(https://i.imgur.com/uRzjaE9.png)
Hello everybody! Since I have not been able to continue with the main photostory for a long long time, I thought that it would be a good idea to expand upon the setting with more stories, lore and maps set in Lost Kingdoms.
What is Lost Kingdoms?
Lost Kingdoms is a spiritual successor to Hype the Time Quest and my attempt at making an actual story setting for Playmobil. It is my strong held belief that a well-crafted story and setting is necessary for Playmobil’s Knights line to thrive and expand, in a similar vein to Lego’s Bionicle or Knight’s Kingdom. I think Geobra is going in the right direction with Novelmore…but I still think it still has got a long way to go.
Am I suggesting what I am creating is perfect for this role? Of course not, but I think care, effort and detail is very important. Kids are not stupid. When I was young, I was able to follow some parts of Bionicle’s story online with serials and shorts and it sparked my interest in that product. Knowledge of everything wasn’t needed, but that fact there was lots to explore was fun This was true for many others, and I think Geobra could, or maybe even should, capitalize on this.
Lost Kingdoms is a High Fantasy setting with magic, knights, wizards, heroes, villains and dragons. The world is divided into many kingdoms with the most famous being the Kingdom of Torras, the setting of the video game Hype the Time Quest. It acts as both a continuation and an expansion of the world of Hype and includes many of its intriguing concepts, such as the Four Jewels: Powerful objects made by the gods that grant power and create balance in the world. These Jewels can be used for good, or for evil, and it is the quest of the heroes of Lost Kingdoms to return them to their rightful place and save the world from its decay.
The Setting
(https://i.imgur.com/V4rTAFS.png)
This is part of the world of Lost Kingdoms, portraying the Kingdom of Torras and its surroundings. This map will be updated as more locations are added, but do know that there are many more kingdoms further north and south such as Illandor, Angost, Ithis, Kolamar, and the Frozen Shore, all which will be explored more in the future.
In the ‘present-day’ of Lost Kingdoms (as seen with the photostory), the world is in decay as the Four Jewels have been taken by rival kings and were misused, causing great disasters such as the rise of the undead, plagues and madness. The area of the continent shown in the map is flanked by the feared Land of Dragons. An expansive mountainous land where the skies are ruled by Dragons, the land is populated by Dragon Cults, and underground are evil creatures in conflict with Dwarven colonies. I’ll write up some of the histories/key info on the main kingdoms, such as Torras and Liore, very soon!
I hope you all like this and would love to know what you think and what I should expand on!
Thank you for your encouragement! Hopefully you'll like what I have planned later on! Sorry that I don't have many images in this post and its a bit wordy, but future ones will have more pictures!
The Dawn
Thousands of years ago, before the Age of Man, the One created the universe and stewards to govern it in their absence. The stewards stylized themselves as gods and their chief, Terrus, formed themself into the earth, the new home of the gods and their servants. One of the gods, Barnak, proclaimed that they could overpower the One and take complete control over the universe and shape it to their will. Some followed Barnak's call, while others resisted.
The First War began on the earth between the gods, Barnak leading the forces of darkness, and Drareg leading the light. Their great armies consisted of gods of all powers and giants of all sizes, and their conflict was so great that the earth was broken in two. Barnak and his evil servants were cast from the broken earth while the rest of the gods sought to repair it.
On the smaller piece of earth, the gods built the Lost City and it became the moon, while to stabilise the earth they created Four Jewels of power: the Royal Jewel, the Jewel of Mankind, the Jewel of Virtue and the Jewel of the Gods. These jewels kept the world in order, and their guardianship was given to the first humans. While the earth was being reformed, many gods were mortally wounded in the First War and formed themselves into the other planets of the solar system. Those closer to the light of the sun were former followers of Drareg, while those further away feared the light, and were followers of Barnak.
Humans and giants coexisted on earth, but the giants were not favoured for they fought for both sides of the First War, and they fled into the north. The dragons also lived on earth, formed from the primordial elements, and they ruled the earth in peace in the absence of the gods. The humans were not content with this arrangement, having been promised the rulership of the Earthly Kingdom by the gods, and waged war against the dragons.
(https://i.imgur.com/awIcABx.jpg)
The Dragon War saw the theft of the First Dragons Breastplate and the dragons were banished into what is now the Land of Dragons. Forever after the dragons hated mankind. After being united in their war against the dragons, the Earthly Kingdom began to crumble, and the world of man was split apart into many rival kingdoms who waged constant destructive wars with no end in sight.
The greed of man was growing, and soon their eyes would turn to the Four Jewels.
Thank you all for your kind comments! I am glad that this kind of project interests others!
I've been thinking about how the Knights theme, as well as the MMO, Hype the Time Quest and other games, fit in with my Lost Kingdoms setting and the Kingdom series on YouTube, so I thought I'd lay out what is part of my 'canon', alongside my own creations ;)
Hype: The Time Quest, by Ubisoft
The bedrock of the setting, I loved this game when I was young. Surprisingly, for a Playmobil game, there is quite a lot of background information and lore. The main kingdom of the game, Torras, has four distinct eras: the reigns of Taskan I, Taskan II, Taskan III, and Taskan IV. It also introduces 6 factions, Torras and its soldiers, the Wizards, the Brigands, the Monastery, the Gladiators of the Field of Courage, and Barnak's followers, and implies the existence of several other surrounding kingdoms. The game also features two conflicts (the First and Second Torran Civil War) and also mentions war destroying the kingdom of Liore (Taskan IV's wife, Lyzothe's, home country).
(https://i.imgur.com/zSL6eNQ.png)
The game also has several great locations which could be expanded. Most of it takes place in the Kingdom of Torras and its capital, the Town of Torras. In the town, there's the Fortress home to the king, the Laboratory home to the Wizards, and the Field of Courage (the latter two were built in the reign of Taskan II). South of the town, separated by a river and small islands, is another landmass covered in a haunted forest filled with wolves, ghosts and brigands. This land was home to the Monastery and their Order, the tree-top Town of the Brigands and the ancient Dolmen (the Dolmen also has a portal to the Lost City of the gods!). Further south was the dragon Zatila's favourite landing spot, and just off the southern coast was Gogoud's island manor.
(https://i.imgur.com/NRt0TdE.png)
Pretty expansive right? Well there's more! Further east of the forest and the Monastery is a area called 'Sky'. In the game, it is clear that this is a really large region above mountains and river valleys, all infested with dragons! A Land of Dragons if you will ;) Accessibly from 'Sky' is the Black Tower, a huge structure which became Barnak's base of operations in the era of Taskan IV and was the final stage of the game.
To me, I think it is clear that the game takes place over a very small area of Torras, and I decided to replicate that in my maps and story project :D
The Kingdom, by SmeagolTheGreat
(https://i.imgur.com/Y8v8xTD.png)
Featuring the lead up to epic siege of the Lion Castle by Hathol Dagnir and his Viking allies, The Kingdom alongside Hype is one of the foundational elements of the setting. I have to agree with one of the comments on the video, The Kingdom was the Game of Thrones of my childhood haha. I love this series, as it introduces a lot. Three factions, the Lion Knights (in my notes I have his name down as King Artaher), Hathol Dagnir's army, and the Vikings. Akron's own army could also be considered its own faction too, and it is clear that he was a legendary knight in that world.
(https://i.imgur.com/OVt5Vvg.png)
The Kingdom uses the Lion Knight castle presumably as the kingdom's capital, and its where their combined forces defended against Dagnir's army. Interestingly, it also sheltered smallfolk during the siege, so it must be near a populated area. The fact that it is largely unchanged from the Lion Knight Castle set means that other appearances of that castle could be linked with the Kingdom.
It is pretty clear to me that this kingdom is not the same as Torras. Torras evokes Playmobil's 90s knights theme, whereas the Kingdom uses System X and a lot of the 2000s knights sets. If the Kingdom exists in the same world as Hype: The Time Quest, I would view them as being different locations.
The Kingdom III, by rpeinne
(https://i.imgur.com/xHaUl2o.png)
I feel like the Kingdom III Barbarian has gone quite underappreciated! I always really enjoyed it, and it acts as a direct sequel to the original Kingdom. Amidst the several day long siege, we are told that both king Artaher and Akron were murdered by Hathol Dagnir, but the Lion Knight forces were able to beat back Dagnir's armies in the name or Artaher's son, (in my notes I have his name down as Athrald). 20 years later, Hathol Dagnir is now old and repentant, and his son Corin "not Aragorn" Dagnir pledges his service to the king of Lion Castle.
(https://i.imgur.com/8R3Z8FQ.png)
We learn of a separate Barbarian kingdom led by Brutus, as well as a Barbarian Corsair (not Viking) faction led by Gullmus Grimpus. It is pretty clear that these Barbarians are from outside the kingdom, and that they are invading in large numbers, possibly like the Great Migrations in real life. The Kingdom III showcases the Barbarian invasion and siege of the main castle, and their eventual defeat at the hands of King Athrald's forces and Corin Dagnir. The geography of 'the Kingdom' is still in question, though there is a map in part 1!
(https://i.imgur.com/VvlMGSo.png)
I have decided to interpret the castle in the Kingdom III as being the entire city as a whole, with the Lion Knight Castle set being the royal fortress on the edge of the city, similar to the Town of Torras and its fortress. This also allows other content featuring the System X Lion Knight castle to coexist with the Steck-built Lion Knight structures.
I will continue to explore the other games tied with the Knights theme, such as Escape from the Dragon Fortress, Rescue from Rock Castle, and the gone but not forgotten Playmobil World MMO :)
I was going to go in-depth about Rescue from the Dragon Fortress, Escape from Rock Castle, and Knight: Hero of the Kingdom in a similar manner as with Hype and the Kingdom series, but instead, I decided to make a proper family tree of the kings of Liore to show my ideas on the topic!
I used the shields from Tiermann's Animobil at http://animobil.info/shields/text/5d0863aa-379.html (hope that is okay!) and arranged them the same way I have arranged family trees for my other projects. I have also divided the family tree into six 'eras' that roughly align with the generations. I would love to hear your thoughts about it! ;D
(https://i.imgur.com/xUHEtxP.png)
Era of the Kingdom 1
Artaher was king of Liore during the events of the Kingdom 1, where Hathol Dagnir of Ithis invaded Liore and besieged Ortirith. Dagnir allied with vikings from Kolmar, who sailed down the River Jaon to join forces at the Marduin crossing. Though greatly outnumbered, Artaher was reinforced by knights from Torras as well as the Brotherhood of the Swan, led by the famous knight Akron.
The siege of Ortirith's castle lasted several days, and the soldiers of Liore were able to hold off the Ithisian and vikings. Ultimately, Artaher and Akron were murdered by Dagnir during the siege, but the Ithisan army was pushed back and out of the country. Athrald, still a boy, was crowned king by the nobility of Liore.
Era of the Kingdom 3
After the death of his father, the boy king Athrald was crowned king of Liore. Twenty years after the Siege of Ortirith, Liore was threatened by barbarian armies from Logar (Kingdom 3) led by Brutus and Gullmus Grimpus. They, like the Kolmaran vikings, also sail down the River Jaon and Marduin towards Liore. Corin Dagnir, son of the repentant Hathol, came to Athrald's court and pledged allegiance.
The barbarians laid siege to Ortirith's city and castle, and the battle saw many losses on both sides, though the men of Liore prevailed. After Corin's heroism, Athrald arranged a marriage between Corin's daughter Rorlena and his heir, Edgar. The remaining barbarians are allowed to settle in the eastern reaches of Liore thanks to the generosity of Athrald. During this time, the warrior daughters of Akron also make a name for themselves.
Era of Taskan I
The reign of Edgar saw discontent and further strife within Liore, with Grimbeard of the Rock rebelling against the king after Norbert defeated him in a joust (Rescue from the Dragon Fortress). Grimbeard kidnapped Norbert and brought him to Rock Castle where he was forging an alliance with the settled barbarians, but Norbert was freed by a knight of Liore. Following this, Grimbeard led an assault on Ortirith but was defeated.
Later in Edgar's reign, Grimbeard kidnapped Edgar's daughter Laura intending to ransom her, but she was rescued by Edgar's chosen champion, Sir Alexander (Rescue from Rock Castle). Grimbeard and his vassals would submit to Edgar, but continued to harbour their grudges.
Era of Taskan II
When Norbert succeeded his father, his reign was troubled and left Liore in a dire state (Knight: Hero of the Kingdom). The Great Storm left the land flooded, its structures damaged, and many of its inhabitants turned to stone. Forces led by Benedict the Dark devastated the land from their fortress at Dragon Head Cliff in the Land of Dragons, but order was restored by Sir Brian of Red Root who was betrothed to his daughter, Gertrude.
Norbert died without a male heir, and the throne passed to Lothair instead of his daughter. Lothair was regarded as a good king, and made many arrangements for his succession. However, after his death, Lothair's brother Toric stole the throne from his nephews, imprisoning many of their supporters and forcing them into exile in Angost.
Era of Taskan III
When the twin princes Lekler and Lother came of age, they waged war against their uncle for the crown of Liore. The two were supported both by Liore exiles, and forces from Angost at the behest of their king and Lekler's father-in-law. Once Toric was defeated after a great war, Lekler did not wish to share the crown with his younger twin leaving him embittered.
Years later, Lother attempted to rebel with the support of some lords loyal to his cause, but they were exiled to the southern mountains which bordered the Land of Dragons. Throughout Lekler's reign, there were several more uprisings in Liore both by Lother loyalists and the supporters of Gertrude's family's claim, leaving the kingdom greatly damaged by war.
Era of Taskan IV
After Lother's exile he allied with the Lords of the Rock and he planned his revenge. Lother was captured in the Moon Wood and was imprisoned in Ortirith's dungeons, soon dying. His son, Gram, would his father's plans come to fruition and waged a terrible war of conquest in Liore, slaying much of the kingdom's nobility and bringing Ortirith to ruin. Princess Lyzothe fled to Torras, eventually wedding its king Taskan IV, and Lekler was slain by Gram. Following mass purges, Gram became king and ruled with the dragon banner of the Rock.
Years later after the Second Torran Civil War and the defeat of Barnak, Taskan IV supported Lyzothe's brother's, Derod's, bid for the throne and deposed Gram. Derod was able to rebuild Liore and cement it as a strong ally of Torras once more.
Hope you all like this! :)
I promised a map, but how about two :lol:
Below is the the map of Ombaroth, which is the the name for the continent which has all of these kingdoms, and it includes many realms and coats of arms! I originally made this map a few years ago, but it still quite up to date showing where all of these places are in relation to each other and expands upon my map on page 1 :knight:
(https://i.imgur.com/hHPR0Bn.jpeg)
Note the Viking realm of Kolmar and the Barbarian lands of Logar in the north, showing that their armies went quite far south to besiege Liore :viking: There's quite a few dwarven kingdoms too, such as Kardum in the north, the Crystal Caves in the Palogrim Mountains surrounded by the expansive Plains of Ingelil, the city-state of Angarond just east of Torras, and the Kingdom of the Gold Hills to the south.
The Land of Dragons is one of the largest regions, home to good and evil dragons and their worshipers. Nestled in a hidden valley was the Scattered Forms home to the murcheners (rabbit heads 8}), and all across the continent are hidden realms of elves, gnomes, and more! There's quite a few fantasy races which I want to include in this project, here's the list of all the races and monsters that I've written bits about (and want to include in playmo-form :D)
Dopplers • Dragons • Dwarfs • Elves • Faeries • Fauns • Frogmen • Gnomes • Goblins • Halflings • Humans • Mermen • Minotaurs • Murcheners • Mushmen • Rockmen • Sprotlings • Trolls • Undead • Vampires • Werewolves
Some of these I don't know how I will make klicky's for. I intend to use kid-figures for halflings (and those with beards for gnomes), green-skin + dwarf legs for goblins, faun legs for Minotaurs, but I have no idea about frogmen or rockmen!
And now for the second map :knight: This is still work-in-progress and I will make changes as I go along, but here is western Ombaroth specifically centred around Torras. I used Tiermann's coats of arms for this map, as I have tried to line up klicky heraldry with the kingdoms as best as I can (Walad and Suls doesn't quite line up though!) ;D
(https://i.imgur.com/EEMK8BW.png)
Hope that you all like these maps and my ideas, I want to keep expanding as much as I can and I have a few klicky's on the way to represent some armies and characters :)9
This could turn out to not only include a lot of Playmobil's knights themes and games, but I am really open to ideas from you all! I do wish that the Kingdom Map threads were still active/around as that (and Playmundo on Playclicks!) seemed like a really great source of inspiration and community, and while I don't think any of my stuff is even close to reaching that level I like the idea of a project becoming a resource of some kind in the future (I have made encounter tables, local maps of Balwen, and more...I don't think I'm ever going to let my dreams of a playmo-TTRPG fade away!). Sorry I am just rambling now :lol: