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calciumcryptid · 2 years

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how would you rewrite krokotopia? 👀

*vibrates at the speed of a thousand suns*

CalciumCryptid Presents: The Krokotopia Rewrite

Before I begin the Krokotopia rewrite properly, I must put several disclaimers. If you would like to skip this section, scroll down and click the read more button then start reading at Krokotopia: An Oasis Recreation. I just feel the need to say these things.

With this Krokotopia Rewrite, I am in no way saying I am better than Kings Isle. Wizard101 entered development in 2005, and Krokotopia was released in. The world was perfectly serviceable for its time, not in subject matter but in general public blindness. While I have no doubt the conversation of artifacts being taken out of the countries they originate from was around during that time, I do not recall it entering public consciousness until around the 2010s.

With this Krokotopia Rewrite, I am also in no way saying I know the best course of action for this world. I am not a game developer, professional writer, or anyone in the industry. I am simply someone with the blessing of hindsight. I am also white, and I feel that a proper revamp of Krokotopia should include the ideas and opinions of those whose culture they are using.

With this Krokotopia Rewrite, I am in no way saying any of the suggestions or changes that I am offering are viable for Kings Isle at the current time. Developing video games is a difficult process for all those involved, and there is a reason people have made their careers out of it.

With all that out of the way, let's get to it.

Krokotopia: An Oasis Recreation

The Oasis is the shorthand name for the neutral zone of Krokotopia. The purpose of the neutral zone is to provide an area without enemies and to replenish the health and mana of the player. The reason why I would recreate the Oasis is due to several reasons.

For one, the area is rather small for a neutral area in comparison to the other worlds. This is not only in a reference to newer worlds that have been released but in comparison to the worlds that proceed and succeed Krokotopia. I feel a reason for this is the decision to make Krokotopia a string of tiny islands instead of an area of flat land. I find this especially odd since the geographical climate of Krokotopia is a desert which is one of the flattest landforms.

Secondly, I do not like how the balance school along with the furniture and housing shop are separated from the rest and can only be accessed through the main storyline quests. It feels odd to me, especially since the balance school is one of the schools that have a limited teacher in Ravenwood. The Balance school is already alienated as it is, so in a way, this seems mean-spirited, especially because for some individuals it would be behind an actual paywall.

To me this is a simple change, I would turn the Oasis into three larger islands interconnected. The first island would have the actual Oasis and the Pyramid of the Sun. The second island would have the Bazaar and Tomb of Storms. The third island would have the Balance School and the Krokosphinx. Everything would be accessible from the beginning except for the Tomb of Storms and the Krokosphix which would be blocked by lines of guards. The guards would disappear as soon as the player is allowed access.

This would be a lot to ask of the King Isle team, but I think it would refit Krokotopia to have a similar-sized neutral zone to the other worlds.

Krokotopia: Dark Times

You, the player, have just received the key to Krokotopia and have been tasked by Headmaster Ambrose to track down the Order of the Fang before Malistaire can. Upon your arrival in the Krokotopia Spiral Chamber, you are met with Seargeant Major Talbot and other Marleybone archeologists. Upon speaking to Talbot, he explains that relations between Marleybone and Krokotopia have soured as they have been kicked from their expedition. He remarks that since you are a student from Ravenwood, maybe you can convince the Manders to let them resume the work so they can give you free rein access to find this Order of the Fang.

Exiting the chamber, you are stopped by two guards including Tinu Bhak’mai who orders you to identify yourself. Upon explaining the situation to them, Bhak’mai is angry that the Marleybone archeologists insist on continuing their expedition when they are the reason the Manders has been re-enslaved by their ancestors' tormentors the Kroks. Bhak’mai concedes there is no order that states you can not be in Krokotopia, and that if you wish to know more about the Order of the Fang speak to their librarian Zan’ne.

Upon entering the library, you speak to Zan’ne. Zan’ne says that there isn’t a Mander who doesn’t know about the Order of the Fang, as it is a central part of their world’s history. He explains that a long time ago the Manders were enslaved by the tyrannical Kroks who had managed to conquer them due to the Manders being divided by their respective magic. The Order of the Fang was a rebellion group organized by one mander from the Pyromancers (fire magic), the Thaumaturgists (ice magic), and the Diviners (storm magic). They combined their power to banish the Kroks away in the first-ever instance of sorcery (balance magic). Together, they rebuilt Krokotopia to center around harmony and created the Mander Council which has an elected official from each type of Mander.

Zan’ne goes on to say that the Mander Council has been discussing the Order of the Fang, and he is willing to give you an introduction. The problem is that the Mander Council is not in the mood to talk to outsiders due to the Marleybone archeologists not listening to them. Zan’ne suggests you help their rebel forces so can put in a good word for you. He directs you to rebellion leader Salam Ibn’nur and gives you a letter of introduction.

Krokotopia: Pyramid of the Sun

You enter the Pyramid of the Sun into the Altar of the Kings where Ibn’nur stands on the raised altar. He greets you warily until you give him the letter of introduction. Upon realizing you are there to help he explains that Krokotopia has been building relations with other worlds. Marleybone was one of the worlds, and the two worlds’ leaders arranged for Marleybone archeologists to arrive to help the Manders excavate their monuments.

The Marleybone archeologists were placed under the direct supervision of the Manders. The Manders told the archeologists that they were to leave the monuments be as touching any treasure could awaken the curse Krokapatra had placed on them before she had been banished. The Marleybone archeologists ignored their direct orders and started to loot the monument’s artifacts. This caused the curse to become active as the long-dead Kroks came back to life.

Ibn’nur is angry and starts to send you on quest runs that are meant to help the rebellion in the Chamber of Fire. Once you complete them, Ibn’nur gives you a report to take back to Zan’ne.

Going back to Zan’ne, he tells you to present the report to the Mander Council, where you enter through a doorway in a library where you are brought to a dimly lit room. There is a round table where a singular red, blue, and purple Mander are located. They decide that since the curse has been activated and they have nothing left to lose that you are now in charge of finding the ancient runes of the Order of the Fang.

You are sent back to the Pyramid of the Sun and head to the dig site in the Royal Hall where you discover that there is one Marleybone archeologist that has managed to hide by the name of Professor Winthrop. He begs you to not turn him into the Manders as he has always wanted to travel to Krokotopia and learn firsthand about the Order of the Fang. He gets excited when you recognize his musings, and says he thought you’d laugh at him like his peers. He explains that his parents were professors who’d travel from world to world to teach. Winthrop would be given textbooks from other worlds which is what inspired him to be an archeologist.

You tell him your mission, and he tells you that he just found an ancient obelisk describing the Order of the Fang when the Kroks attacked. He managed to complete the rubbings but had to abandon them in order to escape.

You retrieve the rubbings.

After reading them, Winthrop then explains that the Order of the Fang had written a book of rituals called the Krokonomicon. If the rubbings are to be believed true, this would make it the most powerful source of knowledge about life and death magic.

Winthrop notes that he saw a Krok named Biti Nirini take an ancient tablet, and thinks the tablet could hold answers. You find a key to Biti’s chamber and confront him. Upon returning to Winthrop he concludes that the Order of the Fang used the Krokonomicon to banish the Kroks. It is the key to the future of Krokotopia, and Winthrop says that according to ancient maps there is a map room that could help you locate it. Unfortunately, the map room is located in a part of the Pyramid he can’t get into it.

Krokotopia: Palace of Fire

You convince Winthrop to come out of hiding and meet with the rebellion leader Ibn’dur. Ibn’dur is unhappy with Winthrop but concedes that if this is to save Krokotopia he’ll allow the archeologist's presence. Ibn’dur says he knows a way into the guarded palace side of the Pyramid and explains it needs a keystone to open. Naturally, you are sent to dig for it.

Upon retrieving it, Ibn’dur informs you that it seems to have been broken into two pieces but he has no idea who took the other one. Winthrop remarks that he saw the Nirini Quartermaster take it so you are off to defeat the Quartermaster.

In the Palace of Fire, Ibn’dur and Winthop are already there and the questline continues as normal and eventually culminates in you having to defeat the Nirini family so the spirit barrier to the Throne Room will break. The two then tell you to meet them inside.

Krokotopia: Throne Room

Upon entering the dungeon, Ibn’dur and Winthrop are already there. Winthrop says that the Order of the Fang used magic to hide their location, and their former base of operations can be revealed with a singular magical artifact. He recalls that Prince Manu Nirini swung a staff at his head when the Kroks attacked. You go battle the Prince and retrieve it.

Upon returning you try to use it, but it fails to. Ibn’dur says that in ancient times, the Eye of Krok was placed in the map room. Unfortunately, Krokenkahmen took it in a show of power. You go to defeat the thief and return with the eye. This time, it reveals the Order of the Fang’s old headquarters which is on another island.

Krokotopia: To the Krokosphinx

Upon leaving the Throne Room, Ibn’dur gives you a report to give to the Mander Council.

You leave the Pyramid of the Sun, and head to the library where Zan’ne is excited to see you. He ushers you to go see the Mander Council, who read your reports. The three Manders are pissed that a Marleybone archeologist managed to stay behind, but decide he can stay for now due to his heroic actions as long as he is under the supervision of Ibn’dur. The Mander Council gives you a letter of introduction to give to the guards at the Krokosphinx to be let in.

The guards let you into the Krokosphinx upon seeing the letter.

Entering the Krokosphinx, you meet Captain Salabad who explains that he was the ferryman for the route between the Krokotopian monuments and the rest of Krokotopia. Now he is stuck as all ferries have been stuck at the docks since the Kroks arrived. He says that he doesn’t know much about the Order of the Fang beyond what is taught in schools, and encourages you to talk Alhazred at the Order of Balance school.

Alhazred turns out to be a Krok, who is still alive and well. While Alhazred wasn’t around for the first Order of the Fang, they have been studying the group for a long time. He says you must create a new Order of the Fang in order to cast the spell to put the Kroks back to sleep.

Upon heading back to Captain Salabad, he admits that he is a descendant of the Ice Mander who made up the leaders of the original order of the Fang. He chose this route specifically so he could be closer to his heritage but he never dared step closer.

He refuses to join the new Order of the Fang though and directs you to Rami in the Hall of Champions instead as he is a much better fit for the fight against the Kroks.

Krokotopia: The Hall of Champions

Entering the Hall of Champions, you meet Rami who while flattered at the request to join the new Order of the Fang figures for the ritual to work you’ll need a Mander of each type. He says he will help out how he can though, and he reveals that the Kroks are looking for Order of the Fang themselves believing them to still be alive. He has heard whispers of a Krok who is on the Manders side, but you must show the Seal of the Fang to him as a signal.

You go defeat Tut Nekhbet who has captured it and head back to Rami who gives you instructions on where this rumored Krok is. This Krok is Khaba who is working on the inside to tear the Kroks’ military apart. He believes the Kroks can be defeated, but they need to fetch some artifacts in order to do so.

You first defeat a Soul Scavenger who has the Coin of Destiny, which will give the new Order of the Fang strength. Then you go and gather materials for new swords, which Khaba reforges pleased as he sends you back to Captain Salabad.

Krokotopia: The Grand Arena

Captain Salabad still refuses to join the new Order of the Fang as he refuses one of the swords. He then runs off to hide in the Grand Arena where you chase after him. There, you run into Ako who explains that Khai Amanhte the Great has reawoken and is making Manders fight to the death for his amusement. He wants you to free the enslaved Manders, but to get into the colosseum you must disguise yourself.

You disguise yourself as a gladiator, but Khai Amahte doubts your skills and makes you prove yourself time and time again until you beat all his challenges. He grows angry and says the next fight will be between you and Salabad. You refuse, and he fights you instead. You appear to defeat him, and Salabad thanks you for not fighting him.

Krokotopia: Vault of Ice & Emperors Retreat

Back in the main area of the Krokosphinx, Salabad reveals his family has been keeping a closely guarded family secret. He says he knows where the Golden Fang is, and it grants great power to anyone who wields it. His ancestor locked it in the Vault of Ice before he passed, and his family has been in charge of guarding it. Salabad feels guilty because he was supposed to be guarding it, but he left his family to become a ferryman and has been too ashamed to go back to both the Vault of Ice and his family back in the main area of Krokotopia.

He decides that he must make his family proud as he doesn’t want it to fall into the Kroks hands, and takes you to the Vault of Ice which he unlocks and lets you inside. Once you retrieve the Golden Fang, Salabad is pleased. With his courage regained, he says he knows where the Krokonomicon is. It is in the Emperor's Retreat.

Upon entering the Emperor’s Retreat, you fight through the heavily guarded lair where you confront Krokotep and defeat them until he reveals he already gave it to Krokopatra. Upon leaving, Salabad is disheartened as he wallowed in his guilt for too long. Luckily, he is determined to make it right as he officially joins the new Order of the Fang.

Krokotopia: The Tomb of Storms

You return to the library and meet with the Mander Council once more where you find Winthrop, Inb’dur, and Salabad as well. You explain everything that happened and your new mission to create a new Order of the Fang to perform the ritual. Inb’dur joins to no one's surprise. The Mander Council say there isn’t a lot of time left to find the last member of the new Order of the Fang and they can’t risk a member of their own Mander Council. They send you to investigate where Queen Krokopatra is located, and you head off.

As you investigate, you realize the only way to the tomb is to go through a portal in the mouth of a Krok head buried in the sand. You are interrupted by Hetch Al’dim who has become curious about what you are doing. You explain you are trying to figure out how to get to the tomb, which Hetch Al’dim happily explains you need three golden scarabs to awaken the head. Hetch says he will happily give you his golden scarab as long as you fetch the other two. You return to the Pyramid of the Sun and to the Krokosphinx once more to retrieve the scarabs. Upon returning, Hetch fulfills his end of the bargain, and you enter the Tomb of Storms.

After entering, you are surprised to find an equally cheerful Hetch who says he followed you. He seems to know a lot about the Krokonomicon and how she will be able to revive any Krok spirit. Hetch says that they need a two-part cipher, and you must go tomb raiding in two opposing family chambers… respectively of course.

He gives you two scarabs, one on fire and the other cold as ice. You head off to fetch the two-part cipher, but upon returning to Hetch he pulls out the third part and starts to put the two together while rambling about his ancestors.

His ancestor used to be put to work in the embalming process before joining some rebellion. Afterward, the embalming business became a family funeral business. He rambles about why it was clever to keep the cipher in two parts, one in each opposing family chamber, it was kind of stupid because all one needed was the one with access to the old tombs. After all, his family wouldn’t have kept the scarabs if they weren’t important to opening the ancient tombs.

Hetch reads the cipher and says the key to the Temple of the Storms is guarded by four princes in the Karanahn Barracks. You enter the barracks, defeat all the princes, then return with the temple key. Hecth is pleased, then reveals that his ancestor and his friends were the ones who created these obstacles because they feared strangers digging up their homes. He chuckles about what good that did and sends you off to the temple.

Krokotopia: The Temple of Storms

Now you have the temple key in your possession, it is time to face Krokopatra.

Until the Gatekeep inside shares that only the worthy can enter the inner sanctum. To prove you are worthy, you’ll have to pass two tests. The first is a test of strength where you must defeat the Son of Storms. The second is a test of aptitude where you must solve an obelisk puzzle. You pass both with ease, and the Gatekeeper allows you to enter.

You head inside and defeat Krokopatra, but she still isn’t done.

The new Order of the Fang arrives with Inb’dur, Salabad, and Hetch and they perform the ritual to seal Krokopatra away. Before she is finally banished for good, she says that she has sealed the Krokonomicon in the Sarcophagus of the Souls before you arrived. After she is gone, you fail to find the Sarcophagus of the Souls.

Krokotopia: To Marleybone

You are called to the Mander Council, and they congratulate you on your efforts and give you a big reward (gold and a new potion).

Now that Krokopatra and the Kroks have been banished for good, the Mander Council has signed off on new projects. They are setting land aside for a magic school of their own to teach Pyromancy, Thermology, and Divination. They have decided to reward the Kroks who have helped the rebellion including Alhazred who will get a place in their new magic school as the head of Sorcery and will teach the new Order of the Fang how to become teachers.

They are setting off land in the central Krokotopia city for a new museum to display artifacts as they can explore their ancestors' monuments without fear. Khaba has been hired to become a general in the Krokotopia military.

The deal with Marleybone has been reworked, and the excavation is still on but this time Professor Winthrop has been placed in charge of the Marleybone crew as he has displayed respect for their culture. Winthrop is very ecstatic to get to work and says he wants to share everything he learns with the rest of the world.

Before you can ask about the sarcophagus, Zan'ne interrupts to say that Sergent Major Talbot has taken the Sarcophagus of Souls and other artifacts to the Marleybone museum. The Mander Council is upset at this, but wonders if there had been a communication error in their new deal. They hand you the key to Marleybone and ask you for one more favor as you head off to Marleybone.

Krokotopia Rewrite Conclusion

That was a lot, and I understand if readers take issue with any changes, but the main thing I wanted to accomplish was to focus on the Manders fight for freedom from the Kroks once again.

I imagine the storyline would continue in Marleybone as a side quest as you talk with the museum head for the artifacts to be returned or for an official lending contract is signed.

Apparently, in Pirate101, the team is working on the central city of Krokotopia so maybe we'll see that in Wizard101 one day. I imagine that would be the complete conclusion of the storyline where you get to see the main city for Krokotopia and hand the Mander Council the contract for the artifacts to be lent.

Though that might be too ambitious.

Regardless, I sincerely hope you liked this rewrite.

#wizard101 #w101 #krokotopia #krokotopia rewrite #wizard101 rewrite #w101 rewrite #anonymous #ask

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