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An Introduction to the ER World In a different world, over a certain sea, on a floating landscape lies a place called Murgen--a lush, peaceful country, where old ways and the appreciation of nature mix with medieval practices and underground technological advances. A place inhabited by a myriad of animal spirits, most walking on two legs. There were turtles, dragons, chickens, eagles, badgers, foxes--different animal spirits. And over them presided human rulers (often queens) who ruled the land from the peach-and-chrysathemum-shaped building at the northeast corner of the land. All around Murgen, villages and towns and cities (and a temple) sprang one-by-one, encompassing the spirits' desire to gather and work as a community. The smaller villages were more of a community then the bigger ones--money was a trifling matter, and everyone had to work for the good of all rather than for a salary. In short, each had their own job to do. In larger settlements such as towns and cities, paper and coin currency had been accepted as a symbol of hard work and material stature. And in South Murgen, there stood a temple built by Lord Racchi the dragon as a testament to the ascetic or esoteric desire to find the meaning of life in a life of loneliness. It was called the Temple of the Unknown Gods, because no gods are being worshipped or exalted here, only the self and his own search for meaning in whatever he chooses to believe in. About two years and a half ago, the Eto Rangers, a team of twelve animal spirits, was established by the former queen Aura to protect Murgen from a future threat. The threat did surface, as she predicted, in the form of Millicent the Morbid, a renegade cat spirit who called herself the Queen of Evil. She and her four cohorts, themselves cats, tried to sink Murgen into the sea by invading and destroying Novel Worlds, each containing the embodiment of the dreams of mankind in stories and fairy tales. Later, they found out that the Queen of Evil was actually an old friend of one of the 'Rangers named Shaokaola, the cat spirit who was tricked by a demon from the underworld into giving up her soul for power to exact revenge on Queen Aura for disqualifying her from a simple footrace. The tiger spirit Delacao, who knew of the truth, tried to convince Shaokaola to let go of the past. Shaokaola did, and with her help, the 'Rangers were able to defeat the demon and restore peace to Murgen. Afterwards, Shaokaola returned to her normal self, and with Delacao's help, and Queen Aura's regret, the cat spirit finally gained her rightful place as the thirteenth member of the 'Rangers. With the peace in Murgen, its settlements soon became dens of politics, and Queen Aura, who was not used to such bureaucracy stepped down and nominated Aurora, her political adviser, to be her successor, effective immediately. Aurora did not believe in the abilities of the 'Rangers, and so disbanded the team and opted to set up a military command instead. And then, one day, a floating continent inhabited by warring factions hovered too close to Murgen this year, allowing the faction leaders access to the Novel Worlds, (yeah, while the peaceful neutral inhabitants found Murgen to have nice tourist spots, especially the temple.) "Why do the queens and princesses always get their predictions right?" ponders Wani the snake spirit. Even with the army, the 'Rangers might be up for it again. With the disbanding of its members, the 'Rangers have still maintained communication and friendship--some even became the best of friends, and even neighbors after the old journey. (For instance, Powell the mouse moved next to a forest near Rabbitsville, where Kelly lived. Menkyu moved into the tree house Poch constructed for him over his house. Kim the chicken and the tiger Delacao invited other spirits to set up a small village around Shaokaola's secluded forest house.) Each with their own abilities, the 'Rangers fight against whatever threatens Murgen, if the army isn't there to do their job. |