Synopsis: Expeditioner's Joklumarkar
| “ | All the provisions and preparations are in place, and the team has gathered. You and the explorers depart the southernmost city of Sami for the north. Make your way through Sami and past the icefield, and the veil that shrouds the unknown will be lifted. | ” |
Acting as the continuation from The Black Forest Wills A Dream, Expeditioner's Joklumarkar tells of a reorganized expedition mission of Magallan, Typhon, Arges, and Santalla to reach the Infy Icefield in the north through the Sami route and continue their search for the missing Rhine Lab expedition team while conducting their usual survey. However, the expedition team will reach beyond their initial goal by not only quenching the demonic rampage of a rogue Emperor's Blade gone missing in Sami, but also fulfilling an ancient prophecy the Cyclopes have foreseen – the discovery of a "door" that will forever alter Terra's history in the millennial fight against the Collapsals.
The Endless Tundra
The Rhine Lab expedition team led by Magallan are ready for another thrilling exploration to the Infy Icefield through the Sami route. They are eager to find out the secrets of the north, especially after they receive a specimen box that contains an unknown, rootless "flower." Nevertheless, they prioritize themselves in seeking the missing team led by Director Andenate Maryam; the expedition is just an extra for the rescue mission. In the meantime, Santalla and Typhon arm themselves to the teeth as they learn about the missing "Black Mark", a rogue Emperor's Blade of Ursus that has been completely overtaken by their leaking demonic shards, and the Blade's presence will definitely turn Sami into an uninhabited land. They are informed that many of the northern soldiers have been dispatched to hunt down the enemy, and they keep themselves alarmed to defend both the land of Sami and the R.L. expedition team.
While the Sami route is a preferred route to enter the Infy Icefield for Columbian explorers, its obstacles are far more challenging than the team expects. They not only have to survive its harsh environment from the infested bogs in the south and then the entangling dark forests up in the north, but also, have to pay respect to the local Samfjod tribes and the Snowpriests who could be hostile to the team. Nevertheless, with the help of Typhon and Santalla, they are able to persuade them to permit the team to enter the north.
After traveling in the Sami heartland for twelve days, the R.L. team eventually reaches a forest where they are to meet a new guide. This is the first time they encounter the legendary Cyclops. As promised, Arges is here to lead the team to the Icefield through her memories during her stay with Director Mariam.
Before their departure and entering the Icefield, Arges makes divination to predict the team's future. Her visions will definitely be fulfilled along the journey.
The Fimbulventr
All the three endings are canon as they happen concurrently. Nevertheless, some parts of the endbooks show a timeline that could be non-canon, and only the fourth endbooks of the first three are non-canon tragedies.
To Talk with the Mountains
After numerous ordeal in their path, the expedition team finally reaches Fjal Vetrtonn, Sami's northernmost mountain range. At this point, Sami Itself asks the team whether they want to proceed further, and they agree. Being amazed by the team's determination, Sami decides to give them a "trial by combat" through one of Its avatars, the "Samivilinn", to see whether they are able to maintain their determination before entering the great beyond.
Thanks to Magallan's bravery, the team managed to passed the trial. Sami then asks about her reason to explore the beyond despite hidden dangers. Like an innocent child, Magallan explains that she wants to explore the unknown and unveil its secret so that humanity can learn more in the name of science. All she wishes are just a few documentation notes, specimens, and photos. Being touched by her pure curiosity, Sami finally accepts her requests and stops the blizzard. Such is the proof that Sami Itself has accepted them as a member of Sami, and letting them enter the Icefield is its best gift to them. Without hesitation and despite some doubt, the adventurers continue their journey to the Infy Icefield.
Endbook: View
The story is a prologue of the expedition. Months before the epic "Project Horizon Arc," Andenate pays a visit to Kristen Wright the Control in the headquarters at Trimounts to allow him leading the largest expedition team to the Icefield R.L. has ever organized, a team of fifteen explorers in total. He knows that this is the only chance he could get permission from the Control as she is now more often staying outstation and seldom appears at the HQ.
Nevertheless, Kristen lightheartedly allows his expedition team by signing his permit. In turn, she is willing to share with him the secret of the Icefield through knowledge passed on by Friston the "Preservator," the "god" of the Hall of Stasis beneath Trimounts. Through her, Andenate learns for the first time regarding the "edge" of the Infy Icefield.
Later, Andenate and his team are ready for the expedition. The team encounters Arges for the first time during the trip, and they are amazed by the appearance of a rare Cyclops. Even though he knows of the Cyclopes' precise prophecies, Andenate refuses to foretell further. Rather, he wishes to experience the unknown by himself as a brave explorer. Despite the fact that it eventually leads to his downfall, Andenate has no regrets for his actions.
Endbook: Sunrise
Back to the present timeline, Magallan's team are on their way returning south after witnessing all the events at the "edge" of the Icefield. Even though they have exhausted their resources, they receive aid from countless local Samifjod. As they cheer around campfire, Magallan is happy to see everyone having a enjoyable time while putting aside their differences. Here, there are no "the civilized" or "the barbarians" but mere friends sharing their joy on a peaceful night.
The next morning, Magallan wakes up to watch the early sunrise, and Typhon stays besides her and shares with her some candies to enjoy the scenery.
Endbook: Indistinct Earth
| This endbook is non-canon and are most likely part of Magallan's wild dream acting as a vision provided by the "Samivilinn." |
In this ending, Magallan somehow departed from her expedition team and continues her venture on her own. She eventually reaches an underground world where wildlife is thriving. There, she sees a bright light shining from afar, and Magallan is eager to chase after the light. Little does she know that she has spent too long chasing after the light to the point that she has forgotten time. Most importantly, she has already abandoned her science equipment and thick coat, and she becomes a savage with only long hair and a wood stick in her hand.
Nevertheless, Magallan's curiosity keeps on driving her search for the light source. When she reaches the finishing line, she sees a gargantuan tree which resembles a Sami sacred tree. But this tree is super unique—it has a literal living, pumping heart. It is from here Magallan realizes this: Sami Itself is a literal "living" land. She passes the mountains that is Its back, and she has passed Its flesh and bones. From the tree, she notices some runes on its barks representing her worrisome future, but her curiosity keeps on driving her to search for the "brain" of Sami. All she wants is to "learn more about Sami."
Endbook: Like the Stars
| This endbook is non-canon and added in Expeditioner's Joklumarkar's Expansion II. |
Magallan continues her "walk" after uncovering the heart of Sami. She continues collecting living samples and send them back to the expedition teams. However, it seems that the further they explore throughout the years, the chaotic force of the Collapsal slowly pollutes the reality due the increasing understanding against those psychic beings. Most of the explores and the Samifjod fall into corruption, and the surviving science equipment run out of functions. Even Magallan herself is affected by the corruption, causing other explorers to no longer identify her.
In the end, Magallan no longer holds her bag, a bag filled with letters that was meant to increased the understanding of the Collapsals to future generations. She keeps on heading towards the endless north despite the compass' malfunction. She somehow sees an illusion of a bright light in the black blizzard, but her fate is doomed.
Winterfall
Amidst their journey, the expedition team became wary of Eikthyrnir who is pursuing the "Black Mark" and tries to seek guidance from either Amma or other Samifjod. Regardless of whom they asked, the team received two cryptic Foldartals regarding the Treescar's fate. The team then makes sense of the cryptic Foldartals, which led them to an empty military camp bearing the marks of Eikthyrnir's tribe. While searching through the camp, Santalla finds Eikthyrnir's helmet and realized that he is going into a one-way trip, prompting the team to make haste to catch up with the Treescar. Upon reaching Fjal Vetronn, as Santalla holds the helmet, Sami Itself guides them to the south; the team makes haste to where Sami points at, but they are too late; by the time Santalla and co. arrives, the "Black Mark" had already been slain but Eikthyrnir and his remaining warriors become tainted by the Andskotarnir corruption in the process, forcing the team to put the Treescar out of his misery.
In the end, Eikthyrnir meets his tragic yet heroic demise at Santalla's hand and dies standing with his left arm and antler broken. Nevertheless, Santalla pays her final respect to Eikthyrnir and his warriors, wishing that their spirits continue to safeguard Sami from beyond the grave, all while a blizzard picks up and covers them in snow as if the sky itself weeps for their deaths.
Endbook: Warriors Never Welcome Death
The story is a flashback of the northern warriors' expedition. Months ago, Eikthyrnir and his warrior were escorting a migrating tribe. Since their homeland had been corrupted by the Collapsals, they were forced to leave their ancestral land and move southward. Along the journey, Eikthyrnir meets a mother calming her baby in grief. He recalls his late wife who has gone missing forever after she joined the tribe's last migration. He has long forgotten her, nor does he remember her often, for a warrior has no time to worry about his family.
Upon meeting the mother, he tries to calm down the baby. The mother apologizes to the baby for giving birth in an unhospitable land, and Eikthyrnir shows his sorrow by acknowledging her words.
Endbook: A Twisted Fate's Mockery
Before his ultimate battle against the "Black Mark," Eikthyrnir hurriedly leads his troop to the southern forest where the "Black Mark" is spotted. He sees a devastating battlefield where countless shamans were murdered by the Blade, and Santalla struggles to give them a fatal blow. However, the demonic corruption after their death slowly bends the space around through its black fog, and everything suddenly becomes lawless. Nevertheless, Eikthyrnir ignores the danger and marches towards the demons. He eventually ends the rampage by smashing the "core" of the Collapsal and sealing it with his Arts. Unfortunately, he is pierced by black spears onto his back upon sealing up the demon, and the Treescar Warrior is forever frozen.
Non-canon: In a section of this story, Santalla meets her final demise as she is heavily corrupted by the Collapsal from the "Black Mark's" leaking armor.
Endbook: Return from Exile
As Santalla gives her final respect to Eikthyrnir during her "funeral," she admires him despite he gives up everything, including memories of his late wife. His bravery has been a symbol for the Samifjod warriors, yet even he himself could not overcome this uncontainable danger. Fate has determined her to become a new Snowpriest despite her self-imposed exile. Nevertheless, as the "shaman of the blizzard," Santalla vows she will never give in to fate.
Endbook: Born from the Withered Tree
| This endbook is non-canon and added in Expeditioner's Joklumarkar's Expansion II. |
In an alternative timeline, Santalla sacrifices herself to stop both the "Black Mark" and Eikthyrnir going rampant. She casts her Arts to freeze both of them, turning herself into a tree of frozen ice. Unfortunately, Santalla's sacrifice is in vain. The pollution has started spreading across Terra starting from Sami, and countless Sami warriors fall day by day. A surviving man offers his last offering to the tree of ice, eats a piece of flesh from a corpse in front of it, and continues his march that will never success.
In the end, Terra is completely doomed by the Collapsal's pollution. The surrounding land turns black, and the meaning of reality is corrupted. Within the melting ice tree, a piece of Originium—the surviving remain from Santalla's face—seems to have preserved her last memories, and the Originium piece suddenly sheds tears as its "host" laments of the tragedy of her life and the entire Terra.
Long into an Abyss
At one point amidst the expedition team's journey, Arges had a vision where she saw "a light curtain of mist, a painful pipedream, formless needles, and a black key". When asked about it, the Cyclops draws a map which guides the team through a certain path which proves to be more difficult than it should be. Arges' guidance takes the team to an altar surrounded by Cyclopes praising a blooming rootless flower — something that clearly defies all logic, which the team recovers. Ultimately the team made it into an ancient "portal" of sorts opening a wormhole leading to a void — likely another dimension from which the Andskotarnir came from, surrounded by blooming rootless flowers similar to one recovered previously. As the team approaches the "Door", they are greeted by an unfathomable, chaotic entity which suddenly shows up from the Door's wormhole, bringing the team to panic as the entity distorts the surroundings by creating more of the rootless flowers and bending the space itself as if it tries to make a "garden" of them, but they went to fight off the entity, given the nickname "Crazelyseon", regardless.
Amidst the battle where the expedition team barely do anything towards Crazelyseon, Arges steps in by laying out a giant veil through her Arts, intending to sacrifice herself to prevent Crazelyseon from consuming Sami. The barrier separates the team and Typhon tries to save her only surrogate family, but the Cyclops deems their separation as her ultimate fate and bids farewell to her "daughter"...
...until Amma Itself appears out of nowhere and charges towards Crazelyseon, goring it with Its antlers and pushing it back into the Door's wormhole, causing it to evaporate in a burst of light. As the dust settles, the Door's vicinity that was warped by Crazelyseon's presence returns to normal and the wormhole opened by the Door vanishes, but Amma Itself is nowhere to be seen — likely trapped in the dimension where Crazelyseon came from, as Its affection held by Typhon melts.
With the Door sealed, Sami and Terra is free from the demons' threat at the cost of the guardian of Sami's sacrifice, yet Arges saw a vision where someday in the near or distant future, the Door will be opened again, for better or worse...
Endbook: Waterdrop
The story is a flashback of Arges' past. As she encounters young Typhon weeping for her dead parents murdered by the demons, she sees a vision of herself. There, she will eventually encounter an expedition team who will travel towards the furthest north, but they will meet an unfortunate fate. She sees herself assisting the northern warriors battling against the demon. Most importantly, she sees the child's unfortunate future: Typhon will one day be corrupted by the Collapsals, and she ends her own life through her Arts. Arges herself will also be murdered by Typhon's arrows before she ultimately commits suicide.
Despite the two's uncertain future, Arges only dismisses it as an avoidable possibility. She also gratefully takes in Typhon as her beloved child.
Endbook: Yearning
Just after the battle at the Door that seals up Crazelyseon, the land of Sami becomes peaceful. To Typhon however, this is absolutely abnormal. Amma is forever gone — "gone," instead of dead, for the Samifjod believe the dead will still live on in Sami. She is frustrated to see other Samifjod blindly seeking for Amma's blessed snowballs, yet she could not stop their belief. Eventually, She encounters a Snowpriest and seeks his counseling. The Snowpriest replies that Amma's blessing never leaves, even though she is forever gone. Amma's love will persist on, for she still loves the land of Sami. The Snowpriest mysteriously vanishes, leaving Typhon with endless questions.
Meanwhile, Arges is facing a trial by the Snowpriests, chieftains of the Samifjod, and even Cyclops kinsmen to judge her action in the North Pole. She stands in front of the council and presents her vision to them.
Endbook: Towards the Fated Shore
The story begins with Arges' vision regarding the Door. She has already been well aware of its presence thanks to generations of Cyclopes' prophecies. Not only she sees the eventual threat against the Collapsals, but also, she has glanced through the other side of The Door – a vast starry night. No matter how mankind resists such fate, Arges always gives the same answer: mankind must eventually enter The Door when the time is ripe.
Upon finishing her account, the Sami council falls into deep silence in disbelief. They accepts her words, and they agree that mankind must be strong enough to face the powerful enemy behind The Door before they could pass through it.
Endbook: Unfinished Destiny
| This endbook is non-canon and added in Expeditioner's Joklumarkar's Expansion II. |
The story branches out from Arges' sacrifice to stop Crazelyseon as well as Amma's disappearance in the Door. Despite their sacrifices, the expedition team could finally able to acquire the Door. Many scientist respects Arges' sacrifice for science to a point of wanting to commemorate her despite Typhon' refusal.
However, mankind's greed is borderless. These scientists begin conducting countless experiments around there in hope to understand the origin of the Collapsals. However, many of these experiments are doomed to failure with tremendous loss of lives and resources. Most importantly, they also result in disasters that could tear up the physical space. After many heated debates, the science community believe that dismantling the Door is the safest way to stop the Collapsals' infiltration to reality.
The decommission of the Door proves to be a false victory. Indeed, after the decommission, the Samifjod no longer have to struggle against the demons for centuries, and Typhon could finally put down her burden and temporally leave Sami to explore the south. On the other hand, she is disappointed to see the Door's demise and the retreat of the expedition team from the Infy Icefield which they believe that further exploration is meaningless. One day, Typhon suddenly feels her arrows becoming heavy—a sign of the presence of her "prey."
It is from this moment Typhon realizes that Terra is forever doomed because they trap themselves forever in this world. Now, the Collapsals has found other ways to enter reality.
What Begins Follows What Ends
| This ending is added in Expeditioner's Joklumarkar's Expansion II. |
Many years have passed since Crazelyseon was banished back to the Door, and the Icefield demons begin to retreat as more people set foot on this alien land and defeat them. Bewildered by the presence of the Door, scientists and expeditioners across Terra set up basements to conduct studies on it and rebuild its function. All the Terran nations make their own contributions by providing resources and personnel; even Ursus and Yan, after strong political pressures, disclose some of their secret studies regarding the Collapsals. This is, for the first time, the Terran nations unite together regardless of their grudges to accomplish such a magnificent goal.
Under the "Black Hole Protocol," Rhodes Island operatives led by the Doctor and Kal'tsit carefully supervise the progress to guide the Terrans in uncovering the lost technologies of the previous civilization. Despite hesitation and doubts out of worry that they might misuse them in self-destruction, Kal'tsit believes it is time for the Terrans to progress on their own without her interference. In the end, she quietly allows the Terrans in uncovering these lost super-technologies of the space-faring predecessors such as blueprints of spaceships and even space jump drives.
One day, the mechanists successfully reactivate the Door. To their surprise, they see a vast desert filled will ruins, and the expeditioners realize that the Door has led them to the Foehn Hotlands—the southernmost border of the Terran civilization. But the excitement does not end with reaching there; they witness the most important historical event in Terran history, the great conquest of the Foehn Hotlands at the dawn of the common era led by Shahanshah Lugalszargus, the Shah of Past and Future of Sargon, and Kharanduu Khan, the Great Nightzmoran Khagan. They find out that the Sargon-Nightzmoran alliance are charging towards the Door, indicating its presence in the south and its possible ability in time-traveling, but the scorching heatwaves that burnt away this once lush rainforest cause the northern expeditioners led by Magallan to immediately halt the expedition. In the meantime, the menacing power of the two kings, the power of time and psychic, brings fear to the unprepared team and destabilize the Door's structure. For the sake of their safety and the Door, they have to quickly shut it down.
Now witnessing its new abilities, the scientists are more eager to study its nature. In the meantime, a new expedition team led by Arges is slowly built up to survey the Foehn Hotlands, preparing to uncover the legacies of the south buried beneath the sand while studying a new Collapsal phenomenon that could distort time.
Endbook: Dark Side
The endbook focuses on a lavish roof garden banquet in Columbia. There, several secret agents and assassins are carefully eavesdropping the convention in the banquet so that they could both gain intel and eliminate their rival. Cliff, the CEO of Blacksteel, meets a surprising figure—the missing Rhine Lab director Andenate Maryam who is now found in the banquet. Cliff questions that his presence will only bring more rivals, and Andenate responds that he is to ease the burden of the expedition team by removing their obstacles. He trusts Magallan in the leadership of the surveyors and their success..
The agents' goal are futile, for the personnel of Rhodes Island led by the Elite Op Radian have ambushed them. Radian comments that despite the unity in the Black Hole Protocol, the hidden conflicts and vindications between various factions will be continued which greatly hinders the progress at the research site. Nevertheless, Radian is still optimistic over the Protocol and is ready to hand in an invitation letter to Andenate afterwards.
Endbook: The Night Before the Door-Opening
Twelve hours before the first reactivation of the Door, Magallan is very nervous despite her sleep, for she has been anticipating such moment. She fears that the first activation will turn into a failure—whether a barren land that might be worthless to the scientists, or even an explosion that might kill everyone on spot. Nevertheless, she trusts Typhon to eliminate any potential treat, and she hopes her mission will finally give an answer to the prophecies of Arges and the Cyclops tribe. Magallan also realizes that the Doctor too is very curious of the other side of the Door, and when she asks the most exciting things found beyond the Door, they give a simple reply: "Themselves."
Endbook: Ancient Reborn
The endbook happens in one of Magallan's exploration. During her ride along a cliff, the hornbeast suddenly goes rampant, causing her to accidentally fall down. Fortunately, she is captured by some entangling vines controlled by a giant puppet. She notices someone standing behind the bushes who seems to be leading her to somewhere. To her surprise, it is an Elf—one who hails from the secluded tribe in Sami inhabiting among an ancient, giant tree. Magallan is amazed that the legendary Elven tribe described by Muelsyse is real.
The Elf tries to communicate with Magallan with the vines around them. It first forms into some strange shape that looks more like an inorganic matter. Then, they grab a handful of dirt and scattered it. The vine then grab a puppet and flies it around as if it is an aircraft. Magallan does not fully understand the meaning, but she feels that the Elf is narrating an event, one that is only found in a forgotten tale.
Nevertheless, Magallan's encounter with the Elven Samifjod encourages Muelsyse to directly communicate with them, and after showing her respect to them, the Elven Samifjod decide to take part in the Black Hole Protocol by sharing their ancient knowledge to the expedition team.
Endbook: The Beginning of the Future
The story starts as a consecutive timeline in the past. Long ago, a Sami tribe headed north aimless as they pursed after trees with broken bark, and that tribe would be later known as the "Treescar" tribe. Generations of the Treescar warriors fall down under those demonic beings as they defend the northern border, including Eikthyrnir himself, yet the tribe's shaman, despite questioning the revelation from the All-Father, still commands the warriors to be fearless and continue their struggle, as promise with the "Samivilinn."
Many, many years ago at the dawn of the common era, Shahanshah Lugalszargus too made a similar oath under the golden sand. His loyal man begged him to refuse the great conquest of the Foehn Hotlands with the Nightzmoran Khagan. But the Shah of Past and Future haughtily laughed, saying he is fearless to face his demise and ordering them to follow his eternal legacies.
Even many years ago when civilization was not born, a familiar figure woke up in front of the Door, none others than Kal'tsit. The Feline-like being questioned her existance, but she is here for a purpose. With that said, the woman made her first march into the endless continet where she will leave countless legacies in the future.
And now back in the present, the expedition team to the Foehn Hotlands are ready for their next mission. Arges remains silent, for she sees no vision for this new explorer, but the explorer puts high hope on her, for they firmly believe that in the endless time, mankind's destiny is infinite.