ᵀʰᵉ ᶠᵒˡˡᵒʷⁱⁿᵍ ʷᵃˢ ᶠᵒᵘⁿᵈ ⁱⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ᴿᵉˢᵗʳⁱᶜᵗᵉᵈ ᴬʳᶜʰⁱᵛᵉˢ ᵃᵗ ᵗʰᵉ ᴸⁱᵇʳᵃʳʸ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ᴬʳᶜᵃⁿᵉ. ᴵᵗ ⁱˢ ᵃ ᵗʳᵃⁿˢᶜʳⁱᵖᵗⁱᵒⁿ ᵒᶠ ᵃ ˢᵖᵉᵉᶜʰ ᵍⁱᵛᵉⁿ ⁿᵉᵃʳˡʸ ¹⁰⁰ ʸᵉᵃʳˢ ᵃᵍᵒ, ᵇʸ ᵃ ᶠᵃᵐᵒᵘˢ ᴾʳᵒᶠᵉˢˢᵒʳ ᵒᶠ ˢᵃᵛᵃⁿⁿᵃʰ ᴴⁱˢᵗᵒʳʸ, ʷʰᵒ ʷᵃˢ ᵛⁱˢⁱᵗⁱⁿᵍ ᵃ ᵍʳᵒᵘᵖ ᵒᶠ ˢᶜʰᵒᵒˡᶜʰⁱˡᵈʳᵉⁿ. ᴸⁱᵗᵗˡᵉ ᵈⁱᵈ ᵗʰᵉ ʰᵒˢᵗ ᵏⁿᵒʷ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ᵗʰᵉ ᴾʳᵒᶠᵉˢˢᵒʳ ʰᵃᵈ ᵖᵉʳʰᵃᵖˢ ˢᵖᵉⁿᵗ ᵗᵒᵒ ᵐᵘᶜʰ ᵗⁱᵐᵉ ⁱⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ˢᵘⁿ, ˢᵗᵘᵈʸⁱⁿᵍ ᵗʰᵉ ᵃⁿᶜⁱᵉⁿᵗ ᶜᵘˡᵗᵘʳᵉ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ᴷᵃʳᵏᵃᵈᵒⁿ. ᶠᵒʳ ᵗʰᵉ ᶠᵒˡˡᵒʷⁱⁿᵍ ʳᵉᵐᵃʳᵏˢ, ʰᵉ ʷᵃˢ ⁱᵐᵖʳⁱˢᵒⁿᵉᵈ ⁱⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ˢᵃˡᵗ ᵀᵒʷᵉʳ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵈⁱᵉᵈ ᵗʰᵉʳᵉ. ᴺᵒ ᵒᵗʰᵉʳ ᶜᵒᵖʸ ⁱˢ ᵏⁿᵒʷⁿ ᵗᵒ ᵉˣⁱˢᵗ.

⁻ᴱⁿᶻᵒ

Now, children, you all know that Karkadon are life-forms native to Massina, like the Fenrir and Grondal; and unlike the Celestials, or dragonkind, and perhaps even we humans!

But did you also know that in distant antiquity, the Karkadon were the rulers of a massive empire that stretched from the tip of the southern peninsula up to the Cerulean Wastes. Even the Titans seemed to fear them, as their cities were allowed to build and grow with little interference. Their motto was “The Sun God Never Sleeps On Our Kingdom.”

Yes, we all know the story that around 700 to 600 years ago, the Karkadon chieftains amassed a huge army and marched north, intent on conquering those lands as well. And Emperor Volcanus stopped them. And so enraged was he that he marched south, and destroyed all their lands. Their glorious capital was laid to waste; the remains of it are now called the Ashlands.

But I bet you do not know how the Emperor punished the Karkadon warlords, do you? He mounted them on great spikes, and left them to rot in a line across the desert.

A-ha! Yes, this detail usually gets the attention of you little snot-nosed buggers!

[Recording contains audible gasps and laughter from the children]

Anyway, the Emperor decreed he would spare the Karkadon race, in exchange for a yearly tribute. They were to send their eldest sons and daughters to serve the Colosseum Eternal.

The Emperor also admired their cities; and the defeated Karkadon were forced to build him a capital, which we now know as Massina City. They made our temples, the roads, the canals. Strong Karkadon hands!

Now, over time, the tribute was ended– but the tradition was the path to glory for many of their young warriors; the pilgrimage, they called it.

At that time, Karkadon Champions dominated the games. (Never bet against a Karkadon, boys and girls. Don’t tell your bookies!) In the arena, the beasts became feared for their momentum, and their horn charge. They gave up on their Sun God, and began worshipping a new deity: Budakon, the One-Horned God of Glory. (You can see his statue in the hallway outside.)

Now since you’ve been so good… Would you like to know something that your teachers would prefer I not tell you? Yes? Well! Like I said, the Karkadon are one of the few Families who evolved here on Massina– and I believe that gives them a strong claim to inherit this world! And I tell you, little ones, I believe they are its true rulers. Yes, my little friends, I assure you their destiny is not yet over. And one more secret for you little monsters: [whispers] The line of Emperors is a fraud!

For I have seen it writ in the stars, and in the signs and portents. Have any of you children ever gutted a Xiva to read its entrails? No? Stop screaming! Or I won’t tell you what it says!

I must be quick now! I see Sergeant Broh of the Imperial Guard waiting in the wings!

The corrupted rule of our Emperors will come to an end, at the hands of a Karkadon warrior. Mark my words! Warn your parents! A new Empire will rise up! A Karkadon Empire! And all will be as it was in the days of old!! All non-believers will be gored on the horn of Budakon, including your parents!

[inaudible scuffle noises] UNHAND ME! AHH! NOT THE SHOCK WAND! DON’T SHOCK ME, BROH!

ᵀʰᵉ ᵗʳᵃⁿˢᶜʳⁱᵖᵗⁱᵒⁿ ᵉⁿᵈˢ ʰᵉʳᵉ. ᴾᵉʳʰᵃᵖˢ ᵗʰᵉ ᴾʳᵒᶠᵉˢˢᵒʳ ʰᵃᵈ ᵐᵒʳᵉ ᵗᵒ ˢᵃʸ, ᵇᵘᵗ ʰᵉ ˢᵃⁱᵈ ᵉⁿᵒᵘᵍʰ– ᶠʳᵒᵐ ʰⁱˢ ᵉˣⁱˢᵗⁱⁿᵍ ᶜᵒᵐᵐᵉⁿᵗᵃʳʸ, ʷᵉ ᶜᵃⁿ ᵇᵉ ˢᵘʳᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ᴷᵃʳᵏᵃᵈᵒⁿ ʰᵃˢ ᵐᵘᶜʰ ᵐᵒʳᵉ ʸᵉᵗ ᵗᵒ ᵈᵒ ⁱⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ᵍʳᵃⁿᵈ ˢᵗᵒʳʸ ᵒᶠ ᴹᵃˢˢⁱⁿᵃ.