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[Darrien Church]

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A ghostly steed moved slowly and silently through the near deserted streets of Magincia, it’s rider clad from head to toe in heavy dark robes, it’s face obscured by metallic mask bearing the expression of an angry and young male, two pale green traces of light emanating just slightly from the mask’s eye slits.

The citizens that did move quietly through the streets bowed or averted their eyes as the rider passed. There where whispers and rumors concerning this rider and the usually level-headed and proud people of Magincia had given way to fears of great sorcery…There was much to whisper about in Magincia these days.

The rider came into view of those nearest to the doors of Magincia’s tavern and the conversations quickly changed within.

Had the Magnate gone mad?

What was this business of blood falling from the heavens?

Was it true that a Lich Lord had re-surfaced?

Was he here in Magincia?

Who was this shrouded rider?

Where had the animals gone?

Why had the Moongate ceased functioning?

Suddenly the silence of their troubling thoughts were broken as all eyes turned to the mysterious rider as what seemed to be the remains of a rotted apple glistened in the moonlight as they slid down the side of his mask.

“High time you be off!”Barked a drunken patron, several more apples in hand as the rider slowly turned it’s glance in the direction of the offending fruit’s trajectory.

“Papa no!” shouted a boy no older then sixteen running to the drunk man’s side attempting to pull him away.

Then it happened…turning it’s face slighty to face the robust and healthy boy the rider’s eye met his and suddenly flashed a much brighter green for a moment. The boy’s eyes faded instantly, his skin turned as white as marble and his cold lifeless body crashed on the floor with a heavy thud.

A faint laugh echoed about the immediate vicinity for a moment as the father in utter grief collapsed at his son’s side and the rider turned back to the road ahead.

But it was not over…The Magincians are a proud people and they had had enough.

The mob formed rapidly…daggers, torches, broken bottles and swords appeared near instantly as a dozen or so of the men from within the tavern flooded the street and surrounded the rider.

Suddenly with tremendous grace the rider descended briskly onto the pavement it’s ghostly mount seeming to blow away from beneath it in the a sudden gust of sea air.

The Magincians braced themselves and began to charge.

Then without warning three Covian wraiths manifested within the mob and began to fell a number of rioting citizens briskly as the first group of men crashed upon the motionless rider.

A few quick motions and jerks of it’s head and magincians soared through the air crashing into the walls of the tavern and adjacent buildings as a number of terrible curses were effortlessly wrought upon them.

Festering sores, rotting flesh, pestilence, broken limbs, skin cleaved from the bone, blood, ice and flashes of purple and green energy filled the street for about a quarter of an hour.

It’s mount appearing instantly from underneath it, with the same stoic silence it had maintained throughout the night’s events it moved slowly back down the dark magincian street.

It paused once more as it sensed the energy around the island flutter for a moment and it’s aura grow dimmer…as if someone had suddenly and violently tried to knock down a door.

“Excellent.”

Meanwhile a thousand worlds away the forces of Stygia, Kingdom of Oblivion, stand ready, while in a forgotten church within a peaceful wood the candles about the shrine of Aleph Aeirs glow a little brighter then usual.

More was at stake in the days to come then either side knew, while the outcome of the dark days ahead were still cloudedone thing was certain...

Darrien in his depravity believed fully this chain of events about to begin would set into motion things would stir the souls of the past, make good on old promises and vows and for one final time pit the forces of Oblivion and Light against one another, this time one side would be totally decimated.

This went beyond the Magnate, the Lich Lord and Lady Molly, beyond Magincia, Umbra, Moonglow, Cove, Luna and the Regency.


Their long lives had seen many things but as the Magnate had said this was destiny, in some eternal plan well beyond any of their comprehension the defining moments of their lives and unlife were upon them.