generations passed, slurring speech changed its title to Monsaic Temple.
Back when there was peace among this band, they forged many treasures for future generations. Few remain who know what they are for, or what they do.
Among these treasures was a set of jewels enchanted by Sake. His particular favorite was a set of four earrings, only two of which remain today. By wearing these, and empowering them through the totems Sake and his future followers planted in final respect to his lifetime partners, a mudokon could call upon the spirits and essences of those Sake had once trusted.
“And that earring,” Patch finished, “is one of the remaining two. You are quite lucky to have it simply given to you. You must have someone upstairs who likes you.”
I shrugged. “No, he lives across the river.”
Sure, I knew what he meant, but I felt like making a joke. We chuckled at that a bit, and Patch spoke again.
“Now, I do believe that you need to empower a second mudokon with a Flash power.”
“A what? Flash power?” Just when I was getting into the story, he threw a new power at me. Sheesh.
“The Flash power allows a mudokon to have psychic connection with the mudokon who wears one of the Sake Earrings. Namely, you. You can call upon whom you choose to hold the flash power at any time to empower you with the Spirit of Arid. Then, chant to physically become the old paramite.”
That was a lot to swallow, but I managed to catch on. “That’s pretty sweet.”
“Indeed,” Patch agreed. “And then you focus on your mudokon body to return to it. I wish I could’ve found the earring. But, hey, you’re the one who has to save your brothers.” He looked a little disappointed.
I was a bit worried his color might vanish, and an idea struck me. “Remember my ‘everything has a purpose’ speech? I think a purpose has presented itself for you, Mister Patch.”
A grin stretched across his face, and I could swear that there was more color in his features than before. Without any hesitation, he plunged his hand into the opening where the earring had been.
Instead of the boring little flash there had been on the ring, there was a loud and painful-sounding stab of lightning on Patch’s left hand. He uttered an angry grunt, and yanked out his hand. He looked at it, dumbstruck, and held up his hand so I could see it.
The letter A was scratched into the flesh. Around it was a crude drawing of a paramite.
“Whoa … that was painful,” Patch said. His tone was similar to that of someone commenting on a beautiful day. “But in any case, I’m glad that I can help you, Dante.”
I shrugged again. “Well, sure, Patch. Anything you need.” I hesitated a second before continuing; I didn’t want to seem too anxious. “But, I still have a quest to finish … and there are quite a few mudokons back at Tastee Treets that are relying on me… so if you could point me in the direction of Muto …?”
Patch seemed to understand; he didn’t look upset, anyways. “Of course. Follow me.” And he silently slipped outside again.
We were greeted by the same, tireless multitude of mudokons. We worked our way through, and over to Norchan River.
The ferryman was a bright white-green. “Ahoy, there, Dante! What brings you about my ferry?”
“I need to get to Muto. Can you take me?”
The ferryman shuddered, then smiled. “Well, I suppose I can, Sir! All I have to say to you is good luck, matey! Step aboard!”
And so I did.
And we set off.
Hurrah!
Oh, and a note: In case you missed it, this story takes place at the same time as Munch's Oddysee.
And another note: Two chapters in two days! Whoo!
And one final note: DAVE ROCKS!
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I'm done.
More on the way!
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