Albion (Fable)
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Albion is a fictional world featured in the video game Fable. It is similar to Medieval England, although geographically it better resembles Wales. Albion in Gaelic was a word to refer to either England as an island or the Scottish and Welsh bits. Albion is a land without a central ruler, being made up of various city-states with lawless stretches of plains and forest in between. The entire game takes place within this world.
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[edit] History
Little is known about Albion's history due to a long period of decline. Its early history is identified as "the Old Kingdom", which, in Albion's paralels to real-life Britain, could be equated with the Roman occupation of Britain. During this time, the land of Albion was once led by an ancient royal bloodline, which culminated with the rule of Archon. By this time, Albion was a peaceful and prosperous land, with Archon's kingdom ruling over every corner of Albion. However, Archon came into possession of an ancient and powerful sword that gradually began to corrupt him and, eventually, his entire kingdom. Numerous mammoth construction projects were begun to create strange structures all over Albion, and mysterious, enormous guards began guarding the four main energy sources of Albion and Archon's castle, the focus sites. New deadly creatures began roaming throughout the land, terrorizing the people of Albion as a 'darkness' spread far and wide throughout the world.
Sometime after this, Archon and his sword vanished, bringing a sudden collapse to his kingdom. However, the 'darkness' remained, casting a wave of fear throughout Albion.
In Fable: The Lost Chapters, The Oracle of Snowspire in the Northern Wastes reveals information about the Old Kingdom that was otherwise lost: "Archon" was not the name of a single king, but rather a title passed down by many kings, all connected through a unique bloodline and possession of the Sword of Aeons. This is similar to the pre-Norman times in England; in which it was a sword that marked a person as royalty, not a crown.
By the time Fable takes place, the world has slowly deteriorated from the days of the 'Old Kingdom'. Most people live in the small city-states that dot the countryside. The lands outside these cities are plagued by banditry and vicious creatures. Traders that travel through the country side are regularly killed by these forces, with some hiring mercenaries to protect them. The infrastructure of walls and roads built during the Old Kingdom have gradually deteriorated.
Fable 2 is set 500 years after Fable, where Albion seems to be in the Renaissance age as evidenced by the early firearms present in the E3 trailer. In Lionhead's Video Diaries, Fable 2 has been described as the era of "Highwaymen."
[edit] The Heroes' Guild
One of the most prominent institutions during this time is the Heroes' Guild. Operating out of the former royal castle of the Old Kingdom, (which may or may not be Archon's capital, but due to the fact that the Sword of Aeons is located here it seems likely) the Guild is a center of learning and training for Heroes, renowned mercenaries that are active in all parts of Albion. Through the Guild, Heroes are contracted as thieves, soldiers, guards, rescuers, and many other jobs the people of Albion are willing to pay Heroes to perform.
Beginning at a young age, students at the Guild are instructed in swordsmanship, archery, magic, and intellectual study. However, Heroes after graduation are not bound to follow the orders of the Guild. This is highlighted in the number of heroes who choose to engage in more criminal activities, such as Twinblade, a former Hero who became the leader of a prominent gang of bandits. Originally members of the guild could only take on quests of good nature, however some time ago Weaver (the current guildmaster) and a band of others including Maze led a revolt against the former guild, fighting for their view that heroes should be allowed to walk any path they wish. They apparently were victorious in this revolt, as Weaver, as suggested by Scythe, is now the guildmaster and all heroes may do good or evil quests. The tendency of Heroes to walk both light and dark paths upon their graduation may be in part due to the amoral nature of the Guild itself, which routinely runs contracts for criminal activities and seems to fail to possess a code of morality common among organizations like it.
The Guild is not without its share of detractors. Numerous books and leaflets in Albion call for the abolishment of the Guild, highlighting its characteristics of vanity, celebrity, and perceived superiority. The most famous of these books is "The Guild of Zeroes", which follows the story of Bloody Nose, zero in training. Of course, the moral ambiguity of the Guild since its reformation under Maze and the current Guildmaster has since silenced the author, a fact confirmed by the school teacher in Bowerstone.
[edit] Society
[edit] Law
The land of Albion is notably devoid of a strong system of government and laws, leading to a laissez-faire attitude for most aspects of society. Homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and polygamy are universally legal and widely accepted. Extramarital affairs, however, are taboo and the source of much contention among married couples. There is also a law that does not allow you to enter a town with unsheathed weapons as you are deemed a threat and hazard. Obviously, murder is considered incredibly evil and so is breaking into a house, theft or attacking innocent civilians and guards, but the worst that can ever happen to you is a fine and being thrown from the town at the same time. There are also prostitutes in Albion but it isn't explicit as to whether this is legal or not. In Fable: Lost Chapters, there is a bordello, which the player can either keep as a bordello in which your character can have sex with them or change into a woman's refuge.
[edit] Economy
The economy is completely unregulated and based primarily on agriculture, trade, and services, with little industrial activity prevalent in the country. The currency of Albion is the gold coin, and nearly every tradable item in the land has a "national standard" of what each item is worth in gold. It should be noted however that items are rarely sold for their exact worth, especially in taverns and the Guild gift shop.
[edit] Entertainment
Entertainment is provided at taverns, with their collection of beer, bards, and gambling. Also, a clandestine organization of fight clubs is prevalent in most of the major settlements, meeting solely at nighttime. There are also various games played about Albion, most notably Oakvale's "Chicken Kicking" contest, the Albion Fishing Competition held in Greatwood and the Archery Contest held just outside Knothole Glade.
The Arena also provides gladiatorial style combat entertainment for those who will make the journey out to Witchwood.
[edit] Magic
Magic, known as Will, exists in Albion, but is fairly rare in normal society. Only members of the Guild of Heroes are ever seen utilizing it. It is said in The Lost Chapters by the Snowspire Oracle that during the time of Fable, Will energy is at an all-time low, and that Will is most abundant under the temples of Skorm and Avo.
Will can be harnessed to alter the physical world, such as slowing down time, to inflict damage on opponents, such as Will lightning, or simply perform other useful conjurations, such as summoning ghost blades or creating multiple magic arrows when firing one's bow.
Will also seems to have a Good and Evil balance to it. Some spells are easier or harder to learn with certain ethical alignments. These spells can only be mastered by users with the same alignment, which can be a pain for those willing to learn the last level of a spell but are of the completely opposite alignment.
[edit] Religion
Religion is based upon the worship of two deities: Avo and Skorm. Avo is a benevolent deity, worshipped in a temple in Witchwood through the giving of tithes. Skorm is a devil-like deity, demanding human sacrifices in exchange for temporal power.
It is revealed by the description of the Holy Warrior and Daemon Warrior Helms found in the Northern Wastes that 200 years prior to the events of Fable, a holy war erupted between the two churches.
In Fable: The Lost Chapters it is said by the Oracle that even though almost all of the inhabitants of Albion believe in Avo as god, and Skorm as a type of devil, and that gifts can be magically bestowed upon those who do their work, neither is real. The Oracle says that 400 years prior to the events of Fable, a trader uncovered two sites where Will energy was exceptionally strong: one leaning towards healing those that visited it, the other inflicting pain and thoughts of bloodlust. The trader decided that he would create two opposing temples and collect the tithes that people came to donate. Eventually people actually came to believe in Avo and Skorm and their influence has taken an unbreakable grip on the culture of Albion's people.
[edit] Locations
The Arena: A large gladiatorial coliseum where Albion's best fighters and Heroes gather to battle to the death against hordes of hungry monsters, captured bandits, and occasionally each other. Spectator seating is open to the public, and the bloody combat is a popular entertainment venue for many of Albion's citizens. It is said that the very souls of long dead champions haunt the place of their last and greatest glory.
Bargate Prison: An imposing island fortress located far to the north. Bargate is where Albion keeps its long-term prisoners. It is only accessible via a strictly monitored ferrying system, but it is however penetrable by use of the Old Kingdom path through the Lychfield Graveyard. It is indepentent from Bowerstone and the guards run the prison with absolute power, but the isolation and repulsive reputation means only the most sadistic of men are guards. The prisoners are locked beneath ground and are tortured for fun daily. The guards are also in an agreement with Jack of Blades, who uses this prison for his own purposes.
Barrow Fields: Outside the hamlet of Oakvale, green pastures and colorful flowers populate this peaceful meadow. Traders have been known to set up campsites in this area.
Bowerstone: The largest city in Albion, Bowerstone is situated on the eastern landmass, north of the Heroes' Guild. It is most likely the safest town in Albion, being surrounded by a large city wall, protected by a large force of guards, and banning weapons and magic of any kind. The town is ruled over by Mayor Elvira Grey, who killed her sister in order to become first in line to the position of mayor. Lady Grey's will is nearly absolute; she has the power to impose the death penalty against individuals simply for insulting her, and publicly hires bandits to attack her less cooperative citizens. The town is divided up into a northern section, which is the more prosperous of the two, and a southern slum where citizens cannot enter the northern section without permission of a resident of the north.
Chapel of Skorm: The place of worship in the forest of Darkwood on the eastern landmass for the followers of the malevolent deity Skorm. The area around the Chapel is perpetually shrouded under a blood-red sky, regardless of the weather or even the time of day. Followers of Skorm lure victims to the chapel to be offered as human sacrifices to Skorm in exchange for such gifts as eternal youth and Skorm's bow. In Fable: The Lost Chapters it is described as a center of "dark" Will energy, being described as giving visitors violent urges and filling their minds with horrific images.
Darkwood: A dark, twisted swamp forest where sunlight is unable to penetrate, Darkwood is feared by many of Albions inhabitants, and populated by some of Albion's nastier creatures, including Hobbes and the horrific Balverines. Darkwood is also a main trading route between cities. Along the gloomy trail are dank marshes, an ancient cullis gate to Hook Coast, the Chapel of Skorm and a welcoming trader's camp.
Gibbet Woods: This small wooded area lies north of Bowerstone and south of Bargate Prison. It once had residents living in the few houses and the windmill but since the spontaneous appearances of undead and minions it is believed that they were all killed. It also homes the infamous "headman's hill" where many criminals of Albion await their death at the gallows, and one of the four mysterious Focus Sites.
Greatwood: The temperate forest that surrounds the area south of Bowerstone, Greatwood is probably the least inhospitable of Albion's wild areas, but it is still nonetheless populated by hostile giant insects as well as the sight of frequent bandit ambushes.
Greatwood plays host to the renowned Orchard Farm, Fisher Creek, the Pretty Rose Cottage, and the infamous Hobbe Caves.
Grey House: The ancestral home of the Grey family, abandoned after the current Lady Grey's ascension to the mayorship of Bowerstone. The manor has since become haunted, overgrown, and is covered in a perpetual overcast.
Heroes' Guild: The headquarters of the Heroes' Guild is located on the eastern landmass, south of Bowerstone. The grounds are made up of a large castle, a building for housing the servants, gardens, training ranges, a private forest, and a stream passing through the grounds. The site itself is an Old Kingdom fortress, possibly the site of Archon's Castle.
The Guild houses many treasures, including the legendary sword Avo's Tear(Fable: The Lost Chapters only) and the Murren Greathammer. The Sword of Aeons is supposedly locked within the Chamber of Fate in the Guild where it can only be removed with the Septimal Key.
The outside of the Guild boasts a robust gatehouse, a title vendor, the Boasting Platform and, in Fable: The Lost Chapters, the Primal Demon Door in which Sages of the Old Kingdom were imprisoned to guard the Fire Heart.
Hook Coast: A seaside town founded by monks of the Old Kingdom. It is covered in snow for much of the year, and perpetually shrouded in fog. Hook Coast is a mysterious town, with strange people and an old lighthouse that is the topic of many legends.
The lighthouse itself (or rather the altar located at the top) is a relic of the Old Kingdom, used to call forth the Ship of the Drowned. The Ship can be used to navigate any sea, provided a map, but with dangerous mental consequences to its passengers; many go mad on the treacherously long voyages. The Lighthouse altar is activated through the use of the Fire Heart, a relic located in the Primal Demon Door.
Knothole Glade: Situated in the middle of Witchwood on the western landmass of Albion, Knothole Glade is often under attack by various enemies. It was founded by woodcutters, and the Celtic-influenced architecture represents this.
Lychfield Graveyard: The largest gravesite in Albion, it is used by nearly all the towns on the mainland save for Oakvale which built its own in the wake of the bandit attack. It is rumoured (with good founding) to be haunted by the spirits of the deceased and roamed by fear-inspiring Undead creatures. It is also the resting place of Nostro, the founder of the guild.
Oakvale: A small port town located on the southern end of the eastern landmass. The town was the sight of the bloodiest bandit raid in the history of Albion, with much of the village burning down and most of the citizens being slaughtered. Those that survived rebuilt the town , and it is once again a prosperous port.
Old Kingdom Passages: Ever since Nostro the Gatekeeper has been killed, these passageways have been blocked to all. If opened, the trail of a dead forest beckons forth to the old graveyard circle, where the spirits of the dead are unable to rest. The doorway there heads down into passageways that lead to Bargate Prison. The path emerges on one of the small archipelagos around Bargate prison but most of it is underground.
Temple of Avo: A small temple set up south of Knothole Glade, which collects tithes for the deity Avo. The monks at the temple are in possession of some of the most powerful artifacts from the Old Kingdom. Nearby the Temple rests the sword of Huw, a giant who lodged his powerful weapon deep into a stone.
Twinblade's Camp: A large mass of tents on a defensible hill, it is the home of the Bandit King, Twinblade. It is filled with dangerous bandits, deadly assassins and more than one shocking plot twist. The Camp itself consists of an outer gate, defensible pathway, secondary gate, two separate camps for the lesser and elite bandits, and Twinblade's Tent itself, filled with the spoils of clandestine triumphs.
Witchwood: A thick, mist-filled forest on an island off the coast of Albion's main landmass. Witchwood is infested with Balverines, as well as the occasional bandit group.
Archon's Folly: An altar/volcano in which the player has a showdown with Jack of Blade's dragon form. It lies beyond the Bronze Gate, and the magma that surrounds the ruined altar might explain why the Gate is boiling hot despite being located in the Northern Wastes.
It was rumoured that the Archon forged the Sword of Aeons in the fire behind the Bronze Gate, hence the name. Another plausible origin of Archon's Folly is that it is the "birthplace" of Jack of Blades, quite reasonable considering it seems to be the only place that could destroy his soul mask.
In Fable, the area is called Dragon Cliff. It is only accessible using a modded Xbox.
Archon's Shrine: Located in the Northern Wastes just outside of Snowspire, the Shrine is a complicated mystical mechanism that can only be activated by fueling it with the souls of 3 great Heroes; the soul of the champion, the soul of the heroine, and the "oldest soul". The Shrine controls the ancient Bronze Gate, which leads to Archon's Folly, a ruined palace of the Old Kingdom arrogantly built inside an active volcano. Albion lore holds that when the Bronze Gate opens, it will bring about the End of the World.
The Necropolis: A veritable city of the dead, a horror story frozen by both time and the ices of the North. Legend has it that a greedy man sold the secrets of the city's defense to an enemy force for wealth beyond imagination. He received his wealth, but only shortly after did a tide of darkness cut down all the citizens, himself included. Its denizens are said to not even be aware of their death, forever drifting between the very alive dangers that fill the city.
Northern Wastes: A land mass to the northwestern tip of Albion, subsequently forgotten by the people of its time. It is believed to be a complete frigid wasteland, even though some parts still inhabit life-forms. Access to the Northern Wastes (although it was believed to be called by a different name in its day) came to a sudden halt after the days of the Old Kingdom, ships never appeared in the harbor at The Lost Bay and probably any ship that tried to find its way got lost at sea. Other areas of the Northern Wastes are just barren tundra home to many vicious predators of ice.
Snowspire: Snowspire is an ancient town located deep in the Northern Wastes on the eastern landmass. The oracle of Albion is located there.
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