• Any life once residing in the Deadlands now leaves no clue of its history. The icy lands, stretching over 12,000 square miles, are in no way a home to any being or even plant-life now. The Deadlands was once a thriving landscape, and not so depressing looking, mostly with it's old name. It's old name was Aüder, and the land was all green, with snow-topped mountains. There was no rumor of war, there was no whisper, not even a sign; There was not even a strike before the armies came. The war began with the ideal that purging an Empire that had more, and controlled half the world, would sway in their favor. Ideas are only theory, until they are proven, and this idea remained but a theory.


    Aüder's defenses were on normal, as it always has been. The men looked to the sky and saw a bright flash. The bright flash almost blinded some, and those who could still see saw a meteorite with a blue tail behind it. The meteorite crashed into a mountainside; destroying much of it. The Ufa'Myr Mountain was said to be a loss, along with the residence of the city who lived inside of it. Ufa'Myr was the single strike that began it all, and brought about the coarse of the war. The city of Aüder then saw then saw their comrades to the north light their distress beacon. Explosions in the distance, alerted the guards at Aüder to get to their stations. The Great Horn of Beathmër blew, alerting all the city of the approaching war. The guards at the front gate looked out on the fields, and saw them blackened by the soldiers marching forward. The men at the front gate looked to a messenger and sent him to spread the word to the King and the General. The army before them screamed, hollered, and roared as they marched towards the front gates. When the messenger gave the king this message, he was already armored and ready for the approaching battle. He rode to the front gate and hopped off of the Eletrekk, a large creature with tusk and if completely armored was a thing to be feared. He looked over to the approaching army and gave a heavy sigh.


    King Mathieus turned to General Ghlave, "Those are not helmets upon their heads with those horns.. The Gods have given us our final challenge, Ghlave." He turned to the massing army behind the city gates and took off his helmet. As all, he gives a speech, to try and give élan -- fighting spirit -- to his soldiers. He takes his sword and lays it over his shoulder, "Men, you know me, so I shall not be light on this.. The storm is approaching, and there is no silence. Look out there, and listen to that which knocks upon our own doorstep!-" He points his sword to the army approaching the walls, "They will kill us, slaughter us, and possibly even torture us; Unless we fight! Not in five hundred years, has the humans had to fight such a drastic war, not since the times of the High Elves. Now, they come, they come to reclaim what they could not claim by right, but only can claim by force! They come for our souls, not only to kill us! The army of Hell comes for us, brothers, and we will not let them take us! Now, as the Black Army marches at us, I see in your eyes, the same fear that would quake the hearts of any mortal, or immortal, being that put eyes upon it! As we look now, upon that which comes to kill us, we can only pray; pray for forgiveness, strength, and a home to come back to! Now, men, gear up, and ready yourself. We will not die, we will survive, we're stay alive through pure brother and sisterhood!"


    The soldiers clanged their swords, axes, and rapiers against theirs shields, or pounded their polearms and glaive poles upon the cold stone laying beneath their feet. As the King has finished the soldiers hollered in unison, HOO'RAH!" The army came at the city with balistas and wall-towers. Tri-Ballistas upon the walls aimed at the bottom of the towers, to the creatures forcing it forward. The balistas fired forward; the twelve foot long rods of metal broke the towers, and devastated those below. Large cannons upon the towers and the walls of the city opened fire. The Black Army aimed their ballistas and fired, dealing heavy damage to the main entrance and the walls of the city. The door's lock had been broken by five of the ballistics. The army behind the doors readied themselves as the wall guards pounded away at the seemingly undying army. The Black Army pushed forward, and a enormous creature rose in the distance. The creature had the form of a rhinoceros and an elephant, and surprisingly had armor to fit its size. Upon its head rode the one who had thrown his army forward. The creature riding upon the Ancient Eletrekk was heavily armored. He rose his blade to the city and spoke in a strange language. At the end of his words, his army pushed forward and the gates opened.


    The army from inside of the city stormed forward, and slashed down the demons that roared towards them. The King and the General watched as the war unfolded. The King turned to the General, "Ghlaive, what have I done?" The General turned to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Better to die on your feet, than live on your knees." The King smiled and nodded, and the two men ran down, and towards the ensuing battle. General Ghlaive hacked away with his two axe-blades, and the King swung his two-handed blade down upon his enemies. The ground shook as the enormous beast rampaged through the armies, killing all who stood in its path, and smashed through the walls of the city. The King looked to the wall and his eyes were wide, horrified and awed by the ancient beast's power. He looked to Ghlaive, "Tell them to fire upon the Eletrekk!" The General screamed the orders and it passed until the men at the walls finally heard it. Luckily, the city had been built with three walls. The first wall was the weakest, the second the stronger, and the last was almost as strong as the second; Each on higher than the others. The beast roared in anger as the cannons and ballistics were shot into it. After some shots, the beast finally succumbed to the beating, and fell. The man riding it fell off and got up slowly.


    A soldier near him ran at him with a scimitar and slashed down at him. The man in heavy armor grabbed his blade and lifted him up by his throat. He held the man closer to him, his eyes that of blue eyes, yet he felt as cold as the farthest north's wind. He spoke, but his voice was barely audible, but the man's eyes widened and he cringed. He screamed as he began to become covered in a black ice. His armored became rusted, and his skin decayed. The heavily armored man turned to face the King, looking at him now. The King shook his head, "Drei, my son, what have you done?" Drei, the man in the heavy armor, who rode the beast, looked to his father. Drei exiled himself once his father signed an agreement to peace with a strange species of beings. He now stared at his father, and reached to his back, taking off his two handed blade which he would wield with one. The King lifted his blade, and a circle was made as the two armies fought around them. Mathieus took his blade in both hands and ran at his son; Drei doing the same, but wielding his blade with just one hand. Their weapons clashed and clanged as they fought. After some time of fighting, Mathieus was able to knock the blade from his son's hands.


    Drei fell to his knees and looked up to his father, none noticing the snow which had fallen. The war still raged behind them, and all around them. The clanging of metal, screams of pain, roars of fighting, all echoed around them. Mathieus rose his blade and looked down to his son, "You were to become King.. I had so much hope. Such promise. Now, look at you.. Look who you are. All you rule are but the dead, you are a Lich King.. You rule through unimposing and zombified-loyalty. There is no honor in your kingship, son.." Drei looked up to his father and said nothing. His father raised the blade higher and brought it down. Drei reached into the snow and grabbed a blade from a fallen soldier. He brought it up and blocked the blow, rising to his father, delivering a dagger into his side. He leaned forward to his father's ear, "Look at me now, daddy.. I'm what you always wanted, daddy." The King spat on in face and looked away, "You are nothing that I wanted.. You were nothing." Drei roared and twisted the dagger, ripping it out, and watches his father fall to his knees. Mathieus looked to General Ghlaive and smiles, lipping to him, 'It's time, Ghlaive. Our time.' Ghlaive looked down and ran to the city. A group of soldier protecting him on his way to the Magi Templars Temple. He burst through the door and stared to the three Templars who stood around, moving different pieces around a board covered in sand.


    Ghlaive looked to them, "The pieces have been set." The Templars look to him and look to the board. They nod and rise and walk outside. They stand upon the steps and Ghlaive returns home to his wife. He takes off his armor and embraces her, and his eyes tell of their future. Seeing him there for her, bring tears, but more of joy than sadness. The Templars watch the Black Army run towards them and they raise their hands. The Templar's Tower-top glows a ominous green and pulses. The Black Army and all others stop, looking to the tower. Silence falls over the land just moments before lain in war. The Templars begin to glow themselves and the ominous green light expands from them, and the tower deafens all around. There is no sound, no screams, no sounds of death. The light from the tower fades and all once on Aüder now is all but gone. Anything living is gone, and the city is left as it was.



    Drei walks up the steps and to his father's throne. He sits down and looks out at the snowfall. Drei lays his sword against the throne and lowers his head. His blue flaming eyes dim and he sits motionless. His head suddenly burst up and his eyes are bright with the blue fire, "Kaylil!-" The young woman jumps back from the empty book and shakes her head. She looks down and the building around her creaks, "It's not safe here anymore.." She stands and grabs her bag and the empty book. The innkeeper catches her on the way out, "Aye, girl, what is with that book? I thought it'd be a good read, you in it all the time, yet it has no print." She looks to him, stopping to only say, "History has not happened yet.." The man watches her run off and scratches his head, "Well, of course.. But, what does that have ta do with dat book?"