“...In the beginning, God made monsters. He created and shaped them with his own hands, making demented creatures with vicious fangs and long, sharp feet similar to knives. He sculpted drooping oil monsters and vampires. When the first humans were created, they called the monsters ‘Critvas,’ meaning ‘Creatures of The Dark’. God did not know that, due to the monsters, a long period of pure darkness would emerge, plunging the whole human population into shelter. Day by day people were massacred, killed by the monsters’ hands. After 50 years, with an estimated 50 remaining humans left, 4 heroes emerged. They slayed the monsters with magically forged blades, their armor enchanted. It only took a few months for the monsters to go back into hiding, to go back into the dark. Most people thought it was over, that the monsters had eventually died from starvation. Oh, how wrong we were.”
-Lukin Karvast, Professor of Commonwealth Mysteries at College of Magic, 120 AC (After Chaos)
I knew from day one that the monsters were my biggest enemy. Most people knew that about themselves too. They lurked anywhere. From caves to closets in keeps, they were everywhere. They could contort themselves into anything, from a metal bucket to a broom. They could also strike at any time, and were ready to at any moment.
I had learned this the hard way, back when I was a child. It was an idyllic day, the sun shining with warm weather. I was walking through the forest, off to collect berries for my mother, when, out of nowhere, I heard a rustling in the bushes. I looked around, confused at where it was coming from. It was too late however, and before I knew what was going on, a vampire was on me. He had pushed me to the ground, his breath stinking of rotten meat and manure. He stared at me with wide eyes. There was bloodthirst in his eyes, I just knew it. Before he could bite into me, I grabbed my dagger, plunging it into his side.
I will always remember coming back home and telling her everything, about his cold eyes and the bloodlust that loomed over him. It would only be a year later that everything plunged into chaos. Monsters started to emerge stronger than ever. They had forged specialized armor that could shatter any normal steel blade instantly. To protect myself, my mother gave me an obsidian dagger.
It is said that obsidian daggers ward off monsters if you carry them around, and will grant you protection through anyplace. That is wrong however. It would not be soon that I was greeted by another monster, this time an oil monster. Like my first encounter, I was in the forest, this time at night. It was a full moon, with no clouds in the sky. The monster pounced on me from the bushes, suctioning itself onto me. It closed around my body, its black shape squeezing tight and tighter. I was about to die, I realized in these moments. However, God had other plans, as a monster hunter came to my aid, stashing the monster in half before my eyes. I was full of wonder, of adrenaline, looking at how valiant the hunter had killed the monster. I want to be just like him, to kill monsters as if they were nothing to worry about.
Before he could walk away, I thanked him, and asked if I could join him. To my surprise, he said yes. At that moment, my life changed before my eyes. I was only 15 at the time, yet nonetheless, I felt a grown man, ready to tackle the world head on.
As we neared my mother’s cottage to get my items, something felt wrong immediately. Blood was splattered at the door, and as we entered, I saw a Valshi, a monster commonly referred to as “The Bloodsucker” due to its long fangs. It looked similar to a grown human, but with contorted limbs and bumps and warts. The whole world was spinning for me, as I saw the Valshi climb onto my mother’s dead body, biting her neck repeatedly for blood. The hunter, in a matter of seconds, used his magic, cutting the Valshi in half.
After grabbing the items, we left. Images of mother’s dead body filled my head the first day on the road. Sorrow filled me, yet I still pushed on. I had to be like the 4 saviors, to preserve and get my revenge on the monsters. That was simply the beginning.
Now, as I traversed a long road at night, three years later from where I started, I had a feeling that something was watching me. There was a full moon out, and ahead of me loomed Count Kentyik’s Castle. You could have seen it from a mile away due to how large and tall it was. Tall, sharp spires rose from its darkened stone, with spikes hanging on the crenelations. On the spikes were traitors’ bodies, tared and picked at by the crows. For years the Count had treated the people badly, raising their taxes by over 50% percent in 1 month. Most folk had left the Count’s province, due to the mistreatment. So many had left it felt like a ghost town.
As I approached the main gates, a guard stopped me. He wore the Count’s sigil, a burnt, contorted body with blood splatters adoring it.
“Stop. What business do you have with the Count?” The guard asked.
“I’m here to talk to him about bounties.” I replied.
“You may enter.” The guard said, signaling to the man on top of the crenulation.
As the gate opened, I was led, by another guard, inside the castle. We passed through multiple velvet hallways, decorated with ornate mahogany furniture and fine silks. Paintings hung everywhere, varying from landscapes to the Count and his 10 children. Most of the children were gone, a majority of them at The College of Magic up North.
When I entered the main hall, the Count was sitting on his mahogany throne. The hall had tapestries covering its walls, and tall, arching windows bringing in moonlight. Sconces lit the room as a whole, however, most were already burnt out due to how late the hour was.
“As I’m told, you're a monster hunter, eh?” The Count said. He had a slight speech impediment, making each word sound like it ended in S.
“Yes. I am here for any leads.” I said.
“Well, you're going to be happy, sir, as we have a runaway Scrava. If you catch it for me, you’ll get compensated with 800 gold coins. Is it a deal?” Scravas are deformed cats, having two extra hind limbs and 2 extra eyes. They have sharp venomous fangs that, if bitten, will kill the victim if not treated at least 24 hours after the injury.
“ I’ll catch it for you. Do you know where it was last seen?”
“South, near the village of Bucarria.”
“Alright. I get it for you.” As I was about to leave the castle, the Count stopped me.
“Wait. If you need provisions, I can give you some. We have a wealth of food at the moment.” I nodded to his proposition, waiting till, after a few minutes, one of his servants brought a sack full of cheese, crackers, and jerky. I thanked the Count before leaving the castle. It was time to go catch the Scrava.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“For thy Lord knows all people who sin against Him, and go towards the dark side, are condemned to eternity in Vircoa, Lord Of Dark’s Prison, in which you are continually burned in the Lord’s volcano, every part of your body scorched away to nothing but ashes in the air. You are then fed to the Creatures of The Dark, stabbed ten thousand times by their freshly sharpened blades. You will go to the very bottom of the continent, and feel God’s wrath as he tosses you around like someone in a seizure. It is said that by then, nothing is left of you but your soul, eternally damned and always in some kind of suffering.”
- Nurvo Hati, High Priest of The College of Magic, 98 BC (Before Chaos)
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After a few days of scavenging through the woods, and talking to the locals in Bucarria, I had no idea of Scrava’s whereabouts. It had seemingly vanished from thin air. My idea was to look inside some of the nearby caves, and see if I could find it in there. I didn’t have the best knowledge about Scravas, so at this point I was guessing.
Eventually, I found a cavern right next to Bucarria. The moment I entered, I knew it would be a long day. I had to squeeze through multiple tight spaces, on average spending an hour or more figuring out how to get all my supplies through the tight cracks.
After what felt like 2 years, I stumbled upon a large cavern. Vines wrapped around the walls, and in the center lay a tall, broken tower. Around the tower, in a circle, lay ancient runes from the first people. From my understanding of runes, they meant “Tomb of Lord Korvinath, 20-105 AB”
I walked forward, cautious and confused on what I was walking onto. As I stepped on the runes, the whole cavern lit up, purple fog filling the room. In the center, instead of a ruined tower, was an Undead Lord. Undead Lords were known across the land as the most dangerous of monsters. They were the products of monsters getting into freshly laid tombs, biting the newly dead body and turning it alive again, but in a totally different form. An undead form.
The Undead Lord was dressed in magical armor, his sword 5 feet long. He seemed to tower over me, his white hair swaying valiantly as he swung his sword. Before He could hit me, he ruled, cutting his leg. The Lord swayed, but did not fall down as I had expected. I pulled my magic, channeling a minor earthquake. The ground shook harder than I had expected, sending the Lord tumbling down. One of his arms slammed against the cavern wall, falling upon his face. The Lord stopped moving, and for a second, I thought I was safe. That was a wrong presumption, as a second later, the Lord got up unfazed, grunting in pain. Instead of using his long sword, he channeled magic, old magic. Old magic was more powerful than any other type. Some say that old magic is the most powerful type of magic, able to kill someone in seconds if done right. I was worried. These could be my last moments, I realized.
The Lord filled the room with lighting, striking down with such momentum that the cavern continued to fall and shatter to pieces. I got out of the lighting storm by hiding under a piece of rock. This gave me a moment to think, to get ready for one big strike that would finish him off once and for all. I channeled a ball of fury, full of lightning and flowing lava that would burn through him like nothing.
When the moment came to unleash my maelstrom, I stood front and center, ready to counteract any moves he had done before. I was going to change the game. I let the magic go. Everything went black as a lava tornado zoomed through the room, lighting zapping anyone in the storm’s path. The Lord fell to pieces. He rolled around in pain as the storm consumed his body. His arms and legs burned off slowly, the air smelling of cooked meat. He seemed to whisper something to me, as if it were his last words.
“Ikha Knho Gretn Olpok Boncrot Minowb Nyi”
“You, thy chose one, are ready for Gorvan of Yuino.”
I knew just what he wanted. Gorvan of Yuino’s ruined castle was north of here. He was the next Undead Lord. The Lord wanted me to continue the quest, to kill all the Undead Lords. I’d heard, as a child, that the key to stopping the monsters was to kill all the Undead Lords. The Undead Lords were the rulers of the Monsters, often controlling their whereabouts. However, before I could even kill the Lords, I needed to kill the Scrava.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“For on that night, in 40 BC (Before Chaos), the King of Korvay knew that his kingdom was doomed. In a few days he would lose it all, for the monsters were coming, and he barely had an army. The Long Nightfall would happen, and he wouldn’t be able to stop it like he had promised. It had been like the witch said. He was cursed with unluckiness for a reason. It was karma for killing his wife. It was retribution for killing his daughter. The Chaos had come, and it would consume him whole.”
-Jurva Kmni, College of Magic, 120 AC (After Chaos)
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I set up camp near the caves entrance, cooking a bird that I had hunted earlier. I fell asleep that night, waking up laying in water, everything around me covered in fog. I heard a faint whisper, saying something incoherent. Gradually however, the voices got louder and louder. I could finally make out what they were saying.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
“Thy savior will come, oh he will. He will bring light to the gradual darkness that we are in. He will plunge the darkness into the light of God, and turn all foreign evil into ashes. He will die valiantly, knowing that, in the end, there will be no escape to God’s plan. He has risen into the light, yet no one but himself knows of it. THE LIGHT WILL SURVIVE THE DARKNESS.”
I awoke sweaty and gasping for air. I hurriedly looked around to see where I was, and realized that I wasn’t at my camp. I was underground, in what looked like a mineshaft. My armor was on, and I felt fine. Why was I here? Where was I? There was no clear answer, yet I knew I would find out soon. I walked down the mineshaft, turning a corner. As he turned, however, the floor fell through. The whole world went black.
When I awoke, water surrounded me. I had fallen through the floor, and landed 12 stories down into a cavern full of water. I don’t know how I survived. Maybe it was God, maybe it was luck. Either way, I had survived the drop. I felt that I was supposed to be here, in this cavern. Whatever lay ahead was supposed to be for me. Whoever lay ahead was for me to kill.
I crossed the cavern into another cave, this one much smaller. Moss covered the walls, and lily pads grew in the small ponds that dotted the cave. It wasn’t till I moved past the cave that I found what was destined for me. Ahead lay Gorvan of Yuino. I knew it. I was under Gorvan of Yuino’s Castle. God had led me here.
I stepped into the cavern’s threshold, into the rune circle. The world lit up in a pink fog, covering everything. In the distance, Gorvan of Yuino stood. The Lord was dressed in intricately carved ebony armor. He had no sword, instead a staff. It was tall, made of Darkwood, an ancient, extinct tree known for its magical properties. The Lord was tall, 5 feet taller than me, with a gruff voice.
“WHY HAVE YOU COME?” He asked.
“To slay you. I have come to unite the whole realm.”
“YOU MAY TRY, BUT NONE HAVE KILLED ME YET. MAY GOD HAVE YOUR SIDE.”
The Lord slammed his staff to the ground, fire balls shooting down upon me. I channeled a shield, and then an elemental explosion. I aimed the blast right at his chest, and when released, the cavern went silent.
In the ashes, I heard a voice.
“YOU HAVE BESTED ME.”
No. How? It could not have been that easy. I was prepared for when he emerged from the rubble, stronger than ever. The Lord had sent lava coursing through the walls, and even on the ceiling. I channeled a shield before channeling my most daring magic trick ever. It was called the silent kill. I put lighting, fire, and lava together. I wound them together into an elemental ball, binding it so tight that if I made one wrong magical knot, the whole thing would burst, killing me and all those in its path. As I aimed, I prepared for the blast it would leave. If this went wrong, I would die.
When I let go, everything went black.
As the cavern shook, the Lord collapsed. The voices came to me again, but I knew, this time, that they were real, and not fake like before.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Oh, you're all I know
But what can I do if I can't see you?
It's too bright
Broken glass that shines like northern lights
So I pray, but the world burns
And still, you need to come first
So I don't know where you stand
Are you a man?
Are you something I can't stand?
Hands reaching out for new gods
You can't give me what I want
But what do I know? Oh
What do I know?
I wanna let go, I”
-New Gods, Grimes, 2020
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“You have done what we have asked. The next step will be North, in Harvan. Kuripo The Mighty lays ahead. You have one last task we ask of you. Listen in the dark, and we will lead you along. Follow the way out, and he lies ahead of you. Trust the darkness, my friend.”
I found a way out of the cave, finding myself in the Gorvan of Yuino Castle gardens. It had just rained, and it smelled of mud. I wound through the gardens and into the main hall of the Castle. The main hall was crumbling, the walls broken and coated in blood. 100 years ago there had been the Siege of Yuino, in which thousands of monsters had attacked the castle. The siege had lasted over 1 year, in which Yuino and his resilient knights fought against the dark. In Yuino’s last moments, the monsters got him. Kuripo was my next opponent, not Yuino.
In the corner of the room I saw the tail of a Scrava. At that moment, I rushed towards it, grabbing the tail and slicing its head off with my sword. It was a quick and clean kill. I would go back to the Count for payment. Saving the world mattered more than money, I realized in the moment.
I traversed North, through villages and keeps alike. The more I moved north, the more extreme the weather got. I pushed on, and eventually found Kurpio’s castle. I entered through the main gate, passing the remnants of an ancient castle, to find Kurvio in the center of the main hall. Once I started the fight, I could not end it. I activated the circle, and instead of a colored smoke like I exspected, I got a mouthful of water. Kurvio channeled water into my eyes. I fought back with my shield, till I couldn’t hold it any more. Something activated in me, and the next second, I knocked Kurvio to the ground with a gust of magic. I channeled a magical blade, but before I could strike the Lord flung me to the ground, shooting ice crystals at me, the sharp crystals stabbing me in the rib and thigh. I screamed in pain, paralyzed by the pain. He rained fireballs upon me. My skin burned. In this desperate moment, I put my everything into making a lighting strike. I groaned in pain as the magic consumed me. I let all the pain go. Everything went black. Everything collapsed. The whole world stopped. The voices spoke to me: It is done, the darkness is gone…
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“I met a woman with lips so red
A face so lined like spider webs
I'll always remember the things she said
They were so wise, she ope'd my eyes and they'll never close again
Oh, how she sighed when she stubbed her cigarette
I felt compelled to enquire of her success
How do you do? How can you be so in love with yourself?
Tell me please 'cause I need help
She said
Every time you are succeeding
There's an old man somewhere, seething
And spite's as good a reason to take his power
When you hate the body you are in
Oh love, you're acting just for him
As he counts his gold and green in his ivory tower
Our fear it lines his pockets love
So take that rage and bottle up
And put a drop into his cup of wine
You don't need him, you don't need me
With that poisoned bottle you'll be free
But be damn sure you don't mix it up with mine
I met a young girl with eyes so bright
She was already getting sick of life
Her arms were laden with his merchandise
She asked me why I no longer try and waste my time
And I said "spite"
'Cause every time you are succeeding
There's an old man somewhere seething
And spite's as good a reason to take his power
When you hate the body you are in
Oh love, you're acting just for him
As he counts his gold and green in his ivory tower
Our fear it lines his pockets love
So take that rage and bottle up
And put a drop into his cup of wine
You don't need him, you don't need me
With that poisoned bottle you'll be free
But be damn sure you don't mix it up with mine
Be damn sure you don't mix it up with mine
I met a woman with lips so red
Always remember the things she said”
-as good a reason, Paris Paloma, 2023
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When I awoke, a ghostly woman lay in front of me. The ruins of the castle were covered in a thick, gray fog. Her dress was torn and blood stained. She was blue, I noticed.
“Savior, it is done. They’re gone.” She said, her voice smooth and relaxing.
“The monsters are gone?” I asked.
“Yes. Savior, the Almighty is pleased with your work. He has gifted you the Blade of Mighty Morgin. It is a great honor to give you this. I am Lady Harkil, the Lord's personal advisor. Prosperity awaits us.” Lady Harkil faded into the mist ahead. I lay in the ruins thinking I’d saved the world. I was wrong, I knew it. This was not the end.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Who are you
The proud lord said
That I must bow so low?
Only a cat of a different claw
That's all the truth I know
And a coat of gold
Or a coat of red
A lion still has claws
Mine are as long and sharp my lord
As long and sharp as yours
And so he spoke
And so he spoke
That lord of Castamere
But now the rain
Weep o'er his hall
With no one there to hear
Yes now the rain
Weep over his hall
And not a soul to hear
Who are you
The proud lord said
That I must bow so low?
Only a cat of a different coat
That's all the truth I know
And a coat of gold
Or a coat of red
A lion still has claws
Mine are as long and sharp my lord
As long and sharp as yours”
Rains Of Castamere, Kiki Rockwell, 2023
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Epioluge:
Left in the dirt lay a note, forgotten by the courier. The letter said:
From: Olivan Kentyik,
To: Count Juna
My Lord Juna, the plan is coming into fruition. We have outposts set up. The magic generators are working. The portal will be ready when you arrive. If you please, we have set up a tent for you and your servants. It would be best if you ride to us as fast as possible.
There were still monsters in the world left to kill…
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Rise up o flame by thy light glowing
Show to us beauty, vision and joy
Rise up o flame
By thy light glowing (Rise up o flame)
Show to us beauty (By thy light glowing)
Vision and joy (Show to us beauty)
Rise up o flame (Vision and joy)
By thy light glowing (Rise up o flame)
Show to us beauty (By thy light glowing; Rise up o flame)
Vision and joy (Show to us beauty; By thy light glowing)
Rise up o flame (Vision and joy; Show to us beauty)
By thy light glowing (Rise up o flame; Vision and joy)
Show to us beauty (By thy light glowing; Rise up o flame)
Vision and joy (Show to us beauty; By thy light glowing)
(Vision and joy)”
Rise Up O Flame, Kiki Rockwell, 2023
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“...When the 4 saviors arrived, no one knew where they came from, or if they had good intentions. There was so much distrust that no one knew who to trust. In this edition, we will go through each one, and where they came.
* Corinthian - Also known as “Jorvint,” meaning “Killer Of Flowers”. He is called this due to his power in channeling the Earth. It is said that he came from the sky, though that is all we know. Scarce information is known about him.
* Irulnetu - Also known as “Bratret,” meaning “Butcher of Children”. His main power came from his sword, made from enchanted obsidian. Some sources say that he worked for over 2 years in a cave forging the sword. It is said that he came from a village north of the Hurvik province. He was in love with Urin, some sources say, too.
* Urin - Known as “Myjuk,” meaning “Wolf Hunter of Brovnik”, she was a warrior and hunter, known for her skills in long range sports. She specialized in using the bow and arrow, often making her own magical arrows that could go over 300 miles an hour and kill in under a second. As said before, she was in love with Irulnetu. She was born in Brovnik. Her parents were killed during the beggining of the Great Chaos.
* Mikolaik - Known as “Gruyki,” meaning “Sword Slinger of Dawranger”. She specialized in swords, using her enchanted blade, The Blade Of Dawnrage, crafted in the Dawnrange Mountains, to kill monsters. Not much is known except for that she was born in Dawranger. “
Book Of The 4 Saviors, Compiled by the Colledge of Magic, 120 AC (After Chaos)
THE END