Post by pat673 on May 25, 2008 6:58:33 GMT
My fanfic detailing my version of the videogame, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic.
As written by Teiru of the Dragon Knights in 'Order and Chaos: A brief history of Ashan and its place in the Universe.'
"In the beginning there was nothing.
The void, the universe, floated aimlessly without purpose or force in her body. Then the void laid a cosmic egg and from that egg, hatched twin dragons.
This was the beginning for now force existed in the universe. Order and Chaos.
Asha and Urgash.
The two came together and with the matter of the egg from which they had both hatched they created the galaxies and the stars that made them up. Planets came into being and worlds formed.
But Urgash was not satisfied. He who was chaos incarnate, strew discord throughout the very fabric of reality.
Asha who was order incarnate, countered and eventually the kinship was broken and they became bitter enemies.
Yet their mother, the universe, would not permit them to do battle upon each other directly, for such force would destroy all they had strived to create.
So they came to a single world and created for themselves avatars.
Asha strove to keep order in balance and so she made from her own power, lower gods. Elrath, the Dragon of Light, Sylath, the Dragon of Air, Arkath, the Dragon of Fire, Sylanna, the Dragon of Earth, Malassa, the Dragon of Darkness, and Shalassa, the Dragon of Water.
Urgash however would not spread his power amongst so many. His ways were more direct.
Pouring forth almost all his power, he forced his will and strength into a single avatar and all things screamed in horror at the new force that was born.
Kha-Beleth, the demon Sovereign.
To him, Urgash gave this instruction.
“Reach out your hand and take forth the heart of the Earth. Crush it between your fingers and forge a sword, a blade upon which the magic’s of chaos may burn.”
Kha-Beleth did as commanded and he tore from the heart of the world its molten core and forging it as instructed, gave birth to the terrible blade he dubbed Talon.
Calling forth an army of fiery beings demons, being forged from Urgash’s unholy fire, he made to do war on the children of Asha striding forth with that sword of fire held high in one hand.
Fearing what Urgash would do if no unopposed, Asha spoke to her own children.
“My brother means to do war and yet we have no armies to meet him. I prevail upon thee, create for thyself peoples and raise them in arms against the hosts of chaos.”
And so the battles began on the world that became known as Ashan.
Demons, Men, Elves, Dwarves clashed in wars that flamed for thousands of years. That planet that had once been quite and still now was a raging battleground.
United those early races stood yet always they fell back when Kha-Beleth took to the field. None could stand before him when he brought Talon to bear, the power of Urgash channelled through its blade.
The fledgling races, created as cannon fodder for war, suffered tremendously in this conflict and sought their own fate.
Sar-Elam, the first of the Mages, looked out upon his people in their blood soaked state and in despair cried out.
“Mother Cosmos, creator of all that is! This squabble between Order and Chaos is destroying my people. We do not wish for this to be our destiny, to be mere pawns in a war between aspects.
I beg of thee, give me the power to end this war.”
The universe looked down at men, who were tired and scared in this endless war. She looked down on the Dwarves who laid in their strongholds, surrounded by demons on all sides and frightened to death. She looked at the Elves, the fairest race in form, battle scarred and lost amongst ever growing mountains of corpses.
She felt pity for them but replied to the mage…
“Even I can not end this conflict. For this is a battle not just between hosts but between Chaos and Order. Should Urgash and Asha confront each other directly, all would be destroyed.
There will come a time when this contest ends and one is chosen over the over. But it is not time yet. I will help you postpone this battle until the time of the choosing.”
She then told what needed to be done.
To his side, Sar-Elam called his two Disciples, Sar-Issus and Sar Shazzar. Together, the three of them brought down the magic of the universe itself. This power surpassed both Order and Chaos and absorbing it into his being Sar-Elam became a dragon, equal almost to Urgash and Asha themselves.
With his new found power he banished the demon hordes and even Kha-Beleth into a separate reality, that of the fiery Hell men call Sheogh. With them the demons took peoples from many races, the slaves they had taken in their conquests, all were sucked into that prison to be sealed itself.
The power Sar-Elam had called upon himself was not without its price. For binding the demons to their prison it was necessary to sacrifice his own life. His blood and soul became the key that turned in the lock, binding Kha-Beleth in chains. For this he became known as the Seventh Dragon.
Yet Sar-Elam was betrayed. Sar Shazzar had been seduced cy the corrupting touch of Chaos and weakened the prison, providing cracks though which demons might escape.
For the first time, Ashan knew peace and the gods settled with their peoples now weary from the long epoch of war.
The Apostate Sar Shazzar was punished for his actions and imprisoned for the rest of his life. In that dank dungeon he remained until he grew old and feeble. In his final hours he ranted and raved and those that listened realised he was in the grasp of prophecy.
Scribes noted down his prediction that the time would eventually come when the Dark Messiah, heir to the magic’s of Urgash would could and the world would tremble in his shadow and blood would flow as the prison that held the demons he would break asunder.
When he finally died and servants went to remove the body, it crumpled into dust at the slightest touch.
Arkath led the Dwarves into the northern mountains. Sylanna took the elves to rebuild their homeland of Irollan and Sylath with his favoured men founded the Falcon Empire.
Asha herself took no favoured people yet past on a unique blessing on the first king, Falcon the Great, a mark of benediction that would remain with his bloodline.
“You mark me, and all those who follow in my stead?” The king asked the goddess. “Why?”
“Because as much as the races that my children created wish it, this battle of old is not over.” She replied. “The marking is necessary as such is your bloodline. Rule for as long as fate deems necessary Falcon king and continue your legacy for the world will one day need it.”
The followers of Sar-Elam, led by Sar-Issus and worshiping no gods, built for themselves a nation in the sands and experimented with their magics, combining men with animals and demon blood they had collected. Thus they gave birth to Minotaur’s, Harpies, Goblins, Cyclops and the valiant Orcs.
The Orcs revolted against their masters and fled to the East, coming under the protection of Sylath who they worshipped as Father Sky.
Centuries past and new peoples came forth.
The Dark Elves came into being, separatists from Irollan who carved out a place for themselves in this new world. Rejected by their brethren, these renegades found protection with Malassa and retreated underground.
The south erupted into turmoil as the Mages were caught in the grip of a civil war. A new magic had emerged and it was tearing their culture apart. Necromancy, the magic of the dead and the blackest of all mana, came forth and its wielders were a force to be reckoned with.
Yet while the races amused themselves with petty squabbles, their ancient enemy was prepared once more to strike. During an eclipse, when the moon past in front of the sun, the barriers between the demon prison and Ashan were weakened. Enough so that armies of demons were able to breach it and emerge once more.
Although this conflict was not on the scale of the one that nearly destroyed the world eons ago it was enough to bring about upheaval and chaos. The demons attacked the Falcon Empire, destroying its capital and killing the royal family.
The Falcon bloodline, that family marked by Asha herself, was thought destroyed. Yet this was no so. The family and its precious marking did survive. In order to survive and hide in its weakened state it changed its name and became the family Greyhound Duchy. Duke Ivan Griffin of the Griffin Duchy seized the throne in a coup, founding a new empire, the Holy Griffin Empire and turned the people from Sylath to favour the dragon of light, Elrath.
Thus it continued, each time an eclipse occurred, a demon army emerged from Sheogh to do war upon the world and each time the alliance of men, elves and mages was there to counter it. It was then, during the war of the Grey Alliance that Alexi the IV king of the Holy Griffin Empire with his allies, Alaron of Irollan and Cyrus of the Silver cities, fought back the invasion and prepared to march into Sheogh itself to destroy Kha-Beleth.
Cyrus abandoned them at the last minute, believing the attack to be suicide and Alaron followed suite, leaving only Alexi to plunge with his knights into the flames.
Alexi did not prevail against the might of Kha-Beleth. Some in the empire have faulted the mages and elves for running away yet in truth, their aid would not have made that much of a difference. Kha-Beleth was a god and armed with the terrible blade Talon, against which none may prevail.
The throne of the Griffin Empire past to Alexi’s son, Nicolai Griffin, a young and inexperienced king. His father’s victory in war seemed to ensure peace until the next eclipse and Nicolai was soon to marry his beloved, Isabel Greyhound of the Greyhound duchy one of the oldest families in the empire.
Yet before they could be wed, the sun darkened as another completely unexpected eclipse took place. Yet it was not the moon blocking out the sun. Cultists within the empire, servants of Kha-Beleth were using black magic to blot out the light and the demons marched forth once more.
In the war that followed, cities were scorched and regions decimated yet the cultists were driven out and their magic’s destroyed.
Before this could be done however Nicolai Griffin was slain by the demon general Agrael. While dying in his loves arms, he past the throne to the Greyhound duchy so that she might rule as queen.
Taking advantage of the civil war in the empire that followed, the Necromancer Markal seduced the queen with promises of restoring her love back to life. He wove lies around her while consolidating his own position.
Despite the warnings of her confident Godric, Isabel allowed her troops to be used as cannon fodder for Markal’s war against the Silver Cities.
Markal kept his promise and restored Nicolai… as a vampire.
Isabel was driven near insanity by her love’s fate and Markal seized control of the empire.
The combined forces of Godric the Paladin Knight, the new Archmage Zehir, Findan of the Elves and Clanlord Raelag of the Dark Elves, were able to defeat the necromancer and put Nicolai to rest once more,
It was then that the extent of Kha-Beleth dark designs became clear. Before the alliance could rescue her, the Succubus Biara kidnapped Isabel and took her to her lord in Sheogh.
There that blasphemous titan committed the foulest of acts and fathered unto her a child.
Half human…
Half demon…
The Dark Messiah was born.
The alliance succeeded in rescuing Isabel from Sheogh although her mind was all but gone.
The empire was shattered and faced the long prospect of rebuilding what had been lost. All began to rebuilt their lives, making new beginnings and new homes, unaware that the days of prophecy were at hand."
"Ten centuries shall the Fortress stand, walls of Spirit wrapped in walls of Fire and Horned Lords shall bow their heads, to one not yet born of the Darkest Sire. One century of blood and strife, the Moon shall darken and none know why, the resting place at last is found, of the Seventh who soared so high..."
Such is the prophecy of the Dark Messiah, spoken by Sar Shazzar in his death throes. Such is the prophecy that is being unravelled when one such of the Mage's Order of Ashan, Phenrig, Master of the Apprentice, Sareth, has found the final resting place of the Skull of the Seventh Dragon, the key to the keeping Kha-Beleth, the Demon Sovereign, within his Prison for all eternity.
***
A single young man sat cross-legged atop a crumbling pillar of ancient stonework, it's work showing it to be a remnant of the Holy Griffin Empire, a severely declining nation in the land of Ashan. The wind blew his brown silken hair in front of his tilted steely blue eyes, his brown leather tunic keeping out the chilly North wind from the shores of Elmresh.
The youth hopped nimbly jumped down, and walked to the edge of the cliff, the tang and cool caress of the salt air of the sea refreshing on his pale skin. Out of habit he adjusted his sword belt and fingered the rounded pommel of Dunfeng, a present from his Master, Phenrig. He turned to find his Horse, Gimbol, waiting for him, pawing at the dust of the stone ground impatiently.
The youth smiled to himself as he walked up to her and patted the Horse down before expertly climbing into the Saddle. His free time was over, his Master had a task for him and he had always wanted to please him, perhaps now after so many years of toiling at home with meaningless study, he would be able to see the world and experience it for himself.
"Sareth?" came a pleasant voice behind him, "Are you leaving so soon?"
The Youth turned to find a stunningly beautiful woman lying on the ground, draped only in a thin fabric that had served as their blanket for the duration of the day. From her eyes and sleep-lines on her face, the woman had only woken up. Sareth inwardly swore to himself; he had hoped to leave before she had woken. It was easier for both of them that way.
Sareth turned Gimbol around slightly before replying, "Yes, I am sorry Ithis, but I must. Master Phenrig has appointed me a task, one that I must see done."
"So you're just leaving are you?" She asked impatiently, standing up and holding the blanket over her body.
Even despite the fabric shielding her body from Sareth's eyes, the woman Ithis was stunning, and his eyes lingered on her nipples poking through the fabric before shrugging, as if it meant nothing to him.
"You know I am busy, Ithis. Now, I may see you around the city, or I may not..." He said indifferently, before turning Gimbol in the right direction and galloping off in the direction of the City of Elmresh, where he currently resided.
OOC: More to come
Of Might and Magic, Part 1 of the Dark Messiah
As written by Teiru of the Dragon Knights in 'Order and Chaos: A brief history of Ashan and its place in the Universe.'
"In the beginning there was nothing.
The void, the universe, floated aimlessly without purpose or force in her body. Then the void laid a cosmic egg and from that egg, hatched twin dragons.
This was the beginning for now force existed in the universe. Order and Chaos.
Asha and Urgash.
The two came together and with the matter of the egg from which they had both hatched they created the galaxies and the stars that made them up. Planets came into being and worlds formed.
But Urgash was not satisfied. He who was chaos incarnate, strew discord throughout the very fabric of reality.
Asha who was order incarnate, countered and eventually the kinship was broken and they became bitter enemies.
Yet their mother, the universe, would not permit them to do battle upon each other directly, for such force would destroy all they had strived to create.
So they came to a single world and created for themselves avatars.
Asha strove to keep order in balance and so she made from her own power, lower gods. Elrath, the Dragon of Light, Sylath, the Dragon of Air, Arkath, the Dragon of Fire, Sylanna, the Dragon of Earth, Malassa, the Dragon of Darkness, and Shalassa, the Dragon of Water.
Urgash however would not spread his power amongst so many. His ways were more direct.
Pouring forth almost all his power, he forced his will and strength into a single avatar and all things screamed in horror at the new force that was born.
Kha-Beleth, the demon Sovereign.
To him, Urgash gave this instruction.
“Reach out your hand and take forth the heart of the Earth. Crush it between your fingers and forge a sword, a blade upon which the magic’s of chaos may burn.”
Kha-Beleth did as commanded and he tore from the heart of the world its molten core and forging it as instructed, gave birth to the terrible blade he dubbed Talon.
Calling forth an army of fiery beings demons, being forged from Urgash’s unholy fire, he made to do war on the children of Asha striding forth with that sword of fire held high in one hand.
Fearing what Urgash would do if no unopposed, Asha spoke to her own children.
“My brother means to do war and yet we have no armies to meet him. I prevail upon thee, create for thyself peoples and raise them in arms against the hosts of chaos.”
And so the battles began on the world that became known as Ashan.
Demons, Men, Elves, Dwarves clashed in wars that flamed for thousands of years. That planet that had once been quite and still now was a raging battleground.
United those early races stood yet always they fell back when Kha-Beleth took to the field. None could stand before him when he brought Talon to bear, the power of Urgash channelled through its blade.
The fledgling races, created as cannon fodder for war, suffered tremendously in this conflict and sought their own fate.
Sar-Elam, the first of the Mages, looked out upon his people in their blood soaked state and in despair cried out.
“Mother Cosmos, creator of all that is! This squabble between Order and Chaos is destroying my people. We do not wish for this to be our destiny, to be mere pawns in a war between aspects.
I beg of thee, give me the power to end this war.”
The universe looked down at men, who were tired and scared in this endless war. She looked down on the Dwarves who laid in their strongholds, surrounded by demons on all sides and frightened to death. She looked at the Elves, the fairest race in form, battle scarred and lost amongst ever growing mountains of corpses.
She felt pity for them but replied to the mage…
“Even I can not end this conflict. For this is a battle not just between hosts but between Chaos and Order. Should Urgash and Asha confront each other directly, all would be destroyed.
There will come a time when this contest ends and one is chosen over the over. But it is not time yet. I will help you postpone this battle until the time of the choosing.”
She then told what needed to be done.
To his side, Sar-Elam called his two Disciples, Sar-Issus and Sar Shazzar. Together, the three of them brought down the magic of the universe itself. This power surpassed both Order and Chaos and absorbing it into his being Sar-Elam became a dragon, equal almost to Urgash and Asha themselves.
With his new found power he banished the demon hordes and even Kha-Beleth into a separate reality, that of the fiery Hell men call Sheogh. With them the demons took peoples from many races, the slaves they had taken in their conquests, all were sucked into that prison to be sealed itself.
The power Sar-Elam had called upon himself was not without its price. For binding the demons to their prison it was necessary to sacrifice his own life. His blood and soul became the key that turned in the lock, binding Kha-Beleth in chains. For this he became known as the Seventh Dragon.
Yet Sar-Elam was betrayed. Sar Shazzar had been seduced cy the corrupting touch of Chaos and weakened the prison, providing cracks though which demons might escape.
For the first time, Ashan knew peace and the gods settled with their peoples now weary from the long epoch of war.
The Apostate Sar Shazzar was punished for his actions and imprisoned for the rest of his life. In that dank dungeon he remained until he grew old and feeble. In his final hours he ranted and raved and those that listened realised he was in the grasp of prophecy.
Scribes noted down his prediction that the time would eventually come when the Dark Messiah, heir to the magic’s of Urgash would could and the world would tremble in his shadow and blood would flow as the prison that held the demons he would break asunder.
When he finally died and servants went to remove the body, it crumpled into dust at the slightest touch.
Arkath led the Dwarves into the northern mountains. Sylanna took the elves to rebuild their homeland of Irollan and Sylath with his favoured men founded the Falcon Empire.
Asha herself took no favoured people yet past on a unique blessing on the first king, Falcon the Great, a mark of benediction that would remain with his bloodline.
“You mark me, and all those who follow in my stead?” The king asked the goddess. “Why?”
“Because as much as the races that my children created wish it, this battle of old is not over.” She replied. “The marking is necessary as such is your bloodline. Rule for as long as fate deems necessary Falcon king and continue your legacy for the world will one day need it.”
The followers of Sar-Elam, led by Sar-Issus and worshiping no gods, built for themselves a nation in the sands and experimented with their magics, combining men with animals and demon blood they had collected. Thus they gave birth to Minotaur’s, Harpies, Goblins, Cyclops and the valiant Orcs.
The Orcs revolted against their masters and fled to the East, coming under the protection of Sylath who they worshipped as Father Sky.
Centuries past and new peoples came forth.
The Dark Elves came into being, separatists from Irollan who carved out a place for themselves in this new world. Rejected by their brethren, these renegades found protection with Malassa and retreated underground.
The south erupted into turmoil as the Mages were caught in the grip of a civil war. A new magic had emerged and it was tearing their culture apart. Necromancy, the magic of the dead and the blackest of all mana, came forth and its wielders were a force to be reckoned with.
Yet while the races amused themselves with petty squabbles, their ancient enemy was prepared once more to strike. During an eclipse, when the moon past in front of the sun, the barriers between the demon prison and Ashan were weakened. Enough so that armies of demons were able to breach it and emerge once more.
Although this conflict was not on the scale of the one that nearly destroyed the world eons ago it was enough to bring about upheaval and chaos. The demons attacked the Falcon Empire, destroying its capital and killing the royal family.
The Falcon bloodline, that family marked by Asha herself, was thought destroyed. Yet this was no so. The family and its precious marking did survive. In order to survive and hide in its weakened state it changed its name and became the family Greyhound Duchy. Duke Ivan Griffin of the Griffin Duchy seized the throne in a coup, founding a new empire, the Holy Griffin Empire and turned the people from Sylath to favour the dragon of light, Elrath.
Thus it continued, each time an eclipse occurred, a demon army emerged from Sheogh to do war upon the world and each time the alliance of men, elves and mages was there to counter it. It was then, during the war of the Grey Alliance that Alexi the IV king of the Holy Griffin Empire with his allies, Alaron of Irollan and Cyrus of the Silver cities, fought back the invasion and prepared to march into Sheogh itself to destroy Kha-Beleth.
Cyrus abandoned them at the last minute, believing the attack to be suicide and Alaron followed suite, leaving only Alexi to plunge with his knights into the flames.
Alexi did not prevail against the might of Kha-Beleth. Some in the empire have faulted the mages and elves for running away yet in truth, their aid would not have made that much of a difference. Kha-Beleth was a god and armed with the terrible blade Talon, against which none may prevail.
The throne of the Griffin Empire past to Alexi’s son, Nicolai Griffin, a young and inexperienced king. His father’s victory in war seemed to ensure peace until the next eclipse and Nicolai was soon to marry his beloved, Isabel Greyhound of the Greyhound duchy one of the oldest families in the empire.
Yet before they could be wed, the sun darkened as another completely unexpected eclipse took place. Yet it was not the moon blocking out the sun. Cultists within the empire, servants of Kha-Beleth were using black magic to blot out the light and the demons marched forth once more.
In the war that followed, cities were scorched and regions decimated yet the cultists were driven out and their magic’s destroyed.
Before this could be done however Nicolai Griffin was slain by the demon general Agrael. While dying in his loves arms, he past the throne to the Greyhound duchy so that she might rule as queen.
Taking advantage of the civil war in the empire that followed, the Necromancer Markal seduced the queen with promises of restoring her love back to life. He wove lies around her while consolidating his own position.
Despite the warnings of her confident Godric, Isabel allowed her troops to be used as cannon fodder for Markal’s war against the Silver Cities.
Markal kept his promise and restored Nicolai… as a vampire.
Isabel was driven near insanity by her love’s fate and Markal seized control of the empire.
The combined forces of Godric the Paladin Knight, the new Archmage Zehir, Findan of the Elves and Clanlord Raelag of the Dark Elves, were able to defeat the necromancer and put Nicolai to rest once more,
It was then that the extent of Kha-Beleth dark designs became clear. Before the alliance could rescue her, the Succubus Biara kidnapped Isabel and took her to her lord in Sheogh.
There that blasphemous titan committed the foulest of acts and fathered unto her a child.
Half human…
Half demon…
The Dark Messiah was born.
The alliance succeeded in rescuing Isabel from Sheogh although her mind was all but gone.
The empire was shattered and faced the long prospect of rebuilding what had been lost. All began to rebuilt their lives, making new beginnings and new homes, unaware that the days of prophecy were at hand."
***
"Ten centuries shall the Fortress stand, walls of Spirit wrapped in walls of Fire and Horned Lords shall bow their heads, to one not yet born of the Darkest Sire. One century of blood and strife, the Moon shall darken and none know why, the resting place at last is found, of the Seventh who soared so high..."
Such is the prophecy of the Dark Messiah, spoken by Sar Shazzar in his death throes. Such is the prophecy that is being unravelled when one such of the Mage's Order of Ashan, Phenrig, Master of the Apprentice, Sareth, has found the final resting place of the Skull of the Seventh Dragon, the key to the keeping Kha-Beleth, the Demon Sovereign, within his Prison for all eternity.
***
A single young man sat cross-legged atop a crumbling pillar of ancient stonework, it's work showing it to be a remnant of the Holy Griffin Empire, a severely declining nation in the land of Ashan. The wind blew his brown silken hair in front of his tilted steely blue eyes, his brown leather tunic keeping out the chilly North wind from the shores of Elmresh.
The youth hopped nimbly jumped down, and walked to the edge of the cliff, the tang and cool caress of the salt air of the sea refreshing on his pale skin. Out of habit he adjusted his sword belt and fingered the rounded pommel of Dunfeng, a present from his Master, Phenrig. He turned to find his Horse, Gimbol, waiting for him, pawing at the dust of the stone ground impatiently.
The youth smiled to himself as he walked up to her and patted the Horse down before expertly climbing into the Saddle. His free time was over, his Master had a task for him and he had always wanted to please him, perhaps now after so many years of toiling at home with meaningless study, he would be able to see the world and experience it for himself.
"Sareth?" came a pleasant voice behind him, "Are you leaving so soon?"
The Youth turned to find a stunningly beautiful woman lying on the ground, draped only in a thin fabric that had served as their blanket for the duration of the day. From her eyes and sleep-lines on her face, the woman had only woken up. Sareth inwardly swore to himself; he had hoped to leave before she had woken. It was easier for both of them that way.
Sareth turned Gimbol around slightly before replying, "Yes, I am sorry Ithis, but I must. Master Phenrig has appointed me a task, one that I must see done."
"So you're just leaving are you?" She asked impatiently, standing up and holding the blanket over her body.
Even despite the fabric shielding her body from Sareth's eyes, the woman Ithis was stunning, and his eyes lingered on her nipples poking through the fabric before shrugging, as if it meant nothing to him.
"You know I am busy, Ithis. Now, I may see you around the city, or I may not..." He said indifferently, before turning Gimbol in the right direction and galloping off in the direction of the City of Elmresh, where he currently resided.
OOC: More to come
I look forward to seeing your take on this story.
Looking forward to this.
But I'll hop to it and start updating shall I? 
)
