Frogster are set to bring Bluehole Studios’ stunning looking MMORPG TERA to Europe and this afternoon they have released further information on the game’s background story.
Bluehole Studios’ Harns Kim who is the senior producer on the game also took time out to answer a few questions about the the inspiration behind the game’s story.
The background story of TERA is not based on an existing license, it is completely new. What was the idea behind this story?
TERA features a completely new world filled with engaging stories. Our focus on the story and gameplay is that player’s actions can change the balance of power in a world threatened by dark powers as six allied races try to work together to protect their lands from marauding monsters, underworld dwellers, and evil scheming gods. The story is being written by a group of highly talented and professional writers.There are about ten of them hired full-time in Korea and North America. These writers from both sides of the ocean swap ideas and suggestions with their counterparts on a daily basis and are working very hard to ensure that TERA’s world and its story arc will be one of a kind. It is very interesting to see them working in cooperation with each other, because these two groups of people come from completely different worlds. Collision between cultures is commonplace in this process, but such exchange reinforces our goal to draw in a wide range of gamers with different cultural backgrounds.
TERA’s story is built on such an enormous scale that it is best experienced first-hand. Is there any nasty evil guy in the story you like most?
The various races and nations of the world of TERA have formed an alliance called the “Valkyon Federation.” Evil creatures known as the Argons, a mysterious race from another dimension, are reaping havoc and destruction. As soldiers dispatched by the federation, players will travel around the world and engage in numerous quests. As players make further progress in the game, they will start participating in more important missions and eventually learn more about the Argon’s sinister plans. U
Ultimately, players will discover the secret of their origin, and fight the final battle to bring peace to their world once and for all.Be honest! Where do you get your inspiration for the story?
Initially, we began by taking different European mythologies as our reference point. Then, we went on to the relatively more well-known stories of Greek and Roman gods. There were also many inspirational stories in northern European legends and other epic tales like King Arthur, the Ring of the Nibelung, and so on. Creating TERA’s world and story has been a collaborative work of many writers, making it very difficult to point to any one direction and say that is the source of our inspiration. Instead, many different ideas were brought to the table for discussion, and as a result came the lore of TERA.
The Story
In the beginning, there were two ancient gods. After spending thousands of years in a realm of eternal war, Shara and Arun fled a universe of endless battles. After hiding their weapons in a secret temple, they entered a deep sleep. As they slept, they began to dream – dreaming a new universe into existence.
Their resting flesh turned to stone over centuries and created the continents. To populate this new world, Arun and Shara dreamed a generation of gods, who in turn created mortal races.But soon, greed and power struggles amongst these new gods caused the doom of this idyllic world. The so-called “Divine War” tore the world apart and resulted in a total disappearance of most gods. The few survivors were trapped in heavenly exile or hiding to heal their wounds. The mortal races were now free to act on their own, to prosper and to develop complex civilizations over centuries.
But a new evil has appeared, willing to bend them under its will, like the older gods used to do. The Argons, a race coming from the subterranean world started to wreak havoc on the territories of the different races. Their only goal now seems to be the utter domination of the surface world.
The Argons first attacks were so strong that none of the surface dwellers were able to repel them. Therefore the Humans decided to forge an alliance named the “Valkyon Federation” with the Castanics, the Amani, the Poporis, the Barakas and the High Elves, the main factions of the world. This coalition was created with the goal of preventing the Argons from conquering the civilized races of the surface world.Players of TERA enter this universe in a critical period for the Federation. Tensions are emerging among the members of the federation while the Argons slowly gain more ground. Many of the gods from Arborea’s early days are rising again, meddling in mortal affairs, settling old scores, and trying to regain the divine power they lost at the end of the Divine War.
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Paul Younger
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Published: Aug 12, 2010 03:04 pm