Lore 101 - The Festival of New Life
Hey everyone! Things are getting pretty exciting for Children of Morta and we figured it was about time to give everyone a bit of a sneak peak into its world. Once a week we will be posting a little snippet of lore surrounding the mysterious Mount Morta and we are kicking it off with the Festival of Life, a celebration that gives thanks to the mountain and its gods!
Once a year, on the eve of the 6th moon, the people of Morta gather to give praise to the gods of the mountain in the Festival of New Life. Games are played, great food eaten and laughter can be heard for miles. Yes, it is indeed a time for joyous celebration, but it wasn’t always so.
In its inception, the event was titled the Time of Offerings, a much more solemn ritual in which the people of Morta offered up sacrifices of food and material possessions to appease the four elemental gods. In these times, the gods were more beast than divine beings, often putting peoples’ lives in danger. A season of crops could go up in flame by the god of magma and power. Full size trees would sprout up from the ground in the middle of houses where a cackle from the god of the forest would always be heard nearby. The people of Morta lived in a state of constant fear, forced to accept it as a normality.
On a day that held little significance, a young man was arranging his flowerbed. Spring blossomed all around him as the sun warmed the back of his neck while a soft breeze flew through the valley. Few signs of the recently oppressive winter were left to witness. After the hard day’s work, the man took his gloves off, wiped the sweat off his brow and admired his work. Unknown to him, the god of ice lay hidden nearby. Upset at the passing of winter, the man’s garden of bright greens and fresh life sent the god into a frenzy. He sent a chill over the valley that froze and killed the man’s entire garden. Satisfied, the god of ice scurried away.
Something inside the man cracked that afternoon. Some say they could hear it, as if lightning had struck him in broad daylight. He dropped his spade and in place, picked up the sword and shield. He hugged his loved ones and promised them a brighter tomorrow. He turned and for four days he climbed the mountain. He visited each god in their home and either driven to give the people of the mountain a better life or by sheer anger, he bested each one in combat. Immortal, they could not be killed, but the man took his prize in the form of a piece of each god, cut from their very body.
Upon achieving victory over the four gods, the young man traveled to the forbidden city at the top of the mountain. At the peak, he offered his trophies as sacrifices, begging a higher power for help. Something that day heard his plea. The trophies rose off the ground. Glowing brightly, they changed form and merged into a mask! Around that mask formed a new being, one more powerful then the four elemental gods. What the young man witnessed that day was the birth of a new god, the Mountain God.
This new god held dominion over the lesser elemental gods. Through his guidance, the lesser gods themselves changed form. They left their beast forms, evolving into the divine beings that now watch over the mountain. Under the watchful eye of the Mountain God, Mount Morta flourished, entering a new golden age of prosperity. The Time of Offerings was left in the past as the Festival of New Life took its place.
Many generations have come and passed since that fateful day and many believe that life as it is now has always been and will always be. Although the young man and his dangerous journey have been forgotten, the celebration has not. Once a year, people still dance, eat sweets and rejoice together. Surely this time of peace can last forever.
To be honest, if the peace lasted forever, our game probably wouldn't be any fun. Stay tuned for more lore from the land of Morta in the upcoming weeks!
-Jakobsen Beck
Narrative Designer
