The Third Age

Age of Weary Gamblers

The balance of power had shifted throughout the world, inciting players to chance a spin of the wheel of fate. The third age saw some accomplish their ambitions, while the hopes of others were scattered in the winds. For the winners, victory was bittersweet, as the world declined around them. With each roll of the dice the players became wearier - the spectre approached. The end was nearing, when the gamblers' failures and fortunes would be set in stone.

Skylands the Limit

During the chaos of the early days of the world, a player found the perfect spot for a base: a group of low elavation islands with multiple steep sided mountains on all sides, like columns around a forum. The player brought this knowledge to the Loft: a suspended wooden platform above a narrow strip of land. They passed shores lined with sugar cane, and looked up at ledges where players sat with fishing rods.
The players there welcomed the discovery of a distant isle they could call home, having already realised their initial attempt to vacate spawn hadn't been good enough.

The first Loft had been near spawn, to the north along the coast, but it lasted only a couple of nights. This wasn't the skyplatform above spawn which desperate berry farmers would dub New Berrywood: the rumours of a group of skybasers leaving spawn were later wrongly linked with the abandoned platforms. The second Loft was built further from spawn, its inhabitants wanting to avoid the reach of griefers. In contrast to the large spawn settlements, they were only half a dozen or so, and spent their time gathering resources and deciding which classes to pursue.
A visit from the charlatan, in a time before mushroom kingdoms, warned them that they had not been careful enough. The locator bar was giving them away. So they willingly left their lofty home, to find a better one. On the way, pumpkins were carved and worn, to blind those who wished to follow them.

Their number grew to around ten, with each class represented. Life at the edge of the world wasn't easy, but it was shielded from the petty conflicts of the inner settlements. No charlatan moved in next door, no lava rained down from the sky, and no raiders turned up uninvited. There was freedom to choose when to return to the others. As pumpkin people they walked the streets of Dead Horse and visited the casino on Turtle Island. When the Marinas collapsed, they took in members as refugees.
Why visit the rest of the world? Why risk discovery by taking in refugess? Their isolation meant safety to progress in peace, but it also brought a touch of boredom. Occasional interaction with the rest of the world alleviated that, for now.

Who's the Fool Now?

An early source of annoyance for the Skylanders, the charlatan, had gone on to lead The Jestocracy. At the beginning of the third age they returned to find the mushroom islands abandoned. The Mycelian leadership had fled into exile, fearing griefers such as the diamond Marina who infiltrated their streets. The charlatan claimed Mycelia for the Jestocracy, and summoned his followers to occupy the settlement. A bridge was constructed connecting the two islands, the moyai statue was dismantled, and underground tunnels were explored to find any hidden Mycelian treasures.
Although an uncontested leader, not many inhabitants paid much heed to the charlatan, instead working on their own goals within the safe haven of the island. Principle among these for a group of griefers: acquiring gear to raid other nations. The large sugar cane farm was harvested by a healer who levelled up to supply blessed food; a tree farm was tended to by a blacksmith who levelled using charcoal; the griefers themselves descended into the ground to find diamonds; Mycelia even had a mob farm, which prospective guardsman could use to level-up to craft TNT.

These preparations were interrupted by news of an imminent attack by Dead Horse on the mushroom islands. The known griefers, who were on the Dead Horse Security Alliance's KOS list, scattered. The other residents, including the charlatan, hid in the fields and buildings. On the southern horizon, countless boats came into view.

Free the Mooshrooms

The Mycelian leadership, and many of the group's members, had fled to Loup Land. They found the familiarity of another island settlement, but one with grander building projects. It even had imported mooshrooms, including one named Jerome. The Mycelians sent word to Dead Horse asking for help in liberating their homeland.
The Dead Horsers agreed, but would themselves need help. Although they had numbers, previous interactions with the griefers had shown they lacked the gear and organisation required for a battle. To change the odds in their favour, Dead Horsers sought out The Red Thorns. The mercenary group of Fort Red Berry were recruited to aid the Dead Horse army. They coralled the horde of players who arrived at their door and supplied them with iron armour and weapons.
The Dead Horsers sailed to Mycelia, shadowed by the Red Thorns, and swarmed over the walls onto the streets. The island was taken with little resistance: one griefer was chased into the mines and killed there. The charlatan was surrounded in the fields, but deemed insignificant to the griefers as a figurehead. The healer and blacksmith, who would be vital to any future raid, were left alone. The sign over the Jestocracy was rewritten to read Glory to Dead Horse.

As like the tide of the sea the Dead Horsers soon returned to their home, and the griefers moved back onto the island. The Mycelians did not return. Preparations for a raid continued. The sign was altered once more, and so it was like Dead Horse had never attacked.
The members of Fort Red Berry wondered if it had been a waste of time and resources, and began to regret helping their neighbours.

A Throwaway Joker

The griefers on Mycelia soon acquired enough diamonds for three full sets of armour, plus axes and swords. The charlatan celebrated the occasion with a song and a dance. The chosen trio also took some blessed food, then disappeared into the night.
They arrived outside Dead Horse unmatched by anyone there. They ran back and forth along the walls killing citizens who tried to intervene, then retreating to recover their health. The Dead Horsers were slow to organise a counter-attack, and so missed opportunities to overwhelm the raiders. However, there was no possible gain for the raiders, as fallen citizens spawned back into the settlement and could go back to the defence. Gradually, some level of organised defence was attained which, combined with boredom, drove the raiders away.

The raiders didn't return to the Jestocracy-occupied Mycelia. It was too visible a location, so a new hideout had been found. With no purpose or direction for the inhabitants, the population of the mushroom islands dwindled. Players left to explore the land and seas, or to find new hope in other settlements, or simply dropped off the face of the world. There was no loyalty to the charlatan - the islands themselves had been useful and hence occupied, but now they felt soulless. The charlatan on occasion left the islands to visit other groups, reminding them of his accomplishments. Everytime he returned the mushroom kingdom had more ghosts. Eventually the charlatan was left with a members list implying a family of fifteen, but only the king himself remained.

The Horses and the Wolves

In Dead Horse the remaining players continued to endure. The cobblestone ceiling was completed, preventing further lava pouring attacks. However, as a consequence, the whole settlement was plunged into shadow. The inhabitants had realised the outer wall, encompassing the farms as well as the buildings, was too long to effectively guard. An inner wall surrounding the main buildings was constructed, which defenders could fall back to in the case of an attack.
The multiple raids and decling population had resulted in damage that wasn't immediately fixed. Hostile mobs occasionally spawned in dark spots within the walls, or on platforms below the ceiling. The perpetual darkness prevented them burning up, even during the day, presenting a threat to residents.
Those that stayed still found enjoyment in projects, both within the settlement and around the nearby lake, where fishing cabins were built on stilts.

Some players did still drift off to spend their final days under clearer skies. Loup Land was a common destination, with new members building small huts around the central hill of Loup Land island. Former members of Mycelia, Dead Horse, the spawn groups, and Brightiom all frequented the streets. Across the bridge, the cathedral of Turtle Island was nearing completion. Minecarts, furnaces, and hoppers had been utilised to smelt the large amount of cobblestone from the mine into stone for building - over eight thousand stone blocks would be used in the construction. It's roof was being finished with copper, as the resource was plentiful and not used for much else.
Next to it was the casino, which was busy whenever its owner was around. Additional townhouse buildings were planned for the island, with construction of some already started. The citizens knew the end was coming, that there was little time to build anything else. Other groups were invited to join them at the casino for a final party.
The Dead Horsers on the mainland decided to accept this offer. As the end times drew near they gathered together and left their shadowed home for a world tour ending at Loup Land.

Stormy Situation

The Skylanders also decided to make a move as the world cycled down. Their home had mob farms, an enchanting area, a meeting table, and even a jukebox. It addressed all of their needs, but lacked the excitement of battle. Now they had enchanted gear, and wanted to use it.
They had heard of the failed attempt by Dead Horse to free Mycelia from the hands of the Jestocracy. The mistake that time had been lack of fortification and sustained presence on the island, allowing the griefers to return. With some ex-members of the Marinas they formed the Storm Alliance. The plan was to rid Mycelia of any griefers and then occupy it themselves. The Red Thorns were invited too. When a few Skylanders visited Fort Red Berry to inquire about hiring them, they discovered how powerful the mercenaries had become. A single arrow was enough to slay a player in full iron armour.

Once again the Red Thorns found themselves sailing to Mycelia, and once again the conquest was too easy. The islands were deserted. The Red Thorns went home frustrated, while the Storm Alliance made superficial changes to the island sea wall so it was easier to defend.
It was decided to head to Loup Land next for the final party. The charlatan arrived and then disappeared into the nether. The Skylanders split, with some wanting to hunt the charlatan, or other accused griefers, before using the nether highway to get to Turtle Island; the rest of them decided to go by boat instead. Those that followed the charlatan would later step through a portal to a fiery death, while those who sailed in the overworld made it to Loup Land unscathed.

The group at the casino was growing in size, but more were still to come.

War Thorns

The inhabitants of Fort Red Berry were tired of nothing happening. Since they first went to the defence of Dead Horse and felt the thrill of battle, nothing else had compared. The power they wielded had only grown stronger in that time. A god himself had come down from the sky to bless them with knowledge of how to make blaze rods and netherwart, unlocking the way for potions. No army could stop the Red Thorns not, and they would relish the challenge, alas there was no army to face.
Their success had made them targets. The fort was burgled while they were in the nether. Players who they had welcomed into the safety of their walls fell short of their expectations, and so were pruned. There was nothing else for them to make or do: the limitations of the world prevented a boss fight with the ender dragon or wither.

The pointlessly easy liberation of Mycelia, with the Storm Alliance, had been the last straw. The Red Thorns were going to have their victory, their way. The group geard up and marched over to Dead Horse. The Dead Horsers had wasted their previous help and never paid them for it, now they would. They had a plan which would cause maximum carnage for the inhabitants.
However, the shadowed city was empty besides a few tourists and looters: the residents were on a world tour. The Red Thorns killed some known griefers loitering about, then headed for Loup Land.

The Casino at the End of the Game

The casino of Turtle Island had survived fire to be as strong as ever. Multiple levels of game rooms, with display cases of the treasures won by the house from visiting gamblers. These included turtle eggs and a Skylander pumpkin head. The owner went to great trouble to promote his establishment, using attention grabbing advertisements which often imitated the stories about griefer attacks. At the end of times, they invited many guests from across the world to join them one more time. Not every came for the casino, but it benefitted from the islands bustling with members of all groups: from Brightiom to Skyland. The whole of Turtle Island was filled with players mingling. The atmosphere was jovial, celebrating what had been accomplished.

The Red Thorns arrived, telling those present they wished to gamble: in a sense they did. After some time interacting with the other guests, they put their plan into action. They splashed themselves with newly brewed potions, to give them an unmatched edge. Once in the crowded casino, their deadly plan would be put into action. No fire or TNT, but a return to the early days when mobs were the enemy. Splash potions of infestation and poison would cause waves of silverfish to spawn and kill the unsuspecting guests. Any survivors would meet the Red Thorns' blades. The potions were thrown, but instead of screams came laughter. The silverfish were not buffed like the other hostile mobs, proving to be mere pests.

Red mist descended for the mercenaries, and a volley of arrows let loose. Panicked guests fled in all directions, but were hunted and slaughtered. The Red Thorns left the casino and headed for the bridge, felling all who stood in their way. The tourists were sent back to beds in distant lands or to the spawn area, but those who called Loup Land home were able to put up a renewing resistance on the bridge. The Red Thorns pushed forward, nearly making it to the other side before their bloodlust was satiated.
The returned home, happy with their success. That would be their final day. To avoid retribution, they decided to disband the Red Thorns, after looting their own base of any useful resources.

The third age wouldn't outlast them by much. The curtain would fall in a matter of days, freezing the progression of the world. Some groups carried on regardless. Hell, for one, was improving until the last moments, with new buildings completed and the discovery of various suspicious stews from feeding flowers to a brown mooshroom.
The curtain fell. The successes and failures were now set in stone, unchanging, open to scrutiny and theorising.

Explorers of the now empty world could find hidden secrets of those groups who didn't always shine brightest. For example, to the far east, a grand creeper spawner floats above the ocean. The most efficent spawner of the world, its builders were Brightiom. The group didn't truly disband, but became nomadic, occasionally returning to their secret bases to continue work on their spawner.
The stories of these groups, and their players, were intertwined at every stage. Even now the world is gone, and no other world would be quite like it, it will live on in those players.