Quicksilver62160
12th July 2003, 02:15 AM
For those of you who like a bit more advanced of a story compared to my other one, enjoy the myth of the great hero Isilbane. Not pokemon related, just an interesting story I took some time on a while ago.
“Gather around children for today I shall tell you the myth of the greatest warrior who has ever lived. He fought with such valor and fury that no man, beast, or otherwise would dare to attack him… and none could defeat him. Now, you may think you know about the Earth’s past, but more occurred in the ancient days around 900 AD then books will define. This had been a age of magic, great warriors, and monsters with power beyond comprehension. From dragons to wraiths to the entity of evil himself… Resomegnis… life on Earth was like nothing depicted in history books…”
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Chapter 1
The Birth, Oath, Evil and Quest
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“Our Queen is giving birth on this day, but a dark day indeed it has become, for this young prince shall never know his own life. A vicious storm now licks outside, consuming the country with a shadow of darkness… and strange lights pulse through those clouds sending out terrible roars like a dragon. Could this be the gods are angry with their humble servants, vengeful for the death of my King? By decree of the arch mage the young prince Isilbane shall be sent away… may he find peace and not death which has found his father.”
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“Isilbane,” a feminine voice called frantically, “Isilbane, your father needs help, a tremendous dragon is scorching the crops and devouring the livestock on the outer regions. I fear that the small army he has taken will not be enough to destroy such a vicious beast, you…”
“I must leave at once mother.” Isilbane interrupted, “fetch my shield and my stallion, I shall find Frostmourne.”
Quickly Isilbane rushed around back, and returned wielding his mighty sword, and soon his mother came from the stables leading Boridell and bearing his mighty shield. Wasting no time Isilbane jumped upon the horse, grabbed hold of the shield, and spurred the horse forward. Riding with amazing intensity the two passed through the country side with amazing speed, watching as pillars of smoke rose from the distance. A trail of destruction was soon in sight, but Isilbane readied his sword and raised his shield, charging in with his head straight… fear was something he had never known.
Blasting through the shattered remains of the village, the heat from the licking flames stood their warning, foretelling the doom that laid past them. Already Isilbane’s keen eyes could place the wings of the massive red dragon on the next knoll while all around him gathered men; some brave of heart and others foolish. Neither would be shown mercy here today though, to a dragon everyone burns the same.
In the group Isilbane’s adopted father had command of the next wave, the one that was to finish the dragon and rid its terror from the land. Taking the troops by the dragon’s flank to avoid the flames, he had underestimated the abilities of this monster. Where one end stood a wall of teeth, protruding flames that melted flesh, the other end was met by a powerful tail, strong as a mace, and tipped like three pronged sword. And for a beast with so strong an offense, the defense held back nothing, covering the dragon with thick scales impenetrable by human device; the only weakness was a swift shot to the dragon’s heart through the two weakest of scales.
“Euphiclies, father, hold back your attack, the dragon will overcome you!” Isilbane screamed as Boridell bore him upon the battle, but his words fell upon death ears. To late to stop the charge, the soldiers readied their swords to slice at the dragons hide, paying no attention to the danger that would soon be upon them. As the dragon sensed their charge it slammed its tail against the ground, stopping the soldiers, then it swung its tail through the group, crushing all those to slow to dodge. Euphiclies had been the only one to escape, diving over the vicious attack, he jumped straight to his feet again and hacked at the scales lining the hind leg to no avail. As swift and agile and he was though, the dragon’s abilities far outmatched him, and with a final swing the bladed end of the dragon’s tail ripped through Euphiclies’s chest.
Isilbane nearly fell from his horse as he watched his father speared through the chest, he had been the greatest warrior in all of Meriden and his blood would be repaid with blood of the dragon. Quickly Isilbane jumped from the horse and landed directly in front of the dragon. To it, Isilbane was nothing more then another play toy for the next couple of seconds so the dragon turned and prepared to attack.
Isilbane smiled, “you may attack, but you shall not win, for your reign of terror ends here foul beast!”
Swinging Frostmourne Isilbane charged as the dragon reared back and sent a stream of flames at him. Hitting the ground, Isilbane rolled to the side, blocking with his shield, and slid beneath the dragon, right between the two front legs in position to strike the black heart. But the claws were a strong line of defense and the dragon wasted no time in taking a swipe at him, ready to deal the death blow. Dropping shield and sword, Isilbane grabbed hold of claws as they came down on him, stopping the vicious attack and grappling with the dragon. For any normal man to go up against a dragon in hand to claw combat would be insane… but he was far from an ordinary man.
The dragon roared viciously as it tried to lean back onto its hind legs as to remove Isilbane’s center of gravity, but his grip was to strong to break and prevented the dragon from leaving the ground. Never had a creature stopped the dragon from free range of movement before, provoking an even harsher anger, it began to convulse, trying to shake Isilbane from its arm yet to no avail. In retaliation Isilbane tightened his grip, and the dragon slowly start to swing its tail; if it could not rid itself of Isilbane’s grasp then it would run him through.
Slowly the tail moved back and forth, waiting for a moment to strike, suddenly Isilbane started to collapse under the pressure, moving down to one knee… the opening was made. Swiftly the tail flew through the air, between the front and back legs straight for Isilbane, but he wrenched the dragon’s arm, pulling it to the side just in time to spear the arm with its own tail. The dragon reared back in pain, putting all of its weight to the hind legs so equally Isilbane put his weight in the opposite direction. His muscles began to bulge, as his face turned red and veins began protruding from both his neck and his arms. The ground beneath his feet began to crack under his pressure when there was the sudden snapping on sinews… the dragon’s arm was ripping off.
By astounding feat of strength the dragon scales were splitting and the dragon arm itself slowly began to dislodge from the body. The dragon roared in pain, whipping its neck and the stuck tail, firing streams of flames in all directions. As the dragon whipped the tail, the bladed end slowly began to slice through its own leg, Isilbane felt this and began to put more pressure against the dragon’s arm. A large wound had now opened at the top of the shoulder, the sinews barely clinging to their other halves, scales shattering along the line the arm had little time to last. Finally the dragon slashed apart the leg, freeing its tail, it could now attempt another strike.
Whipping the tail out, it brought it back in again with amazing intensity, so fast that Isilbane was forced to release his hold on the dragon’s claw to deflect the tail. As the tail swung in again, Isilbane dodged to the side, grabbed hold of the tail and snapped it… his moment of weakness had arrived. In the lapse of attention the dragon had a free shot and dealt a crushing blow with its good arm. As Isilbane flew through the air, the dragon turned and ripped a massive stream of flames that would incinerate him upon contact. It would take more then a simple flick from a dragon to immobilize Isilbane though, and as he continued through the air he turned himself over, hit the ground with his legs and began to slide backwards, right past his shield. As the flames converged upon him, he rolled forward, grabbed the shield and deflected them. The dragon was not finished yet though and increased the intensity of the stream, putting such a force on Isilbane that he began to grind back across the ground.
Unknowing to the dragon, it had left an opening that would spell its own demise, and Isilbane caught it. Rising from his knees, Isilbane kept his head down behind the shield, then turned to the side, swung the shield sideways and threw it straight up through the flames. It blasted through the fire connecting with the dragons mouth, wedging in, snapping back its neck and ceasing the stream. With his window open, Isilbane charged the dragon, grabbed hold of its bad arm again, and began to pull. Lifting the dragon while it was off balance, he slammed it straight into the ground while twisting the arm. Right after the colossal collision the arm tore free of the body and before the dragon could recover from the blow Isilbane swung the arm around and plunged the claws directly into the dragon’s black heart. It did not die immediately, and with the last breathe is could muster the dragon swung its arm around to strike Isilbane down, but had to little strength to connect and collapsed.
Isilbane withdrew the torn arm from the dragon’s chest and turned to leave the carcass for the scavengers to feast upon. Immediately he walked over to Euphiclies body, he was still breathing remotely which came as a shock to Isilbane. He dropped to his knees and laid the dragon claw beside him, “father, father, are you all right?”
“I am dying Isilbane, the attack from the dragon tail pierced my vital organs… I fear I cannot hold on for much longer. Ask your mother about the day we found you…” he began to cough violently, blood spilling from the sides of his mouth, “…there is more to your past then you’ve been t…..” Euphiclies laid back his head, the cold grasp of death had captured him.
Isilbane did not shed tears over his lost father, for a warrior to cry was a sign of weakness. Euphiclies had died nobly protecting his land… the gods would smile upon this as they received him in the heavens. Hopefully he would be accepted into Kazzelhum, home of the noblest of warriors, a separate part of the heavens. Once more Isilbane took up the dragon’s arm and with it began to dig a hole beside his father. As soon as the hole was dug he laid his father inside, putting his sword across his body, and then withdrew to bury him further. As soon as the grave had been erected Isilbane ripped the dragon’s jaw from its head and thrust it into the ground as a headstone for his father.
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Isilbane tied his shield and sword to Boridell’s saddle, and holding the arm took off back towards his home. The town was completely destroyed, the flames had died, and there was no one left to rebuild or repair what remained. As he rode, holding back his tears, he swore upon the grave of his father that he would not let the innocent suffer like this, from that moment on he would be a tool of justice and bring hope to those who had none. Isilbane would stand against evil and rid the world of all those who would seek to harm it… yes, he would finish off all the evil of the world.
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Isilbane’s mother was devastated when she found of Euphiclies’s death, but mixed with joy to hear of her son’s triumph over such a fierce beast. “We had always known you were special Isilbane. Why, when you were only three years old you wandered into the street of the market while we were shopping for dinner. Your father had turned his head for a moment, off you ran and to our horror a loose bull had found its way to your same position. As the bull charged at you your father and I ran to save you, but we knew we could not beat the bull… we thought we would lose you… But just before the bull hit you, you raised your arm and caught the bulls horn, and right before our eyes you lifted the bull into the air and ripped the horn from its skull. We were filled with both a feeling of relief and of fear.”
“But mother, before father died he said something about asking you of my past, that there was more to it then I know.”
She remained silent as tears began to fill her eyes.
“Mother, are you crying?”
“Yes Isilbane, this isn’t going to be easy to tell you. Euphiclies and I were going to wait till you turned eighteen, maybe twenty before we told you…”
“Told me what mother?”
“Isilbane, we are not your parents… you were brought to us in a basket from the city of Sangon. You are the prince of Sangon, sent here by the arch mage after the assassination of your father and death of your mother. A messenger had carried you to our country, asking from house to house if they would take the royal prince of Sangon. Many feared for their lives and turned him down, we were the only ones who would take you in. We were also given this, it’s a medallion that signifies you as the prince of Sangon, marked with the emblem of the city. I’m sorry we never told you, but it’s for your own safety, even since before you were born there has been a motive to kill you… you must, you must promise me that you will not return hence!”
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Since the news Isilbane had felt distanced from his mother, from his life… how could he go on now with everything he knew being a lie. And Sangon, it had fallen under the control of the evil arch mage… he surmised that the arch mage had a hand in all this, seeking to take over the throne and run the land as he saw fit. Recalling his oath, Isilbane could not let such a wicked man keep control of the land he was rightfully king over… and he could not let his people suffer. He immediately went to his mother and explained to her what he needed to do but she could not accept her child to leave. She knew however that her will could not be forced upon young Isilbane and bid him return to his real home.
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The days passed quickly till Isilbane was finally ready to
set off for Sangon, his mother gave him Boridell to bear him through the country, and armed him with Frostmourne to protect against bandits on the road. Also, Isilbane tied on the dragon’s arm, a trophy of his first battle and a remembrance of the only father he had known. He kissed his mother before he left and she put the medallion in his pocket to remind him of his heritage. As he rode from the their home, across their land, two doves took off into the air behind him as his mother wept loudly so those around her could hear. Now she had lost both the men in her life.
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For two days Isilbane rode through the country and no bandit dared attack him upon seeing the dragon claw he carried. As he reached the city of Sangon he could tell straight off that things here were not as prosperous as in other areas. The outlying lands were draught and blackened, yielding no food to those who took to it. The houses here were deteriorating, aged by time without repairs and the people wore rags, begging for scraps of food as he passed. Isilbane parted with all that he could, taking heart to his people… he would see to it that they received more then scraps soon though.
As he approached the inner city, home of the barons and other wealthy nobles of the land he saw guards posted around the walls and at the gates. If his life had truly been under threat before he was born then surely his name would not be good to speak aloud, so, he would call himself Fredmun, a wealthy baron from the lands of Meriden.
As he went to pass through the gates the guards were quick to prevent his passage, and though they would stand no opposition to Isilbane he humored them and dare not start trouble in his own land.
“Who goes there, no peasants are allowed within the castle walls, nor travelers from other lands by decree of the arch mage.”
“I surely am no commoner, and though I be a traveler you have insulted my honor for I am Fredmun, a powerful and wealthy baron of Meriden. I seek audience with your arch mage to discuss business details… surely you would not seek to prevent more wealth from being bestowed upon your ruler.”
“Oh course not good baron, please, proceed, we shall send for escort to lead you to the castle at once.”
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Soon Isilbane was led into the great hall, told that the arch mage was awaiting his arrival. As he passed through the glorious doors he found the room illuminated with a brilliant light from the sun and upon the ledges of the windows doves began to gather. Before him at a long table sat the arch mage, surrounded by ten of his most loyal soldiers.
“Ah, Fredmun, baron of Meriden, it is fair to see you in my land. Come, sit with me at this table and let us discuss the matters you have at heart and brought to my land.”
“Very well arch mage, we have much that needs to be discussed.”
“I’m sure that we do, now, how may I help you?”
“Tell me arch mage, do you remember a young prince born here a century and a half ago named Isilbane?”
“I do recall the young prince, but I sent him out with a messenger to be left in the woods for where he would surely find death. With him removed from the picture I was able to take the throne of Sangon in his place with help of those soldiers most loyal to me. How do you come to know of the small child though?”
“You truly are an evil beast arch mage, sending a child into the woods to suffer death so that you could better your position in life with blood.”
“How dare you talk to me in such a manor, guards, see to it that this man is executed at once!” The arch mage shouted as he stood from his chair and slammed his hands against the table.
Quickly the guards ran over to Isilbane and pulled him from his chair, restraining his arms… they were no match for his strength though and he threw them to the ground. “See this arch mage,” he said while he pulled out the medallion, “this was the medallion given to the young prince when he was sent away which means that I am Isilbane, rightful ruler of Sangon and I’ve returned to reclaim my throne from your wicked grasp.”
“So Isilbane, I see that your death was not as complete as I had hoped… no matter, none will find that you were still alive, quite foolish indeed of you to challenge me in my own castle with an army at my disposal.”
“No, it was foolish of you to ever attempt to ruin the city my father ruled… you shall pay for your treachery.”
The arch mage still had his ten loyal soldiers though,
and each was armed with spear, sword and shield while Isilbane had been instructed to leave his sword before entering. Eyeing the room he found two swords mounted on the wall and quickly ripped them free. As the soldiers charged he held no pity for those that would plot against his true father and gave them no mercy for their treason. Isilbane made short work of the ten, and after he had finished them off he turned his anger upon the arch mage himself, the one who perpetrated the deed.
“Ooh Isilbane, thank you for killing them… I was under their control, they made me their puppet, surely you would not kill me for protecting my own life. I loved your father, and I tried to stop them…”
“Be silenced, you speak with a forked tongue, in time you shall also pay for your deeds… but first I shall bring hope to my people by having you preach the name of the new King.”
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All throughout the land of Sangon Isilbane led his royal convoy, bringing both the fall of the arch mage, the new reign of himself, along with money and food for all those in his country. Isilbane had succeeded his father… but what was his father truly like, and what was the succession of events that left Isilbane an orphan? As he led the convoy through the towns that was all he could think of, surely as he returned to his castle all the answers he sought would be found.
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Upon returning to the castle, Isilbane sentenced the
arch mage beheaded at dawn; till then he was to be locked in the dungeons. For his next order of business, he sought out those closest to his parents so to learn more of his unknown heritage. Very few had been around that long though, many not obligated to stay had fled during the reign of the arch mage while others still loyal to their previous king were beheaded for their treason. Finally an older man was found that claimed he had been closer to both the king and young Isilbane then any other; Isilbane was immediately intrigued by this man and called him for an audience.
It was not long before the fellow arrived, an older man in his thirties, as he entered the room he looked upon Isilbane, trying to make out his features, but when he saw the medallion around his neck the man had all proof he needed.
“Young Isilbane, you truly have returned! Such a sight, how you’ve grown from the small infant I carried away.”
“The infant… so then, you are the one who left me in Meriden.”
“Yes, it was I whom bore you hence, and against order of the arch mage mind you. There is much I have to tell you of your parents, and of the peace they bestowed upon the land. “
The man continued to regale Isilbane with the story of his parents, of all that was going on before his birth. Apparently his father had been a noble king, who loved his people more then he loved himself. Greed was something he had not known, charity and kindness were all he ever showed. The king had also been a great warrior, much like Euphiclies, he had possessed many of the superhuman traits that Isilbane used in the fight against the dragon. “One day though, while the king was making way to Meriden to meet with the king there he was ambushed roadside and murdered… his carcass was found a week later when no word had been heard from him; not much had been left as the scavengers made short work of him.”
“The arch mage was quick to console the expecting queen, for she was fair of beauty beyond most women. The arch mage had coveted her for many a year, skulking in the background eyeing her… still, she would have nothing to do with him. He at once became furious, cursing her and her unborn child. No action could be taken against the mage though, without the king he was the heir to the thrown… that is until your birth.”
“Now, through some act of wizardry the arch mage created a potion that once ingested by the queen would kill both her and her child at birth. Fortunately a strange prophet who called himself Raziel appeared two days before your birth. He told us of the strange potion that she had ingested and though it would be to late to save her for the poison had spread through her system to quickly, but it would be capable to save you from the same death. A doctor was called in from Alexandria, he would be to perform a c-section so that the poison was not passed to you during birth.”
“Right after you were removed from your mother’s stomach she died upon the table, and the arch mage was quick to receive you. I had known all along of his plots against both king and queen; he had the king killed so that he could both gain the seat to the throne and take his wife as his own. When he failed to gain her heart the arch mage turned on her equally and knowing that if you had been born his throne would be jeopardized so he created the potion. He became furious when he discovered that someone notified the queen of the predicament but was quick to create a plan just as devious to rid himself of you.”
“Directly after your birth the arch mage told everyone
that you were to be sent away to a neighboring land, to protect you from whoever had killed both your father and mother. He claimed it was for your safety, but when all ears had turned from us he gave you to me and told me to take you into the woods and leave you there for whatever beast may come along. I must admit Isilbane at first I sought out to do his bidding… but somewhere along the road I took a look at you, you were such a beautiful baby and my heart immediately took to you. Killing a child was to far to go, so I brought you into Meriden seeking safety for you there.”
“I was turned away from house after house, they would not receive the wrath of Sangon if the discovery of your life not death were discovered. Finally on one of the last houses a warm couple greeted me and accepted you with open arms. To them I left the medallion you now wear to signify you as the royal prince, but made them swear to not divulge your past as to keep you safe from the wrath of the arch mage. Now young Isilbane, I have told you much of what you asked to hear, so I ask something of you. Tell me, how is your father and mother, how is Euphiclies?”
Isilbane turned from the man for a second, then turned back with a grave expression on his face. “Euphiclies is dead, he was killed nearly two weeks ago during a dragon attack on his land. I had to watch him die as I was to slow the reach the battle… speared through the chest by the dragon’s tail.”
The man immediately collapsed to his knees and began to weep openly, “I am so sorry to hear this, he was a noble man, and even greater for excepting you as his own. I had grown affection towards him as we kept in contact for much of your early life… I only wish that our conversations had no ceased so long ago. What became of the dragon that killed him? Surely we will find him and seek vengeance for his death!”
“That will not be necessary, if you look outside to where I tied up my horse you will find vengeance enough.”
As the man walked over to the window, he peered outside, finding Boridell finally, a gorgeous white horse with a mane like silver and upon the saddle was tied a massive dragon arm.
“A dragon arm! But how did you procure such a trophy?”
“That arm you see tied to my horse was ripped from the dragon by my own hands during our battle. I bested him on my own and ended his reign of terror in my land.”
The man was stunned, “surely I see much of your father in you now, but what is it for a mortal man to be able to rip free a dragon’s arm from body.”
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The next two years passed by like mere seconds, but the progress accomplished made it feel like twenty. Isilbane had single handedly restored the glory and majesty of Sangon to what it had been during his father’s reign. The poverty was stricken from the land, no poor could be found, and no slums could be seen. Crops began to grow from once dead soil, bringing a lively color to the land. Where once the area was black and gray, stricken by four horsemen, there were now vibrant colors, trees, flowers, flowing streams and birds. Markets were opened throughout various parts of the city and no restrictions were placed on any who sought to move freely through all parts.
As for Sangon's army it had grown nearly ten fold, young men of Sangon were spurred by the example of Isilbane, and older men who once served under his father came back to pledge their allegiance to his righteous son. Isilbane also created a small task force comprised on five of his most capable warriors, and many times himself, calling them the Freedom Fighters. They would travel through not only the lands of Sangon but into neighboring lands seeking to rid them of evil and spread the prosperity that had become a trademark of Sangon. Truly Isilbane had stayed true to his promise, to rid the world of evil and to stand up for those who needed aid… but he always felt like there was more for him to do, like there was a greater good that could be done.
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It only took a month for the peace to turn into fear as
the entire embodiment of evil had finally risen. Since the beginning of time there had been a dark land beyond the great desert Jihara, and the seas of Yugan and Simaqua; it was known as the land of Muerdor. This land was completely devoid of life, with rocky mountain peaks surrounding the outer boarders and vicious volcanoes erupting on the land within. The soil was blighted, unsuitable for even the toughest of plants, and the sky, choked by the suet of the volcanoes was blacker the night and cast shadows across all the land. The only light came from the main volcanoes, known as Mt Doom, the fabled home of the mighty sorcerer Archimonde. It was said that Archimonde was the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk the Earth, father of the monsters of the world, and could destroy entire cities with a glare. Archimonde expanded his territory, breeding violence and evil upon a World incapable of defeating him… it was not until an unknown warrior banished him from the Earth by sacrificing his own life that the terror finally ended. With the master of Muerdor banished, Mt Doom ceased to erupt, and the darkness that loomed through the land slowly faded. Slowly Archimonde also faded into myth, deemed to be the origin of all evil and monsters that plagued mankind.
Recently messages had been sent on increased monster attacks on the land closest to Muerdor, and also news far more disturbing… Mt Doom had began to erupt once more. If it were true, if Archimonde had returned to this realm, then Isilbane would need to face him and hope to conquer a sorcerer that no one through the history of Earth could challenge. As strong as Isilbane might have been though, his powers were still only mortal while Archimonde drew his powers from the dark realm, and being immortal, it would take more then strength alone to vanquish him.
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Immediately Isilbane took council with his board, seeking advice from them on how they could stop Archimonde if he had possibly returned to this realm once more. All fell silent until the eldest of the council stood up at the very end of the table, and feebly walked over to Isilbane.
“I remember a story from when I was a child, of the Well of Khazad-Nuer, the fabled well of immortality. If you were to drink from this well then you could easily see to it that you live long enough to face Archimonde, but also to increase what mortal powers you have to that fitting of a god.”
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Cities and towns were destroyed all along the area of Muerdor, no mercy was shone to the innocent. Isilbane led the Freedom Fighters through raids of the areas, striking down man or beast that pledged allegiance to the Dark Cloak… Archimonde’s undead legion. Not only did he have control over the monsters of the World, but he had begun to resurrect his own kind, the undead, calling forth horrific creatures. Already the trial for the fate of the world was being set into motion.
On a routine battle though, things turned out to be less desirable then speculated. As the Freedom Fighters dispersed to deal with a group of ogres attacking a nearby village an ambush had been set in order to take them down. The Freedom Fighters fought valiantly against an army of hundreds of the undead legion but not even they could keep up for long. Wielding Frostmourne Isilbane held back the troops till the last of the Freedom Fighters fell and he too was consumed by the masses.
By some twist of fate however Isilbane did not suffer death as did the other Freedom Fighters… instead he was poisoned, by decree of Archimonde himself. This was the cruel fate that had been prescribed for Isilbane in the beginning, to be tainted upon his birth, unable to reach the true destiny that had been lined up for him. Unlike his mother before him, Isilbane’s system fought harder against the poison which meant he could live for a few more years before the poison had been completely passed through his entire system. It would not be long though before his motor functions would start to fade, leaving him defenseless and weak.
Knowing that if he were to die the whole resistance to Archimonde would be for naught Isilbane returned to the old man that he had encountered. The old man divulged much more of the secrets of Khazad-Nuer, even giving him a map that would lead him to the well… the only copy in the World. Still, it would be a long journey, taking close to two years to complete, so was it worth leaving Sangon leaderless just to preserve his own life? But, would it be any better to in turn leave it leaderless as the poison began to set in and eventually end his life because Isilbane was to foolish to do what he could to prevent it. Truly a dilemma, reconcilable with only one answer, neither more right then the other, yet both yielding dire consequences.
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“I have called this council to discuss a matter which will greatly effect not only all lives here in Sangon, but of those across the World. As you all know during the battle where the Freedom Fighters were ambushed, I was drugged with the same poison that had killed my mother, now, my system differs from hers greatly which means that the poison will take longer for the full effect to set in. As I have been notified, there is the well of Khazad-Nuer which if I could find would not only save my life but make me a force capable of taking on Archimonde. Should I decide to ignore the well, and let the poison set in while I keep control of the city and drive back the monster attack I will succumb in two to three years and then die. So, I’ve called you all here to discuss what course of action we might take.”
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The deliberation process took nearly two days to reach a decision, and for the better of not only Sangon but the rest of the World, Isilbane was to set out on a quest to find the well of Khazad-Nuer, but he would need to do it alone and in the two years span that it took for him to reach the well if anything were to befall him, or the poison to set in it would spell his death. There was no time to waste though, with the encroaching danger of not only the monsters but of the Dark Cloak and Archimonde, speed was of highest demand. Isilbane would need to reach the well and return before the shadow of darkness had spread to far to be defeated.
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“Gather around children for today I shall tell you the myth of the greatest warrior who has ever lived. He fought with such valor and fury that no man, beast, or otherwise would dare to attack him… and none could defeat him. Now, you may think you know about the Earth’s past, but more occurred in the ancient days around 900 AD then books will define. This had been a age of magic, great warriors, and monsters with power beyond comprehension. From dragons to wraiths to the entity of evil himself… Resomegnis… life on Earth was like nothing depicted in history books…”
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Chapter 1
The Birth, Oath, Evil and Quest
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“Our Queen is giving birth on this day, but a dark day indeed it has become, for this young prince shall never know his own life. A vicious storm now licks outside, consuming the country with a shadow of darkness… and strange lights pulse through those clouds sending out terrible roars like a dragon. Could this be the gods are angry with their humble servants, vengeful for the death of my King? By decree of the arch mage the young prince Isilbane shall be sent away… may he find peace and not death which has found his father.”
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“Isilbane,” a feminine voice called frantically, “Isilbane, your father needs help, a tremendous dragon is scorching the crops and devouring the livestock on the outer regions. I fear that the small army he has taken will not be enough to destroy such a vicious beast, you…”
“I must leave at once mother.” Isilbane interrupted, “fetch my shield and my stallion, I shall find Frostmourne.”
Quickly Isilbane rushed around back, and returned wielding his mighty sword, and soon his mother came from the stables leading Boridell and bearing his mighty shield. Wasting no time Isilbane jumped upon the horse, grabbed hold of the shield, and spurred the horse forward. Riding with amazing intensity the two passed through the country side with amazing speed, watching as pillars of smoke rose from the distance. A trail of destruction was soon in sight, but Isilbane readied his sword and raised his shield, charging in with his head straight… fear was something he had never known.
Blasting through the shattered remains of the village, the heat from the licking flames stood their warning, foretelling the doom that laid past them. Already Isilbane’s keen eyes could place the wings of the massive red dragon on the next knoll while all around him gathered men; some brave of heart and others foolish. Neither would be shown mercy here today though, to a dragon everyone burns the same.
In the group Isilbane’s adopted father had command of the next wave, the one that was to finish the dragon and rid its terror from the land. Taking the troops by the dragon’s flank to avoid the flames, he had underestimated the abilities of this monster. Where one end stood a wall of teeth, protruding flames that melted flesh, the other end was met by a powerful tail, strong as a mace, and tipped like three pronged sword. And for a beast with so strong an offense, the defense held back nothing, covering the dragon with thick scales impenetrable by human device; the only weakness was a swift shot to the dragon’s heart through the two weakest of scales.
“Euphiclies, father, hold back your attack, the dragon will overcome you!” Isilbane screamed as Boridell bore him upon the battle, but his words fell upon death ears. To late to stop the charge, the soldiers readied their swords to slice at the dragons hide, paying no attention to the danger that would soon be upon them. As the dragon sensed their charge it slammed its tail against the ground, stopping the soldiers, then it swung its tail through the group, crushing all those to slow to dodge. Euphiclies had been the only one to escape, diving over the vicious attack, he jumped straight to his feet again and hacked at the scales lining the hind leg to no avail. As swift and agile and he was though, the dragon’s abilities far outmatched him, and with a final swing the bladed end of the dragon’s tail ripped through Euphiclies’s chest.
Isilbane nearly fell from his horse as he watched his father speared through the chest, he had been the greatest warrior in all of Meriden and his blood would be repaid with blood of the dragon. Quickly Isilbane jumped from the horse and landed directly in front of the dragon. To it, Isilbane was nothing more then another play toy for the next couple of seconds so the dragon turned and prepared to attack.
Isilbane smiled, “you may attack, but you shall not win, for your reign of terror ends here foul beast!”
Swinging Frostmourne Isilbane charged as the dragon reared back and sent a stream of flames at him. Hitting the ground, Isilbane rolled to the side, blocking with his shield, and slid beneath the dragon, right between the two front legs in position to strike the black heart. But the claws were a strong line of defense and the dragon wasted no time in taking a swipe at him, ready to deal the death blow. Dropping shield and sword, Isilbane grabbed hold of claws as they came down on him, stopping the vicious attack and grappling with the dragon. For any normal man to go up against a dragon in hand to claw combat would be insane… but he was far from an ordinary man.
The dragon roared viciously as it tried to lean back onto its hind legs as to remove Isilbane’s center of gravity, but his grip was to strong to break and prevented the dragon from leaving the ground. Never had a creature stopped the dragon from free range of movement before, provoking an even harsher anger, it began to convulse, trying to shake Isilbane from its arm yet to no avail. In retaliation Isilbane tightened his grip, and the dragon slowly start to swing its tail; if it could not rid itself of Isilbane’s grasp then it would run him through.
Slowly the tail moved back and forth, waiting for a moment to strike, suddenly Isilbane started to collapse under the pressure, moving down to one knee… the opening was made. Swiftly the tail flew through the air, between the front and back legs straight for Isilbane, but he wrenched the dragon’s arm, pulling it to the side just in time to spear the arm with its own tail. The dragon reared back in pain, putting all of its weight to the hind legs so equally Isilbane put his weight in the opposite direction. His muscles began to bulge, as his face turned red and veins began protruding from both his neck and his arms. The ground beneath his feet began to crack under his pressure when there was the sudden snapping on sinews… the dragon’s arm was ripping off.
By astounding feat of strength the dragon scales were splitting and the dragon arm itself slowly began to dislodge from the body. The dragon roared in pain, whipping its neck and the stuck tail, firing streams of flames in all directions. As the dragon whipped the tail, the bladed end slowly began to slice through its own leg, Isilbane felt this and began to put more pressure against the dragon’s arm. A large wound had now opened at the top of the shoulder, the sinews barely clinging to their other halves, scales shattering along the line the arm had little time to last. Finally the dragon slashed apart the leg, freeing its tail, it could now attempt another strike.
Whipping the tail out, it brought it back in again with amazing intensity, so fast that Isilbane was forced to release his hold on the dragon’s claw to deflect the tail. As the tail swung in again, Isilbane dodged to the side, grabbed hold of the tail and snapped it… his moment of weakness had arrived. In the lapse of attention the dragon had a free shot and dealt a crushing blow with its good arm. As Isilbane flew through the air, the dragon turned and ripped a massive stream of flames that would incinerate him upon contact. It would take more then a simple flick from a dragon to immobilize Isilbane though, and as he continued through the air he turned himself over, hit the ground with his legs and began to slide backwards, right past his shield. As the flames converged upon him, he rolled forward, grabbed the shield and deflected them. The dragon was not finished yet though and increased the intensity of the stream, putting such a force on Isilbane that he began to grind back across the ground.
Unknowing to the dragon, it had left an opening that would spell its own demise, and Isilbane caught it. Rising from his knees, Isilbane kept his head down behind the shield, then turned to the side, swung the shield sideways and threw it straight up through the flames. It blasted through the fire connecting with the dragons mouth, wedging in, snapping back its neck and ceasing the stream. With his window open, Isilbane charged the dragon, grabbed hold of its bad arm again, and began to pull. Lifting the dragon while it was off balance, he slammed it straight into the ground while twisting the arm. Right after the colossal collision the arm tore free of the body and before the dragon could recover from the blow Isilbane swung the arm around and plunged the claws directly into the dragon’s black heart. It did not die immediately, and with the last breathe is could muster the dragon swung its arm around to strike Isilbane down, but had to little strength to connect and collapsed.
Isilbane withdrew the torn arm from the dragon’s chest and turned to leave the carcass for the scavengers to feast upon. Immediately he walked over to Euphiclies body, he was still breathing remotely which came as a shock to Isilbane. He dropped to his knees and laid the dragon claw beside him, “father, father, are you all right?”
“I am dying Isilbane, the attack from the dragon tail pierced my vital organs… I fear I cannot hold on for much longer. Ask your mother about the day we found you…” he began to cough violently, blood spilling from the sides of his mouth, “…there is more to your past then you’ve been t…..” Euphiclies laid back his head, the cold grasp of death had captured him.
Isilbane did not shed tears over his lost father, for a warrior to cry was a sign of weakness. Euphiclies had died nobly protecting his land… the gods would smile upon this as they received him in the heavens. Hopefully he would be accepted into Kazzelhum, home of the noblest of warriors, a separate part of the heavens. Once more Isilbane took up the dragon’s arm and with it began to dig a hole beside his father. As soon as the hole was dug he laid his father inside, putting his sword across his body, and then withdrew to bury him further. As soon as the grave had been erected Isilbane ripped the dragon’s jaw from its head and thrust it into the ground as a headstone for his father.
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Isilbane tied his shield and sword to Boridell’s saddle, and holding the arm took off back towards his home. The town was completely destroyed, the flames had died, and there was no one left to rebuild or repair what remained. As he rode, holding back his tears, he swore upon the grave of his father that he would not let the innocent suffer like this, from that moment on he would be a tool of justice and bring hope to those who had none. Isilbane would stand against evil and rid the world of all those who would seek to harm it… yes, he would finish off all the evil of the world.
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Isilbane’s mother was devastated when she found of Euphiclies’s death, but mixed with joy to hear of her son’s triumph over such a fierce beast. “We had always known you were special Isilbane. Why, when you were only three years old you wandered into the street of the market while we were shopping for dinner. Your father had turned his head for a moment, off you ran and to our horror a loose bull had found its way to your same position. As the bull charged at you your father and I ran to save you, but we knew we could not beat the bull… we thought we would lose you… But just before the bull hit you, you raised your arm and caught the bulls horn, and right before our eyes you lifted the bull into the air and ripped the horn from its skull. We were filled with both a feeling of relief and of fear.”
“But mother, before father died he said something about asking you of my past, that there was more to it then I know.”
She remained silent as tears began to fill her eyes.
“Mother, are you crying?”
“Yes Isilbane, this isn’t going to be easy to tell you. Euphiclies and I were going to wait till you turned eighteen, maybe twenty before we told you…”
“Told me what mother?”
“Isilbane, we are not your parents… you were brought to us in a basket from the city of Sangon. You are the prince of Sangon, sent here by the arch mage after the assassination of your father and death of your mother. A messenger had carried you to our country, asking from house to house if they would take the royal prince of Sangon. Many feared for their lives and turned him down, we were the only ones who would take you in. We were also given this, it’s a medallion that signifies you as the prince of Sangon, marked with the emblem of the city. I’m sorry we never told you, but it’s for your own safety, even since before you were born there has been a motive to kill you… you must, you must promise me that you will not return hence!”
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Since the news Isilbane had felt distanced from his mother, from his life… how could he go on now with everything he knew being a lie. And Sangon, it had fallen under the control of the evil arch mage… he surmised that the arch mage had a hand in all this, seeking to take over the throne and run the land as he saw fit. Recalling his oath, Isilbane could not let such a wicked man keep control of the land he was rightfully king over… and he could not let his people suffer. He immediately went to his mother and explained to her what he needed to do but she could not accept her child to leave. She knew however that her will could not be forced upon young Isilbane and bid him return to his real home.
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The days passed quickly till Isilbane was finally ready to
set off for Sangon, his mother gave him Boridell to bear him through the country, and armed him with Frostmourne to protect against bandits on the road. Also, Isilbane tied on the dragon’s arm, a trophy of his first battle and a remembrance of the only father he had known. He kissed his mother before he left and she put the medallion in his pocket to remind him of his heritage. As he rode from the their home, across their land, two doves took off into the air behind him as his mother wept loudly so those around her could hear. Now she had lost both the men in her life.
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For two days Isilbane rode through the country and no bandit dared attack him upon seeing the dragon claw he carried. As he reached the city of Sangon he could tell straight off that things here were not as prosperous as in other areas. The outlying lands were draught and blackened, yielding no food to those who took to it. The houses here were deteriorating, aged by time without repairs and the people wore rags, begging for scraps of food as he passed. Isilbane parted with all that he could, taking heart to his people… he would see to it that they received more then scraps soon though.
As he approached the inner city, home of the barons and other wealthy nobles of the land he saw guards posted around the walls and at the gates. If his life had truly been under threat before he was born then surely his name would not be good to speak aloud, so, he would call himself Fredmun, a wealthy baron from the lands of Meriden.
As he went to pass through the gates the guards were quick to prevent his passage, and though they would stand no opposition to Isilbane he humored them and dare not start trouble in his own land.
“Who goes there, no peasants are allowed within the castle walls, nor travelers from other lands by decree of the arch mage.”
“I surely am no commoner, and though I be a traveler you have insulted my honor for I am Fredmun, a powerful and wealthy baron of Meriden. I seek audience with your arch mage to discuss business details… surely you would not seek to prevent more wealth from being bestowed upon your ruler.”
“Oh course not good baron, please, proceed, we shall send for escort to lead you to the castle at once.”
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Soon Isilbane was led into the great hall, told that the arch mage was awaiting his arrival. As he passed through the glorious doors he found the room illuminated with a brilliant light from the sun and upon the ledges of the windows doves began to gather. Before him at a long table sat the arch mage, surrounded by ten of his most loyal soldiers.
“Ah, Fredmun, baron of Meriden, it is fair to see you in my land. Come, sit with me at this table and let us discuss the matters you have at heart and brought to my land.”
“Very well arch mage, we have much that needs to be discussed.”
“I’m sure that we do, now, how may I help you?”
“Tell me arch mage, do you remember a young prince born here a century and a half ago named Isilbane?”
“I do recall the young prince, but I sent him out with a messenger to be left in the woods for where he would surely find death. With him removed from the picture I was able to take the throne of Sangon in his place with help of those soldiers most loyal to me. How do you come to know of the small child though?”
“You truly are an evil beast arch mage, sending a child into the woods to suffer death so that you could better your position in life with blood.”
“How dare you talk to me in such a manor, guards, see to it that this man is executed at once!” The arch mage shouted as he stood from his chair and slammed his hands against the table.
Quickly the guards ran over to Isilbane and pulled him from his chair, restraining his arms… they were no match for his strength though and he threw them to the ground. “See this arch mage,” he said while he pulled out the medallion, “this was the medallion given to the young prince when he was sent away which means that I am Isilbane, rightful ruler of Sangon and I’ve returned to reclaim my throne from your wicked grasp.”
“So Isilbane, I see that your death was not as complete as I had hoped… no matter, none will find that you were still alive, quite foolish indeed of you to challenge me in my own castle with an army at my disposal.”
“No, it was foolish of you to ever attempt to ruin the city my father ruled… you shall pay for your treachery.”
The arch mage still had his ten loyal soldiers though,
and each was armed with spear, sword and shield while Isilbane had been instructed to leave his sword before entering. Eyeing the room he found two swords mounted on the wall and quickly ripped them free. As the soldiers charged he held no pity for those that would plot against his true father and gave them no mercy for their treason. Isilbane made short work of the ten, and after he had finished them off he turned his anger upon the arch mage himself, the one who perpetrated the deed.
“Ooh Isilbane, thank you for killing them… I was under their control, they made me their puppet, surely you would not kill me for protecting my own life. I loved your father, and I tried to stop them…”
“Be silenced, you speak with a forked tongue, in time you shall also pay for your deeds… but first I shall bring hope to my people by having you preach the name of the new King.”
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All throughout the land of Sangon Isilbane led his royal convoy, bringing both the fall of the arch mage, the new reign of himself, along with money and food for all those in his country. Isilbane had succeeded his father… but what was his father truly like, and what was the succession of events that left Isilbane an orphan? As he led the convoy through the towns that was all he could think of, surely as he returned to his castle all the answers he sought would be found.
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Upon returning to the castle, Isilbane sentenced the
arch mage beheaded at dawn; till then he was to be locked in the dungeons. For his next order of business, he sought out those closest to his parents so to learn more of his unknown heritage. Very few had been around that long though, many not obligated to stay had fled during the reign of the arch mage while others still loyal to their previous king were beheaded for their treason. Finally an older man was found that claimed he had been closer to both the king and young Isilbane then any other; Isilbane was immediately intrigued by this man and called him for an audience.
It was not long before the fellow arrived, an older man in his thirties, as he entered the room he looked upon Isilbane, trying to make out his features, but when he saw the medallion around his neck the man had all proof he needed.
“Young Isilbane, you truly have returned! Such a sight, how you’ve grown from the small infant I carried away.”
“The infant… so then, you are the one who left me in Meriden.”
“Yes, it was I whom bore you hence, and against order of the arch mage mind you. There is much I have to tell you of your parents, and of the peace they bestowed upon the land. “
The man continued to regale Isilbane with the story of his parents, of all that was going on before his birth. Apparently his father had been a noble king, who loved his people more then he loved himself. Greed was something he had not known, charity and kindness were all he ever showed. The king had also been a great warrior, much like Euphiclies, he had possessed many of the superhuman traits that Isilbane used in the fight against the dragon. “One day though, while the king was making way to Meriden to meet with the king there he was ambushed roadside and murdered… his carcass was found a week later when no word had been heard from him; not much had been left as the scavengers made short work of him.”
“The arch mage was quick to console the expecting queen, for she was fair of beauty beyond most women. The arch mage had coveted her for many a year, skulking in the background eyeing her… still, she would have nothing to do with him. He at once became furious, cursing her and her unborn child. No action could be taken against the mage though, without the king he was the heir to the thrown… that is until your birth.”
“Now, through some act of wizardry the arch mage created a potion that once ingested by the queen would kill both her and her child at birth. Fortunately a strange prophet who called himself Raziel appeared two days before your birth. He told us of the strange potion that she had ingested and though it would be to late to save her for the poison had spread through her system to quickly, but it would be capable to save you from the same death. A doctor was called in from Alexandria, he would be to perform a c-section so that the poison was not passed to you during birth.”
“Right after you were removed from your mother’s stomach she died upon the table, and the arch mage was quick to receive you. I had known all along of his plots against both king and queen; he had the king killed so that he could both gain the seat to the throne and take his wife as his own. When he failed to gain her heart the arch mage turned on her equally and knowing that if you had been born his throne would be jeopardized so he created the potion. He became furious when he discovered that someone notified the queen of the predicament but was quick to create a plan just as devious to rid himself of you.”
“Directly after your birth the arch mage told everyone
that you were to be sent away to a neighboring land, to protect you from whoever had killed both your father and mother. He claimed it was for your safety, but when all ears had turned from us he gave you to me and told me to take you into the woods and leave you there for whatever beast may come along. I must admit Isilbane at first I sought out to do his bidding… but somewhere along the road I took a look at you, you were such a beautiful baby and my heart immediately took to you. Killing a child was to far to go, so I brought you into Meriden seeking safety for you there.”
“I was turned away from house after house, they would not receive the wrath of Sangon if the discovery of your life not death were discovered. Finally on one of the last houses a warm couple greeted me and accepted you with open arms. To them I left the medallion you now wear to signify you as the royal prince, but made them swear to not divulge your past as to keep you safe from the wrath of the arch mage. Now young Isilbane, I have told you much of what you asked to hear, so I ask something of you. Tell me, how is your father and mother, how is Euphiclies?”
Isilbane turned from the man for a second, then turned back with a grave expression on his face. “Euphiclies is dead, he was killed nearly two weeks ago during a dragon attack on his land. I had to watch him die as I was to slow the reach the battle… speared through the chest by the dragon’s tail.”
The man immediately collapsed to his knees and began to weep openly, “I am so sorry to hear this, he was a noble man, and even greater for excepting you as his own. I had grown affection towards him as we kept in contact for much of your early life… I only wish that our conversations had no ceased so long ago. What became of the dragon that killed him? Surely we will find him and seek vengeance for his death!”
“That will not be necessary, if you look outside to where I tied up my horse you will find vengeance enough.”
As the man walked over to the window, he peered outside, finding Boridell finally, a gorgeous white horse with a mane like silver and upon the saddle was tied a massive dragon arm.
“A dragon arm! But how did you procure such a trophy?”
“That arm you see tied to my horse was ripped from the dragon by my own hands during our battle. I bested him on my own and ended his reign of terror in my land.”
The man was stunned, “surely I see much of your father in you now, but what is it for a mortal man to be able to rip free a dragon’s arm from body.”
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The next two years passed by like mere seconds, but the progress accomplished made it feel like twenty. Isilbane had single handedly restored the glory and majesty of Sangon to what it had been during his father’s reign. The poverty was stricken from the land, no poor could be found, and no slums could be seen. Crops began to grow from once dead soil, bringing a lively color to the land. Where once the area was black and gray, stricken by four horsemen, there were now vibrant colors, trees, flowers, flowing streams and birds. Markets were opened throughout various parts of the city and no restrictions were placed on any who sought to move freely through all parts.
As for Sangon's army it had grown nearly ten fold, young men of Sangon were spurred by the example of Isilbane, and older men who once served under his father came back to pledge their allegiance to his righteous son. Isilbane also created a small task force comprised on five of his most capable warriors, and many times himself, calling them the Freedom Fighters. They would travel through not only the lands of Sangon but into neighboring lands seeking to rid them of evil and spread the prosperity that had become a trademark of Sangon. Truly Isilbane had stayed true to his promise, to rid the world of evil and to stand up for those who needed aid… but he always felt like there was more for him to do, like there was a greater good that could be done.
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It only took a month for the peace to turn into fear as
the entire embodiment of evil had finally risen. Since the beginning of time there had been a dark land beyond the great desert Jihara, and the seas of Yugan and Simaqua; it was known as the land of Muerdor. This land was completely devoid of life, with rocky mountain peaks surrounding the outer boarders and vicious volcanoes erupting on the land within. The soil was blighted, unsuitable for even the toughest of plants, and the sky, choked by the suet of the volcanoes was blacker the night and cast shadows across all the land. The only light came from the main volcanoes, known as Mt Doom, the fabled home of the mighty sorcerer Archimonde. It was said that Archimonde was the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk the Earth, father of the monsters of the world, and could destroy entire cities with a glare. Archimonde expanded his territory, breeding violence and evil upon a World incapable of defeating him… it was not until an unknown warrior banished him from the Earth by sacrificing his own life that the terror finally ended. With the master of Muerdor banished, Mt Doom ceased to erupt, and the darkness that loomed through the land slowly faded. Slowly Archimonde also faded into myth, deemed to be the origin of all evil and monsters that plagued mankind.
Recently messages had been sent on increased monster attacks on the land closest to Muerdor, and also news far more disturbing… Mt Doom had began to erupt once more. If it were true, if Archimonde had returned to this realm, then Isilbane would need to face him and hope to conquer a sorcerer that no one through the history of Earth could challenge. As strong as Isilbane might have been though, his powers were still only mortal while Archimonde drew his powers from the dark realm, and being immortal, it would take more then strength alone to vanquish him.
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Immediately Isilbane took council with his board, seeking advice from them on how they could stop Archimonde if he had possibly returned to this realm once more. All fell silent until the eldest of the council stood up at the very end of the table, and feebly walked over to Isilbane.
“I remember a story from when I was a child, of the Well of Khazad-Nuer, the fabled well of immortality. If you were to drink from this well then you could easily see to it that you live long enough to face Archimonde, but also to increase what mortal powers you have to that fitting of a god.”
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Cities and towns were destroyed all along the area of Muerdor, no mercy was shone to the innocent. Isilbane led the Freedom Fighters through raids of the areas, striking down man or beast that pledged allegiance to the Dark Cloak… Archimonde’s undead legion. Not only did he have control over the monsters of the World, but he had begun to resurrect his own kind, the undead, calling forth horrific creatures. Already the trial for the fate of the world was being set into motion.
On a routine battle though, things turned out to be less desirable then speculated. As the Freedom Fighters dispersed to deal with a group of ogres attacking a nearby village an ambush had been set in order to take them down. The Freedom Fighters fought valiantly against an army of hundreds of the undead legion but not even they could keep up for long. Wielding Frostmourne Isilbane held back the troops till the last of the Freedom Fighters fell and he too was consumed by the masses.
By some twist of fate however Isilbane did not suffer death as did the other Freedom Fighters… instead he was poisoned, by decree of Archimonde himself. This was the cruel fate that had been prescribed for Isilbane in the beginning, to be tainted upon his birth, unable to reach the true destiny that had been lined up for him. Unlike his mother before him, Isilbane’s system fought harder against the poison which meant he could live for a few more years before the poison had been completely passed through his entire system. It would not be long though before his motor functions would start to fade, leaving him defenseless and weak.
Knowing that if he were to die the whole resistance to Archimonde would be for naught Isilbane returned to the old man that he had encountered. The old man divulged much more of the secrets of Khazad-Nuer, even giving him a map that would lead him to the well… the only copy in the World. Still, it would be a long journey, taking close to two years to complete, so was it worth leaving Sangon leaderless just to preserve his own life? But, would it be any better to in turn leave it leaderless as the poison began to set in and eventually end his life because Isilbane was to foolish to do what he could to prevent it. Truly a dilemma, reconcilable with only one answer, neither more right then the other, yet both yielding dire consequences.
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“I have called this council to discuss a matter which will greatly effect not only all lives here in Sangon, but of those across the World. As you all know during the battle where the Freedom Fighters were ambushed, I was drugged with the same poison that had killed my mother, now, my system differs from hers greatly which means that the poison will take longer for the full effect to set in. As I have been notified, there is the well of Khazad-Nuer which if I could find would not only save my life but make me a force capable of taking on Archimonde. Should I decide to ignore the well, and let the poison set in while I keep control of the city and drive back the monster attack I will succumb in two to three years and then die. So, I’ve called you all here to discuss what course of action we might take.”
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The deliberation process took nearly two days to reach a decision, and for the better of not only Sangon but the rest of the World, Isilbane was to set out on a quest to find the well of Khazad-Nuer, but he would need to do it alone and in the two years span that it took for him to reach the well if anything were to befall him, or the poison to set in it would spell his death. There was no time to waste though, with the encroaching danger of not only the monsters but of the Dark Cloak and Archimonde, speed was of highest demand. Isilbane would need to reach the well and return before the shadow of darkness had spread to far to be defeated.
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