The Arabian Nights' storybook, the source of the world of the Arabian Nights
The world of the Arabian Nights is the main setting in Sonic and the Secret Rings. It is an alternative reality that exists within the storybook of the Arabian Nights and is made from the stories written in it. As such, this world and the living beings that resides there reflects the book's stories and characters. The world of the Arabian Nights is internally supported by the seven World Rings which bind the different stories together to form this world.
In Sonic and the Secret Rings, the world of the Arabian Nights faced imminent destruction when an evil genie called the Erazor Djinn began running rampant within the world of the Arabian Nights, with the purpose of carving up its stories to make himself more powerful and then break into the real world. Shahra therefore sought out Sonic the Hedgehog, who was foretold in legends, to help stop Erazor before their world would be lost forever. After hearing the troubles going on, Sonic agreed to help the young genie and entered the world of the Arabian Nights to set things right.
Eventually, after many trials and battles, Sonic managed to beat Erazor Djinn by sealing the evil being away in his own lamp, and restored the world and its stories to their original state, thus saving the Arabian Nights.
Setting
As the world of the Arabian Nights is composed of the stories written in the Arabian Nights storybook, this world's locations and settings resembles those found in medieval Arabia, while the world's history and recordings itself resembles the stories written in the storybook.
Many of the residents in this world resemble the characters found in the stories of the Arabian Nights, such as Ali Baba, Sinbad and King Shahryar, and has similar backgrounds. It also features dinosaurs as wild animal life and even supernatural beings from Arabian culture such as genies, spirits, monsters and living deaths, which are actually pretty common.
Locations
- Lost Prologue
- Sand Oasis
- Dinosaur Jungle
- Evil Foundry
- Levitated Ruin
- Pirate Storm
- Skeleton Dome
- Night Palace
History
Origins
Not much is known about the early history of the world of the Arabian Nights. According to Shahra, the Arabian Nights were created by King Shahryar, presumably at the time when the Arabian Nights' storybook were just created and gave birth to the initially stages of this world. While the inhabitants born in the world of the Arabian Nights are sentient beings and can make their own choice, some of them have certain parts of their life determined beforehand, since the stories involving them had been written so.
Early History
In the ancient past, there once existed a kingdom. The only known thing that has been left behind by this kingdom is a fortress that since then has become a relic. Over time, an traveler named Sinbad the Sailor had many incredible adventures and his exploits and accomplishments made him a living legend throughout his world. Also, at some point, King Solomon managed to seal many evil spirits away.
Long before the events of Sonic and the Secret Rings, the Erazor Djinn appeared and committed many malicious misdeeds throughout the world. He was eventually punished and sealed away in a Magic Lamp, where he would remain until he had granted the wishes of a thousand people. At some point, Erazor and Shahra developed an unspecified, but strong relationship.
After serving his sentence, Erazor returned with a renewed hatred for people and the creator of his story for giving him this fate. Determined to change his destiny, Erazor began taking over the world of Arabian Nights by carving up the words that supported the stories and either absorb their power or twist them into spirits under his command. His next more was then to find the seven World Rings to gain absolute control of his world and escape into the real world to wreck havoc.
As the result of Erazor's actions, the existence of the stories in the Arabian Nights storybooks and the world itself began to vanish. During his campaign, Erazor Djinn launched a series of attacks. He had his spirits force King Shahryar into hiding and resurrected the forty thieves, whom he had break King Solomon into pieces, while seizing Solomon's other sealed spirits. Meanwhile, Sinbad was attacked by the Rukh during a battle and imprisoned.
The Legend of the Blue Hedgehog
Seeking to stop Erazor, Shahra learned from the newest stories added to the Arabian Nights that a "Legendary Blue Hedgehog" from another world could save them. Shahra then left the world of the Arabian Nights and found Sonic the Hedgehog in the real world. Convinced he was the chosen one. Shahra convinced Sonic to help her and took him back into her world, but on their way, Erazor attacked the duo. When Shahra refused to help Erazor find the World Rings, Erazor tried punishing her with the Flame of Judgment, but Sonic took the blow. Erazor then told Sonic that he would remove the curse if he brought him the seven World Rings, but if he did not do it before the arrow burned out, he would die. Erazor then revealed that he would take the life of King Shahryar before leaving, so Sonic set off into the world of Arabian Nights to save the king, while locating the seven World Rings. Meanwhile, Shahra stayed by Sonic's side, feeling guilty for getting him involved.
At the king's castle, Sonic and Shahra found Shahryar, whom Sonic initially mistook for Eggman before Shahra cleared it up. After a short talk, King Shahryar was swooped up by a "pterosaur" commanded by Erazor, which Sonic grudgingly saved him from. In the meantime, Sonic saved Ali Baba, who he mistook for Tails, and earned him as his ally.
On his way, Sonic defeated the Sand Scorpion and found the yellow World Rings. Shahra brought Sonic the news that whoever gathered the World Rings would be have to be sacrifice to use their power, but Sonic remained undeterred. On their way to Erazor in the Evil Foundry, Sonic and Shahra found the green World Ring, where Sonic ensured Shahra not to worry about him when she could not removed Sonic's curse as he wished. At the Evil Foundry, Erazor summoned the Ifrit Golem to burn down the black pages in the Arabian Nights' storybook. Unable to defeat the Ifrit on their own, Sonic and Shahra asked Ali Baba for advice, who suggested they should find Sinbad. They found Sinbad at the Levitated Ruin, who Sonic mistook for Knuckles, and freed him. Sinbad suggested they could "splash some water" on the Ifrit with the Water Blue World Ring Sinbad had before it was stolen by pirates. Sonic and Shahra therefore headed for Pirate Storm and took the World Ring back from the Pirates. On the way, Sonic and Shahra found the Blue World Ring and Shahra gave Sonic a mysterious relic which would be their last hope of stopping Erazor.
Back at the Evil Foundry, Sonic used the Water Blue World Ring to weaken the Ifrit enough for him to defeat it. As the Ifrit was defeated however, it released a time bomb which Sonic brought into the open where it exploded and released the Red World Ring. From picking it up, he realized the World Rings contained various emotions. Sonic and Shahra subsequently went to meet King Solomon to get some answers about the evil spirits, only to find the severed of the skeleton king. Upon Solomon's request, Sonic got rid of the forty thieves and restored the king's body. In the meantime, Sonic and Shahra found the White World Ring. King Solomon told Sonic that he had to face Erazor in his lair, which he could enter with the White World Ring, and revealed that they could use Erazor's lamb to seal Erazor away forever, if they had it. King Solomon stilled feared they could not restore their damaged world, but Sonic told the king to leave it to him.
Entering the Night Palace, Sonic found the Purple World Ring and tried asking Shahra about her relationship with Erazor, but she was only comfortable revealing Erazor's past. Eventually, Sonic faced Erazor Djinn and defeated him, but Erazor escaped through a sealed door.
The Battle for the Arabian Nights
Using the seven World Rings, Sonic opened the door to Erazor and tried to make him remove his curse. Instead, Erazor convinced Shahra, who just wanted to be back with Erazor, to give him the World Rings they had. However, Sonic used Shahra's Ring to command her to do what she "feels is right", causing her mind to crack from her conflicting desires. Erazor then took the World Rings himself and tried to sacrifice Sonic to gain their full power, but Shahra blocked Erazor's blade with her body. As Shahra died, Sonic wished for Shahra to "not die, and to go back to the way you were". Although she did not have the power to grant the wish, the relic she gave to Sonic was restored to Erazor's Lamp. Erazor tried to absorb the power of the World Rings, but because Sonic was still alive, he instead transformed into the monsterous Alf Layla wa-Layla. Reacting to Sonic's emotions, three World Rings infused with Sonic, transforming him into Darkspine Sonic.
After a vicious battle, Darkspine Sonic defeated Alf Layla wa-Layla, and they both returned to normal. Sonic, now controlling Erazor with his lamp, had him grant three wishes; bring Shahra back to life, return the world of the Arabian Nights and the storybook back to normal, and Erazor to be trapped within his lamp until the end of time. Despite refusing, Erazor granted all Sonic's wishes, and Erazor was sucked into his lamp forever, while yelled for Shahra's help and cursing Sonic. However, Shahra was still grieved over Erazor's fate, so Sonic wished for mountains of handkerchiefs so she could cry for as long as she needed to.
Aftermath
With the world of the Arabian Nights safe, Sonic and Shahra threw Erazor's lamp into the lava of the Evil Foundry to keep it out of reach forever. After that, Sonic had many more adventures with Ali Baba and Sinbad in his search for a way back home. When it was time for Sonic to leave, he bid a touching farewell to Shahra.
With the Arabian Nights and the world it had created now at peace, the story about "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp" found in the Arabian Nights' storybook, was changed into "Sonic and the Secret Rings", as the world of the Arabian Nights recognized Sonic's participation in its stories.
Other game appearances
Sonic Runners
During the "Desert Ruins Event" in Sonic Runners, an entire continent from the world of the Arabian Nights, which contained King Shahryar's kingdom, appeared over earth. Many treasure hunters thus flocked to the continent to search for treasures. Meanwhile, the Erazor Djinn had been freed from his lamp, but his body had been split into one thousand weaker versions of himself. Dr. Eggman, seeking to use Erazor to conquer the world, impersonated Shahryar after imprisoning the king and took over the kingdom so he could gather the mini Erazors and combine them into a super-djinn under his control. To this end, he blackmailed the Roc, a large bird who had made a deal with Shahrya not to attack his kingdom, to gathe treasure for him, which was where the mini Erazors congregated.
Team Sonic eventually came to the continent and got caught up in Eggman's scheme. After stopping rogue mini Erazors and feeing the Roc, the trio confronted Eggman and his all-powerful "Super Erazor Djinn", a djinn formed from one hundred mini Erazors. However, Team Sonic had been expecting this and had made their own "Super Erazor Djinn" which they used to help them defeat Eggman's. With Eggman defeated, King Shahryar was restored to the throne and peace reigned over the kingdom once more.
Inhabitants
Gallery
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