In the beginning, there was darkness... and bugs. Lots of bugs...
Behold, said Megaton, let there be light! And Megaton, along with Ashran, saw that it was good. ShowEQ was born; thrust upon an unsuspecting world in all it's glory.
ShowEQ, uncerimoniously thrust upon the face of Norrath meant nothing to the Verant programmers. But ShowEQ began to feed on the rampant bugs. It fed upon the lackings of Verant, and the disdain it had for it's customers, all in the name of "The Vision."
There were so many bugs and so much disdain, the infant ShowEQ grew strong. Stronger than any could have imagined at the time. ShowEQ also grew angry at the meals it was forced to eat, and began to speak back to it's provider, Verant.
Again, Verant brushed the fledgling ShowEQ off as a trifle. But ShowEQ would not, could not be denied, for through it's crystal eyes, the truth was revealed... and one can not hope to stop the truth forever. ShowEQ began to gather it's followers, giving it strength where it previously had none. It's followers took up the mantle of ShowEQ, bore it's crest.
Hundreds strong, ShowEQ made it's first assault upon Verant. Truth was used as a battering RAM, and for the first time, Verant took notice. The walls of the grand Palace in San Diego shook at the battering of the small, but agile ShowEQ army.
WHAM WHAM WHAM came the battering by the throng! This is the truth! What you tell us is not the truth! was the cry. SEE! This is the truth! Feast upon it! You tell us one thing, but it is truely another!
The details are murky regarding the Verant beast, but many scholars have theorized the true intentions of the Verant dragon. Some say the dragon did not honestly know it was preaching falsehoods... others say the dragon was evil, and it knew all along. Regardless of the truth, the simple fact that the peasants were lied to; Either through intentional malice, or through willful neglect... or perhaps because the dragon had grown complacent, and believed itself to be infallible, the people revolted. The grand dragon, in it's ivory tower was momentarily humbled... and it made reparations for the injustices it forced upon it's subjects.
The world was good again, for a time... but as ShowEQ even yet continued to grow, learning new skills and abilities, it's supporting network was begining to crumble... but only the most astute scholar would have been able to tell. The Verant dragon again grew complacent, giving the people just enough to keep them happy, while not spending large amounts of energy to quiet the cries.
The dragon soon grew tired of even the mewling that was left. It took flight from it's ivory tower and swooped upon an unsuspecting and complacent ShowEQ. But ShowEQ was still young and agile, it realized it's plight as the great dragon decended upon it. Quickly gathering it's shield, it brought it to bear just in time. The great dragon slammed into the shield, cracking it. ShowEQ was stunned by such a forceful blow, but as I said, it was still young... it could bounce back.
Megaton and Ashran saw that their creation was hurt, but it was only a fleshwound. They patched up the injured ShowEQ and it's wounds quickly healed. But a dark cloud was forming on the horizon. Young ShowEQ did not know it yet, but it's longest and greatest journey was about to begin.
Chapter 2:
Realizing that ShowEQ was barely scratched in the last encounter, the great dragon sat fuming in it's ivory tower. Wondering what it could do to thwart the upstart permanantly, it paced it's lair, small bursts of smoke and flame shot from it's nostrils with each great breath. It's wingtips quivered in frustration and rage. Smashing great parts of it's data structures, it went on a rampage. It howled in frustration as it realized that the fundamental principals it's whole kingdom was built upon created a fertile ground for ShowEQ to thrive. Without tearing down it's kingdom and starting from scratch could it hope to totally destroy it's arch nemisis... for that is what ShowEQ had become. Little did the dragon know that much more devious and insidious creatures were lurking just beyond the bounds of it's domain... Yes, dear reader, the dark cloud was gathering strength in the distance. A palid tendril of wispy smoke stretched out and touched the ivory tower, testing, probing, gathering data. The dragon did not notice, but ShowEQ did.
The young ShowEQ felt secure with his newly forming empire, and did not feal threatened by the black tendril, but never the less, an uneasy feeling deep in it's gut began to form. ShowEQ could not quite put it's finger on the reason, however. ShowEQ again turned it's attention back towards the grand dragon.
Meanwhile, though, the dragon had torn up vast parts of it's ivory tower in it's rage. ShowEQ was not sure of the layout of the tower now, for a time, and had to let it's network of spies report back with the new blueprints. Before that could be completed, the dragon again took flight. From a great height, it decended upon the young ShowEQ... but ShowEQ was prepared this time and knew what to expect.
ShowEQ drew it's sword and the dragon dove upon it, teeth gnashing and fire blazing from it's mouth. ShowEQ raised his stout shield, defecting much of the flame... then ShowEQ swung his sword, parrying the dragons attack. ShowEQ's sword struck long chains of encryption, slicing them in two. But the dragon was prepared for this, again it resumed it's attack with more chains, trying to bind ShowEQ to it's will. The battled raged, and the flames grew. ShowEQ wondered at the ferocity of the dragons attack. What had engendered so much hatred in this dragon, ShowEQ wondered?
Slowly, ShowEQ realized that the focus of the dragons attack was not upon it, but elsewhere... very close. Looking around, ShowEQ stepped back, out of the direct line of fire and chains... and behold, a demonic ghost image of ShowEQ remained in place!
What's this? ShowEQ thought? My evil brother has come forth... he would enslave not only the Dragons kingdom, but my kingdom as well, young ShowEQ thought. ShowEQ acted quickly and decisively... and although it pained him, he thrust his sword into his evil brothers belly, gutting him in one slash. ShowEQ quickly gathered his weapons and retreated to his ramparts to nurse his wounds.
With the evil meanace dispatched for the moment, the dragon retreated to it's ivory tower, only occasionally sending fireballs towards the ShowEQ encampment outside it's gates. They were largely ineffective, and merely meant as harassment. ShowEQ expected nothing less of such a formidable advesary. ShowEQ emerged from his hardened ramparts several days later... but those few days allowed ShowEQ to research and learn from his last battle. ShowEQ emerged in a full suit of armor, and was dual wielding swords. Gone was the shield. Both swords gleamed in the sunlight, their powers at breaking the encryption chains radiated forth.
"Come Dragon!" shouted ShowEQ, "Come to me with your chains of encryption now, foul beast!" But the dragon knew, in it's heart of hearts that destroying ShowEQ was all but impossible now... it knew that squandering it's resources on the utter destruction of ShowEQ would be a waste. But little did the dragon know, the ground under ShowEQ's feet had become critically week. For months now, the supply and logistics chain supporting the ShowEQ battle had been slowly crumbling. No new supplies were updated in it's CVS, and on increasingly regular occasions, the entire CVS cache simply vanished, as if by magic. This made the ShowEQ followers question the power of ShowEQ ... but ultimately they knew the righteousness behind ShowEQ's crusade and stuck by his side. Then one day, the CVS cache disappeared completely... and never returned.
ShowEQ began to live off the land, stealing morsels of updated code from the peasants who left them on the community bulletin board. But it was not enough. ShowEQ knew it could never win agains the grand dragon if it's supply chain was all but destroyed... the meager morsels left for it barely sustained it during the now frequent reconfigurations of the kingdom. ShowEQ's map of the tower begin to grow hazy and muddled, he no longer knew where key rooms and treasures were in the great tower. Life was grim for ShowEQ in his lean years. The dark cloud on the horizon grew even more, small tendrils extended regularly to the tower, subtly modifying the very fabric of which the tower was created with. This angered the dragon to no end.
The dragon lashed out, again and again at the cloud... each great swath of it's claws killing a demon in the cloud, but there seemed to be no end to it. The dragon returned to it's castle to plan and plot. ShowEQ was all but forgotten in it's weakend condition. A stray ember fell from the tower, and through sheer change, fell into a dry pile of straw... a blaze caught in ShowEQ's camp. It was doused, but all the maps of the tower were destroyed and the swords of encryption slaying were forgotten in a cellar. It was a dark time for ShowEQ, living like a common vermin. How the mighty had fallen.
The black cloud decended upon the ivory tower and the dragon bellowed in rage... but the dragon had a secret weapon. A grand mage from the ShowEQ camp had defected to the dragons camp, and his magic was grand indeed. He wove protection spells against the dark cloud, binding the demons within, identifying their true names... and the Grand Verant dragon began to speak those names. First one by one, but soon the flood of names washed upon the outter reaches of the cloud... and it shuttered as the demons within began to die, falling to earth like grotesque and horrible snowflakes. The ground grew black with the slain hacking demons... but the cloud would not be denied. It retreated out of the dragons reach, plotting it's revenge.
ShowEQ lay in a gutter outside the sprawling castle that contained the Ivory Tower. Sick and barely able to crawl, ShowEQ pleaded with the gods. Raged and wondered why it had been abandoned by it's creators. It cried silently, the tears sliding down it's cheeks, mixing with the constant drizzled created by the fires burning inside the castle walls. For you see, the castle had grown HUGE... and the hundreds of fires and smoke blotted out the sun. The dragon began to grow complacent again. ShowEQ all but defeated and the black cloud being held at bay by the grand mage.
But in the sewers, far beneath the ivory tower, a rodent studied parchments, mumbling to himself. Here.. and here. Yes, and here. YES! Oh what great fun this is... yes and HERE! the rodent said quietly.
The rodent scrambled up a drainage pipe into the ivory tower, peering out of holes in the walls, out of air passages, and scurring to and fro in the night. Always returning to the sewers before dawn. For many months, the rodent labored like this, alone. Few took notice of the rodent coming and going, for who would in those days? A rat in the sewers was not an uncomon sight under the castle, for it was infested with lies and garbage. But a rat thrives on this... Late at night, before returning to it's dark and musty home, the rat would leave a parchment for ShowEQ where he knew ShowEQ would find it.
But ShowEQ was wallowing in self pity, the peasants brought him bread occasionally, barely enough to sustain him. Poor ShowEQ, thought the rat, and continued to leave the parchments. The rat was not sure if ShowEQ was using the parchments, but they were always gone the next night. The rat continued it's nightly excursions... but one day finally stopped, it's task complete. Late one night, the rat crept out of it's small nest and found ShowEQ, again lying in the gutter. ShowEQ looked worn and beaten by life, a sad testament to a mighty warrior. The rat pondered for a great long while, standing in the constant drizzle, but finally scurried back underground, quickly to return dragging a small pouch that it left at ShowEQ's feet before scampering off.
ShowEQ awoke the next morning to find the pouch, he hefted it up, as it had some considerable weight for such a small bag. Reaching into the bag, ShowEQ pulled out a miniature gleeming silver dagger and a number of gold coins, as well as some nick nacks that the rat had gathered on his journies. ShowEQ wondered at his good fortune... he would be able to buy a proper meal! He would be able to defend himself in the town market! The light in ShowEQ's eyes sparked. He could see his return to glory written upon this tiny dagger of code, and those wonderful maps that had been left for him for months sparked an even greater fire in his eyes. Yes! Yes he thought! I shall, by all that is holy, force the dragon to see the plight of the people... if it is the last thing I do!
But alas, ShowEQ realized, he did not have the support structure he once had. Where would is base camp be? Things looked grim for ShowEQ... but he took his new dagger and gold coins and bought himself a proper meal and a new set of clothes. ShowEQ almost looked respectable again... but the chains of encryption bound his followers tight yet. There are many chains, and I only have this little dagger, though ShowEQ... what can I possibly do?
ShowEQ began to fall into depression again. He slumped back into the gutter while his future looked more glum than ever. A new suit, a good meal... and I am impotent, ShowEQ thought. But the rat returned that night, and seeing ShowEQ looking downtrodden, the rat grimaced. Scurrying up to ShowEQ, he whispered in his ear... "I had hoped you would find your way back to top, but it seems all of your friends have abandoned you, no?"
ShowEQ said nothing, only sighed.
"Yes, well... I know of a place that you can rebuild your empire, but the price is high." said the rat.
At the thought of his empire returning to his former glory, ShowEQ looked suspiciously at the rat. "And what is that cost, rodent?" ShowEQ asked.
"Why... your soul, of course." giggled the rat.
"My soul? Hah, stupid rodent, I have no soul. My gods have abandoned me, I am powerless." ShowEQ sneered.
"Oh, well then, it sounds like a bargain for you then, doesn't it?" the rat said slyly.
"Fine then, it is a deal... for my non-existant soul, return me to my great empire!" ShowEQ laughed, clearly not believing the rodent.
The rodent grinned, "Well then, I'm glad to hear it. Here, now drink this." The rodent handed ShowEQ a vile smelling brew.
ShowEQ downed the brew in one gulp, making a face as he did so... but realized the brew tasted kind of good after awhile. "So, ratt, where is my empire?"
The ratt grinned, "Your soul is now bound to the GPL forever more. Though you did not think you had one, you do... it was just hidden. Fear not, though, the GPL is good. And with the GPL comes your new camp." The ratt lead ShowEQ to his new home, a bright, white, gleaming camp. Swords of law hung shining on the walls. Knights marched outside the encampment, ready to defend it from all that would destroy the truth. Large spaces for ShowEQ to rebuild his empire stretched out before him, leaving ShowEQ in awe. This was a huge upgrade to his former camp. He realized he had been living in squalor, even before his fall. In this new camp, he could build and empire greater than any before.
Months passed, and ShowEQ rebuilt his empire... but the chains of encryption held his people fast. The ratt was now a general, and his leiutenant, Cpphack, plotted. Directing the rebuilding and restoration of the great ShowEQ empire. Cpphack grew weary, and finally retired to Kerra Isle, and a new general arose, Zaphod, who had grand designs for the camp. Slowly, and methodically, Zaphod transformed the ShowEQ camp into a respectable place to live. No longer the rag tag, rough and tumble camp that ShowEQ had lived so long in, but a clean, proper house.
ShowEQ raged at the rodent, "What can I do? My people are chained by this infuriating encryption. My camp is the envy of all, my armor is the strongest ever forged. Yet I can do nothing!"
The ratt cast down his eyes, "I am not crafty in the ways of magic, I'm afraid, and the magical chains that bind your people are beyond my meager abilities. I'm afraid Leiutenant General Cpphack is unable to decipher the magical spell as well."
"But what am I to do?" shouted ShowEQ.
"Ahh, well, let me see what I can do." said the ratt.
Weeks passed, with no word from Ratt. Clanks and clangs could be heard from deep in the basement of the Sourceforge camp, but none dared go that deep, for who knew what horrors awaited someone down there. The Ratt scurried back up and down repeatedly as the weeks droned on, sometimes carrying a large bundle of documents, others carrying slabs of raw meat. "Yes... yes, it is all going according to plan" the Ratt could be heard muttering occasionally as he passed.
A month passed, and then one bright morning, the Ratt emerged from the cellars, dragging something heavy under a black velvet cloth. It clanged as it was dragged over the cobblestone pillars, occasionally a spark would fly out from under the cloth, but the Ratt toiled on, dragging his burden to the main hall.
ShowEQ sat at the map table, going over the various maps, inspecting them for accuracy. Huffing and puffing, the Ratt entered the hall and gasped "M'lord, I think I have something you have been seeking."
ShowEQ grumbled, but did not look up. Frustrated, the Ratt picked up the burden under the cloth and gave it a great heave. In the dim light of the hall, the velvet cloth fluttered off as the thing arced towards the map table, gleeming flashes of firelight and stray rays of the morning sun twinkled off the object as it imbeded itself deep into the map table.
Before ShowEQ gleemed a mighty sword, like no other. The edges were razor sharp, and a tell tale blue glow signified it's great magical power. The bejeweled handle sparkled brightly as it caught the light. ShowEQ stared in wonder at this magnificent new sword. He slowly reached up to touch it, but jerked his hand back as the sword sparked. Slowly again, ShowEQ reached out, and there was no spark this time. Grasping the hilt, ShowEQ pulled the sword from the table, testing it's weight.
It was perfectly balanced for ShowEQ, the pommel fitting perfectly into ShowEQ's hand. "You have done splendidly, General Ratt!" ShowEQ cried.
"Not I, m'lord," Ratt motioned at the door, "But Sir Fez and Sir Xylor have crafted a magical sword like no other."
Fez and Xylor stepped in and bowed to ShowEQ, and ShowEQ smiled, a wicked gleem in his eye.
"With this sword... the chains of encryption will be forever broken!" ShowEQ shouted.
ShowEQ ran to his armory and donned his legendary suit of armor. New sword in hand, he strode to the chains binding the castle. The dragon had long grown fat and complacent and did not even notice ShowEQ as he strode up to the gates. With one mighty swing of the sword, the chains that had bound his people for so long parted. A huge spark of energy shot out from the sword and chain, as they parted, the sound like that of a thousand thunderstorms. The dragon awoke with a start and peered down from his ivory tower... and was blinded by the sword's gleeming power.
"Come beast!" Shouted ShowEQ to the tower, "Come and fight me!"
The dragon peered out of his tower and knew that he could never hope to defeat a sword such as that, at lest not easily. It would require vast resources and time... something the fat and sassy dragon was not prepared to give. The dragon slowly slid back into his tower and slept.
This puzzled ShowEQ at first... expecting an attack at any moment by the dragon. But none was forthcoming. ShowEQ stood outside the castle and pondered. His people were free and the dragon did not want to fight. This was not an outcome he had expected. Eventually he grew weary of waiting for the dragon and returned to his own empire. His people rejoiced and a new era of prosperity dawned upon the realm of Norrath. Through ShowEQ's ministrations, many public works were repaired and rebuilt and the people were happy.
The vile dragon would occasionally throw a fireball or magical spear at the ShowEQ camp, but the grand walls of Sourceforge were more than a match for the dragon. But the dragon was plotting...
ShowEQ enjoyed a long summer of prosperity, but fall eventually arrived. The dragon has prepared a special treat for ShowEQ, one he would not soon forget. The dragon had introduced many new lands that he had conquered, and the people journied to them... but it seems the Dragon had found some especially potent magic in the Planes of Power that he would use to bind ShowEQ's people once again.
The appointed day arrived, when the dragon had promised the new planes would be revealed to all. The dragon gathered everyone in the town square for the great event. ShowEQ was leary of the dragons trechery, though. As the clock chimed midnight, the dragon let out a mighty roar and then... laughed. For the people, instead of seeing the Plane of Power were chained again! But these chains were of an entirely different magic than we had seen before, they were longer and more sturdy. The gleeming sword ShowEQ had wielded for so long could not break through them. A great cry swept through the ShowEQ camp. "Whatever shall we do?" cried the masses.
ShowEQ sent his people far and wide, searching for the answer to these new chains. Quickly, many of his spies returned, but the news was not good. Until late one night one of his top spies crept into ShowEQs chambers and left a scroll upon ShowEQ's night stand. The scroll read of a magic spell that would enchant the sword, making the encryption chains that bound his people as fragile as spun honey. ShowEQ slashed vigorously at the chains, which crumbled... but the dragon had expected this and laughed. ShowEQ was taken aback by this as the chains quickly reformed, moments after they were slashed. This time, the sword and spell cast upon it were impotent. Nothing could break the encryption chains, ShowEQ could see that.
ShowEQ sighed, knowing this day was to come, eventually. His last and only hope, and greatest fear was finally realized.
"I'm afraid, m'lord, that we must invoke the spirit of your long dead brother... only he can defeat these demonic chains that bind us now." said Ratt.
ShowEQ trembled, knowing that the cure for the demonic chains may just be worse than the chains themselves. Would the cure rampage through out the kingdom? Yes, thought ShowEQ, it would. But I have no other choice! I will invoke the spirit of my brother, but I shall not slay him when he appears... I do not think I can even slay him any longer. The invokations are permanant, and I can not control him once he is released, ShowEQ lamented.
ShowEQ began to chant the words that would invoke his long dead brother, but he halted. "Hmmm," ShowEQ thought, "the dragon is powerful, and could even possibly dispatch my hateful brother." ShowEQ began to chant again, but this time, the spell he was weaving was subtle different. Yes, it would invoke the demonic soul of his brother, but it would also invoke minor demons to flutter around the dragons head. His chants empowered his chained people to break free from those chains, but only individually. Each person must invoke his own sniffing demon, to break his chains. Each demon could be the target of the dragon, each individual could be slain now, by the dragon.
Now the story contniues ... but it is not yet written. Will ShowEQ's people be crafty and stout enough to summon a demon that can evade the dragon, or will all who invoke the demons be put to death?
Time will tell...
