During the Ancient Armageddon, it was thought that the only gophers to survive were the ones who burrowed deep, deep underground, further than life had ever gone before. This then sparked Aldricus’ discovery of Gopherite, the ‘Gemstone of sentience’ known to give gophers intelligence, intrigue, emotion, and powerful mystical abilities. Under the strength of Aldricus’ leadership, a magnificent mining Kingdom was built, prospering through the ages.

However, as the gophers would soon find out, they were not the only ones to discover the wonders of Gopherite.

During the Ancient Armageddon, a small group of gophers on a far, far away island had the same compulsion that came over Aldricus. They dug down as far as they could without stopping. They too did this day in, day out, until they could dig no more. Just when they had accepted their fate, they came into contact with the small black and purple gemstone that would alter their lives forever. Upon touching it, each of the four gophers in the group had a visceral pulse pass through them, giving them the power of thought, reason, and profound feeling.

This Gopherite was somehow different to the Gopherite Aldricus had discovered in the far off Kingdom. This variant of Gopherite was more spiritual, triggering unique revelations in each of the four gophers it touched. One beheld naught but darkness, a titan sculpted from shadows. Another found themselves submerged in boundless oceans, waves of immense power surging within. The other pair gazed upon the grandeur of the sun, observing its radiance without being blinded. One perceived the sun as a beacon of life and growth, while the other discerned its devastating potential.

Despite these disparate visions, the four gophers bonded deeply, united by the enigmatic powers of Gopherite. Much like Aldricus, they aspired to foster a new civilization of enlightened gophers. They bestowed upon each other names—Rogar, Crushing Ocean, Teresa, and Hollow—marking the genesis of a new era.

However, they lacked the vision and unity that Aldricus inspired. With the expansion of their world through Gopherite, divisions festered, especially between Rogar, who sought to harness Gopherite's fiery destructiveness, and Teresa, who yearned to blanket the whole island with lush forests and verdant growth. Disagreements fragmented their vision for the future.

Tensions soared to such fervour that the original Gopherite, their beacon of unity, shattered in the heat of their conflict. Gopherite was a sacred resource, borne from the horrors of the ancient armageddon in the old world. Never intending to be smashed, it concealed itself,