In the year 2148, explorers on Mars discovered the remains of an ancient spacefaring civilization. In the decades that followed, these mysterious artifacts revealed startling new technologies, enabling travel to the furthest stars. The basis for this incredible technology was a force that controlled the very fabric of space and time.
They called it the greatest discovery in human history.
The civilizations of the galaxy call it… MASS EFFECT.
This is an introduction to the setting of Mass Effect (hereafter ME), intended for people who have not played the games, but still wish to read fanfiction. Well, primarily my fanfiction. Which is why I won’t make an attempt at any sort of exhaustiveness. Instead, I’ll focus on characters and events that are important for the stories I’ve written and intend to write.
One hour before the attack on Therum.
“Left or right?”
Dolneon’s impatient voice echoed rudely in the ancient hallway and Liara winced.
“Hush,” she said. “I need a moment.”
Everybody stilled. She looked around, chasing the patches illuminated by their flashlights, moving about at random. These floors had not been walked for more than fifty thousand years. These walls had not seen light since the Exodus. The last creatures to breathe this air had been living Protheans. Goddess!
Nihlus finds himself in a tall concrete building. Tall, ha! It’s a spire, at least three hundred stories high. Just thinking about it gives him a slight vertigo. And he needs to come out on top. It’s important, to come out on top. He can’t remember why and he doesn’t need to: he’s been told to do so and while some orders are subject to his defiance, others are not to be questioned nor delayed.
Continue reading IdId is a Saren/Nihlus romance set after Color & Scars and dealing with dreams, revelations and regrets; inspired by a particularly significant piece of fanart and dedicated to a dear, dear friend. This story is different from the others. Too personal to post elsewhere. It is, also, the kind of story I promised myself not to write again after the regrets I had over posting Signal to Noise. Obviously a promise I couldn’t keep, but this time I will be smarter, and hide Id here.
Which I believe will be the last to show off old Elder Scrolls stories. Oh, I have more – but nothing that I’d feel comfortable posting without major revisions. I’m still far from catching up with everything I have written for Mass Effect, though, so there may be a few more of these ads in the weeks to come. But don’t worry: I’ll run out, eventually.
This week I present:
Can’t Stop Laughing – which is, strangely enough, one of the first Saren/Nihlus stories I’ve written. Also, one of the least popular, if the reviews on FFN are an indication. It’s supposed to be funny, and I had fun writing it, but let’s face it: humor was never my strong suit.
Unnerved and Unnerving – this is a short prequel to The Candidate, and, while being equally unpopular as the previous one, it happens to be one of my favorites. Saren and Nihlus, last days aboard the Virial, and a nasty clash of natures.
The Ephemeral Bride – an Elder Scrolls ficlet describing Breton myths on the origin of celestial bodies in the light of the worship of Mnemoli (god, I love that word so much).
The Bjoulsae River – a correspondent of the Imperial Geographical Society writes about the lands and peoples around the Bjoulsae River in High Rock.
That’s that.
