The End Times

As recalled by the Great Prophet, Brrapa Lu'Eraro.

The Gate:

I saw before me a great gate, massive in structure yet plain in appearance. Its doors had neither handles, nor hinges, nor lock; seeming simply to hang there in midair, baring the way. I sense immense darkness beyond the gate but when I tried to sense further I was overwhelmed by the sure power of the evil and feared for my vary soul should I seek further. I looked about me and found I was in a blackened cave, dark, cold, yet dry as a desert. Not a drop of moisture could be felt within the recesses of this cavern, Should I have spit upon the ground it would have seemed a flood to this place. I saw than in the dim torches, the source of the light that let me see anything, but they lacked fire. Instead, they glowed as if by magik, lighting the tunnel with a faint orange and purple glow. It was then that I saw it, a creature red in appearance crouching silently in a corner studying me closely. As I looked upon it its eye lit up red as if set ablaze within its skull, and slowly the creature rose before me. What a massive creature it was when fully erect before me, what an awesome brute. I could sense a Dæmonic air about it and began to fear that I was seeing before me a full fledge Dæmon of Balgurd. Feeling the growing fear within my mind, the creature laughed a deep, bellowing laugh, which seemed to cause the entire tunnel to shake. It spoke:

Why are you here old man? Why do you now stand there with a God thing at your side? Why has it brought you?

I looked to my left and felt the presence of the God Hasan standing at my side. Hasan was silent or at least spoke in no sense I could hear, but the dæmon seemed to become humbled before the God. It spoke:

I am the dæmon Rrakanychan, bested by your Kaiser millennia ago and cursed to wait in this cave till the End Times. Here I must remain until the day when the Legions of Balgurd spring forth from this gate to make war upon Mortal Man and the Gods.

I watched the creature as it spoke and sensed in it immense rage and anger as it recounted its roll to me. And yet, I pitied it, cursed for all time to remain in this cave, only to leave to warn the world of impending doom. The creature returned to its seat in the corner of the cave and paid me no more heed. It was now that Hasan turned and spake unto me:

Come O' Prophet, O' Voice of the Gods. I have more to show you.

The Battle:

Suddenly I stood upon the rampart of a mightily fortified wall, and quickly recognized it as the great capital of Shirekeep. I looked back, down into the city and saw that it was ablaze, bodies littering the streets and allies. Among the bodies ran and moved soldiers of the empire and peasant baring arms. There was a mighty crash as a ball of flame came down upon the city, landing on a building. I saw the smoke billowing up from the city, countless columns of black smoke licked the sky; the sun was obscured from sight by the thick black gasses. I looked to the keep itself and saw that it to was ablaze in sections; the roof of the great hall was collapsed. I looked to the troops in the street; their uniforms tattered and raged, their armor covered in mud and blood. As I looked, my eyes followed a company of cavalry move through the city and through the now destroyed city gate. I watched them, and as I watch, I saw a great army of men before the city wall. They marched in rank and file away from the city. As I looked out over the plain before the city, I saw it, and a mighty host it was. Thousands upon thousands of creatures marched recklessly toward the city. Hideous in appearance they were, bodies mangled and deformed but with no seeable loss of ability. They looked to have once been Mortal Men, but now, their skin was stark black and many seemed not to even have he slightest semblance of clothing or armor upon them. Hasan spoke to me:

These are the Legions of Balgurd; the twisted and mutilated souls of once Mortal Men. They serve the Dæmons now, but not by original choice. They were, many of them, once might soldiers in the Mortal Realm who has their souls forcibly removed by the Dæmon Fish. Once stolen their souls are brought back through the Gate of Balgurd where they are twisted, tortured and mutilated till they lose all traces of their humanity. They are minions of darkness now, but are not past redemption should their soul ever be freed and allowed back into the Mortal Realm their Karma could be cleansed in time.

I beseeched the God:

When did this begin?

Hasan Answered:

The legions have been upon the land for one full year. The world of Mortal Man has been utterly destroyed; all but a few strongholds of man have fallen to the Legions. This city represents one of the last strongholds of the world, yet should it fall there will be no hope for Mortal Man. Nay! Even the Gods are threatened by the advancing hordes. Should the Realm of Mortal Men fall the way shall be open for the Dæmons to make war directly upon the Realm of the Divine. Man must not fall. See now.

The Last Stand:

Something flashed before my eyes; bright white was all I could see before me, than black. The world faded back into my vision. I saw before me once again the field of battle; four days had past. The bodies of the dead covered the ground before the city walls, rivers of blood now ran were streams and brooks once ran. I saw the shattered remains of the army of Mortal Men. Across the field, much closer than when I last saw them, was the Legions of Balgurd. But they were not alone, behind them, at there back like slave drivers stood massive dæmons and other spawn of Balgurd. They were numerous and armed with weapons of great potency. I now feared for Mortal Man, and for the Gods, but as my fear began to grow, I saw figured moving among the army of man. The Gods themselves, accompanied by warriors of ages long past, prepared for the final onslaught. I saw there Mors and Tempus side by side, wielding The Sword of Death and the Sword of Tempus. I saw then Kaisers, warriors and nobles of ages past preparing for war. I saw moving among the wounded the Goddesses Viviantia and Breiza healing the wounded and dying. There too I saw all the other Gods of the Celestial Temple preparing for war, arming themselves with divine weapons and armor.

Soon the time of battle was upon them, the final battle which in essence determined the fate of the world was soon to begin. Man versus Monster, God versus Dæmon. It was now that Hasan turned to me again:

The Gods have been preparing for this time since the beginning times and even we do not know the outcome. We have saved all the great warriors and tacticians of ages past in the Hall of Valhalla in preparation for this day. We have forged the Great Swords and armor divine for this battle and even that may not stop the Legions and their Dæmon masters. Remember what you have seen here.

As he finished speaking, the two armies marched swiftly toward each other and as the two forces began to clash, something flashed before my eyes and I awoke.