World History: The sky darkened from bright blue to an ominous blood red as the sun was blocked out by a cloud of red haze, bathing the land in eerie colors with strange red-hued shadows. As the cloud moved over the land, it became ever obvious that the cloud was alive, teeming with moving shapes of various sizes. Closer still one could discern wings sprouting from the shapes, long claws and barbed hooks sprouted from tentacle appendages, and razor teeth grinding in the gaping maws of the creatures. From out of nowhere the demon horde struck the land, devouring and mutating every creature that stood in their path. The guards of Kragonmoore stood on the parapet in stunned silence as they watched their once beautiful land turn red with the stain of blood and the glow of the never ending swarm of demons that poured forth a constant stream from the sky. Caught totally off guard, the demons tore through the castles defenses without pause, striking down knight after knight in a fury of screams and lashing claws. As they pushed ever forward into the castles inner chambers, leaving a trail of gore and bloodshed in their wake, their ferocity grew made worse by the multitude of their numbers. In a few hours, one of the most powerful fortresses in the known world was laid waste to the unknown foe, hundreds of brave knights lay dead or mutated from the demon assault.

In the next few days, word had reached the Four Kingdoms that Kragonmoore had fallen to an unknown evil. It was evident that the carnage had only begun there and soon other outposts would follow if nothing was done to halt their advance, whole cities would suffer a similar fate at the hands of the enemy. Questions filled the minds of everyone, questions without answers. No one knew from where the demons had originated and no one could say what their exact purpose could be besides that of total destruction. As the Kingdoms gathered their armies, the Horde pushed forward into the continent in a wave of death, slaughtering everything in their path. Their ranks were quickly increased in numbers by the mutated forms of those unfortunate souls they had captured. One month since the first contact with the Horde, the largest army ever massed in the entire history of the world gathered on the fields of Kanin; hundreds of thousands of knights, infantry, bowmen, spearmen, and battle mages all poised and ready to strike. Marching north through the black hills, scouts reported first sighting of the enemy. From a few miles north of the furthest visible ridge came the red cloud that marked the coming of the Horde. The archers did little to slow the advance of the coming Horde, and soon the two massive armies clashed, forming a confusing mass of close combat fighting that would last seven days. Finally, when the acrid smoke cleared, the Horde stood strong. Their numbers cut down to less than a third, they began pillaging the battlefield and mutating the wounded survivors into horrific forms that defied humanity.

Word spread quickly, there was no hope left. With nothing left to stand in their path, the Horde would ravage what remained of the land, slaughtering mankind into extinction. In the days that followed the carnage on the battlefields of Kanin, a brave young noble rose, his voice carried hope & wisdom, & a promise that there was away to escape the inevitable defeat. He called himself Allondelle Freemain, and he professed knowledge of magic unlike anything known in the world. With little choice than accepting the cruel uncaring card fate had dealt, the leaders of the Four Kingdoms gathered in the city of Highpeak secluded in the icefinger mountains to hear the plan of Allondelle. Refugees from across the world traveled to the city with hope in their heart and sorrow on their mind as they watched the land behind them fall victim to the foul Demons. The great council chamber was filled like never before, each of the great kings having brought his closest advisors and aids. Lord Brunold sat in poised silence, his obedient Knights of the White Order watching over him with protective eyes. Next to him sat his lifelong enemy, Lord McCragg. The two had immediately ceased hostilities and forged a temporary alliance only moments earlier. King Justinius Gascoigne watched with pain filled doubtful eyes, only days before he watched helpless as his wife and children were cut down before the talons of a monstrous beast. Baron Dantris Malcom was sitting in for King Richard IV who had died on the Kannin battleground. They all sat waiting for Allondelle, the room filled with a stagnant tension. Finally the wandering prophet emerged, walking into the council chamber wearing a flowing robe of green silk. What caught the attention of every eye in the room were the strangers ears, pointed unlike any they had ever seen. His features were tall and slender, his face attractive with a frail beauty unknown to most. To the shock and amazement of everyone in the room, Allondelle introduced himself as an Elf, an ancestor race to humanity.

Allondelle spoke his tale, the story of the Elfin race and their rise to magical practices. Centuries ago when mankind emerged from the wild to form villages and towns the Elves migrated to a world far away from this one. The Elves had learned that they were not the only race besides man to inhabit the earth. As they explored they discovered mysterious cities and wondrous sites left by this ancient race. More important they discovered the Rhune Magic left by this Elder race. Utilizing this new form of power, the elves of olde found certain spots in the world that contained greater magical power than others. These mana springs as they became to be known formed a large part of the energies in the world, and it was discovered that by using Rhune Magic it was possible to open a gateway to another world. Fascinated by their discovery, the Elves began migrating into the new world only to discover more ruins by the Elder race, and more mana springs. Through the centuries the Elves explored world after world finding only ruins of the Elder race in strange worlds of tranquil serene beauty, all interconnected in a vast webwork that formed the multiverse. Soon they discovered they were not alone.

There was another force moving through the multiverse with intentions other than exploration. First contact with the Demon Horde had destroyed countless thousands of Elf lives to the continuous onslaught. With no way of fleeing the unstoppable destructive power of the Horde, the Elves left world after world fleeing for their lives. One hundred years ago there was discovered a world on the outer fringes that contained only one entry node and no exits. More fascinating was the discovery that the mana node could be turned off preventing any force from traveling through. Finally the Elves had found a place to live that the Horde could not take. Gathering the other races that they had discovered in the multiverse, the Elves fled to the World of Myriador.

When Allondelle finished his tale, all eyes stared at him in shocked silence, mouths gaping speechless. He proposed that the kingdoms unite and lead their people through the gateways to Myriador where they could live in peace with the other races, as long they promised to aid in protecting the mana node. Without hesitation it was decided; the migration of humanity had begun.

Everyone knows the tales and stories of olde, the legends that point to a distant past. Throughout the ages many scholars have challenged the tale, but none have found any proof to the contrary. It is widely known that all other races on Myriador have a history that is written with similarities to that of humanity with the exception of the insect like Thri-Kreens of which little is known. The exact reason for this is uncertain, while there is no evidence to refute the legend there is also no proof. Throughout Myriador there are large iron fortresses that guard the mana node, the gateway into the multiverse. The existence of several of these fortresses seems to contradict the fact that there should be only one mana node in all of Myriador. All of the 'nodes' have been thoroughly examined by countless scholars and wizards over the ages in hopes of discovering their power, all have failed; meaning either all of the supposed nodes are mundane and the true mana node is still hidden somewhere, or simply that through the centuries with the loss of Rhune Magic, the knowledge of working the mana nodes has simply been forgotten. However, deep within the Stark Hills sits Tarn�s Keep, a large castle with walls of glistening iron guarded by over one thousand knights sworn to protect the node within. Many humans believe the node within Tarn�s Keep is the only true node, leading to the crusades that occur every ten years when all the kingdoms in the realm go to war, the victor being granted the right to hold the keep until the next crusade. Such high honor is rewarded by all kingdoms in the realm with a portion of their taxes to enable Tarn�s Keep to remain standing.

"Only the chosen shall guard the door to nowhere, while our minds sit idle, evil waits across the void. The devourer of worlds, destruction to all, & blasphemy to the beliefs of every creature with a will to survive. We must be on our guard else there will be no one left to remember our mistake."

Overview of Myriador: The land of tranquil beauty fits it's name quite well. Myriador is a vast world made up of several large continents separated by huge oceans of clear blue waters. Most of the terrain is similar to that of old earth, lush green pastures, thick forests teeming with life, tall mountain peaks overlooking the entire domain. There are wide expanses of icy glaciers, treacherous impassable deserts and wastelands as well as lakes of boiling acids dotting the environs across the world. Much of Myriador has never been explored because of the immense size of the world, however rumors abound as to what lies beyond the explored regions. There are many who believe the regions to the north contain rich fertile land and pockets of gold jutting out from the ground in such numerous quantities. Likely this is just folklore, there has been no one ever to return from the northern regions to confirm or deny such rumors. Another area that has been explored with no positive result are the islands south of Highrock.

Beyond the white cliffs of Highrock the sea is dotted with countless islands stretching off into infinity. Many sailors have attempted to explore and map these islands with no success. It would seem the entire area is subject to violent storms, enough to throw off the direction of any who attempt to catalogue the islands so that no two maps have ever been alike. Whether this is due to unskilled cartographers or whether the islands themselves are subject to some strange magical power as some would believe is yet unknown. There is a widely known tale of a young noble many years ago named Bristol who hired a group of sea elves to find passage through the islands, but after several days the ship was caught in a storm and smashed on a rocky shoal. Bristol returned many months later on a makeshift raft bearing tales of wild lands, magical beasts, and temples full of jewels and treasures guarded by strange scaly-skinned humanoids. Shortly after his return the young noble went insane and threw himself off the cliffs of Highrock. Besides the unknown mysteries that abound in Myriador, there is a great portion of the land that has been explored and colonized. And with the passage of every year new settlements are started in the wilds and expeditions are planned to venture into the unknown. Would be adventurers would do well to hire themselves out with these starting colonies as guards or experts of the protective services. The elves of DawnShadow are known to recruit a great number of mercenaries to aid in clearing the forests of Sorrow from the innumerable goblins that have resided there. The long running battle in the thick of the dark wood serves as testimonial to the goblins strong resolve. Some scouts have returned with information of a large goblin city stretching beneath the forest, if this is true it would explain why the goblins refuse to give up their habitat despite heavy losses.

Turning west beyond the elfin realms, deep into the heart of Myriador lies the great human kingdoms stretching across the vast plains and fertile forests, gentle rolling hills and low mountains. From the four countries that united in the Great Migration of humanity, many petty kingdoms have sprouted. In the several hundred years since humanity has existed on Myriador, many kingdoms have risen and fallen from power; war is the only constant in the ever-changing realm as alliances are forged and broken. It is only on rare occasions that countries will unite under one flag for a common cause, and usually such alliances will remain only until the goals are met.

"Shaky was the treaty with Palador, & well in my right was I to warn my lord against their ignorance. Still, the skill of the Paladorian archers was renown to all, & my lord sought their skills to fend off the undead horde that besieged the land. The plan was simple: while our knights & pikemen charged the foul abominations the Paladorians would flank their number & strike their master from behind. The plan worked exceedingly well, until our allied scum launched a counterattack on our own weakened forces. Surrounded by undead on one side & traitors on the other, the great army of 'Kthrang met it's match. Mark my words, the 'Kthrang Empire will flourish again!"

The politics of war in the human kingdoms are merely a struggle to control the vast resources in that region. Perhaps one reason for the success of humanity is the large diversity and amount of resources found among their kingdoms. From plentiful forests of hardwood to hills full of iron and copper, herds of buffalo to fields of grains it seems the humans have settled the richest land in all of the realm, allowing them a strong base of trade with the other kingdoms. In the north and east, the Dwarven kingdoms inhabit much of the Jagged Edge and Crystalmist mountains, regions which contain large deposits of gold, coal and iron ore. To the south, the elfin forests contain the largest diversity of natural food; fish, game, grains, and fruits. But it is within the human kingdoms that one can find the greatest diversity of resources.

Political Climate: "In ages past our ancestors with their infinite knowledge gathered the great races and took them to Myriador to flee the great unknown demons that lurk in the multiverse. With peace and unity in their hearts, our forefathers gathered them from their doom to give them a living chance in an environment they could survive in. But even when asking for only peace, cooperation and harmony, the other races have paid us back with blood. Wars and hatred rot the once beautiful land, the dream is lost."

So speaks the elfin history of the gathering and the nurturing of the other races, of a time long past when the secrets of the mana nodes were well known to the elves who used their knowledge to flee the terrible demon scourge. Elfin history tells this tale with pride and conviction, and to this day every elf firmly believes that his ancestors are the saviors of every race on Myriador. Perhaps the truth of the past will never be known, however the arrogance of the elves has started many a war with other proud races who refuse to spend their entire existence glorifying the elves. A prime example of this is the elfin satyr war which has raged for decades costing thousands of lives to be lost, driving the proud Satyr race far from the heart of Myriador. The elves hold strong to their beliefs, and thusly preach continued peace in their struggles with other races. There is little or no unity in Myriador, the elfin dream of a multi-racial community has died centuries before. Most other races of Myriador have fled elsewhere to form their own homeland and built a separate culture, living in seclusion from one another.

The only exception is humanity, the human race has flourished well in the center of Myriador forming a large culture of several separate states and countries. The humans have formed a community of free socio-economic growth and trade. Because of their warlike tendencies, humans hold little grievances with other races, savoring their hostilities for each other. The humans are barbarians, interested only in material gain and power. Humans will make treaties with anyone to further their own aims. That is perhaps why their vile race has flourished for so long, their willingness to abandon morality and justice for greed has allowed them to grow into the largest force in all of Myriador. Luckily for everyone the humans are disorganized, were they to stop warring with each other and unite against the other races of Myriador, there would be little hope to stop them."

In human cities, one can find examples of nearly every race on Myriador. Emissaries, Ambassadors, Kings and Lords of all races seeking trade flock to the Human Kingdoms. Many mercenaries and exiled members of other races turn to the human culture to find work and a place to flourish. Because of their willingness to accept anyone into their society, the human culture is very broad and diverse. The differences in human countries varies in extremes.

Far in the north, inhabiting the cold windswept tundra are the tribal Norse. Their culture is centered around one central shaman, a wizened venerated old member of their culture, usually trained from adolescence by the elder tribal shaman. The shaman holds absolute power within the tribe, enforcing his will and settling disputes among his people. His main objective is the survival of the tribe in the harsh climate, keeping into account food sources and maintaining tradition among the tribe. Although there are many tribes living in the tundra, there is a rigid social order among them, over time the Norsicans have become less trusting of outsiders and thusly have relied more on other Norsemen for support. Many of the tribes have abandoned their ancient nomadic ways having settled into walled and fortified cities, enabling them to better defend their citizens. The Norse love for combat is known well throughout the human realms, and they are often hired out as mercenaries.

Further to the south of the Norsican provinces lies the Kingdom of Palador, a vast empire stretching over hundreds of square miles. In centuries past, before the great migration, Palador was one of the Great Kingdoms ruled by the McCraggs for hundreds of generations. According to ancient legend, the fertile land was stalked by a vicious bloodthirsty dragon named Vernefrax. The beast pillaged the land in blood and destruction that lasted weeks. Almost threatening to destroy the kingdom if something was not done. In answer to his peoples suffering, Lord Angus McCragg donned his armor and mounted his steed in search of the dragon. Finding the lair of Vernefrax hidden in the Scowling Hills, he descended into the depths where he found the beast asleep. Without hesitation, he drove his sword through the chest of Vernefrax, cutting out it's heart in one swift stroke. Before the blood of the beast could cool, Lord Angus ate the heart of Vernefrax, thereby inheriting the beast�s strength.

Palador is the only Kingdom to survive the time since the Great Migration, perhaps due to their continued traditional practices. The kingdom is a strict Monarchy, the kings having been chosen from the McCragg line since centuries past. Serving the McCragg family are the honored and strictly trained Paladorian Knights, also called the Crimson Rose. The Knights are particularly known for their bloodthirsty combat abilities, fighting with total disregard for personal safety. It is common practice for a Paladorian Knight to consume the heart of a worthy opponent defeated in combat, this ritualistic behavior stems from the ancient belief of gaining the strength of one's adversaries.

The Tale of Magnus: After the great migration, confusion quickly spread through the human refugee camps. Most political leaders of the time could provide little or no answers to the inquiring minds of their people, questions about what would become of their kingdoms, whether they would still be granted land to own, whether their King would still rule. This time of dark hopes is known in history as the Age of Dissension, because of the large numbers of rebellions that occurred. Only the Kingdom of Palador managed to maintain it's grasp over it's people, law enforced strictly by blood. The other kingdoms dissolved quickly into smaller states that began warring against each other for land. Among these warring states there came a noble leader named Magnus Von Bildthofen who spoke of truth and freedom for all men. He promised his people the right to own land and live without fear of oppression so long as they served under him as king. This was an appealing notion to many, swords flocked to serve under Magnus' banner by the multitudes. Most important of those seeking to serve Magnus was a powerful young wizard named Niahmas. Niahmas' knowledge in the arcane arts proved enough to allow Magnus to gain a strong foothold among the other states. Within a few short months his armies had conquered much of the human realm, forming a vast empire.

Seeking new lands to conquer, Niahmas had convinced Magnus to wage war on the dwarves of Mistmound in the north. The Dwarven kingdom was centered on large deposits of gold & gems, as well as rich metals to make weapons. Although Magnus was not a greedy sort, Niahmas had convinced him that the dwarves would fare better under his rule than of their own lord; & that their resources could be put to better use serving the armies of Magnus' new empire. Soon his armies marched north, aided by the magic of Niahmas. Only three weeks after war was declared on the kingdom of Mistmound, the last dwarf fell. To everyone's surprise, the dwarves did not surrender as they were expected, but rather they fought on proud & strong until every last one of their number were killed. Being in command of the raiding army, Niahmas utilized his power to torture & kill the dwarves, taking no prisoners. It was not too long before word reached Magnus of the great injustice done to the dwarves, enraging the young emperor. He immediately took to his horse & raced to the front line to confront Niahmas personally, where he saw firsthand the brutality Niahmas had committed. When the two met they argued fiercely until Magnus struck Niahmas down with his sword. But the wizard did not die, he rose from the ground shedding his skin to reveal himself as a great Demon. Lunging at Magnus, the Demon severed his arm in one blow, turning to the wounded emperor for the final kill. In a swift move of bravery & endurance, Magnus grabbed the closest object, a warhammer from a fallen dwarf. Striking mid-torso, the magic of the Warhammer absorbed the Demon within, making it's power one with the relic.

Magnus spent many days recovering from his wounds, all the while looking back to what had happened. Reading through Niahmas' diary, Magnus discovered that his old friend began dealing with dark forbidden magic. He had summoned a powerful Demon, but lacked the knowledge to contain the creature, unfortunately his mistake cost him his life and the lives of thousands of others. Recorded in the diary was a complete description of how Niahmas went about his dark work; Magnus realized quickly that should this knowledge fall into the wrong hands, the world would suffer greatly. Once he was well enough, he immediately set out to destroy the book and the warhammer, ridding Myriador of their evils once and for all. Magnus was never seen nor heard from again. When it was realized that their emperor would not be returning, the country broke into disarray; many political leaders fought to gain the title of Emperor, yet none could offer the wisdom of Magnus. Soon the empire divided into three separate states, Debonshire, Wissenland, & Suffolk. These three states argued fiercely over who had the right to rule the Empire, and in the end they could agree only on war. Through the centuries the kingdoms have survived, carrying on their traditions & belief that Magnus will one day return to rule. None of the states holds the former glory they once had, now reduced to one tenth of their former size.

The Dwarven Realms: Nearly as old as the Elfin race are the dwarves, squat bearded warriors, bearers of tradition and knowledge from ages past. There are only four of the original six remaining Dwarven kingdoms in all of Myriador, the Mistmound realm having been destroyed by the Demon possessed Niahmas, and the Dwarves of Ironclaw having been lost at sea many centuries ago. Forming a strict social order, the Dwarven society forms around close groups of families living under one ruler, their name bearer, the oldest and wisest of the dwarves who carries the name of the clan as his title. Within each clan there are several hundred families, each one appointed to maintaining the clan in some way. For example, there is one family devoted to herding, providing the clan with it's supply of milk and meats, one family devoted to mining, providing the clan with metals and ores, one family devoted to smithing, etc.. Each family caries on it's tradition, teaching each new generation the skills needed, and it is the goal of each new generation to improve on the family trade in some way. In this way, each dwarf becomes knowledgeable in one field to such an extreme extent that they learn all that there is to learn and seek more. Each dwarven clan communicates readily, offering aid & services as needed. In times of war all of the Dwarven kingdoms may take the battlefield, outnumbering and overpowering their enemies by the strength of their numbers. Unfortunately, the dwarves to not hold humans in very high esteem, as a result of incidents in the past. Although most of the dwarven kingdoms trade regularly with the humans, there is little comfort in their friendship. Both races could benefit well from mutual trust and shared knowledge.

Victory Ravnos: You would think that history was learned from and that the mistakes of our ancestors were heeded to. But it seems that we all are destine to have to suffer the arrogance and greed of those to come. The years have passed and many a stars have gone out in the night sky. Which we now know is due to the demon horde�s destruction of the universe. The year is now One Thousand Nine Hundred Ninety Seven since the last demon invasion of our World. Many things and changes have come and gone, but the constant in all of this has been the ever remaining threat of the demon horde. Countries, States, & Noble Realms have rose and fallen. During one of these times there rose a great country who had won the right to Tarn�s Keep, and the honor to be entrusted as it�s Guardians. But instead of fulfilling that honor, they raped and pillaged Tarn�s Keep for there own personal gains. And when the few Guardians with honor tried to compensate for the damage done, it was already too late. The demons had mounted a great offensive that they had been planning forever just waiting for a moment of weakness that was just right to bring their plans into action. Because of the Guardian�s lack of reinforcing the energy of the elemental room of Tarn�s Keep, the magic holding the portal closed was weaken enough to allow the demons to put their plan into affect.

They watched and waited ever so patiently for the right time, and when the energy hit an all time low they attacked the portal. First, two Great OutWorld demons forced the portal open with one stepping in the portal to hold it and let the Lessor OutWorld demons to scamper in around him, then the second Great OutWorld demon step in to take the firsts place. And the battle was engaged with the Army of the Room of the Unending Battle. This battle raged for 9 moons, with the Army of the Room of the Unending Battle taking the win. But the portal still was not closed, and from behind the Great OutWorld demon who was holding open the portal came another who helped to force open the portal even more and instead of staying there another came from behind, one which had never step on this world before or was even known to exist came a Greater OutWorld demon. Unlike Great OutWorld demons who have a horned head, four arms & legs, and a natural resistance to the magic of this world, this beast had six arms & legs, and possessed the ability to tap into the energy of this world to use it�s magic against it. Thus, when the battle was to engaged again, already in a weaken state from the last series, the Army of the Room of the Unending Battle failed to rise to oppose the demons with the Greater OutWorld demon diverting the magic for Army of the Room to aiding the demon horde. What little of the Army that did rise was destroy post-haste and Tarn�s Keep was under siege from within, the built in safeguards of magic was now doing it�s job of trying to confine the demons as best as possible. Ravnos, one of the Great OutWorld demons with his troops was able to avoid such confinement and escaped to the surrounding continent to put his mission into affect.

Across all of the World of Myriador, and especially in the Country of Palador alarms were sounding, and armies were assembling for battle all knowing that the sound meant the Guardians had failed and Tarn�s Keep was under siege. The Paladorian armies were dispatched directly to the Keep and engaged the demons immediately in battle. Paladorian emissaries were quested to spread the word, select specialized teams of heroes, and assembly the world�s armies in preparation of the final counter-offensive. As the Paladorian Armies fought to their death, thousands upon thousands of men and women, the world slowly responded to the threat of it�s impending annihilation. Because of this the Paladorian Mirage Mages had to contain the demon horde by placing the same force field around the demon as they used to seclude themselves from the rest of the world. Neither could be in effect at the same time even tho the Mirage Mages possess the most powerful magic of all the lands, that power is still defined by the amount of mana energy one can tap into. The more mana energy, the more powerful magic. And after once having been the Guardians of Tarn�s Keep for over five millennium their knowledge is vast, extremely powerful, and used even more wisely than it is powerful. It is even rumored that the Paladorians can travel through time as well as space, and this day have open trading with other worlds.

Ravnos gathered strength & numbers for along with other special abilities possessed, he can corrupt the souls of the righteous and not so into �InWorld� demons. He continued to follow his orders to disrupt or destroy the Elemental Mages of Tarn�s Keep, and the Paladorian�s planned offense. So great was his hate that he was driven to the extreme to accomplish the mission. Chaos and destruction laid in the wake of the demon Ravnos, as he tried to tracked down the elemental mages and dispatched them. The elemental mages had to go into hiding, while the Paladorians put the back-up plan into affect to counter Ravnos.

All stood posed, silent, still, deadly, as the sun slowly set in the east. The elemental mages were on their quest to obtain the components to bring back �Gartan�, who could & would put an end to these bothersome demons and shut the portal. As others drove themselves to finding the magic crystal keys that would unlock some of the needed items, others yet were off to finding the four gems of azure that would help defeat the demons in Tarn�s Keep so that the ritual spell could be performed were Gartan�s body is laid. All the while, Ravnos was bearing down upon them trying to defeat their purpose. He was very close to succeeding. He had already burned the villages that was their refuge. Some of the adventures were not that careful. For one of the key components for the spell and one of the items that could be used to destroy the demons was the Hammer of Magnus. Ravnos knew that, and when he was thwarted in gaining the hammer by a matter of seconds from the Guardian of the Volcano, the Lava Golem, Ravnos double his effort in finding the hammer by dividing in two to be able to search even more. Ravnos #2 then crossed the land in one direction, while Ravnos #1 went in another to meet in the middle. All the time, Ravnos�s minions were looking everywhere. And lo� and behold, a couple of adventures were standing around talking out loud about what they should do with the hammer, one of Ravnos�s most trustworthy and unconquerable demons observed swiftly alerting the horde to attack. Ravnos roared with triumph as he held the Hammer of Magnus within his hands, all four of them.

The Rise & Fall of Tarn�s Keep: Never since the first great battle that lead to the creation of Tarn�s Keep had the threat from without been so real. In the years when all was quiet and memories faded, people forgot the horrid destruction of the Demons. With each succeeding country entering Tarn�s Keep, it�s true purpose was being ignored more & more, until it was being raped for it�s items of power, treasures, and knowledge. Until it�s powers were so depleted, it could no longer perform it�s mission in protecting those of the world. So this time when the Demons came, it was not a wonder that they broke thru the portal to Myriador, and launched an full scale offensive to destroy the inhabitancy.

The Hall of Heroes is where they gathered, the children of Myriador, in the seventh month of the nineteen hundred and ninety seventh year. All of Myriador answered the call of he who would come and excise the demons for once and all. Great were the heroes summoned, and of the nations of ShadowGuard, DarkWood, Dawn of Man, Drachenmoor, Ducato, BlackWatch, Avalon, and many a Nomad, the finest of combatants in all the world arrived at the Hall, ready to quench the fire that had burned into Myriador like a glowing dagger plunged into it�s very heart.

But they alone were not enough, as the demon horde would sweep over them, slaughtering and filling their own ranks with the dead. Nowhere were to be found those mages of might, placed into the elemental rooms of Tarn's Keep to control passage through the mana node. Nowhere were to be found, the mighty Flagor, Faith, or Lazlon Flamefist. Only Sebastan of the Dawn of Man remained of the original four. Thus intervened mighty Palador, whose magic had been holding the demons at bay for so long. Two Paladorian wizards whose names escaped the annals of history quested four mages, Saha of Drachenmoor, Sebastan of the Dawn of Man, and Delgato and Morgana of ShadowGuard, to find the items necessary to cast from the Scrolls of Power and bring the one who would end the demon plague.

But behold, the Powers of Ravnos stood between the victory of the Children of Myriador, and his was the power of corruption. He stood before torrents of the mightiest flame that the Children of Myriador could rain down upon him and scoffed at their futile attempts. In the battles that were to follow, many a soul did he condemn to abyssal torment and eternal subservience, for he transformed the dead into wretched abominations, demonic warriors who were loyal to the last.

The only hope against the scorn of Ravnos for the Children of Myriador laid in the proper placement of four elements into the legendary Hammer of Magnus, as then and only then, could the essence of Ravnos be trapped and removed from Myriador. Knowing this, Ravnos attempted to seize the hammer, and may have succeeded, were the Children of Myriador unsuccessful at tracking him down and engaging he and his abominations in a battle to eclipse all others. The armies of Myriador, led by Sorich and Salivarius of Darkwood and the elemental mages of Tarn's Keep, fought for what seemed days against demonic hordes whose numbers were infinite, all the while, did Ravnos sit behind his lines, the Hammer of Magnus levitating hundreds of feet above in mid-air. The tides of battle swayed in favor of the mortal armies, as they waded through the ranks of the demons, when to their horror, they reached and confronted the mighty Ravnos himself. He bellowed a laugh of victory as he began slaughtering mortals, their weapons not biting, their magic, fizzling to worthless sparkles, all the while, the hammer of Magnus floated above. All attempts made by the Children of Myriador to retrieve the hammer were thwarted, and hope seemed lost until the Gods of Myriador themselves reached down and slapped the hammer from the sky, into the hands of the mortals. Ravnos, knowing it would mean eternal imprisonment were he to be struck by the hammer, fled the field of battle to a place unknown. This particular battle has since came to be known as the Battle of Unity, as all the Children of Myriador put aside their differences to combat a greater evil.

The stage was set for the elemental mages to enter Tarn's Keep and to cast the magic bestowed upon them by Palador to end the invasion of the demons. Through the hall of heroes, marched those Children of Myriador who survived the Battle of Unity, but they were not to pass easily. The demonic hoards had taken Tarn's Keep, and yet another battle was to be waged. Thousands of demons swarmed through the halls of Tarn's Keep in an attempt to keep back the Children of Myriador, but this time, the mortals had a weapon. The warriors of Darkwood wielded the Hammer of Magnus, and each demon struck by the hammer was destroyed in a blinding flash of light. This did not hinder the mortals, as they fought their way with blinding fury toward a single, magically warded door.

The door opened at their approach and the Children of Myriador entered �The Room of The Unending Battle,� the last line of defense of Tarn's Keep, where the spirits of warriors of old did battle with the demonic hoards who would overrun Myriador. The Children of Myriador joined the fray, and the demons seemed never ending. Driven to desperation, Morgana of ShadowGuard invoked the powers of the Black Dragon Orb, which she used to rain storms of corrosive acid down upon the demon, which turned the tides of battle. This power, however, did not go unnoticed, as the roof of Tarn's Keep opened, and towering above the battle was Zarathraxian, the most ancient & mightiest of all Red Dragons.

"Who DARES squander the soul of my brother!?!" roared the great beast, as all occupants of the room, demons included, stood in awe of the mighty beast. Morgana of ShadowGuard stepped forward and was snatched up into the Dragon's gigantic claws. She spoke quietly to Zarathraxian and explained that the power was used to save Myriador. Her eyes as jewels, she looked directly into Zarathraxian great eyes and said �My lord, will you help to save thy world?�. The Great beast drew breath, and all the Children of Myriador knew what that meant. Just when all believed her to be doomed, the beast turned his great head, outstretching towards the demons who had started to advance upon the heroes. Zarathraxian�s let loose his breath with such a roar all of Tarn�s Keep trembled, as the demons engulfed by the fiery breath fell burning with the magical fire. Zarathraxianthen then set Morgana down and demanded that the elemental mages complete their ritual. As the great beast watched over them, keeping the demons at bay, by twice more blowing his flames at them.

The mages wasted no time in setting up and enacting the ritual. Magic danced from their lips as the energy of the Scrolls of Power was channeled through the elemental mages. The Children of Myriador watched in awe as the room came alive with light and pyrotechnics. The mages completed their chanting, and the magic called out for a sentient sacrifice, and immediately, A soldier who's name is forgotten stepped into the circle of light and disappeared. In his place stood a young man who, without a word, demanded the attention of all in the room. He was tall and his long blonde hair fell past his shoulders. All knew that they were now in the presence of Gartan.

He addressed the armies of Myriador, �Your work here is complete. Go, and live your lives knowing that the salvation of Myriador is due to you.� Gartan turned and read the Scroll of Ultimate Power. Magic of this likeness had never been seen in the world of Myriador, as light and color in hues and intensity no one has ever seen streamed from the archmage's body. �GO NOW!� Gartan demanded, as the armies of Myriador made haste through the halls of Tarn's Keep. As they ran, the walls fell around them, the ground shook in violent spasms, and a radiant glow swelled in the distance behind. The Children of Myriador fled the mighty keep and had run for miles, when behind them, exploded a flash of light brighter than the sun. All that remained of Tarn's Keep was a gigantic oddly shaped cloud of billowing smoke.

As the armies gathered and mourned their dead, in the distance a single block of stone sprung from the ground and landed at the foundation of what used to be Tarn's Keep. Then another, and another, until it was clear to all that Tarn's Keep was rebuilding itself. A cry of celebration resounded throughout the mass of valiant soldiers, who realized that their world would now be safe from the scourge of demonic invasion, and as the trumpets sounded, a lone figure staggered toward them, glowing a green aura and limping badly. The unknown soldier who sacrificed himself to bring Gartan approached the leaders of the army, his aura fading, telling them of how it was actually Gartan who was the sacrifice. A moment of silence swept the battlefield, as every member of the army shed a tear for Gartan who sacrificed his very essence to keep the demons out of Myriador.

These are the tales of the war to save Myriador from the demonic invasions. Learn well from those who went before you, as the demons will not relent in their quest to overrun us, and they may be defeated for now, but who knows what power lies in the world beyond.

BWCHome