Grand Chase (Korean: 그랜드체이스, lit. Grand Chase) is a free-to-play, two-dimensional side-scrolling MMORPG developed by the South Korean company KOG Studios.
The story focuses on the adventure of the Grand Chase group originally by Elesis, Lire, and Arme, as the adventure goes on new characters join the team.
History[]
In the beginning the Creator God created other gods to take care of the creation of the universe. In order to maintain balance, he also created the demonic tribes to take care of destruction when necessary. As the magical energy of the demonic tribes were considered "evil", instead of being placed in the material world with the other gods, they were separated into another reality, a magical dimension which then became known as Elyos. When it was deemed necessary, the tribes came to the material world through Dimensional Portal in order to spread destruction.
Eventually, part of the demonic tribes developed into the Asmodians, who considered themselves superior beings over the other demonic creatures and created a civilization on Elyos.
Meanwhile in the material dimension, the gods created a beautiful new world. Four goddesses led this process of creation: Ernasis, the goddess of war and courage, Lisnar, the goddess of love and spirits, Armenian, goddess of wisdom and harmony and Agnecia, the goddess of life and purity. Honoring the leader of the gods, Ernasis, the world was called Aernas.
At that time, Aernas was populated with three ancestor races: humans, elves and dwarves. The four Goddesses descended into the world to inspect its creation and, impressed with the creativity and courage of the humans, chose to accompany them in their process of evolution. While Ernasis, Lisnar, and Armenian headed for the region known as Archimedia, Agnecia headed east, where she faced a great evil and sacrificed herself to save the world.
The humans of Archimedia decided to honor the divine trio that was visiting them and christened the three Goddesses as Creators. They helped to found the Kingdom of Kounat, the most advanced civilization of Aernas both in magic and in technology. Kounat became the home of the Celestials, a society of humans blessed by the three Goddess, and who were allies to the two neighboring kingdoms of the elves and the dwarves.
Under the command of the three Goddesses, Archimedia became a region favored by the gods. Some of them even fell in love with humans and from this love arose special children. These children stood out as having above average skills and, over time, began to lead the Celestials. With the help of this civilization, the elves developed their magic even further, while the dwarves specialized in technology.
With the advancement of the three civilizations of Archimedia, the gods finally were satisfied with their creation. The most powerful of the Celestials was named the king of Kounat, and the gods set out to create the dimension of Xenia, leaving behind only the three Goddesses, Ernasis, Lisnar and Armenian.
However, while Aernas and Kounat thrived, Elyos declined into war, where the demonic tribes organized themselves against the powerful Asmodians. It was then that the great hero of the Asmodians, Duel Pone Jack/Zec Avenger, went crazy in combat and ended the war, virtually decimating all combatants on both sides of the battle and nearly killing the powerful Asmodian wizard Oz Pone Max Reinhardt.
With the Asmodians now commanding them, the demonic tribes began to rebuild. Wanting to avoid a new war in Elyos, the Asmodian leader Heitaros Cratsus decided to erect a demonic army, emphasizing that the demonic tribes were threatened by the existence of other civilizations outside of their world and therefore they should act first by destroying these other beings.
Willing to take the fight away from Elyos, Heitaros began focusing on the destruction of other dimensions. He led his army of demons through dimensional portals and headed into Aernas. The largest dimensional portal appeared to the east of Kounat, and the demonic tribe army marched for the capital of the city.
Although not all the inhabitants of Elyos agree with the invasion, they had no time to try to stop it since Heitaros acted very quickly. The raid also surprised the king of Kounat who, desperate, invoked the help of the three Goddesses, Ernasis, Lisnar and Armenian, and thus they led the forces of Kounat against the demonic army in a wild and terrible battle on the Artione Field.
The number of victims increased every moment, until the ultimate weapon created by Kounat, the Aernas Hammer, was finally activated. It was a weapon that united magic, technology, and even the divine power of the gods. Unfortunately, the weapon required so much energy that it could only be used once.
Fortunately, once was enough. The power of the Aernas Hammer was so great that it eliminated all of the demonic army infantry. Heitaros suffered serious injuries and fled back to Elyos through a portal. Without a leader, the rest of the army began to scatter across the continent.
However, it took the three Goddesses, who were already greatly weakened by the battle, a large amount of concentrated power to fully energize the Aernas Hammer. Before completely exhausting their strength, they realized that they would need to leave Aernas and return to their own heavenly dimension in order to re-cooperate and restore their energies. Before they left, the last thing they did to make the world safe was to seal off all the portals linking Aernas and Elyos.
The demons who were left behind and stuck in Aernas began to corrupt other creatures, giving rise to various Monsters and putting a definitive end to the era of peace in which the world was. But it soon turned out that the monsters were not the only threat. A great evil had arisen within Kounat itself, and none other than its Prime Minister, Baldinar.
Without anyone knowing, Baldinar had found the legendary Klara Libri, a sacred tome that contained all the secrets of the world, including all the information about the gods, the Creator God and the demonic tribes. Ambitious, Baldinar became insane and hatched a plan to become the new Creator God, and thus obtain absolute control over both the powers of good and of evil.
He began studying the demons that had been trapped in Aernas and collected their Demonic Essence, the source of the power of darkness. To function as the source for the power of good, he decided to use the power of the Goddesses which still remained within the Aernas Hammer. Following the instructions of the tome, he used this power to create the Soul Stone, a crystal that contained the divine power of the gods. His plan was to unite with the Hammer, the Stone, and the Demonic Essence, thus obtaining the ultimate weapon to become the new Creator. This eventually led to Kounat's tragedy.
Baldinar tried to use the Soul Stone to power the Aernas Hammer. He wanted to eliminate all that could become obstacles in their path, starting with the Highlanders, champions of the gods who had participated in the war. However, the only Kounatians who could control the energies of the Stone were members of the Kounat Royal Family, who were able to withstand the "Geas" imposed on them by the gods, a kind of "consequence" to be able to use that power. Due to the corrupted Baldinar, the Aernas Hammer went totally out of control, causing a gigantic explosion that consumed entire the kingdom.
Thus, the advanced civilization of the Celestials met its end, the complete annihilation of the kingdom becoming a legend in the future. The explosion was so powerful that it also hit part of the kingdom of both the elves and the dwarves, killing both of their kings. With this, the dwarves believed that the elves had released a terrible magic to murder their king, while the elves thought that the dwarves had created a machine to destroy them. This initiated the endless war between the two races in Archimedia's crumbling region.
Present[]
Decades after the destruction of Kounat, despite the fact that the demonic tribes have disappeared along with the destruction of Kounat, the void left behind by the most powerful kingdom of the humans allowed dozens of monsters thrive. Taking advantage of this situation, Kaze'aze, the Queen of Darkness, encountered the forces of darkness and began her campaign for world domination.
On the continent of Bermesiah, humans lived in harmony with the local elves, who preferred to isolate themselves in their forests and islands, far from civilization that once again grew and expanded. Humans were divided between the two biggest kingdoms: Serdin, which explored the path of magic, and Kanavan, famous for its heroes and mighty warriors. The peace was sealed by vows of friendship between these peoples.
Together, the kingdoms coexisted in peace until their lands were slowly overcome by the evil Queen of Darkness. Kaze'aze managed to infiltrate the Kanavan Kingdom by murdering the Kanavan Queen's most loyal and trusted retainer, and then disguising herself as him. As a result, Kaze'aze was able to get close to the Queen and entice her into the ways of darkness. Kaze'aze blinded the Queen of Kanavan's eyes to truth and led her to wage a five-year war against the Serdin Kingdom. All of Bermesiah was devastated; many heroes fell in battle, and even the Queen of Serdin sacrificed her life in hopes of ending the fighting.
The death of the Queen of Serdin broke Kaze'aze's hold over the Queen of Kanavan, who, after finally regaining her senses, erupted with fury over Kaze'aze's treachery. Kaze'aze escaped before the Queen of Kanavan could execute her. This lead the Queen to dispatch the Kanavan Trackers to punish the Queen of Darkness, but after years of searching, she was nowhere to be found and the Queen's Trackers vanished as well, forcing the Queen of Kanavan to abandon her search.
The Serdin Kingdom experienced a series of bizarre incidents related to Kaze'aze after the Five-Year War: these events revealed that Kaze'aze manipulated the Kanavan and Serdin Kingdoms into fighting each other. The newly appointed Queen of Serdin is now determined to prevent Kaze'aze from starting another war between the two kingdoms for the sake of the entire continent. The Queen of Serdin has prepared to confront Kaze'aze and counter her evil plans by organizing Grand Chase, an elite corps that will fight for all of Bermesiah.
Members of the Grand Chase[]
Elesis is a human warrior from Kanavan and leads the Ruby Knights. She had a beloved father, Elscud, who unfortunately, was a tracker that the Kanavan Queen dispatched. She joins the Chase in hopes of locating him, and possibly to avenge him. Elesis seems to have adopted leadership roles of the guild.
Lire, an elf, went into hiding with her companions, the Elven Corps of Eryuell Island, due to Kaze'aze's influence and the war. When the war ended, the elves formed an alliance with humans, and discovered the madwoman behind the scenes. Lire was sent on behalf of the elves of Eryuell.
Arme is a cheerful Magician of the Violet Mage Guild in Serdin. She is extremely curious about the arts of magic, and even Kaze'aze's powers interest her. The reason of joining was simple: in hopes to encounter the evil queen and her magic in order to study it.
Ryan is an elven Druid whose intentions are to preserve nature. He is first introduced to the group at Elven Forest in the form of a Wolf trying to defend the forest. After defeating the Troll who begun the onslaught, Ryan joins the Chase.
Ronan, a loyalist to Kanavan, is introduced at Gorge of Oath. He requests the Grand Chase to aid him at Gaikoz's Castle and leaves after providing the group with Holy Bless. After defeating Gaikoz at his own castle, Ronan thanks the group and joins them on their journey to overthrow Kaze'aze.
Jin, the last remaining Fighter from the Silver Knights, is introduced at the Ruins of the Silver Knights, where he kills an Undead Fighter who was attacking Elesis. The Black Fairy Queen soon arrives in an attempt to kill Jin. He then asks the Chase to stall her long enough to gather his chi to finish her off, then he releases his move which nearly kills her. However, the Black Fairy Queen escapes, barely surviving. Jin then joins the adventure in hopes of avenging his fallen brethren.
Lass, a Thief of the Silver Cross Thieves, is a "child" possessed by Kaze'aze. He was first introduced at Partusay's Sea where an illusion of him destroys a boat headed to Ellia and threatens the Grand Chase that they will be lost at sea forever. In Kamiki's Castle, the Possessed Lass makes his first physical appearance and taunts the Chase before leaving, only to come back and resurrect Elena as Kamiki and then leaves again. At Kaze'aze's Castle, Lass himself is battled, but the "limited" body is defeated. After Kaze'aze is officially slain, Lass is freed from her possession, and realizing his deeds he had done unwillingly, joins the Chase to make up for it.
Amy is the Oracle and celebrated Dancer of Xenia. She first appears in Lake Aurora for reasons unknown, spotting the Chase, but immediately leaves afterward. She is then encountered trying to escape the Temple of Cuatal, only stopping to meet the Chase and bless them with her Dance Fever. After saving Samsara from the evil clutches, she returns in possession of the Orb of Cycles, and joins the Chase to stop the Ascendant God's mission of chaos.
Sieghart is a well known hero of Bermesiah. 600 years ago, he battled in Kounat and was nearly killed, but soon reborn by the Highlanders. He is the only survivor of the Highlanders and Kounat, as everyone else except him and Mari was exterminated by Baldinar. 600 years later, he tries to join the Grand Chase, for reasons unknown. He meets a trio of women (Elesis, Lire, and Arme) at the Outer Wall of Serdin, unaware that they are actually the Chase, informing them that he seeks the Grand Chase and tells them the group to meet him at Xenia before leaving. Later, Lire and Arme learn that Elesis is a part of the House of Sieghart, and is actually the man's granddaughter. Sieghart then meets the trio (as well as Ryan, Ronan, Jin, and Lass) in Xenia Border and finally learns that they are the Chase that he has been looking for. Sieghart advises them that Xenia is dangerous and runs off. He is soon encountered again in Valstrath where he warns the group about the canyon's strange stones and mentions about Elesis' father, Elscud. He then leaves again thanks to Elesis's quarreling. Sieghart stops in The Wyrm's Maw as the Chase catch up. Elesis finally gives up arguing and Sieghart informs the group about meeting Elscud. Sieghart then finally joins the Grand Chase.
Mari is an odd character who descends from an ancient kingdom called Kounat and, along with Sieghart, were the only survivors as everyone else was killed by Baldinar. However, Mari had gone through hibernation and lost all her memories in the process, although her body slowly remembers. At the time the Chase escapes Kastulle Ruins Upper Floor, Mari awakens, but doesn't know who she is. She is then encountered in the Temple of Destruction, whereas she eliminates a DK Mark-I and attempts to research its organs. After the Chase battle the remaining monsters, Sieghart whines, which stated by Elesis, is unusual for an immortal. Mari has disbelief at first, but learns after testing it herself. She then joins the Chase to further late the research.
Dio is a Demon from Elyos and the chief of the Burning Canyon family, one of the major moderate demon groups. He fought to help protect Kounat, but is also the one who put Sieghart in his near-death state. After the war, Dio was trapped in Aernas. Ley's father, Peter von Crimson River, sensed something amiss from Dio and his family and sent his daughter to the human world to locate Dio. At the same time Victor is killed in Victor's Fortress, Dio senses something amiss and attempts to stop it. He is encountered in Relics of Kounat while attempting to destroy the Dimensional Portal. The Chase attempt to help him, but the demon pushes them off, saying they are "insignificant" humans who will only get in his way. After the battle, Dio acknowledges the Chase having a "use" and the fact that Kounat has a survivor. The demon is asked to join the Chase, but is reluctant, saying he does not need their help. However, Dio remarks of pursuing "private interests", and nonetheless agrees to go with the group.
Zero is also a Demon from Elyos. He was artificially built by Oz Pone Max Reinhardt, who required someone to wield Grandark, a weapon used to counter Void's Eclipse. However, Grandark refused to be wielded by anyone, even Oz, which prompted the creation of Zero. As of now, Zero constantly wanders around the world, searching for a source of power. He appeared sometime before the Grand Chase passed through Kamiki's Castle. According to a legend, a vagabond knight known as the "Wanderer" dragged his blade across the ground, leaving strange marks. In The Wyrm's Maw, Zero is encountered, acknowledging Sieghart's Soluna. Sieghart advises his team that this man might be dangerous. Zero then attacks the group with his Gran X, senses something, and leaves. Elesis suggests to follow him, but he is already long gone. Zero appears again in Thunder Hammer where he encounters Void and his Eclipse. Void immediately recognizes him as a demon, but nonetheless leaves. Zero attempts to halt Void, but Grandark stops his master, as Transcendence as well as a newer demonic tribe strengthened Void to the point where he could defeat Zero. Elesis attacks and mentions how his Gran X resembles Elscud's abilities. Zero informs her that he met a red-haired swordsman during his travels (presumably Elscud), but Grandark tells him that idle chit-chat is unneeded at the time, and Zero leaves afterward.
Ley is another Demon from Elyos. She descends from the Crimson River family, another major moderate demon group, and helped defend Kounat alongside with Dio. Her father, Peter von Crimson River, sends her to Aernas to locate Dio because he sensed something amiss in the Burning Canyon family. The Chase encounter her and her butler, Jeeves, in King Guang's Fen, asking the Chase if they have seen Dio, but they haven't. Disappointed, they leave.
Luxus is a Demon from the Underworld, and is Lass' half-brother. He descends from a group of Bounty Hunter Demons known as the Haros, who control the natural flow of souls. Luxus spent many years in Aernas doing his duties as a Bounty Hunter, but when he prepared to return home, he discovered a mysterious blue flame and decided to investigate it.
Rin is a Deity and is the current incarnation of Agnesia, the goddess of life an purity. Agnesia faced a dire evil known as the Malevolent Horde, and sacrificed her immortality to seal it within her body. She was then cursed to continuously resurrect in order to keep the seal in-tact. In the form of Rin, she grew up in an uncharted village named Gaon, whose citizens treated her with love and care, but soon fell under siege and left Rin as the only survivor. Feeling the Malevolent Horde's strength growing within her, Rin departed to seek help from Kounat.
Asin is a mysterious human from Kanavan, and is a disciple of Jin's mentor who is also named Asin. After Victor betrayed the Silver Knights, Asin was left terribly wounded, but was found by a young boy who healed him. Grateful, Asin taught the young boy martial arts and told him about stories of his former student. Unfortunately, the two were attacked by monsters and Asin sacrificed himself once again to protect his student, but this time his injuries were too severe that he died two weeks later. The boy, after adopting his master's name, sought to become stronger than anyone, including Jin. Eventually, Asin stumbled upon the Grand Chase and encountered his master's former student.