Preface
I appreciate your enthusiasm for the lore of the "Degen Heroes" project. As the creator, I have poured my imagination and creativity into crafting a truly unique and captivating story. This lore serves as the foundation for our multi-stage NFT project, which includes elements such as the lore itself, a collection of distinctive trading cards, an immersive mobile game, and a thriving community.
If you find this lore intriguing and would like to delve deeper into the project, I invite you to click the button below to access the Whitepaper of "Degen Heroes." Within the Whitepaper, you will find comprehensive information, including all the relevant links to explore the project further. Thank you for your interest and support in the "Degen Heroes" journey.
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DEGEN HEROES. LORE (TEXT VERSION)
Appearance
Degenland, a small planet in our vast universe, is a place devoid of kindness and virtues. The concept of light seems forgotten, as the sun never graces its skies, casting everything in a perpetual darkness. The inhabitants of this desolate place struggle to make ends meet, living in abject poverty. Each morning, they awaken without joy or hope.
Survival on Degenland is a constant struggle, as the land is unsuitable for farming or raising animals. Only the privileged few in the upper echelons of society can afford a somewhat tolerable existence. The ground itself is stained with layers of blood, a grim testament to the ruthless acts committed in the name of survival. The remaining factions engage in relentless wars, fighting for their very existence.
Within the small settlements, whispers of a bygone order known as the "Degen Heroes" persist. However, their memory is bittersweet, as the last remnants of these valiant knights were obliterated in the final battle for the once majestic castle that stood as a symbol of hope.
The journey begins
As you awaken in the field, confusion engulfs your mind, leaving you disoriented. In front of you, a panicked crowd screams, in anticipation of another massacre for the sparse harvest. A surge of urgency propels you forward, navigating through the throng of people, gently nudging them aside, desperately seeking a semblance of solitude amidst the chaos.
You ran for several dozen minutes, witnessing for yourself what the endless struggle for existence can do to a man. It seemed as if your escape did not attract attention, for this practice was common in these parts. After a while, there were fewer and fewer people, and a small path leading into the thicket of the forest appeared. It was dotted with the armor of knights and numerous flags of unknown kingdoms. It might not have been the best idea to go that way, but something deep in your soul was leading you there.
Running was no longer possible, the adrenaline was leaving your bloodstream too quickly and you switched to pacing. Soon the forest was thinning and the corpses were almost gone. At one point, a small village appeared. The houses in it looked abandoned and still empty, and everything looked very ominous. Your instinct for self-preservation prevented you from entering any of the open doors, so you wandered down the main street, imagining that once there had been life in these ramshackle structures.
Trying to catch your breath and figure out what you have to do to survive, you didn't notice that you had passed the entire village. As you were about to turn around, a lonely house appeared on the outskirts of the village.
You were trying to make a final decision on whether to try your luck and enter such a structure. The lush air was burning your throat, and because of the marathon of several kilometers, your legs began to slowly wobble as you suddenly heard a noisy creak near the doors.
An entity dressed in the armor of a knight appeared at the doorway. The knight came toward you, clanking noisily on his iron armor.
In that second, dozens of flashbacks flashed through your mind. As you ran through the crowd, you heard people begging for the "Degen heroes" to come to their aid; on this planet, they were like gods who would protect people in their most desperate moments. You saw those unfortunate people holding dirty icons depicting all sorts of knights, that welled up in their subconscious. The puzzle began to take shape, memories of a road leading to a village strewn with mountains of corpses dressed in knight's armor came to mind. A clue came to mind, and it seemed that the entity in front of you was none other than the only surviving member of the "Degen Heroes" order.
The knight stopped a few steps away from you. A huge cloud of smoke abruptly formed around him, completely hiding him from the observer's eyes. As it began to dissipate, his appearance changed slightly. He was holding a blade and something like a hat. The same cylinder was on his head. Now there was no doubt, because from the same shouts of the crowd you knew that the local priests use a cylinder in their rituals, because it was this attribute that distinguished the knights of the cult of "Degen heroes" from all others.
Getting to know Cain
This picture before your eyes was not too long in coming. The knight stared at you intently for agonizing tens of seconds until you began to lose consciousness.
The duration of your unconsciousness remains unknown, but upon awakening, you found yourself seated next to a small fireplace in a humble dwelling. Across from you sat the knight, who shook his head in a helpless manner as soon as your eyes opened. Before you could utter a word, you felt the weight of something bulky and metallic restraining your body. As you lowered your gaze, you realized that you were now dressed in a knight's attire. Anticipating nothing positive, you raised your gaze further, discovering a cylindrical hat adorning your head. With a bewildered expression, you locked eyes with the knight.
"Well, I think you have too many questions" - the knight began.
"Wh... what.. what the fuck is going on. Who are you?" - you replied, coughing, unable to move due to the weight of the armor.
"I am the last surviving knight of the order of Degen Heroes, though that won't tell you anything. Well, I'm not entirely sure that I am the last... I have a lot to tell you before you realize what's really going on here" - the knight spoke extremely slowly, trying to find the right words, staring intently into his eyes.
"All I know is that I don't know how I ended up in this land, and for some reason, there are weird cylindrical hats everywhere. People are dying right in front of my eyes, what kind of creepy place is this?" - you still harbored the hope that you would receive detailed answers at that moment.
"You are not like the others, and you will soon realize it. Notice that despite all the nightmare that is happening on my planet, you are not afraid of me. You still haven't started screaming or begging for mercy, you subconsciously realize who I am. However, to help you remember everything much faster, I will introduce myself. I am Cain." - the mysterious stranger's name was Cain, and he seemed to be really friendly, at least his facial expression was clearly friendly. After listening to him, you exhaled heavily and tried to process all the flow of information that came while the knight huddled.
Observing the stranger's movements silently, you witnessed him suddenly springing up from the table. Completely puzzled, you prepared yourself for anything but what actually occurred. The knight bent down to rummage through a chest in the corner of the room, muttering unfamiliar words, likely local expletives. After a short while, Cain returned to his previous position, settling in and placing a few dusty books on the table.
Clanking his armor with an air of menace, he proceeded to locate the correct page in the manuscript. Karin raised his head and announced his intention to narrate the tale of the land, its inhabitants, and the events that had shaped their existence. Surprisingly, his words revealed that poverty and ruin had not always plagued this forsaken land.
As your interlocutor collected his thoughts, preparing to commence the narrative, you took the opportunity to survey your surroundings. Strangely, in the presence of the knight, you felt no sense of danger; rather, you experienced a profound feeling of security. Furthermore, any attempt to escape would prove futile, as the weighty armor bound your movements akin to unyielding chains.
The interior of the house boasted a modest yet charming arrangement. The walls, adorned with numerous knightly accolades, displayed another intriguing feature - picturesque paintings depicting awe-inspiring landscapes, meandering rivers, and stunning mountains. The fields depicted in the artwork appeared remarkably fertile, while the people's countenances exuded joy and tranquility. It seemed that either the knight possessed a fondness for fantasy or yearned for a bygone era when such idyllic scenes may have existed in this realm.
It finally settled in your mind that once upon a time people did not know poverty, but rather lived a prosperous life. When you looked down at the table, you noticed that the books had "History of Degenland" in gold letters. So, apparently, this place was called Degenland. A sharp pulse went through my head and my breath hitched. The word was like a vivid childhood memory that echoed through your mind. You seemed to have always known the word, but several hurried attempts to recall or at least visualize the memory were unsuccessful. Cain silently watched the reaction, with an extremely enthusiastic look he muttered: we can proceed...
Degenland
