DiscordGod
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Hello, I joined this website to post my idea for a potential Drakan 3 (talked about it here on this post). While I am very aware that Drakan's original developer (Surreal Software) have been closed since 2011 plus currently the series IP copyright is in purgatory between Warner Bros and Sony (with Surreal being merged into Monolith Productions), which means that sadly the chances of a third game being ever made are close to zero, I wanted to share my idea with everyone here so I can live in peace knowing that a Drakan 3 sorta exists even if it's basically just a fanfiction. I should give a disclaimer that English isn't my birth language and I suck at creating fantasy names (be it for species, characters, locations, etc) so every original name here is a placeholder (including the game's actual title/logo). Also most likely other people have their own personal visions about how a Drakan 3 should be like, however given that Drakan's fanbase is very small and the series is quite obscure/underrated then it's best we currently have unless a miracle happens and Sony/WB actually decides to someday make a third game. PS: this post is going to be a very long read (especially the plot/story), so I hope you can see and understand all of this text (plus images)- I tried my best separating the paragraphs while making this as comprehensive and visually clear as possible. So anyways, I hope you enjoy reading!
Drakan: Legacy of the Gods (potential title for Drakan 3) is a semi-open world action-adventure game with RPG elements that serves as a sequel to The Ancients' Gates and serves as the grand finale of the Drakan series. It's released for Microsoft Windows PC, Xbox and Play Station (whatever number/model exists currently at the time), created by either Monolith Productions or another company with the approval of Warner Bros and Sony. There won't be a Nintendo Switch and iOS/Android/etc version, unless the devs first make a prequel (working title "Drakan 0" or "Drakan Zero") which tests both the idea and engine where you play as Heron instead of Rynn, although given the backstory lore the final boss against Navaros/Kaeros will be very anti-climactic. Assuming the prequel gets made first and meets critical/financial expectations, then a sequel will be greenlit and Legacy of the Gods can finally be made to finish up the whole series. PS: don't know if potentially other media such as comic book novelization would be made to help with the game's marketing and promote it for a wider audience.
1.Graphics will obviously be improved compared to the previous 2 (or 3) games, however the real problem is choosing a correct visual artstyle that captures the aesthetic feel of the Drakan universe instead of being just generic bland modern HD artstyle.
2.Game ideally will not have woke SJW political agenda forced into it, no DLC/loot boxes/microtransactions/etc (when you buy the game, it's a full packaged experience), if there are glitches then update patches will be free. BTW everything in the game will be created by humans, which means absolutely nothing will be AI-generated (art, music, sound, voices, etc) with programs like Stable Diffusion, ChatGPT, etc. I hate that stuff, in fact when searching/creating images for this post I deliberately avoided using any images which are AI-generated.
3.Regarding stability, Drakan 3 will be well-optimized and have settings to run on many computers. I don't know if it's possible to have a video game without any bugs, however Drakan 3 will be polished enough to be as good as possible. Also mods will be enabled for the PC version. Drakan 3 will run at 60 fps without any slowdown and visual problems (e.g. draw distance pop-ups). Game will be made cleverly without players ever having to lose any content and getting soft-locked.
4.Rynn and Arokh both won't ever get any love interests, they will remain celibate since cliche romance will get in the way of the game's plot (you are still free to ship them with each other if you wish though).
5.Drakan 3 will not be a "cinematic walking simulator" like most Western AAA games nowadays, it will be the same as the previous 2 Drakan games but with QOL improvements.
6.Decidedly, all 3 versions (PC, Xbox and Play Station) of Drakan 3 will have trophies/achievements for completing the various tasks required (e.g. killing all bosses, clearing difficulty modes, getting 100% completion, etc).
7.Multiplayer component would either be included with the game at launch or added later via patch, assuming of course it's possible to have a MP mode at all.
8.Must say the first 2 games' OST will be used with a handful of new tracks composed, for example a theme for the main menu (you can also toggle between Drakan 1 and 2's theme in the menu, or just deactivate all 3 themes).
9.There will be a day and night cycle (1 minute IRL will be 1 hour ingame, just like the 3D era of Grand Theft Auto), with occasional weather effects like rain and snow.
10.The HUD will now include a minimap radar like most other open-world games, although it can be disabled via the ingame's options menu.
11.All cutscenes can be skipped. Like the previous games, you can save anywhere (even in the middle of a fight) so long as it's not during a playing cutscene.
12.I don't know how blood and gore will be implemented (personally would love dismemberment like the first game), however Drakan 3 will be M-rated particularly because of its violence.
2.Game ideally will not have woke SJW political agenda forced into it, no DLC/loot boxes/microtransactions/etc (when you buy the game, it's a full packaged experience), if there are glitches then update patches will be free. BTW everything in the game will be created by humans, which means absolutely nothing will be AI-generated (art, music, sound, voices, etc) with programs like Stable Diffusion, ChatGPT, etc. I hate that stuff, in fact when searching/creating images for this post I deliberately avoided using any images which are AI-generated.
3.Regarding stability, Drakan 3 will be well-optimized and have settings to run on many computers. I don't know if it's possible to have a video game without any bugs, however Drakan 3 will be polished enough to be as good as possible. Also mods will be enabled for the PC version. Drakan 3 will run at 60 fps without any slowdown and visual problems (e.g. draw distance pop-ups). Game will be made cleverly without players ever having to lose any content and getting soft-locked.
4.Rynn and Arokh both won't ever get any love interests, they will remain celibate since cliche romance will get in the way of the game's plot (you are still free to ship them with each other if you wish though).
5.Drakan 3 will not be a "cinematic walking simulator" like most Western AAA games nowadays, it will be the same as the previous 2 Drakan games but with QOL improvements.
6.Decidedly, all 3 versions (PC, Xbox and Play Station) of Drakan 3 will have trophies/achievements for completing the various tasks required (e.g. killing all bosses, clearing difficulty modes, getting 100% completion, etc).
7.Multiplayer component would either be included with the game at launch or added later via patch, assuming of course it's possible to have a MP mode at all.
8.Must say the first 2 games' OST will be used with a handful of new tracks composed, for example a theme for the main menu (you can also toggle between Drakan 1 and 2's theme in the menu, or just deactivate all 3 themes).
9.There will be a day and night cycle (1 minute IRL will be 1 hour ingame, just like the 3D era of Grand Theft Auto), with occasional weather effects like rain and snow.
10.The HUD will now include a minimap radar like most other open-world games, although it can be disabled via the ingame's options menu.
11.All cutscenes can be skipped. Like the previous games, you can save anywhere (even in the middle of a fight) so long as it's not during a playing cutscene.
12.I don't know how blood and gore will be implemented (personally would love dismemberment like the first game), however Drakan 3 will be M-rated particularly because of its violence.
1.Rynn can run, walk, sneak, jump, crouch, roll, swim, climb, etc like the previous games. She can fight with either melee weapons, long-ranged weapons (each arrow type is connected to its bow) or magical spells (although some can be used to solve puzzles). Rynn can fight, explore, do basic platforming, interact with some items (e.g. switches), can equip body armor, use shields (which have limited hit points before they break) and parry/block physical attacks from enemies. Arokh can walk or fly and shoot various elemental projectiles at enemies.
2.Both characters can level up- XP is earned by killing enemies (including bosses) and unlike Drakan 2, completing quests (which give the biggest amount of XP). The level cap is 100, when the characters level up you gain 1 skill point which can be used to upgrade 1 of 4 branches of your tree (which only applies to Rynn)- Melee Combat, Ranged Combat, Dodging & Blocking and Spellcasting (the max level for all branches is 10, you start at level 1). Also every 3 levels you can earn 1 perk which gives permanent benefits (e.g. Rynn's oxygen capacity is increased or Arokh can obtain red health orbs from all flying enemies upon death, instead it being random). There are 33 perks from leveling up and 7 hidden perks for doing mundane things (e.g. looking through a telescope in an observatory). Be warned however that skill points cost for leveling up your skill tree branches goes up, however you gain a permanent upgrade whenever you raise the branch's level- e.g the higher level Ranged Combat skill branch will increase your bow's range of attack.
Character Tree Skill Point Cost Per Level:
Level 2 and 3- 1 skill point, Level 4 and 5- 2 skill points, Level 6 and 7- 3 skill points, Level 8 and 9- 4 skill points, finally Level 10- 5 skill points.
1+2+3+4=10x2=20+5=25 skill points required for every tree branch (there are four of these, so 25x4=100 max level cap)
3.Rynn can learn in this game new moves for various weapons by spending your gold, all of them are thankfully available from the start. All moves can be chained together in combos which can kill enemies quicker (of course, Drakan 3 has difficulty levels and on the higher ones your foes become stronger), such as the Devil May Cry-esque "lift smaller enemies into the air then juggle them with melee strikes until they die" combo. Rynn can also block, however enemies hitting the weapon or shield when blocking will its endurance until it breaks. If Rynn performs a parry move in the middle of an enemy hit animation, she will perform a counter attack which briefly incapacitates the enemy plus dealing massive damage.
4.Treasure will have multiple items of different monetary values (bag of gold coins, gemstones, jewelry, etc) like the second game used to purchase and repair items, although if your item breaks then its lost forever and you need to buy a new one from a merchant. You can also drop items on the ground or sell them to people and earn some gold. Quest items cannot be sold for obvious reasons.
5.Body armors now have perks tied to them which provide benefits even if the armor has low defense rating (shields don't have this feature, also their usage is optional). There are a total of 19 armor sets in the game (20, if you count Rynn's default clothes), with each new armor giving additional 5% of damage reduction- the final armor in the game has 95% damage reduction. Mounting and playing as Arokh will automatically reduce most damage by various percentage depending on difficulty mode, because he's a large frickin dragon. Of course, remember that some enemies also wear armor, so you need to use mithril/elemental/magical weapons (or spells) otherwise they mitigate your damage. Likewise, some bosses and enemies have resistance or even outright immunity to certain types of attacks but will take more damage from other types- e.g. ice golems are immune to ice and water elements, but will take more damage from either magma, fire or thunder attacks.
6.There are side quests and various collectibles, the latter of which don't go into your inventory but instead get permanently absorbed by the player. There are 100 hidden secrets as well, you don't need to worry about missing any of this because Drakan 3 will have a New Game Plus feature unlike previous games which really increases the replay value of this game. Read below (this post's very bottom) for more information.
7.Weapons, armors, bows and shields can be repaired but most of them lose 10% durability each time it's done- there are few rare exceptions like the Bow of Ahura, plus also there are some items which are indestructible so you don't have to worry about repairing them.
8.Keys for opening special golden chests and one secret optional dungeon. Because the player shouldn't be overwhelmed with carrying too many keys in their inventory, these chests will be very rare. PS: unlike the second game (because PS2 limitations), here an item disappears from your inventory when you equip it so you need to click on Rynn who is turned around looking towards the screen to highlight equipped items and place them back in the inventory or drop them on the ground.
9.Arokh can feed on large animal corpses to regain health, while Rynn can find and buy or sell human-made food items (livestock meat, bread, fruit, vegetables, etc) which are cheap but restore very little health (less than red elixirs). You don't need to ever worry about hunger/thirst, bathroom needs, rest/sleep and climate in gameplay however when Rynn swims underwater she has limited oxygen supply therefore get out before you run out of breath and end up dying underwater. Also unlike the first game, here flying with Arokh won't leave you with motion sickness because in Drakan 3 you won't be able to ever flip over and fly upside-down (I have seen alot of players complaining about first game causing Arokh to fly with his back towards the ground and his belly up in the sky).
10.The AI of Arokh will be improved, however now there is a new gameplay feature when pressing the "dragon action" button. Holding it down will reveal a "cross" with 5 options (fifth is in the middle, use directional buttons)- Follow, Hold Your Ground, Land Close, Attack Enemies and Switch Character. Follow causes Arokh to walk or fly (if underground) around to stay closer to you, Hold Your Ground causes him to remain in one place, Land Close functions like the same "dragon calling" ability in previous games, Attack Enemies makes him protect Rynn by shooting at everything, while Switch Character makes you swap between Rynn and Arokh (similar to swapping between characters in GTA V). This means you can play as just Arokh without Rynn, while the latter stands still in one place!
11.Inventory can be opened and potions can be used while riding Arokh, no such luck with spells though. PC version will have keyboard hotkeys for your needs while PlayStation and Xbox versions will have a quick select wheel akin to Drakan 2. Of course like in the previous games, you are vulnerable in Drakan 3 while the inventory is opened, also during your mounting/dismounting animations of Arokh. So be careful whenever you do such things, otherwise nearby enemies can kill you!
12.Rynn and Arokh strafe in the 8 directions like in the previous games, the direction they are facing depends on where your camera is moved. However you can freelook with specific button combinations, aim in 1st person with bows, lock onto enemies/bosses, do an instant 180 degrees turn, accelerate/dash with Arokh while flying and change how far/close the camera is to Rynn/Arokh via in-game options menu.
13.Both Rynn and Arokh can be grabbed by enemies, forcing the player to mash buttons and wiggle mouse/joystick to get free. Gimmick levels (e.g. slippery ice, quicksand, lava, swimming underwater, etc) and stage hazards (e.g. plants which shoot poison or thorns) also have been added in Drakan 3. Ailments now can affect our heroes, which slowly deplete your health but can be quickly cured with any healing item. The health meter will change color depending on status: red- normal blood, white- taking damage, blue- healing, yellow- acid, green- poison and brown- disease. Latter 3 act the same in gameplay, the only difference is visual indicator.
14.Player no longer needs to make weird gestures with controller (or keyboard and mouse) to cast spells. You can either select the magic from the designated menu or scroll between all spells with the push of a button to automatically equip it. But Rynn cannot wield any weapons if a spell is equipped instead, switching to a weapon or pressing the "stow away item" button will deactivate the spell and Rynn will go back into warrior mode.
15.Remember that you can save anywhere while playing and the items' positions will remain untouched in your save file. However every time you enter a new continent or planet, either the game will autosave your progress or a manual save prompt will appear to remind you.
16.Weapons and other items will have "rarity ranks" which determine how often they appear in the game world, their durability and how much they cost/sell in the market. Common (e.g. weapons are rusty and have 50 or less durability remaining), Valuable, Rare, Epic, Legendary and lastly Perfect (e.g. weapons are indestructible). The respective colors are (from worst going to best): Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple and lastly White. Reminder that quest items cannot ever be sold.
2.Both characters can level up- XP is earned by killing enemies (including bosses) and unlike Drakan 2, completing quests (which give the biggest amount of XP). The level cap is 100, when the characters level up you gain 1 skill point which can be used to upgrade 1 of 4 branches of your tree (which only applies to Rynn)- Melee Combat, Ranged Combat, Dodging & Blocking and Spellcasting (the max level for all branches is 10, you start at level 1). Also every 3 levels you can earn 1 perk which gives permanent benefits (e.g. Rynn's oxygen capacity is increased or Arokh can obtain red health orbs from all flying enemies upon death, instead it being random). There are 33 perks from leveling up and 7 hidden perks for doing mundane things (e.g. looking through a telescope in an observatory). Be warned however that skill points cost for leveling up your skill tree branches goes up, however you gain a permanent upgrade whenever you raise the branch's level- e.g the higher level Ranged Combat skill branch will increase your bow's range of attack.
Character Tree Skill Point Cost Per Level:
Level 2 and 3- 1 skill point, Level 4 and 5- 2 skill points, Level 6 and 7- 3 skill points, Level 8 and 9- 4 skill points, finally Level 10- 5 skill points.
1+2+3+4=10x2=20+5=25 skill points required for every tree branch (there are four of these, so 25x4=100 max level cap)
3.Rynn can learn in this game new moves for various weapons by spending your gold, all of them are thankfully available from the start. All moves can be chained together in combos which can kill enemies quicker (of course, Drakan 3 has difficulty levels and on the higher ones your foes become stronger), such as the Devil May Cry-esque "lift smaller enemies into the air then juggle them with melee strikes until they die" combo. Rynn can also block, however enemies hitting the weapon or shield when blocking will its endurance until it breaks. If Rynn performs a parry move in the middle of an enemy hit animation, she will perform a counter attack which briefly incapacitates the enemy plus dealing massive damage.
4.Treasure will have multiple items of different monetary values (bag of gold coins, gemstones, jewelry, etc) like the second game used to purchase and repair items, although if your item breaks then its lost forever and you need to buy a new one from a merchant. You can also drop items on the ground or sell them to people and earn some gold. Quest items cannot be sold for obvious reasons.
5.Body armors now have perks tied to them which provide benefits even if the armor has low defense rating (shields don't have this feature, also their usage is optional). There are a total of 19 armor sets in the game (20, if you count Rynn's default clothes), with each new armor giving additional 5% of damage reduction- the final armor in the game has 95% damage reduction. Mounting and playing as Arokh will automatically reduce most damage by various percentage depending on difficulty mode, because he's a large frickin dragon. Of course, remember that some enemies also wear armor, so you need to use mithril/elemental/magical weapons (or spells) otherwise they mitigate your damage. Likewise, some bosses and enemies have resistance or even outright immunity to certain types of attacks but will take more damage from other types- e.g. ice golems are immune to ice and water elements, but will take more damage from either magma, fire or thunder attacks.
6.There are side quests and various collectibles, the latter of which don't go into your inventory but instead get permanently absorbed by the player. There are 100 hidden secrets as well, you don't need to worry about missing any of this because Drakan 3 will have a New Game Plus feature unlike previous games which really increases the replay value of this game. Read below (this post's very bottom) for more information.
7.Weapons, armors, bows and shields can be repaired but most of them lose 10% durability each time it's done- there are few rare exceptions like the Bow of Ahura, plus also there are some items which are indestructible so you don't have to worry about repairing them.
8.Keys for opening special golden chests and one secret optional dungeon. Because the player shouldn't be overwhelmed with carrying too many keys in their inventory, these chests will be very rare. PS: unlike the second game (because PS2 limitations), here an item disappears from your inventory when you equip it so you need to click on Rynn who is turned around looking towards the screen to highlight equipped items and place them back in the inventory or drop them on the ground.
9.Arokh can feed on large animal corpses to regain health, while Rynn can find and buy or sell human-made food items (livestock meat, bread, fruit, vegetables, etc) which are cheap but restore very little health (less than red elixirs). You don't need to ever worry about hunger/thirst, bathroom needs, rest/sleep and climate in gameplay however when Rynn swims underwater she has limited oxygen supply therefore get out before you run out of breath and end up dying underwater. Also unlike the first game, here flying with Arokh won't leave you with motion sickness because in Drakan 3 you won't be able to ever flip over and fly upside-down (I have seen alot of players complaining about first game causing Arokh to fly with his back towards the ground and his belly up in the sky).
10.The AI of Arokh will be improved, however now there is a new gameplay feature when pressing the "dragon action" button. Holding it down will reveal a "cross" with 5 options (fifth is in the middle, use directional buttons)- Follow, Hold Your Ground, Land Close, Attack Enemies and Switch Character. Follow causes Arokh to walk or fly (if underground) around to stay closer to you, Hold Your Ground causes him to remain in one place, Land Close functions like the same "dragon calling" ability in previous games, Attack Enemies makes him protect Rynn by shooting at everything, while Switch Character makes you swap between Rynn and Arokh (similar to swapping between characters in GTA V). This means you can play as just Arokh without Rynn, while the latter stands still in one place!
11.Inventory can be opened and potions can be used while riding Arokh, no such luck with spells though. PC version will have keyboard hotkeys for your needs while PlayStation and Xbox versions will have a quick select wheel akin to Drakan 2. Of course like in the previous games, you are vulnerable in Drakan 3 while the inventory is opened, also during your mounting/dismounting animations of Arokh. So be careful whenever you do such things, otherwise nearby enemies can kill you!
12.Rynn and Arokh strafe in the 8 directions like in the previous games, the direction they are facing depends on where your camera is moved. However you can freelook with specific button combinations, aim in 1st person with bows, lock onto enemies/bosses, do an instant 180 degrees turn, accelerate/dash with Arokh while flying and change how far/close the camera is to Rynn/Arokh via in-game options menu.
13.Both Rynn and Arokh can be grabbed by enemies, forcing the player to mash buttons and wiggle mouse/joystick to get free. Gimmick levels (e.g. slippery ice, quicksand, lava, swimming underwater, etc) and stage hazards (e.g. plants which shoot poison or thorns) also have been added in Drakan 3. Ailments now can affect our heroes, which slowly deplete your health but can be quickly cured with any healing item. The health meter will change color depending on status: red- normal blood, white- taking damage, blue- healing, yellow- acid, green- poison and brown- disease. Latter 3 act the same in gameplay, the only difference is visual indicator.
14.Player no longer needs to make weird gestures with controller (or keyboard and mouse) to cast spells. You can either select the magic from the designated menu or scroll between all spells with the push of a button to automatically equip it. But Rynn cannot wield any weapons if a spell is equipped instead, switching to a weapon or pressing the "stow away item" button will deactivate the spell and Rynn will go back into warrior mode.
15.Remember that you can save anywhere while playing and the items' positions will remain untouched in your save file. However every time you enter a new continent or planet, either the game will autosave your progress or a manual save prompt will appear to remind you.
16.Weapons and other items will have "rarity ranks" which determine how often they appear in the game world, their durability and how much they cost/sell in the market. Common (e.g. weapons are rusty and have 50 or less durability remaining), Valuable, Rare, Epic, Legendary and lastly Perfect (e.g. weapons are indestructible). The respective colors are (from worst going to best): Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple and lastly White. Reminder that quest items cannot ever be sold.
I have made a personal headcanon map of Drakan based on lore description in supplementary materials. However be warned that story-wise that after Stratos was toppled in the second game's ending, the main continent was split into 2 halves. The upper half is where you start at, but ends on a coastal beach after the Valley of the Fallen which includes the fourth Ancient Gate behind the windmill. Player begins with only 1 continent available, but will unlock 2 more continents when the story had progressed enough. After the 7 continents have been completed, you will unlock the Dragon Dimension and when you complete that segment, you will unlock the game's last area- the planet of Sessool.
The 10 major levels/locations are these as follows bellow (arranged in the game's files, visible only in the PC version):
1.Central Continent- first area of the game and easiest one, based on Europe. Containing Surdana (including the monk's catacombs and monastery), Kragmor and Shadowmire initially. However you will unlock two more areas- Danannland which kickstarts the plot and the Valley of the Fallen, whose Ancient Gate will unlock for you the next area. The Southern Continent begins with the lesser Desert of Tears and the Sanguinade, including the nearby ruins of Stratos and the fifth/final gate from the second game.
*Surdana: the starting area (includes a tutorial mission) and the player's home city. Includes a blacksmith, a shop for potions, a place to learn most spells from and the Mother's Eye portal (your method of fast travel) among others.
*Kragmor: one mission requires you to infiltrate this place with ruined human houses and enemy-infested caves to gather information.
*Brotherhood of the Eternal Word: the first optional side area, however it also includes a boss fight (albeit easy). The monastery and catacombs of the local monks who are huge bookworms.
*Shadowmire: the swamp's tunnels are now big enough for Arokh to fit inside and the Trogs are all gone. However other enemies lurk here and Tull the hermit is killed. Passing through this dark swamp will eventually lead you into the below area.
*Danannland: a Celtic-inspired village and kingdom, with a castle over a stereotypical watery moat. Completing the objectives here starts the game's plot.
*Valley of the Fallen: the southern point of the Central Continent, the few people live here better than before. However there are still enemies lurking around, plus Rynn and Arokh need the local Gate.
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2.Miscellaneous- this isn't a separate location ingame, but rather a game file folder which contains unique parts which don't fit anywhere else in the game. Examples include the Andrellian Isles, a sequence where you need to protect some wooden ships while they are crossing the stormy oceans filled with enemies, a flashback dream sequence for Arokh plus Rynn, and finally the penultimate "level" when Surdana being temporarily under attack by the game's primary antagonistic faction.
*City Invaded by Sessool Demons: the game's penultimate area is unique one-time-event, Surdana being invaded by demons who destroy everything.
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3.South Continent- based on Middle East and Africa.
*Sanguinade: the ruins of Gothraul which previously lead to Stratos, which now lays mostly on the sea's bottom. The fifth Ancient's Gate is here as well, the caves are now opened and lead into the continent's inner parts.
*Red Plateau: a place resembling the IRL Grand Canyon, filled with enemies but it's the only way into the desert.
*Desert of Tears: you only saw a small portion of this area in the previous game, now you can fully see it. The desert in its entirety covers most of the South Continent, with a small portion being separated by a long mountain range from one corner to the other.
*Persaan: Jade's city, now restored to its former glory. The people here live in harsh conditions but they are still doing much better when they are finally free away from the Desert Lords' tyranny.
*Wizard's Hideout: near the continent's bottom is the secluded house of an old sorcerer that sits on top of a pillar-like hill. This wizard proves to be a valuable ally to both our heroes.
*First Civilization Ruins: the original human civilization in Drakan's history which predates the first Order of the Flame, they build the Ancients' Gates and have an interesting backstory.
*Bandit Camp: formerly occupied by Gnolls, it's now used by beast-riding human bandits.
*Savannah: a flat grassy plain with some trees (baobab, acacia, dracaena cinnabari and umbrella thorn trees) and exotic animals.
*Emdigbe: a city of dark-skinned people which had survived the Ancients' imperialistic conquest and live currently secluded. They have outlasted the first civilization, which crumbled thousands of years ago. Lastly, there is an optional gladiator arena here.
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4.North Continent- based on the Arctic Pole and Northern Europe.
*Ravenshold: the Northmens' village, located near the most southern corner (including the ocean) of the North continent itself.
*Zeggoro's Retreat: the previous game's wizard lives here, but he's been kidnapped and you must rescue him.
*Arctic Tundra: only cold rocks, trees, ice and snow here. The caverns lead to your actual goal.
*Shiverbane: once the Half-men's lands, now they are filled with other creatures instead.
*Meridia: formerly inhabited by humans, it's now used by several beastmen species.
*Ice Castle: built on the very top of the world. After you kill the boss there, a side area will open that has the second plot-crucial item.
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5.East Continent- based on Asia without Middle East and India (still has jungles though).
*Rainshadow Forest: a forest with giant mushrooms and trees which look as if they are in perpetual autumn. The canopy has platforms and houses where the local species of beastfolk live.
*Beastmen Headquarters: an underground mine and prison for human slaves with lava pits. However it's also filled with crates, armory for the beastmen, platforms, conveyor belts, melted iron foundry, rock crushers
*Mount Tibor: where dragons and humans established the first Order of the Flame, it's now overrun by war giants and other enemies.
*Great Plains Grassland: fertile green river valleys. The beastmen live on the cliffsides inside sentry towers and caves in the mountains. The open grassland is home to giant worms but leads towards the Eastern Empire.
*Chiwutai Empire: the most advanced human civilization on Drakan- with gunpowder, cannons, (optional) sewers, war chariots, kites, compass, planetary observatory, lighthouse, ship docks and libraries.
*Imperial Tomb: the local biome is a cold desert or taiga instead. Buried here is the first emperor with his valuable possessions.
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6.Islands Archipelago- not a continent per se, however it's based on tropical Oceania (with a bit of South and South East Asia).
*Ship Docks: where our heroes arrive with their allies' expedition.
*Navaros' Fortress: left behind by the person who built it long ago while plotting to conquer the world, it now stands mostly abandoned.
*Coral Reef: beautiful underwater area where our duo fights a tentacled marine terror of the deep.
*Underwater Shipwreck: everyone who sailed this dangerous area is now dead, with their broken vessels lying on the ocean floor.
*Drakan City: established at the world's edge, it now lays in ruins. The entrance is shut unless you find several very secret keys, leading to an optional boss and a very special weapon.
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7.West Continent- based on Central and South America. Travel here is forbidden and is protected by a magical ocean storm. Besides humans, there are no mammals here. There are only plants, fish, arthropods, primitive birds and large reptiles.
*Saurian Lands: a tropical jungle made of conifers, palms, moss, cycads, ferns and horsetails. This primordial place has been forgotten by time and still is inhabited by large prehistoric reptiles which aren't dragons.
*Predator's Lair: the cliffside cave where a large carnivorous reptile sleeps with its victims' remains.
*Cliffside City Ruins: a second human civilization once lived here, but it's now abandoned. This optional area has few enemies, it mostly has puzzles and platforming.
*Murk Bog: a giant mangrove swamp with deep murky water and giant lily pads. Makes the Shadowmire look like a puddle in comparison.
*Azcotal: an exotic human civilization with step pyramids. They once performed human sacrifice, but have now stopped for practical reasons (their population decreasing).
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8.Lost Continent- a continent which is transformed into a toxic wasteland, having mutated flora plus fauna. The place where the Dark Wars ended so many centuries ago, where they take a little detour.
*Gravewood: all trees are creepy and leafless, there is also a huge barrier made of thorny vines here.
*Tar Pit: stepping inside these obviously is not a good idea.
*Boneyard: the skeletons of various long-dead creatures litter this landscape.
*Volcano: the penultimate level of the first game, it brings Rynn and Arokh bad memories.
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9.Dragon Dimension- the world from which Mala Shae and the other dragons (pureblood and spirits) originate from. The goal of the second game was to unlock this world and summon the dragons back in Dragon after centuries of hibernation.
*Rainforest: filled with bizarre plants, many of which glow purple and blue during the night.
*Coast: a beautiful tropical beach which can be explored. It's a cool visual decoration but is also the last place in the game where you get challenges and optional side-quests.
*Rocky Pass: two giant bugs which feed on dragon eggs are fought here, they are relatively easy to kill however they will actually trick players into thinking this level won't have any tough battles afterwards.
*Ahura Cave & Ruins: inside our heroes must pass 6 trials before they can obtain the last plot-crucial item.
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10.Sessool- the "demon world", a dark and nightmarish realm that was the Desert Lords' home world before they had some... disagreements with the other local inhabitants there and chose to flee instead. This game's last area before the final boss.
*Initial Area: entering Sessool is a "Point Of No Return" (thank goodness for NG+), also the last level has no collectibles and side objectives. It's essentially a huge gauntlet of platforming, traps, puzzles and enemy waves.
*Temple Caverns: pillars erected by demons hold this place together, which you must enter to deactivate a giant magical barrier.
*Moon Craters: multiple holes in the ground made by giant worm-like demonic monsters.
*Crystal Field: giant purple crystals are situated in this open area, inside them various demons are growing up like twisted versions of babies inside an egg or womb.
*Purple Ooze: instead of water, Sessool has lakes/rivers and seas/oceans made from this highly toxic substance.
*Towers of Doom: a valley with multiple demonic obelisks which fire long-ranged laser beams at enemies whenever they aren't firing energy bolts into the planet's atmosphere.
*Final Gauntlet: a long zig-zagging canyon with various hazards that leads to your last destination and goal.
*Dark Mountain Castle: a tall mountain which resembles (and functions as) a castle, towers included. The entrance resembles a gaping toothy maw, going inside will eventually lead you to the final boss. However only the first 4 phases are fought there, while the last 2 will be fought back on Drakan instead. Thankfully, the game will autosave or give you a save prompt when you return to your homeworld for the last battle.
1.Main Menu
*New Game
*Load Game
*Delete Game
*Options
*About (trivial information, like game's build version)
*Multiplayer (uncertain if can/will ever be added)
*Credits
*Exit Drakan 3
2.Pause Menu
*Game Data
*Book of Lore
*Inventory
*Character Window
*Map
*Quest Log
*Stats
*Help
*Options
*Extras
3.Game Data
*Save Game
*Load Game
*Delete Game
*Quit Game (towards Main Menu, can only start a New Game from there)
4.Book of Lore
*Characters (brief info about each character in the game)
*Bestiary (brief info about each enemy and boss in the game)
*Locations (brief info about each area plus landmark in the game)
*Items (brief info about each weapon/armor/spell/etc in the game)
5.Inventory
Rynn's grid-based inventory with all her possessions and gold/money she has amassed.
6.Character Window
*Skill Tree: level up with XP, use skill points to upgrade your 4 branches up to maximum cap of 10 for each branch.
*Perks: choose which perk you wanna get whenever the list gets updated every 3 levels.
*Magic Spells: all the magic spells that Rynn has learned and upgraded are located here.
*Learn Combos: use your gold to purchase new melee weapon attacks, including awesome combos.
7.Map
View either the map of your current location or the world map. Important notes: there is no fog of war and only important landmarks get drawn on map (you can set a marker on the place you wanna visit). Rynn and Arokh's positions are signified by a brown arrow with a huge R and a red arrow with a huge A (enemies do not ever appear on both map and radar). When Rynn is riding Arokh, the 2 arrows combine into a single reddish-brown arrow that spells "RA" (yes, like the Egyptian sun bird god).
8.Quest Log
A check sign (✓) will appear next to a completed quest. Whenever your quest log is updated, you will be notified with a brief message appearing on your screen like in Drakan 2.
*Plot Quests
*Side Quests
*Challenges
9.Stats
*Total Completion (100% is cap, this also includes beating all the difficulty modes)
*Plot Completion (complete the game's story just once, regardless of difficulty)
*Side Objectives Completion (optional quests and challenges)
*Blue Crystals Found (?/9)
*Green Crystals Found (?/9)
*Red Crystals Found (?/9)
*Tears of Ahura Found (?/1000)
*Secrets Found (?/100)
*Time Passed (how long you have played this game)
*etc (I cannot bother thinking of other things currently)
10.Help
*Controls (how to control Rynn, Arokh and the menus)
*Moves (advanced moves and Rynn's melee weapon combo inputs)
*About (same as Main Menu)
11.Options
*Video (adjust resolution, draw distance, brightness, hide HUD, etc)
*Audio (adjust OST, Dialogue and SFX)
*Controls (configure your control preference, camera axis, toggle sensitivity and vibration, etc)
*Gameplay (subtitles, language, toggle auto-saves, etc)
12.Extras
*Skins (changes Rynn and Arokh's models, this overrides whatever armor Rynn is currently wearing)
*Cheats (toggle different settings like infinite health, infinite mana, etc)
*Bonus Features (E3 trailer, concept art, previously on video, characters and voice actors, developers commentary, etc)
*View Credits (like in Main Menu)
*New Game
*Load Game
*Delete Game
*Options
*About (trivial information, like game's build version)
*Multiplayer (uncertain if can/will ever be added)
*Credits
*Exit Drakan 3
2.Pause Menu
*Game Data
*Book of Lore
*Inventory
*Character Window
*Map
*Quest Log
*Stats
*Help
*Options
*Extras
3.Game Data
*Save Game
*Load Game
*Delete Game
*Quit Game (towards Main Menu, can only start a New Game from there)
4.Book of Lore
*Characters (brief info about each character in the game)
*Bestiary (brief info about each enemy and boss in the game)
*Locations (brief info about each area plus landmark in the game)
*Items (brief info about each weapon/armor/spell/etc in the game)
5.Inventory
Rynn's grid-based inventory with all her possessions and gold/money she has amassed.
6.Character Window
*Skill Tree: level up with XP, use skill points to upgrade your 4 branches up to maximum cap of 10 for each branch.
*Perks: choose which perk you wanna get whenever the list gets updated every 3 levels.
*Magic Spells: all the magic spells that Rynn has learned and upgraded are located here.
*Learn Combos: use your gold to purchase new melee weapon attacks, including awesome combos.
7.Map
View either the map of your current location or the world map. Important notes: there is no fog of war and only important landmarks get drawn on map (you can set a marker on the place you wanna visit). Rynn and Arokh's positions are signified by a brown arrow with a huge R and a red arrow with a huge A (enemies do not ever appear on both map and radar). When Rynn is riding Arokh, the 2 arrows combine into a single reddish-brown arrow that spells "RA" (yes, like the Egyptian sun bird god).
8.Quest Log
A check sign (✓) will appear next to a completed quest. Whenever your quest log is updated, you will be notified with a brief message appearing on your screen like in Drakan 2.
*Plot Quests
*Side Quests
*Challenges
9.Stats
*Total Completion (100% is cap, this also includes beating all the difficulty modes)
*Plot Completion (complete the game's story just once, regardless of difficulty)
*Side Objectives Completion (optional quests and challenges)
*Blue Crystals Found (?/9)
*Green Crystals Found (?/9)
*Red Crystals Found (?/9)
*Tears of Ahura Found (?/1000)
*Secrets Found (?/100)
*Time Passed (how long you have played this game)
*etc (I cannot bother thinking of other things currently)
10.Help
*Controls (how to control Rynn, Arokh and the menus)
*Moves (advanced moves and Rynn's melee weapon combo inputs)
*About (same as Main Menu)
11.Options
*Video (adjust resolution, draw distance, brightness, hide HUD, etc)
*Audio (adjust OST, Dialogue and SFX)
*Controls (configure your control preference, camera axis, toggle sensitivity and vibration, etc)
*Gameplay (subtitles, language, toggle auto-saves, etc)
12.Extras
*Skins (changes Rynn and Arokh's models, this overrides whatever armor Rynn is currently wearing)
*Cheats (toggle different settings like infinite health, infinite mana, etc)
*Bonus Features (E3 trailer, concept art, previously on video, characters and voice actors, developers commentary, etc)
*View Credits (like in Main Menu)
1.Drakan 3 HUD
Permanently Visible (unless you turn off these from the Options menu)
*Health Meter (lower left corner): an orb flask with red liquid (will change colors to show your condition) like the previous games. Because Rynn is bonded with Arokh, they share the same health meter.
*XP Gauge (lower left corner): connected with the health meter, it fills with grey liquid (indicating the XP you gain) so when it gets filled up, you gain a level and get 1 skill point (also you recover back 100% of your health like in Drakan 2).
*Mana Meter/Arrow Ammo/Dragon Breath (lower right corner): when playing as Rynn it will be a blue orb flask which depletes when you cast spells. When you have bow + arrows equipped, it will become black with the ammo number visible inside (also will flash when you shoot arrows to depict shot lag). When playing as Arokh, it becomes the gauge for his dragon breath with the image depending on the current element he has equipped.
*Oxygen Gauge (lower right corner): unlike previous games, the oxygen meter for Rynn will be permanently visible on the screen and its connected with the mana/breath/arrow ammo meter. When swimming it will deplete, so get out fast before you drown!
*Radar (upper left corner): like most open-world games, Drakan 3 will have a mini-map in one corner of the screen with a pointy arrow showing your current position and the direction you are facing.
*Compass (upper left corner): one side of the radar will have a triangle pointing towards north, rotating as you move around.
*Weather/Time of Day (upper right corner): since Drakan 3 will have a day/night cycle, this will show you the skybox and current weather/daytime of the area you are currently in (e.g. cloudy and rainy midday).
*Time Clock (upper right corner): a 24 hour clock which shows how much time has passed on, like in the GTA series. One ingame hour equals one second in real-time, so basically 1 full day/night cycle in-universe is 24 minutes in real-life.
Temporary Visible (will appear only in specific conditions)
*Boss Health (top of the screen): unlike previous games, bosses will have a life gauge (filled with purple liquid).
*Read Text (top of the screen): when you aren't fighting bosses and instead read environmental objects (e.g. sign posts), a wall of text will appear temporarily on the screen's top.
*Messages (bottom of the screen): unlike the previous games, the messages (quest log, map update, items picked up, etc) will be on the screen's bottom instead. Can have up to 5 messages appearing temporarily.
*Targeting Reticle (appears on enemies): when you target an enemy/boss, a reticle will appear circling around them whose color also shows how much life they have remaining (blue/purple-invincible, green-full, yellow-halfway, red-low).
*Challenge Timer (left side): some quests (including optional side-missions) will have an hourglass counting how much time you have left completing the quest before it ends in failure.
*Objective Goal (left side): some quests (including optional side-missions) will require you to collect a specific amount of items before you can progress, the image showing how much you have remaining.
*Durability Meter (right side): when your weapons and/or armor has 10 or less hitpoints remaining, this will appear to remind you they are close to breaking.
*Save Icon (right side): whenever you save the game (be it manual or auto-saves in level transitions), this will appear to notify the player that save has been successful.
PS: originally I also considered icons depicting the duration of power-ups which you currently have used (e.g. invisibility and/or invulnerability), spells, arrows and status ailments however I realized this would make the game and screen too complicated so these got removed.
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2.Controls
The controls here are for the PC and PlayStation version (I am not very familiar with Xbox, so I can't bother making a 3rd version). You can obviously rebind the keys/buttons from the ingame Options menu to your liking. Quite importantly, the PC version supports hotkeys which makes things like bringing up the inventory easier (plus instantly using items like healing potions, also making quick saves and loads) while the PlayStation version has a hot slot wheel just like Drakan 2.
3.Rynn Controls (PC)
*Move Up: W key
*Move Down: S key
*Move Left: A key
*Move Right: D key
*Jump: Z key
*Crouch: X key
*Sneak: C key
*Camera Align: Grave Accent key
*Attack: Left Mouse Click
*Block: Right Mouse Click
*Interact/Cast Spell: Enter key
*Stow Item: Space key
*Freelook: Q key
*Dragon Action: E key
*Next Weapon: Mouse Wheel Up
*Previous Weapon: Mouse Wheel Down
*Lock On: Tab key
*180 degrees Turn: Backspace key
*Camera Move: Mouse
*Pause Game: Esc key
4.Arokh Controls (PC)
*Move Up: W key
*Move Down: S key
*Move Left: A key
*Move Right: D key
*Ascend/Fly Up: Z key (pressing this while on the ground will cause Arokh to fly into the sky)
*Descend/Land: X key (pressing this if near the ground will cause Arokh to land)
*Sneak: C key
*Camera Align: Grave Accent key
*Primary Attack: Left Mouse Click
*Secondary Attack: Right Mouse Click (shared with Rynn's Block command)
*Interact: Enter key (Arokh will perform a melee attack, grab items or eat from animal carcasses)
*Accelerate/Dodge: Space key
*Freelook: Q key
*Dragon Action: E key (pressing this will make Rynn dismount Arokh when he's on the ground)
*Next Weapon: Mouse Wheel Up
*Previous Weapon: Mouse Wheel Down
*Lock On: Tab key
*180 degrees Turn: Backspace key
*Camera Move: Mouse
*Pause Game: Esc key
5.Rynn Controls (Play Station)
*Move Up: Right Analog Stick Up
*Move Down: Right Analog Stick Down
*Move Left: Right Analog Stick Left
*Move Right: Right Analog Stick Right
*Jump: Triangle Button
*Crouch: X Button
*Sneak: Left D-pad
*Camera Align: L3 (press L analog stick)
*Attack: Square Button
*Block: R1 Button
*Interact/Cast Spell: Circle Button
*Stow Item: L2 Button (will also remove any spell Rynn had currently equipped)
*Freelook: Right D-pad
*Dragon Action: R2 Button
*Next Weapon/Item: Up D-pad
*Previous Weapon/Item: Down D-pad
*Lock On: L1 Button
*180 degrees Turn: R3 (press R analog stick)
*Camera Move: Left Analog Stick
*Pause Game: START Button
*Inventory Hotkey: SELECT Button (you are vulnerable when it's onscreen)
*Quit Game: HOME Button
6.Arokh Controls (Play Station)
*Move Up: Right Analog Stick Up
*Move Down: Right Analog Stick Down
*Move Left: Right Analog Stick Left
*Move Right: Right Analog Stick Right
*Ascend/Fly Up: Triangle Button
*Descend/Land: X Button (pressing this when on land will cause Rynn to dismount)
*Sneak: Left D-pad
*Camera Align: L3 (press L analog stick)
*Primary Attack: Square Button
*Secondary Attack: R1 Button
*Interact: Circle Button (Arokh can also do melee attacks, grab objects and eat corpses to regain health)
*Accelerate/Dodge: L2 Button (very good ability when flying as large dragon)
*Freelook: Right D-pad
*Dragon Action: R2 Button
*Next Weapon: Up D-pad
*Previous Weapon: Down D-pad
*Lock On: L1 Button
*180 degrees Turn: R3 (press R analog stick)
*Camera Move: Left Analog Stick
*Pause Game: START Button
*Inventory Hotkey: SELECT Button (you can use it even when riding Arokh)
*Quit Game: HOME Button
PS: I won't list all special commands (e.g. the swimming controls) plus advanced button combinations, because I think you can figure them out. However I will mention just one thing- pressing the Block button when you have a bow equipped will toggle 1st person view mode.
Permanently Visible (unless you turn off these from the Options menu)
*Health Meter (lower left corner): an orb flask with red liquid (will change colors to show your condition) like the previous games. Because Rynn is bonded with Arokh, they share the same health meter.
*XP Gauge (lower left corner): connected with the health meter, it fills with grey liquid (indicating the XP you gain) so when it gets filled up, you gain a level and get 1 skill point (also you recover back 100% of your health like in Drakan 2).
*Mana Meter/Arrow Ammo/Dragon Breath (lower right corner): when playing as Rynn it will be a blue orb flask which depletes when you cast spells. When you have bow + arrows equipped, it will become black with the ammo number visible inside (also will flash when you shoot arrows to depict shot lag). When playing as Arokh, it becomes the gauge for his dragon breath with the image depending on the current element he has equipped.
*Oxygen Gauge (lower right corner): unlike previous games, the oxygen meter for Rynn will be permanently visible on the screen and its connected with the mana/breath/arrow ammo meter. When swimming it will deplete, so get out fast before you drown!
*Radar (upper left corner): like most open-world games, Drakan 3 will have a mini-map in one corner of the screen with a pointy arrow showing your current position and the direction you are facing.
*Compass (upper left corner): one side of the radar will have a triangle pointing towards north, rotating as you move around.
*Weather/Time of Day (upper right corner): since Drakan 3 will have a day/night cycle, this will show you the skybox and current weather/daytime of the area you are currently in (e.g. cloudy and rainy midday).
*Time Clock (upper right corner): a 24 hour clock which shows how much time has passed on, like in the GTA series. One ingame hour equals one second in real-time, so basically 1 full day/night cycle in-universe is 24 minutes in real-life.
Temporary Visible (will appear only in specific conditions)
*Boss Health (top of the screen): unlike previous games, bosses will have a life gauge (filled with purple liquid).
*Read Text (top of the screen): when you aren't fighting bosses and instead read environmental objects (e.g. sign posts), a wall of text will appear temporarily on the screen's top.
*Messages (bottom of the screen): unlike the previous games, the messages (quest log, map update, items picked up, etc) will be on the screen's bottom instead. Can have up to 5 messages appearing temporarily.
*Targeting Reticle (appears on enemies): when you target an enemy/boss, a reticle will appear circling around them whose color also shows how much life they have remaining (blue/purple-invincible, green-full, yellow-halfway, red-low).
*Challenge Timer (left side): some quests (including optional side-missions) will have an hourglass counting how much time you have left completing the quest before it ends in failure.
*Objective Goal (left side): some quests (including optional side-missions) will require you to collect a specific amount of items before you can progress, the image showing how much you have remaining.
*Durability Meter (right side): when your weapons and/or armor has 10 or less hitpoints remaining, this will appear to remind you they are close to breaking.
*Save Icon (right side): whenever you save the game (be it manual or auto-saves in level transitions), this will appear to notify the player that save has been successful.
PS: originally I also considered icons depicting the duration of power-ups which you currently have used (e.g. invisibility and/or invulnerability), spells, arrows and status ailments however I realized this would make the game and screen too complicated so these got removed.
XXXXXX
2.Controls
The controls here are for the PC and PlayStation version (I am not very familiar with Xbox, so I can't bother making a 3rd version). You can obviously rebind the keys/buttons from the ingame Options menu to your liking. Quite importantly, the PC version supports hotkeys which makes things like bringing up the inventory easier (plus instantly using items like healing potions, also making quick saves and loads) while the PlayStation version has a hot slot wheel just like Drakan 2.
3.Rynn Controls (PC)
*Move Up: W key
*Move Down: S key
*Move Left: A key
*Move Right: D key
*Jump: Z key
*Crouch: X key
*Sneak: C key
*Camera Align: Grave Accent key
*Attack: Left Mouse Click
*Block: Right Mouse Click
*Interact/Cast Spell: Enter key
*Stow Item: Space key
*Freelook: Q key
*Dragon Action: E key
*Next Weapon: Mouse Wheel Up
*Previous Weapon: Mouse Wheel Down
*Lock On: Tab key
*180 degrees Turn: Backspace key
*Camera Move: Mouse
*Pause Game: Esc key
4.Arokh Controls (PC)
*Move Up: W key
*Move Down: S key
*Move Left: A key
*Move Right: D key
*Ascend/Fly Up: Z key (pressing this while on the ground will cause Arokh to fly into the sky)
*Descend/Land: X key (pressing this if near the ground will cause Arokh to land)
*Sneak: C key
*Camera Align: Grave Accent key
*Primary Attack: Left Mouse Click
*Secondary Attack: Right Mouse Click (shared with Rynn's Block command)
*Interact: Enter key (Arokh will perform a melee attack, grab items or eat from animal carcasses)
*Accelerate/Dodge: Space key
*Freelook: Q key
*Dragon Action: E key (pressing this will make Rynn dismount Arokh when he's on the ground)
*Next Weapon: Mouse Wheel Up
*Previous Weapon: Mouse Wheel Down
*Lock On: Tab key
*180 degrees Turn: Backspace key
*Camera Move: Mouse
*Pause Game: Esc key
5.Rynn Controls (Play Station)
*Move Up: Right Analog Stick Up
*Move Down: Right Analog Stick Down
*Move Left: Right Analog Stick Left
*Move Right: Right Analog Stick Right
*Jump: Triangle Button
*Crouch: X Button
*Sneak: Left D-pad
*Camera Align: L3 (press L analog stick)
*Attack: Square Button
*Block: R1 Button
*Interact/Cast Spell: Circle Button
*Stow Item: L2 Button (will also remove any spell Rynn had currently equipped)
*Freelook: Right D-pad
*Dragon Action: R2 Button
*Next Weapon/Item: Up D-pad
*Previous Weapon/Item: Down D-pad
*Lock On: L1 Button
*180 degrees Turn: R3 (press R analog stick)
*Camera Move: Left Analog Stick
*Pause Game: START Button
*Inventory Hotkey: SELECT Button (you are vulnerable when it's onscreen)
*Quit Game: HOME Button
6.Arokh Controls (Play Station)
*Move Up: Right Analog Stick Up
*Move Down: Right Analog Stick Down
*Move Left: Right Analog Stick Left
*Move Right: Right Analog Stick Right
*Ascend/Fly Up: Triangle Button
*Descend/Land: X Button (pressing this when on land will cause Rynn to dismount)
*Sneak: Left D-pad
*Camera Align: L3 (press L analog stick)
*Primary Attack: Square Button
*Secondary Attack: R1 Button
*Interact: Circle Button (Arokh can also do melee attacks, grab objects and eat corpses to regain health)
*Accelerate/Dodge: L2 Button (very good ability when flying as large dragon)
*Freelook: Right D-pad
*Dragon Action: R2 Button
*Next Weapon: Up D-pad
*Previous Weapon: Down D-pad
*Lock On: L1 Button
*180 degrees Turn: R3 (press R analog stick)
*Camera Move: Left Analog Stick
*Pause Game: START Button
*Inventory Hotkey: SELECT Button (you can use it even when riding Arokh)
*Quit Game: HOME Button
PS: I won't list all special commands (e.g. the swimming controls) plus advanced button combinations, because I think you can figure them out. However I will mention just one thing- pressing the Block button when you have a bow equipped will toggle 1st person view mode.
1.Playable characters
The protagonists of this game which you can play as, there are only 2 of them but you can change their appearance with skins unlocked by completing the various difficulty modes and getting 100% completion.
*Rynn: the human female warrior that survived a raid on her village, bonded with the legendary dragon Arokh. Failed to save her younger brother, however she managed to save the world from 2 threats and now she with Arokh must do it one more time.
*Arokh: the red dragon from the first Order of the Flame who formerly was bonded with Heron and won the Dark Wars, he is currently bonded with Rynn and now they need to embark on a third journey to save Drakan from a great danger.
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2.Returning characters
Characters brought back from Drakan: The Ancients' Gates (aka "Drakan 2"). Be warned that some of them will be killed off during the plot events of Drakan 3.
*Lady Myschala: the queen of Surdana, she welcomed Rynn and Arokh into her city who then helped save the world from the Desert Lords' menace.
*Brekk: the blacksmith of Surdana, he's a trusted ally who treats Rynn like the daughter he never had and sells her very useful (and easy to afford) equipment.
*Jade: the sorceress from the south who teaches Rynn most of the game's magic spells, initially she leaves for her home city but is actually smart enough to uncover a hidden conspiracy.
*Quaalus: the alchemist of Surdana who makes potions. While not a story-important character, he has a collection sidequest which forces you to collect dead animal body parts and sell them to him which eventually which unlock his hidden stock.
*Tull: an old quirky hermit who lives (or lived) in Shadowmire. Rynn and Arokh find him dead, which raises the stakes of the plot since anyone could die (even Rynn and Arokh at one point come very close to dying).
*Kegan: another "sacrificial lion"-type character who dies, he meets his end at a sea monster's jaws in a storm during an expedition to the south eastern islands.
*Fandrill: the captain of the Ragin Queen ship, he begins an expedition to the islands archipelago. He loves the sea and exploring new areas.
*Sevoth: the healer of the Raging Queen crew, he is a invaluable ally. His weather magic helps our heroes while traversing the oceans during their trip.
*Dehrimon: the general of Surdana's army, he's a virtuous knight who serves the queen. However, late in the game he and his bonded dragon get killed which deals a crushing blow to our heroes and their allies.
*Semira: a girl saved by Rynn in Shadowmire, she now lives quietly as a farm girl in the city's outskirts. She isn't plot-relevant, but speaking with her will give you some gold as a reward.
*Mala Shae: the mother of dragonkind, a demigoddess who is capable of shooting blue fire and create dragon eggs out of nothing with her divine magic. She is the offspring of the supreme god in the Drakan series and she offers useful information about her creator.
*The Brotherhood Monks: their monastery is now infested with spiders. Clearing out their catacombs will eventually lead you to the game's first possible (and easiest) boss fight.
*Mardis: formerly a slave to the Desert Lords, he now lives peacefully in Persaan alongside others. Just speaking with him will also get you some gold as a reward.
*Nichols the Bold: a boisterous retired warrior, currently a woodsman hunter. Talking with him shall unlock the Surdana challenges and one side quest.
*Ranwulf: the leader of the Northmen, he is preoccupied with troubles in his area so he can barely help our heroes.
*Zeggoro: a secluded wizard that communicates with the spirits, he receives a warning vision of them and secretly helps our protagonists.
*Vykruta: a bard who plays his minster in Surdana's tavern. He's named after one of the game designers and only serves as NPC without story relevance.
*Grumpy Old Woman: or not so grumpy anymore. She has respect for Rynn and Arokh now after they saved her city. Like the above person, she isn't plot-relevant.
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3.Posthumous characters
Characters which died before the story of Drakan 3 even begins, they won't return however they will be mentioned or get cameos (mostly in flashbacks).
*Delon: Rynn's younger brother who she failed to save. Her memories of him are sore spot for Rynn and she still nightmares of her failures. Eventually she vows that his death won't be in vain and successfully moves forward in her life.
*Atimar: the elderly priest of Rynn and Delon's vilalge, who dies in an enemy raid.
*Heron: Arokh's former bonded human rider and best friend. Sacrificed himself to save Drakan, his death is to Arokh what Delon's is to Rynn. Thankfully character development helps Arokh cope with the trauma of his loss and carry on.
*Rimril: the wizard of the first Order who helped Arokh after the Dark Wars ended, he guarded the Rift Crystal in the Islands Archipelago.
*Navaros & Kaeros: the main antagonists of the first game, their souls are locked permanently away in the Rift World so they will never come back. However, the memories of them still haunt Rynn and Arokh.
*Werokh: some of Arokh's family and friends were killed in the Dark Wars, while others defected to the Dark Union. Werokh's betrayal angers and saddens our boy Arokh even to this day.
*Jasaad Duthane: the leader of the Desert Lords and main antagonist of the second game who couldn't stand the harsh world of Sessool, wanting to colonize Drakan instead. A few surviving Desert Lords try to avenge his death.
*Yutaji: the Flesh Mage was formerly a benevolent human sorcerer from the South Continent, kidnapped by the Desert Lords long ago then turned into an insane abomination.
*Mezzidrel: a two-headed sea serpent who was an old enemy of Arokh, killed by our heroes in the previous game. Her skeletal remains now lay in the Andrellian Isles.
*Shaza & Tora: mentioned when fighting another boss pair of evil dragons. Guess Arokh doesn't have much friends besides Rynn.
*Zola Dane: the former advisor of Myschala, he betrayed Surdana to the Desert Lords. He was killed (rather anticlimactically) in the previous game.
*Seerak, Gothraul & other undead: the reason why all these exist is because of Navaros' right hand man (or lich, since he is currently undead) who appears in this game as a secret optional boss.
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4.New characters
Characters introduced and exclusive in Drakan 3's plot.
*Tanyana: a traumatized woman rescued from Danannland, she is a foil to Rynn- basically an evil counterpart of our main heroine. She discovers and ingests a dangerous artefact which corrupts her mind and turns her into an evil sorceress. Technically she is the game's main antagonist, however her strings are pulled by a much greater force of evil behind-the-scenes which instead serves as the final boss. PS: originally wanted to name her "Morgana" or some variation, but realized the reference to mythology will be too blatant.
*Gren Bretan: the king of Danannland, his wife got killed in a beastman attack. He grew old and his sadness turned into senility, until he eventually died as well in the backstory. He isn't evil despite his old age's mental issues, however he's a huge unwitting instigator of doom.
*Refugees from Danaan: people who were captured and sacrificed by the local beastpeople there, all these get rescued by our heroes. Tanyana is among them and they kickstart the game's plot.
*Merdhynis: a retired wizard living in self-exile inside the South Continent. He has a saddening backstory and initially is gruff towards Rynn, but eventually takes a level in kindness and helps out heroes tremendously. Despite all the hardships in the past, he proves to be one of their biggest allies who eventually atones for his past. He also has a connection with Tanyana in her backstory...
*Wizard's Owl: remember the intro of the first game and the easter egg in Shadowmire, both of which reference Psygnosis? Well, another owl appears in this game and this one is Merdhynis' loyal cute pet!
*General Sheng: despite his intimidating armor, he's also a heroic good guy. Obviously, he's the one who leads the Chiwutai army when fighting against Tao Khan and his beastmen horde.
*Emperor Yao: the male ruler of Chiwutai, a man whose age is visible and wishes to prolong his lifespan alongside his wife. Unlike most immortality seekers however, he's a benevolent and heroic person.
*Empress Xing: the female consort of Chiwutai's emperor, she's calm and wise (also one of the few characters who smokes, although she prefers pipes instead of cigars). After our heroes help them with several problems, she gives them a Phoenix Feather to save them from dying which initially she wanted to use for herself and her husband to prolong their life. It's important remembering that she gives Rynn the sewer optional side quest which leads to another secret boss. PS: the reference image used here is taken from Legend of the 5 Rings, whose concept art was also made by Hugh Jamieson (the lead concept artist of both Drakan games) but sadly his art website is long dead (unless you can use the Wayback Machine).
*Baltair: a leader of some nomadic Hyrcanian (reference to Conan the Barbarian) people living in the East Continent, which ride horned horses and use chariots. After being rescued by our protagonists, he leads them towards the city of Chiwutai.
*Khamula: Baltair's wife. Dialogue with her shall reveal that Eastern steppe nomads and the Northmen shared the same ancestors in ancient times.
*Astred: a female viking from the North Continent, her people are the descendants of Meridia which now have been reduced to savage barbarians. Her design is also an unlockable skin for Rynn.
*Velkeig: a minor character, he's a stereotypical viking who wears a wild animals' pelt as his cape and hood.
*King Drakan: the first king of the Ancients' civilization, the original humans who build the Gates and bonded with dragons long before the first Order was established. He's long dead, but his name was given to the planet (and therefore the series).
*Amenheton: he's king Drakan's descendant who unlike became a tyrant unlike his ancestor. A warmonger and power-hungry man who sought immortality, Amenheton brought the downfall of his civilization. Despite this, in their final moments he and his dragon friend Vardar felt guilt for all their atrocities. Plus unlike Navaros with Kaeros, he never betrayed and killed his bonded dragon friend. Inspired by Akhenaten, Gilgamesh and Ar-Pharazon; he's another long-dead character.
*Kamau: the general of Emdigbe, he is a stoic man who rarely smiles and never talks due to his tongue being cut off. Despite his intimidating appearance he's a good person.
*Amanras: the queen of Emdigbe, her husband was killed by Shaka who became a traitorous barbarian bandit. She now harbors only hatred towards Shaka who caused her city so much suffering.
*Coatl: the chief of the people (inspired by Aztecs) living in the West Continent and the only one who can speak the language used by our heroes.
*Quitze: she was the queen of another tribe of people (inspired by Incas) living in the West Continent, however they eventually joined and mixed with Coatl's tribe. She is now his wife and rule together, although she is unable to speak with our protagonists.
*Geroth: Dehrimon's bonded dragon. Like his human companion, he looks intimidating but is actually noble and heroic. Sadly, he will die near the game's end which motivates out duo and their allies to finally attack Sessool. His design is based on cut content from Drakan 1.
*Tregdor: an yellow wyvern that lives in the South Continent.
*Shenlung: an Eastern dragon, he is wise but sadly he doesn't know things which predate his existence.
*Pahecal: a green feathered dragon from the West Continent which speaks with a stereotypical hissing lisp.
*Ahura: the supreme god of the series, a primordial cosmic being which embodies light and goodness. It has the power to create any- and everything, Ahura is the creator of Mala Shae and the many other lesser spirits/deities in the series. Ahura flies across the cosmos and creates new planets then fills them with life, after which he moves away to continue this cycle. It lacks a gender due to being a abstract force of nature and spirit embodying cosmic forces, however Ahura has left Drakan millions of years ago. Despite this, Ahura has left behind six hidden relics which hold fragments of its power and can help in the fight against evil. So it's easily one of the 2 most powerful characters in the whole series, even though it only serves the role of a greater scope paragon. Lastly, it's name is derived from an actual real-world mythological deity. Maybe if you are savvy enough you will realize the plot twist but in case you don't, here's a little teaser below...
*??????: the actual main antagonist and final boss of Drakan 3, this primordial being has unfathomable power equal to Ahura. It's the evil force behind Tanyana, with our heroes' main goal being to stop it from being summoned back. Like its opposite sibling, it lacks a gender due to being a cosmic elemental aspect of nature, it's an eldritch abomination or greater spirit. Assuming you are a mythology geek, you might have already guessed its name and identity...
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5.Drakan 3 Villains (that are never fought as bosses)
Characters who are minor villains in Drakan 3, but are never fought properly as bosses.
*Gutsman Skullhead: a male Grull who is bald with scars over his face. After his relatives in Kragmor were killed and he got humiliated by Rynn and Arokh, Gutsman vows revenge which leads him to forging an alliance with Tanyana.
*Wild Tusk: a male Wartok with earrings and one broken tusk. He and Gutsman are basically Bebop and Rocksteady albeit less comical and somewhat more competent.
*Borra: a female Grull (the females are obese with saggy breasts, pink-skinned and have bones in their hair like a swamp hag) who cooks humans in her cauldron. BTW female Wartoks probably would resemble female Quilboars from Warcraft.
*Zahek & Asaiji: a pair of surviving Desert Lords who desire to avenge Jasaad's death. They plot in secrecy and search for hidden magical artefacts which can help them defeat the heroes. Granted, technically they are fought because their souls will empower the Lava Golem boss after they discard their bodies. I should warn you these 2 characters are not the main antagonists and final boss, however they will foreshadow its existence and identity.
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6.Generic NPCs
Random unnamed people walking and standing around, interacting with them only wastes your time. I couldn't post images of the West Continent people and citizens of Chiwutai, however know the former are based on Mesoamerican tribes (Olmecs, Mayans & Aztecs) plus Incas (lore-wise they are 2 tribes combine in one after years of conflict) while the latter are based on Mongols and feudal ancient Chinese peasants. The North Continent also has descendants of ancient Meridia which have now been reduced to viking-like barbarians.
*Surdana Citizens: the regular human inhabitants of Surdana, talking with them will provide only some random useless (though sometimes funny) quotes. Only characters (Myschala, Brekk, Dehrimon, Jade, Quaalus, Nichols, etc) will give you quests.
*Raging Queen Crew: sailors who board wooden ships and go exploring or trading.
*Brotherhood of the Eternal Word monks: they keep a library of valuable knowledge and will give you the first side quest (including an optional boss).
*Northmen: the indigenous people who live in the Northern Continent and one of the few humans that can survive there without a dragon.
*Wastelanders: Jade's people liberated from the Desert Lords, now living peacefully in the city of Persaan albeit without a leader (as the Desert Lords killed their monarch). Mardis and Jade herself can be found living here.
*Persaan Soldiers: When a human Southern warrior died, the Desert Lords resurrected them as the undead Soulless assassins. These are the original and living human versions of these enemies, with one giving our heroes a rail shooter quest from atop an Oliphaunt.
*Flesh Mage's (former) Wives: Drakan 2 has dark-skinned characters which got imported into Yutaji's palace for him to make a body from their corpses. With Jassad and Yutaji dead, they now return back and live in Emdigbe.
*Savannah Southrons: dark-skinned humans in Emdigbe and the local savannah. But some of the natives have traitors which sided with the barbarian bandit Shaka.
*Empire Court: scholars, mages, inventors, and other intellectuals in Chiwutai. They resemble the Brotherhood monks because the latter are descendants of immigrants from the East which now live in Surdana.
*Chiwutai Easterlings: armored warriors that make up the impressive army of Chiwutai. Rynn can purchase a suit of armor belonging to them.
The protagonists of this game which you can play as, there are only 2 of them but you can change their appearance with skins unlocked by completing the various difficulty modes and getting 100% completion.
*Rynn: the human female warrior that survived a raid on her village, bonded with the legendary dragon Arokh. Failed to save her younger brother, however she managed to save the world from 2 threats and now she with Arokh must do it one more time.
*Arokh: the red dragon from the first Order of the Flame who formerly was bonded with Heron and won the Dark Wars, he is currently bonded with Rynn and now they need to embark on a third journey to save Drakan from a great danger.
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2.Returning characters
Characters brought back from Drakan: The Ancients' Gates (aka "Drakan 2"). Be warned that some of them will be killed off during the plot events of Drakan 3.
*Lady Myschala: the queen of Surdana, she welcomed Rynn and Arokh into her city who then helped save the world from the Desert Lords' menace.
*Brekk: the blacksmith of Surdana, he's a trusted ally who treats Rynn like the daughter he never had and sells her very useful (and easy to afford) equipment.
*Jade: the sorceress from the south who teaches Rynn most of the game's magic spells, initially she leaves for her home city but is actually smart enough to uncover a hidden conspiracy.
*Quaalus: the alchemist of Surdana who makes potions. While not a story-important character, he has a collection sidequest which forces you to collect dead animal body parts and sell them to him which eventually which unlock his hidden stock.
*Tull: an old quirky hermit who lives (or lived) in Shadowmire. Rynn and Arokh find him dead, which raises the stakes of the plot since anyone could die (even Rynn and Arokh at one point come very close to dying).
*Kegan: another "sacrificial lion"-type character who dies, he meets his end at a sea monster's jaws in a storm during an expedition to the south eastern islands.
*Fandrill: the captain of the Ragin Queen ship, he begins an expedition to the islands archipelago. He loves the sea and exploring new areas.
*Sevoth: the healer of the Raging Queen crew, he is a invaluable ally. His weather magic helps our heroes while traversing the oceans during their trip.
*Dehrimon: the general of Surdana's army, he's a virtuous knight who serves the queen. However, late in the game he and his bonded dragon get killed which deals a crushing blow to our heroes and their allies.
*Semira: a girl saved by Rynn in Shadowmire, she now lives quietly as a farm girl in the city's outskirts. She isn't plot-relevant, but speaking with her will give you some gold as a reward.
*Mala Shae: the mother of dragonkind, a demigoddess who is capable of shooting blue fire and create dragon eggs out of nothing with her divine magic. She is the offspring of the supreme god in the Drakan series and she offers useful information about her creator.
*The Brotherhood Monks: their monastery is now infested with spiders. Clearing out their catacombs will eventually lead you to the game's first possible (and easiest) boss fight.
*Mardis: formerly a slave to the Desert Lords, he now lives peacefully in Persaan alongside others. Just speaking with him will also get you some gold as a reward.
*Nichols the Bold: a boisterous retired warrior, currently a woodsman hunter. Talking with him shall unlock the Surdana challenges and one side quest.
*Ranwulf: the leader of the Northmen, he is preoccupied with troubles in his area so he can barely help our heroes.
*Zeggoro: a secluded wizard that communicates with the spirits, he receives a warning vision of them and secretly helps our protagonists.
*Vykruta: a bard who plays his minster in Surdana's tavern. He's named after one of the game designers and only serves as NPC without story relevance.
*Grumpy Old Woman: or not so grumpy anymore. She has respect for Rynn and Arokh now after they saved her city. Like the above person, she isn't plot-relevant.
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3.Posthumous characters
Characters which died before the story of Drakan 3 even begins, they won't return however they will be mentioned or get cameos (mostly in flashbacks).
*Delon: Rynn's younger brother who she failed to save. Her memories of him are sore spot for Rynn and she still nightmares of her failures. Eventually she vows that his death won't be in vain and successfully moves forward in her life.
*Atimar: the elderly priest of Rynn and Delon's vilalge, who dies in an enemy raid.
*Heron: Arokh's former bonded human rider and best friend. Sacrificed himself to save Drakan, his death is to Arokh what Delon's is to Rynn. Thankfully character development helps Arokh cope with the trauma of his loss and carry on.
*Rimril: the wizard of the first Order who helped Arokh after the Dark Wars ended, he guarded the Rift Crystal in the Islands Archipelago.
*Navaros & Kaeros: the main antagonists of the first game, their souls are locked permanently away in the Rift World so they will never come back. However, the memories of them still haunt Rynn and Arokh.
*Werokh: some of Arokh's family and friends were killed in the Dark Wars, while others defected to the Dark Union. Werokh's betrayal angers and saddens our boy Arokh even to this day.
*Jasaad Duthane: the leader of the Desert Lords and main antagonist of the second game who couldn't stand the harsh world of Sessool, wanting to colonize Drakan instead. A few surviving Desert Lords try to avenge his death.
*Yutaji: the Flesh Mage was formerly a benevolent human sorcerer from the South Continent, kidnapped by the Desert Lords long ago then turned into an insane abomination.
*Mezzidrel: a two-headed sea serpent who was an old enemy of Arokh, killed by our heroes in the previous game. Her skeletal remains now lay in the Andrellian Isles.
*Shaza & Tora: mentioned when fighting another boss pair of evil dragons. Guess Arokh doesn't have much friends besides Rynn.
*Zola Dane: the former advisor of Myschala, he betrayed Surdana to the Desert Lords. He was killed (rather anticlimactically) in the previous game.
*Seerak, Gothraul & other undead: the reason why all these exist is because of Navaros' right hand man (or lich, since he is currently undead) who appears in this game as a secret optional boss.
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4.New characters
Characters introduced and exclusive in Drakan 3's plot.
*Tanyana: a traumatized woman rescued from Danannland, she is a foil to Rynn- basically an evil counterpart of our main heroine. She discovers and ingests a dangerous artefact which corrupts her mind and turns her into an evil sorceress. Technically she is the game's main antagonist, however her strings are pulled by a much greater force of evil behind-the-scenes which instead serves as the final boss. PS: originally wanted to name her "Morgana" or some variation, but realized the reference to mythology will be too blatant.
*Gren Bretan: the king of Danannland, his wife got killed in a beastman attack. He grew old and his sadness turned into senility, until he eventually died as well in the backstory. He isn't evil despite his old age's mental issues, however he's a huge unwitting instigator of doom.
*Refugees from Danaan: people who were captured and sacrificed by the local beastpeople there, all these get rescued by our heroes. Tanyana is among them and they kickstart the game's plot.
*Merdhynis: a retired wizard living in self-exile inside the South Continent. He has a saddening backstory and initially is gruff towards Rynn, but eventually takes a level in kindness and helps out heroes tremendously. Despite all the hardships in the past, he proves to be one of their biggest allies who eventually atones for his past. He also has a connection with Tanyana in her backstory...
*Wizard's Owl: remember the intro of the first game and the easter egg in Shadowmire, both of which reference Psygnosis? Well, another owl appears in this game and this one is Merdhynis' loyal cute pet!
*General Sheng: despite his intimidating armor, he's also a heroic good guy. Obviously, he's the one who leads the Chiwutai army when fighting against Tao Khan and his beastmen horde.
*Emperor Yao: the male ruler of Chiwutai, a man whose age is visible and wishes to prolong his lifespan alongside his wife. Unlike most immortality seekers however, he's a benevolent and heroic person.
*Empress Xing: the female consort of Chiwutai's emperor, she's calm and wise (also one of the few characters who smokes, although she prefers pipes instead of cigars). After our heroes help them with several problems, she gives them a Phoenix Feather to save them from dying which initially she wanted to use for herself and her husband to prolong their life. It's important remembering that she gives Rynn the sewer optional side quest which leads to another secret boss. PS: the reference image used here is taken from Legend of the 5 Rings, whose concept art was also made by Hugh Jamieson (the lead concept artist of both Drakan games) but sadly his art website is long dead (unless you can use the Wayback Machine).
*Baltair: a leader of some nomadic Hyrcanian (reference to Conan the Barbarian) people living in the East Continent, which ride horned horses and use chariots. After being rescued by our protagonists, he leads them towards the city of Chiwutai.
*Khamula: Baltair's wife. Dialogue with her shall reveal that Eastern steppe nomads and the Northmen shared the same ancestors in ancient times.
*Astred: a female viking from the North Continent, her people are the descendants of Meridia which now have been reduced to savage barbarians. Her design is also an unlockable skin for Rynn.
*Velkeig: a minor character, he's a stereotypical viking who wears a wild animals' pelt as his cape and hood.
*King Drakan: the first king of the Ancients' civilization, the original humans who build the Gates and bonded with dragons long before the first Order was established. He's long dead, but his name was given to the planet (and therefore the series).
*Amenheton: he's king Drakan's descendant who unlike became a tyrant unlike his ancestor. A warmonger and power-hungry man who sought immortality, Amenheton brought the downfall of his civilization. Despite this, in their final moments he and his dragon friend Vardar felt guilt for all their atrocities. Plus unlike Navaros with Kaeros, he never betrayed and killed his bonded dragon friend. Inspired by Akhenaten, Gilgamesh and Ar-Pharazon; he's another long-dead character.
*Kamau: the general of Emdigbe, he is a stoic man who rarely smiles and never talks due to his tongue being cut off. Despite his intimidating appearance he's a good person.
*Amanras: the queen of Emdigbe, her husband was killed by Shaka who became a traitorous barbarian bandit. She now harbors only hatred towards Shaka who caused her city so much suffering.
*Coatl: the chief of the people (inspired by Aztecs) living in the West Continent and the only one who can speak the language used by our heroes.
*Quitze: she was the queen of another tribe of people (inspired by Incas) living in the West Continent, however they eventually joined and mixed with Coatl's tribe. She is now his wife and rule together, although she is unable to speak with our protagonists.
*Geroth: Dehrimon's bonded dragon. Like his human companion, he looks intimidating but is actually noble and heroic. Sadly, he will die near the game's end which motivates out duo and their allies to finally attack Sessool. His design is based on cut content from Drakan 1.
*Tregdor: an yellow wyvern that lives in the South Continent.
*Shenlung: an Eastern dragon, he is wise but sadly he doesn't know things which predate his existence.
*Pahecal: a green feathered dragon from the West Continent which speaks with a stereotypical hissing lisp.
*Ahura: the supreme god of the series, a primordial cosmic being which embodies light and goodness. It has the power to create any- and everything, Ahura is the creator of Mala Shae and the many other lesser spirits/deities in the series. Ahura flies across the cosmos and creates new planets then fills them with life, after which he moves away to continue this cycle. It lacks a gender due to being a abstract force of nature and spirit embodying cosmic forces, however Ahura has left Drakan millions of years ago. Despite this, Ahura has left behind six hidden relics which hold fragments of its power and can help in the fight against evil. So it's easily one of the 2 most powerful characters in the whole series, even though it only serves the role of a greater scope paragon. Lastly, it's name is derived from an actual real-world mythological deity. Maybe if you are savvy enough you will realize the plot twist but in case you don't, here's a little teaser below...
*??????: the actual main antagonist and final boss of Drakan 3, this primordial being has unfathomable power equal to Ahura. It's the evil force behind Tanyana, with our heroes' main goal being to stop it from being summoned back. Like its opposite sibling, it lacks a gender due to being a cosmic elemental aspect of nature, it's an eldritch abomination or greater spirit. Assuming you are a mythology geek, you might have already guessed its name and identity...
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5.Drakan 3 Villains (that are never fought as bosses)
Characters who are minor villains in Drakan 3, but are never fought properly as bosses.
*Gutsman Skullhead: a male Grull who is bald with scars over his face. After his relatives in Kragmor were killed and he got humiliated by Rynn and Arokh, Gutsman vows revenge which leads him to forging an alliance with Tanyana.
*Wild Tusk: a male Wartok with earrings and one broken tusk. He and Gutsman are basically Bebop and Rocksteady albeit less comical and somewhat more competent.
*Borra: a female Grull (the females are obese with saggy breasts, pink-skinned and have bones in their hair like a swamp hag) who cooks humans in her cauldron. BTW female Wartoks probably would resemble female Quilboars from Warcraft.
*Zahek & Asaiji: a pair of surviving Desert Lords who desire to avenge Jasaad's death. They plot in secrecy and search for hidden magical artefacts which can help them defeat the heroes. Granted, technically they are fought because their souls will empower the Lava Golem boss after they discard their bodies. I should warn you these 2 characters are not the main antagonists and final boss, however they will foreshadow its existence and identity.
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6.Generic NPCs
Random unnamed people walking and standing around, interacting with them only wastes your time. I couldn't post images of the West Continent people and citizens of Chiwutai, however know the former are based on Mesoamerican tribes (Olmecs, Mayans & Aztecs) plus Incas (lore-wise they are 2 tribes combine in one after years of conflict) while the latter are based on Mongols and feudal ancient Chinese peasants. The North Continent also has descendants of ancient Meridia which have now been reduced to viking-like barbarians.
*Surdana Citizens: the regular human inhabitants of Surdana, talking with them will provide only some random useless (though sometimes funny) quotes. Only characters (Myschala, Brekk, Dehrimon, Jade, Quaalus, Nichols, etc) will give you quests.
*Raging Queen Crew: sailors who board wooden ships and go exploring or trading.
*Brotherhood of the Eternal Word monks: they keep a library of valuable knowledge and will give you the first side quest (including an optional boss).
*Northmen: the indigenous people who live in the Northern Continent and one of the few humans that can survive there without a dragon.
*Wastelanders: Jade's people liberated from the Desert Lords, now living peacefully in the city of Persaan albeit without a leader (as the Desert Lords killed their monarch). Mardis and Jade herself can be found living here.
*Persaan Soldiers: When a human Southern warrior died, the Desert Lords resurrected them as the undead Soulless assassins. These are the original and living human versions of these enemies, with one giving our heroes a rail shooter quest from atop an Oliphaunt.
*Flesh Mage's (former) Wives: Drakan 2 has dark-skinned characters which got imported into Yutaji's palace for him to make a body from their corpses. With Jassad and Yutaji dead, they now return back and live in Emdigbe.
*Savannah Southrons: dark-skinned humans in Emdigbe and the local savannah. But some of the natives have traitors which sided with the barbarian bandit Shaka.
*Empire Court: scholars, mages, inventors, and other intellectuals in Chiwutai. They resemble the Brotherhood monks because the latter are descendants of immigrants from the East which now live in Surdana.
*Chiwutai Easterlings: armored warriors that make up the impressive army of Chiwutai. Rynn can purchase a suit of armor belonging to them.
1.Rynn Weapons
Melee weapons that Rynn can use and perform combos with. Drakan 3 has 8 different categories of melee weapons (each having different stats: damage, range, durability, speed, etc)- Daggers (short swords), Blades (medium swords, like scimitars and cutlass), Greatswords (long swords, includes katanas), Axes (can also chop trees obviously), Clubs (short blunt), Maces (medium blunt), Hammers (long blunt) and Spears (or whatever you wanna call bladed weapons on the end of long sticks). I won't list all the generic weapons, instead I will only list the special and unique ones you can find throughout Drakan 3- all of these are indestructible and most have some elemental attack connected with them.
*Hunting Dagger of the Order (powerless): Your starting melee weapon that is unbreakable and fast but has a short range and only deals 5 damage. It can be dropped on the ground but it can't ever be sold. Has no AP ("armor piercing") capabilities.
*Wooden Druid Club (Plants): a wooden club with leaves and bloody Cervid skull on it (sadly, the nature spirits demand sacrifice from lesser creatures in exchange for achieving higher power). It can summon thorny vines which entangle your enemies and temporarily incapacitates them. When trapped, you can hit enemies with your attacks however that also speed up the process of them breaking free. Can be taken from Cernos after he's killed.
*Frostbite (Ice): a battle axe taken from Lupius' chamber in the Ice Castle after he's killed. It summons a cold blizzard around Rynn which freezes all enemies in the vicinity.
*Burning Scimitar of the Efreet (Fire): a scimitar bought from a merchant in Persaan. It shoots an expanding circular wall/ring of fire when used by Rynn.
*The Warhammer of the Barbarian (Earth): taken from Shaka when he's killed, it can summon 4 rocky pillars around enemies which then collide with each other and crush them (similar to Ares' boss attack in the 2005 God of War game).
*Piercing Storm Lance (Thunder): a spear with electrical powers that shoots chain lightning (hits multiple targets at once). Is located in the First Civilization's ruins.
*Goofy Chicken (Joke): a humorous optional melee weapon. Becomes available in all merchants after killing the optional Cockatrice boss in the Chiwutai sewers, it has short range but deals good amount of damage. Also makes funny sounds.
*Reaver Blade of the Berserker (Darkness): an intimidating cursed flamberge sword which deals great amount of damage and has long range, but also drains your health every time you hit an enemy with it. Found inside an optional secret dungeon.
*Claw of the Tiger Khan (Poison): a green polearm, taken from Tao Khan after he is killed. Can shoot long-ranged wave-shaped blasts of toxic green poison whenever Rynn swings it.
*Large Serpent's Wrath (Air): a macuahuitl mace with blunt pieces of obsidian, taken from a specific ruins chamber in the West Continent. It can summon a tornado which moves forward and mows down all enemies in its path.
*Mournbringer: Surprise! Did you really think a Drakan game won't have this badass weapon? It deals 50 damage and restores a bit of your health every time you hit an enemy with it. Assuming you want Drakan's vampiric sword, you need to obtain all secret colored keys and open up the city ruins on the south eastern Islands Archipelago. Enter Drakan city, pass through all traps/enemies, kill the optional Balarog lich boss and open the special treasure chest on your way out inside the exit rocky tunnel.
*Dreadnaught (Magma): located in the Volcano, inside the Lost Continent. It resembles the weapons used by the war giants- a curious mixture of hammer, club, spiky mace, axe, glaive spear and sword. This one has the power to summon magma balls falling towards the ground like meteors whenever Rynn stabs the ground with it. Of course, the magma balls also cause explosions and burn enemies.
*Sword of Ahura (Light): this divine blade is one of your plot-crucial quest item, obtained from the Imperial Tomb in the East Continent. It can fire a very long and very powerful beam of light energy which quickly drains your mana gauge. Most powerful melee weapon in the game without a doubt, because it deals a whopping 100 points of damage! Definitely will need it, given the difficulty in the later half of this game ramps up.
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2.Arokh Weapons
In previous games, Arokh could only obtain 4 elements besides his basic fire. Here though, Arokh eventually gets 10 different breath elements! Most are staples returning from previous games, with the exception of Sound Wave/Sonic Blast (or whatever it's called). Drakan 3 has the addition of NG+, with our boy Arokh getting to keep all of his breaths in subsequent playthroughs! Also be warned, only 2 elements must be obtained so the story can progress (Darkness & Light) however all 10 dragon weapon runes bust be collected for 100% completion. Would mention the order in which you obtain them doesn't matter, because they are hardcoded to appear in your select wheel in the same order as they are listed below.
*Fire (orange): Arokh's beginning weapon, available from the game's very start. Primary attack are basic fireball projectiles with average stats, while secondary attack is the classic flamethrower-like dragon breath. In the first game this breath element was overpowered (I don't know about the second game), however in Drakan 3 it will be nerfed so that it doesn't break the game's difficulty. Although you will obtain stronger elements later down the line.
*Earth (brown): obtained after killing Oladan (Mount Tibor, East Continent). Primary attack is a short-ranged but wide blast of dirt and rocks which essentially acts like a shotgun for Arokh, while secondary attack is a single glowing boulder which causes a round shockwave when it hits the ground- in this circular radius, all terrestrial enemies are shaking but stuck in one place and continuously take damage from Arokh's earthquake tremors.
*Water (blue): obtained after killing the Kraken (Islands Archipelago). Primary attack is a fast needle-like projectile made of water that doesn't do much damage but can be spammed and curved around obstacles when strafing, while secondary attack is a large bubble of water that explodes after a short period of time and releases multiple needle-like projectiles in all directions akin to a sea urchin.
*Air (yellow): obtained after solving a puzzle in Azcotal city (West Continent). Primary attack is a funnel cloud from Arokh's mouth that doesn't harm enemies but it can immobilize and spin them around (they can't attack you while being stunlocked), while secondary attack is a tall but visibly thin sandy tornado which moves forward fast and can mow down everything in its path until it hits a wall. PS: air is colored yellow because it's easier to visually tell apart, plus it's also partially made from desert sand.
*Poison Gas (green): obtained after killing Cernos (Danannland, Central Continent). Primary attack is a fast green ball which acts like a sticky bomb and stays on the enemy (assuming it connected) until they die (it emits toxic gas, which chips this and nearby enemies' health), while secondary attack is lobbed similar to a grenade above obstacles and creates a large green puddle on the ground which emits toxic gas upwards (whatever moves through this will be poisoned and take continuous damage).
*Ice (cyan): obtained after killing War Machine (Meridia Ice Castle, North Continent). Primary attack is a single icicle which is slower but has wider range so when it hits anything it explodes in a big area-of-effect blast of icicles and frost, while secondary attack is firing 5 icicles at the same time which are hard to avoid because of the wide range of this attack. Ice no longer has homing capabilities and it cannot kill enemies, but it can temporarily freeze them into immobile "statues" which can be shattered with a quick non-ice attack.
*Thunder (grey): obtained after killing Undead Twin Dragons (Imperial Tomb, East Continent). Primary attack is a hitscan bolt of lightning which only targets enemies and breakable objects (it doesn't get affected by environment), while secondary attack is a slow orb of lightning which moves forward and will disappear when it hits anything (however it can arc bolts of deadly electricity towards nearby enemies and breakable obkects). PS: thunder is another name for lighting and electricity.
*Magma (red): obtained after killing Lava Golem (Volcano, Lost Continent). Primary attack is a slow but wide and powerful ball of magma (this essentially serves as Arokh's rocket launcher) that burns the ground for a short while after it hits, while secondary attack is a barrage of 5 simultaneous magma balls which can also be used like a long-ranged shotgun that deals massive damage. PS: magma and lava are interchangeable terms in the Drakan series.
*Darkness (black/purple): obtained after killing Doppelganger Shadow (First Civilization Ruins, South Continent). Primary attack is a homing shadowy projectile (the only way to miss with this weapon is if enemies are hiding behind obstacles), while secondary attack is two purple beams which collide together and create a temporary black hole which sucks inside itself and instakills all regular enemies (their loot automatically falls on the ground) and then implodes after a short while. However be warned that it depletes your breath meter quickly and will also take a toll from your health- 25 HP and BP for primary attack, 100 HP and BP for secondary attack. While powerful, this element has drawbacks therefore be careful whenever you fire Arokh's darkness breath!
*Light (white): obtained after passing all 6 trials of Ahura (Cavern Ruins, Dragon Dimension). Primary attack is a volley of 4 simultaneous lasers which are very fast (with long range and high damage but are thin), while secondary attack is a giant wide beam of light with infinite range that can pass through enemies (but not walls) that is tied with the Darkness black hole for THE most powerful attack in Arokh's elemental breath arsenal. Firing the light element also heals you, however it quickly depletes your breath meter (although this can be mitigated if you find all 9 green crystals which increase your maximum breath capacity) and the secondary attack will take a few seconds charging up everytime before you fire it. PS: Arokh's light elemental breath weapon is also the 6th/last plot mcguffin required to progress with Drakan 3's plot.
Arokh will have twice the bigger arsenal of weapons compared to the previous games.
PS: the player starts out with Fire, only Darkness and Light are mandatory towards game/story progression. However all 10 dragon elemental breath weapons must be obtained for 100% completion.
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3.Returning Items
Collectible items which make a return from Drakan 1 and/or 2.
*Health Elixir: colored red, it restores 25 health points. Common and cheap, so feel free to use. It also automatically removes all your current ailments (acid, disease and poison).
*Potion of Life: colored blue, it restores 100 health points. Rarer and more expensive, so use wisely. It also automatically removes all your current ailments (acid, disease and poison).
*Invisibility Potion: colored yellow, it makes you temporarily invisible which allows you to sneak past enemies and attack them with less risk to your well-being. Rarer and more expensive, so use wisely.
*Invulnerability Potion: colored green, it it makes you temporarily invulnerable to all forms of damage which allows you to survive deadly situations. Rarer and more expensive, so use wisely.
*Lesser Mana Potion: colored purple, it restores 25 mana points. Common and cheap, so feel free to use. Remember that it your mana slowly recharges by itself over time, also the potions don't affect Arokh's breath meter.
*Greater Mana Potion: colored white, it restores 100 mana points. Rarer and more expensive, so use wisely. Remember that it your mana slowly recharges by itself over time, also the potions don't affect Arokh's breath meter.
*Soul Orb: left behind from some dead flying enemies, floats in the air. If Arokh collects one such orb, it restores 50 health points. Can be upgraded to appear from all flying enemies and restore more health by unlocking some perks.
*Barrels, Crates, Traps, Chests, Puzzles and Switches: do I really need to explain all these?
*Treasure: bags of gold coin and other valuable objects which get converted into money points when collected. Used to purchase and repair weapons, armors, potions, shields, etc.
*Quest Item: aka "key items", you need to obtain these to complete a quest, progress the story and/or solve a puzzle. I won't list all of them, only the 6 relics (with 2 additional "fake" relics) which are crucial to Drakan 3's plot progression.
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4.New Items
Collectible items added exclusively in Drakan 3, be warned the first 4 of these are finite so when you obtain them all the game will no longer spawn them. The last 2 behave like the potions from previous games.
*Blue Crystal: there are only 9 of these in total, hidden and scattered throughout the game. Picking up one increases Rynn's maximum mana capacity- she begins with 1/10 (100 mana points) but when you collect all 9 blue crystals it gets increased to full maximum (1000 mana points). It doesn't get placed in your inventory ever, instead Rynn automatically absorbs it inside herself and it disappears permanently from the game world upon being picked up.
*Green Crystal: there are only 9 of these in total, hidden and scattered throughout the game. Picking up one increases Arokh's maximum breath capacity- he begins with 1/10 (100 breath points) but when you collect all 9 green crystals it gets increased to full maximum (1000 breath points). It doesn't get placed in your inventory ever, instead Arokh automatically absorbs it inside himself and it disappears permanently from the game world upon being picked up.
*Red Crystal: there are only 9 of these in total, hidden and scattered throughout the game. Picking up one increases both Rynn and Arokh's (because they are bonded together, they share the same health meter) maximum health capacity- they begin with 1/10 (100 health points) but when you collect all 9 red crystals it gets increased to full maximum (1000 health points). It doesn't get placed in your inventory ever, instead Rynn/Arokh automatically absorbs it inside themselves and it disappears permanently from the game world upon being picked up.
*Tear of Ahura: these large white oyster pearl-esque items which have a rainbow aura glow, according to legend are tears crystalized after being shed by the supreme god of light. There are 1000 of these hidden and scattered in the entire game, collecting a specific amount will unlock a bonus feature (e.g. concept art) therefore obviously it's in your best interest to find and collect all of them. It doesn't get placed in your inventory ever, instead Rynn/Arokh automatically absorbs it inside themselves and it disappears permanently from the game world upon being picked up. Some Tears of Ahura are given as rewards for completing side quests or hidden in secret areas alongside caches of other goodies (weapons, armors, treasure, potions, etc).
*Phoenix Feather: it might as well be called "Phoenix Down" but unlike the Final Fantasy item this restores you to full health and mana/breath when used. They are extremely rare and expensive remains from legendary birds which are considered in-universe to be extinct. When the player's health reaches zero, if they have a Phoenix Feather in their inventory they will be automatically revived instantly but waste one feather in the process. It also automatically removes all your current ailments (acid, disease and poison).
*Vial of Speed: technically, it appeared in the first game's multiplayer mode (being colored green and called "Potion of Speed"). Drinking this grey vial will make you temporarily attack and move quicker by 50%.
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5.Rynn Armor Sets
The body armor sets in Drakan 3 have perks attached to them which makes them useful even if you find armors with better damage reduction. Also for the first time, most (but not all) armor sets here will come included with a helmet which protects Rynn's head. There are 19 armor sets in Drakan 3 (20, if you count Rynn's default clothes) but I could post only 12 here.
*Basic Clothes: 0% damage reduction, the default clothes which Rynn starts the game with. The only thing really they are good for is just keeping her from being naked.
*Leather Armor: 5% damage reduction, cheapest and weakest (also ugliest) armor that Rynn can obtain. Perk is that you get double amount of money from animal parts you find and sell because this is a woodsman hunter's armor, so you can faster grind money.
*Northmen Armor: 10% damage reduction, bought from Ravenshold. Perk is immunity to ice elemental attacks, plus you don't slide on frozen floor in the Ice Castle.
*Chainmail Armor: 20% damage reduction, common and easy to afford. Perk is that your movement speed is increased by 50% while this armor is equipped.
*Gladiator Armor: 30% damage reduction, bought from Emdigbe. Perk is that your attack speed is increased by 50% while this armor is equipped.
*Plate Armor: 40% damage reduction, bought from Surdana. Perk is that your passive mana regeneration is increased, which means you need to wait less time for casting spells again.
*Eastern Armor: 50% damage reduction, bought from Chiwutai. Perk is that while it reduces the damage your health gauge takes by 50%, the other 50% is taken from your mana gauge instead.
*Scale Armor: 60% damage reduction, made available for purchase in the Andrellian Isles after expedition. Perk is that damage taken from enemies is reflected back at them, which means you can kill them just by standing still but you need to sacrifice your health.
*Runic Armor: 70% damage reduction, obtained from Islands Archipelago. Perk is that mithril weapons do not affect you when this armor is equipped. PS: the armor will be redesigned to have smaller spikes on the back and now it will cover up Rynn's midriff.
*Knight Armor: 80% damage reduction, made available for purchase when you finally unlock the Dragon Dimension. Perk is immunity to ailments (disease, acid and poison) because armor is made for explorers in far away lands.
*Dragon Armor: 90% damage reduction, obtained from Volcano level. Perk is immunity to fire and magma elemental attacks because lore-wise it's made from dragon skin.
*Holy Armor of Ahura: 95% damage reduction, obtained from the West Continent after the main story objective is completed. Perk is adding a passive regeneration ability which helps you slowly recover hit points.
PS: I was thinking about Rynn also wearing the same clothes like the Surdana knights, but I realized she looks ridiculous inside this armor.
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6.Shields
These return from Drakan 2, but are optional and IMHO useless. Pressing the block button will have Rynn take out her shield and make her invincible to physical attacks (elemental and magical still hurt) but she will stand still (however pressing the block and attack buttons when an enemy attack connects will have you perform a counterattack which deals massive damage). Shields have a certain amount of hit points before they get broken and permanently disappear from your inventory.
*Leather Shield: 10 hits before disappearing.
*Wood Shield: 20 hits before disappearing.
*Bone Shield: 50 hits before disappearing.
*Iron Shield: 100 hits before disappearing.
*Steel Shield: 150 hits before disappearing.
*Runic Shield: 200 hits before disappearing.
*Mithril Shield: 250 hits before disappearing.
*Diamond Shield: 300 hits before disappearing.
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7.Bows
Long-ranged weapons used by Rynn, they cannot perform combos but you can enter first person mode and snipe enemies from safe places far away. They are the a separate class of weapons. Drakan 3 also has 3 types of throwable gunpowder explosive weapons- Grenades (basic explosion), Molotov Cocktail (makes a circular "puddle" of burning fire) and Land Mine (will detonate if an enemy or the player walks on them). All throwable weapons and the Crossbow are decidedly available for purchase only in Chiwutai. PS: like Drakan 2, each arrow type is locked into the bow it originally comes with (regardless if you find it on the open game world or buy it from a vendor), you cannot swap arrow/ammo types between different bows.
*Infinite Arrows: weakest arrows damage-wise (5 points), but they never will run out.
*Basic Arrows: deal twice as much damage as the basic arrows, very cheap and common.
*Speed Arrows: can be fired and travel much quicker, almost becomes a primitive gatling gun!
*Homing Arrows: automatically chase and hit enemies, unless they are hiding behind obstacles.
*Fire Arrows: will cause enemies to slowly burn to death.
*Ice Arrows: can freeze enemies if hit enough times, cannot kill anything but you can shatter them with another weapon or spell.
*Thunder Arrows: arches bolts of chain lightning between multiple enemies.
*Crossbow: fires 5 simultaneous arrows in a wide arc in front of you. Can only be purchased from Chiwutai.
*Poison Arrows: produces a cloud of toxic green gas upon impact which drains the health of all enemies hit by it.
*Explosive Arrows: creates a massive circular area-of-damage explosion, careful not to get caught in the blast radius!
*Mithril Arrows: one of two arrow types which ignore enemy armor, thus dealing full amount of damage.
*Bow of Ahura: ignores enemy armor, is fast, deals alot of damage, has a small circular blast radius and it recovers your health whenever used.
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8.Magic Spells
Rynn can use magic spells which deplete her mana gauge like in Drakan 2. However you don't need to perform joystick movements in this game to activate any spell, they are now easier to use. While mostly created for combat, some of these spells can also be used for puzzle solving. All spells can be upgraded to level 4, which makes them stronger and/or increases their duration (however it also increases their mana cost) so hopefully the player has enough gold to afford all of this.
Spellcasting in Drakan 3 will be simpler, you don't need to perform analog stick/directional pad movements anymore to invoke a spell.
List of Rynn's magic spells in Drakan 3 (there are 20 instead of 10 in this game):
*Fireball: shoot a basic projectile which sets enemies ablaze, causing them to also take additional burn damage afterwards.
*Ice Blast: freeze enemies and turn them into popsicle statues, hitting them with another attack afterwards will shatter them.
*Lightning Bolt: hitscan and long ranged, can arc between several enemies when leveled up.
*Combust: an explosion which has bigger AOE (area-of-effect), causing massive damage. Basically it's your "mini nuke"-type spell.
*Poison Impalement: using a shaman staff, Rynn conjures a spike from the ground which impales the unfortunate creature. Also (unlike Drakan 2), any enemy hit with this will get poisoned.
*Volcanic Eruption: causes a wide circle to surround you, all enemies within shall be hurt by the magma which spews from the ground.
*Necromancy: call forth up to 4 skeletons from the ground which distract or attack your foes. The skeletons won't stop attacking until either you spell timer expires or they get killed.
*Spirit Companion: summon a flame elemental spirit which follows you and will passively attack enemies, however sustaining this creature quickly drains your mana.
*Repel Aura: creatures a "forcefield bubble" around Rynn and Arokh. It causes enemy projectiles to bounce off, also hurts your enemies when in close range.
*Trap Plant: a carnivorous plant will appear from a hole in the ground and begin attacking nearby enemies. When you are far away, it can also serve as a proximity mine.
*Intangibility: during this, you won't get damaged from any physical attacks (including drowning and falling). Also you can pass through enemies. However elemental and magical attacks will still affect you.
*Mind Control: targeted enemy will begin attacking its allies, eventually leading to infighting. They can't kill each other, but you can attack them while they are distracted.
*Illumination: a tiny sparkling spirit will float above Rynn which produces a glow around her. It's useful when traversing dark places like dungeons and caves.
*Telekinesis: increases the range from which you can pick up items and you can activate switches from afar with this ability.
*Rejuvenate: basically a healing spell, recover lost hit points at the cost of your mana. Also removes all infection debuffs (poison, disease and even acid).
*Doppelganger: Rynn will create an illusionary doppelganger of herself which serves as a decoy, while she turns invisible and can sneak around or attack fooled enemies.
*Fear Inducement: causes a terrifying aura to surround her, which hypnotizes enemies into thinking she is much scarier and stop attacking her.
*Soul Syphon: fire a vampiric projectile which damages enemies but also heals a bit of your hit points.
*Time Slow: as the name implies, this will slow down enemies which allows you to get more hits on them. It also will affect switches, platforms, traps, etc.
*Blessing of Ahura: basically a "super mode" during which both Rynn and Arokh get increased attributes. They move and attack faster, deal more damage, get a passive regeneration ability (which slowly recovers hit points) and gain "super armor" (won't flinch when hit by enemy attacks). Essentially like the Devil Trigger from DMC games, however it will cost all of your mana so use only in case of emergency. Granted, you could use mana potions to fill your gauge but you also need to wait for the spell's effect duration eventually wearing off.
Melee weapons that Rynn can use and perform combos with. Drakan 3 has 8 different categories of melee weapons (each having different stats: damage, range, durability, speed, etc)- Daggers (short swords), Blades (medium swords, like scimitars and cutlass), Greatswords (long swords, includes katanas), Axes (can also chop trees obviously), Clubs (short blunt), Maces (medium blunt), Hammers (long blunt) and Spears (or whatever you wanna call bladed weapons on the end of long sticks). I won't list all the generic weapons, instead I will only list the special and unique ones you can find throughout Drakan 3- all of these are indestructible and most have some elemental attack connected with them.
*Hunting Dagger of the Order (powerless): Your starting melee weapon that is unbreakable and fast but has a short range and only deals 5 damage. It can be dropped on the ground but it can't ever be sold. Has no AP ("armor piercing") capabilities.
*Wooden Druid Club (Plants): a wooden club with leaves and bloody Cervid skull on it (sadly, the nature spirits demand sacrifice from lesser creatures in exchange for achieving higher power). It can summon thorny vines which entangle your enemies and temporarily incapacitates them. When trapped, you can hit enemies with your attacks however that also speed up the process of them breaking free. Can be taken from Cernos after he's killed.
*Frostbite (Ice): a battle axe taken from Lupius' chamber in the Ice Castle after he's killed. It summons a cold blizzard around Rynn which freezes all enemies in the vicinity.
*Burning Scimitar of the Efreet (Fire): a scimitar bought from a merchant in Persaan. It shoots an expanding circular wall/ring of fire when used by Rynn.
*The Warhammer of the Barbarian (Earth): taken from Shaka when he's killed, it can summon 4 rocky pillars around enemies which then collide with each other and crush them (similar to Ares' boss attack in the 2005 God of War game).
*Piercing Storm Lance (Thunder): a spear with electrical powers that shoots chain lightning (hits multiple targets at once). Is located in the First Civilization's ruins.
*Goofy Chicken (Joke): a humorous optional melee weapon. Becomes available in all merchants after killing the optional Cockatrice boss in the Chiwutai sewers, it has short range but deals good amount of damage. Also makes funny sounds.
*Reaver Blade of the Berserker (Darkness): an intimidating cursed flamberge sword which deals great amount of damage and has long range, but also drains your health every time you hit an enemy with it. Found inside an optional secret dungeon.
*Claw of the Tiger Khan (Poison): a green polearm, taken from Tao Khan after he is killed. Can shoot long-ranged wave-shaped blasts of toxic green poison whenever Rynn swings it.
*Large Serpent's Wrath (Air): a macuahuitl mace with blunt pieces of obsidian, taken from a specific ruins chamber in the West Continent. It can summon a tornado which moves forward and mows down all enemies in its path.
*Mournbringer: Surprise! Did you really think a Drakan game won't have this badass weapon? It deals 50 damage and restores a bit of your health every time you hit an enemy with it. Assuming you want Drakan's vampiric sword, you need to obtain all secret colored keys and open up the city ruins on the south eastern Islands Archipelago. Enter Drakan city, pass through all traps/enemies, kill the optional Balarog lich boss and open the special treasure chest on your way out inside the exit rocky tunnel.
*Dreadnaught (Magma): located in the Volcano, inside the Lost Continent. It resembles the weapons used by the war giants- a curious mixture of hammer, club, spiky mace, axe, glaive spear and sword. This one has the power to summon magma balls falling towards the ground like meteors whenever Rynn stabs the ground with it. Of course, the magma balls also cause explosions and burn enemies.
*Sword of Ahura (Light): this divine blade is one of your plot-crucial quest item, obtained from the Imperial Tomb in the East Continent. It can fire a very long and very powerful beam of light energy which quickly drains your mana gauge. Most powerful melee weapon in the game without a doubt, because it deals a whopping 100 points of damage! Definitely will need it, given the difficulty in the later half of this game ramps up.
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2.Arokh Weapons
In previous games, Arokh could only obtain 4 elements besides his basic fire. Here though, Arokh eventually gets 10 different breath elements! Most are staples returning from previous games, with the exception of Sound Wave/Sonic Blast (or whatever it's called). Drakan 3 has the addition of NG+, with our boy Arokh getting to keep all of his breaths in subsequent playthroughs! Also be warned, only 2 elements must be obtained so the story can progress (Darkness & Light) however all 10 dragon weapon runes bust be collected for 100% completion. Would mention the order in which you obtain them doesn't matter, because they are hardcoded to appear in your select wheel in the same order as they are listed below.
*Fire (orange): Arokh's beginning weapon, available from the game's very start. Primary attack are basic fireball projectiles with average stats, while secondary attack is the classic flamethrower-like dragon breath. In the first game this breath element was overpowered (I don't know about the second game), however in Drakan 3 it will be nerfed so that it doesn't break the game's difficulty. Although you will obtain stronger elements later down the line.
*Earth (brown): obtained after killing Oladan (Mount Tibor, East Continent). Primary attack is a short-ranged but wide blast of dirt and rocks which essentially acts like a shotgun for Arokh, while secondary attack is a single glowing boulder which causes a round shockwave when it hits the ground- in this circular radius, all terrestrial enemies are shaking but stuck in one place and continuously take damage from Arokh's earthquake tremors.
*Water (blue): obtained after killing the Kraken (Islands Archipelago). Primary attack is a fast needle-like projectile made of water that doesn't do much damage but can be spammed and curved around obstacles when strafing, while secondary attack is a large bubble of water that explodes after a short period of time and releases multiple needle-like projectiles in all directions akin to a sea urchin.
*Air (yellow): obtained after solving a puzzle in Azcotal city (West Continent). Primary attack is a funnel cloud from Arokh's mouth that doesn't harm enemies but it can immobilize and spin them around (they can't attack you while being stunlocked), while secondary attack is a tall but visibly thin sandy tornado which moves forward fast and can mow down everything in its path until it hits a wall. PS: air is colored yellow because it's easier to visually tell apart, plus it's also partially made from desert sand.
*Poison Gas (green): obtained after killing Cernos (Danannland, Central Continent). Primary attack is a fast green ball which acts like a sticky bomb and stays on the enemy (assuming it connected) until they die (it emits toxic gas, which chips this and nearby enemies' health), while secondary attack is lobbed similar to a grenade above obstacles and creates a large green puddle on the ground which emits toxic gas upwards (whatever moves through this will be poisoned and take continuous damage).
*Ice (cyan): obtained after killing War Machine (Meridia Ice Castle, North Continent). Primary attack is a single icicle which is slower but has wider range so when it hits anything it explodes in a big area-of-effect blast of icicles and frost, while secondary attack is firing 5 icicles at the same time which are hard to avoid because of the wide range of this attack. Ice no longer has homing capabilities and it cannot kill enemies, but it can temporarily freeze them into immobile "statues" which can be shattered with a quick non-ice attack.
*Thunder (grey): obtained after killing Undead Twin Dragons (Imperial Tomb, East Continent). Primary attack is a hitscan bolt of lightning which only targets enemies and breakable objects (it doesn't get affected by environment), while secondary attack is a slow orb of lightning which moves forward and will disappear when it hits anything (however it can arc bolts of deadly electricity towards nearby enemies and breakable obkects). PS: thunder is another name for lighting and electricity.
*Magma (red): obtained after killing Lava Golem (Volcano, Lost Continent). Primary attack is a slow but wide and powerful ball of magma (this essentially serves as Arokh's rocket launcher) that burns the ground for a short while after it hits, while secondary attack is a barrage of 5 simultaneous magma balls which can also be used like a long-ranged shotgun that deals massive damage. PS: magma and lava are interchangeable terms in the Drakan series.
*Darkness (black/purple): obtained after killing Doppelganger Shadow (First Civilization Ruins, South Continent). Primary attack is a homing shadowy projectile (the only way to miss with this weapon is if enemies are hiding behind obstacles), while secondary attack is two purple beams which collide together and create a temporary black hole which sucks inside itself and instakills all regular enemies (their loot automatically falls on the ground) and then implodes after a short while. However be warned that it depletes your breath meter quickly and will also take a toll from your health- 25 HP and BP for primary attack, 100 HP and BP for secondary attack. While powerful, this element has drawbacks therefore be careful whenever you fire Arokh's darkness breath!
*Light (white): obtained after passing all 6 trials of Ahura (Cavern Ruins, Dragon Dimension). Primary attack is a volley of 4 simultaneous lasers which are very fast (with long range and high damage but are thin), while secondary attack is a giant wide beam of light with infinite range that can pass through enemies (but not walls) that is tied with the Darkness black hole for THE most powerful attack in Arokh's elemental breath arsenal. Firing the light element also heals you, however it quickly depletes your breath meter (although this can be mitigated if you find all 9 green crystals which increase your maximum breath capacity) and the secondary attack will take a few seconds charging up everytime before you fire it. PS: Arokh's light elemental breath weapon is also the 6th/last plot mcguffin required to progress with Drakan 3's plot.
Arokh will have twice the bigger arsenal of weapons compared to the previous games.
PS: the player starts out with Fire, only Darkness and Light are mandatory towards game/story progression. However all 10 dragon elemental breath weapons must be obtained for 100% completion.
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3.Returning Items
Collectible items which make a return from Drakan 1 and/or 2.
*Health Elixir: colored red, it restores 25 health points. Common and cheap, so feel free to use. It also automatically removes all your current ailments (acid, disease and poison).
*Potion of Life: colored blue, it restores 100 health points. Rarer and more expensive, so use wisely. It also automatically removes all your current ailments (acid, disease and poison).
*Invisibility Potion: colored yellow, it makes you temporarily invisible which allows you to sneak past enemies and attack them with less risk to your well-being. Rarer and more expensive, so use wisely.
*Invulnerability Potion: colored green, it it makes you temporarily invulnerable to all forms of damage which allows you to survive deadly situations. Rarer and more expensive, so use wisely.
*Lesser Mana Potion: colored purple, it restores 25 mana points. Common and cheap, so feel free to use. Remember that it your mana slowly recharges by itself over time, also the potions don't affect Arokh's breath meter.
*Greater Mana Potion: colored white, it restores 100 mana points. Rarer and more expensive, so use wisely. Remember that it your mana slowly recharges by itself over time, also the potions don't affect Arokh's breath meter.
*Soul Orb: left behind from some dead flying enemies, floats in the air. If Arokh collects one such orb, it restores 50 health points. Can be upgraded to appear from all flying enemies and restore more health by unlocking some perks.
*Barrels, Crates, Traps, Chests, Puzzles and Switches: do I really need to explain all these?
*Treasure: bags of gold coin and other valuable objects which get converted into money points when collected. Used to purchase and repair weapons, armors, potions, shields, etc.
*Quest Item: aka "key items", you need to obtain these to complete a quest, progress the story and/or solve a puzzle. I won't list all of them, only the 6 relics (with 2 additional "fake" relics) which are crucial to Drakan 3's plot progression.
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4.New Items
Collectible items added exclusively in Drakan 3, be warned the first 4 of these are finite so when you obtain them all the game will no longer spawn them. The last 2 behave like the potions from previous games.
*Blue Crystal: there are only 9 of these in total, hidden and scattered throughout the game. Picking up one increases Rynn's maximum mana capacity- she begins with 1/10 (100 mana points) but when you collect all 9 blue crystals it gets increased to full maximum (1000 mana points). It doesn't get placed in your inventory ever, instead Rynn automatically absorbs it inside herself and it disappears permanently from the game world upon being picked up.
*Green Crystal: there are only 9 of these in total, hidden and scattered throughout the game. Picking up one increases Arokh's maximum breath capacity- he begins with 1/10 (100 breath points) but when you collect all 9 green crystals it gets increased to full maximum (1000 breath points). It doesn't get placed in your inventory ever, instead Arokh automatically absorbs it inside himself and it disappears permanently from the game world upon being picked up.
*Red Crystal: there are only 9 of these in total, hidden and scattered throughout the game. Picking up one increases both Rynn and Arokh's (because they are bonded together, they share the same health meter) maximum health capacity- they begin with 1/10 (100 health points) but when you collect all 9 red crystals it gets increased to full maximum (1000 health points). It doesn't get placed in your inventory ever, instead Rynn/Arokh automatically absorbs it inside themselves and it disappears permanently from the game world upon being picked up.
*Tear of Ahura: these large white oyster pearl-esque items which have a rainbow aura glow, according to legend are tears crystalized after being shed by the supreme god of light. There are 1000 of these hidden and scattered in the entire game, collecting a specific amount will unlock a bonus feature (e.g. concept art) therefore obviously it's in your best interest to find and collect all of them. It doesn't get placed in your inventory ever, instead Rynn/Arokh automatically absorbs it inside themselves and it disappears permanently from the game world upon being picked up. Some Tears of Ahura are given as rewards for completing side quests or hidden in secret areas alongside caches of other goodies (weapons, armors, treasure, potions, etc).
*Phoenix Feather: it might as well be called "Phoenix Down" but unlike the Final Fantasy item this restores you to full health and mana/breath when used. They are extremely rare and expensive remains from legendary birds which are considered in-universe to be extinct. When the player's health reaches zero, if they have a Phoenix Feather in their inventory they will be automatically revived instantly but waste one feather in the process. It also automatically removes all your current ailments (acid, disease and poison).
*Vial of Speed: technically, it appeared in the first game's multiplayer mode (being colored green and called "Potion of Speed"). Drinking this grey vial will make you temporarily attack and move quicker by 50%.
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5.Rynn Armor Sets
The body armor sets in Drakan 3 have perks attached to them which makes them useful even if you find armors with better damage reduction. Also for the first time, most (but not all) armor sets here will come included with a helmet which protects Rynn's head. There are 19 armor sets in Drakan 3 (20, if you count Rynn's default clothes) but I could post only 12 here.
*Basic Clothes: 0% damage reduction, the default clothes which Rynn starts the game with. The only thing really they are good for is just keeping her from being naked.
*Leather Armor: 5% damage reduction, cheapest and weakest (also ugliest) armor that Rynn can obtain. Perk is that you get double amount of money from animal parts you find and sell because this is a woodsman hunter's armor, so you can faster grind money.
*Northmen Armor: 10% damage reduction, bought from Ravenshold. Perk is immunity to ice elemental attacks, plus you don't slide on frozen floor in the Ice Castle.
*Chainmail Armor: 20% damage reduction, common and easy to afford. Perk is that your movement speed is increased by 50% while this armor is equipped.
*Gladiator Armor: 30% damage reduction, bought from Emdigbe. Perk is that your attack speed is increased by 50% while this armor is equipped.
*Plate Armor: 40% damage reduction, bought from Surdana. Perk is that your passive mana regeneration is increased, which means you need to wait less time for casting spells again.
*Eastern Armor: 50% damage reduction, bought from Chiwutai. Perk is that while it reduces the damage your health gauge takes by 50%, the other 50% is taken from your mana gauge instead.
*Scale Armor: 60% damage reduction, made available for purchase in the Andrellian Isles after expedition. Perk is that damage taken from enemies is reflected back at them, which means you can kill them just by standing still but you need to sacrifice your health.
*Runic Armor: 70% damage reduction, obtained from Islands Archipelago. Perk is that mithril weapons do not affect you when this armor is equipped. PS: the armor will be redesigned to have smaller spikes on the back and now it will cover up Rynn's midriff.
*Knight Armor: 80% damage reduction, made available for purchase when you finally unlock the Dragon Dimension. Perk is immunity to ailments (disease, acid and poison) because armor is made for explorers in far away lands.
*Dragon Armor: 90% damage reduction, obtained from Volcano level. Perk is immunity to fire and magma elemental attacks because lore-wise it's made from dragon skin.
*Holy Armor of Ahura: 95% damage reduction, obtained from the West Continent after the main story objective is completed. Perk is adding a passive regeneration ability which helps you slowly recover hit points.
PS: I was thinking about Rynn also wearing the same clothes like the Surdana knights, but I realized she looks ridiculous inside this armor.
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6.Shields
These return from Drakan 2, but are optional and IMHO useless. Pressing the block button will have Rynn take out her shield and make her invincible to physical attacks (elemental and magical still hurt) but she will stand still (however pressing the block and attack buttons when an enemy attack connects will have you perform a counterattack which deals massive damage). Shields have a certain amount of hit points before they get broken and permanently disappear from your inventory.
*Leather Shield: 10 hits before disappearing.
*Wood Shield: 20 hits before disappearing.
*Bone Shield: 50 hits before disappearing.
*Iron Shield: 100 hits before disappearing.
*Steel Shield: 150 hits before disappearing.
*Runic Shield: 200 hits before disappearing.
*Mithril Shield: 250 hits before disappearing.
*Diamond Shield: 300 hits before disappearing.
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7.Bows
Long-ranged weapons used by Rynn, they cannot perform combos but you can enter first person mode and snipe enemies from safe places far away. They are the a separate class of weapons. Drakan 3 also has 3 types of throwable gunpowder explosive weapons- Grenades (basic explosion), Molotov Cocktail (makes a circular "puddle" of burning fire) and Land Mine (will detonate if an enemy or the player walks on them). All throwable weapons and the Crossbow are decidedly available for purchase only in Chiwutai. PS: like Drakan 2, each arrow type is locked into the bow it originally comes with (regardless if you find it on the open game world or buy it from a vendor), you cannot swap arrow/ammo types between different bows.
*Infinite Arrows: weakest arrows damage-wise (5 points), but they never will run out.
*Basic Arrows: deal twice as much damage as the basic arrows, very cheap and common.
*Speed Arrows: can be fired and travel much quicker, almost becomes a primitive gatling gun!
*Homing Arrows: automatically chase and hit enemies, unless they are hiding behind obstacles.
*Fire Arrows: will cause enemies to slowly burn to death.
*Ice Arrows: can freeze enemies if hit enough times, cannot kill anything but you can shatter them with another weapon or spell.
*Thunder Arrows: arches bolts of chain lightning between multiple enemies.
*Crossbow: fires 5 simultaneous arrows in a wide arc in front of you. Can only be purchased from Chiwutai.
*Poison Arrows: produces a cloud of toxic green gas upon impact which drains the health of all enemies hit by it.
*Explosive Arrows: creates a massive circular area-of-damage explosion, careful not to get caught in the blast radius!
*Mithril Arrows: one of two arrow types which ignore enemy armor, thus dealing full amount of damage.
*Bow of Ahura: ignores enemy armor, is fast, deals alot of damage, has a small circular blast radius and it recovers your health whenever used.
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8.Magic Spells
Rynn can use magic spells which deplete her mana gauge like in Drakan 2. However you don't need to perform joystick movements in this game to activate any spell, they are now easier to use. While mostly created for combat, some of these spells can also be used for puzzle solving. All spells can be upgraded to level 4, which makes them stronger and/or increases their duration (however it also increases their mana cost) so hopefully the player has enough gold to afford all of this.
Spellcasting in Drakan 3 will be simpler, you don't need to perform analog stick/directional pad movements anymore to invoke a spell.
List of Rynn's magic spells in Drakan 3 (there are 20 instead of 10 in this game):
*Fireball: shoot a basic projectile which sets enemies ablaze, causing them to also take additional burn damage afterwards.
*Ice Blast: freeze enemies and turn them into popsicle statues, hitting them with another attack afterwards will shatter them.
*Lightning Bolt: hitscan and long ranged, can arc between several enemies when leveled up.
*Combust: an explosion which has bigger AOE (area-of-effect), causing massive damage. Basically it's your "mini nuke"-type spell.
*Poison Impalement: using a shaman staff, Rynn conjures a spike from the ground which impales the unfortunate creature. Also (unlike Drakan 2), any enemy hit with this will get poisoned.
*Volcanic Eruption: causes a wide circle to surround you, all enemies within shall be hurt by the magma which spews from the ground.
*Necromancy: call forth up to 4 skeletons from the ground which distract or attack your foes. The skeletons won't stop attacking until either you spell timer expires or they get killed.
*Spirit Companion: summon a flame elemental spirit which follows you and will passively attack enemies, however sustaining this creature quickly drains your mana.
*Repel Aura: creatures a "forcefield bubble" around Rynn and Arokh. It causes enemy projectiles to bounce off, also hurts your enemies when in close range.
*Trap Plant: a carnivorous plant will appear from a hole in the ground and begin attacking nearby enemies. When you are far away, it can also serve as a proximity mine.
*Intangibility: during this, you won't get damaged from any physical attacks (including drowning and falling). Also you can pass through enemies. However elemental and magical attacks will still affect you.
*Mind Control: targeted enemy will begin attacking its allies, eventually leading to infighting. They can't kill each other, but you can attack them while they are distracted.
*Illumination: a tiny sparkling spirit will float above Rynn which produces a glow around her. It's useful when traversing dark places like dungeons and caves.
*Telekinesis: increases the range from which you can pick up items and you can activate switches from afar with this ability.
*Rejuvenate: basically a healing spell, recover lost hit points at the cost of your mana. Also removes all infection debuffs (poison, disease and even acid).
*Doppelganger: Rynn will create an illusionary doppelganger of herself which serves as a decoy, while she turns invisible and can sneak around or attack fooled enemies.
*Fear Inducement: causes a terrifying aura to surround her, which hypnotizes enemies into thinking she is much scarier and stop attacking her.
*Soul Syphon: fire a vampiric projectile which damages enemies but also heals a bit of your hit points.
*Time Slow: as the name implies, this will slow down enemies which allows you to get more hits on them. It also will affect switches, platforms, traps, etc.
*Blessing of Ahura: basically a "super mode" during which both Rynn and Arokh get increased attributes. They move and attack faster, deal more damage, get a passive regeneration ability (which slowly recovers hit points) and gain "super armor" (won't flinch when hit by enemy attacks). Essentially like the Devil Trigger from DMC games, however it will cost all of your mana so use only in case of emergency. Granted, you could use mana potions to fill your gauge but you also need to wait for the spell's effect duration eventually wearing off.
The regular non-boss creatures (aka "mooks") you will meet in Drakan 3. Granted, not all of them can or should be killed. Most enemies from the first 2 game return, with 4 exceptions: zombified humans (Drakan 1 Grimstone Mines), Desert Dragons (Drakan 2 Desert of Tears and Stratos), and Half-men (Drakan 2 Shiverbane).
1.Returning from Drakan 1
*Grull: most basic enemy, hits you with a spiked club. Also can dodge your attacks by crouching but is overall easy to deal with.
*Wartok: wield long axes or hammers and some of them use shields. Like Grulls, they are common throughout most levels.
*Scavenger: can swipe at you with their long arms, fast but has little health. Common fodder enemy.
*Goblin: have a melee attack, but prefer to shoot either arrows or explosive clusters with their portable mortars from afar. Located in the Islands Archipelago.
*Spider: crawls on walls, has melee attacks, low health and shoots web that incapacitates you (mash buttons to get free!). Common fodder enemy.
*Tick: same as spider without the wall crawling and web shooting, but has a ranged leap attack which hurts alot. Located in the Islands Archipelago.
*Primitive Giant: will stomp Rynn if she is close enough, will throw anything at you from afar (barrels, boulders, etc) and have an insta-kill attack if you stand close too long (however you can break free by mashing buttons fast). And yes, just like in the previous games all the giant enemies have one last f-you move: if you stand close and in front of them when their corpses fall down, you get squished and will die instantly!
*War Giant: will use their long spiked clubs to kill you when in melee distance (however attacks now more telegraphed- horizontal strike dodged by jumping and vertical strike dodged by rolling sideways). If they spot Arokh, the war giants will throw small blades towards him. Also, this game will slightly redesign their heads so they now resemble normal humanoid rhinos instead of mutated hammerhead sharks hybrids. Located in the Islands Archipelago and Eastern Continent.
*Crimson & Ebon Knight: former has flaming swords, throw flaming spears at distance and circular expanding wall/ring of burning fire. Latter has dark scimitars, throw lightning spears at distance and can turn briefly intangible (your attacks pass through without doing any damage). However in Drakan 3 these Dark Union warriors appear just once, as a dual boss in the Islands Archipelago.
*Death Mage: can shoot green skulls with slight homing capabilities, phase through walls and levitate. The latter 2 abilities basically mean that if you try to jump to a higher platform or go behind a wall, they will follow you!
*Succubus: fly around but can land on the ground to swipe at you with their wings. If airborne, they either swoop like birds of prey or shoot glowing projectiles by screaming like banshees. Thankfully have low health. Located in the Islands Archipelago and Lost Continent.
*Tundra Dragon: Werokh was a member of this mammalian (?) dragon species, with more appearing as common enemies in Drakan 2. Shoots freezing icicles from its mouth, can be found in the North Continent.
*Crow Dragon: common flying enemy. Shoots green poison gas balls from their mouths.
*Bat Dragon: common flying enemy. Shoots blasts of sound waves that have splash damage (essentially regular bat sonar weaponized). The sound element breath weapon for Arokh from Drakan 2 gets used only by these mooks.
*Dragonfly: are fast and have only 1 attack- swoop in to hit you with their stingers. They have pathetically low health, found in the Islands Archipelago.
*Bone Dragon: undead dragon skeletons which shoot green lightning from their mouths. Common, but most of them appear in the Lost Continent.
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2.Returning from Drakan 2
*Skeleton: can erupt from the ground and can dash towards you. Weak and unlike most fantasy reanimated skeletons they lack shields, also they use short axes instead of swords.
*Bone Devil: a moveset clone of the Dark Knights, these are found in the Lost Continent.
*Ice Golem: shoot long-ranged lasers which freeze you (protip: hide behind trees and other environmental objects), these are found in a specific area of Meridia in the North Continent.
*Rock Golem: slow but have alot of health and hit very hard, these are found in the South Continent ruins.
*Trog: humanoid frogs, fast and agile but squishy. Variants include melee Trogs which use long "tekagi-shuko" claws to slash and stab you, plus ranged Trogs which shoot poison darts from blowpipes. Found in the West Continent.
*Yeti: a palette swap of the primitive giants, they are found in the Northern Continent. They have "infinite ammo" because they can generate snowballs via ice magic, also will freeze Arokh with their cold breath if he flies close enough.
*Soulless: a moveset clone of the Dark Knight which use sand shockwaves that petrify the player, these are found in the South Continent ruins.
*Gryphon: fire yellow projectiles with slight homing capabilities, found in the South Continent.
*Storm Jinn: have devastating melee attacks with their 4 arms, can also shoot a tornado if you are far away. Can be found in the South Continent ruins.
*Desert Lord: you fight 2 of these in the South Continent gladiator arena (one of the challenges), but's a rare example of ludonarrative dissonance because the last 2 Desert Lords (Zahek & Asaiji) never get properly fought.
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3.New to Drakan 3
*Cervid: humanoid elk that dance in the forests, worshipping nature spirits and practicing druidism (including human sacrifice). Can incapacitate you with thorny vines while healing themselves and their allies. Kill them first before other enemies. Located in the Central Continent.
*Ghoul: hunchbacked undead which can drain your mana (every game needs at least one mana burning mook), afflict you with disease, summon bony hands from the ground to incapacitate you.
*Lycan: humanoid wolves (have brown and grey variants). Very intelligent, social and inventive race. They dress like knights and vikings, wielding swords or crossbows that fire icy freezing arrows. The sword variant behaves like the Travellers in God of War (2018 and Ragnarok), including wearing a shield on their backs and breaking a magical blue crystal which releases a freezing blast around them. Located on the North Continent.
*Beorning: humanoid bears (have brown and white variants) which enter a berserker mode (ha, get it?) after sustaining enough damage. Their movements plus attacks become deadlier. In the past, Beornings lived peacefully akin to Eskimos (building igloos, fishing, etc) but have banded together under Lupius' rule after the Half-men were killed. Located on the North Continent.
*Ovitaur: they replace the Frost Grulls from Drakan 2, some variants will shoot icicles which freeze you. However others will fight you with short morning stars and ranged flails instead. Basically they are humanoid rams or sheep. Located on the North Continent.
*Woolly Rodent: large ground sloth-like mammals evolved from rodents with deadly claws. They are cut content from Drakan 1. Fighting these head-on with Rynn is suicide, either use powerful spells/weapons or Arokh. Woolly Rodents can't reach the player if they are on a higher platform, however they are mounted by Ovitaurs which use whips or flails as ranged attacks. Both Ovitaur rider and Woolly Rodent are coded as one entity, so you kill them regardless who you attack. Humorously, the WR upon death shall rear on its back legs like a scared horse or elephant and then fall on its back, which squishes its beastman rider underneath. LMAO! Can be found on the North Continent.
*Giant Arthropods: big creepy crawly variants which serve as fodder enemies. Have some variations in moveset, keeping them from being redundant (splits in 2 smaller halves, spits acid, explodes upon death, etc). One variant requires to be flipped upside down in order to get killed. Scorpions and Ticks from the previous games fall under this category, while dragonflies are mutated feral dragons instead. Huh, go figure.
*Evil Warriors: moveset clones of the Dark Knights, Bone Devils and Soulless with some variations (can turn invisible, uses ice or poison, etc). Revenants are in the North Continent, Obsidian Tomb Guardians are in the East Continent and Zombies are in the West Continent.
*Basilisk: six-legged snakes or lizards which thankfully don't have the ability to kill you with their gaze. However they spit poison at long range, vomit puddles of stomach acid at mid range and lock their jaws around Rynn like a bear trap at close range. Their sides and back are vulnerable, so run circles around to avoid standing in front of their faces. Located on the South Continent.
*Earth Giant: aka "stone giant", "rock giant", "sand giant", "desert giant", etc. They behave like a mixture of the Primitive and War giants- can breath toxic gas towards Arokh if he flies close (gives disease ailment), hurl infinite rock boulders at long range (which can petrify the player) and stomp the ground which creates a dirt shockwave which you must jump over. They wear skulls/bones as decorations and carry a huge club made of bones- dodging this melee attack is impossible, so stay far away. Located on the South Continent.
*Caprihorn: basically satyrs. Wield either 2 scimitars of a spear and shield. Clothing resembles ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Fighting them is like fighting the satyrs in God of War, however they have little health. Their big shields can be broken with enough attacks (be it physical or magical), after which they become much easier to kill. Located on the South Continent.
*Oliphaunt: assuming this name is copyrighted, it shall then be changed to something else instead. Biggest land mammals on Drakan, they are used as living siege engines by the locals. Enemy versions have red paint on them, while ally version have blue paint on them. The human bandits on their backs will shoot multiple arrows plus flaming rocks at you. Also Rynn will ride one blue Oliphaunt in a rail-shooter minigame quest. Located on the South Continent.
*Gnoll: just like above, their name will be changed if copyrighted. These humanoid hyenas are semi-nomadic desert thieves because the area is too harsh for living (kill, be killed or steal). Gnoll melee attack is pathetic, however they can shoot arrows very good and some of them will shoot bolas (2 balls tied with a rope) which can trip and incapacitate our protagonists (remember: mash the buttons quickly when that happens). Located on the South Continent.
*Rhinoceros: this was originally meant as a terrestrial mount for Rynn in Drakan 2, however the idea got scrapped. Rhinos behave like Sirian Werebulls from Serious Sam, they charge at you. However they are ridden by Gnolls who shoot at you from atop their backs. Located on the South Continent. PS: the Oliphaunt and Rhinoceros also appear in a secret zoo alongside other exotic fauna which originally was meant as level ambience, but got cut in production.
*Thunder Bird: shoots a beam of yellow lightning, unlike other electrical bolts this one is straight (acts more like a laser beam) which means you can easily avoid it. Located on the South Continent and Islands Archipelago.
*Hydris: an enemy scrapped from Drakan 1, here they act like the sharks in GTA V- if Arokh flies too far into the open seas, they jump from underneath you and can kill your playable protagonists. Despite being a border patrolling hazard, one segment has you protect allied ships from getting eaten by these marine monsters. Kill all waves of these (alongside other enemies) and you can progress to the Islands Archipelago. They appear in the oceans and seas outside all continents.
*Catjit: fast enough to dodge and block your attacks, but have low health. These beastmen resemble humanoid leopards or lynxes, Tao Khan is from a bigger subspecies which resembles humanoid tigers. Descended from tree-dwelling species, Catjit fight with a bo staff which breaks if you keep attacking it. Doing so causes them to become aggressive and fight with their 2 remaining sticks. A variant also shoots fireballs at long range and breathes fire at close range (they replace the Grull and Wartok spellcasters from Drakan 2). Located on the East Continent.
*Ratling: omnivorous rodent humanoid, they love underground mining and metalworking despite their frail disposition. Many are turned into soldiers and spies by Tao Khan. Can throw gunpowder grenades at you, which release a shockwave blast upon detonation. Another variant wields a chain and sickle that swipes horizontally (dodge by jumping). If you are hit with a vertical swipe, they will yank off the weapon you currently have equipped and run away (kill them to reclaim it). Located on the East Continent.
*Taungol: essentially mongol or samurai minotaurs. They can block your melee attacks, while their dual wielding melee strikes are devastating. Either shoot with arrows/spells from afar or bait them into charging by running away. While they charge at you, jump over them with a backflip (remember this button combination- sneak + move forward + jump) and then attack them in the vulnerable back. Located on the East Continent.
*Predator: Many works in East Asia feature stories based on the adventures of a certain Monkey King. Since having actual monkeys in Drakan would be weird, I used this beast drawn by Hugh Jamieson (the lead concept artist of Drakan and other IPs) instead. They can jump on and climb walls, branches, ceiling, etc. Predators us their strong arms to throw barrels, branches and their poop (which gives Disease Ailment effect) at you. Shoot them down and then finish them off. Located on the East Continent.
*Hippogryph: blue horned and hoofed relatives of the Gryphons. Attacks by shooting 3 wide projectiles, dodge by flying up or down instead of sideways. Located on the East Continent. PS: are inspired by Warcraft.
*Khorkoi: basically sand dirt worms. Giant ones are un-killable hazards that will eat Rynn and Arokh if they venture outside the level boundary. However smaller ones can be killed when they surface outside and spit rocks. Located on the East Continent.
*Stalker Mutant: behave like the Velociraptors from Dino Crisis- they chase and jump onRegina Rynn, pin her down or swipe with their tails. They can also spit poison vomit and upon dying explode into a puddle of toxic goo. Located on the Lost Continent.
*Ribback Mutant: despite resembling nagas/lamias, these mutants are insectoid. Can slither around fast, wrap their spiky segmented tail around Rynn and upon death split into 2 or 4 smaller (but weaker) versions of themselves. Located on the Lost Continent.
*Slime Slug: can form spikes, tentacles, spit acidic goo or solidify for defense. Due to being mutated, they are faster than regular slugs (though slower than Rynn). Weak to elemental/magical attacks. Located on the Lost Continent.
*Chest Mimic: what's a fantasy RPG video game without blob monsters and chest mimics? Some treasure chests (they are predetermined, so you just need to memorize their locations) when opened will swipe with a bony hand. Just roll backwards and they will miss, then attack them until they explode and reveal their hidden goodies. Lore-wise, they are hostile spirits magically placed and bound inside the chests by mortal spellcasters who desire to keep their valuable items protected.
*Incubus: male counterpart of the Succubus. The Desert Lords didn't want joining the Dark Union and hated the Succubus race, so they placed a curse on them- Succubi and Incubi are both sterile, while the latter have turned into ugly shriveled skeletons. The idea for this bit of lore came from the Ancient Vampires and Hylden from Legacy of Kain. Incubi have same moveset as the Succubi, however their melee attacks will grab Rynn and then slowly deplete her life with vampiric draining unless the player mashes buttons quickly to escape.
*Hellhound: these quadrupedal demons resemble Xenomorphs or Tyranids. Hellhounds curl up into an armored ball and roll towards you. They can quickly crawl and jump off the game's mountains or level "walls", also shoot venomous quills from their bodies.
*Ogre: if Arokh flies close, they fire purple psychic waves that invert your movement controls. If Rynn is fighting them, ogre demons will slam the ground and produce a purple shockwave which petrifies the player unless they jump in the right moment. Lastly akin to the Aludran Reptiloids from Serious Sam, they fire purple fire balls with some homing capabilities. You can either dodge these projectiles or shoot them in the air before they reach you. PS: their limbs and lower bodies resemble the Hybrid Reavers in Starcraft.
*Hellfire Fiend: these Balrog-esque demons are the most powerful creation of the main villain/final boss, born to counter and kill dragons. They can fire sweeping lasers of dark energy, create purple flaming swords to charge at you, summon miniature black holes which can kill you (but they will stand still when doing so, giving you a chance to attack them) and flaming whips to grab those who try running away from them. Easily the strongest non-boss enemy in the game, also gives the most amount of XP.
*Nightmare: a tentacled abomination which lore-wise gives nightmares to whoever it looks at or touches. However gameplay-wise, they fly around like an octopus propelling itself underwater and can latch onto Arokh. Doing so will slow him down and eventually he will drop on the ground, which kills him. Simply mash buttons to break free from their grip.
*Terror Worm: demons who burrow in Sessool's ground, swim through its toxic purple ooze seas or fly through the air. They can teleport by summoning black hole portals and passing through them, but will attack by shooting energy beams. Their expendable proboscis also can hurt you, but it's easy to dodge. All demons appear sporadically once through the game as mini-bosses, then you fight entire hordes of them in the final 3 chapters- Dragon Dimension, Surdana under attack, then finally Sessool.
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4.Hazards
Enemies which can be killed, but act more like traps in the levels instead of actual mooks.
*Shark: a smaller counterpart of the Hydris, if Rynn swims without Arokh too far into a sea/ocean then one of these will appear to kill her. Mind you this applies if you swimming either above or under water, but in the latter case it's more likely you will run out of breath first.
*Hydris: already covered above, in the "New to Drakan 3" category.
*Reef Turtle: swim around the water in the Islands Archipelago. Because Rynn can't fight underwater, she can't defend herself against these creatures. Based on a scrapped water mount idea for Rynn in Drakan 2.
*Piranha: swim hidden under the surface of the West Continent swamp. If Rynn falls in the murky water, they will move towards her and begin eating her. Also can jump outside the water over lilypads. While you can theoretically kill them, it's not worth it as they give very little XP.
*Lasher Vine: hazardous mutated flora will appear on all the levels except the North and Sessool. This plant sprouts thorny tentacles which swipe at Rynn. Hitting them is futile, attack the main "body" instead.
*Death Cactus: touching or attacking this plant will cause it to explode, shooting thorns in most directions. You can block with your shield (or use an invulnerability potion), hide behind something or fly upwards with Arokh (seeing as their spikes don't ever shoot into the sky, only the ground). This was originally supposed to appear in Drakan 2, but ended up being cut content.
*Flytrap Lilypad: yes, Drakan 3 will also have the video game trope of temporary platforms! These stand on the surface of piranha-infested waters therefore if Rynn stands on them for too long, they will snap and close which kill her.
*Toxic Gas Flower: a beautiful and very deadly flower, which belches clouds of toxic gas. I know plants are living creatures, but I doubt they can burp and fart. Wait, Drakan is a fictional fantasy world so nevermind...
*Demonic Tentacle: sprouts from underground in the Dragon Dimension, Surdana (under attack), then finally Sessool. Will swipe at you which inflicts Disease Ailment status. Thankfully, by now you have powerful enough weapons to deal with it.
*Sessool Obelisk: both Drakan 1 and 2 have towers which fire projectiles at you. Drakan 3 continues this tradition by having obelisks which normally have red fire burning on top (like a demonic lighthouse) and firing energy bolts into Sessool's atmosphere. However when they detect Rynn and Arokh, they turn into a flaming demonic eye which shoots a long red laser beam at our heroes akin to the Pain Golem from the second game. BTW, the final boss of Drakan 3 has one attack which is similar to both of these.
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5.Ambients
These animals were meant to be wandering around the game world to make it feel more alive (basically these are Drakan's regular fauna), but it would be a waste of disk space. While small animals (butterflies, fireflies, birds, bats, frogs, fish, crabs, etc) will appear on the levels, they cannot be interacted with and only serve as visual decorations. However there is one secret place in the game which shall have them inside cages, basically a zoo with "scrapped" creatures.
*Dire Warg: or if you prefer "Dire Worg" (names are interchangeable). A large predatory canine living in packs on the Central and North Continent. Also, they hate weddings (hope you get the reference).
*Greathorn Elk: a large moose-like mammal which is tall enough to eat tree branches. Northmen and Meridia humans (aka vikings) love using their fur, bones and antlers. Lives on the Central and North Continent.
*Musk Yak: returning from Drakan 2, these ungulates are used as beasts of burden and mounts by the Northmen. Also have delicious meat. Lives on the North Continent, but have relatives without fur on other landmasses.
*Warty Boarhog: Shaka's mount, a large warthog/boar with 4 big tusks. Common across most continents (except West and Lost), is actually canon to Drakan series because one concept drawing has a Scavenger eating from it!
*Rhinoceros: already covered above, in the "New to Drakan 3" category. A passive specimen will appear behind closed bars in the secret zoo.
*Oliphaunt: already covered above, in the "New to Drakan 3" category. A passive specimen will appear behind closed bars in the secret zoo.
*Horned Horse: used as mounts by the Eastern humans, these are the closest equivalents to unicorns on Drakan.
*Mountain Steed: this is a goat evolved to resemble a horse. They live in the East Continent, easily climbing mountains. Tao Khan had one such as his personal mount before getting killed in a cutscene.
*Woolly Rodent: a giant rodent living in the North Continent, resembling a ground sloth. Already covered above, in the "New to Drakan 3" category.
*Sabertooth Leopard: muscular spotted large cats with long tails which live in the South Continent, also has a striped variant in the East Continent. Savannah people use their pelts and bird feathers as clothing.
*Owl: since Merdhynis won't be constantly around in gameplay, his owl can't be seen. The secret zoo has a cage with a grey-colored variant of this iconic Drakan bird.
*Plainsrunner: carnivorous large flightless bird from the South Continent, also has a vegetarian relative which resembles an Aepyornis.
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Saurians won't appear in the secret zoo, they are found only in the West Continent (and maybe the Dragon Dimension). All but 2 species are stage hazards or ambient creatures, therefore you can't kill them but some are used to solve puzzles.
*Carnivore: resemble Giganotosaurus or Carcharodontosaurus instead of the cliche Tyrannosaurus rex. A bigger variant serves as a boss. They run alongside or below Arokh, trying to jump up and catch him in their jaws. One of two species which qualify as enemies, you can kill them and gain XP. BTW, fun trivia: while searching for reference template images, I found this image on Deviantart. The person who drew this also drew a fanart picture of Arokh's head. When I learned this coincidence, I legit almost spat my drink on my PC! Don't need to say her username because it's written as a watermark on this drawing. I wish the best of luck for her, may her life bring her only happiness and may people financially support her. Glad to have seen another fan of the Drakan series while browsing the Internet.
*Soarer: basically a fantasy Pteranodon, albeit with accurate fur covering (or whatever it's scientifically called, I am not a paleontology expert). The other Saurian species which qualify as enemies, you can kill them and gain XP. They have no ranged elemental attacks, but are fast and swoop towards you. Their beaks and claws hurt upon contact, as do their wing tips. Arokh's thunder breath will make quick work of them.
*Tiny: these midgets are Compsognathus with sparse feathers which feed on small animals (bugs, fish, etc) and scavenge carcasses. They share the same ancestors with the Avian and Carnivore Saurians. Anklebiters just serve as ambiance, when seeing our protagonist they will run away. Had an idea of using one in a puzzle like the Compy in Dino Crisis 2, but juggling all these ideas in my head then writing them down here is very tiring. PS: reference image is taken from World of Warcraft.
*Avian: resemble Gallimimus, are frail with no ways to defend themselves besides running away really fast. Like the Tiny Saurians, they just serve as ambiance which means they run away upon seeing Rynn and Arokh. The local humans capture them and breed them in captivity to eat their meat and use their skin to make clothes (bones also get used for decorations). Yum, tastes like chicken... or maybe ostrich.
*Spiked: essentially Stegosaurus, they move between trees and browse low-growing foliage. Their spiked tails swing around, so Rynn has to roll below them to avoid getting hit and killed. Fallen trees also need to be rolled underneath, however they don't affect your HP gauge.
*Longneck: basically a Brachiosaurus (was hesitant about using Apatosaurus as the design instead). They are the biggest land animals on this continent, so much they can wallow in lakes and rivers like they are kiddie pools. Reason why their necks are so long is obviously the need to reach tall jungle trees and eat the leaves. If Arokh flies near one, they will swing their necks and whack him- doesn't hurt but he can be knocked back disorientated. Also they can step on Rynn, which can indeed hurt... alot!
*Armored: essentially Ankylosaurus, the lay low to the ground and eat vegetation like ferns. Love to spend their time sleeping, although this also protects their soft underbelly when pressed against the ground. Rynn has to jump on the back of one and use it as a platform to reach the higher ledge above. Beware though- attacking or touching this Saurian will awaken it, causing Rynn to fall on the ground and then it will kill her with its mace-like tail.
*Horned: these are an expy of Triceratops, Rynn meets one which gets pissed off and charges at her. The plan is to dodge and make it crash into a wall, breaking it and thus allowing Rynn to move further inside the jungle ruins.
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6.Disclaimer
There won't be any fantasy species like centaurs, mermaids, harpies/garudas, lamias/nagas, elves, dwarves, fairies, gnomes, kobolds, manticores, ents, hobbits, angels, gargoyles and so on in Drakan. I wanted this world to be as unique as possible, although some creatures will physically resemble the above-mentioned races or serve the same purpose: e.g. the small Catjit are closest Drakan equivalent of archetypical forest elves.
1.Returning from Drakan 1
*Grull: most basic enemy, hits you with a spiked club. Also can dodge your attacks by crouching but is overall easy to deal with.
*Wartok: wield long axes or hammers and some of them use shields. Like Grulls, they are common throughout most levels.
*Scavenger: can swipe at you with their long arms, fast but has little health. Common fodder enemy.
*Goblin: have a melee attack, but prefer to shoot either arrows or explosive clusters with their portable mortars from afar. Located in the Islands Archipelago.
*Spider: crawls on walls, has melee attacks, low health and shoots web that incapacitates you (mash buttons to get free!). Common fodder enemy.
*Tick: same as spider without the wall crawling and web shooting, but has a ranged leap attack which hurts alot. Located in the Islands Archipelago.
*Primitive Giant: will stomp Rynn if she is close enough, will throw anything at you from afar (barrels, boulders, etc) and have an insta-kill attack if you stand close too long (however you can break free by mashing buttons fast). And yes, just like in the previous games all the giant enemies have one last f-you move: if you stand close and in front of them when their corpses fall down, you get squished and will die instantly!
*War Giant: will use their long spiked clubs to kill you when in melee distance (however attacks now more telegraphed- horizontal strike dodged by jumping and vertical strike dodged by rolling sideways). If they spot Arokh, the war giants will throw small blades towards him. Also, this game will slightly redesign their heads so they now resemble normal humanoid rhinos instead of mutated hammerhead sharks hybrids. Located in the Islands Archipelago and Eastern Continent.
*Crimson & Ebon Knight: former has flaming swords, throw flaming spears at distance and circular expanding wall/ring of burning fire. Latter has dark scimitars, throw lightning spears at distance and can turn briefly intangible (your attacks pass through without doing any damage). However in Drakan 3 these Dark Union warriors appear just once, as a dual boss in the Islands Archipelago.
*Death Mage: can shoot green skulls with slight homing capabilities, phase through walls and levitate. The latter 2 abilities basically mean that if you try to jump to a higher platform or go behind a wall, they will follow you!
*Succubus: fly around but can land on the ground to swipe at you with their wings. If airborne, they either swoop like birds of prey or shoot glowing projectiles by screaming like banshees. Thankfully have low health. Located in the Islands Archipelago and Lost Continent.
*Tundra Dragon: Werokh was a member of this mammalian (?) dragon species, with more appearing as common enemies in Drakan 2. Shoots freezing icicles from its mouth, can be found in the North Continent.
*Crow Dragon: common flying enemy. Shoots green poison gas balls from their mouths.
*Bat Dragon: common flying enemy. Shoots blasts of sound waves that have splash damage (essentially regular bat sonar weaponized). The sound element breath weapon for Arokh from Drakan 2 gets used only by these mooks.
*Dragonfly: are fast and have only 1 attack- swoop in to hit you with their stingers. They have pathetically low health, found in the Islands Archipelago.
*Bone Dragon: undead dragon skeletons which shoot green lightning from their mouths. Common, but most of them appear in the Lost Continent.
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2.Returning from Drakan 2
*Skeleton: can erupt from the ground and can dash towards you. Weak and unlike most fantasy reanimated skeletons they lack shields, also they use short axes instead of swords.
*Bone Devil: a moveset clone of the Dark Knights, these are found in the Lost Continent.
*Ice Golem: shoot long-ranged lasers which freeze you (protip: hide behind trees and other environmental objects), these are found in a specific area of Meridia in the North Continent.
*Rock Golem: slow but have alot of health and hit very hard, these are found in the South Continent ruins.
*Trog: humanoid frogs, fast and agile but squishy. Variants include melee Trogs which use long "tekagi-shuko" claws to slash and stab you, plus ranged Trogs which shoot poison darts from blowpipes. Found in the West Continent.
*Yeti: a palette swap of the primitive giants, they are found in the Northern Continent. They have "infinite ammo" because they can generate snowballs via ice magic, also will freeze Arokh with their cold breath if he flies close enough.
*Soulless: a moveset clone of the Dark Knight which use sand shockwaves that petrify the player, these are found in the South Continent ruins.
*Gryphon: fire yellow projectiles with slight homing capabilities, found in the South Continent.
*Storm Jinn: have devastating melee attacks with their 4 arms, can also shoot a tornado if you are far away. Can be found in the South Continent ruins.
*Desert Lord: you fight 2 of these in the South Continent gladiator arena (one of the challenges), but's a rare example of ludonarrative dissonance because the last 2 Desert Lords (Zahek & Asaiji) never get properly fought.
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3.New to Drakan 3
*Cervid: humanoid elk that dance in the forests, worshipping nature spirits and practicing druidism (including human sacrifice). Can incapacitate you with thorny vines while healing themselves and their allies. Kill them first before other enemies. Located in the Central Continent.
*Ghoul: hunchbacked undead which can drain your mana (every game needs at least one mana burning mook), afflict you with disease, summon bony hands from the ground to incapacitate you.
*Lycan: humanoid wolves (have brown and grey variants). Very intelligent, social and inventive race. They dress like knights and vikings, wielding swords or crossbows that fire icy freezing arrows. The sword variant behaves like the Travellers in God of War (2018 and Ragnarok), including wearing a shield on their backs and breaking a magical blue crystal which releases a freezing blast around them. Located on the North Continent.
*Beorning: humanoid bears (have brown and white variants) which enter a berserker mode (ha, get it?) after sustaining enough damage. Their movements plus attacks become deadlier. In the past, Beornings lived peacefully akin to Eskimos (building igloos, fishing, etc) but have banded together under Lupius' rule after the Half-men were killed. Located on the North Continent.
*Ovitaur: they replace the Frost Grulls from Drakan 2, some variants will shoot icicles which freeze you. However others will fight you with short morning stars and ranged flails instead. Basically they are humanoid rams or sheep. Located on the North Continent.
*Woolly Rodent: large ground sloth-like mammals evolved from rodents with deadly claws. They are cut content from Drakan 1. Fighting these head-on with Rynn is suicide, either use powerful spells/weapons or Arokh. Woolly Rodents can't reach the player if they are on a higher platform, however they are mounted by Ovitaurs which use whips or flails as ranged attacks. Both Ovitaur rider and Woolly Rodent are coded as one entity, so you kill them regardless who you attack. Humorously, the WR upon death shall rear on its back legs like a scared horse or elephant and then fall on its back, which squishes its beastman rider underneath. LMAO! Can be found on the North Continent.
*Giant Arthropods: big creepy crawly variants which serve as fodder enemies. Have some variations in moveset, keeping them from being redundant (splits in 2 smaller halves, spits acid, explodes upon death, etc). One variant requires to be flipped upside down in order to get killed. Scorpions and Ticks from the previous games fall under this category, while dragonflies are mutated feral dragons instead. Huh, go figure.
*Evil Warriors: moveset clones of the Dark Knights, Bone Devils and Soulless with some variations (can turn invisible, uses ice or poison, etc). Revenants are in the North Continent, Obsidian Tomb Guardians are in the East Continent and Zombies are in the West Continent.
*Basilisk: six-legged snakes or lizards which thankfully don't have the ability to kill you with their gaze. However they spit poison at long range, vomit puddles of stomach acid at mid range and lock their jaws around Rynn like a bear trap at close range. Their sides and back are vulnerable, so run circles around to avoid standing in front of their faces. Located on the South Continent.
*Earth Giant: aka "stone giant", "rock giant", "sand giant", "desert giant", etc. They behave like a mixture of the Primitive and War giants- can breath toxic gas towards Arokh if he flies close (gives disease ailment), hurl infinite rock boulders at long range (which can petrify the player) and stomp the ground which creates a dirt shockwave which you must jump over. They wear skulls/bones as decorations and carry a huge club made of bones- dodging this melee attack is impossible, so stay far away. Located on the South Continent.
*Caprihorn: basically satyrs. Wield either 2 scimitars of a spear and shield. Clothing resembles ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Fighting them is like fighting the satyrs in God of War, however they have little health. Their big shields can be broken with enough attacks (be it physical or magical), after which they become much easier to kill. Located on the South Continent.
*Oliphaunt: assuming this name is copyrighted, it shall then be changed to something else instead. Biggest land mammals on Drakan, they are used as living siege engines by the locals. Enemy versions have red paint on them, while ally version have blue paint on them. The human bandits on their backs will shoot multiple arrows plus flaming rocks at you. Also Rynn will ride one blue Oliphaunt in a rail-shooter minigame quest. Located on the South Continent.
*Gnoll: just like above, their name will be changed if copyrighted. These humanoid hyenas are semi-nomadic desert thieves because the area is too harsh for living (kill, be killed or steal). Gnoll melee attack is pathetic, however they can shoot arrows very good and some of them will shoot bolas (2 balls tied with a rope) which can trip and incapacitate our protagonists (remember: mash the buttons quickly when that happens). Located on the South Continent.
*Rhinoceros: this was originally meant as a terrestrial mount for Rynn in Drakan 2, however the idea got scrapped. Rhinos behave like Sirian Werebulls from Serious Sam, they charge at you. However they are ridden by Gnolls who shoot at you from atop their backs. Located on the South Continent. PS: the Oliphaunt and Rhinoceros also appear in a secret zoo alongside other exotic fauna which originally was meant as level ambience, but got cut in production.
*Thunder Bird: shoots a beam of yellow lightning, unlike other electrical bolts this one is straight (acts more like a laser beam) which means you can easily avoid it. Located on the South Continent and Islands Archipelago.
*Hydris: an enemy scrapped from Drakan 1, here they act like the sharks in GTA V- if Arokh flies too far into the open seas, they jump from underneath you and can kill your playable protagonists. Despite being a border patrolling hazard, one segment has you protect allied ships from getting eaten by these marine monsters. Kill all waves of these (alongside other enemies) and you can progress to the Islands Archipelago. They appear in the oceans and seas outside all continents.
*Catjit: fast enough to dodge and block your attacks, but have low health. These beastmen resemble humanoid leopards or lynxes, Tao Khan is from a bigger subspecies which resembles humanoid tigers. Descended from tree-dwelling species, Catjit fight with a bo staff which breaks if you keep attacking it. Doing so causes them to become aggressive and fight with their 2 remaining sticks. A variant also shoots fireballs at long range and breathes fire at close range (they replace the Grull and Wartok spellcasters from Drakan 2). Located on the East Continent.
*Ratling: omnivorous rodent humanoid, they love underground mining and metalworking despite their frail disposition. Many are turned into soldiers and spies by Tao Khan. Can throw gunpowder grenades at you, which release a shockwave blast upon detonation. Another variant wields a chain and sickle that swipes horizontally (dodge by jumping). If you are hit with a vertical swipe, they will yank off the weapon you currently have equipped and run away (kill them to reclaim it). Located on the East Continent.
*Taungol: essentially mongol or samurai minotaurs. They can block your melee attacks, while their dual wielding melee strikes are devastating. Either shoot with arrows/spells from afar or bait them into charging by running away. While they charge at you, jump over them with a backflip (remember this button combination- sneak + move forward + jump) and then attack them in the vulnerable back. Located on the East Continent.
*Predator: Many works in East Asia feature stories based on the adventures of a certain Monkey King. Since having actual monkeys in Drakan would be weird, I used this beast drawn by Hugh Jamieson (the lead concept artist of Drakan and other IPs) instead. They can jump on and climb walls, branches, ceiling, etc. Predators us their strong arms to throw barrels, branches and their poop (which gives Disease Ailment effect) at you. Shoot them down and then finish them off. Located on the East Continent.
*Hippogryph: blue horned and hoofed relatives of the Gryphons. Attacks by shooting 3 wide projectiles, dodge by flying up or down instead of sideways. Located on the East Continent. PS: are inspired by Warcraft.
*Khorkoi: basically sand dirt worms. Giant ones are un-killable hazards that will eat Rynn and Arokh if they venture outside the level boundary. However smaller ones can be killed when they surface outside and spit rocks. Located on the East Continent.
*Stalker Mutant: behave like the Velociraptors from Dino Crisis- they chase and jump on
*Ribback Mutant: despite resembling nagas/lamias, these mutants are insectoid. Can slither around fast, wrap their spiky segmented tail around Rynn and upon death split into 2 or 4 smaller (but weaker) versions of themselves. Located on the Lost Continent.
*Slime Slug: can form spikes, tentacles, spit acidic goo or solidify for defense. Due to being mutated, they are faster than regular slugs (though slower than Rynn). Weak to elemental/magical attacks. Located on the Lost Continent.
*Chest Mimic: what's a fantasy RPG video game without blob monsters and chest mimics? Some treasure chests (they are predetermined, so you just need to memorize their locations) when opened will swipe with a bony hand. Just roll backwards and they will miss, then attack them until they explode and reveal their hidden goodies. Lore-wise, they are hostile spirits magically placed and bound inside the chests by mortal spellcasters who desire to keep their valuable items protected.
*Incubus: male counterpart of the Succubus. The Desert Lords didn't want joining the Dark Union and hated the Succubus race, so they placed a curse on them- Succubi and Incubi are both sterile, while the latter have turned into ugly shriveled skeletons. The idea for this bit of lore came from the Ancient Vampires and Hylden from Legacy of Kain. Incubi have same moveset as the Succubi, however their melee attacks will grab Rynn and then slowly deplete her life with vampiric draining unless the player mashes buttons quickly to escape.
*Hellhound: these quadrupedal demons resemble Xenomorphs or Tyranids. Hellhounds curl up into an armored ball and roll towards you. They can quickly crawl and jump off the game's mountains or level "walls", also shoot venomous quills from their bodies.
*Ogre: if Arokh flies close, they fire purple psychic waves that invert your movement controls. If Rynn is fighting them, ogre demons will slam the ground and produce a purple shockwave which petrifies the player unless they jump in the right moment. Lastly akin to the Aludran Reptiloids from Serious Sam, they fire purple fire balls with some homing capabilities. You can either dodge these projectiles or shoot them in the air before they reach you. PS: their limbs and lower bodies resemble the Hybrid Reavers in Starcraft.
*Hellfire Fiend: these Balrog-esque demons are the most powerful creation of the main villain/final boss, born to counter and kill dragons. They can fire sweeping lasers of dark energy, create purple flaming swords to charge at you, summon miniature black holes which can kill you (but they will stand still when doing so, giving you a chance to attack them) and flaming whips to grab those who try running away from them. Easily the strongest non-boss enemy in the game, also gives the most amount of XP.
*Nightmare: a tentacled abomination which lore-wise gives nightmares to whoever it looks at or touches. However gameplay-wise, they fly around like an octopus propelling itself underwater and can latch onto Arokh. Doing so will slow him down and eventually he will drop on the ground, which kills him. Simply mash buttons to break free from their grip.
*Terror Worm: demons who burrow in Sessool's ground, swim through its toxic purple ooze seas or fly through the air. They can teleport by summoning black hole portals and passing through them, but will attack by shooting energy beams. Their expendable proboscis also can hurt you, but it's easy to dodge. All demons appear sporadically once through the game as mini-bosses, then you fight entire hordes of them in the final 3 chapters- Dragon Dimension, Surdana under attack, then finally Sessool.
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4.Hazards
Enemies which can be killed, but act more like traps in the levels instead of actual mooks.
*Shark: a smaller counterpart of the Hydris, if Rynn swims without Arokh too far into a sea/ocean then one of these will appear to kill her. Mind you this applies if you swimming either above or under water, but in the latter case it's more likely you will run out of breath first.
*Hydris: already covered above, in the "New to Drakan 3" category.
*Reef Turtle: swim around the water in the Islands Archipelago. Because Rynn can't fight underwater, she can't defend herself against these creatures. Based on a scrapped water mount idea for Rynn in Drakan 2.
*Piranha: swim hidden under the surface of the West Continent swamp. If Rynn falls in the murky water, they will move towards her and begin eating her. Also can jump outside the water over lilypads. While you can theoretically kill them, it's not worth it as they give very little XP.
*Lasher Vine: hazardous mutated flora will appear on all the levels except the North and Sessool. This plant sprouts thorny tentacles which swipe at Rynn. Hitting them is futile, attack the main "body" instead.
*Death Cactus: touching or attacking this plant will cause it to explode, shooting thorns in most directions. You can block with your shield (or use an invulnerability potion), hide behind something or fly upwards with Arokh (seeing as their spikes don't ever shoot into the sky, only the ground). This was originally supposed to appear in Drakan 2, but ended up being cut content.
*Flytrap Lilypad: yes, Drakan 3 will also have the video game trope of temporary platforms! These stand on the surface of piranha-infested waters therefore if Rynn stands on them for too long, they will snap and close which kill her.
*Toxic Gas Flower: a beautiful and very deadly flower, which belches clouds of toxic gas. I know plants are living creatures, but I doubt they can burp and fart. Wait, Drakan is a fictional fantasy world so nevermind...
*Demonic Tentacle: sprouts from underground in the Dragon Dimension, Surdana (under attack), then finally Sessool. Will swipe at you which inflicts Disease Ailment status. Thankfully, by now you have powerful enough weapons to deal with it.
*Sessool Obelisk: both Drakan 1 and 2 have towers which fire projectiles at you. Drakan 3 continues this tradition by having obelisks which normally have red fire burning on top (like a demonic lighthouse) and firing energy bolts into Sessool's atmosphere. However when they detect Rynn and Arokh, they turn into a flaming demonic eye which shoots a long red laser beam at our heroes akin to the Pain Golem from the second game. BTW, the final boss of Drakan 3 has one attack which is similar to both of these.
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5.Ambients
These animals were meant to be wandering around the game world to make it feel more alive (basically these are Drakan's regular fauna), but it would be a waste of disk space. While small animals (butterflies, fireflies, birds, bats, frogs, fish, crabs, etc) will appear on the levels, they cannot be interacted with and only serve as visual decorations. However there is one secret place in the game which shall have them inside cages, basically a zoo with "scrapped" creatures.
*Dire Warg: or if you prefer "Dire Worg" (names are interchangeable). A large predatory canine living in packs on the Central and North Continent. Also, they hate weddings (hope you get the reference).
*Greathorn Elk: a large moose-like mammal which is tall enough to eat tree branches. Northmen and Meridia humans (aka vikings) love using their fur, bones and antlers. Lives on the Central and North Continent.
*Musk Yak: returning from Drakan 2, these ungulates are used as beasts of burden and mounts by the Northmen. Also have delicious meat. Lives on the North Continent, but have relatives without fur on other landmasses.
*Warty Boarhog: Shaka's mount, a large warthog/boar with 4 big tusks. Common across most continents (except West and Lost), is actually canon to Drakan series because one concept drawing has a Scavenger eating from it!
*Rhinoceros: already covered above, in the "New to Drakan 3" category. A passive specimen will appear behind closed bars in the secret zoo.
*Oliphaunt: already covered above, in the "New to Drakan 3" category. A passive specimen will appear behind closed bars in the secret zoo.
*Horned Horse: used as mounts by the Eastern humans, these are the closest equivalents to unicorns on Drakan.
*Mountain Steed: this is a goat evolved to resemble a horse. They live in the East Continent, easily climbing mountains. Tao Khan had one such as his personal mount before getting killed in a cutscene.
*Woolly Rodent: a giant rodent living in the North Continent, resembling a ground sloth. Already covered above, in the "New to Drakan 3" category.
*Sabertooth Leopard: muscular spotted large cats with long tails which live in the South Continent, also has a striped variant in the East Continent. Savannah people use their pelts and bird feathers as clothing.
*Owl: since Merdhynis won't be constantly around in gameplay, his owl can't be seen. The secret zoo has a cage with a grey-colored variant of this iconic Drakan bird.
*Plainsrunner: carnivorous large flightless bird from the South Continent, also has a vegetarian relative which resembles an Aepyornis.
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Saurians won't appear in the secret zoo, they are found only in the West Continent (and maybe the Dragon Dimension). All but 2 species are stage hazards or ambient creatures, therefore you can't kill them but some are used to solve puzzles.
*Carnivore: resemble Giganotosaurus or Carcharodontosaurus instead of the cliche Tyrannosaurus rex. A bigger variant serves as a boss. They run alongside or below Arokh, trying to jump up and catch him in their jaws. One of two species which qualify as enemies, you can kill them and gain XP. BTW, fun trivia: while searching for reference template images, I found this image on Deviantart. The person who drew this also drew a fanart picture of Arokh's head. When I learned this coincidence, I legit almost spat my drink on my PC! Don't need to say her username because it's written as a watermark on this drawing. I wish the best of luck for her, may her life bring her only happiness and may people financially support her. Glad to have seen another fan of the Drakan series while browsing the Internet.
*Soarer: basically a fantasy Pteranodon, albeit with accurate fur covering (or whatever it's scientifically called, I am not a paleontology expert). The other Saurian species which qualify as enemies, you can kill them and gain XP. They have no ranged elemental attacks, but are fast and swoop towards you. Their beaks and claws hurt upon contact, as do their wing tips. Arokh's thunder breath will make quick work of them.
*Tiny: these midgets are Compsognathus with sparse feathers which feed on small animals (bugs, fish, etc) and scavenge carcasses. They share the same ancestors with the Avian and Carnivore Saurians. Anklebiters just serve as ambiance, when seeing our protagonist they will run away. Had an idea of using one in a puzzle like the Compy in Dino Crisis 2, but juggling all these ideas in my head then writing them down here is very tiring. PS: reference image is taken from World of Warcraft.
*Avian: resemble Gallimimus, are frail with no ways to defend themselves besides running away really fast. Like the Tiny Saurians, they just serve as ambiance which means they run away upon seeing Rynn and Arokh. The local humans capture them and breed them in captivity to eat their meat and use their skin to make clothes (bones also get used for decorations). Yum, tastes like chicken... or maybe ostrich.
*Spiked: essentially Stegosaurus, they move between trees and browse low-growing foliage. Their spiked tails swing around, so Rynn has to roll below them to avoid getting hit and killed. Fallen trees also need to be rolled underneath, however they don't affect your HP gauge.
*Longneck: basically a Brachiosaurus (was hesitant about using Apatosaurus as the design instead). They are the biggest land animals on this continent, so much they can wallow in lakes and rivers like they are kiddie pools. Reason why their necks are so long is obviously the need to reach tall jungle trees and eat the leaves. If Arokh flies near one, they will swing their necks and whack him- doesn't hurt but he can be knocked back disorientated. Also they can step on Rynn, which can indeed hurt... alot!
*Armored: essentially Ankylosaurus, the lay low to the ground and eat vegetation like ferns. Love to spend their time sleeping, although this also protects their soft underbelly when pressed against the ground. Rynn has to jump on the back of one and use it as a platform to reach the higher ledge above. Beware though- attacking or touching this Saurian will awaken it, causing Rynn to fall on the ground and then it will kill her with its mace-like tail.
*Horned: these are an expy of Triceratops, Rynn meets one which gets pissed off and charges at her. The plan is to dodge and make it crash into a wall, breaking it and thus allowing Rynn to move further inside the jungle ruins.
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6.Disclaimer
There won't be any fantasy species like centaurs, mermaids, harpies/garudas, lamias/nagas, elves, dwarves, fairies, gnomes, kobolds, manticores, ents, hobbits, angels, gargoyles and so on in Drakan. I wanted this world to be as unique as possible, although some creatures will physically resemble the above-mentioned races or serve the same purpose: e.g. the small Catjit are closest Drakan equivalent of archetypical forest elves.
*Spider Broodmother (optional, fought with Rynn only): remember the giant spider in the beginning of the Wartok Canyons (in the optional quest behind the old farmer's house), which is only a static prop? Well now you get to fight one properly! While it's optional, this boss is potentially the first one fought by the player and therefore will be made the easiest.
*Cernos (fought with Rynn only): the druid leader of the Cervids who carries around his magic skull club. He has captured the humans of Danannland, sacrificing them to appease his pagan gods. However Cernos isn't doing this out of maliciousness and his dialogue with Rynn will serve as the first foreshadowing that a much greater force of evil is approaching.
*Lupius (fought with Rynn only): an incredibly clever Lycan, out of all Drakan characters he comes the closest to being a magnificent bastard. He's an anti-villain whose death makes Rynn question her life choices (although she won't become a pacifist because Drakan is a dark fantasy series which isn't quite idealistic, sometimes murder is the only option). Lupius wields 2 great swords (one of which is enchanted, although both will break in the scuffle), can shoot icicles and is very agile. This guy is far from the most powerful antagonist encountered, but he certainly is the smartest. In fact, even after his (foreseen) death Lupius manages to be a thorn in the heroes' side because he's just that much of a chessmaster! He also has a girlfriend called Lycania which tries to avenge him until the penultimate chapter.
*War Machine (fought with Arokh only): Lupius truly is smart enough to have a backup plan- his people have invented a giant siege engine which guards the second plot mcguffin required, while also serving as an construction machine that builds other things.
*Shaka (fought with Rynn only): formerly a soldier in Emdigbe, he revolted one day against his fellow men and murdered the king (while also cutting off Kamau's tongue). This guy is a repulsive POS, he's one of 2 (or 3 characters, if you count Navaros) who is deliberately meant to be hated by the players. He's a hedonistic traitor, murdered, slave-driver, attempted rapist and treats his own minions like garbage. Fortunately he's not very bright and Rynn kills him with his own hammer. Should mention that Shaka has a braided beard (like Alrik the Barbarian King from God of War), although it's not visible in the placeholder image and contrary to the stereotypical "evil man vs good woman" cliche he's not taller than Rynn- they are both the same height, but he is visibly more buff and muscular.
*Doppelganger Shadow (fought with both Rynn and Arokh): while exploring the First Civilization's ruins, our heroes uncover a magic mirror which unleashes a shadowy creature with glowing eyes which assumes their form. At first it mimics Rynn's appearance plus moveset and the player is forced to kill her via puzzle instead. When exiting the ruins, it then mimics Arokh's appearance plus moveset but is killed for good when the sun rises.
*Cockatrice (optional, fought with Rynn only): empress Xing will tell you the sewers of Chiwutai are infested with monsters. This beast is an improved (and mutated) version of the secret giant chicken from the second game. Killing the Cockatrice yields a golden egg worth 1000 points and you can purchase the chicken joke weapon from any merchant afterwards.
*Twin Dragons (fought with Arokh only): imagine the Fireworks Factory boss fight in Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon and you basically have a good idea of how this battle goes down. A pair of undead Eastern dragons which get revived from the cursed Imperial Tomb location.
*Oladan (fought with both Rynn and Arokh): the last member of a war giant subspecies, he resembles a humanoid elephant. Oladan is a wise and honorable individual who spends his time meditating under Mount Tibor, desiring a duel to the death with a worthy opponent. Rynn and Arokh grant wish after they obtain some useful information (plus a key item) from him. Unlike most bosses/antagonists, his death is treated with outright pity and sadness.
*Tao Khan (fought with Rynn only): a beastman warlord that resembles a humanoid tiger wielding a guandao polearm. Contrary to most villains, he doesn't mistreat his minions and cares for them like they are his family. Tao Khan's ancestors trusted Navaros and gave him some of their beastfolk army, only to be betrayed and killed. Because of this and other reasons, Tao Khan has nothing but hatred for all humans and dragons. His weakness is emotional/mental instead of physical (due to being a great warrior)- his animalistic rage can turn him into a blinded berserker. Despite his vast resources, ultimately Tao Khan is only a mid-level boss considering the real main antagonist of Drakan 3 is a being much older and more powerful than him.
*Pirate Warship (fought with Arokh only): after escorting the Raging Queen ships which are crossing the oceans because of an expedition to the Islands Archipelago, Rynn and Arokh must defend them from one final threat. A large pirate ship with cannons and bombardiers, decorated with the skeletal remains of a dragon. Thankfully, a wooden ship can be destroyed by Arokh's elemental breath projectiles.
*Kraken (fought with Arokh only): when the player triggers a certain flag in the game, a cutscene will appear with the four beastmen villains. They will summon a large tentacled cephalopod sea monster which fights with its tentacles, can shoot water from its limbs, throw debris and turn invisible. The boss battle with it is designed as an improved version of Mezzidrel from the second game.
*Crimson & Ebon Knights (fought with Rynn only): a pair of Dark Union warriors that are "sleeping" away sealed in the islands' dungeon. They are boss versions of enemies from the first game, with my headcanon being the Dark Union knights are human souls bound to enchanted suits of armor. They are guarding Navaros' hidden treasure vault, with their boss fight essentially being Ornstein and Smough from Dark Souls- albeit unlike them, both evil knights have the same proportions and size.
*Balarog (optional, fought with Rynn only): once a member of the first Order, he was a man with extreme thanatophobia. He practiced black magic even before he joined the Dark Union and became Navaros' right hand man. Balarog is responsible for all the undead creatures and characters in the series, desiring to make Drakan into a "kingdom of the dead" which implies he isn't loyal to his (former) master. Alongside Navaros and Shaka, he is one of the 3 characters in the series who are loathsome hate sinks for the audience. During the Dark Wars, Balarog chose being a coward who ran away from potential danger, then used magic to turn himself into a lich and sealed himself in a sarcophagus. He can be only fought if you find all the colored keys and unlock the ruins of Drakan City on the south eastern islands, killing him will award you a certain familiar enchanted melee weapon. The idea of him is to be a difficult bonus challenge like Sigrun in God of War (2018), however Balarog can be fought at any time and he is easier than Drakan 3's actual final boss.
*Predatory Plant (fought with Rynn only): plenty of botanical hazards in the game, however one colony of plants in the West Continent have merged with their victims' corpses and turned into a deadly (but immobile) abomination. Rynn has to fight it when exploring some indoor area, however a head-on-approach is not advised here. The carnivorous plant is a puzzle boss, you need to catch the large seeds it spews out, light them on fire and finally throw them back at it for the sake of successfully killing this overgrown weed.
*Scar Eye (fought with both Rynn and Arokh): a female saurian carnivore that is bigger and stronger than the others, she has longer dorsal spikes and one of her eyes is missing (hence the name). She usually sleeps inside her cave after eating any unfortunate creature that crossed her path. Uniquely, this boss first requires a stealthy hiding and sneaking approach (you can hide in its prey's remains). Once the goal is achieved, you can fight and kill it in 1 of 3 ways- either Rynn can shoot her with arrows and magic, you can run outside and use Arokh to kill Scar Eye or you can trick her into killing herself using the nearby environment (bumping into walls, rolling boulders, unstable stalactites and falling down a hole) but the outcome is the same.
*Lava Golem (fought with Arokh only): the 2 remaining Desert Lords have discovered a powerful magical artefact in the Lost Continent and now use it for their vile schemes. Zahek and Asaiji shed their physical bodies, then fuse their souls with the lava below to turn into this giant elemental humanoid creature. It's basically a rehash of the Pain Golem from the second game, however it's not invincible and you can freely shoot it until you win. But Arokh is then forced in a cutscene to use his lethal Darkness elemental breath to summon a black hole which erases the boss from existence. This doesn't affect gameplay, however Arokh and Rynn will be slowly poisoned with the darkness element's corruptive powers. Good news is that in the next (penultimate) level you obtain your 10th and final breath element which story-wise cures you from this dark corruption. Also conveniently it's the 6th and last plot mcguffin you need to acquire before you can begin the game's final chapter!
*Hive King & Queen (optional, fought with both Rynn and Arokh): a species of giant bugs which can both fly and burrow underground. They are heavily armored, shoot beams of energy and can heal with nearby plants (which you need to destroy to stop them from healing). While this dual boss with giant monarch creepy crawlies is optional, the lore reasoning for this battle is these bugs feed on dragon eggs therefore killing them is doing a huge favor towards all other dragons. However this boss fight may be relatively easier in this late-game story point, it serves as player distraction to fool the audience into thinking the Dragon Dimension won't have any other boss fights.
*Tanyana (fought with both Rynn and Arokh): she has been this game's primary threat for so long and now you finally get a chance to battle her. Tanyana first is fought in the Dragon Dimension's very end, when she summons a bunch of demons from Sessool. Your goal is to kill all the demons who make up Tanyana's health bar. Quite predictably, she manages to escape in a cutscene. However, you then fight her 2 more times in the last level's end. Rynn first battles Tanyana's human form which is easy, then Tanyana transforms into a humanoid draconic demon which serves as the penultimate boss. When this form is killed, then you finally get rid of her but she managed to awaken the real final boss. PS: the final boss has 6 phases- first 2 are Rynn fighting Tanyana (who mutates in the second phase), the third phase is Rynn against the main villain's weak form, then the fourth phase is Arokh shooting at it. Lastly, after that you get a cutscene and save prompt which is very useful because you have 2 more (fifth and sixth/last phase) forms of the final boss where you need to use Arokh to defeat it.
*Angra (final boss, fought with both Rynn and Arokh): Well, this is it- what has been hyped up from the beginning of this post, and one of the very first concepts I made when imagining my Drakan 3 idea (yes, the big bad and last boss is ironically among the first things I designed). The de facto main villain and final boss of Drakan 3, also by proxy the series itself. Assuming you were savvy enough, you have seen this coming a mile away- especially when Ahura's character got mentioned. The major plot twist of Drakan 3 is that the supreme god of the Drakan universe has a twin sibling which is equal in power but embodies all that is bad- evil, darkness, death, destruction, etc. Both characters take inspiration from real-world ancient Middle Eastern mythology/religion which begins with the the final letter of the English alphabet (hope you can guess it). Angra is a primordial deity and cosmic force of nature just like Ahura, so it's easily THE most powerful villain in the series. It's also completely immortal, which means Rynn and Arokh can't kill it (even with Ahura's relics of power, which are specifically made to counter Angra's abilities) so they have to just settle with sealing Angra's disembodied essence back into Sessool. This demon god Angra is the hardest boss fight (both in gameplay and story) in the whole Drakan series, it's also 100 meters tall similar to Ugh-Zan from Serious Sam! Because you don't actually kill it, Angra doesn't award you any XP but if you chose Free Roam Mode instead of NG+ after the end credits the final quest will be checked off the player's list and you will get ALOT of XP awarded from the mission itself! Plenty of the characters introduced in Drakan 3 are inspired by multiple characters from various other media, but Drakan's Angra could be (sorta, it's more complicated than this) described in simple terms as a darkness-elemental Godzilla fused with Cthulhu into a single creature.
Drakan: Legacy of the Gods will be the Grand Finale of the series, to better explain the story I will have to separate it into game's levels/locations- the structure and progression is that in the beginning you have Surdana as your starting hub area but shortly afterwards can also use the Ancients' Gates to travel either to the Northern Tundra or the Valley of the Fallen and eventually other areas will be unlocked. I don't want Drakan 3 being too linear but it won't exactly be open-world per se: in the beginning of this game only 3 landmasses will be available which can be accessed via the Ancients' Gates (which are basically the fast-travel gameplay function), there will be optional side areas unlocked by doing certain things (including having Arokh obtaining a specific breath weapon, meaning this game will have slight Metroidvania elements) and 4 more continents on planet Drakan will be unlocked eventually. After you obtain the plot macguffins from each continent, you can unlock the penultimate level and when you obtain the last plot-crucial quest item from there, you briefly return to Surdana which is being attacked. Repel the invasion there and the final level is unlocked, go there (which becomes a Point of No Return, using TvTropes words) and pass through everything- traps, puzzles, enemies and so on. Beat the final boss (which has 6 separate phases), watch the final cutscene plus credits and the game will end... sorta. Drakan 3 unlike the previous 2 games, will have a New Game Plus option- you can either freeroam in the fully unlocked world and try finding everything remaining for 100% Completion, replay the game with no equipment from the beginning or change the difficulty while keeping most of your equipment (should warn you that 100% completion requires beating ALL difficulty modes). The 10 levels/locations are listed above, if playing the PC version you can see them arranged in the files and folders directory similar to the first game.
Disclaimer: this is a very long read (the longest section of this post), also not everything is indicative of gameplay- some things I wrote are just here to garnish the story. There are some ideas which got scrapped (e.g. fleshing out all the side characters, including the bosses/villains) and I had to make the plot shorter before posting it here. Alas, I am not an expert writer so don't expect some masterpiece of story telling (also english isn't my birth language so I apologize if you see any mistakes or don't understand something). I am also very aware that some people may possibly dislike this post and have a different idea about how a Drakan 3 should be instead. Granted, this is just a fanfiction-type project as the Drakan IP will sadly remain dead unless a miracle happens with Sony and Warner Bros listening to fans then settling their dispute. PS: I took reference/template pictures from the Internet with the idea of visually improving this post, hope you will understand what all these images convey and really enjoy them.
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Chapter 0: Intro Cutscene
This game's plot continues from the second game's ending. An old book with voice narration and pictures briefly summarizes the backstory plus the previous 2 games' events. 5 years have passed since the Desert Lords have been vanquished and the Order of the Flame has been reborn with the summoning of Mala Shae. Surdana is a thriving city with little hostile creatures (and most of them are hiding in caverns), dragons are patrolling the sky and scouts are giving reports from other corners of the Central Continent. Rynn is then seen sitting on a bench and looking at her amulet which Atimar (her village's priest) gave her and is the only thing besides the memories that she has from her past before meeting Arokh. Speaking of which, her dragon companion flies in and lands close to her.
Arokh (curious): Reminiscing about something Rynn?
Rynn (saddened): Yeah... it's hard to forget how much has happened throughout my life...
Arokh: The past cannot be changed. You need to look forward and shape your own future.
General Dehrimon arrives with some other dragon knights and begins talking.
Dehrimon: Rynn... Arokh... We need to speak with you about urgent matters.
Rynn: What is it?
Dehrimon: Our city is prosperous and the Order has been reborn... but we couldn't have done it without your help. We plan to build a statue in your honor in the city's main street next to a fountain. It's the least we can do to express our gratitude.
Rynn: Well, thanks. I'm honored... glad to have some recognition, but in all honesty I am just glad to have rid the world from those monsters. I am sure we can all sleep safely with the Desert Lords killed and the beastmen going back underground.
Dehrimon: Spoken like a true altruistic heroine! It warms my heart seeing people like this. If only everyone in this world was a paragon of virtue like the Order of the Flame, it would be a better place for all of us to live in...
Before Rynn can thank the general, a scout knight riding a wyvern arrives and he begins talking worried.
Dragon Rider: General, we have reports there is another human kingdom in the southwest side of this continent! We managed to rescue some refugees, but it's difficult getting there and the place is under enemy control.
A second rider arrives with some humans in foreign clothes on its dragon's back. These people have peasant clothing, with green kilts like the Grulls. They begin talking in a foreign accent.
Rescued Refugee: Thank the gods you arrived! Our kingdom is besieged by beastfolk and most of us have been captured. Even worse, they are using us as human sacrifice on their pagan altars!
Dehrimon: Calm down, we shall deal with this minor scuffle appropriately. Just give us the location and we shall send help there immediately.
Rynn (intervenes): Those people are in trouble and are being slaughtered! You have to go now! If not you, then I volunteer to go there with Arokh and myself deal with this problem!
Dehrimon: Your bravery is admirable Rynn, but we cannot risk losing Arokh and you...
Rynn (angered): Are you ordering me what to do?!
Dehrimon (scared moves backwards slightly): Excuse me, I didn't mean to...
Arokh (scolds Rynn): Rynn, that was rude. You should respect the other members of the new Order.
Rynn (ashamed): Sorry... I got bad memories of my own village...
Dehrimon: Understandable. Well then, you are free to go there and get rid of those pests yourself. But first you must prepare for the potential trouble.
General Dehrimon gives her a Hunting Knife of the Order which is short and weak, but fast and indestructible while taking only 1 space in her inventory pouch.
Dehrimon: May this weapon serve you well. Here's also a 1000 gold, use it to buy anything from the merchants here and prepare yourself for the journey. But first you must pass a training course to see if you are still in top shape.
Rynn passes the tutorial stage and later gets to fly with Arokh which completes the training course and first mission.
Dehrimon: Splendid! Glad to see you still have enough skill, hopefully it's sufficient in dealing with those southwest vermin.
Rynn: Thanks... Dehrimon, I apologize for the outburst earlier...
Dehrimon: No hard feelings. You have suffered tragedy at the hands at the beastmen, so it's understandable you have a bone to pick with them. Rynn, know this... many other people have also suffered and lost those precious to them, not just you... Now, if we are done with these distractions, then you can go through Shadowmire as a shortcut to the eastern side of this continent. If you are feeling confident enough, then I give you another optional assignment- the monks over at the monastery have complained that their catacombs are infested with spiders. Deal with them if or when you see fit. We shall be waiting here for your success and eventual return.
Arokh (sarcastically): Looks like we aren't going to be retiring anytime soon, are we?
Chapter 1: Central Continent
The player can either go visit the Brotherhood of the Word and kill the Spider Queen boss or go to the southwest, both quests are beginner-friendly however the latter one is mandatory to progress the story. Rynn and Arokh pass through the gate/tunnel of Shadowmire which has been made wider to accommodate dragons. They take this shortcut and find the swamp different- some trees have been chopped down and all Trog huts are destroyed, but not by humans or dragons. They reach the old hermit Tull's ruined/abandoned, upon which they see his mangled corpse on the side with some writing in blood on the side. This grisly scene causes them to fly upward and through the clearing with the Tree of Mourning, a tunnel made to the side leading to a mountain/river canyon going to the East. After this area is bypassed, they reach the east side of the Central Continent. A green field with trees and Celtic huts around, plus an old castle and a Stonehenge-like structure across the river. They fight the Grulls and Wartoks there and see a new type of enemies- Cervids (humanoid elks with Celtic clothing). Rynn and Arokh meet the caged humans in the castle, but in order to liberate them our duo first needs to get the key from the Cervid's leader. Crossing the river and Rynn entering a large stone hut, she meets the shamanistic chieftain of the Cervids under a tree with the statue of a gruesome deity on 1 side and his fresh human sacrifice on a stone altar on the other side.
Rynn: So you are the leader of these monsters that have enslaved and massacre these innocent people... Well, I came here to put an end to your evil.
Cernos: Evil?! Foolish female human, I commune with the nature spirits. Their power wanes and I must provide them with blood sacrifice to aid them in protecting this world.
Rynn: Protecting? From what?
Cernos: They give me visions, I have foreseen the future- a human riding a dragon will come and bring a great disaster to my people. But this is only the beginning... the spirits tell me that a great evil will soon threaten this world unless I give them sacrifice and keep them strong enough to ward it off. An ancient force of darkness which shall sweep across this planet and cause the death of us all...
Rynn: Enough of your lies and enough of these sacrifices! Your life ends here and now!
After Rynn kills Cernos and gets the key, she uses it to free the caged humans from the castle. The Danannland people thank our heroes and get offered the chance to move in Surdana and live there. Some of them accept while others chose to stay here, but Rynn's attention is caught by one person. A woman about her age, with pale skin, blue eyes and long straight black hair. She is wearing rags while standing mute and scared in a corner. But when Rynn approaches her and tries asking her questions, the woman screams. A male soldier informs Rynns the woman's name is Tanyana, she was the old king's (Teutotis) concubine after the queen had passed away from illness, the king had been killed when the Cervids (with the help of Grulls and Wartoks) laid siege to the city. Traumatized by being enslaved and seeing people massacred infront of her, Tanyana's psyche has broken and she has become a shell of a person. Rynn promises to call reinforcements and take all the people to safety in Surdana. Meanwhile...
Inside one of the caves outside Surdana's town, the Grulls and Wartoks excavate ancient ruins from before even the original Order existed. They stumble upon a huge stone monolith slab depicting 2 large humanoid dragons facing each other. The slab is old and the colors are long gone, however one dragon holds a white gem/crystal while the other holds a black/purple gem/crystal. The Grulls and Wartoks comically argue with each other, but realize they know nothing about the monolith and feel ominous things when looking at it. Upon hearing that it's getting late and that humans with their dragons are patrolling outside, they decide to leave this cave and return another day or night. Camera pans up closer to the monolith, with an eerie glow coming from one side...
Rynn, Arokh and the other members of the new Order bring the refugees back in Surdana. The people quickly get accustomed and become honorary citizens. All but one. The woman Tanyana is visibly shaking in her clothes, when anyone approaches her she screams. Lady Myschala and Jade the sorceress arrive worried, the latter decides to use magic in healing Tanyana's broken psyche. Tanyana gets a house to live in Surdana and is given new clothes. Rynn visits her and tries comforting her.
Rynn: Hey, are you alright? I saved you and the other people. You can now live safely here in our city of Surdana instead.
Tanyana (shakingly): T-thanks... If you don't mind I would like some time to be alone, maybe go outside for fresh air while getting used to my new home.
Rynn leaves her and outside is greeted by general Dehrimon.
General Dehrimon: Your progress and accomplishments never cease to amaze me Rynn! Here, take this reward as a token of my gratitude!
Rynn: Appreciate the reward... Hey, wait... Are you flirting with me? Please don't tell me you have a crush on me or something...
Dehrimon: Oh no, heavens no! I respect women ever since lady Myschala took me under her wing. My younger self was a trouble maker and womanizer, having grown up without any parents until the guards caught me and brought me to the queen. Instead of getting imprisoned, the queen made me into a knight. Ever since then, I changed and improved as a person... Nowadays I am ashamed of my brash younger self, loyally serving this community and never failing my pledged duty. When I look at you, I see a kindred spirit... A reminder of what I was before I become a well-known and beloved hero of Surdana. I hope you will follow in my footsteps and become a great hero to replace me one day, setting an example in Surdana for years ahead.
Rynn: I am flattered... but I am just a mere peasant woman. I lived in a poor village, all my friends and family were killed off in a Wartok raid...
Dehrimon: Your honesty is uplifting, it's good to meet other sincere and virtuous people in this harsh world. Remember my words Rynn, heroes aren't born they become such by the deeds the accomplish in their lifetime.
While Rynn is cheered up by Dehrimon's words of encouragement, Tanyana has existed her house and begins exploring Surdana's wilderness... The raven-haired woman's curiosity leads to a certain cave. When she enters it, she comes upon a monolith with the engravings of two large humanoid dragons on it. She notices them holding two large gems and her attention is fixated on the black/purple one. She picks up the pickaxes left by the Grulls and breaks the gem from its place. The crystal starts glows and it mesmerizes her, causing Tanyana to hide it inside her clothes and leave to Surdana while holding the artifact. She removes the rags covering the crystal inside the house and looks at the mysterious item, as if hypnotized by it...
Lady Myschala and Jade contact Rynn, telling her the Grulls and Wartoks have been unusually active lately. While they haven't attacked any humans and spend most of their time hiding in caves, their actions have become suspicious. Rynn has to explore the caves around Surdana and learn more information about it. Accepting the quest, Rynn mounts Arokh and the 2 of them begin searching Surdana's wilderness for any possible answers to what the Grulls plus Wartoks are doing lately.
Rynn: What do you think the Grulls and Wartoks are up to lately?
Arokh: Hmm... I have a bad feeling about it... Doubtful they are planning of attacking our city and the Order... They are simple beasts, Rynn... If there is a greater force behind them to rally into attacking, they could muster the courage but otherwise are a cowardly bunch.
Rynn eventually reaches and enters the cave where the monolith is located and sees it. Upon seeing the engravings and the white crystal, she pries it with a pickaxe and brings it back to Surdana. Then she begins explaining her findings to every important person there.
Rynn: The Grulls and Wartoks were excavating the ruins inside a cave and they appeared to have stumbled upon a monolith with the engraving of two large humanoid dragons facing each other. The colors have long faded away and one of the dragons were holding this crystal. I took it and brough it here.
Everyone (Myschala, Dehrimon, Brekk, Jade, Quaalus, etc) begin scratching their heads before telling Rynn they know as much as she does about this- as in, next to nothing. Rynn eventually asks her bonded dragon.
Rynn: Arokh, you are older than all of us. Surely you must know something about this, right?
Arokh: This is a relic from an ancient civilization that is older than even me and the original Order. As much as it pains me to admit it, I am completely useless at helping you with this artifact.
Rynn: Damn... So what do we do now?
Arokh: There is one person who could help us, as they are older than all of us... myself included. We need to summon the dragon mother herself... Mala Shae.
The humans blow a large horn and all the dragons gather, beginning to roar in unison. A giant winged shadow appears over Surdana and the dragon mother lands in a special open area big enough to accommodate her.
Mala Shae (gently): Why have you called me?
Arokh: Oh, great mother of all dragonkind! Can you help us with this object?
Mala Shae looks at the crystal and trembles in awe, which causes everyone else to gasp in fear.
Mala Shae: Oh stars, it cannot be...! You have found a relic given to humankind by the Supreme One!
Arokh: We don't understand. Can you explain to us about this Supreme One?
Mala Shae: Very well young ones. It's time you know the origin of this world and beyond. This is the story of my origin and possibly all of creation.
Since time immemorial, the Universe has been ruled by a god above every and all other deities. The Light itself, the origin of all, the creator of myself and many other primordial nature spirits. This being has many names, but when I was thought up into existence it asked me to call it by the moniker of Ahura. You see, Ahura is the god of life and creation. Transcending all other concepts, Ahura flies through the cosmos and creates multiple new worlds then sows the seeds of life on them. This planet is no exception and in its genesis, Ahura created several spirits to act as lesser gods to govern and watch over it while Ahura is absent. One of these spirits is myself, as I was gifted with the power of creating dragonkind with my mere thought. All Spirit and Elder Breed dragons were originally Ahura's emissaries on this planet, but eventually our beloved creator had to leave us and departed for the stars in order to keep creating other worlds. This happened countless millennia ago so I haven't seen or heard of my creator since then and I know not what happened to them.
After Mala Shae finishes her story, everyone is silent but first Rynn breaks up the silence.
Rynn: Excuse me but how are we supposed to believe this fairy tale?
Everyone glances at Rynn, and Mala Shae asks confused: What is the problem, young one? You doubt my words? The evidence stands infront and around everyone. Your dragon is my child and I am the child of my creator.
Rynn: Apologies, didn't mean to sound offensive. But while I can't ignore the existence of dragons which are also flesh-and-blood creatures with magical powers just like humans despite our physical difference... the concept of gods makes me skeptical. If there are superior and powerful beings out there, why do they allow so much suffering in this world? Where were these gods when many innocent people were enslaved and massacred, praying for a miracle that never happened?
Everyone's glare towards Rynn dissipated, having understood the reasoning for her words. Mala Shae tried explaining, but it's obvious she herself didn't know the answer.
Mala Shae: I have been separated from my creator for so long, I do not know what their plan for all of existence is. Perhaps Ahura does have some intentions, or perhaps he has abandoned us and is no longer around... I cannot tell for certain. But the presence of this artifact you have found fills me with hope. You can easily perform a miracle and prove the creator's power is real! Just place this crystal inside the pedestal of the Ancients' Gates and you shall witness a fraction of his great power!
Rynn follows Mala Shae's instructions and when the crystal is placed on the pedestal, the Mother's Eye begins glowing. It shows multiple locations to the awe of everyone- some known like the Desert of Tears and the Northern Tundra, while some are new and unknown. The people of Surdana feel amazement at seeing this. Rynn asks what happened and Mala Shae provides the answer.
Mala Shae: This relic is called the Eye of Ahura, it activates the connection between all the Ancient Gates in this world and beyond. This has now opened access to all other continents of this planet, you can travel there and opening the remaining gates will allow dragons to spread across all of Drakan, not just this one continent! This item was created by my parent and given as a gift to dragons, who in turn gave it to the first humans who also build these Gates!
Rynn: So now we gotta search for and open even more gates? I am not very keen on this idea...
Mala Shae: It's not just the gates, child. Ahura gave other items of power besides this Eye crystal, you must find all of these items and bring them here.
Rynn: That sounds great and all, but why us? Can't you do it yourself?
Mala Shae: Arokh has absorbed the power of the Cypher Rune and only he can operate the Gates. Furthermore you now have the knowledge and experience in finding one item so it's been decided by fate you must find and bring back the remaining 5 relics!
Arokh: Very well mother, it shall be done.
Rynn: Yeah, what he said. Guess I don't have a choice in this.
Mala Shae: Prepare yourself for the journey ahead will be long and perilous. But before you depart I must ask you and Arokh something in person...
Rynn, Arokh and Mala Shae hide in the area where the Khossa Vole's tower once stood. The dragon mother asks a question with a worried tone.
Mala Shae: Did you see anything else besides this white crystal in the monolith you found?
Rynn: The monolith had 2 identical but opposing dragon carvings on it, one of them had this doohickey on it while the other one was empty.
Mala Shae: You said that the monolith was excavated by a race of enemy beastmen... Perhaps they have taken something else from it before you got there.
Rynn: Perhaps... why, is there a problem?
Mala Shae (very worried): You must confront these beastmen and take back whatever items they might have stolen from that dig site. If they obtain a relic with the power of a god, they could use its power for evil purposes and bring doom to us all.
Rynn and Arokh nod then depart with the dragon mother and leave for their adventures. A sidequest involves them finding and killing all enemies in Surdana (Grulls, Wartoks, etc) to locate any important item and bring them back. They eventually corner a male Grull in Kragmor and interrogate him, who reveals they dig up the monolith but left when it was getting late and there was a threat of the new Order killing them. Rynn and Arokh spare him after he reveals that the monolith had a second crystal but it was colored black/purple and was taken by somebody else after the Grulls plus Wartoks left. Rynn and Arokh leave searching for who could have taken the second crystal, however the Grull is angered for them killing his family and he vows revenge.
When Rynn exited the Kragmor cave, she noticed a pile of crates with the usual symbols of the Dark Union plastered on them despite it being dissolved three times by now. Rynn took all the weapons, potions and treasure on top of the crates but something else caught her attention... A piece of parchment with a strangle rune inscribed on top- resembling either 3 scratch marks or a bird's 3-clawed foot, it was written in blood. She took it in her hand, then began calling for her bonded dragon: "Arokh! Where is that dragon?" Instead of looking around, Rynn continued to examine the parchment until a familiar deep male voice spoke behind her: "Feeling a bit lazy, are we?" Rynn got startled and then asked: "Where have you been?" to which Arokh replied: "I was right close by, you didn't need to yell." Then Rynn showed him the parchment she had just found and began talking.
Rynn: I found this parchment on the crates, it looks relatively new and it has a strange rune written on it. Do you know perhaps what it could mean?
Arokh (while looking at it): Afraid not. While the symbol may look odd, I have never seen it before. However if perhaps I had to make a guess, it's most possibly something connected with the Grulls and Wartoks' practice of blood sacrifice rituals. Likely they killed some humans to appease whatever barbaric deities they worship on their pagan altars. Certainly this rune is nothing important for our mission.
Rynn: Yeah, I guess you are probably right. Let's return to Surdana, use the Gate there and warp to Ravenshold.
Meanwhile, Tanyana is admiring the black/purple crystal when suddenly someone knocks on her door. She hides the crystal, after which she lets Rynn and Jade get inside her house and ask her if she is fine. She confirms that she is feeling better however is also nervous. Jade asks if she wants to become a mage or warrior and join the Order. Tanyana agrees after which she attempts doing the same things which Rynn does in the tutorial. However she fails all of them and gets a dragon injured, which causes Jade to scold her and Tanyana runs away sad in her house. Rynn follows her and tries to comfort her, but Tanyana lashes out in anger and screams at Rynn to get out of her house. After our heroine leaves, Tanyana brings out the one item that brings her comfort- the dark crystal. She looks at it, then decides to break chunks of it and begins eating them to avoid it being discovered. As she swallows a chunk, her eyes being glowing red...
Afterwards outside Rynn and Arokh prepare to leave through the Gate towards the Northern Tundra (or the Desert of Tears), beginning their quest through the world for the 5 remaining divine relics of Ahura.
Chapter 2: North Continent
Rynn and Arokh teleport into Ravenshold. They ask Ranwulf if there is any problem in the area. Much to their dismay, he confirms that yes- there ARE problems. There are beastmen coming from the Arctic Pole that raid their village. They live at the top of the world in the ruins of a mountainside ice castle built by the original inhabitants of Meridia, however it's impossible for any human to get there. Rynn fortunately is not just any human because she has a dragon on her side to help. Speaking with the other Northmen reveals more information about these beastmen: they are not Half-men but other species and instead of brute force they use cunning which is why they haven't been stopped. One type is the Ovitaurs, relatives of the Frost Grulls who have ram/sheep features instead. Another type is the Beornings, which are humanoid bears. Lastly, another type is the Lycans who are humanoid wolfs that practice ice magic and are good with bladed weapons. Their leader is Lupius, a very cunning and affable Lycan who has caused the Northmen alot of trouble and has a magic sword in his possession. Upon going slightly upwards, Rynn and Arokh find that Zeggoro has been kidnapped. They travel further north, upon reaching a blocked gate. This causes them to go back to Surdana, where they report their progress with Lady Myschala and the others. Mala Shae calms them down, saying that continents are huge so they should be considered lucky to have gained access to the first half of a new landmass. Rynn and Arokh decide to breach the other half by using Tull's explosives from Shadowmire. Qualuss, Jade and Tanyana create four explosive satchels then give them to our duo. Jade mentions that Tanyana has shown impressive progress with her magic skills, after which the latter shows off some tricks and smugly looks towards Rynn. A pair of dragon knights appear showing the design for Arokh and Rynn's statue in the city, which causes Tanyana to ask why nobody else has a statue. Jade answers that only Rynn and Arokh are deemed worthy enough of getting a statue, after which Tanyana asks if she can join the Order. Sadly for her, Jade says that she must practice and spend many more years learning magic and earning the Order's approval before getting her own dragon. Tanyana runs away back to her house, after which Rynn follows her back in her new house.
Rynn: Why are you aggressive and antisocial?
Tanyana: The hypocrisy in this city is disgusting! Other people are royalty or military that also have dragons, while you- a mere farm girl, is the only one that gets a statue in her honor! What makes you so special?
Rynn: Listen, the circumstances in which I got my dragon and earned Surdana's recognition were almost beyond my control. My village was raided by beastmen, my brother was kidnapped, I was forced to bond with Arokh to save him, only to fail in the end... I am the last survivor of my village and then had to go through so much suffering in order to save the world and earn my place in this city. The people are doing what they deem enough to express their gratitude for what I and Arokh both did...
Tanyana (shouting angrily): Enough? So everyone with a sob story gets treated like royalty? I was torn away from my deceased parents when I was but a mere child and forced to be that old king's queen! He tried to force himself on me, but his old age had affected his mind and body so I had to fight him off me like a rabid animal in a cage! Then everything went to Hell when those beasts came, killed that elderly creep and then placed us all in a grate as if we are mere livestock! They took one captive every day, sacrificed them on their altar and treated us like garbage! My turn was going to be sooner or later! If my life's purpose is to be only treated like an object and killed, then why should I keep existing?!
Rynn tries to help, but Tanyana breaks into tears and tells her to "get out and leave me alone" after which our heroine complies. When the door is closed and eventually Tanyana stops crying, she takes out the last remaining shards from the dark crystal and eats all of them. Doing so causes her eyes to glow red again, this time her pupils becoming vertical slits. Her sad expression gives way to one of rage and hatred...
Rynn and Arokh return to the Northern Tundra, placing the 4 satchels on the gate and blow it up. They enter the north pole (aka "the top of the world") and see an abandoned village with snow-covered houses. Arokh suddenly dodges aside and growls "Careful, it would seem that we have some company here!" upon which they look behind the trees and see some people in animal furs (with some having even animal headdresses). The blonde viking woman appears then she mutters "The dragon can talk? And it's ridden by a human? Is this a spell of deceit, or has the Order of the Flame returned after so many years?" Arokh and Rynn inform her that they have revived the Order and come from the mainland continent. Their mission is to find a relic in these lands, to which the vikings say they have no idea what they are talking about. Our heroes find out the vikings are the only descendants of the original inhabitants of Meridia, now reduced to a group of tribal savages because of the Dark Wars and the beastmen's oppression. The viking woman Astred says that Lupius is surprisingly pacifistic for a beastman and instead of killing humans he just scares them with the ice sword he stole and uses his cunning. However, one day they stole a wizard from the south which means they apparently have bigger plans. The ice castle is surrounded by a magic forcefield and there is only one way inside- through a secret tunnel. Rynn and Arokh decide to create a diversion but it would require the vikings and Northmen bringing reinforcements which could have some... casualties. The small army of humans gather outside the forcefield and scream enough to catch the beastmen's attention. Lupius himself who previously had kidnapped Zeggoro and stole alot of items from the Northmen (ala Robin Hood) is having a feast in his dining hall with his minions when suddenly they hear the noise outside. Before going outside, Lupius smirks and whispers some plan to his minions... The beastmen army gathers on the castle on the other side of the forcefield and begin talking with our heroes.
Rynn: Greetings! We have gathered an army to stop your oppression!
Lupius: Oppression? These lands are our kin's birthplace, then your wretched species came and drove us out! We are just rightfully taking what's ours!
Arokh: As you can plainly see, we have have the advantage on our side! I doubt you have the means to stop a dragon from the Order of the Flame!
Lupius: Impressive, you have managed to revive that old faction and gained a dragon just to force us to abandon our homeplace! Your arrogance is partially admiring, but the higher you fly the higher you fall...
Several beastfolk bring out ice ballista (formerly belonging to the Half-men) and begin firing, which causes our heroes to shout "Retreat!" and seemingly run away.
Random Beastman (mockingly): Come a little closer... we surrender and just wish to negotiate with you! Hahahaha!
Lupius however was smart enough to see the ruse and hugs a female of her species, telling her "Our enemies are smarter than they seem. It would appear they want to start a war with us here. Listen carefully, I want you to get out with some ships and escape this place. Them having a dragon on their side means that I and my army probably won't make it out of here. But that doesn't mean we will go down without a fight..."
Rynn and Arokh find and enter the secret tunnel... only for the entrance to close behind them and some beastmen soldiers appearing which shout "Surprise! We were expecting you!" Some human reinforcements die in the scuffle, but Arokh torches the beastmen with his breath and they proceed through the large beautiful ice castle/cavern. Various enemies, traps and even ballista impede their path but eventually they find Zeggoro in a prison cell- surprisingly alive and well.
Zeggoro: Thank goodness you came! While these beasts were surprisingly cordial to keep me safe, likely for pragmatic reasons, I much prefer the solace of my own tower.
Rynn: Why did they capture you?
Zeggoro: Their leader Lupius is surprisingly kind towards a human like himself. Clever too... managed to catch me when I was out searching for special ingredients needed to create an improved version of the Half-men's barrier... which he then forced me to create this forceshield around his castle. Bastard wants to increase its size until the entire North continent is covered. That's why he scares away humans, keeps me alive and scouts the area with his troops... he wants the barrier's radius to cover even more territory than it currently does.
Rynn: How do we stop him and remove this forceshield?
Zeggoro: Sadly, he was smart enough to make it so that only he can deactivate this barrier. To do so, you will have to confront him and force him into deactivating it... which means, you might have to use violence. As usual the only way when dealing with beastmen, hmph.
Rynn lets Arokh with Zeggoro to protect each other, while she moves upwards the icy hallways and enters Lupius' dining chamber. The wolf beastman charges with his sword but Rynn reacts quick enough and evades his attack.
Lupius: I must say I am disappointed in your progress... I imagined you'd be here sooner, especially with the help of your dragon. Speaking of which, where is your big scaly friend? Did you enter the wolf's den without him and willingly exposing yourself to danger?
Rynn: You done plenty of atrocities, forcing innocent people to suffer under your iron fist. You are a heartless monster and just another savage beast who rules over people like a tyrant. Deactivate this barrier or this will be the last day of your miserable life.
Lupius: I will ignore those insults and threats you hurl at me, my dear. Let's drop the moral posturing, shall we? You are no hero, you are just a self-righteous warrior forced into assassinating me while claiming to be a paragon of virtue. I used my wits to peacefully unite the different beast tribes living here and I have only the best in mind for my people... yet, you barge in here and call me the villain? I wish to simply kick out your invasive kind from our homeland, with as little violence as possible. That wizard helped us and now after we expand the barrier, he can go peacefully back to the mainland. The same applies to you and the others: I am a peace-loving creature so I will gladly leave you to walk away back home unharmed if you quit killing my beloved kinsmen.
Rynn (morally conflicted): You are a surprisingly diplomatic beast... However, it's impossible for our species to ever co-exist peacefully. Also, I am on a mission to retrieve a valuable relic back to the Central Continent. I won't leave until I obtain it, even if that means killing you.
Lupius: I have no idea what you talking about... unless you are referring to this ice sword I keep on myself? Well, the only way to get it is from my cold corpse and paws... But before we engage in a duel to the death, you need to ask yourself... who here is the villain and who is the hero? The person who is defending their birthplace and beloved people, or the invader and their army that appeared here to steal our home and murder our loved ones?
Rynn battles Lupius and eventually he is mortally wounded, with the following exchange.
Rynn: Hand over the sword now and I promise that I shall leave this place without any more bloodshed.
Lupius: Still fancy yourself a champion of goodness? Well, if I die then I shall go down like a hero...
The wolf beastman uses one last desperate attack, which breaks his ice sword and the floor beneath. Rynn and Lupius fall down into a group of beastmen who horrified see their leader bested by a human. Lupius manages to say his final words "My people, avenge me..." before succumbing to his wound and dying. Rynn barely manages to survive the ambush, then she disables the barrier and reunites with Zeggoro and Arokh on the way out.
Arokh: Glad to see you make it back alright.
Rynn: I killed their beloved leader... Now they are gonna swear revenge on us.
Arokh: Such is the price of every battle and war. Casualties are inescapable and the survivors will mourn the deceased. Trust me, I was forced to kill alot of people when fighting way back in the Dark Wars.
Zeggoro: Hate to interrupt your touching speech, but alot of beastmen have retreated when the barrier got deactivated. I saw them running for the coast, they would probably try to escape with longships.
Rynn: Should we follow them? I guess we would have to end more lives today...
Arokh: It depends if they have the item we are searching for. Did you find anything in the ice castle?
Rynn: Lupius guarded a magic ice sword with his life, and it broke during our scuffle.
Arokh: A pity... Looks like we failed our mission. Guess we should return home then.
Our heroes meet with the vikings and Northmen, who thank and congratulate them for liberating the Meridia ice village and castle from the beastmen. Rynn and Arokh bemoan they failed to get Lupius' ice sword as they needed an ancient relic. The viking woman asks them why this sword is needed when they could easily make another one. Arokh informs them they need to find an ancient divine relic from before even the original Order existed. The people laugh and then a male viking hands them a magic key to the Meridia catacombs- a place filled with monsters (yetis, tundra dragons, scavengers, etc) that even the beastmen stayed away from. The castle was recently build after the Dark Wars merely used as a living place for the vikings while the catacombs predate the castle's construction and thus are as old as the original Order of the Flame. Rynn and Arokh go to the catacombs, deal with the threats within and find an unique bow that is loaded with arrows. When they see that the bow/arrows have the same color as the Eye of Ahura (plus made from the same material), they realize they have found what they are looking for and now have a clue in their quest. While our duo returns to the central continent, both good and bad things await them...
XXXXXX
Meanwhile in Zeggoro's tower...
The elderly wizard returned to his home and sat back on his chair. He began reading an old book and then fell asleep. But it wasn't a regular need for rest which caused him to drop down onto the book slumbering. Someone or something deliberately had done so using magic. Zeggoro fell into a trance and began seeing visions, then a familiar ethereal voice started talking to him...
Spirit 1: Zeggoro, we need to speak with you this instant...
Zeggoro: Oh pardon my tardiness! What matters could be so important?
Spirit 2: We sense a great force of evil has been awakened, its dark tendrils have began coiling themselves around this world.
Zeggoro: Is it the Dark Union? Or the Desert Lords again?
Spirit 3: No, it's something different... We cannot decipher its identity as it's older than even us... But we sense its threat and the corruption it spreads.
Spirit 4: This primal darkness affects even the aether in which we live, and so we are getting weaker... If it's not dealt with, eventually it would spell an end to the Universe itself.
Zeggoro (scared): How can I deal with such a nebulous and powerful enemy? What payment would you demand from me for this?
Spirit 1: We ask nothing of you this time. Driving away this darkness and cleansing the Universe will be the payment itself.
Spirit 2: Listen carefully. We sense the corruption originating from the south. Go there, work undercover with the local people and find out who or what is the catalyst for this cosmic disturbance.
Zeggoro: I will speak with Lady Myschala and the sorceress Jade. Perhaps they could provide aid... And what about here? Should I warn Ranwulf and the Northmen?
Spirit 3: No, they can't help with these matters. You need to watch carefully the female human and her bonded dragon you helped years ago. They hold the key to dealing with this plague of evil...
Zeggoro: Rynn and Arokh? How could they deal with any of this?
Spirit 4: Darkness cannot exist without Light. They have found one of several ancient relics. Blessed holy items left by a god of benevolence. They must obtain the remaining artifacts, only then will the darkness be finally driven away...
Zeggoro: Alright I will do my best, however if what you say is true then I have to leave them do most of the work. In the meantime I will need to do more research and gather any useful information.
Spirits (all simultaneously): Make haste and do not fail! We shall offer you guidance but every passing day makes us weaker! The fate of this and other worlds depends on whoever obtains these divine relics!
The spirits disappeared and Zeggoro woke up. At first the wizard grumbled, but afterwards he began taking several books and scrolls which he placed in a magic bag. He packed up his luggage and prepared for a long trip outside the North Continent. With Lupius dead and the beastmen defeated, Zeggoro met no resistance during his walk outside. He talked with captain Fandrill and boarded the "Raging Queen" ship. While resting on a wooden chair, Zeggoro furiously searched through all his books and scrolls. Eventually he found one which caught his attention, while also making him tremble in fear. It spoke of the first human civilization in the South Continent which first build the Ancient's Gates and started the Bonding ritual with dragons. This civilization grew in power (both military and magical) but eventually collapsed. Before doing so, it worshipped a mysterious god of light. Zeggoro however felt his biggest curiosity and fear when he saw a mention of an ancient cult which summoned demons and worshipped an unknown god of darkness. Despite the cult being dealt with by the Ancients, their existence was recorded in the book while there also being doubts about some members having survived and running away. After seeing these ominous texts, Zeggoro began putting the pieces together...
Chapter 3: South Continent
Rynn and Arokh return in Surdana, presenting their new items to Lady Myschala plus the others. Mala Shae returns and congratulates them.
Mala Shae: Well done, so it would seem your search was not in vain! However this merely is the second artifact, you need to find the other 4 before our enemies do.
Rynn: Do you know what this bow and its arrows are called? Do you know the other artifacts' identities, or are we stuck in a blind guessing game.
Mala Shae: You think all of this is just a mere game? (Rynn and Arokh glance at each other and humorously cough) Well, you got the Eye first and now you have the Wing Feather of Ahura. The remaining relics are: the Horn of Ahura, the Scale of Ahura, the Claw of Ahura and the Fang of Ahura. I don't know what objects they have been forged into, but it's imperative to find all of them. Also, this weapon alongside the other artifacts when collected must be protected in a safe place. Either guard them with your lives, give them to someone trustworthy or lock them up in a vault away from potential danger.
Rynn and Arokh nod in agreement and prepare to leave for the South Continent, but first they organize a celebration for their victory in the Northlands. Unbeknownst to them, Tanyana watches angrily from her house and then leaves. Meanwhile...
The beastmen from the North arrive on the Central continent with their longships, their magic helped them survive the perilous cold sea. A female wolf beastperson starts crying her beloved Lupius has been killed and wishes to avenge them. They are then confronted by the Grulls and Wartoks. The male Grull that was spared by Rynn and Arokh, sporting a scar on his eye arrives with a male Wartok that has scars on his face and one of his tusks is broken. They are very angered that the Order has massacred so many of their people and offer to join forces with the northern continent beastpeople to exact revenge on humans and dragons alike. The North beastmen ask how can this be achieved, with the scarred Grull (named Guts Skullhead) and the scarred Wartok (named Wyald Tusk) mentioning the cave with the monolith. However they remember that both crystals have been taken away by the Order. Just as they wonder what to do, they are approached by a humanlike shadow teleporting in with a magic spell. A tall woman in black clothes appears and begins talking. It's none other than Tanyana herself!
Tanyana: So you also harbor resentment for the Order of the Flame because they took everything away from you, forcing you to live in humiliation? Perhaps we should join forces and may them pay for all the suffering they brought into this world...
Borra (female Grull): Why should we listen to you? Our people already served two warlord mages before- Navaros, the leader of the Dark Union and Jasaad Duthana, the king of the Desert Lords. Both have died, our people's numbers have dwindled and we are now forced to live in remote corners. What makes you think you will succeed where they have failed?
Tanyana (in a creepy monotone): I have been chosen by a higher power to carry out divine judgement to all those who oppose me. I have been to the monolith of the Gods and become one with the Dark Crystal...
Casca: What?! So you are the one who stole one of the two jewels? Cough it up now you human filth, or we shall cut you open and take it from your corpse!
Tanyana (voice becomes deeper): You will regret doing that...
Tanyana screams in a bizarre inhuman voice, black smoke covers her body and purple electric bolts arch from her. She shoots Casca plus several other Grulls and Wartoks, killing them instantly with purple electricity. The others quickly fall down on their knees in fear.
Gutsman Skullhead: S-she's not human! She's a witch... or something worse!
Tanyana (with creepy voice and glowing red eyes): So, does that mean you will follow my orders or do I have to increase the casualties to prove my point?
Wild Tusk (scared): W-what do you command from us? H-how do you plan on destroying the new Order?
Tanyana (smirks, with slit pupils now visible in her red eyes): First you will need to gather allies from other continents as reinforcements. Also I need to summon some friends of mine...
Meanwhile Rynn and Arokh go to the Valley of the Fallen and notice the change in scenery.
Rynn: This place... looks different now. What happened?
Arokh: When the revived Order toppled Stratos from the skies, its fall must have caused some heavy collateral damage to this landmass. The combined magic attacks of the Order and the Desert Lords have severed the former Great Continent in two. The lush forested part is now separated from the dry and unhospitable desert which are now respectively the Central and South Continent.
Rynn: Good thing the Ancients' Gate here still works. Hey, we can use this to teleport to the desert in the South Continent. Hopefully the fifth and final gate we opened in Stratos is still there and functional.
The heroes fly close to the sandy coast and visit the ruins where the fourth gate is located. Fortunately for them, it still works and it activates. They enter it and end up on the other side... in a familiar place. Sandy dunes surround them and they see the entrance of the Sanguinade infront of them, much to their relief. Fallen rocks and other debris around are the only remnants of Stratos, the former stronghold and headquarters of the Desert Lords. Rynn and Arokh visit the ruins, expecting them to be abandoned. But they are greeted by traps and undead. Eventually they reach the caverns filled with Gryphons, dispatching these as well. And then upon reaching the area where the floating rock that transported people to Stratos once stood, now laid a canyon pass infront of them which lead into the desert inside the South Continent's heart. Flying through this place made Arokh feel uneasy and he started looking around himself carefully.
Rynn: Is there a problem? Why are you spinning your head around in paranoia?
Arokh: This landmass is a desert but it's not uninhabited... I sense enemies close by.
As luck would have it he was instantly proven right- a giant appeared infront of them. But while it resembled the primitive giant of their lands, it was covered in armor-like scales and had spikes growing from certain parts of its body which gave it a reptilian appearance instead. The creature growled angrily and slammed its fists into the ground which created a shockwave of dirt to move forward. Arokh easily avoided it by flying above, which caused the rock giant to change its tactics. When Arokh flew above it, the creature opened its mouth and released a cloud of toxic breath gas. Rynn sarcastically complained if the giant "didn't know about brushing its teeth" while Arokh flew away from the enemy. The giant roared in anger and called several others of its kind, some armed with giant clubs made of bones. While some giants tried swinging their clubs when Arokh flew close, others throw boulders made of brown rock they picked up from the ground... to no avail. The red dragon managed to barely dodge all their attacks and leave the area. Now, the desert dunes laid around them like an endless ocean of sand and rock. There was the occasional plant or ancient ruin dispersed, and they even witnessed the bones of several huge but thankfully dead creatures. Rynn interrupted the silence by asking Arokh if he feels hungry, to which he replied that dragons need to drinking as much as they need to swimming (not at all). This meant he obtained his water by eating his preferred food- red meat. Luckily for them, they saw the skeleton of a large grey mammalian animal with four tusks and a long trunk next to a spiky plant.
Rynn: What are those things?
Arokh: An Oliphaunt and a Death Cactus! I could use the former to obtain some food and drink for myself!
Rynn: And the latter?
Arokh: I wouldn't recommend you touching that. But first let me feed.
The Elder Breed dragon bit the dead animal on its abdomen and sliced open its huge stomach, after which he began devouring its meat. Rynn took the Oliphaunt's remaining blood and used a magic spell to separate the water from the other substances. After drinking the available water and seeing her dragon well fed, Rynn picked up a rock. Arokh glanced at her and asked what's on her mind. She wanted to open the cactus and get some water from inside, but saw the thorns on the dead Oliphant's trunk and told Arokh for both of them to take cover behind the large animal's corpse. Rynn threw the rock at the cactus and her theory was proven correct- the cactus exploded and shot its thorns like projectiles in all directions except for upwards in the sky. If it weren't for the Oliphant's carcass being used as a shield, they would have been perforated. Rynn climbed atop Arokh and the two of them took flight once more. After an hour or so, they saw some strange humanoid figures riding rhinos on the ground.
Rynn: Locals! Do you think they are friendly?
Arokh (looking closer using his superior dragon vision): Those aren't humans Rynn!
Just as he finished his sentence, a bolas (rope with balls on both sides) shot upwards and threatened to entangle Arokh's wings had he not burned it with his fire. The rhino-riding enemies cackled which revealed their identities.
Arokh: Gnolls!
Rynn: Did you say "gnoles"?
Arokh: Hideous beastly creatures. I heard stories about them living only in this continent, being desert bandits and raiders. They are scavengers who steal everything and the females are... uh, difficult being differentiated from the males.
The red dragon shot fire down towards the hyena beastmen, which caused them to disperse and run away in fear. His nature as a dragon gave him a superior advantage against most creatures. After passing another sand dune, they saw a human city. There were people living there similar to the Desert Lords' human slaves in Stratos and the warriors had similar clothes to the Soulless but in different colors (which implied the Soulless were made from these humans, perhaps with necromancy). Rynn and Arokh landed which as usual caused the people a slight panic. Rynn dismounted from Arokh and began asking the people for information. One of the men resembling Mardis approached her and started talking.
Wastelander: I see you are far away from your home. What business do you have here? And what is that dragon you are riding?
Rynn: I am Rynn and that dragon is Arokh. We hail from Surdana, I don't know if you have heard of us but we killed the Desert Lords and revived the Order of the Flame.
Wastelander (cheered up): Why didn't you say so in the first place! In that case you are welcome here! But I assume your visit is more important than just stopping by and viewing the scenery, right?
Arokh: We are send on a mission. First of all we need provisions and rest. Also directions because this place is new to us. But most importantly, do you know about any relics left from the original Order of the Flame? Perhaps, even older than that?
Wastelander: The first 3 things we can and will easily provide you. As for the fourth... well, there is a small inconvenience. Several, actually.
Rynn (annoyed): And what could those be, if I may dare ask?
Wastelander: Some of our people have become criminals and we forced them into exile. They are now desert bandits who use local beast as mounts. We also have some Oliphaunts, provided to us by the people living in the Southern Savannah... But most don't survive the delivery here, with both our city and the southern one being attacked by both desert bandits and local hostile species... But with a dragon on our side, we can turn the tide of battle! Will you aid us?
Rynn and Arokh agreed under the condition they are given provisions, rest and lastly directions. The next day Rynn climbed atop the only Oliphaunt in the city, while Arokh flew above ready to incinerate every threat. A wastelander warrior commanded the animal, while Rynn controlled the turret mounted on its back also Arokh gave them a huge advantage with his flight and ranged breath weapons. Said advantage was needed as the onslaught of enemies was ridiculous- gnoles with ranged weapons running or riding rhinos, desert bugs, flying enemies and even the bandits riding enemy Oliphaunts in different color from theirs to denote its allegiance. Eventually all threats were dealt with, with the desert people honoring their end of the bargain... while also giving Rynn and Arokh some advice.
Wastelander: To the east of here lie the ruins of the Ancients' civilization. This is the cradle for all humans on Drakan and perhaps they hold whatever is that you seek. But be warned... the ruins are filled with traps and various hostile creatures. Enter them on your own risk! The people in the southern savannah could help you, but they have their own problems. And while you fended off a wave of the desert bandits, their threat still looms over. We don't know where their stronghold is located, but if you kill their leader then their grip on these lands will permanently loosen. Just be careful, their lair is most likely fortified so if you happen upon it either by chance or by decision then you must use your dragon to deal with them! Good luck, may fate guide you!
Rynn and Arokh depart, after which they head east and reach the ruins. The entrance to the former palace is closed, however the long-abandoned houses of villagers dotted the landscape. Upon stepping on the sandy ground, Rynn was greeted by another new threat. A Caprihorn (humanoid goat) jumped at her, wielding a short sword in each hand. Its armor design was light because of the desert heat and looked like those worn by civilizations of long past. Two more appeared, one with a spear and shield plus another with a fishing net and short dagger.
Caprihorn 1: Intruder outsider! You have no place here! Prepare to die!
Rynn: I would have actually been scared if I didn't bring a friend with me. Arokh, NOW!
The red dragon flew over the houses and covered the 3 goatlike beastmen in a blazing inferno, their screams quickly muffled as they soon turned into charred remains.
Rynn: Guess we can't come and stay here. Well in that case, we have no choice but to reach the southern savannah.
The two of them flew and eventually passed through a cavern with glowing fungi, upon existing they saw a lush orange open field with tall grass and multiple trees. In the distance, they saw their objective- a city surrounded by waterfalls and mountains. The people there had noticeably darker skin tone like the brides of Yutaji the Flesh Mage, infact this place was probably where he got his concubines from. Everyone wore red clothes or loincloths made from saber-toothed leopards, with some having bird feathers on their heads. The warriors lowered down their weapons and made way for two people to walk forward- a woman with gold jewelry and a tall very muscular scarred man with one eye missing having a perpetual angry expression on his face.
Rynn: The queen and the king, I assume?
Amanras: Correction, the queen and the general.
Arokh: Where is the king?
Amanras: Murdered... by the barbarian chief Shaka. My general Kamau tried protecting us, but got scarred and his tongue cut off in the process. While we drove out our renegade members, we live in constant danger of them raiding us. The local wildlife being hostile doesn't help matters either. If anyone finds that fiend's hideout and ends his life, they would rid this world of a most bothersome vandal. We would be eternally grateful if you and your dragon would do it. Untold treasures will be given to you if you kill that bastard.
Arokh: We appreciate the gesture, but our actual goal is to find ancient divine items left by an older civilization. This planet's fate depends on it.
Rynn: We still accept your offer though. Supplies are hard to come by here, and so every valuable item is lifesaving.
Amanra: Find and kill Shaka, then we will do what we can. In the meantime if you are feeling brave enough and seeking a challenge, why not visit our gladiator arena? The dragon isn't allowed inside, so you have to defend yourself against 100 waves of different enemy creatures originating from here and other parts of the world. If you die or leave the arena, you lose the challenge. But if you survive and prevail, then great riches await you.
Rynn and Arokh keep in mind the optional arena challenges, but head towards the desert bandits headquarters. Arokh is left on the other side of the narrow canyon pass and she enters the area filled with cages, most filled with human prisoners. A tunnel on the side leads towards a gold mine. Just as Rynn views her surroundings, the doors behind her close and a deep male voice taunts her by laughing.
Shaka: So you are the foreign female dragon-riding determined warrior that foiled my people and is now trespassing in my humble abode? You look prettier than how my underlings described you... (licks lips lecherously)
Rynn sees the barbarian chief riding a large boar/warthog and dragging a screaming crying woman by her hair. He punches the woman on the ground, after which she is crushed under the beast's feet. The human slaves in cages on the wall behind scream in fear and revulsion.
Rynn (angrily): Why are you doing this?
Shaka: Why not? Life is too short so you gotta enjoy it as much as possible! Those dumb people in the local cities didn't know how to have enjoyment and excitement. Conquest, riches and women- that's what I live by!
Rynn: So you kidnapped your fellow people, children included to serve as slaves in your gold mine? And kill everyone for no reason other than sadistic pleasure? I have met all manner of foes, but few are more disgusting than you!
Shaka: My, what a big mouth you have! Perhaps you won't be so annoying when I kill you! Or maybe, I should first cut off your tongue and rape you instead! And when I'm done with you, I will burn down both cities- making every male a slave and every woman mine!
The barbarian chief charges with his beast mount forward, which causes Rynn to dodge by rolling sideways. The boar/pig hits a wall and falls dazed. Rynn also manages to shoot some arrows in its face which causes it to slowly bleed. The barbarian chief insults his steed by calling it a "worthless sack of shit" and kills it by hitting it with his spiky hammer. Shaka charges with his hammer, while fast and strong his attacks are predictable. Our heroine throws sand in his eyes, causing the prisoners to pelt him with rocks and other small objects they can find. This only angers Shaka who prepares to crush Rynn with the hammer, before she shoots an arrow in his eye. The half-blinded Shaka drops the hammer and screams in rage. While doing so, Rynn grabs the heavy hammer and manages to hit him once. The angered barbarian tries to punch and kick her, but she is too quick and nimble even with the heavy hammer. Shaka grabs a nearby rock from the quarry and throws it at Rynn in an attempt to kill her, but misses his target. Rynn manages to swing the hammer one more time just as Shaka holds a rock above his head... which falls on his head and gives him a concussion. The barbarian chief falls on the ground and Rynn hits him again with the hammer, which causes him to vomit blood. Shaka lies near dead on the ground and taunts Rynn one last time. The warrior woman hits him in the head with his own hammer one last time and kills him. The slaves cheer as Rynn then proceeds to liberate them. She then mounts Arokh and they all return to the southern savannah city. Upon seeing them, all people congratulate them. Kanau smiles just once and shakes Rynn's hand. The heroes bring the Barbarian Chief's Warhammer and the liberated slaves, while the slaves themselves bring Shaka's severed head as proof he is thankfully dead.
Amanras: Thank you Rynn and Arokh! You have our eternal gratitude by ridding us of this vile man, we can finally sleep better knowing he won't threaten us any longer! Just say so and you can have as much treasure as you want!
Rynn: We accept your treasure, but our main goal here is recovering the holy relics of bygone civilizations. Would you help us with this?
Amanras: The ruins to the northeast hold many mysteries, including remnants of the Ancient civilizations. We do not go there as that place is locked up and cursed. But perhaps the wizard can help you?
Arokh: A wizard? Where was he when you needed help against your foes?
Amanras: The wizard is not from our lands and he choses to live in exile. He can be find on the other side of the savannah. We can show you the direction, but everything else depends on yourselves. We used to have a wizard of our own, but he... disappeared.
Rynn: What of him? Where did he go?
Amanras: He was a skilled mage and shaman. He could bring inanimate objects to life and we used them as soldiers in our army. But after he disappeared, our defenses weakened and thus we became easy prey for our enemies. Afterwards, multiple women from our city also began disappearing. However we don't know if that is connected with our shaman or the desert bandits with their loathsome chief Shaka.
Rynn: Too bad about this shaman, what's his name if you don't mind us asking?
Amanras: He was known as Yutaji, the Life-giving Mage. Some say they saw him disappearing one night and getting kidnapped into the desert by strange floating people with horned heads and 3 faces...
Rynn and Arokh stay in stunned silence upon hearing and remembering Yutaji's name. The Flesh Mage was once a normal human, driven insane and turned into an abomination by the Desert Lords! Amanras asks them why they are silent.
Rynn: Well, we have heard of this Yutaji. He was indeed kidnapped by such creatures and is long dead, though thankfully the creatures who kidnapped him have been dealt with so at least he has been avenged.
Amanras: Ah, I see. That is both saddening and comforting to hear. I wish you best of luck on your journeys Rynn and Arokh of the mainlands!
Rynn and Arokh depart, flying towards this mysterious wizard that lived on a pillar-like hill in the middle of the savannah. The small hut on top made it resemble a primitive tower. When approached, this wizard tower fired lightning bolts. Arokh responded by shooting fire at it which got reflected by an invisible magical barrier. This caused Rynn to shout out in desperation: Hey, we need your help! Please hear us and come outside!
The door opened and a grumpy male voice was heard, the voice was for lack of a better word "fatherly"- not old enough for an old coot like Quaalus but still sounding like someone above Rynn's age. The duo were surprised to see the wizard having a white skin like someone from the mainlands and with the appropriate clothing. He had short graying hair and beard, neatly trimmed while carrying around a stereotypical magical wooden scepter. His clothes were primarily blue with some gold trimmings and arcane symbols inscribed on said gold parts. A hood was visible behind his head, but it was currently let down. Upon seeing Rynn and Arokh, the wizard was surprised and muttered to himself: Well, I'll be damned... Are my eyes deceiving me or am I seeing a dragon of the Elder Breed being ridden by a human?
Arokh (managing to hear him): Your eyes aren't playing tricks on your mind, old man. I am real and I am indeed a dragon from the Order the Flame!
The Wizard: Well, don't just stand there! Come down so can have a proper conversation on the bloody ground!
Arokh landed on the ground below the "tower", while the wizard teleported there in a flash of blue magical light. On top of his shoulder was no perched an owl. Rynn had recognized that owl, having seen others like it in the woods and the Shadowmire.
The Wizard spoke: What is your name and what is your reason for being here?
Arokh: I am Arokh and this is...
The Wizard (excited): Arokh?! The bonded of Heron?! What has happened to him and why are you with this woman instead? I was afraid the Dark Wars would have decimated the world long ago, but seeing you here is a happy coincidence indeed!
Rynn (angrily): This woman's name is Rynn.
Arokh: Excuse her, alot has changed since I was last bonded. However, I do not seem to recall ever seeing you. What's your identity and how do you know of me, wizard?
The Wizard: My sincerest apologies, a proper introduction is in order. I am Merdhynis, a Mage of the Order and royal advisor... welll formerly.
Arokh: Formerly? What happened?
Merdhynis: Well, I chose to live in self-exile because... (starts talking in a sad tone) when the Dark Union attacked I helped at first, but then... I fled.
Rynn: So you chose the coward's way out?
Merdhynis (angry and sad): I had no choice! At first I helped as much as possible, even lending a hand in the creation of the Runeblade. When the battles had been taken to the east and I heard nothing from my comrades for over a year, I had assumed the worst had happened. I fled from the north and settled down here. I prepared myself for the Dark Union's arrival and honed my magic powers as much as possible to deal with any potential threat, but nothing followed... Days passed, they turned into weeks, months, years, decades, centuries... I waited here and eventually realized that what I had done was not the correct thing. As atonement for my mistake, I chose to exile myself here for the remainder of my life and far away from human civilization. Seeing you here makes me ask, what happened?
Arokh (saddened): Heron sacrificed himself to save Drakan, he stabbed Navaros through the heart as the Betrayer was preparing a spell to destroy us all. This resulted in his body destroyed and causing his spirit to be banished to a Rift void inside another world. The war ended in a stalemate, the Dark Union collapsed but the order also got decimated. Humans once again lived together in various tribes and kingdoms, while most dragons went into their home dimension and locked the doors on the way inside. Emphasis on "most", because myself... decided to stay here. Heron's corpse was buried in her village, the Runeblade was lost, the Rift Crystal was taken by Rimril and I went into slumber by turning into a stone statue inside my cave. Several centuries passed, Rynn's village was attacked with most people turned into slaves by Wartoks and Grulls. Rynn awakened me from my slumber and while angry at first, I accepted her plea for help. We bonded and travelled across the world, fighting off the newly-revived Dark Union. We met Rimril and obtained the Rift Crystal, but he died from an enemy attack while I got captured. Thankfully Rynn managed to free me and we obtained the Runeblade. However the dreadful hunch I had ever since Rynn awakened me turned out being true- the Dark Union were planning on resurrecting their master Navaros. We took the battle first to the volcano where the last battle of the wars once occurred, then entered the Rift itself. Once there, we managed to kill Navaros and save the world but we lost so much in the process. We flew out of the portal, sealed off the entrance for good and then destroyed the Runeblade with the hope that its power will never fall in the wrong hands and be used for evil purposes ever again.
Merdhynis: Merciful stars, that's quite a tale you have! It's sad all of this happened, though I can relate with your plight.
Arokh: And that's just our first adventure! Our second adventure had us abandon Rynn's village where she paid last due to all her dead family and friends. We made our new home in the city of Surdana, only to learn that an invasive species from Sessool called the Desert Lords have entered our world and are planning to subjugate all of humanity. So once again, it's up to me and Rynn to save all of Drakan. I had to absorb the power of the Cypher Rune and use it to open five different Gates made by the Ancients, which allowed the Elder Breed dragons to return back in our world and vanquish the Desert Lords' forces. With the death of their leader Jasaad, the floating fortress was soon taken down and the newly-summoned dragons made short work of their army. The battle was over and we had revived the Order of the Flame. Our combined efforts and accomplishments lead to a new era of peace for all of Drakan. But it would seem that we once again have to undertake a perilous journey, hence why we are here and seek your aid.
Merdhynis: I see, so what do you need from me? What dangerous task is so important that you require my help of all things?
Rynn: The ruins to the northeast are older than the original Order of the Flame, we think there might be an important relic there which we need to bring back in Surdana.
Merdhynis: That cursed tomb? The remnants of the first human civilization? The same ones who build the huge gateways you used to arrive here?
Rynn and Arokh both nodded, which cause the wizard to reply with the following.
Merdhynis: Very well, I shall give you an item to unlock that abandoned place and a spell to protect you against its curse. But you still need to watch out for physical perils inside that place such as traps and monsters, either living or undead. Luckily for you, history is my passion and I will do this out of good will for anyone from the Order of the Flame- be it the original or this new revived one you have created.
Before departing with Merdhynius, Rynn and Arokh ask the wizard about his owl to which he replies.
Merdhynis: This pet bird is one of the things which remind me of my home which I abandoned so long ago, memories of older and better times. Even to this day I cannot find a proper name to give this owl, I am split choosing between "Spy" and "Gnosis".
Rynn and Arokh then fly towards the ruins and open the entrance with Merdhynius' item. Upon entering inside, a lizard/snake-like creature attacks Rynn. It has a frill around its neck, sharp claws plus fangs and six limbs. The creature hisses angrily at Rynn and spits venom between them as a threat display. Arokh doesn't bother giving it a second chance and fries it on the spot like it's time for dinner. When Rynn asks Arokh what is that creature, he replies "a basilisk, really unpleasant even when dead". Eventually they head deeper into the ruins and see some engravings on the walls. The stylized images and the faded colors make it hard to decipher the history depicted on these walls. However upon moving forward into a darker tunnel, they encounter some human-looking warriors. Rynn tries to greet them, but Arokh quickly spots their coloration in the darkness and shoots them. Rynn asks him why he's become hostile, but he replies that he recognized them as Soulless. Rynn is surprised to hear that, but the 2 of them proceed until they reach a courtyard. Once there they are shocked to discover Djinns and Rock Golems, creatures employed by the Desert Lords. Those foes are dispatched as well, then our duo passes through several traps as well- including one requiring Arokh to stand on 1 pressure plate, Rynn to stand on another while also pushing a stone block on a third floor plate. The door opens and they enter a pristine room with a map of Drakan on the wall. There is a dot in the middle of the Great Continent which denotes the location of this city, with 6 star-shaped dots placed on each continent. Apart from the Central and Southern Continent being merged together, this map is fairy accurate. However Arokh quickly deduces this map shows the locations of the remaining artifacts. The duo is ready to celebrate when they hear someone talking and entering the room- turning around, they see 2 Desert Lords! One is male and the other is female, these must be survivors remaining from the dragons bringing down Stratos. The 2 demonic beings look at them in disgust and they engage in verbal assault.
Brother Zahek: Look sister, it's the human dragon rider and her abhorrent reptilian pet!
Sister Asaiji: I see that brother, it's the ones who killed our leader Jasaad and ruined our empire!
Rynn: Well, your species deserved it! I tried talking with Jasaad and he attacked me twice, so I had no choice but killing him! And even then, you wanted to enslave us!
Zahek: Arrogant human, as much as you despise our kin you will soon learn that servitude to the Desert Lords is preferable compared to what the others have planned for you should they ever arrive.
Rynn: Others? What lies are you trying to fill my head with and justify your atrocities?
Asaiji: A force of evil far older than everything else... something we have been trying to avoid and prevent with all our might. We offered to spare you had you listened, but the others cannot be reasoned and they seek the destruction of all existence.
Arokh: Your words hold no weight given what your kind tried to do with our world. And even now you have nefarious plans given you are in this place and we caught you. By any chance, are you the ones planning to steal all the holy artifacts?
Zahek: We stumbled upon this place when fleeing and hiding away from your genocide. These ruins showed us that your kind is prone to self-destruction: since your earliest days, you humans are foolishly trying to amass more power that just leads to complete annihilation.
Rynn: Speaking of annihilation, we are done talking with you. Now it's time we kill you instead.
Asaiji: We might encounter and battle each other, but not here or now. There is another, greater force nearby and we must prepare to deal with it instead...
The 2 Desert Lords teleport away, disappearing in a puff of green smoke. Rynn and Arokh grumble in annoyance but they find bunch of scrolls and tomes on a nearby table. White dusty and colored yellow due to the passage of time, all of these prove valuable as they have a map of Drakan as well as the recorded history of the Ancients' civilization. Our heroes gather the parchments and then fly back through the ruins. Upon passing through a previously revisited area without Arokh, Rynn notices a black mirror on the wall. Her curiosity gets the better of her and she looks at it. Her reflection looks back at her and smirks maliciously. The reflection's eyes glow red, it's encased in a shadowy smoke aura, it steps out of the mirror and pulls out a weapon. Rynn dodges its first attack, then attempts to hit it only for the doppelganger to parry her attacks. Its moveset is identical to hers, it can dodge and block with precision. Rynn decides to run away, which causes the shadow to chase her. At one point, she passes a torch lit by her and the clone stops moving, wincing back in pain. Rynn figures out "so light is your shadow's only weakness" and hits the clone while it's weakened by the light. The doppelganger screams in an inhuman voice and disappears, after which Rynn finds Arokh and the 2 of them escape the ruins. However, it's still night time and suddenly their shadow comes to alive with the sole purpose of attacking them. Now the doppelganger also copies Arokh being ridden by Rynn, with our heroes being unable to fight their shadows. Thankfully, the sun rises after they dodge and survive doppelganger attacks for several minutes. When being hit with direct sunlight, the evil clones die for good this time and our heroes can finally exit this cursed location. They return to Merdhynis' tower and give him the parchments they found in the ruins with the hopes of him translating everything.
Merdhynis: Well, seems like you brought me alot of reading material. It would take me a while to translate all of this, hope you are patient enough... Then again, I doubt you have anything else to do.
Rynn (annoyed): How long?
Merdhynis: As long as needed.
Rynn (angered): Listen here, I am sick of all these sorcerer shenanigans which just serve to waste time! We saw 2 Desert Lords which are up to no good and they escaped because we wasted time! We should find them before it's too late!
Merdhynis (annoyed): Patience is a virtue, child.
Rynn (on the verge of tears): And a freaking detriment! My parents died when I was young, I was too late to save my village, my brother ended up being possessed and then freaking killed! I had the strongest weapons at my side, including Arokh and yet I failed! I am forced to live with my failures even to this day! And history will repeat itself unless we do something quick otherwise more people will end up dying!
Rynn sits on the ground, tears running down her eyes and muttering "it's all my fault, I failed them all". Arokh apologized on her behalf, but what followed was unforeseen. Merdhynis the grumpy antisocial wizard had gone, now his face was full of sorrow and remorse. He sat down next to Rynn and placed an arm on her shoulder, his voice now filled with paternal concern. He was now kinder and more polite to Rynn, with the sadness visible in his voice.
Merdhynis: Rynn... we all have tragic backstories and our lifes are full of mistakes which we sadly cannot undo. If it will make you feel better, I will tell you backstory.
Rynn (still in tears): Will you bring my dead parents and brother back? Will I see them again, alongside the other people of my village that got killed off?
Merdhynis: I am a wizard, not a god. Such a power is beyond even myself, I am afraid. But I want you to know is my origin and how I found my place in this world. My father was a member of the original Order of the Flame, while my mother was a random peasant woman. Originally I thought they were happily married, but when I grew up I found out my mother getting pregnant with me was... against her consent. She was abused and then killed by my father, who then joined Navaros and the others in the Dark Union. He took me in and secretly tried to teach me magic to overthrow the Order. I pretended to play along, but secretly I studied magic to avenge my deceased mother. When I grew up I killed my despicable father and spend the rest of my time in servitude of the Order to do the right thing. When the Dark Wars began, I tried to help the Order as much as possible but even with all my magical prowess I felt like I was a failure. When the final battle started, I ran away like a coward. Ever since, I live here in exile as my self-punishment for my own failures.
Rynn (stops crying, her face still covered in dried up tears): So your life is also full of mistakes and failures, caused by your brashness? I see the moral in your story, but how will that help us?
Merdhynis: I am an old man who some days ponders about death. But before I leave this world behind, I wish to do as much good as possible and make up for my past. I realize now that you and Arokh are my greatest second chance- perhaps I can redeem myself by helping you out as much as possible? Besides I need to pass my spellcasting knowledge on somebody else and you are the best candidate for a wizarding apprentice figure.
Rynn (cheered up): Thank you Merdhynis! I am sorry I shouted at you a while ago!
Merdhynis: Don't think about it, your response was understandable. Just be warned- while it's good to vent out emotions, letting them control you and cloud your mind can prove fatal with some taking advantage of that which shall most likely end in your demise. Now, give me 3 days and I promise to translate everything in these parchments that hasn't been lost to the sands of time.
Rynn and Arokh thanked the wizard, but before departing he asked her one thing.
Merdhynis: We need to keep in touch so I can give you information if you are far away. I know a spell that will help.
Rynn: Why don't you just come with us and move in to live at Surdana?
Merdhynis: Like I already said, I deserve my own exile here as punishments for failing the original Order of the Flame. Now if you don't mind, give me that dragon-shaped necklace you are wearing.
Rynn gave Merdhynis her necklace and he touched with a glowing jewel on his bracelet hidden under his wizard sleeve. The necklace glowed the same color as his bracelet jewel and Merdhynis gave it back to her.
Rynn: So what was that for?
Merdhynis: You can use your bracelet now as a communication device. We can use these to keep in touch and communicate with each other even if we are on different sides of this planet.
Rynn: Thanks, but it would feel weird if I place this between my neck and eh, female chest...
Merdhynis (rolling his eyes): Here, I will place your dragon-shaped decoration onto a bracelet you can wear on your hand then. Just make sure you never lose it.
Rynn accepted the gift and placed it on her hand, after which she attempted to try out her new item by speaking through it.
Merdhynis (deadpan): Sure, a magic item created for long distance communication will obviously also work at short range when I am within earshot.
The wizard vanished with his blue teleportation spell and shortly after his voice was heard on Rynn's bracelet.
Merdhynis: Rynn, can you hear me? Does the bracelet work?
Rynn (barely containing her laughter, in a made-up voice): Hutch!
Merdhynis: Hutch who?! Rynn, are you there?
Rynn (humorously in her normal voice): Bless you, perhaps you need a napkin?
Merdhynis (deadpan): Glad to see the bracelet working and you having a sense of humor...
Rynn: Well, this whole "talking-bracelet" thing feels weird to me so I decided to have some fun.
Merdhynis: Good for you, but I my fun will now be trying to translate these papers that are older than myself. I will call you in 3 days when it's done.
Arokh and Rynn fly away for 3 days, after they pass Merdhynis calls them with his report.
Merdhynis: Arokh, Rynn! Can you hear me? I managed to translate as much as possible. Some parts were lost so I am left scratching my head. Hopefully you aren't busy and don't mind a long history lesson.
Rynn: We are ready for your lecture, tell us everything you found out.
Merdhynis: Very well. Thousands of years before the original Order was established, humans were nomadic hunter-gatherers that lived in tribes. This continent back then was a fertile green paradise instead of a desert. Eventually people settled down here and build the first civilization. Their strongest warrior and priest became their chief, who than called himself the first king. He learned how to wield stronger magic and was named Drakan, from him comes this planet's name. His descendants were a long dynasty of powerful warrior and mage kings. Drakan learned how to befriend the local dragons, and eventually created a spell that connected his soul with that of his dragon. In hopes of immortality and symbolizing the friendship with his dragon Vardar, king Drakan lived for over a 1000 years and established a mighty kingdom. His descendants however lived shorter with each generation. His last descendant Amenheton feared for his own mortality and became a tyrannical despot. Amenheton conquered more lands, increased taxes and treated his people like slaves. He experimented with magic trying to prolong the life of both himself and his dragon Haltis to rule as an immortal godlike emperor. His ancestors had also build the Ancients' Gates so he used them for travelling to all other continents and conquering them. However the humans living there and his own people began hating him. They staged a revolt which burned his kingdom down. Amenheton saw the errors of his actions and felt remorse for his atrocities too late, he chose to stay in his palace instead of escaping with his dragon which was the only friend Amenheton had left. Since their souls were connected, both of them died although it's unclear if they performed suicide or if their followers killed them. Anyways, his family was killed so that he won't leave any descendants. The humans left their first civilization in ruins, although they made sure to not destroy all of their precious creations- artworks, books, furniture, weapons and so on. Humans scattered into multiple tribes and began fighting for survival once more, this time becoming mortal enemies with the race of dragons. Eventually, some humans realized the futility of this conflict so they learned anew how to befriend the dragons and perform the Bonding ritual, which ended up creating the original Order of the Flame. This is basically the gist of it, there are some useless things written down as well- such as cooking recipes, military strategies, poetry and other such trivial records.
Rynn: Thank you Merdhynis, I saw a statue of king Drakan, Amenheton and others while exploring the ruins. This information would prove useful in the future...
Merdhynis: Rynn, Arokh, there is one more thing you need to know and I think it's the most important one related to your quest. However the details were hard to put together. It speaks about the religion of the Ancients' civilization. Originally they worshipped local nature spirits, however when they first bonded with dragons, the latter gave them 6 shards of power taken from their creator god. These shards were turned by humans into weapons and other items which then got scattered around the planet after the first civilization's downfall. Apparently dragons regretted giving these to humans and some people realized it's best if these got locked away from anyone who could misuse their power. I think these 6 items are connected with the Ancients' Gates but the text is missing. Lastly, Amenheton erased all religions in his mad quest to become a god king. While this included the religion of the supreme light god, it also included a sinister cult of some demonic god. These items originally existed to prevent the dark god and its demonic brood from entering our world, but humans used them to kill each other instead. The necessary texts are missing so I know nothing else about these otherworldly demons mentioned here, but you spoke about fighting against some Desert Lords from Sessool and meeting 2 remaining ones in the ancient ruins. Perhaps all of this is somehow connected? I wish that I could find out more information and help you but alas, that's all I could dig up that sounds useful. Entire pages are missing, there is useless crap written on other pages, the available information is too fragmental... That's all I had to say, hope to hear from you again soon.
Rynn thanked Merdhynis and then asked Arokh: Do you think the Desert Lords are trying to find all the relics and summon other demons from Sessool, including this mysterious dark god to conquer Drakan?
Arokh: I doubt it. Desert Lords despite being demons are lawful-evil type which love to rule over everything, if there is truly a god or anything stronger than them, well then... the Desert Lords would be reduced to servants and I don't think that's what they desire to achieve.
Rynn: Hope you are correct. Let's return to the southern savannah, there is one last thing here we need to do.
As the heroes return in the south city, they ask Amanras if there is a giant ring-like structure left by an older civilization. The queen directs them to a canyon in the city behind the mountains. Arokh flies there and re-activates the portal. This causes a yellow wyvern-like dragon to fly out of it. Rynn and Arokh are relieved this worked, and the people of the southern city stood in awe. Dragons had once again returned to the Southern Continent! Amanras thanked our duo and gave them a parting gift as a reward for giving their continent new protection by the Order and its dragons. It was a red and orange feather, supposedly taken from a phoenix. These were extremely rare, even merchants couldn't afford selling them. However carrying this feather allowed its holder to revive on the spot with full health and mana, with the feather itself burning up in the process. Like the mythical phoenix itself, Rynn and Arokh could revive themselves when near death once at the cost of losing this feather.
The heroes return to the Central Continent with the newfound knowledge, confident they have made progress but also getting a sneaking suspicion that things won't be as simple as previously thought...
Chapter 4: Islands
Rynn and Arokh presented their knowledge to Lady Myschala and the other important people of Surdana. The queen congratulated them on their accomplishment.
Lady Myschala: Well done Rynn and Arokh! I had faith in you all along. But from now on your journey becomes harder, as you will have to venture in unknown lands.
Arokh: Whatever it takes, your highness. We would gladly fly there, but the seas and oceans are swarming with dangerous sea monsters waiting to snatch me up from below the water.
Lady Myschala: Worry not, I have a plan. Contact the Raging Queen crew in the Andrellian Isles. I am sure captain Fandrill will help you in reaching the Eastern Archipelago.
Rynn and Arokh flew towards the Andrellian Isles and saw the ship docked there. Captain Fandrill and master Sevoth recognized them immediately.
Fandrill: Rynn! Arokh! So glad to see both of you again! We thank you once more for saving us from Bonegrinder and his blasted storms.
Arokh: Your thanks are premature. We need your help once again. Do you think your ship will survive a trip to the Eastern Archipelago?
Sevoth: We have a small fleet and readied the provisions. It will take some time, but the real problem for our trip are the various dangerous sea creatures...
Rynn: I shall fly with Arokh around your ships and kill anything which threatens your crew's safety. You can count on us.
Fandrill: Splendid, lass! In that case, brace yourself! We are heading for a new expedition!
The 3 ships sailed towards the south east of the planet. There were days and night with calmness, there were also storms. Sevoth had learned Bonegrinder's magic and used it to protect the ships from the weather. However the worst problem was something else. Keegan the sailor was standing on one side of the ship and admiring the view, when suddenly the ship rumbled and he shouted "Enemies, incoming!" As if on cue, several long necks with fishlike fins and snakelike heads appeared from the water. Arokh recognized these sea serpents as "Hydris" and quickly fly over them, shooting his deadly dragon fire to repel them. But the onslaught was too much and the hydris overwhelmed them. The Raging Queen began shaking and Keegan got snatched up by a hydris that appeared right behind him. The unfortunate man got dragged under water while Fandrill shouted "Keegan, NO!" Sevoth became enraged and used his magic to conjure up a miniature lightning storm. Thunder bolts rained down on the large sea snakes, as water conducted electricity this was especially painful for the marine reptiles. All the hydris retreated and swam away. Sevoth sighed in relief: Glad we managed to drive them off, even if it costed us a few men. Hopefully the rest of this voyage will be easier.
Thankfully it was. Apart from the occasional flying enemy like a crow dragon or bat dragon, the heroes didn't have much more to worry about. Eventually they saw dry land with beaches and palm trees.
Fandrill: Ahoy, there it is! The Eastern Archipelago! We made it, my friends!
Upon docking on the beach, Fandrill set foot on dry land and proclaimed: Ah, I love the smell of fresh tropical island air! We are in dangerous territories, but we managed to reach these lands alive!
Rynn: I don't suppose you will be searching for any buried pirate treasure while we here, are you?
Sevoth: Rynn, Arokh... I thank you for defending all 3 of our ships from those marine monsters. Also I would like you to meet with an old friend of yours.
Out of the cabin, the wizard Zeggoro appeared. The dragon-riding due stood there surprised.
Rynn: Zeggoro? What are you doing here? Why didn't you help us with the enemies?
Zeggoro: I needed a vacation away from the North. The south east islands also hold valuable knowledge I deem vital... As for help, my powers are only active when I commune with the spirits but they demand payment from me afterwards.
Sevoth: He is the one who taught me how to perform that lightning storm trick which deterred those sea serpents away. So he did help us, even if indirectly.
Arokh: Your aid is appreciated, sorcerer. We must now go off and explore the islands.
Zeggoro: Very well, off with you! But I have some information which could provide useful... These islands were the home of great civilizations like the now dead Alwarren and the city named after our planet. However, the latter's entrance is locked up by powerful magic. There are four slots on the front gate, indicating you need to find the hidden keys for these locks... Unfortunately, I don't seem to know their locations therefore it's up to you to locate them if you wish to explore this abandoned city.
Captain Fandrill spend the night celebrating with his crew, drinking beer with Sevoth and the others. The only person that didn't partake (much to the others' humorous chagrin) was Zeggoro, who was sitting on a chair in the corner and reading a book.
Meanwhile in the Central Continent, inside a cave...
Gutsman (Grull): What's your plan on dealing with the Order, oh great sorceress?
Tanyana (ignoring the sarcasm in his last 3 words): You need to sail for the Eastern continent. There you will find a large army of beastmen reinforcements. Join forced with them, and you will amass a legion strong enough to challenge the humans and their dragons.
Wild Tusk (Wartok): And what about you?
Tanyana: I need to practice my spellcasting. There is one magic which shall allow me to summon allies, but it's very difficult and time-consuming...
Borra, the female Grull (stirring a cooking pot): The Eastern Continent... Never thought we would ever visit it... Who knows what awaits us there.
Rynn and Arokh explored the jungle-covered ruins. They had a run in with some green humanoid creatures resembling skinny lizards without a tail. Our heroes recognized these as Goblins. Fortunately they were just cannon fodder to Arokh's breath, even with their long-ranged weapons. Rynn dismounted from Arokh and entered the ruins. Inside there she had to avoid spikes jutting from the walls and floor. At one point, she threw away in disgust a human skeleton that fell on her. One trap room even had a swarm of large yellow bugs with black stripes which hindered Rynn's progress but they too were quickly dealt with. Eventually Rynn had entered a room which resembled a burial chamber, on the opposite side there was a locked gate. And then she saw that on both sides of this gate were humanoid statues. When Rynn looked closer, she recognized them- both were of the undead knights of the Dark Union who she had fought years ago. She was relieved those statues were immobile but when she bypassed the room's center, the door behind her shut down. Suddenly cracks of magical energy hit both statues, bringing them to life. The first had red markings and yellow eyes, while the other had blue markings and green eyes. Afterwards, the animated suits of armor began talking.
Crimson Knight: Who dares enter this place? All intruders must be killed!
Ebon Knight: Such is the will of Navaros, leader of the Dark Union!
Rynn (feeling disgust, begins taunting): Navaros is long dead, I killed that bastard and his soul is now permanently stuck in the Rift World!
Crimson Knight: Infidel, you shall pay for you sacrilege!
Ebon Knight: The master may be gone, but he shall be avenged!
The Crimson knight hurled a flaming spear towards Rynn, who rolled to the side. After that happening, the Ebon knight hurled a lightning spear which forced Rynn to hide behind a sarcophagus. The 2 enemies began walking towards Rynn who took out her hidden mithril axe, then ran passed the Ebon knight in the hopes of wounding him. But the blue undead warrior became intangible while the red one conjured an expanding ring of fire. Rynn jumped over the fire ring and hit the red warrior with her axe, causing him to grunt in pain. When the blue warrior created another lightning spear, Rynn shot him in the face with a lightning bolt spell in desperation. The Crimson Knight charged at her with his flaming swords, but Rynn jumped over him and cut off his head with her mithril axe. The Crimson Knight howled in pain as his decapitated corpse fell to the ground. Rynn turned around and saw that suit of armor was empty, with black smoke coming out! The knights were human souls magically bound inside their metallic armor! Rynn looked towards the Ebon Knight, expecting him to retreat. However instead he took his fallen comrade's flaming sword. Then magical energy covered his body and now his markings were indigo while his eyes glowed pale purple instead. He had become a rare Violet Knight, now holding a flaming scimitar in one hand plus a flaming scimitar in the other. The Violet Knight was faster in his attacks and movement, Rynn barely having any opportunity to avoid him. Eventually she fell down on the ground and he was ready to finish off Rynn, when she rolled besides a sarcophagus. In his fury, the Violet Knight hit the sarcophagus which caused his melee weapons to get stuck. Rynn took the chance and began shooting him in the back with her remaining arrows and magic spells. This infuriated the Violet Knight who dislodged his weapons and ran towards her with a scream of brutal anger. With one last desperate move, Rynn ducked beneath his weapon slashes and ran through him with her mithril axe swung. A loud metallic sound was heard and when both combatants looked at each other, it was revealed that Rynn's axe broke in the scuffle. Hesitant Rynn looked at the knight who stood silent. But then, he groaned in pain as his torso slid from his waist and fell to the ground. While the axe had gotten broken, it was powerful enough to penetrate his armor and cut him in half. Rynn saw the knight's dead soul leaving its empty husk. And then with both knights dead, the gate finally opened. With a visible sigh of relief, our heroine took the fallen warriors' melee weapons (that would later get sold to Brekk for precious gold or equipment) and moved forward.
In the other side of this gate was revealed that she had just found a secret room full of treasure and books. Rynn picked up a book on atop the table which to her surprise was inscribed in a language understandable to her. She began reading...
"The foolish order had spread across the whole planet. They colonized even these islands, at the world's edge. The Order built many cities here, naming one Alwarren and another Drakan- after the very planet itself. I had ventured to the Eastern continent above and spend several years learning magic from the locals... Soon I shall put my newfound knowledge to the test and challenge those weaklings from the Order. We struck deals with the beastmen and even some invaders from the demonic world Sessool. My minion Balarog has learned the forbidden arts of necromancy, he can revive my troops if they fall and summon even greater numbers. But most important of all is the spell I learned to fuse a human's body and soul with that of their dragon. I had heard legends of ancient relics, left behind by either the gods or ancient human civilizations. Don't know if these stories were true, despite Balarog claiming he had found one such item and locked it away. Whether or not gods existed, I didn't care. My plans were in motion and my ambitions would not be stopped. I would trick my dragon Kaeros into a ritual for immortality, when in reality I shall take his power for myself. Then I shall become all-powerful with none equal to myself, leading the Dark Union to overthrow the Order of the Flame and the conquer all of Drakan. The world shall be mine!"
Rynn dropped the book and realized the horrible truth- the journal she just had read was written and left behind by Navaros himself! That diabolical excuse for a man, who brought so much suffering to the world! The same man who ended the original Order, led the Dark Union to decimate the planet, betrayed his loyal dragon steed and turned half of the landmasses into barren wastelands in his conquest! Navaros who even after getting defeated and locked up in the Rift World, had used monsters to raid her village, killing or enslaving her people. The same person who is responsible for losing her younger brother Delon, that she failed to save. Rynn felt hatred and disgust, spending a few minutes calming herself down. She then proceeded to silently explore the ruins further. Eventually she came across a yellow room with arcane symbols, a mirror on the wall and two torches on the sides. Rynn prayed this mirror won't summon another doppelganger, but when she looked into it she saw instead something else. A dark dungeon within these ruins with a pedestal, on top of it a large object. It was white (as if made from marble), with faint blue and gold light emitted from it. The object resembled a dragon's horn which caused Rynn to realize it was the Horn of Ahura. She exited the ruins and told the news to Arokh. However, their reunion was interrupted when a shadowy purple figure with red glowing eyes watched them from a distance. The figure waved its hand and muttered an incantation in a strange, alien tongue. Rynn and Arokh felt the disturbance as the area around them glow in black and purple. A red glowing circle appeared on the ground infront of them. Suddenly, out of this circle appeared a large red monster. It resembled a primitive giant, but was reptilian with spikes on its hands and its head was shaped differently. The eyes were black orbs, with two large demonic horns growing from its head. Arokh couldn't recognize this beast and before they had a chance to react, it slammed its fists into the ground which released a shockwave of black and purple energy. Our heroes fell backwards in pain, and the ogre was walking towards them likely with the intention to eat them. Arokh screamed "I can feel my life withering... Rynn do something, quick!" Rynn squeezed the phoenix feather and suddenly they were fully healed from the demon's attack. The red dragon flew above the ogre and barraged it with dragon fire. It wasn't enough for the demon to go down, which summoned a purple fireball in its hands and threw it at Arokh. Our heroes dodged the projectile, but Rynn turned around and screamed "Arokh, watch out! Behind us!" The purple fireball was homing and came back to hit them again. Fortunately Arokh dodged the projectile, causing it to hit the one who threw it instead. The ogre demon, hit by own fireball roared in pain and his head exploded in a cloud of bloody viscera. His decapitated corpse fell on the ground and started melting into red slime. Both heroes were relieved the creature was slain, but Rynn asked "What was that thing? How did it get here?" Arokh replied with a "I don't know" answer. Suddenly, they got their answer. The shadowy figure appeared before them and cackled in a horrifying sound which barely resembled a human voice. Rynn and Arokh scared, asked "Who are you and what do you want?" The figure waved its hand and they fell down in pain. Not physical, but rather mental as they received a terrible vision. The mysterious figure spoke in a deep terrifying voice, but its words were discernable.
Mysterious Shadow: I have been chose by the great god to exact its wrath and punish all sinners on this pathetic world. You have been a hindrance for too long, my god's will must be enacted so be warned. Next time we meet, I won't show you mercy!
Arokh: Who or what is this master of yours? What god are you talking about? Are you planning to revive Navaros or Jasaad?
Mysterious Shadow: No, I don't. I serve the great Darkness itself! Perhaps if you abandoned this fruitless endeavor, you would be smart enough to join me? I can make all of your wishes come true, perhaps even revive the ones you lost...
Rynn and Arokh remember Delon, Rimril and everybody else that died and they failed to save. They were both tempted to say "yes", but Rynn clutched hard a white oval stone (resembling a pearl) she had once found. And then a miracle happened, the stone glowed and protected our heroes' mind from the corruption. They both scream a "no" against the shadow and it stepped back. "So be it..." said the mysterious apparition. "Then this world is destined for oblivion..." The apparition showed them a vision of the lands, now scorched into black dust. There were no living creatures and plants, only undead and purple crystals jutting from the ground. The sky was blood right with several hideous monsters flying around. But in the center of that sky was the most horrifying thing Rynn and Arokh ever saw... A large black cloud, pulsing with dark purple energy. Its center was adorned with 3 glowing red eyes, one above the other two. This... thing looked at our heroes, filling their hearts with fear. Suddenly it opened its mouth and produced a roar which was so loud and unnatural it caused our heroes to squirm in pain. The shadow talked again: "This is the great Dark One! The god of death and destruction! It shall return and cleanse this filthy world!" After that, both the vision and the mysterious shadow disappeared. Rynn and Arokh needed a few minutes to regain their composure and come to their senses. "What was all that about?" Rynn asked, but Arokh shook his head "I do not know, nor do I want to find out! This vision was so horrifying, even I will suffer nightmares for an entire week..." Rynn changed the subject of discussion and reminded him to keep searching the ruins in order to find the next relic. Eventually, they found another small door and Rynn went inside. She stumbled upon the room she saw from Navaros' magic mirror and found the pedestal. Rynn used the key and opened the steel bars, after which she grasped the holy relic. What followed next was unforeseen, but... pleasant. Rynn felt all her negative emotions from before disappearing, she now felt calm and healed from all wounds- be they physical or mental. She felt more powerful while touching this object and felt like she moved faster in comparison to everything else. When she existed the ruins, she was attacked by more goblins and bugs. Rynn was already skilled in fighting them, but the relic in her possession made them even easier to kill. Rynn moved twice as fast, her wounds healed almost instantly, arrows bounced off harmless off her skin and she was twice as strong. With a single sword strike she managed to cut a Goblin in half, causing his remains to spray blood everywhere and his comrades running away in fear of her demigod powers. Rynn reunited with Arokh outside, who noticed that both of them felt better now. Rynn confirmed that she got the relic and its power was now affecting both of them positively. Arokh visibly smiled for the first time and the two of them returned to the ships, ready to disembark for the trip back home.
Rynn: Besides reporting back in Surdana, I think we should also show this to Merdhynis. He could provide us with useful knowledge on how to use it.
Arokh: It would be best to first consult with Mala Shae, as she is the only one that is old enough to know about these divine items.
Back in Surdana, Jade congratulated them on their victory: Splendid work, both of you! We are halfway done with our quest! There are 3 more divine relics lefts.
Mala Shae: But in order to find the remaining items, you need to venture in the East continent. And then in the unknown lands to the west...
Rynn: But first, we must consult with the wizard Merdhynis we encountered in the south continent. He could provide more help.
Jade: If you are going to the southern lands, I want you to take me with you. I need to visit and see my homeland and my people that were liberated from the Desert Lords.
Rynn and Arokh take Jade in her city beyond the ruins in the middle of the desert. While she reunites with her people, our heroes travel further down and meet the owl wizard again.
Arokh: Greetings old one, we have returned.
Rynn: We found another divine relic!
Merdhynis: Impressive, what can you tell me about it?
Rynn: Better yet, I will show it to you!
The wizard is presented with the Horn of Ahura, to which he asks if they saw other things in the Eastern Archipelago as well. They mentioned the summoned red creature and the mysterious shadow that gave them a horrifying vision.
Merdhynis (scratching his beard and shaking his head): This is most peculiar indeed... This red ogre is likely a demon from Sessool. And that apparition's talk about darkness and destruction lines perfectly from what I found in the old books you brought me from the ancient ruins. It's baffling that the demon-worshipping cult still exists even after so many years... They are most likely a remnant of the Dark Union or Desert Lords who try to scrape up and rally as much allies as possible. But demons are not exactly friendly creatures, hmm...
Rynn: We felt so much fear and pain from that terrible vision. I clutched this pearl-like gem I once found in a cave outside Surdana and managed to resist the nightmare...
Merdhynis got curious and asked Rynn to give him the pearl-esque object, after which he examined it and laughed in excitement.
Merdhynis: By the stars Rynn, you truly are lucky! This is a Tear of Ahura, legend says the god of Light cried when it created the world and then left it. Ahura's tears fell to the ground and turned into gemstones like this. Don't know how many more of these there could be in our world... a 100, perhaps a 1000? But having even one in your possession will give you a small fraction of cosmic knowledge and protection against demonic mental attacks. It's in your best interest to find and collect all of these, but the relics remain the highest priority.
Arokh: Speaking of which, what do you propose we do with the Horn of Ahura? Is carrying it around sufficient enough for safekeeping?
Merdhynis: Hm, I have an idea... Do you trust me Rynn?
Rynn said yes and Merdhynis approached her with the relic in his hand, after which he did something ridiculous... he stabbed Rynn with the relic. She gasped in surprise and brief pain initially but... the pain almost immediately vanished. Rynn closed her eyes and felt the serenity of the light, the knowledge of the cosmos and thus learning a new spell. When she opened her eyes and looked at where Merdhynis had stabbed her, there was no wound or even a scar! The relic had lost its color and glow, now being a dull grey coloration which implied it had lost its power. Merdhynis gently smiled and asked our heroes how they felt. Both Rynn and Arokh answered with feeling slightly odd. Then Merdhynis told Rynn to cast the new spell she just learned from absorbing the relic's power. Rynn shook her arms/hands, invoked the incantation and then.. a miracle happened. She felt invigorated- she was twice as stronger, she felt like she could move twice as fast, her wounds could heal rapidly and she could shrug off attacks like they were nothing. Rynn looked at her and saw that she glowed in a white-blueish aura, then looked at Arokh and saw that he too glowed! Rynn asked "Did what I think just really happened?" Arokh feeling empowered roared "Yes Rynn, I feel it! The power of Ahura coursing through all my being!" However after a few moments, the power wore off. The duo looked at Merdhynis who frowned and muttered "As I suspected, but it's only a tiny fraction of Ahura's power and like every spell it comes with a price. You can invoke this whenever and as many times as you want, but when doing so it will cost you ALL of your mana. In exchange you can temporarily become near-invincible demigods." Rynn and Arokh thanked the owl wizard: "Nothing can stop us now! We defeated Navaros and Jasaad, now we have the power to also defeat whatever else comes in our way!"
Merdhynis: You mentioned finding Navaros' journal and it mentioned Balarog... I personally know that man while he still was a member of the Order. He was paranoid and greatly feared his own mortality. Balarog studied magic initially to stave off his own death, eventually beginning to practice the forbidden art of necromancy. I suspect he joined the Dark Union and became Navaros' right hand man to continue his research for immortality. Balarog is responsible for the creation of all undead in the Dark Union's armies- the Death Magi, the human souls binded to Dark Knight suits of armor, Khossa Vole and his Gravestone, the Bone Lord, Gothraul and his skeletons, everything... I do not know if he survived the Dark Wars, but if you do encounter him... Well, hopefully this new power will help you in dealing with him.
Arokh and Rynn bid the owl wizard farewell and prepared to venture into the Eastern continent...
(Spoilers for the Islands revisited and the optional boss there!)
Rynn had just swam out from the submerged ruins. She looked everywhere- coral reefs, skeletons of whales, sunken ships... but couldn't find the Water Rune anywhere.
Arokh: Guess we return home empty-handed...
Rynn: No, we can still use these 4 colored gems I found. There was a locked gate in the ruins, take me back there and I shall unlock it. Perhaps the Water Rune is inside.
Suddenly, they see a bunch of beastmen standing on a nearby cliff. A female Lycan screams out in sadness and rage: "Murderers! You will pay for killing Lupius!"
Arokh: Damn, we made new enemies and they are now out for our heads... I have gotten used to it by now.
Rynn: We had no choice! We had a mission and he stood in our way!
Gutsman: You massacred my people and kicked them off the Northlands! Vengeance demands your blood!
Arokh: We do not wish any more conflict. If you leave us and go away, we promise not to harm any beastman ever again!
Wild Tusk: Ha, empty words from dragon and his human rider who keep oppressing us! Well, our new ally has taught us a new trick! Enjoy meeting our small friend!
The 3 beastmen started chanting "Arise oh, tentacled terror of the deep!" after which they disappeared. The water started vibrating as if boiling, and several green tentacles sprang upwards. A head surfaced above the water and the cephalopod roared.
Arokh: A Kraken! I never thought I would actually ever see one of those surfacing above the water!
Rynn: Doesn't matter because we shall send it back to the depths where it belongs.
After killing the Kraken and acquiring the Water Rune, Arokh dropped off Rynn infront of the locked gate. She placed the six colored keys in the sockets and the door opened. The dragon wished his human rider best of luck as she entered the dungeon. Rynn slid down the ramp created by the former city's ruins, navigated through the trap-filled hallways and solved the riddles. After dispatching some undead, she entered a large square room that was empty... save for one sarcophagus on the other end. However the moment Rynn approached the room's center, the door closed behind her and the sarcophagus opened with a loud explosion. In front of her now stood a tall and thin lich dressed in black robes. The undead had a grinning skull with glowing red eyes and manifested several weapons at free will. His ribcage was exposed, he had a metallic chain instead of a belt and wore a helmet with dragon wings on each side. The lich spoke in an almost hissing voice: Who dares entering this forbidden place and interrupting my slumber? Are you from the Order of the Flame or the Dark Union?
Rynn: I found 6 colored keys and placed them on the front door, I wandered in here by accident but my curiosity seems to have gotten the better of me...
Lich: So a grave robber, are you? I have riches here, but none can claim them... ever! The arch-lich Balarog has transcended undeath and no one can stand a chance against his immortality!
Upon hearing the name Balarog, Rynn got angered and shouted: Balarog?! The servant of Navaros and the Dark Union? Your master is gone and soon you shall join him into oblivion as well!
The lich hissed in response and shoot a fireball at Rynn, which she dodged. He then tried grabbing her to devour her soul but she shot him in the eye socket. However instead of flinching in pain, the lich just laughed in response. "Very well, let us have some amusement!" he said as he summoned a black and red spear in his bony hand. The lich swung the weapon at Rynn, but she jumped over it. Balarog summoned other weapons as well, changing his attacks each time. Rynn was getting desperate, she kept hitting Balarog however her attacks barely phased the lich. Only then did she notice the red markings on the floor and walls, as well as the red pendant Balarog wore on his neck. Each time Rynn struck him, these glowed and he negated all damage. Rynn tricked the lich into hitting a wall marking with one of his attacks, which caused him to growl in pain. Immediately Rynn messed up the bloody symbols with both her feet and her sword. After that she plunged the sword in the lich's ribcage and it screamed in agony. However this caused him to grab Rynn by throat with his bony hand and started gloating.
Balarog: Not bad, you figured out my weakness. But I am beyond death. I have killed thousands of people and used their souls to prolong my life! Did you honestly think a mere peasant wench could do me in? Ha, if Navaros is truly dead then I shall become the new leader of the Dark Union and turn this world into a kingdom of the undead! But first, I will turn you into my queen...
Even though she was gasping for air from the lich's powerful grip, Rynn managed to muster the strength to stab his exposed pendant with her sword. The jewel cracked and it sent sparks of red magical energies across Balarog's body. The lich screamed "What? Argh, this cannot be!" and dropped Rynn to the ground. The pendant had destroyed Balarog's corporeal body and his soul was now imprisoned within his own magic item. Rynn picked up the pendant and saw Balarog's face screaming inside.
Balarog: I beg you, release me! Please, I will do anything you want! Riches, magic power, immortality... they are yours! All the souls I gathered, you can have as many as you want and prolong your life! Just release me from this pendant!
Rynn (smirks): I don't think so... you are a blight upon Drakan, so the world shall be a better place without parasites like you.
She walked towards the opened secret exit of the chamber and stumbled upon a lava-filled cavern with the lich's treasure and the entrance outside the ruins on one side. Rynn looked at the lava and then Balarog inside his pendant.
Balarog: What are doing?
Rynn: The right thing... ridding this world of the Dark Union and other scum like you.
She threw the lich pendant inside the lava and say it exploding with the sound of Balarog's imprisoned soul screaming in agony as it was destroyed. "One less enemy to worry about" she thought. before exiting the cave, she picked up the treasure and one particular chest caught her attention. She opened it and saw an old friend she thought would never again see, causing her to smile. A long black sword with red ornamentations on the hilt, with glowing red runes vertically etched in the sword's blade itself. Rynn knew this weapon all to well, having wielded it before twice. Both times Rynn had lost the weapon and it broke, however those were replicas. When she tested the sword by hitting a wall, it remained intact much to her delight. She sensed this was the real deal and is unbreakable. Rynn stashed the magical sword in her pouch and walked outside triumphantly. She had not only just rid the world from another vile member of the Dark Union, but she also had obtained a valuable secret item... the Mournbringer sword.
Arokh waited for Rynn outside: Glad you made it back alive. How was your spelunking and tomb raiding trip?
Rynn: Oh, just the usual stuff... Also, I killed Balarog and obtained the original Mournbringer sword.
Arokh (laughing): Haha, well done Rynn! I am so proud of you, we now can return home and tell everyone about your deeds!
Rynn: I could use some rest and relaxation as well. At least I am glad we no longer have to worry about the Dark Union and we got a powerful weapon for it, even if the Mournbringer isn't one of the 6 divine relics.
Chapter 5: East Continent
In Surdana, the heroes were arguing with each other about how to proceed with their objective.
Lady Myschala: With Jade returning home to her people in the Desert, we have one less valuable member of our society for help.
General Dehrimon: Unfortunate timing, seeing as we need to figure out a way to reach the Eastern continent without having to sacrifice more ships at sea...
Rynn: So that's it, we just give up?
A familiar goofy old man voice spoke behind her "Perhaps I could be of some assistance..." Everyone turned around to see Zeggoro, now standing besides them.
Arokh: Count it on a wizard to magically appear out of thin air. What is the assistance you offer Zeggoro?
Zeggoro: Unlike you, I didn't waste any time lollygagging and spend what little free time I have reading the old books. The Ancients' Gate are all connected with each other, as well as with the godly relics themselves. If you have the sufficient power of one, you could use it to open anther portal from this end. Rynn, Arokh... do you have any relics in your possession currently?
Rynn: Yes, we absorbed the Horn of Ahura so now we can invoke its power.
Zeggoro: Very well then, that will do just fine. Place your hand on the pedestals while Arokh flies infront of the portal. Concentrate hard enough and try to somehow tell the Mother's Eye to open a Gate in the Eastern Continent.
Rynn and Arokh followed Zeggoro's instructions. Rynn invoked the power of Ahura while touching the pedestal and kept thinking "Eastern Continent, Eastern Continent, Eastern Continent..." The gate activated, with images of all the previous locations they had visited flickering. Eventually, a new image appeared. It was orange-colored and moved around like waves of drops in water. The image kept moving around until with hard enough effort from both protagonists, it became static. The image showed a forest canopy with giant trees as tall as the sky. Growing either from the gigantic tree stumps or the ground were huge red mushrooms. The various trees' leaves as well as the grass were colored in orange and yellow, as if the forest was in perpetual autumn. Several huts and wooden houses were visible in the branches of these previously unseen trees. Rynn and Arokh sighed in relief at managing to control the portal to give the correct destination.
Zeggoro: Amazing work, you never cease to amaze me... So when you are done wasting time here, visit the Eastern Continent. I would advise you to be prepared for any dangers, but I assume you two are used to these sort of things by this point. Off with you now, I need to go back studying... (Zeggoro disappears via teleportation spell while Rynn and Arokh cross the portal...)
XXXXXX
Meanwhile in the Eastern Continent proper...
A tall male humanoid tiger beastman with eastern armor sits on a throne inside a room with two pillars on the side, both decorated with serpentine dragons. A humanoid rat beastman gives him red meat from a wide food plate, while on the other side a humanoid bull in barbarian armor stands holding two long swords (acting as a bodyguard). They are approached by a female Lycan, a Grull and a Wartok- all of whom had just been allowed to enter his throne room.
Bull Beastman: My liege Tao Khan, these creatures arrive by sea from the North and Central continents. They wish to speak with you about urgent matters.
Tao Khan: What could be so important as to waste my time? Speak quickly pig-men, as I am still contemplating whether to eat you or let you go!
Gutsman (frightened): The humans and dragons have revived the Order of the Flame in the Central continent and have massacred our people...
Tao Khan: Ha, what a coincidence! My people have also been exiled and executed by the humans living on this continent. We hide in the mountains and only the southwestern Rainshadow forest are we truly free from them. Why have you arrived here?
Wild Tusk: We come to join forces with you and to give you a warning- the new Order seeks ancient magical artifacts, now they will invade your lands and kill your people as well unless you do something quickly!
Tao Khan: Ancient magical artifacts, you say? Hm, there is a legend of a powerful sword forged by the gods hidden somewhere in these lands which my people have been looking for to this day with no avail... This information you provided has been quite interesting... Alas, not only do I have to worry about local threats but foreign invaders as well! My hands will sure be full... and your hands will now be filled with gold! Shagrat, reward these foreign beastmen and treat them well... because now they are honorary members of my kingdom!
Shagrat (drops food plate): Yes, your highness! I shall see to it immediately!
Tao Khan: I bid thee welcome in my humble abode. Consider yourselves as welcomed guests here, but may I ask your names?
Gutsman, Wild Tusk and Lycania properly introduced themselves after which they warned Tao Khan they will speak with again to show him their unusual ally.
Tao Khan: Surely you jest? Who or what could possibly be such an useful and important ally to us? Very well, soon enough I shall meet with them and find out. However I first have bigger fish to fry...
The 3 foreign beastman thanked the great Tiger King and quickly departed, after which he proclaims: "We must prepare now an appropriate welcoming for our new human visitors and their draconic companions!"
XXXXXX
In the cliffside inside the Rainshadow forest valley, the Ancients' Gate opens with Arokh and Rynn flying through it. Our heroes first walk inside a mountain's cave tunnel and begin talking.
Rynn: So this is the Eastern Continent? Do you have any knowledge about it Arokh?
Arokh: I know a few things, although you probably won't enjoy my long history lesson...
Rynn: We are in a new unexplored land, everything you know could prove useful in our quest.
Arokh: Very well... Here in the Eastern Lands, the original Order of the Flame was born hundreds of years ago. In the north is Mount Tibor, where humans first bonded with dragons. The Order primarily operated in the Central and South Continent, but they also traded with the local people and wanted to expand here as well. And then one day... a certain member of our Order said he was going on a mission here with his bonded dragon to find more information. Ten years they were gone and when they finally returned... they have learned new devastating magic while amassing a large army of beastmen. After their decade of absence, this betrayer started the Dark Wars and became leader of the Dark Union. After that, we lost contact with the East and when the Dark Wars ended the world got thrown into chaos...
Rynn (shuttered): Navaros and Kaeros!? They were here long before us!?
Arokh (ashamed): I am sorry Rynn for bringing up your traumatic memories... I didn't want to tell you this...
Rynn (saddened): It's fine Arokh... Hey, it's not your fault. I bet you feel as traumatized as myself whenever you remember your past.
Arokh: Correct you are... I think it would be for the best if we forget about that and focus on the actual objective instead.
Rynn nodded in agreement, after which they exited the cave and stood on a cliffside. They saw on the ground before them a curious creature- a humanoid cat beastman- shorter than Rynn, with Eastern clothing and a long wooden staff in its hands.
A confused Rynn said: Uh, greetings... I am Rynn and this dragon is Arokh. Could you help with directions?
The cat briefly looks at them terrified, after which it scream "Intruders! Sound the alarms!" and runs away.
Rynn: How come we never meet any friendly non-human locals?
Arokh: Perhaps this was a misunderstanding? However experience has taught us that everything we encounter will be hostile, so don't let your guard down.
Rynn and Arokh flew across the orange-yellow canopies of the giant trees which made even Arokh look like a mouse in comparison. They saw the cat creatures ran across the houses and bridges they had build in the treetops. There were other creatures as well, such as humanoid rats and bulls. While admiring the view, Arokh got shot with arrows from the cat archers and blue fireballs from the cat mages. They had to go down to heal, but their way got impeded by towers. Arokh didn't get close enough to even touch one of these towers, when suddenly it shot a stream of blue fire at him. The dragon angered, shot a fireball in the small window of the tower where 2 cat mages were using a blue mana crystal to amplify their powers. After his projectile had struck the crystal, the tower exploded in a cloud of blue smoke. Arokh was just about to land when suddenly he saw a familiar silhouette infront of him- a tall humanoid rhinoceros carrying a long battle axe in one hand and a small boomerang-like knife in the other. It was a War Giant- like Tultal and the others they had fought years ago when in the Eastern Archipelago. Barely Arokh managed to avoid the war giant's projectiles and our two heroes were forced to hide in an empty wooden trunk so that Rynn could heal Arokh's wound.
Rynn: Did that ugly thing manage to hurt you? Don't worry, I promise we shall kill him when we return.
Arokh (his pride more wounded than his wing): Hmph, note to self- flying low to the ground is dangerous. But flying high in the canopy isn't good either.
The 2 of them noticed a large stone wall on the other side of the valley. It was the only way out and it lead further inside the Eastern Continent. Logically there should be a switch located somewhere that opened this gate.
Rynn: We have no choice but to climb the canopy and find the opening switch. But we need to be more stealthy. Here's what we do- you hide behind a tree stump, while I navigate the treetop houses.
Arokh: Understood. Just please be careful not to fall from the trees... we mustn't fail this mission.
The dragon dropped his human rider on a wooden platform, then flew and hid behind some branches. Rynn saw crates and a rope net on the tree. She began climbing, only to hear some noise in the top and suddenly an explosive barrel fell down. Rynn dodged sideways and began climbing faster while avoiding the falling barrels. When she made it on top, she saw a red and black creature resembling a Scavenger but it was bipedal and with a long tail. Its elongated front limbs made it resemble a twisted monkey. She glanced at the non-sapient animal which then shrieked at her then called two more to appear climbing the branches and walls. Rynn wasted no time in getting a bow and arrows, using them to snipe these predators off their safe spots and watching them fall. The third one took out some fecal matter from its rear and threw it at Rynn, which she thankfully dodged easily. She swung her sword and the predator ran away in fear. She then ran across a bridge, however the Cajits quickly saw her and began shooting her, either with magic fireballs or arrows. Rynn was quick enough to run past the bridge and on the other side she met another one, this one armed with a long wooden staff. The Catjit growled at her and swung the long stick, only for Rynn to backflip behind him. She swung her sword, but the cat beastman parried it with his wooden staff. Rynn swung the sword a few more times until his wooden staff was broken in half. The cat growled and began attacking more aggressively with the two sticks used as weapons in his paws. Rynn quickly caught one of them and stabbed him in the eye, then using her sword to decapitate him. She ran forward only to be intercepted by 3 Ratlings. One of them had a dagger, another had a sickle on the end of a long chain and the other had round metallic objects in his hands. The last one threw the object and Rynn rolled sideways to avoid it. Good thing too, given that object was a bomb and exploded shortly afterwards. Rynn attacked the first one and killed him, but as she was raising her sword the second one used his chain sickle to snatch it from her hand and run away. Rynn caught a grenade thrown by the bombardier and threw it at the one with her sword, killing him. She got her sword back and threw it at the bombardier before he could throw another grenade. She picked up her sword from his corpse and proceeded towards the 3rd tree which had a visible switch on it. While she was running across the bridge, some beastmen gathered behind her and started cutting it down. She grabbed on the ropes when the bridge collapsed and used them as ladders to get on the other side. When she was within short distance of the switch, a bullman beastman appeared saying "You aren't going anywhere, human!" Rynn tried fighting him with melee, but he wielded two long swords with speed and proficiency. She risked getting sliced if she stood within melee range to him. Rynn had no choice to run towards the switch instead, with the bullman charging at her. Instead of stopping, Rynn jumped precisely before the Sinotaur could touch her and backflipped behind him. Before the enemy had a chance of turning around, she kicked him off the platform and watched him plummet to his death. Rynn pulled the level and watched as the large gate opened. However the victory was short lived as more beastmen appeared and surrounded her. "There is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide." growled one of them. "Well then, guess I have one choice remaining..." Rynn stepped backwards while facing them and fell from the platform. The beastmen watched in disbelief as the human woman had just committed suicide... or not. Suddenly a large red dragon flew upwards and quickly went towards the gate, with Rynn visible on his back. It was a trick! All beastmen tried closing pulling the switch to close the gate, but Arokh and Rynn had already made it to the other side. While the gate was closing slowly behind them, Rynn and Arokh looked triumphantly infront of them and proceeded forwards. One beastman however grinned and said: "It's not over yet... they could end up as worm food, heh."
Rynn and Arokh looked at the new scenery ahead- they were in a long canyon, with green mountains on both sides and a river valley beneath them. Large bonsai trees and bamboo dotted the landscape, while some cliffs had structures on them. These varied between stone ruins with pointed roofs, wooden towers and fortresses carved into the cliffsides. On one such cliff, they saw a bunch of people. They resembled the Northmen, but with slightly different clothing. They were accompanied by muscular horses with fur growing above their hoofs, beards and hard a long curved horn on their foreheads. Rynn shouted: "Hey need any help?" but one of them replied with "It's a trap!" After that, a bunch of airborne monsters appeared- gryphons, bat dragons and others. Arokh had to engage in an aerial fight to kill off this enemy wave, but eventually the task was done and the people were saved. A female Hyrcanian replied "Thanks be to the gods, you arrived. Had it not been for you, we would have been a monster's lunch."
Arokh: You have been removed from their menu... because we first removed them from the world of the living.
Baltair: Dear gods, your dragon... it can talk!
Rynn: Yes, he's a dragon of the Order and we are sent here to find a lost artifact which can help us save the world.
Khamula: The last person who came here with a dragon was hundreds of years ago... We heard stories he learned magic from the Eastern Empire then caused a great amount of suffering, then retreated back to his lands. His fate is unknown, but shortly after that all dragons disappeared and the Empire has fallen into disarray. Without the divine dragons to protect this land, we are under constant assault by beastmen.
Arokh: We aren't here to do any harm, on the contrary. We are tasked by the great Mother Dragon herself to find and protect any relic from getting into the wrong hands. Also, we open the Ancients' Gates to allow dragons to once roam this planet. If you lead us to this Eastern Empire, we shall open the gate and your sacred dragons will return. You have our sincere vow.
Baltair: Very well, since you put it that way we just have to take your word for it. Follow us and we shall take you across the steppe grasslands, but be warned... Khorkhois make it their hunting ground.
Rynn: Khor-what now?
Khamula: You can just call them "dirt worms" if the name is too hard for you to remember.
Our heroes followed the Hyrcanians through the grassland. Everything felt calm, when suddenly the ground starting trembling. "Dirt Worms!" shouted one nomad and ran away. "No you idiot! Don't separate from the group" shouted another too late. The cowardly nomad and his horse fell as the ground before them erupted and a giant worm appeared. It was armored, red with black stripes, was covered in spikes and had no eyes. The bloody thing was as big as Arokh, with its huge mandible maw quickly swallowing the unfortunate Hyrcanian and his horse. "Help us, please use your dragon to deal with the worms!" shouted the nomads. Arokh flew over the worms, hitting them was tricky as their bodies were armored and they spend most of the time swimming underground. However as soon as one jumped out the grab Arokh, the dragon aimed for its exposed mouth and killed the overgrown vermin by decapitating it. Eventually, the worms got repelled and the nomads continued escorting Rynn and Arokh towards the outer stone wall of the Eastern Empire. "Thank you for your help. May the gods be on your side in this quest." Rynn told the Hyrcanians they looked similar to people living in the North continent, to which they replied that "some of their forefathers migrated north long ago when the 2 continents were connected" and left. As Rynn and Arokh stood infront of the Great Wall of Chiwutai, the stone gate opened and a chariot pulled by horned horses appeared. From it stepped a warrior in red and yellow (not gold) armor. He pulled off his intimidating mask and gasped: "By the ghosts of my ancestors... a dragon ridden by a human? What manner of sorcery is this?"
Rynn: We are from the Central Continent and were send by the revived Order of the Flame to find a holy relic left here by an ancient civilization. We fear they could be misused by evil people for vile purposes.
Arokh: We also vow to open the Ancients' Gate here and summon back the dragons you worship so much. So if you let us in and allow us to speak with whoever is your authority, then it would be mutually beneficial.
Imperial Guard: Follow me, the Empress and Emperor are in the royal palace. I hope you aren't assassins sent here to kill them. Assuming your intentions are truly benevolent, then you are free to come here.
Rynn and Arokh followed into the city. Mountains and rivers with bonsai trees or bamboo were scattered everywhere, people lived in houses with pointy roofs. There were tall flags, kites and floating lanterns. The towers had gunpowder and cannons mounted on them. A dock was visible in the distance with a large fleet of ships. The army had chariots and horned horses. Chiwutai also had a library where monks and mages akin to those back in Surdana collected precious tomes of knowledge. There was even an observatory with a telescope which could be used to see into space itself. Truly this was the most advanced and powerful human civilization remaining on Drakan. When they reached the royal palace, the empress and emperor were playing a game with wooden figurines on a wooden board. All the people appeared, watching our heroes in awe since the hasn't been a living dragon in these lands since over half a millennium ago. The Empress and Emperor turned around looking at our duo. The Empress was more youthful, while the Emperor was visibly more elderly with graying hair and beard.
Imperial Guard: Your majesty, these 2 hail from the Central Continent and have come here claiming they wish to help our empire of Chiwutai. At least, we assume they are telling us the truth...
Empress Xing (calmly): What are your names? What business do you have in our lands that is so important you risk travelling half the known world?
Arokh: Apologies, your highness- I am Arokh and she is Rynn. We are members of the new Order of the Flame, send here by the Dragon Mother herself to protect a holy relic before it's obtained by our mutual enemies and used for evil intents.
Emperor Yao (worried): A man with his dragon from the Central Continent arrived here thousands of years ago. He too claimed to have benevolent intentions, acting cordially but he turned out to be scheming traitor who learned our magic just so he can subjugate us instead! Our ancestors were forced to banish them back to where they come from. A decade after that, all dragons in our lands disappeared! Forgive me if I am suspicious, but we don't wish to repeat the same mistake and have become cautious to all foreigners ever since!
Rynn: By any chance, is that man called... Navaros?
Yao (shutters): You know that fiend?
Rynn (angered and saddened): Yes, that fiend betrayed the original Order. The previous rider of my dragon sacrificed himself to save all of Drakan. Years later, Navaros tried to revive himself using my brother kidnapped from our village. We managed to slay this bastard, however while avenged my brother and the other people in my village had ended up dead! Then we had to save the world from another despot and his invasive demon alien race from another world! After so much suffering, we succeeded in reviving the Order and bringing peace once more to our lands. Every minute we waste here is another nail in all our coffins! If we don't obtain all the relics, the world will know great peril and your Empire will be doomed! You have to trust us!
Xing (somber, while Yao calms down): Very well, you have convinced us. But we have several thorns in our sides- we don't know where this relic is located, could be anywhere. My guess is the old tomb in the north, but that place is locked up with magic that even our sorcerers cannot bypass. And of course there's Tao Khan. Oh dear gods, Tao Khan... if he is killed, his army of beastmen will stop plaguing us and be forced to live far away from us for at least one millennium.
Arokh: I heard you also want the dragons of these lands being summoned back. We shall also fix that problem as well, if you help us with finding the divine relic and the Ancients' Gates from which we can summon the dragons.
Xing: The deal is refused... on the simple condition that we don't know where this Ancients' Gate is located. If you can find it and bring back the dragons, then the Eastern Empire will be eternally indebted to you.
Rynn: Where do we begin with? So many objectives, and we don't know where to start with.
Xing: I recommend you kill the Catjits in their mines and mountaintop bases. It would be great if you can also free our enslaved villagers, if possible. We suspect the beatmen are planning to attack us, but how and when still is a mystery.
Rynn and Arokh fry towards the slave mines to begin their quest. Meanwhile, in Tao Khan's throne room...
The Grulls and Wartoks visit the Tiger King: "Great Tao Khan! We wish you to meet our... unexpected ally."
A cloud of black/purple smoke appeared and inside the throne room teleported a woman... Tanyana. "A human sorceress? Is this a sick joke?" Tao Khan growled. Tanyana replied: "I am no mere sorceress, I have been chosen by the one true god to help you defeat the Order of the Flame and purge the lands from their draconic taint." Tao Khan laughed: "That's rich! Humans are already arrogant enough, but a witch claiming such things is the stupidest thing I have ever heard!" Tanya responded with: "You dare anger me, filthy beast? If you don't cooperate, I will make a fur pelt out of you!" Tao Khan snarled with: "So you challenge me to a battle? Then so be it- I will knock sense into that head of yours... before I lop it off!" The Tiger King stood up, grabbed his polearm and swung it. This released a wave of toxic green flame... which didn't affect Tanyana, seeing as she had teleported next to him. She shot a purple lightning bolt at the confused beastman before he had a chance of responding. The fallen Tao Khan growled: "Your parlor tricks are cheap, witch! Instead of using magic, why don't you fight fair?" Tanyana picked him up using telekinesis and her eyes glowed red. The scared Tiger King witnessed her shapeshift, her new demonic form towering over him and her shadow obscuring him entirely. A deep, inhuman voice came from her jaws: "Do you want to die so badly?" Tao Khan swallowed his pride and begrudgingly agreed to help her. Tanyana released him and transformed back into human form. "Glad we reached an agreement..." The Tiger King asked sarcastically "If you are this powerful, why don't you deal with the Order yourself?" Tanyana glared at him and proclaimed "The dragons of the Order outnumber me, I can barely hide among the humans anymore... So we need reinforcements..." Tanyana drew a circle on the ground in blood and said a magical incantation in an alien language. The circle glowed and then a large monster was summoned in its place. It was tall, long and with a segmented body. It had a long tail and four limbs, with spikes growing from its back. Its elongated head lacked ears and eyes, overall resembling a cross between a giant lizard and an insect. The long jaws opened, exposing multiple wickedly sharp teeth in a smile which seems to indicate a desire to kill. Tao Khan gasped "Did you just... summon a demon?" Tanyana petted the hellhound creature on its head like a dog: "Yes, beautiful isn't it?" Tao Khan felt disgust: "No, it's not! I won't allow demons in my army, that monster will eat my troops!" Tanyana glared angrily at him: "So you dare oppose my orders?" Tao Khan spat on the ground: "I don't oppose you! I agree to use my troops to help you kill our mutual enemy, but letting that creature around will eat up my army which leaves us both empty handed! Use your damn brain, you b... witch!" Tanyana calmed down: "Very well, you lead your troops on one front while I use the demon at another. Divide and conquer as they say. Also... my skills and resources are insufficient. Summoning even a single demon requires lots of mana, blood and souls being sacrificed. I must depart now, I have more pressing issues to attend..." When Tanyana vanished with her summoned demon, Tao Khan sighed in relief. Suddenly the door of his throne room opened and in came Shagrat, excited and carrying around a scroll in his hand. Shagrat: "Master, look what I stole from the Eastern Empire!" Tao Khan took said scroll, saw its contents and smiled. He gently petted Shagrat on his head like a doting parent: "Well done, my underling! You have earned yourself a reward in gold! Take the day off and go somewhere to spend it! I must prepare for the battle ahead, with this knowledge in our possession the Eastern human empire will soon fall!"
Rynn and Arokh infiltrated the cliffside towers and entered the underground slave mines. Complex machinery worked there, cog wheels spun, conveyor belts were placed inside the foundry and pipes released steam. Wooden crates were stacked high, while sickly humans were placed inside metallic cages. Several conical wooden barrels with red and black symbols were stacked in one side, likely gunpowder explosives prepared for an upcoming battle. Rynn loaded one of her bow's arrows and shot these barrels from a distance. When the barrels exploded, she hid behind the pile of crates. This caught the beastmen guards' attention, which allowed her to sneak behind and stab them in their backs. With the slavers dead, Rynn could now focus on freeing the prisoners. Like with the Grimstone mines, she manages to make it pass all the perils and spoke with the slaves. An elderly male replied to here: "Your effort and concern is appreciated, but it's too late for us. Run away and save yourself while you still can."
Rynn: Sad to hear about that... But can you tell me what is Tao Khan planning?
Mine Slave: Tao Khan is a terror to his enemies, but he loves his fellow beastmen and treats them well. If he sees one of his being ill, sorrow and rage fills heart. If he sees a human harming or killing a beastman, Tao Khan becomes consumed in berserker fury. His ancestors lived freely across these lands, but humans grew in power and numbers. This forced him to live in remote areas, with goal being the obvious conquest and extermination of all humans. His minions are building terrifying war machines, he sends spies to steal vital information from our cities and is trying to form an alliance with the war giants so they can help him crush the human opposition. With the dragons gone, our chances of survival are significantly lessened. It could end in a stalemate, but it could also mean our annihilation. Lastly, he also plans to open the north tomb and obtain the ancient weapon sealed inside... I have only heard legends about it, but if the stories are true then with that weapon Tao Khan will be unstoppable...
Rynn thanked the old man, left him to die of his injuries and exited the mines. Outside she reported to Arokh and when our heroes flew to the Eastern Empire, they shared this information with the 2 rulers.
Xing: What you say is disheartening... but we already know that. We managed to capture this little thief who stole one of our scrolls.
The imperial guards brought forth a Ratling beastman- Shagrat. Empress Xing ordered the thief being executed by having his limbs tied up to horned horses which ran in 4 directions. Rynn looked away from this brutality.
Xing: Don't tell me you going soft or feeling pity for this enemy, a filthy beast which threatens our community. Or are you a pacifist?
Rynn: No I am perfectly fine with killing beastmen, however this method was pretty barbaric. You could have just quickly cut off his head with a sword instead of this cold-blooded torture.
Xing: You raise a valid point. Still, he's an enemy and in a battle you shouldn't show them any mercy or else they will backstab you. In a war there is no right or wrong... it's kill of be killed.
Rynn: Alright, I understand perfectly. So what do we do now about Tao Khan?
Xing: There remains the matter of the war giants. If he has a struck an allegiance with them, then our empire is in grave danger. The war giants are led by Oladan in Mount Tibor.
Arokh: Mount Tibor?!
Xing: Yes, is there a problem?
Arokh: This is the first place where humans bonded with dragons and established the original Order of the Flame. Hearing that sacred place being overrun with enemies now makes my skin crawl.
Xing: Then you have more reasons to go there and kill Oladan. If you are feeling adventurous, I have a sidequest for you Rynn- our sewers are overrun by Cockatrices. You must exterminate them all, including their brood mother to stop their infestation.
Rynn and Arokh complete all the sidequests (including the sewers of Chiwutai), then fly towards Mount Tibor. Passing through corridors filled with ruins and the bones of war giants, Rynn is forced to pass alone through a hole in a large closed gate like in Shiverbane. On the other side of the room, she spots a large stone altar with Oliphaunt skulls and other items (pots, candles, etc) placed on it. However, infront of this altar she sees Oladan himself- a war giant. But unlike the others, his armor is more ornate and instead of a rhinoceros head Oladan had the head of an Oliphaunt. He was sitting on the ground in a meditating trance, with a long spiked club on one side and a spiked flail on his other. Rynn tried sneaking up, Oladan opened his eyes and began speaking with her.
Oladan: I know you are here. You have come with the intention of killing me, haven't you? Just like the other dragons and humans of the Order have done so with my brothers and sisters... until I now alone remain the last of my kind.
Rynn: Only if need be... You seem like an intelligent creature. Perhaps we can talk this out instead.
Oladan: I meditate here and become one with nature. My tribe was a subspecies of war giants, unlike the others my kin were noble and wise beings. Then over 600 years ago, one man and his dragon arrived from the West... he learned powerful magic and tricked my people into joining his evil army. This man called himself... Navaros. He was a monster in human flesh, who only sook after more power with no disregard for others' life. My people became his pawns and enemies with the dragons. Tragically, this caused my people to get killed by the dragons because of the vile ambitions of just one human. Today, only I remain from my once proud and powerful race.
Rynn: Listen Oladan... I wish you no harm... you can come and live with the other humans in the Eastern Empire... but we need to stop Tao Khan first. He's another cruel tyrant who could bring only harm to the world.
Oladan: What's the point in living? I am the last of my kind, and I certain that humans will never accept me in their society. Tao Khan is not a cruel tyrant as you may think. He treats all beastmen like his children and loves them to the point he is willing to kill all humans just to see beastfolk prosper. That's what motivates Tao Khan in reality- the desire for survival and the love towards his own kinsmen.
Rynn: Then I doubt you will help me...
Oladan (standing up, grabbing his weapons): On the contrary- I will gladly help you by revealing all the knowledge gathered from my time meditating. But under one condition... I wish to join my species in the great beyond. To do that, I must die in an honorable duel against a worthy opponent! Prepare yourself warrior of the Order... for a duel to the death!
Rynn: It's never the easy way, is it?
Oladan swung his spiked club which Rynn jumped over, then he spun the flail above his head before trying to squish Rynn on the ground. She evaded that as well, perhaps his attacks patterns were easily visible because he was getting too slow and old. Or perhaps, Oladan was an honorable warrior who wanted to give Rynn a fair chance in this duel? She dodged the attacks while shooting arrows in the weakpoints of his armor, causing him to visibly bleed. Oladan gave credence to her second theory when he shouted "Guess I underestimated you... but now you must prove yourself worthy!" and threw his spiked flail ball towards Rynn similar to a cannon firing a cannonball. The spiked ball hit the door and broke it open, causing Arokh to barge in.
Arokh: Rynn stand aside!
Rynn: Arokh!
Oladan froze in place upon hearing that name and saw Rynn climbing on her dragon. "Did you say the dragon is called Arokh?" asked Oladan. Arokh answered with a "yes" which resulted in Oladan raising his hands in triumph: "Blessed stars, you have my eternal gratitude! I was lucky to encounter Arokh, victor of the Dark Wars!" Our heroes glanced at him, after which Oladan responded: "I would be honered to die in a duel with a great warrior such as Arokh the legendary dragon! Now prepare yourself, because I won't go down gentle..." Arokh dodged Oladan's ranged attacks, constantly shooting him with dragonfire. The bleeding wounds combined with the burn injuries from the dragon's breath finally took their eventual toll and Oladan dropped on his knee, his hands released both weapons on the ground next to his sides.
Oladan: I surrender... you won.
Rynn: You promised you would help us when we beat you, remember?
Oladan: Indeed... a promise is a promise. Listen carefully: Tao Khan has been tricked by an outside force into attacking the Eastern human Empire of Chiwutai. My brutish giant relatives are less intelligent and have already joined his legion... As we speak he is amassing his army and launching a massive assault on the human community. He is using the scroll his minions stole to find any weaknesses in their fortifications and building war machines to stamp out any human resistance.
Rynn: Then we must hurry... Arokh!
Oladan: Listen, Tao Khan has been manipulated by a force of evil. Something ancient and unknown, which has been long dormant but now is slowly awakening. To the north there is a tomb which houses a weapon capable of repelling this great evil... Tao Khan searches for the key to this power, unknowingly being played like a fiddle by the betrayer. I have been keeping the key to this locked tomb and the dragon Earth Rune safe in this room, I will give them both to you now...
Arokh: Your kindness is appreciated Oladan... if only more beastpeople were like you, then Drakan would be a better world. But what is this force of evil you speak about? Navaros and the Dark Union? Jasaad and the Deset Lords? Or something else?
Oladan: Neither of those... I cannot discern and recognize its identity, but it's something else... A primordial force of death and destruction whose power is overwhelming, threatening to devour the whole Universe if released... Where there is light, there is also darkness...
Rynn: Thank you for everything, but we must go. The empire of Chiwutai is under threat from Tao Khan's army!
Oladan: I will ask just one last thing from you, bonded of Arokh... Tell your dragon to end my life so that I may rejoin my people in the afterlife... Do it, finish my miserable existence..
Rynn and Arokh complied, thus fulfilling Oladan's last wish. Arokh breathed more fire at the giant beastman, which charred the latter's body and caused it to fall lifeless on the ground. The last Oliphaunt-like war giant has finally slain, but instead of triumph our heroes felt pity... There was no time to waste any longer, when the deed was done Rynn picked up the medallion from the altar behind Oladan's corpse. It was round and had an Eastern dragon coiled around itself on one side, its mouth biting its own tail. After that our duo saw the brown spinning and glowing crystal above them. When Arokh picked it up, he gained the Earth element power useful for blasting open the cave's roof and exiting Mount Tibor. Our heroes made haste towards the far East, but it was already too late...
XXXXXX
The land became black as the beastman army moved over it like a tide. Both local species and tribes from other continents marched forward. War giants moved across the ground, some beastmen operated large siege engines capable of destroying even fortified walls made of stone, while various winged monsters flew above them. Tao Khan stood on a cliff, riding a horned horse and began an epic motivational speech.
Tao Khan: March forward, my warriors and mages! Be proud, for today the human empire of Chiwutai will fall! We finally have the power to topple their suppression and reclaim these lands as our own! Do your best so we may have as little casualties as possible, but I promise that for each one of you killed a 1000 humans will die in retribution! Show no mercy, as we are not taking any slaves! Kill every human you see, they must all be exterminated so that we can at last live in peace knowing our dreaded enemies are gone forever!
The Eastern Empire of Chiwutai launched the counterattack. While the 2 sides were evenly matched, the beastmen knew the humans' weaknesses. Plenty of beastmen died, but also just as many humans until the ground was covered with corpses and blood. The sky darkened and it began raining, as if nature itself was crying over this war. Arokh and Rynn flew in too late, witnessing all the carnage. Amidst the chaos, they saw the Emperor and Empress hiding in their palace. When they landed there, Xing and Yao's reactions were predictable.
Yao: What happened? You disappeared but all Hell broke lose?!
Arokh: We were preoccupied with Oladan. We managed to kill him and get the key to the tomb with the godly weapon but we have no time to go there... we chose to come here and save you instead.
Xing: Your heroism is remarkable, Arokh and Rynn. The beastmen have already breached the outer walls. Please kill them and save us all.
The tides turned with a dragon and his rider on the side of humans. Arokh fewl fast between airborne enemies, making them drop to the ground like flies. They also killed most war giants and siege engines. Tao Khan saw this and got consumed by anger. He grabbed a metal bar from a destroyed war machine with his beastly strength and threw it in the sky... hitting Arokh in the wing, cutting it and making him fall to the ground. Before hitting the ground, Arokh fired a flame shot at Tao Khan causing the Tiger King to dodge. However this quick shot hit his beloved horned horse, killing it and infuriating Tao Khan. While Arokh fell unconscious behind a pile of corpses and machine debris, Rynn was separated from her dragon and she fell on the other side. The mountain of carcasses thankfully softened her landing and she safely rolled to the ground into a clearing. However unfortunately Tao Khan slid down the corpse mound and entered the same clearing as our heroine.
Tao Khan (barely containing his animalistic rage): So you are the foreign dragon rider who killed so many of my people?
Rynn (healing her wounds using a spell/potion): And you must be the great Tao Khan? Hypocritical of you to say that considering you are now killing so many people and probably won't stop until all humans are dead.
Tao Khan (raising his voice): There is no good or evil side in a war, only victors and defeated! Your disgusting species would have done the same thing with my people given the chance! So much of my loved ones have died because of you filthy humans!
Rynn: I know what it is to lose my family and friends to an enemy force... We are not so different, you and I... But you must realize that even if you win this war, you will never bring back your beloved people... So stop this and retreat while you still can!
Tao Khan (shouting angrily): Everything was fine until you arrived with your blasted dragon! You and that demon-summoning witch ruined everything! So after I make you pay with your puny life, I will take the divine sword and use it to kill that sorceress bitch!
Rynn: What demon-summoning witch? Who is she and what more do you know about her?
Tao Khan (slightly calmed down but still visibly enraged): The black-haired woman dressed in purple... She can also transform into a demon herself. That witch is not from these lands... I know nothing else about her and neither will you... because now you will DIE!
The Tiger King was consumed by animalistic fury. He swung his polearm with speed and ferocity, possibly also strength but Rynn didn't want to find out how deadly it was. Rynn constantly dodged his attacks, having no time to counterattack or cast a spell. Our heroine was outmatched and for the first time in her life she was on the verge of losing. Tao Khan also fired waves and projectiles of green toxic fire using his polearm, which made him even deadlier. He swung towards Rynn only to get his polearm stuck in a corpse. Tao Khan roared in anger, while Rynn stabbed him with her sword. His armor and muscular body decreased the damage from her sword, only succeeding in making him angrier. Tao Khan punched Rynn in the head and kicked her to the other side of the clearing. Rynn was weakened and half-conscious, while the Tiger King recovered his previously stuck weapon and walking slowly towards her. Tao Khan stood over Rynn, prepared to kill her. Our heroine started crying, which was negated by the rain drops falling over her face. Her heart beating increased, knowing she was not long for this world. Rynn though to herself "Arokh, Delon, everybody else... I am sorry... I have failed you all..." Tao Khan stood above Rynn with his teeth exposed in a deranged facial expression of pure rage. He raised his polearm, ready to kill Rynn... Then as if the gods had mercy and intervened, a miracle happened. A bolt of lightning fell from the sky and struck Tao Khan's raised polearm! The Tiger King screamed in pain as his body absorbed the deadly shock from the heavens above, forcing him to drop his polearm and stand fazed there as his body still rumbled with electricity. Rynn opened her eyes wide and saw the polearm next to her. She felt adrenaline fill up her body and she attempted a last ditch move- grabbing Tao Khan's polearm. As the Tiger King recovered from the lightning bolt strike and came to his senses, he looked down only to see Rynn reaching for his polearm. Fury once again filled Tao Khan and he lunged at Rynn, screaming "You bitch! Why do you refuse to fucking die?" But Rynn was faster than him and before Tao Khan could touch her, she had already grabbed his polearm and raised it upward- shoving it through his armored chest. Tao Khan screamed one last time in agony as he fell on top of Rynn. Visible through his backside was the other end of the polearm, which had penetrated his armor and pierced his torso. Rynn was crying still, but the battle was over and she had won. Having realized what just happened, she pushed Tao Khan's body aside (no easy task, given his height). The polearm was jutting from his motionless torso and Rynn stood up. She saw Tao Khan's face- it was no longer full of rage, now perpetually frozen in shock with wide opened eyes and mouth. His eyes were lifeless and blood was pouring from his open mouth, proving that Rynn had killed him. Suddenly the sounds of battle stopped and only the sound of rainfall kept going. The beastmen saw their beloved leader dead and one of them yelled "Tao Khan is dead! We lost!" Their morale was further crushed when multiple chariots with horned horses, armored human soldiers and mages came as reinforcements. Cannonballs from the towers kept shooting at the beastmen, quickly producing holes in their numbers. "Retreat! It's over! Run while you still can!" The beastmen ran away scared back into the mountains and caves from where they came, the war had ended with them retreating from the victorious humans. The human cavalry looked at Rynn and then saw Tao Khan's corpse, amazed. "You killed the Tiger King?" Rynn scoffed "You have eyes, use them and see how painfully obvious it is who is alive here and who isn't..." The human soldiers cheered and picked up Rynn. All the humans carried her to the armored chariot. Xing and Yao exited it and looked at Rynn in awe: "We are shocked but also eternally thankful for what you have done today Rynn. With Tao Khan dead, his army is now severely weakened and I doubt they will bother us for a long time..." said Xing, while Yao added "I am sorry I ever doubted you and your dragon! While plenty of our people died in this battle, today is a historic victory with the death of our arch-enemy! Whatever you want is yours, just name your price!" Rynn wanted to say something but suddenly she felt ill and vomited some blood. "Where is Arokh, I must see him immediately!" The human soldiers were frightened but carried out her wish as quickly as possible. They searched the hills of corpses until they heard Arokh's whimpers of pain. He was hiding under a destroyed war machine. His wing was punctured and his torso also had a large gash on it. Arokh was half-conscious and Rynn moved next to him worried. "Arokh, can you hear me? We won! I killed Tao Khan and his armies retreated!" Arokh opened his eyes and said weakly: "Rynn, is that you? Glad we won, but our victory is a pyrrhic one..." Rynn looked at her dragon companion and saw him losing blood rapidly. "No Arokh, please wake up! Everything shall be alright!" The dragon barely moved and spoke with all his remaining might "My life is at its limit Rynn... I can feel my soul beginning to drift away to the great beyond... This might be the end Rynn, we won but at the cost of our lives..." Rynn started to cry and scream in despair: "No Arokh, please don't leave me! After everything we've been through... it can't end like this!" Arokh as a reptile couldn't cry, but his expression and voice were sad: "We shall be together in the afterlife Rynn... Don't forget we are bonded with each other... That's why you are so worried about me dying... because you will follow soon afterwards..." Rynn screamed so hard it caused people to gather around her and look worried. "No, that's not the reason! I already lost my parents, brother and everybody else in my village! I don't want to lose you as well! You are my friend Arokh, the only person dear to me I have left in this world! More than that, you are only remaining FAMILY!" As she screamed the last word, Rynn fell tired next to Arokh. The combination of being tired from the battle and sharing her lifeforce with a dragon who is now at death's door was taking it's price on her body. Rynn started clenching her torso in agony, both emotional and physical. Their lives were drawing to a close... Unbeknownst to the duo, the emperor and empress arrived bringing a small golden box from their carriage alongside some court sorcerers. One of them yelled "Step aside, hopefully we are not too late..." and opened the box. Inside it was an orange feather taken from a phoenix. The wizard placed it on Arokh, spoke and incantation and waved his hands. After this, the feather glowed and it disappeared. Everyone watched saddened, waiting for what happened next. Rynn suddenly opened her eyes and gasped for air, like she had been drowning. She and everybody else then looked at Arokh, who started shaking his head and lazily opening his eyes. The people sighed in relief, as Arokh began speaking "Argh, I feel terrible... weakened and sleepy like a newborn." Rynn looked at Xing and Yao, then said: "Thanks. Don't know what you did, but it saved us from dying."
Xing: We gave you our phoenix feather and healed you. This was the only one in the entire Eastern continent.
Yao (coughing): Originally I wanted to use this to extend the lifespan of myself and my wife, but it was only one. Also we saw you dying and quickly decided to use it on you instead as gratitude for everything you have done...
Rynn: You also have my and Arokh's eternal gratitude. We got extremely close to death, but you did the right thing. However, we still feel extremely weak.
Xing: Well, we could bring you back in our palace and heal you. Or you can do it yourself assuming you have a healing potion or spell.
This reminded Rynn of something she had nearly forgotten. She made the necessary hand gestures and invoked the one magic that would help them. It wasted all her mana, but it was worth it. Rynn felt the power of Ahura coursing through every fiber of her being, healing her wounds and giving her new strength. The human soldiers gasped when they saw Rynn and Arokh glow in a blue/white aura.
Xing: What is this power?
Rynn: The power of the same god whose relic is kept inside the forgotten tomb way to the north. We need to retrieve the artifact in that tomb and prevent it from being used by the forces of evil.
Arokh (fully awakened and growling): Hey did you forget me? I may be feeling better, but I am still stuck beneath this rubble!
Xing quickly ordered the soldiers to help move away the debris and help Arokh free himself. When the dragon was freed, he stood upwards and stretched his wings. Upon seeing his wounds being healed, Arokh proclaimed: "Ah, so good to be alive and well!"
The people cheered and brought our heroes back to the palace, while they began cleaning the corpses and rebuilding the city.
Yao (smiling): The recovery will take years, the road ahead will be uneasy but with our enemies defeated hope springs once more.
Xing (also smiling): We have you to thank for that Rynn and Arokh. Our soldiers recovered Tao Khan's polearm from his corpse. It's yours if you want.
Rynn: We accept your gift but what we really are searching for is to the north. With all these distractions out of the way, the lost tomb is our next goal.
Xing: Then what are you waiting for? Go and take the item from its tomb! May the gods and fate be on your side!
Rynn mounted Arokh and the 2 of them flew to the north. The human woman asked the male dragon: "When you were dying, I said some things... Did you hear them?"
Arokh (briefly silent): I was losing consciousness Rynn... Whatever is that you said back then, I couldn't hear it clearly.
Rynn (teasingly): Want me to repeat it to you?
Arokh: No. We have more important things to do than being sentimental. First we must focus on our mission.
Rynn: Alright, Mr. Serious. I sometimes have a feeling you hate me... perhaps you still miss Heron like I miss my brother and fellow villagers.
Arokh (annoyed): Knock that self-delusion out from your head. I never hated you, still don't and never will. Rynn... thank you for saving my life. Or both our lives, seeing as we are Bonded.
Rynn: Daww, you are welcome! Good to see you also having a nicer side.
Arokh: Yeah, yeah... Whatever. The future awaits us, we must leave the past behind us.
Rynn nodded in agreement but what she didn't know was that Arokh's first answer was a lie. He heard and understood everything Rynn told while he was slowly dying. Arokh had evaded a close shave with death thanks to her new bonded human rider. He didn't show it visibly and verbally, but he was smiling happily on the inside. After so many years, after losing his original family, his friend and rider Heron and the other members of the first Order... Arokh the dragon was finally feeling happiness.
The duo arrived at the entrance of the Tomb, Arokh looked around with his keen eyes spotting 4 abandoned towers on the sides. The ground was also littered with corpses, both armored humans and the bones of various creatures.
Arokh: Blargh, it stinks of death here! Nothing but corpses as far as my eyes can see.
Rynn: Well, at least I see no curse. Let's open the gate, walk inside, grab the relic and leave this horrid place as quickly as possible...
However as Rynn finished her sentence, a slight earthquake tremor shook the ground and some place on the ground were hit by lightning bolts.
Arokh: I have a veeery baaad feeling about this...
Two long serpentine dragon skeletons burst from the ground, with zombified armored human warriors riding them. The undead looked at our heroes and roared with obvious hostility. Arokh took to the air, then started shooting at them. One undead dragon moved in confusing patterns and tried biting him, while the other ran away and shoot lightning bolts at Arokh. The heroes managed to get some hits on them, but the 2 dragon zombies flew over the towers and summoned bolts of electricity from the roofs. The bolts went into their mouths, as if they were feeding on the magical energies. Doing so empowered the dragons who shot holes into the cliffs and ground, then used all the area's tunnels as hiding spots to evade our heroes' attacks. Arokh and Rynn quickly realized the zombie dragons would keep attacking then retreating as long as the abandoned towers were standing in pristine condition, so Arokh destroyed all 4 towers with his breath powers. This caused both undead dragons to stop evading/hiding then attacked him directly, which Arokh countered with all the elemental abilities he had acquired this far. His bigger arsenal proved useful and made quick work of both undead enemies. Upon killing their foes, Arokh saw a floating dark grey crystal in the sky. Flying through and picking it up gave him the power of Thunder, which allowed him to shoot lightning once again. Arokh landed on the ground and Rynn walked towards the gate, placing Oladan's medallion and the tomb opened. Rynn walked inside, seeing a whole army of armored terracotta warriors, like those visible outside. She ignored them, but suddenly one sprang to life and swung its dual swords at her. Rynn took out her sword and fought the animated warrior statues which also breathed green fire at her. When all the enemies were destroyed, she walked further until she saw two pillars with serpentine dragons coiled around them. Between them was a throne with a skeleton clutching some long object wrapped in cloth with jade stones etched on them. Rynn broke the skeleton's dusty arms, took the object and carefully removed the jade stones. After that she took off the cloth. What she saw inside caught her by surprise... a great sword made of a white material with a faint blue glow. It resembled the Runeblade which she held so long ago, but it lacked runes carved onto the blade. The pommel had a blue gem on it, while the guard had a dragon head on it with the wings forming the guard itself. Rynn gripped the sword and it started glowing in a white/blue light. She performed one swing with the sword and it fired a deadly beam of white/blue energy! Rynn had destroyed one column and stopped practicing with the sword in fear of collapsing the entire tomb upon herself. But when she looked down, she saw the sword stopped glowing. Like the Horn of Ahura, the sword's power depended on Rynn's mana reserves and using it costed all of her magical energy. She walked outside, holding the sword above her head. Arokh upon seeing her, cheered up.
Arokh: Rynn, you got another holy artifact!
Rynn: Yeah, but using it eats up my magical energy. Now let's get out of this place.
When flying, the duo senses something was amiss... It was as if they were being watched. Suddenly, a huge strange black and red creature jumped at them. It resembled a mixture of lizard and insect, the head lacked any ears or eyes. All parts of its body were segmented, while its mouth was filled with needle-like teeth. The creature rolled up into a ball and started spinning towards them faster than its large size would suggest.
Rynn: What is that damn thing?
Arokh: I don't know, but something tells me it's not local wildlife.
They dodged the creature's rolling attack, but it grew quills on its backs and started shooting them at our heroes. Arokh dodged its attacks, then started shooting lightning at it. The strange beast was fast and started crawling on the canyon's walls like a fly. It then lunged towards them midair. Arokh avoided this attack as well, but growled in annoyance: "How do we deal with this troublesome pest?" Rynn responded with: "I have an idea. Bait it into jumping at us again!"
Arokh: Have you lost your mind?
Rynn: Trust me, it will all work out.
She said, after which she drank a mana potion and saw the sword starting to glow again. Arokh followed her plan and waited for the hellhound to jump at him again. When it did that and was with a meter away from touching, Rynn swung the sword and released a beam of white/blue light which slashes the monster in half and caused it to explode. Purple blood from the beast covered them but they quickly used a healing elixir to stop any toxins from harming their bodies.
Arokh: Glad we took care of that creature as well...
Rynn: But something tells me this won't be the last.
They looked around their surroundings, until the saw the same black/purple apparition from before.
Rynn: You again? Don't you ever give up?
Mystery Shadow: You have been a thorn in my side far too long. The fool and his beastman army had failed, it would seem...
Rynn: So you are the demon-summoning witch that tricked Tao Khan into starting a war! He told me everything before I ended his life.
Mystery Shadow: Your progress is impressive but I am here to put an end to your miserable little existence...
Rynn raises the holy sword and replies: Do you really think so? Why don't you come closer and see the same power which is the last thing your summoned pet saw before getting killed!
Mystery Shadow: I don't have time for such foolishness... I leave you now, but we shall meet again.
The shade disappeared, leaving our heroes alone once again. "We gotta return to Surdana to report our findings." said Rynn. Arokh replied with "But first we need to say here so we can fulfill a promise we made".
Rynn: Huh?
Arokh: You will see. We must go to the Eastern Empire...
The duo arrived in Chiwutai, the people glad to see them once again.
Xing: Surprised to see you again so soon. Did your journey proved successful or do you come here empty handed?
Rynn (taking out the sword): Does this look empty-handed to you?
Yao: Dear heavens! This weapon... it's older than our civilization and it looks like it was forged by the gods!
Xing: Congratulations on obtaining that item. I suppose that means you will be leaving now?
Arokh: Not quite yet. We have one last thing to do here... Do you know any other peculiar places around here?
Xing: Well, there is a stone megalith with a lightning bolt marking in the mountain caves behind us... Does that count?
Arokh: Will do. Follow us and we shall express our gratitude for saving us from death.
The 2 monarchs with their personal royal guards followed Rynn and Arokh to the megalith. Arokh saw the stone carving of a thunderbolt and said "Stand back and watch this!" after which he fired a stream of lightning from his mouth at the huge slab or rock. The lightning made the rock glow and crack with a spectacular explosion. Then everyone followed Rynn and Arokh inside the cave until the saw a giant ring-like structure surrounded by two serpentine dragon statues.
Arokh: This is the Ancients' Gate. Do you want me to activate it and make dragons return in your lands?
Soldier: You don't need to ask, lead the way.
Arokh approached the gate and it started crackling with magical energy, after which an image of a tropical jungle appeared. A huge roar was heard, but not from Arokh. Through the portal flew a large serpentine Eastern dragon, it had a beard and long floating tendril-like whiskers. The dragon looked down at the people who bowed in respect and worship, then towards out 2 heroes.
Shenlung: I awake from almost a thousand years of sleep and I am glad to finally return in the lands which I once called my home! To whom do I have the honor of calling me back here?
Arokh: I am Arokh, defeater of the Dark Union, victor of the Dark Wars and savior of all Drakan. We also summoned the Dragon Mother herself in the city of Surdana.
Shenlung: Ah, I see... it is a pleasure to meet you Arokh. You have done a great deed by bringing back the age of dragons!
The eastern dragon roared and others of its kind entered the Eastern lands. After so many years, the dragons of the East had returned.
Rynn: That's all fine and dandy, but we need to ask... do you know about other holy relics besides this one?
She raised the white sword and the Eastern dragon saw it: "Can it be? The Claw of Ahura? One of the six divine treasures? I have heard the legends, but their forging predates even my own birth. The only one that is old enough to know about these is Mala Shae herself. Speak with her and I am sure she can give you more wisdom than I ever can. Perhaps they are scattered in the other continents? I do not know and cannot bother, as I must return to the lands which my kin inhabits."
The eastern dragon then flew away in the sky, and the Eastern people cheering for the return of their divine protectors.
Yao: Bless you Rynn and Arokh! We cannot ever express how grateful we are for all your deeds.
Arokh: Think nothing of it. I likewise am grateful you saved me from death's clutches.
Xing: I hate to interrupt our celebration and farewell, but didn't you mention that you needed to find other artifacts like this sword? If truly so, then make haste and search for the remaining items before it's too late!
Rynn: Gotcha, this place is nice but we need to return in Surdana.
The heroes bid farewell to their new allies and returned back to their home city.
XXXXXX
Upon passing through the portal, they were greeted by Lady Myschala.
Myschala: You have returned! Did you find another artifact?
Rynn showed the white sword, which caused Myschala to clap her hands as if enjoying a well-written play or song. "We are one step closer to our goal. Hope has returned in our hearts." said the queen.
Rynn: Was there ever any doubt? Don't be feeling so down, we have almost accomplished our mission. I can practically already feel the last 2 relics in our possession.
Myschala: You should never let your arrogance fool you into underestimating your odds. We already made that mistake once...
Rynn: How come? The Dark Union is gone, the Desert Lords are gone... What is left to worry about?
Myschala: We once fought a war against the Grull and Wartoks, thinking we had the advantage and being unbeatable. However, those beasts managed to kidnap the king and held him for ransom. They told us that if we surrendered, they would let him live. We refused, so they killed him. After that, we drove them away but we already suffered a heavy cost for our foolishness. The king and my love were gone forever, I became the de facto ruler of this kingdom. Originally, I was a mere figurehead inspiring hope in my people. While I was well educated, I lacked any combat skills and felt useless. After your victory over Jasaad and the Desert Lords, I was filled with hope once more. I practiced swordsmanship and wielding some magic ever since to prevent myself from being defenseless and getting killed like the king of Surdana. You have inspired me to be a better person and leader to my people. You truly are a symbol of heroism Rynn. And of course Arokh as well- none of this could have been accomplished without him.
Rynn (genuinely touched): I don't know what to say, your Majesty... I promise that I won't disappoint you and we shall find the remaining artifacts.
Myschala thanked Rynn and left her to visit Arokh back in town. She was pleasantly surprised to see Brekk the blacksmith standing there, outside of his forge and house.
Brekk: How's my little blood-soaked girl? Did you kill any more Wartoks and Grulls? Also did general Dehrimon give you the hunting knife I made for you?
Rynn: You made the knife? I thought it belonged to the Order.
Brekk: Don't know about that, but I made it especially for you. After learning you save our city from those Desert Lords, I decided to make a token of my appreciation. Hope you like it!
Rynn: Well, I don't hate it but it takes up space in my limited inventory and I stumble upon stronger weapons. Not saying I threw it away, it's kept safe in my house's wardrobe. I will return it if you want...
Brekk (heart laugh): I am not offended in the slightest and perfectly understand your decision to keep it stashed away! You see you are like the daughter I never had, and you spend so much gold on me. Don't know how much other merchants and blacksmiths charge you, but I promise my prices will always be cheap for you! The knife was made to serve as your last line of defense if you ever get in trouble. I don't wish any harm ever coming to you, so I made this weapon for you as a gift!
Rynn: Thank you Brekk, you are a credit to this city. If it weren't for your work, everyone here will have died long ago.
Brekk: Ha, that's what blacksmith are for, aren't we? Using our skills to create weapons and armor which provide help to the community! Now if you excuse me, I need to return in my forge because more works awaits me!
The blacksmith returned to his house, while Rynn returned to Arokh. She told him what Brekk just said to her, after which the dragon replied: "That's good to hear, but we have bad news as well... Four continents have been searched through, but we still have 2 artifacts remaining. We must search the other 2 continents as well. One is where the Volcano we visited is located. The other is unknown as no one has set foot there before. It's rumored to harbor vile magic and it's forbidden to go there, although our current situation forces us to now make an exception to this... However we don't even know how to reach that place, let alone what to do if we get there and what dangers await us."
Rynn: We have another artifact, opened more portals and we could use the map of Drakan from the Ancient Civilization ruins. That would hopefully give the Gateway more power to send us into the unknown West continent.
Arokh: Pray that your idea works. Those lands are unexplored territory and...
Before he could finish his sentence, Rynn's bracelet started buzzing and Merdhynis' voice was heard.
Merdhynis (voice through bracelet): Rynn, Arokh! We haven't spoken in a while! Come back to my house because there are some things we must discuss!
Rynn: Looks like we need to take another detour. Are you up for it Arokh?
Arokh: Only if you don't have a problem with it. Well, guess that settles your question then. Let's pay the owl wizard a visit.
Our protagonists used the Mother's Eye and returned to the Southern Continent...
Chapter 6: West Continent
Merdhynis waited outside his tower until he saw Rynn and Arokh flying towards him. The duo landed on the ground next to him.
Rynn: What is this important matter you need to discuss with us?
Merdhynis: Did you find more artifacts?
Rynn (pulls out the white sword): Does this answer your question?
Merdhynis (smiles): Atta girl. I never lost my faith in you. Where are you headed next?
Arokh: The Western continent.
Merdhynis: That forbidden place? Nobody knows what lives there, awaiting your arrival. Even I know absolutely nothing about it.
Rynn: Damn, so much for getting any useful help from you...
Merdhynis: I offer help in other ways. Tell me, had you ever gotten a near-death experience?
Rynn (confused): Yes, once. But the people saved us and we healed back.
Merdhynis (worried): The fact you were this close to dying even once is bad enough! Rynn, Arokh... you both need to watch out and better defend yourself! if such a mistake is repeated, then...
Arokh: We won't this ever happen again. I promise it.
Merdhynis: You should wear armor and powerful weapons, also carry potions with you at all time and learn as much spells as possible. I have read about lost magical items which increase a person's life force and mana capacity, which makes them harder to die...
Rynn: Aha, so this call was just you being concerned about us! Wait... does this mean you are using my bracelet to spy on us?
Merdhynis: Kinda... I am worried about your wellbeing. However I cannot keep a contact with you all the time. Perhaps the magical signals and connection get lost when you travel to other landmasses... Especially now that you informed me about visiting the West Continent.
Arokh: Is there any way that you could aid us?
Merdhynis: There is... several, actually. Stand still and I will give you a special enchantment Arokh.
The wizard performed a magical hand gesture and Arokh was briefly covered in an aura with multiple colors.
Merdhynis (after the aura disappears): There, it is done.
Rynn: What is done?
Merdhynis: A special enchantment. You will no longer lose any breath weapons you have acquired Arokh, you will keep them even after death unless you souls gets destroyed as well. Of course... try to not get yourself killed, okay?
Arokh: Understood, Merdhynis. I had so many breath elements once but lost them after entering and then exiting the Rift World. Then I reclaimed some of them plus new ones but I lost them 3 years ago when a Grull shaman electrocuted me until I lost consciousness, forcing Rynn and the other members of the Order to save me. Of course, having defeated the Desert Lords I thought it was useless having all those elemental powers...
Merdhynis: Do you have any breath weapons currently Arokh?
Arokh: Well besides my basic fire breath which I got ever since hatching, I obtained... Poison, Ice, Thunder, Earth, Water I think... also I remember a Darkness rune from the ruins of the Ancient Civilization when we defeated that doppelganger...
Merdhynis (frightened): You what? Oh no, that's not good at all...
Rynn: Why is that a problem?
Merdhynis: Darkness element is demonic magic, it's not meant for any creatures of this world. I assume you have experienced negative side effects whenever you use the Darkness element?
Arokh: It's extremely powerful, but it consumes all my magic energy when I use it which leaves me vulnerable. Also I feel a bit worse and lose some health every time I use it, but we heal the wounds using healing potions and I rarely use the Darkness element.
Merdhynis: If it weren't for those relics you carry with you, the Darkness would have driven you insane or killed you long ago. The only way to nullify the corrupting effects of Darkness is with Light, otherwise you will slowly lose yourselves to that vile power... But worse is that Darkness magic feeds on the user's negative emotions and thoughts. You must be honest and tell me, is there anything troubling your minds? Do not keep any secrets from me, unless you wish to be corrupted by the Darkness.
Rynn (saddened): I lost my parents, my fellow villagers got enslaved and then killed, I failed to save my brother...
Arokh (also saddened): My family and friends were either killed by the Dark Union or joined their armies. My former bonded human rider Heron sacrificed himself to save Drakan from Navaros... we defeated both him and later Jasaad, later summoning Mala Shae and reviving the Order of the Flame. But those memories of my failures still haunt me, I spend every free moment of thought contemplating my life and everything I had lost.
Merdhynis: That settles it. You both need a special meditation ritual to cleanse your minds, which shall keep you safe from demonic mental attacks and slow down the corruption from the Darkness element. Keeping your negative emotions and thoughts at bay will prevent any corruption from spreading, also keeping the relics in your possession will also help tremendously. But if you wish to fully be freed from the taint of this Darkness you have absorbed, you will have to find then absorb the Light power as well. I am guessing the source of Light is possibly one of the remaining 2 artifacts, but guesswork without evidence to back it up is worth as much as an old worn-out shoe to a rich king. Now come here Rynn, we must first use meditation to cleanse your mind from the Darkness and after that it's Arokh's turn...
Rynn sat down to Merdhynis and entered a meditating trance just like him. She heard his voice in her mind: "Rynn, can you hear me? You must relieve the worst memories in your life and finally conquer your inner demons..."
Rynn looked around and saw that she was back in her village. All the buildings were repaired, the people were alive and well, each one of them going around and minding their business. Then she heard a familiar young boyish voice behind her...
Delon: Hey big sis! Let's go play hide and seek!
She turned around and saw her younger brother, causing her to shed a tear of joy. "Delon, you are here!"
Delon: Of course I am! Where else could I go? Let's practice more sword fighting, Atimar said we needed to be prepared if Grulls and Wartoks ever return.
Rynn: Alright, I promise that I won't ever lose you to those beasts like we did our parents so many years ago.
Then, the scene changed to that fateful night... She was walking down the path from Atimar's temple with her brother, when they were surrounded by enemies. Rynn took out her sword and tried fighting as best as possible, only to be knocked down. Before losing consciousness, Rynn screamed: "Delon run! Don't let them get you!" When she woke up and entered the village, the buildings were destroyed and burned down. The people were kidnapped and taken away, she saw only Atimar pinned against a wall from a spear impaling his shoulder. He told her to find Arokh, after which the elderly priest of her home died from his wounds. The scene changed again...
Rynn saw her villagers inside the mines, using pickaxes to collect the dangerous mineral. She ran to the closest person whose back was turned against her, and pulled him by his shoulder... only to see his eyes glowing green and grimstone mucus oozing from his wounds. The slave miner was zombified and howled like an animal, his mind corroded by the toxic substance. Rynn screamed and swung her sword, which killed the man. She then saw all the other villagers, placed in torture devices and their mutilated corpses hanging from the walls.
The scene changed again... Rynn was behind the pillar in the Volcano Lair. The Dark Union brought Delon inside the chamber and then took him away to the Rift World. She stood there powerless, unable to help him... The scene changed again. Rynn was battling her possesed brother, using the Runeblade she had to wound him and free Delon from Navaros' control. After several blows, Delon came to his senses and stopped attacking. He stood on the platform, holding his head and stepping backwards in confusion... until he fell into the abyss.
The two siblings cried out each other's names one last time before being separated forever. Rynn stood on the platform and muttered: "My dear Delon, I am so sorry..." Then the cave started rumbling and out from the Rift appeared Navaros, now assuming the form of his four-headed dragon Kaeros. The reptilian heads roared at Rynn and shot the platform where she stood, breaking it and causing her to fall. Rynn closed her eyes as she fell into the dark void. Nothing happened, and she opened them again. The scene had changed again.
Rynn was now standing in the ruins of her village, with the corpses of her people and graves lying around her. She looked down in despair and then shouted upwards, cursing the skies for bringing her so much misery. And then, the dead rose up as living corpses. Her villagers surrounded her, and her brother had risen from his grave as well. All of them spoke in unison: "Why Rynn? Why did you let us die?" Rynn cried out: "Forgive me... I have failed you all..." The corpses fell over her like a tidal wave, their hands grabbing her and dragging her down into the ground with them. As she was covered by dirt, Rynn was screaming "I am sorry!" to no avail. The hands were dragging her deeper until there was only darkness. Rynn looked upwards and then she saw it... The black and purple cloud with 3 glowing red eyes, staring at her with an expression that filled her with fear. "What are you? What do you want?" The apparition opened its mouth and spoke, it's voice was deep and loud. It would be more accurate to call it a harsh sound, but Rynn still understood coherent words directed at her: "I am death! I am destruction! And I exist to devour you all!" The apparition roared in a loud way, that made Rynn fall down in pain. Her mind was being assaulted, her body shivered in agony and her soul was being crushed. At this moment she wanted to die just to end her suffering. But suddenly, the voice of Merdhynis: "Rynn, can you hear me? Don't lose yourself! Fight it Rynn, please resist the Darkness and use the Light!" Rynn heard the words and remembered the power of Ahura. She concentrated hard and summoned the Claw of Ahura sword! The dark apparition's 3 eyes widened in shock, after which Rynn stood up and screamed: "You don't have any right to mess with my life and memories!" Rynn swung the sword and it released a beam of light which struck the apparition, dissipating it. The darkness vanished and in its place light covered Rynn. She was nearly blinded by the power and covered her eyes, only to awake from the trance... Rynn returned to the real world and woke up with widened eyes, gasping for breath. She was breathing heavily from the shock. Rynn looked aside and saw Merdhynis, his face full of worry.
Merdhynis: Rynn, is everything alright?
Rynn: Yes, I heard your words and summoned the light to repel my inner darkness...
Merdhynis (slightly smiling): Good to hear... Your nightmares and traumas will haunt you no longer. We cannot change the past, but we must shape our own future.
Rynn thanked the wizard, who then looked at her dragon: "Arokh, it's now your turn..."
The dragon being four-legged couldn't meditate like the others, so he lied down and went to sleep. Merdhynis entered the meditation trance once again...
Arokh opened his eyes and saw a forest surrounded by mountains. He was confused, but then heard a male human voice familiar to him: "Arokh, what are you doing?" The dragon recognized this as his first rider, Heron.
"I was just... taking a little exercise to see if I can still fly. I was worried that spending too much time on the ground will make me lose my wings." said Arokh.
Heron chuckled and then summoned other dragons with their human riders. "Your sense of humor never fails Arokh. But these are serious times. The Dark Union has massacred several cities with their people across the world. We must begin a counter attack to fend them off."
Arokh let Heron sit on his back and flew up. They flew through mountains and valleys, until they saw a scorched battlefield littered with corpses. He recognized some of them as his friends and family.
Arokh (saddened): Those corpses... They are people I knew... people that were close to me...
Heron (also saddened): I know your pain, my friend... My family and friends were also killed... The Dark Union have caused much suffering in this world and we must stop them before they bleed the earth dry. Our scouts say they are amassing their army to the east... We must prepare and launch a final attack to end their war of terror. The Order's forces have been heavily weakened, so we have created one last plan of hope- a weapon strong enough to kill Navaros... It's the last chance we got, so we have to give it our best...
The scenery changed, Arokh was flying over a battlefield. He saw beneath him the two armies clashing with each other- the Dark Union's monsters fighting the Order's dragons ridden by humans. Heron's voice screamed behind Arokh's head: "What are you waiting for? The Betrayer is right there! Go to him quickly, before he destroys us all!" Arokh saw in the distance in front of him Kaeros. He was on the ground, sitting in a meditating position. Magical energies were swirling around him. But Kaeros looked strange- his wings were missing, he had the bipedal build of a human and he heard Navaros' voice chanting from its lips. Without a second thought, Arokh flew towards the Betrayer fast like a lightning bolt. Heron screamed and plunged the magic sword in his hands through the dark lord's torso. Navaros inside Kaeros' body screamed in pain, the spell was interrupted. The combination of the sword plunged through his chest, his dragon/human hybrid body and the spell of destruction's energies caused a bright flash... followed by a loud explosion. When at last the smoke cleared, both armies laid decimated. Where the Betrayer once stood, a smoldering crater now existed. Inside it, Heron laid dead and the Runeblade was broken in two at his side. Arokh somehow stood on a hill, still barely clinging to life. The Dark Wars had ended and the Dark Union's dreams of conquest have been shattered, but the Order was no more. Arokh took Heron's corpse and carried it back to his home village, where it was buried in a tomb. He was surrounded by the few surviving dragons and human members of the Order. Among them, was a wizard called Rimril. He was holding the Rift Crystal in his hands, the item used to empower the Runeblade. The wizard approached Arokh and started speaking: "I have recovered the Crystal, while the two halves of the Runeblade have been taken away somewhere else. We have won, but at what cost..."
Arokh: It's over... the Dark Union has been vanquished, but I lost my ally Heron...
One of the dragons began talking: "The Order can no longer exist... the sacred treaty between dragons and humans has been broken with these betrayals and wars. We can no longer stay in this world, we are going back to the Great Mother in our home dimension. Will you join us Arokh? There is no longer any reason to stay here in the human realm."
Arokh: No, I choose to stay. As former bonded of Heron and victor of the Dark Wars by technicality, I shall remain here on Drakan.
The other dragons respected his wish and flew away, leaving him behind. Rimril approached Arokh: "Your commitment is remarkable Arokh. I too need to stay here by duty as I will see to it that the Rift Crystal is hidden away and guarded until the end of time if need be."
Arokh: It's not just Heron... All my friends and family... They either got killed in the Dark Wars or defected to the Dark Union and I was forced to kill them... I lost everything dear to me Rimril... Now I am thinking whether or not to even take my own life...
Rimril: Don't speak such nonsense! You are the savior of all Drakan, you Arokh are a true hero! You have earned yourself the gift of life!
Arokh: Perhaps... But I no longer wish to meddle in the affairs of humans. If there is a way to fall asleep but never wake up...
Rimril: There is one way... I will give you the spell of petrification. This will free your soul from Heron's bond and you can use the Soul Crystal to bond with another human instead. You will be alive, well and free. But of course time will pass and you will enter hibernation in a suspended state. While you won't age, the spell can be performed just once on any dragon with repeated uses draining your very lifeforce. So be warned, if you happen to awaken ever again... chose your next Bonded human very carefully, as it may be your last.
Arokh left for his cave where Rimril used the spell and turned the dragon into a stone statue. Rimril then left Arokh's lair, never to seen and heard from again. When Arokh closed his eyes, he saw only darkness. And then, his eyes opened much to his own horror...
The dragon saw the battlefield littered with corpses, all of them staring at him: "Arokh? You let us all die! How could you? Did you forget and leave your Order?" Arokh screamed: "It's not my fault! I tried my best!" The corpses became bloody red and fused together, forming a giant dragon head which roared at Arokh and then swallowed him whole. Arokh was drowning in a sea of blood, he looked up and saw a familiar sight... The black and purple cloud with 3 glowing red eyes, staring at him with an expression that filled him with fear. "Navaros? Kaeros? Is that you? How are you still alive?" The apparition opened its mouth and spoke, it's voice was deep and loud. It would be more accurate to call it a harsh sound, but Arokh still understood coherent words directed at him: "I am death! I am destruction! And I exist to devour you all!" The apparition roared in a loud way, that made Arokh scream in pain. His mind was being assaulted, his body shivered in agony and his very soul was being crushed. At this moment Arokh wanted to die just to end his suffering. But suddenly, the voice of Merdhynis: "Arokh, can you hear me? Don't lose yourself! Fight it Arokh, please resist the Darkness and use the Light!" Arokh heard the words and remembered the power of Ahura. He started praying: "All my ancestors, Mala Shae, Ahura... if anyone can hear me... please help!" The prayers were heard and a bright light began shining against the dark apparition. The light expanded in a huge star, with 3 glowing blue eyes. A beam of white light shot forward and hit the Darkness. Th apparition screamed in pain and vanished. The sea of blood also disappeared and now Arokh was flying in a white void, looking at the 3-eyed star. "Who are you?" asked Arokh. "Do not be afraid child. I am the creator of all, the one who answered your pleas and the Light personified. You shall see me again, then I shall give you my power. Use it to drive away the Darkness and protect this world." spoke the star in a gentle and ethereal voice. After that it disappeared and a bright flash caused Arokh to awaken. The dragon opened his eyes then saw the owl wizard next to him.
Merdhynis: So how do you feel?
Arokh: Better... still shaking, but it worked. The meditation has left me purified.
Merdhynis (smiling): Glad to hear so... my voice reached you after all.
Arokh: It wasn't just your voice... I heard something else speaking. A light or a star... that is what saved me from the Darkness.
Merdhynis: Then use that newfound knowledge and hurry to the West continent. Find the missing relics before our enemies do, and remember... if you meet any more demons or undead, use the power of Ahura to kill them way quicker!
Rynn and Arokh said goodbye to Merdhynis and returned to Surdana. Once there, our heroes placed both the map of the Ancient civilization's ruins and the Claw of Ahura sword on the pedestal for the Mother's Eye Gate. They both concentrated hard and with enough willpower, they managed to conjure an image of an unknown jungle in the portal. Rynn and Arokh took their equipment, then moved through the portal into the unknown...
XXXXXX
Arokh and Rynn were now in a dense and humid jungle. Conifer trees and palms stretched high in the sky while the ground was covered with cycads, ferns and horsetails. Their field of view was limited by a green fog-like substance created by the jungle's humidity.
Rynn: So this is it... We are now in the great unknown... You couldn't provide any useful knowledge about these lands, methinks.
Arokh: Yes and no actually... Strangely, I recognize this landscape. Millions of years ago in the time long before humans first appeared, our planet Drakan was a young and primordial world. All the landmasses were connected together and covered with dense tropical jungles. We dragons flew through the skies and fed on the other giant reptiles that lived below us. One day, a great cataclysm happened which divided the continents and changed the landscape. While the lesser giant reptiles vanished, we dragons managed to survive due to ahem... our superior magical powers and intelligence. Of course, our primary food source was gone but we managed to survive what killed the others.
Rynn: Appreciate the boasting tale of your superiority, buddy. Surprised to hear you know so much about history... unless you actually lived long enough to witness all of this, I mean.
Arokh: Oh no, all this happened WAAAY before I hatched... My parents used to tell me stories of these primeval times when I was young. I never actually thought I would ever see a portion of this long lost world.
The duo started flying around, causing them to see and gasp in awe at every new animal they saw. Large reptilian beasts with spikes or armor, some having horns on their faces while others had tails like maces. Some of these were larger than everything else, using their pillar-like legs to move across lakes like a human would use their feet to step in a shallow puddle. Their long necks were useful in reaching and eating from the treetops. On the ground and in the sky, large bugs and birds moved around but they were as big as Rynn while the reptilian beasts were as large as Arokh or even bigger! There were also turtles, lizards, snakes and crocodiles near and inside the water. An entire lost world has just been found, with Rynn and Arokh being the first ones to see it! While admiring the scenery, our heroes were swarmed by flying reptiles. These creatures resembled large bats with a beak and a single horn on their head. They lacked any breath elemental projectiles, but used the pointy tips of their wings and their sharp beaks to attack Arokh. The red dragon got annoyed and used his Thunder power to shoot lightning at these flying beasts, which caused them plummeting dead to the ground. The threat has been deal with, but another one appeared. A large bipedal reptile was running below Arokh. It was red with black stipes and a row of spikes running across its back. The arms were small but its head was long and the jaws full of knife-like teeth. Rynn taunted the creature: "What's the matter, can't you fly?" which caused it to leap above and grab Arokh by the leg in its jaws. The dragon was struggling to get out of the beast's grip, until he remembered to shoot it with dragonfire. The beast roared in pain as its face was burned, however it's strength was still impressive and it throw Arokh aside by tilting its head. The carnivore fled in pain, while Arokh accidentally flew close to one of the long-necked herbivores. The giant reptile panicked and swung its long neck, which caused Arokh to crash-land in a nearby herbivore corpse. Rynn fell off Arokh and landed precisely in a convenient large pile of dung. When the 2 recovered and saw each other, they glared humorously. Arokh used his water breath to cleanse himself and Rynn used healing magic to treat the bite mark on his leg. But Rynn herself was covered in saurian dung and smelled disgusting.
Rynn (annoyed): No way am I going anywhere like this!
Arokh: Agreed, you need a shower and your clothes need to be cleaned.
The walked forward until they saw a small lake with a cliff feeding it via waterfall. Rynn told Arokh to turn around while she undressed, after which she washed her clothes in the water. She then dived in for a swim and stood under the waterfall to bathe with her back turned against Arokh, while he guarded her drying clothes on the shore. Arokh was not that type of person, he had no dirty thoughts about Rynn or any human. Dragons had instincts to breed only once in their entire lifetime to a single mate and that was it, beyond this Arokh never understood why humans and other mammals constantly tried to court each other, then multiplied like roaches. Though he believed this was one reason why humankind's numbers increased so rapidly and became one of the dominant species of Drakan. His trail of thoughts were interrupted when he spotted a large snake crawling towards Rynn while bathing. The animal was stealthy and the waterfall's noise was making it harder for Rynn to notice. Arokh didn't want to be rude and interrupt her, so he shoot a fireball at the snake. But the smell and sound had attracted other predators as well, forcing Arokh to defend Rynn while cleaning herself. The dragon had managed to kill various bugs and reptiles before Rynn finally swam to the shore and grabbed her clothes. Arokh turned around while she was putting on her clothes.
Rynn: Hey, thanks for literally watching my back while I was bathing. Didn't know the smell would attract so many carnivores here.
Arokh: We are Bonded... if you die, then I will follow shortly afterwards.
Rynn set up camp between 2 trees and Arokh lit the fire with his breath. They were gonna spend the night here, while tomorrow they were gonna resume their quest. Arokh fed on the large herbivore corpse, while Rynn cut off a meat chunk for herself and cooked it on the fire.
Rynn: You and I make a great team, Arokh. We already saved the world twice, and here we are again saving it for a third time.
Arokh: Correct, if it weren't four our combined work then Drakan would have perished long ago.
Rynn: Guess that makes you respect me more, or do you still find me annoying and regret performing a Bond with me?
Arokh: Hmph, no human will ever surpass Heron in my eyes. But if he was alive and here, Heron would probably feel proud from both of us. Just as I feel proud of our accomplishments.
Rynn: After this is all over, what shall you do? Perhaps you can... retire? Break your Bond with me, fly away, settle down and start a family?
Arokh: My life is dedicated to the Order, Rynn. I shall never leave it and... I shall never leave you. Rynn, you are part of the Order now as well. All my previous friends and family are dead... you are the only person I have left.
Rynn (moved to tears): We are together in all of this, we are joined in life and death. Such is the Bond of dragon and human.
Arokh (sad): Glad to hear you become wiser up to the ways of the world, but it's more than just the Bond... we've been through so much together, I don't plan on leaving you any time soon... if ever.
Rynn (tired): Alright, time to sleep. After we rest, we shall keep searching these lands tomorrow.
Arokh: Rynn... would like to come and sleep under my wing. It would be much safer, I don't wish you to get attacked and killed while sleeping.
Rynn: Daaw, thanks pal. You are sweet. Very well, I will sleep under your wing.
The human woman nestled on the ground next to the dragon's chest, hearing his heart pound. Arokh's wing covered Rynn like a blanket. Soon both of them fell asleep. While he was feeling happy, a thought of sorrow crept up in Arokh's mind...
On the other day, the heroes woke up and continued flying. Eventually they reached some ruins. Unlike all the other architecture they previously saw, these pillars were square not round. The walls were decorated with bizarre unreadable symbols and geometric patterns. There were stone carvings of humans being sacrificed, decorations made of skulls and feathered snakes wrapped around some portions. Rynn muttered: "If there were any humans here, they seem to be gone now." Suddenly, the duo heard some rusting in the nearby bushes. Arokh roared and Rynn talked at the moving plants. They were then assaulted by several poisonous blow darts. Rynn quickly drank a healing potion, the she with Arokh fired ranged spells at the bushes. Out of them jumped humanoid frogs with large eyes, some green and some red. They wore loincloths and feathered headdresses. "Trogs!" screamed Rynn. Arokh wasted no time in burning all the frog beastmen into a crisp: "Guess they are found on this continent as well, I wonder if these lands are their birthplace?" Our heroes continued until they reached a swamp. The water was murky but on the surface there were large lily pads. Rynn jumped on on the closest one and stood there, waiting to see if it will support her weight. She felt the lily pad shake, then its sides quickly turned into spikes. "Rynn, watch out!" shouted Arokh. She fell into the water right before the lily pad could snap shut and close itself. The plant was a carnivorous trap. Arokh looked into the water and saw something fishy swimming towards Rynn. "Get out of the water!" he screamed. Rynn quickly jumped on another lily pad and witnessed a large piranha fish jumping out of the water behind her. But she had no time to react and watch as the next lily pad beneath was beginning to also close. Rynn began running and jumping across the lily pads and murky water, dodging jumping piranhas. Eventually she made it to the other side, with Arokh flying in close. "Is there anything in this place that doesn't wanna kill us?" Rynn wondered annoyed, while trying to catch her breath. They looked forward and saw a large stone gate with a circular sun face stone carved on it. Rynn mounted Arokh and they flew over the gate. When they entered the city, it was vacant. "More dead ends!" Arokh looked around and saw a humanoid silhouette running towards an empty house. He roared and shot a fireball at it. The unknown creature fell backwards and screamed in fear, the voice sounded weirdly human. This caught our heroes' attention who landed next to the frightened creature and looked at it. The unknown being was wearing clothes and body armor made of skin plus bones of local animals (birds and reptiles), his face was covered in tribal paint but it was visibly human. Rynn got confused and said: Sorry, we thought you weren't human. Please we mean you no harm. We are searching for help, if you can give us directions we would be very grateful.
Rynn and Arokh stepped back, while the man stood up. Still shaking, he began talking in an unknown language and started pointing in a direction. The heroes followed the tribal warrior, eventually reaching an open ceremonial area. Then the warrior shouted, causing other people to appear from their hiding places. The villagers wore tunics in bright vivid colors, with bone and feather decorations. Other warriors like the one they met also appeared, they were all wearing the same armor and body paint as him. Rynn and Arokh noticed there were 2 separate types of clothing which differentiated some people from others. Finally two more individuals appeared- a man with paint on his face whose hair was covered up by a large crown of feathers. The woman was frightened, with long dark straight hair and wore a smaller crown but made of gold instead. Instead of bones and feathers, her decorations were earrings made from precious gems.
Rynn broke the silence: Hey, apologies for such an introduction but we come here in peace. Don't know if any of you will understand what I am saying...
The Tribal Chief spoke: None of them speak the language of the Central Continent people besides me, I am their leader and the only person that wields this knowledge.
Arokh: Excellent! You can provide us with translation and help! Because you see, we are send on an important mission...
Tribal Chief: I would rather not! Our lands have been separated by magic storms from the rest of the world by thousands of years. When a foreign vessel crashes, we take what's on board and keep it here. This provides us with knowledge of the outside world. Our ancestors had to fight off invading people from your lands many centuries ago, what little information we gathered about you it would seem that it's best if our continent remains eternally safe from you! Our past members raised these magical storms as a barrier against invaders long ago, so I will make sure present and future generations of my people keep up this protection as well! Now, go back to your homeland and never again set foot here!
Rynn: Please listen, we mean no harm! We are searching for a lost object here from another civilization which is important, as it could be used to decide the fate of the world!
Tribal Chief: We do not care about the outside world, we have enough problems here to worry about!
Arokh: You don't understand, if we don't obtain this item then all of Drakan- including your lands, will be destroyed! You have to help us! If there are any issues here, we shall take care of them for you! Deal?
Tribal Chief: Hmmm... long ago, we were 2 separate tribes. One was mine living here in the swamp, the other lived in the mountains. We waged a war against each other, until we saw the futility of it and joined together as one living here now. My wife, the Queen and others are members of this mountain tribe. Life here has been difficult ever since the dragons left... We have been resorting to human sacrifice just to ask the gods for some help...
Arokh: You said dragons? Listen, we could bring back them back if you help us!
Tribal Chief: Very well... I was pondering if we should catch you and made into a sacrifice for the gods. Assuming you aren't lying, then I have a task for you. Before the dragons are summoned back, you need to kill the vicious predator Scar Eye who has been eating our people and bird livestock. We cannot go outside our city until that beast is dead, if the dragons return they will have a difficult time living here with the meat-eating saurians trying to catch them and kill them.
Rynn: Where do we find him? Also you didn't tell us your names.
Tribal Warchief: It's her, actually. My name is Coatl and my wife is named Quitze. The scarred predator can be found normally sleeping in a cave to the north.
Rynn and Arokh departed with the city, then reached the cave. Unfortunately, the entrance was blocked shut with large boulders. Rynn found a small crack on the side and entered the beast's lair. Inside the cave was dark and smelled like rotting flesh. Rynn sneaked carefully to not awaken Scar Eye, but the scattered bones and carcasses made sneaking difficult. Eventually she saw the beast sleeping in one corner wall. Rynn was astonished by its size Scar Eye was almost twice the size of the other carnivores saurians, with the spikes on her back being longer and more pronounced. She noticed one of its eyes was missing, having a large scar there instead. As she walked closer, Rynn stepped on a bone which cracked and the noise echoed through the cave. Scar Eye awakened, which forced Rynn to hide behind a carcass. The beast paused and raised its head, sniffing the air. While Rynn was hidden behind the corpse, she taught Scar Eye couldn't find her. Much to Rynn's dismay, Scar Eye began eating from the same corpse where she hid. Eventually Rynn sneezed from the beast's putrid breath, which alerted it and blew her cover. Scar Eye roared while Rynn was running. The predator charged at her, but Rynn dodged. While the large carnivore was hitting the cave walls, its lair began to shake and the entrance boulders rolled down. "That's my chance! I need Arokh to beat her!" Rynn thought after she tricked Scar Eye to hit another wall and our heroine ran for the entrance. Scar Eye saw her and ran forward. Rynn barely made it outside and met Arokh when Scar Eye burst through the entrance and roared. Arokh started shooting her with dragon fire, but Scar Eye looked at Rynn who was running towards a ravine. In combined pain and rage, the predator chased Rynn. The warrior woman slid off the ravine and grabbed a ledge while the saurian carnivore fell down the ravine and broke its body on the pointy rocks bellow. Rynn climbed back up, then mounted Arokh and the 2 of them made sure Scar Eye was dead. Afterwards, they returned to the city with their victory.
Coatl: So you took down that dangerous predator, eh? I will have to take your word for it.
Rynn: Her corpse is there in the ravine. If you don't believe us, go there and see it.
Coatl: Oh, we will do more than just see it. Fittingly, this monster has been giving us so much trouble we shall now offer it as a sacrifice for the gods! And now for you part of the bargain- how are going to bring back the dragons?
Arokh: Will gladly do it, but first there is a little problem... We ate recently and it would seem we have already digested our meals. Can you tell us where do you go when eh... you need to dispose of bodily waste?
Coatl (deadpan): In the courtyard behind this area, the sewage leads into the swamp. Do both of you need to go simultaneously?
Rynn: Yes... because you see, err... our souls are joined and we share a bond.
Coatl (raising an eyebrow): I do hope you didn't feast upon any raw and rotted Saurian meat. Assuming you don't know, it's not good for human consumption unless properly cooked.
Arokh: I am a fire-breathing dragon! A way to cook our meals is the most obvious and mundane use of my elemental power, don't you think?
Coatl (feeling uncomfortable): Fine, just finish doing your work in the backyard and then return here to summon back the other dragons.
After Rynn and Arokh relieved themselves in the backyard, they returned. "Right, about the dragons... do you know if there is anywhere some large ring with two serpentine dragon statues on its sides?" Rynn asked.
Coatl: Follow me, it's in the ceremonial step pyramid. We recognized how sacred this structure is, but couldn't figure out how to use it.
The tribal chief activated a mechanism which opened a door, splitting the pyramid's backside in two. The opened halves moved to the side and revealed the Ancients' Gates. Arokh went close to it and it started glowing. Eventually an image materialized and outside came a large dragon. This one had a long serpentine body, covered in fur but it lacked any limbs. The wings resembled those of an insect, with a fishlike fin on the tail. Lastly, the dragon's head was long and narrow almost like a beak although it had fangs.
Jungle Dragon: At lassst! It feelsss ssso good to finally return!
All the people looked in awe, then the dragon looked at Rynn and Arokh.
Jungle Dragon: You releasssed me! How can I thank you?
Rynn: We want nothing from you. These people have a relic of Mala Shae and Ahura, but they don't trust us enough and even considered using us as a sacrifice!
Jungle Dragon: Isss that ssso? Ahura, hm... I haven't heard that name in very long...
The Jungle Dragon turned to Coatl and the other humans: "Lisssten to me! Thessse people are not your enemiesss! Give them the sssacred objectsss or we are all doomed!"
Coatl (shaking): Please forgive and spare us! We didn't know they were sincere! They can have any treasure they want!
Rynn: It's not your treasure which we need, it's an object made of white crystal that glows.
Coatl (calms down): We have no such things in our city... Legend says a strange meteorite landed in the south ruins long ago, but that place is infested with frogmen.
Arokh: We can easily deal with them, how do we find this meteorite?
Coatl: You need to enter a hidden chamber, but it requires a token as the key. Here, take this and place it inside the statue's mouth.
The tribal chief gave them a human skull covered with green gemstones, in place of eyes it had a black mineral substance. Rynn and Arokh thanked Coatl, but their departure was interrupted.
Coatl: As a symbol of our gratitude we wish to also give you this gift. My wife has prepared this...
Quitze stepped forward with a slight smile and bowed respectfully. She handed them a golden idol, a small statue of a human figure.
Rynn: Looks pretty, but what is it?
Coatl: My wife's people lived in the mountains. Only ruins remain there. Use this idol to open the door and you can collect all the treasure inside. We use gems and gold only as decorations, so they are useless to us.
Arokh: Your gesture is appreciated.
Coatl: One last thing... while we are grateful for what you have done, we would prefer if you never tell anybody else about our lands and never let other foreigners come here. You are welcome to return if need be, however it would be for the best if we remain isolated.
Rynn and Arokh promised to forever keep the West Continent a secret from the rest of the world and then flew away. They first went to the cliffside, where they used the idol and opened the door. Inside the ruins there were traps, puzzles and minor enemies like bugs. After collecting all the valuable treasure inside, Rynn and Arokh returned to the main objective. They arrived back in the south ruins, killed the remaining Trogs and reached the statue with a human head. Rynn placed the jeweled skull inside the statue's opened mouth and watched as it opened. When she looked in the secret chamber, she saw a large boulder placed in the end. At first she wondered how to deal with it, but then she got an idea. Rynn took out the Claw of Ahura then swung the magical sword, causing it to release a beam of light which shattered the boulder. Inside its rubble, she saw a glowing suit of armor. The armor looked metallic but was white in color, with the joints being silver grey. The armor segments resembled scales while there were small spikes on some places, mostly the knees and elbows. Most importantly, the helmet has 4 pairs of spikes protruding which made them resemble the horns of a dragon. Lastly the visor was shaped like the opened mouth of a dragon but instead of eyes or nose there was a blue gem in the place of her forehead. Rynn adorned the armor, then felt the same type of power when she held the previous 4 relics. The armor made her feel near invincible, it was probably the strongest suit of armor in existence. Rynn walked outside the secret chamber and Arokh was excited to see her.
Arokh: Rynn, you have done it! That's the Scale of Ahura! We are so close now! Only 1 more artifact remains!
Rynn: Let's leave this place and return back in Surdana. This momentous occasion must be properly celebrated.
The protagonists returned to the entrance Gate of this continent and used it for going back home. But from now on things would only get worse...
Chapter 7: Lost Continent
Rynn and Arokh arrived back in Surdana, every important person was there waiting for them. Even the Dragon Mother was there.
Mala Shae: Amazing, it calms my soul seeing you come back here alive and well. Not only that, but you also have obtained another divine item! The only artifact remaining is the Fang of Ahura.
Rynn: So where do we find the Fang? Could it be hidden in another place of the continents, but we haven't found it yet? Please don't let me lost or sunk at the bottom of the ocean floor...
Mala Shae: There is only a single landmass remaining which you haven't searched... the Lost Continent.
Arokh: That accursed place? Argh, even thinking about it makes me feel uneasy...
Rynn: Why? What is the Lost Continent?
Arokh: We've been there before Rynn. The Volcano where the last battle of the Dark Wars took place so many years ago... Where the Dark Union opened an entrance to the Rift World and took your brother...
Rynn (flinches in pain when remembering that place): Ugh, no wonder you despise it... I too feel bad thinking about it... At least we sealed off the Rift World and took care of the Dark Union...
Mala Shae: You may harbor personal grudge for those lands, but you must go there and get the final relic! It's the only hope we have!
General Dehrimon: That place is dangerous, Rynn and Arokh must rest here first. Besides there is something we need to show them.
Lady Myschala and the others lead our heroes to the city's main street. Next to a fountain, a large golden statue in Rynn and Arokh's likeness was made. "It took us quite some time to obtain all this gold." proclaimed Dehrimon. Our duo thanked Lady Myschala, Dehrimon and the others after which they returned to their houses. However Tanyana was spying on Rynn and Arokh through her house's window. She was angered- not only did those 2 foil her every time they met but also they managed to obtain all but one of the magical items that stood in her path to success. Tanyana was practicing her magic spells, but she needed more power and resources to summon and army of demons. Adding insult to injury, now Surdana erected a statue in their honor. This was the last straw and she needed to act immediately. Rynn and Arokh were left alone in the street, so Tanyana stepped out of her house and greeted them. She barely managed to contain her hatred and rage.
Tanyana: So the great heroes of the Order have returned? And now Surdana has built a statue in your honor?
Rynn: Yup, after everything we have done I think we've earned it. But we aren't done yet, we have one last item to retrieve...
Tanyana: Well could you please help me? I saw some monsters in the woods while searching for herbs, would be grateful if you disposed of them.
Arokh: Very well, just point us in the direction and we shall follow.
Tanyana: Just wait as I get my basket. I forgot it inside my house.
The dark sorceress entered the house and took her basket. When she looked outside the window, she saw Rynn and Arokh talking to a hooded figure in blue robes.
Rynn: Merdhynis? Why have you arrived here?
Merdhynis: I heard about your success in getting most of the relics and wanted to congratulate you. However, I sensed a sinister presence around...
Tanyana exited her house and stood there, staring at Merdhynis. This caused everyone to turn around and look at her. When Merdhynis and Tanyana saw each other's faces, her eyes widened and she gritted her teeth.
Tanyana: You! I remember you!
Merdhynis: Excuse me, have we met before?
Tanyana: You are that wizard that took me away from my dead parents' burning house and send me to that perverted old bastard!
Merdhynis (eyes widening in shock): Tanyana?... It's been long. I didn't know what happened to you. Let me explain.
Before anyone could react, Tanyana shot a bolt of purple lightning at Merdhynis which caused him to fall down in pain. Tanyana then lifted him up with telekinesis and started choking him. Her eyes now glowing red, with her voice angry and loud.
Tanyana: You will pay for what you did to me you geezer! DIE!
Merdhynis (gasping): If it will bring you inner peace... then end my life. I have nothing remaining worth living...
Arokh: How did you obtain such powers?!
Before Tanyana could reply, Lady Myschala appeared with a stern face: You are making so much commotion, you have attracted the attention of others...
Tanyana (shouting): Stay out of this? What are you going to do me, false monarch? You have no power?
Myschala (courageous): I have some power, but that's not what will bring your end...
Zeggoro (teleports in): The gig is up, milady. We have uncovered your dirty little secret.
Tanyana (angry shouting): Don't do anything else including movement or the blue wizard gets killed!
Everyone looked in horror as Tanyana was telekinetically choking Merdhynis. Then suddenly, Tanyana's grip on his throat lessened and she fell as she had been shot in the back. Jade the sorceress had appeared from behind the trees.
Jade: This betrayer had stolen my magic and learned my spells for her own plots. I pretended to leave for my homeland, but in reality I kept an eye on her and informed Myschala on her every action.
Everybody looked at Tanyana's fallen body while Merdhynis stood up and rubbed his sore throat. To their horror, Tanyana's back wound healed and she also stood up with her eyes glowing red.
Rynn: Damn it Tanyana, what has possessed you?!
Zeggoro: She is the one who stole that dark gem from the cave monolith and has now become one with the Darkness!
Tanyana was outmatched, she was surrounded by enemies therefore she had to act fast and smart. She shot a bolt of purple electricity at Lady Myschala... only for her to block it with an invisible forcefield spell.
Myschala: Now Rynn! Use the godly sword to attack her! It's her only weakness!
Rynn: But wouldn't that kill her? Ah, screw it...
Rynn activated the sword and fired a beam at Tanyana, causing the dark sorceress to scream in pain and catch fire. Her body was burning, soon the flames turned black and purple until she turned into a basic humanoid outline made of dark energy with glowing red eyes. Arokh and Rynn instantly recognized the apparition but were too busy to recharge the sword with mana (magical energy).
Merdhynis raised his arms holding his wizard staff and shouted "You shall not prevail!" after which he covered the heroes in a protective magical barrier. Tanyana screeched in an inhuman voice and fired a beam of dark energy at Merdhynis, who intercepted it with a beam of blue magical energy. Their beams clashed, forcing the queen of Surdana and other sorcerers to also begin firing magic projectiles at the dark apparition. Tanyana screamed "I SHALL RETURN AND MAKE YOU ALL PAY!" after which she vanished.
Rynn: I-is she dead?
Arokh: Doubtful, you saw what she is capable of and what she has become. I am certain we shall meet her again, but next time won't be so fortunate...
Myschala: Zeggoro, Jade, I am eternally grateful you taught me that protective spell. You were both right, that girl was up to no good... Thank heavens you secretly kept an eye on her and prepared for this occasion.
Rynn and Arokh needed a few moments to compute what just happened: So you are telling us Tanyana somehow obtained the dark gem from the cave monolith before we arrived there, has absorbed it and has now become a demon?
Jade: Afraid so, the dangerous artifact has corrupted her mind and she tried to secretly kill us all. We were one step ahead of her, but she won't stop until we are all dead.
Rynn looked at Merdhynis: Tanyana mentioned you have met before... You have alot of explaining to do Merdhynis...
Merdhynis: I am afraid so... Well guess, we must spare crucial time to sit down and hear my story...
The owl wizard gave a quick summary of his past to Myschala and the others then he added what they wanted to hear: I have done some things in my life which I am not proud of and try to leave behind... I was once a secret royal advisor of the [Celtic] king on the other side of this continent... His first wife died from an illness and he wanted me to cure her. I told him that she was cursed into dying young, with the curse being impossible to be undone by any mortal wizard. It would require the power of a god to defy to laws of death and life. The king went sad and insane with grief as his wife passed away. I felt sorry for him so decided to cheer him up by finding a new queen. When walking through the woods, I found an abandoned hut and inside I saw a young girl. Her parents were dead and she was all alone. I brought her to the king. As you probably guessed, this girl would grow up into Tanyana. The king had become insane and started abusing her... thankfully he failed to claim her maidenhood as he was old and weak to the point of being sick, while Tanyana was young and strong. The combination of his mental and physical deterioration caused him to succumb to his wounds. Tanyana became the de facto rule of the Danann lands, but she had already been mentally scarred for life. As for myself... well, the king started abusing me too. He threatened to kill me unless I taught him how to wield magic. I refused to do so and was forced to run away since I don't wish to end up being executed. Sadly, with me leaving and the king dying the Danannland kingdom weakened enough for the beastmen to invade and conquer it...
Rynn: Care to share with us how many more skeletons do you keep in your closet in advance?
Merdhynis: Not much more, with the others being minor and I seriously doubt could end up being world-ending. On the other hand, in my defense how could have known this random girl would grow up into such a monstrous threat...
Arokh: That raises the stakes of our quest even further! We must obtain the last relic before Tanyana summons more demons and threatens to destroy all of Drakan!
Merdhynis: Then go Rynn and Arokh! Embark for the Lost Continent, seek and recover the last holy artifact within! That is our final and only hope!
Our two protagonists used the Eye, Wing Feather, Horn, Claw and Scale of Ahura on the Mother's Eye gate alongside the map from the ruins. As much as it pained them to remember this place, they conjured and re-activated the portal to the Lost Continent.
Rynn and Arokh passed through the gate and managed to arrive in this wasteland left behind from the Dark Wars...
XXXXXX
What they saw there first was a forest made on dead trees and thorny vines. They looked to the side and saw a ruined pillar with some bricks- the last reminder these lands once supported human civilization. However there still was life here... A strange creature, resembling a bipedal lizard without arms glanced at them. It had an exoskeleton instead of skin, with its head being devoid of any features besides a wide toothy mouth. The creature hissed then spat some acid between itself and our heroes. Rynn quickly brought out her arrows, then shot the beast and watched it squirm on the ground in pain. As it died, the creature exploded and released a puddle of toxic sludge on the ground while in the air poisonous fumes rose up. Rynn and Arokh both felt disgust from this beast, only to realize this noise had attracted others of its kind. Arokh took to the skies, avoiding a fight with any more of these unnatural creatures.
Rynn: I swear, the more continents we explore the more grotesque the local wildlife becomes!
Arokh: The explosion of magical energy from the Dark Wars have turned this continent into a toxic wasteland. The local animals and plants have been warped beyond recognition into hideous mutants.
Flying beyond the thorny forest Rynn and Arokh made it into an open valley. There they saw the horror- thousands of skeletons of many long-dead creatures littered the ground, while the water gave way to black tar pits with the obsidian ooze bubbling ominously.
Arokh: So many lives... lost because of the Dark Wars. Most of them accumulated here together in a nightmarish boneyard.
Rynn: Do you recognize this place or any of the skeletons here?
Arokh: I would rather not, Rynn...
While moving on the ground through the skeletons, another mutant slithered infront of our duo. This creature resembled a large snake with a crocodile's mouth. Its body was too made from an exoskeleton, with ribcage-like spiky protrusions from its back. Lastly, it had only a single pair of limbs- two long and skinny arms ending with sharp claws. The mutant hissed towards the human and her dragon. Arokh blasted it with a fireball: Ah, bugger off! I am tired of annoying vermin like you.
The mutant screeched and fell to the ground burned, however its corpse erupted like a balloon and from it 4 smaller faster versions of itself sprang forth. While they were speedily crawling forward, Arokh flew upwards and this avoiding their nuisance. The heroes moved forward towards to blackened mountain and canyon which lead into the volcano. Their path was interrupted by 2 bone dragons. Undead skeletons of dragons with bits of green rotting scales and tendons on their bones. The 2 enemies flew towards Arokh and Rynn, breathing green lightning from their mouths. Arokh was beginning to get angry, but he remembered about his newly acquired Air elemental breath from the West Continent. He created a wind funnel cloud with his breath which sucked in the bone dragons and kept spinning them around. The undead dragons were left dazed after Arokh stopped using this ability, only to unleash his secondary attack. He created a giant wide tornado which caught both dragon skeletons and carried them towards the canyon walls. When the tornado hit the cliffs, it dissipated while the skeleton dragons got smashed against the rocks and their bones got scattered everywhere. With those undead enemies rendered completely dead, Rynn and Arokh fewl through the canyon until they entered the volcano. The barren landscape was made mostly of black rocks and rivers of red lava flowing everywhere. The monotony was broken up by the occasional structure of the Dark Union which had turned to ruin with years of disrepair. Several caves were blocked off by fallen rocks, eventually Rynn and Arokh reached a place they recognized. Fallen rocks and lava flowed into this hole, being tightly shut like a giant lid. Bad memories began appearing in Arokh and Rynn's minds.
Rynn: Do you remember this?
Arokh: Yes, unfortunately... the former entrance to the Rift World... that we sealed off after we killed Navaros and failed to save your brother.
Rynn (sniffs in sadness): Damn it... I hope whatever fate Navaros' disembodied soul is currently in, eternally is worse than death... That bastard really deserves it...
Arokh: Sorry to remind you of that Rynn. If it will make you feel better, I also lost many individuals dear to me.
Rynn: You don't need to apologize, it's not your fault Arokh. Let's move forward...
The protagonists flew through a lava-filled tunnel and entered another open area. In the distant cliff on the other side they saw the 2 Desert Lords from the Ancient ruins.
Zahek: Look sister! The dragon rider and her flying pet have found us yet again!
Asaiji: Yes, I see that brother! It would seem we have no where left to run and hide!
Arokh (grolws): I am not her pet! We are bonded and equal partners!
Rynn (ignoring Arokh's compliment): We have cornered you! Whatever is that you're planning, ends here alongside your lives!
Zahek: Curse you, human! You with your dragon killed our glorious leader, then reduced our proud and mighty race to just the 2 of us!
Rynn: Don't act innocent! You tried to enslave people and now you are up to even more carnage! What is it? Reviving Navaros and the Dark Union? Or somehow bringing Jassad and your army back?
Asaiji: We have found a lost artifact which shall give us the means to exact revenge. After we kill you and the Order, then we shall return to Sessool and deal with the others there!
Zahek: The Desert Lords shall reign supreme, with no other species being our equals or superiors. Perhaps this relic of yours will also help us keep... the Dark One locked away.
Rynn: What are you talking about? I don't understand any of your nonsense!
Asaiji (sounding scared): We are the most intelligent race in Sessool, with most of the others there being mere savage beasts which only corrupt and destroy. They exiled us because we chose not to aid them in serving the Darkness.
Arokh: What are these Dark One and Darkness you keep talking about? Why do you keep avoiding saying more about it?
Zahek (fearful voice): Thank your lucky stars and pray that you never find out! A primordial being of unlimited power, which cannot ever be controlled! If it ever awakens, the whole Universe and everything in it will be obliterated!
As Rynn and Arokh (metaphorically) scratched their heads in confusion, the 2 Desert Lords spoke in their language and invoked a spell. Then they transformed into balls of energy which fell down into the lava. Rynn and Arokh waited their next move, when the ground started quaking. The lava rose and took a vaguely humanoid form. It grew a pair of arms, then on its face a single eye appeared magically alongside a jagged mouth. They had transformed into a giant Lava Golem, which proceeded to shoot huge magma balls at our heroes. The golem also shot a long single sweeping beam from its one eye. Arokh dodged the attacks, then decided to use all 8 of his elemental powers to destroy this construct. His Fire, Poison and Earth breaths did nothing so he changed tactics. He kept shooting the Lava Golem with Water, Ice, Air and Thunder instead. Arokh kept aiming for the head and while his attacks caused some damage, the Golem continued recovering due to unlimited amount of lava beneath. Then in desperation Arokh used the secondary attack of his Darkness breath- two black/purple beams shot sideways from his mouth and then connected inside the Golem's torso. The beams joined together and formed a massive black hole which expanded, sucking up the Golem and all the lava in this area. While the black hole expanded, the Golem screamed in pain until it was fully absorbed by the dark void. The black hole finished sucking up all the lava, then it exploded with a loud bang. Thus the last Desert Lords' threat was finally dealt with. Rynn congratulated Arokh, but he replied: "I don't feel so well, Rynn..."
Rynn: You should not have used the Darkness element, Arokh...
Arokh: Desperate times call for desperate measures... I am afraid I had no other choice...
Rynn used the Horn of Ahura spell to heal both of them as much as possible. They flew towards the black volcanic rocky cliff and landed on the ledge. Rynn walked through the door and saw a small room. On the opposite end stood a treasure chest, but 6 sarcophagi were placed on the side walls. As soon as Rynn stepped in, the sarcophagi opened simultaneously and 6 human skeletons holding short axes jumped out. They rushed towards Rynn, prepared to shred her. But they ended up being shredded as she used the Claw of Ahura sword to instantly vaporize all of them in 1 fell swoop. When the skeletons evaporated, she opened the treasure chest and saw its contents. A wooden magic staff with spikes on top like a mace or dragon head which held a green jewel. It resembled Yutaji's Golem staff but it seemed created by human hands instead. Rynn stepped outside and showed the new item to her dragon.
Arokh: Strange, that doesn't resemble the previous relics we found. It appears different and unrelated.
Rynn: This is not what we are looking for? We were sent here on a wild goose chase!
Arokh: No Rynn, I recognize this! It's the Dragonstone Scepter! With it, all dragons can be controlled and the Bonding ritual can be performed without any side-effects! Even Mala Shae included! I thought it was lost after the Dark Wars, but we have found it!
Rynn: Good news, but we still need the final relic... Do you think the Desert Lords had found and kept it on themselves? Or perhaps destroyed it?
Arokh: I cannot tell for certain... Something is amiss, I can feel it... The Light... I sense it exists, but it's not here.
Rynn: Whatever... let's go back home and show this to everyone!
Arokh and Rynn flew outside the volcano, however before exiting it they saw a spinning red crystal midair. Arokh picked it up and felt how a new power was added to his arsenal. The red dragon had now 9 elements: his basic Fire, the acquired Ice, Water, Poison, Darkness, Thunder, Air, Earth and now the Magma Rune. Yet, something was missing still... Arokh pushed the worrying thought inside his mind away, then he and Rynn travelled back through the Lost Continent until they reached the Ancients' Gate which served as their entrance here. The two of them crossed the threshold, leaving behind this nightmarish place and returning back home in Surdana...
Chapter 8: Dragon Dimension
The bonded duo came through the Mother's Eye gate and stood on the cliff behind the Surdana palace. Awaiting them were Myschala, Dehrimon, Jade, Zeggoro, Brekk, Quaalus, Merdhynis and even Mala Shae.
Merdhynis: You managed to survive and return from the hellscape. Did you find and obtain the Fang of Ahura?
Rynn: No, it wasn't there. The West and Lost continents both aren't good for exploration plus colonization by the Order. Best would be to forget about them.
Merdhynis: Shit... where is that damn sixth relic? If it's not in either of those places, then our search has left us empty handed!
Arokh: We didn't find the Fang, but we do bring a consolation prize...
Rynn took out the Dragonstone Scepter and gave tossed it in Merdhynis' hands. He looked flabbergasted at what he now held.
Merdhynis: Holy stars and sacred heavens! You found the Dragonstone Scepter, lost after the Dark Wars' end?
Rynn: I know- surprising, isn't it?
Merdhynis (laughting): With this item, we could speed up the Bond process and quickly amass a whole army of dragon riders! Having every dragon under our control, we can stand a fighting chance against the demons of Sessool!
Mala Shae: It's very fortunate you have found this item. However some measure of worry still remains in my heart... Rynn, Arokh, we still need to find the Fang of Ahura.
Rynn: What's the problem? We already have the Ancients' Gates, 5 out of 6 relics, the Dragonstone staff thingy and you. Heck, can't you alone repel Sessool's demon armies yourself?
Mala Shae: I am but a mere demigoddess. My power alone is insufficient against Sessool... The Desert Lords were the most rational and intelligent denizens of the Demon World, but its other inhabitants are stronger and less merciful... Demons were created specifically to act as the evil counterpart of dragons and they are capable of killing all dragonkind, myself included...
Arokh: Who or what created Sessool and the demons? Great Mother, is there something you wish to share with us...
Mala Shae (visibly shivering): Yes... We must learn how to use this Dragonstone Scepter and immediately gather all dragons here. The Order needs as many Bonded troops as possible.
All the human citizens of Surdana gathered on the main street. Mala Shae summoned all dragons in the Central Continent around the city. Merdhynis had placed the Dragonstone Scepter on the ground and started controlling it.
Merdhynis: So what are your orders? What should we do first? Perhaps Bond the queen Myschala with Mala Shae the dragon mother to show everyone an example on how to perform the ritual?
Lady Myschala: Or perhaps we could use this weapon to switch Rynn and Arokh, giving them other Bonded partners instead? Or letting them live a normal life by retiring from the Order?
Arokh felt a bitter taste in his mouth upon hearing these words.
Rynn: Separate from Arokh?
Lady Myschala: Yes, after everything you have done for us you have earned to live normal lives free of any danger. But your souls will still be connected, so if you wish then we can un-bound you from each other.
Rynn: Living normally without having to worry about anything? Arokh, what do you have to say about this?
Arokh: I... uh... wish to have my actions talk more clearly than words...
What Rynn's dragon did next shocked everyone. He opened his mouth and shot a magma ball into the Dragonstone Scepter, which caused green sparks of energy to flutter across it. After that happening, the relic exploded in a bright flash and multiple pieces had shattered on the ground. The pieces stopped glowing and shortly afterwards, turned into fine powder. Everyone, dragon and human alike now looked disappointingly and angrily at the dragon Arokh.
Rynn: Arokh, what the f...? Had you lost your mind?
Lady Myschala: The relic destroyed... all hope is lost!
Mala Shae: What is the reason for your treachery Arokh?
Arokh laid down and began talking ashamed: No dragon should ever be controlled, all of them should be free... this artifact's power is too dangerous and could be used for the wrong purposes... Human and dragon Bond should be based on mutual trust, not enslavement...
Merdhynis: Arokh, is there a personal reason why you just did that? Say it and if we deem it good enough, we shall be more lenient on you.
Arokh (shame turning into sadness): Very well... I lost my family and friends in the Dark Wars, some of them were killed by the Dark Union while others defected to it and I was forced to kill them. I even lost my first rider, Heron whom had sacrificed himself to save all of Drakan. I lost everything and everyone I ever held dear to me that day, even contemplated suicide... At first when I met Rynn, I find her annoying... But eventually I felt pity for her when we failed to save all the people in her village, including her brother... We have been through so much together and accomplished so many things that Rynn has become like a sister to me... Please I beg you, do not separate us... don't ever take away the only person remaining in life I call my family...
Rynn's eyes began filling up with tears and she ran towards Arokh. She held his head and gently placed her hand on the side of his face like a horse's while resting her head on his cheek.
Rynn: Arokh, I knew you had a heart somewhere inside of you beneath your gruff exterior. The feelings are mutual, as I also consider you the only family I have remaining.
The crowd's expressions changed from angered to saddened. Everyone was genuinely moved by Rynn and Arokh's relationship and several people even began shedding tears.
Mala Shae: Very well, you have proved yourself. We shall never separate both of you from each other. From now on, all dragon and human bonds are decided on mutual trust instead of revolving around master-servant relationship like mere domestic animals.
Merdhynis: Your story sincerely touched the hearts of many and that's good... However, you still ruined our trump card so Drakan remains endangered by annihilation.
Arokh: There is one last option remaining... The final divine artifact! I vow to undo my error by finding and bringing the Fang of Ahura here! If only we knew where to search, then Rynn and myself shall go to retrieve it!
Merdhynis: That's the spirit Arokh! But are you sure it exists and isn't lost or destroyed?
Arokh: I can sense it... the Light is somewhere out there... don't know where but I am certain that it exists!
Mala Shae (optimistic): Well, there is one place where I think it might be located... our home world, the Dragon Dimension.
Arokh: Are you sure, oh Great Mother?
Mala Shae: It's the last and only remaining option we have... there is no other choice but to look there.
Arokh: Fine, that Rynn and I shall go to the Dragon Dimension!
Mala Shae: Glad to hear that, but first I need to speak with you in person... it's about important matters in our home world.
Merdhynis: Excuse me, but is anybody else besides Rynn and Arokh allowed to hear this information?
Mala Shae: Yes, this is for their ears only... all of you must return to your homes now.
The dragons and humans left the city streets, while Mala Shae flew away to a remote area with Rynn and Arokh. Merdhynis looked at them with a suspicious face.
Mala Shae had gathered an audience with only Rynn and Arokh in a secluded location. However, unknown to them a owl stood in a nearby tree and heard their conversation.
Mala Shae: Rynn, Arokh, listen carefully... I need to share with you crucial information that you must keep secret. Nobody else is to know this, understood?
Arokh and Rynn promised to keep the information secret. Mala Shae began her long story...
Ahura is the supreme god of Light and Creation who gives birth to many worlds in the Universe. We dragons were created as his emissaries to protect our home the Dragon Dimension and this world you call Drakan from any threat... The biggest danger are the demons of Sessool and their creator. It's time you learn the true reason why the 6 relics were created and placed here, their purpose is greater than you can ever imagine... I prayed after my beloved parent Ahura left for the stars, I would never have to witness this horror and spare anyone of this knowledge but now I must reveal to you why I am so scared for the holy artifacts... You see, Ahura's power is far greater than mine but there was another being as old and powerful as my Creator... Ahura has a sibling, equal in power but opposite in everything else... Since the beginning of time darkness always follows light everywhere... The primordial god of darkness and eternal arch-enemy of Ahura is the god of Destruction- Angra... (Mala Shae shuddered when saying that name) Whereas Ahura creates worlds and life, Angra either destroys them or corrupts them. My beloved parent grew tired of this never-ending struggle and one day he somehow gained the advantage over Angra... However their powers were evenly matched so Ahura couldn't kill Angra... My creator ended the stalemate by imprisoning Angra in a planet which one day would become Sessool... but even in their dormant state, Angra's dreams are conjuring demons whose purpose is to destroy and kill everything. Ahura knew that Angra could potentially break out of its prison, so the Creator god created 6 items which held portions of his power. Then Ahura scattered these relics across the world and instructed the dragons to keep the safe. Should the demons of Sessool ever invade Drakan, these blessed artifacts are our best chance of dealing with them. Hence why you must obtain the Fang of Ahura quickly! It won't kill Angra, but it can destroy the demons and thus halt its awakening... Rynn, Arokh know this- Angra cannot ever be slain or defeated, the only thing we can do is halt its revival and keep it sealed away... This is one foe whose power far outmatches all of our combined might. Do you finally understand why this objective is so urgent? I apologize for the long story, but you had to learn the totality of our situation. We must do everything possible to prevent the arrival of the dreaded primeval God of Death and Destruction!
Rynn: Understood, you have our word Mala Shae.
Arokh: We promise we shall not disappoint you, Great Mother.
When the conversation was over, the owl flew away. Rynn and Arokh turned on the Mother's Eye gate with Mala Shae standing close by. The Dragon Mother spoke: "I shall accompany both of you on this journey. I know the Dragon Dimension well and shall guide your way."
Mala Shae went first through the portal and vanished. Arokh asked Rynn if she is prepared for the journey, when suddenly Merdhynis appeared and whispered to them.
Merdhynis: I know your secret given to you by the Dragon Mother...
Rynn: Were you spying on us old man?
Merdhynis: Yes, but I won't impede your journey and promise to keep your secret well hidden until my final breath. There is nothing I can do any more besides wish you best of luck. Rynn, Arokh... please don't fail this quest and return home safely, do you hear?
Arokh and Rynn smiled after which they went through the giant portal. As Merdhynis watched them disappear he said to himself: Please Ahura, if you can hear me... help them accomplish their quest and protect everything you have created.
XXXXXX
Our protagonist duo finally arrived in the Dragon Dimension, the birth place of all dragonkind.
When they finally crossed over, a beautiful paradise of a landscape revealed itself before them. A tropical jungle with various beautiful plants of many colors, a sunny sky with a rainbow and a coastal beach with a warm inviting sea on the side. There were several islands with vegetation floating in the sky akin to Stratos, while mountains and caves dotted the ground. Most peculiar were the ruins- large white columns made of white marble with gold trimmings and blue gems or crystals etched on them. The duo then heard the Dragon Mother flying above them and beckoning: "Follow me this way, I now the path to a place which could hold what we seek".
Arokh wanted to fly up, however Rynn stopped him: Why the hurry? There are no enemies here, let's enjoy the scenery instead.
Rynn with Arokh walked towards a large vividly colored flower. When Rynn told Arokh she wanted to sniff it, her dragon companion shot a fire ball towards it. Rynn asked "Why did you do that for?", but her answer was provided when the flower released a cloud of toxic green gas. "You are gonna have to trust me more often, Rynn." Arokh proclaimed in a semi-humorous tone. "Very well, but apart from deadly plants I doubt we shall meet any other dangers here..." said Rynn. Ironically her statement got proven wrong shortly afterwards when a swarm of large insects appeared and surrounded them. "Ever heard of a little something called "tempting fate" Rynn? Leave anything to me from now on." Arokh replied after which he fried the bugs with his dragon fire and flew upwards. Rynn apologized however their conversation was interrupted by Mala Shae: "Where have you two been? There is no time to waste any further, I have located our goal."
The protagonists followed Mala Shae who eventually landed infront of a cave with a stone door. The huge entrance was blocked with a megalith, on it depicted a stylized representation of a dragon with a glowing star above its head. Mala Shae opened her mouth then breathed a stream of blue and white fire towards the door, which then began glowing and opened the cave's entrance. But much to our heroes' chagrin, the cavern behind the door was too small for Mala Shae to enter though fortunately it was big enough for Arokh to fit inside.
Mala Shae: These ruins are left from our creator, the Lord of Light. My power is the only thing which can open this entrance, but alas I cannot enter inside and claim whatever Ahura has left for us before leaving us for the Universe. I suspect that Ahura left various trials and traps inside to weed out the unworthy, only those possessing all of the relics can pass through and obtain Ahura's hidden gift. Rynn, Arokh, go inside and triumph! The future of Drakan and possibly all of existence depends on both of you!
Mala Shae bid them farewell and flew away into the sky, then Rynn and Arokh entered the cavern. Behind the tunnel was a large circular room with a ravine in the middle, on the other side was a door with a switch next to it. Sadly the ceiling was too low for Arokh to fly and the ravine was filled with toxic gas, however there were pillars jutting from above the level of the deadly green vapors. Rynn jumped across the pillars and made it on the other side, pulling the switch. The door before her opened and a ledge appeared on the side. Arokh walked on this magical ledge and joined with Rynn on the other side. The first trial has been passed.
The next room was big enough for Arokh to fly in but there were holes in the walls that blew gusts of wind that caused the dragon to lose control of his flight and forced him to land on the ground. Infront of them a huge tornado rose up towards the ceiling, blocking the next gate. Arokh saw a similar mechanism high above the gate. He tried shooting it with his elemental breath, however nothing happened. Then Rynn took out her Wing Feathers of Ahura, she charged one arrow in the bow then fired it through the large tornado. Miracuously the arrow hit the switch, causing the gate to open and the wind traps were all deactivated. The second trial has been passed.
The following room was filled with clear water. Arokh could easily fly over to the other side and Rynn could swim towards the coast with the gate. However there was no switch visible anywhere. Then Runn looked around and noticed a cave tunnel under the water. She jumped in and swam through the underwater cavern. Dodging stalactites and stalagmites, the tunnel eventually surfaced into a small cavern with the switch in it. Rynn activated the mechanism and then swam back towards Arokh. The two of them reunited and proceeded through the now opened gate. The third elemental trial has also been passed.
The next room had holes in the ground with large boulders falling and rolling everywhere in some pattern of intervals. Arokh was too big to make it through all the boulders alive, however Rynn was small and fast enough to pass through them and hide inside holes in the walls. Even though she was good at dodging and rolling, the human woman decided to boost her speed by using the Horn of Ahura spell. With her speed increased, Rynn easily passed through all the boulders and holes, then making it next to the gate and the switch. After using the mechanism, Rynn opened the gate while deactivating the boulder trap. Her dragon caught up with her and they moved on. The fourth elemental trial has also been passed.
The following room was filled with lava, while both geysers on the ground and mouth-shaped carvings in the walls breathed fire in various directions. Like the previous rooms, Arokh couldn't navigate but Rynn was the right size and speed for dodging all the deadly fire. With the Scale of Ahura body armor she had enough resistance towards the barrage of elemental flame traps. Eventually she made it across then opened the gate with the switch next to it. While she healed her wounds with a potion, the burning traps were disabled and a bridge appeared for Arokh to use. The dragon made it safely across and proceeded with his female human rider towards the next room. The fifth and penultimate trial has been passed.
The room where they entered had crystals which shot lightning bolts in all directions. Unfortunately, there was no pattern and the shots were completely random. Arokh was too big to fly and he would inevitably be killed by the blasts of deadly electricity. "How much more of this crap do we have to endure?" snarked Rynn. "Whatever is on the other side by virtue of logic must be extremely valuable if it's protected by such elaborate traps." Arokh pondered. Rynn got off Arokh and clenched all her items angrily. She cast the spell to give her a speed boost and then shouting made a beeline towards a small alcove on the side, dodging the lightning bolts. She saw there a crystal glowing and broke it with the Claw of Ahura sword. She then saw a similar crystal appearing on the opposite side of the room. The lightning bolts were too fierce and risky for her to dodge, so she gripped her blessed bow and muttered with teeth gritted: "Ahura, if you have heard us thus far then help us again. I am tired of these games, just show us what you are keeping hidden that is apparently so valuable." She then shot a divine arrow through the room towards the opposite corner and hit the glowing crystal, shattering it. Rynn briefly smiled but then frowned again when she spotted a third crystal appearing next to the gate. She gritted her teeth and rolled after which jumped through the barrage lightning bolts. However as she was in mid-air, one of the blasts hit her and caused her to fall next to the third crystal. Arokh winced in pain, but he didn't feel as if he was dying like before. He looked forward and saw Rynn crawling slowly towards the third crystal, standing up with an expression of rage on her face. Rynn took out her sword relic and screamed in fury: "Enough already! LET US PASS DAMN IT!" Rynn stabbed the crystal with her sword, causing the former to break. All the other crystals followed shortly, breaking into small pieces which now lay on the ground. With the lightning bolts deactivated, Arokh moved forward. "I hope there isn't any more after this." Rynn proclaimed after which she healed their wounds using another potion and opened the gate with the nearby switch. The sixth and last elemental trial has been passed.
Rynn and Arokh entered a large circular cavern, the walls were high enough for Arokh to fly around freely. There was a large white marble disk on the floor in the room's center with mysterious arcane symbols visible on it. Besides that object, nothing else in the cavern seemed noteworthy- there were stalactites and stalagmites, a few vines on the walls and some cracks on the ceiling where some daylight shone through. Infront of them on the room's other end was a huge pile of boulders. Rynn angrily spoke: "What, we came all the way here for nothing?" to which Arokh replied "Perhaps the pile of boulders and the round plate on the floor could provide an answer." Rynn kicked a rock on the ground angrily: "I've had enough of these riddles, if we are expected to remove all the boulders one by one or something else then forget it!" Arokh looked around a saw a large marble statue's hand poking out from the lower corner of the giant pile of boulders. "Rynn, I have an idea! Climb on me and let me do the riddle-solving this time!" Rynn obliged and the two of them flew up. Arokh used his poison breath and shot a ball of green toxic gas towards the uncovered hand. The hand began glowing and the opposite side of the rubble exploded in a display of white/blue magical energy. Another white marble statue hand was revealed! Rynn and Arokh smiled, having figured out the puzzle. Arokh then used his Air elemental breath on the second hand which revealed a third one above the first one. Arokh shot a Water elemental projectile towards it, revealing a fourth hand on the opposite side. This prompted Arokh to use his Earth breath power and re-activate this hand. Doing so revealed a fifth hand high above the others. Having figured out the pattern, Arokh shot his basic dragon Fire towards the fifth hand which revealed a sixth and last hand on the opposite side. It was obvious what the final remaining element was. Arokh shot a bolt of Thunder towards the sixth hand. When that was done, all six hands began glowing with the used elements appearing in them- Poison, Air, Water, Earth, Fire and Thunder. A huge blue and white glow appeared in the middle of the boulder pile, causing it to explode and revealing the hidden statue behind it. What Rynn and Arokh saw caused them to at first gape in awe, after which they calmed down and looked calmly at the gigantic revealed statue.
The statue depicted a tall humanoid dragon with six arms/hands, its legs and feet were folded as it was sitting in a meditating lotus position. It had 3 pairs of wings, all of them beautifully feathered like a bird. The long tail also ended in a fan or leaf-shaped cluster of avian feathers. Its head was adorned by several pairs of horns which shaped a rough visage of a crown. The face was carved in a serene smile with closed eyes, a star-shaped blue symbol was visible on the forehead. A similar symbol was visible on the statue's chest, with a texture of reptilian scales covering the whole body. The statue was mostly of white marble, with some blue and golden yellow trimmings in some areas to break up the color monotony. Arokh and Rynn instantly recognized whose identity was carved into the statue.
"A-ahura?" both Rynn and Arokh gasped. As if by activation by the name being uttered, the statue's eyes opened up then began glowing in a beautiful blue and white light. The statue began speaking in an eerie but serene calm voice, sounding both masculine and feminine simultaneously. Its voice caused our heroes to stand petrified in awe of its power, but also both their entire being (minds, bodies, hearts and souls alike) were filled with peace and joy.
"Greetings, my children. I am the creator of everything and the God of Light. While I have been known by many names you may call me Ahura."
"Uh, pleased to meet you. I am Rynn and this is Arokh. We are from the new Order of the Flame and were sent here by Mala Shae to..."
The statue interrupted her and continued monologuing while ignoring her words. Arokh told Rynn: "I have a feeling the statue isn't directly speaking with, instead this dialogue has been magically recorded in advance."
Ahura's giant marble statue continued speaking:
I was born from the primordial cosmic void of Chaos, and then set out to bring forth all of existence. My power allows me to travel across the stars and create multiple worlds, then sow the seeds of life on many of them as possible. When I created this planet, I then made the Spirit Dragons to act as my emissaries. My beloved daughter Mala Shae is the progenitor of all dragonkind and she has a small fraction of my power. I am also responsible for the many other lesser gods and nature spirits which inhabit other worlds. Even though I love all of my creations, I am forced to constantly fly through the aether of outer space to create more worlds. I didn't want my children to be saddened by my absence, so I left them with several gifts which contain fragments of my near-infinite strength. If you are here and listening to my words, this means you have managed to acquire most of them and passed my trials. Only the worthy could accomplish this and prove themselves of inheriting my power. Well done, I shall bestow upon you my greatest blessing! However if you are here, then I assume the worst has transpired and you forced to collect all my relics. Because you see, there is another reason why I created these blessed items then hid them around only for the worthy to find and use...
Rynn and Arokh began feeling uneasy, a sense of doubt and fear creeped inside them. The statue of Ahura stopped talking for a moment, and then began speaking in a worried tone.
The universe demands balance in all things. Creation and light cannot exist without their opposites... Before I lend you my power you must know this- shortly after I was born, the primordial cosmic void of Chaos gave birth to another being. An entity that is equal in power to me, but opposite in every other way. My opposite twin sibling and eternal rival became the god of Darkness and Destruction. Like me, it has been known by many names but you need know only one of them... Angra. Just as I embody all that is good in the Universe, so does Angra embody all that is bad. Angra isn't evil by choice, rather by nature. The two of us constantly clashed together- I created worlds, then Angra destroyed them in a perpetual cycle. Neither of could destroy the other, so we sadly were locked in an eternal stalemate. I grew tired of this never-ending cycle so one day I feigned weakness and pretended to surrender to my dark sibling. In that brief moment of distraction, I destroyed Angra's body and then banished its essence in the farthest planet of this galaxy. While forced in sleep, Angra's power began corrupting and poisoning that world. As the god of darkness and evil, Angra even in its dormant state is capable of corrupting living creatures into hideous abominations and birthing demons. I was aware that one day Angra will break free out of its prison and began spreading darkness across the Universe, so I prepared a backup plan. The six relics I have created and scattered in the corners of your world... they hold portions of my power, the only thing capable of driving away the darkness and sealing Angra back in the Demon World. You have obtained five of the relics, now I shall give you the sixth and last one. Take this fragment of my godly might and use it to protect your world from all evil! Go forth and fear nothing, as I now give you my blessing! Let my divine light guide your way, my children...
The statue's forehead and chest symbols began glowing in the same colored light as the eyes, then they fired 4 beams of white-blueish energy towards the circular stone platform in the middle. Rynn and Arokh closed all their eyes, as they were nearly blinded by the sheer power of the Light. After that, all 4 beams combined into one star-like object which flew up in the air then began levitating. The object grew in size and began producing sparkles, it became as big as Arokh without his wings. Afterwards, the statue stopped glowing with Rynn and Arokh opening their eyes and looking upwards. They saw the object glowing like a miniature star and gasped in awe. Rynn asked: "Arokh, is that what I think it is?" Arokh replied excited: "Yes, Rynn! It's the last relic- the Fang of Ahura! We found it!"
Rynn mounted Arokh, then they flew upwards. "The Fang of Ahura... I assume it's a dragon's breath weapon. The element of Light, correct? If so, take it!": Rynn shouted. "Correct, the final gift and blessing of the supreme god is a power only for dragons. And now it's finally ours!": Arokh answered her while barely containing his victorious laugh. The 2 heroes approached the bright glowing star-like object and touched it. The light disappeared and entered Arokh, causing him to glow. The following event was amazing.
Rynn and Arokh saw a vision before them- the Universe forming, stars burning up, magical energies floating around, planets being created and filled with life. Every negative emotion inside them- fear, sadness, rage and others have disappeared. Arokh and Rynn were now filled with courage and serene calmness. Even the corrupting taint of the Darkness element which Arokh had absorbed now felt a distant and suppressed little memory! Both of them were healed of all their physical and mental wounds, feeling blessed with divine power. They felt as their inner strength has just increased as now they were practically demigods. It was finally done- the last relic is now in their possession and its power was felt by both, despite Arokh being the one taking it! Finally after the process was over, Arokh fully absorbed the relic and flew down to land on the ground. "So, how did you feel? It was amazing for me.": Rynn asked. "Likewise, I feel as if I have the power to crush entire mountains and seas into mere dust!": Arokh replied. Rynn began goading Arokh: "Then what are you waiting for? Let's try out this new power! I am excited and curious!" Arokh looked around, then saw a stalagmite in one corner of the cave. The dragon paused for a moment, aimed towards it and then opened his jaws. A volley of 4 fast beams of blueish-white light escaped his mouth, each of them having a star-shaped tip. The laser beams were so quick, it took them a mere second to reach their intended target. When the smoke had finally cleared up from the blast impact, our heroes were surprised to see the stalagmite had completely disappeared! It wasn't shattered, burned, melted or anything like that- it was completely vaporized! Arokh smirked and then told Rynn he wanted to try out his secondary attack. He aimed in the opposite direction towards a wall and opened his jaws again. A brief moment was used for the charge up, with several blue-white sparkles gathering inside his mouth before combining into a single large spark. Then Arokh fired easily the most powerful dragon breath element in existence- a single gigantic long beam of white and blue energy. Rynn stared in excited amazement while Arokh was firing this beam of divine Light- across the blinding surface, the beam's colors flickered as if it was a fiery source of extreme heat. When Arokh stopped his attack, both of them looked towards the wall and saw that Ahura's gift of power had carved a tunnel as big as Rynn! It was difficult to determine how deep the hole was, however neither of them doubted that Arokh's newly obtained breath element was extremely overpowered! The heroic duo exited the room and began walking back towards outside the cave.
Wahoo! Did you see that? At last, we have all the divine relics and with your new power nothing can stop us!: Rynn shouted in excitement.
Agreed, our mission is completed. Let us go back to Surdana to inform everyone of the good news.: Arokh smiled happily and confidently.
However, their victory was cut short when the caves began rumbling and small debris fell around. "What's that? Is the cave destroying itself after we deactivated the traps and obtained the item?": Rynn asked worried.
No, it would have been stronger if that was the case. Feels like the source of this rumbling comes from outside.: Arokh replied. The protagonists finally stepped outside, only to see the horror which befell the Dragon Dimension.
The sky was reddish-black, the ground was burning from magical fire with the plants being reduced to ash. Dragons were flying around scared, while battling some weird otherworldly creatures in the distance. Rynn and Arokh saw a dying wyvern before them who slightly raised his head with the words: "An ambush... invaders from another dimension... they attacked us when least expected..." before succumbing to his wounds and his raised now fallen back to the ground as his life had come to an end.
Mala Shae! We must find and protect her!: shouted Arokh. Rynn quickly nodded in agreement with him, after which they flew over in the sky and witnessed the carnage.
They saw the dragons fighting against creatures identical to the red ogre they encountered in the Islands and the grotesque hellhound they fought in the Eastern Continent after leaving the Imperial Tomb. Alongside them were others as well- floating dark-skinned octopoid creatures with a single red eye in the center of their body which latched onto dragons then dragged them down. Dark purple tentacles resembling spinal cords were sprouting from the poisoned ground and were a hazard towards anything. But the most dangerous were the Fiends which resembled classical demons- giant humanoids with dark skin, pointy claws and teeth with spikes protruding from their bodies' joints. Their faces were skull-like with glowing red eyes, a pair of horns grew from their heads and had large chiropteran wings. They possessed a long skeletal tail and their buff torsos had an exposed ribcage. Fiends were using either long purple flaming swords or whips to kill the dragons. The combatants were so busy with each other, they didn't notice our heroes. But Rynn and Arokh saw an interesting sight.
Below them and infront of the Ancient Gate was a large summoning circle written in blood with demonic symbols carved on the ground. Four different species of demons were standing around the circle, however the most peculiar thing was the center of the circle itself. Rynn and Arokh saw a familiar figure- a tall brunette human woman dressed in black and purple. She was the one who created this bloody circle and summoned the demons. The heroes recognized her and shouted: "Tanyana?!"
The demons glared at our duo while the woman stopped her incantation and replied: "So, you two are still alive?"
Arokh asked: "How did you come here and manage to summon all these demons?"
Tanyana answered without any human emotion, her eyes were colored crimson red while her skin was now pale white and her veins were visibly purple: "Ironically, it's you I have to thank. I managed to learn enough magic and understood how to perform all of this. Also you going around opening all these portals is what allowed me access to this world. And lastly the summoning rituals demand a sacrifice, I used the blood and souls of all your slain enemies to summon my reinforcements."
Rynn shouted angrily: "So all this time you used us all, you bi... witch! You won't get away with this, because we shall stop you right here and now!"
Arokh began charging his new power however 3 demons jumped towards him which intercepted the shots meant for Tanyana. While Arokh killed the 3 demons, the 4th one (the Fiend) took Tanyana in his arms with a bizarrely gentle manner and began flying away. Rynn told Arokh to watch out, when Tanyana shouted: "You obtained this power from the God of Light? Doesn't matter, the God of Darkness will return anyway!"
Arokh began charging his alternative mode of attack, however suddenly he was grabbed from below by summoned purple demonic tentacles which ruined his aim. The heroes missed their chance of killing their nemesis, which now had escaped through the portal. Rynn took out her sword and began killing all the demonic tentacles, thus freeing Arokh. The protagonists began cursing "damn it" when they heard a familiar-sounding voice: "Arokh! Rynn! Help me!" Arokh screamed: "Mala Shae! We must go and save her!" to which Rynn agreed. They flew shortly and then quickly saw the Dragon Mother surrounded by another 4 demons. She was fending them off with flapping her wings but also her intimidating size and blue dragon fire breath. Two demons were about to pounce on her simultaneously when suddenly they were disintegrated by Arokh's Light beam weapon. The other 2 demons looked at him in horror and then began running away, but Arokh and Mala Shae fired their combined powers at them. With all remaining demons killed, Arokh landed next to Mala Shae and looked at her.
"There are some wounds on you, Great Mother.": Arokh spoke being worried. "It's nothing fatal. The demons could have killed me, but I am way sturdier than any other dragon. I made sure they didn't get a chance to catch me and fought with all my strength.": Mala Shae replied. But Rynn placed her hands on the Dragon Mother, using both magic potions and spells. Mala Shae murmured in a humming voice: "Aaahhh... feels much better. However you didn't have to do this." Rynn smiled weakly and said: "You are the mother of all dragon kind. If we loose you, it would be a horrible loss for everyone. I know what it means to lose my family and people, so I try my best to never let it happen again." Mala Shae was impressed with this gesture: "You should feel proud Arokh for having such a great human being chosen to bond with you. Rynn may have lost her previous family, so now you and I seem to be her only dear ones remaining." This caused Rynn to blush and cough in embarrassment, but Arokh instead answered: "We thank you for the kind words Great Mother, but we have no time to lose. This realm has been attacked by our enemies and we don't know their next move. It would be for the best if we head back to Surdana." Mala Shae nodded in agreement: "Excellent idea, it's great that you have obtained the final relic which is Ahura's power of Light. We shall depart for the human world and make preparations for our last move there." With that said, Mala Shae flew through the portal. Rynn and Arokh followed shortly afterwards, expecting a welcoming celebration home. Little did they know, things were about to get even worse...
Chapter 9: Invasion of Surdana
Rynn and Arokh flew into their home city through the Mother's Eye gate, but the familiar landscape has been drastically changed. The sky was red with black clouds raining down lightning and small burning cinders. The ground was visibly scorched, the buildings were set ablaze while the dragons and their human riders were battling the demons. Multiple corpses regardless of species were littered on the ground. General Dehrimon saw them and landed with his bonded spiky dragon close to them: "Thank heavens you are here! These monsters appeared out of nowhere and began assaulting our fair city! Even with our army of dragons from the Order, they proved to be too much for us to handle!"
Rynn asked: "Where are Lady Myschala, Brekk, Quaalus, Jade and the others?"
"Hidden in safety beneath the castle, the secret catacombs proved very useful.": replied general Dehrimon.
Arokh intervened: "And where is Mala Shae?"
She flew over to protect her children in the canyon, where these demons appeared from. I was helping her with my dragon Geroth until I came here to check on the royal palace and then saw you two!: answered general Dehrimon.
Then go to her and take with you all the other dragons of the Order with their human riders as reinforcements! We shall stay here and deal with these demons!: Arokh told the human knight and his dragon.
Dehrimon and Geroth both nodded in agreement and then flew towards the canyon while calling the other dragons to follow them. The demons tried following them, but Arokh flew above with Rynn and started attacking them.
Hey, you ugly freaks! Why don't you kill us first and then go after the others instead?: Rynn taunted the demons. Thankfully, most of them were vicious and stupid enough to fall for the distraction.
Some of the demons went after the other dragons or kept ruining the houses in hopes of catching and killing whatever humans were hiding inside. "Arokh, quickly! Use your new power!": shouted Rynn. "Hear you loud and clear, Rynn!": replied Arokh.
The red dragon charged his Light elemental breath attack, then began shooting like demons. With Ahura's power, the tides of this battle quickly turned around in the heroes' favor. Arokh's divine laser beams cut through the demonic invaders like a metal sword through wet paper. His attacks were fast and near-instantly vaporized the demonic enemies, with some of them running away when realizing how bad the situation had turned out was for them. But they were only delaying the inevitable. One by one (and sometimes even a few in a single shot), the demons' numbers began going down. Eventually, one Hellfire Fiend climbed the Surdana palace's tower and began destroying it with his hellfire. The huge monster clung to the ruined tower and roared in victory as a lightning bolt struck the background. However that proved to be his undoing as it alerted our heroes. "Arokh, watch out! Behind us, on the castle's tower!": Rynn shouted. "Huh? Doesn't matter, consider him already dead meat!": Arokh proclaimed.
The Fiend roared then jumped from the tower and flew towards our heroic duo, keeping some distance between itself and them. Both combatants circled around each other as if in a battle arena, waiting each other's next move. Arokh began charging his Light elemental attack, but the demon quickly began shooting a long sweeping beam of dark energy towards him. Our duo was forced to dodge while the demon already used his next move- a dark purple flame appeared in its hand, which then transformed into a long flaming sword. Then the Fiend charged towards them with blinding speed, intending to stab or swipe them with his flaming sword. Arokh barely managed to avoid that as well, but it wasn't over as Rynn shoot an arrow in the demon's back. Instead of killing it, said arrow only agitated the demon and it quickly turned around. Suddenly the Fiend's hands were covered in dark purple flames and clenched in fists. With one swipe of his flaming punch, the demon knocked Arokh down on the ground. Rynn clung on her dragon's back, however the demon then created a flaming whip and used it for grabbing Arokh. The Fiend pulled Arokh close to him, while holding the dragon with his flaming whip. And then his fist formed another flame, preparing to kill our heroes. Rynn then quickly shot another divine arrow into the demon's face, causing him to growl in pain. While that was happening, Arokh charged up his laser beam in his opened jaws. The demon's face changed into expressing fear, having realized his error... but he was too late to prevent it. Arokh fired a volley of 4 quick Light beams which outright pierced the Fiend's head, causing it to explode into a shower of black ink-like blood and chunks of burned flesh. The demon's decapitated corpse fell to the ground like a pile of dirty laundry and stood there motionless, its life having been ended by our heroes.
Rynn and Arokh sighed in relief: "Glad that's finally over. Now to go see if the others have survived."
Mala Shae flew into the city with the dragon and human army. Dehrimon and Geroth were carrying a metal cage with 4 curious-looking prisoners. One of them was a male Wartok with a broken tusk, another was a male Grull with scars, there was an obese female Grull with piercings holding a blood-covered wooden ladle and a brown female Lycan. Mala Shae roared victoriously, causing the remaining humans to come outside their hiding spot within the castle. Dehrimon reported: "We saw these 4 troublemakers in the canyon outside the city. They were the ones drawing blood runes on the ground and summoning the demons. Thankfully, the Dragon Mother caught them and with our dragon army's combined power the summoning ritual ended before there were any further casualties."
Rynn and Arokh looked at the prisoners in their cage and recognized them. These 4 were first seen in Kragmor after they found the first relic, were alongside Lupius in the North Continent's tundra wilderness, then with Tao Khan in the Eastern Continent and finally summoning the Kraken in the Islands Archipelago. It all made sense at last! These four beastpeople wanted revenge against Surdana's Order, so they joined forces with Tanyana who taught them how to summon the demons from Sessool! Rynn and Arokh exposed the beastpeople to the people of Surdana who then got angered, starting to discuss executing the 4 humanoid beasts. However while that was happening, a single remaining Hellhound was creeping from behind a house and some trees' rubble. It looked towards the crowd and quickly made its move. The demon leaped into the air in its attempt of killing either Mala Shae or Arokh and Rynn. But Dehrimon with Geroth stood infront of its path and they quickly leaped forward while shouting "NO!" which interrupted the demon's attack. The Hellhound screamed in pain, but it didn't go down without a fight. One of its claws had pierced Geroth's torso, while its jaws clenched around the dragon's throat and shot some spikes which pierced general Dehrimon's armor. Both Dehrimon and Geroth shouted in pain, causing Arokh to use his laser beam to kill the hellspawn monster which got entangled with the spiky dragon. Arokh managed to vaporize the demon whose dead remains fell aside, but it was too late. Geroth laid on the ground mortally wounded and general Dehrimon stood next to him, their wounds opened wide and bleeding with the Hellhound spikes inside them. All the people screamed in shock, then everyone looked at Dehrimon and Geroth who had just sacrificed themselves. Rynn approached general Dehrimon with a worried expression on her face.
Dehrimon, stand up! Please don't go down like this!: Rynn shouted.
On the contrary Rynn... A true hero is made by their life's decisions and deeds... I chose to do this... to save the city where I grew up and love so much...: Dehrimon replied while gasping for air and coughing up blood.
I may not have any romantic feelings towards you, but I am still not letting you die. Anyone here, please help quickly!: Rynn coldly shouted.
Myschala intervened: "Quaalus and Jade ran into the catacombs when the demons attacked. Their work got destroyed in the assault. We could make a potion or spell but it would require more time."
Jade (saddened) replied: "I am sorry Rynn, but Dehrimon and Geroth's wounds are too severe even for our magic. Even if Bonded, they are still a mortal dragon and human. Curing their wounds made by a Sessool demon would require a power far greater than mine."
Arokh began comforting Geroth in the latter's dying moments, while Rynn looked at Dehrimon with a face of despair and sorrow: "Forgive me Dehrimon, I have failed you... my divine healing powers only affect myself and Arokh... we also don't have any Phoenix feathers... Damn it, I would search the world to find a way to save you and Geroth if possible!"
Dehrimon smiled: "I don't hold any grudge towards you Rynn... because I know you with Arokh will avenge me alongside Geroth by killing that witch and her demons... I am proud to have died in service of Surdana... Promise me one thing Rynn..."
"What is it?": asked Rynn.
That you with Arokh shall replace me and Geroth, protecting this city until the end of your lives while serving as Myschala's generals...: Dehrimon said weakly.
Rynn and Arokh both vowed to become the next generals of Surdana's new Order of the Flame army, replacing Dehrimon and Geroth after their death.
Dehrimon asked: "Please before I and Geroth die, I would like to see the queen for one last time..."
Rynn stepped aside, with Myschala standing in her place and getting close to Dehrimon.
My queen... beautiful as ever... my heart will always belong only to you...: said general Dehrimon.
Lady Myschala's eyes began filling up with tears: "How can I ever produce an heir to the throne after hearing this, Dehrimon? I wish to honor your devotion and feeling somehow..."
Dehrimon cried out: "Please don't be sad, my dear Myschala... move on with your life... I am just happy to have served you... I pray the gods protect you, Surdana and all of Drakan..."
With these final words, Dehrimon closed his eyes and his head fell down. Shortly afterwards Geroth followed him, as the spiky dragon's eyes closed and his head also fell down. Both Dehrimon and Geroth were no longer among the living.
Every dragon and human became saddened with the death of their army's general alongside his bonded dragon. But 4 non-humans began laughing and cheering. When the crowd turned around, they saw the beastpeople inside the cage. Their sadness turned into anger when they heard the beastfolk mocking Dehrimon and Geroth's deaths.
Wild Tusk: Oh, don't be so hypocritical... You humans massacred alot of our people.
Gutsman Skullhead: Yes, death to all dragons and humans! Justice for our slain comrades!
Borra the female Grull (chuckling): The demons will make you into burned stew and we shall eat your cooked remains!
Rynn approached their cage, angered. She then looked at the cowering female Lycan in the cage's corner and calmed down.
"You did this as revenge for your murdered relatives, huh?": Rynn said coldly.
Lycania (shivering): "Yes! My dear Lupius will be avenged! Every beastman you have killed will have their blood paid for in all your lives!"
Rynn (still coldly): "And you think summoning demons from another world shall accomplish this? Did you honestly believe that witch and her lies? Heck, Tanyana's brain has been corrupted by all the dark magic she's practiced!"
Wild Tusk (annoyed): "What are you implying filthy human?"
Rynn: "If you keep summoning demons, you will end getting corrupted as well! And when you are turned into mindless zombies, they will turn on you and eat you! Do you think you could reason with such vile beings?"
Gutsman (angered): "You speak lies!"
Rynn: "Listen, I shall make you a compromise... you will be set free and left alone if you stop bothering us and summoning any more demons."
Everyone looked surprised at Rynn, while Arokh shouted: "What has just forced you to say this? They must be executed for everything they have done!"
Rynn turned towards Arokh: "I am not asking for their forgiveness nor am I gonna give them mine. I don't wanna be friends with these beasts, we have bigger problems at the moment."
Borra the female Grull: "Bah, more human trickery! A human or dragon's promise is worth nothing! Don't you trust any of her words!"
Rynn got angered, then raised her divine sword: "Look here, you fat swine... I have a magic sword that can turn even the strongest creatures into ashes in seconds, my dragon has a similar power that can blast a giant hole in a mountain, our city has an entire army of dragon and their human riders... We can easily squish your species until you are all driven to extinction. My village and brother were killed by your disgusting ilk years ago, I have every right to use these and exterminate you vermin off the face of Drakan... but I am sick of this eternal cycle. I wish to settle down and live calmly until I die of old age. However while I offer you a last chance to peacefully walk away, make no mistake- if you ever do anything bad to me, Arokh, Surdana or anybody else again, I shall hunt you down and kill every single one of you! Got it?"
The holy blade started glowing, which caused the 4 beastpeople to cower in fear and then began whispering to each other. Eventually they glared at Rynn, who had opened the cage and waited outside. The 4 beastfolk slowly walked outside the cage and looked at Rynn. Her grip on the sword tightened and everyone behind her looked in anticipation towards the beastpeople. Lycania then said: "We shall trouble you no longer. But don't ever search for us and expect an allegiance with us either." The four beastfolk then walked away with their heads looking downward, symbolizing their defeat and humiliating retreat. Rynn, Arokh and everybody else at Surdana visibly sighed in relief as this threat had finally been dealt with.
"Didn't know you had this in you Rynn. I am surprised by what you did today, being so morally superior.": Arokh broke the silence.
"Sometimes right and wrong are impossible to tell apart. I am still having doubts if what I just did was good or should I go after them and make sure they don't live to cause us any more problems...": Rynn answered.
"Perhaps another day... but right now as you said yourself, we have bigger issues worth dealing with. The demons from Sessool must be stopped.": Arokh congratulated and reminded her.
Rynn looked towards Arokh and smiled, but Myschala intervened and spoke: "We must begin a funeral for all the deceased and start repairing this city first."
XXXXXX
The following day, the humans began repairing the city of Surdana. The use of magic and the dragons' help was useful for speeding up the process of recovery. However, not everything could be repaired. Many dragons and people died, most important of which are Dehrimon and Geroth. Zeggoro, Ranwulf, captain Fandrill, Sevoth and Merdhynis had been summoned to help with the city's renewal as well as the funerary rites for the deceased. Jade used her combined magic alongside the other wizards to prevent Dehrimon and Geroth's bodies getting corrupted by their wounds inflicted by the demon, while also casting blessings for their souls to have a good afterlife. Lady Myschala prayed that Dehrimon and Geroth were in a better place now, but she was visibly shedding tears over their graves.
Brekk was fixing a broken shovel when he saw Rynn walking by from her private house, both her and Arokh having been awakened. "There you are, general of Surdana? What orders will you and your dragon give this humble blacksmith?": said Brekk towards Rynn.
"I beg your pardon?": Rynn raised an eyebrow.
"Mala Shae and that owl wizard told us everything. You and your dragon now have replaced both Dehrimon and Geroth. They shall be missed, but I hope you shall be good replacements. Our city needs all the help it can get, I hope all those magic godly trinkets you have collected are enough to stop these demons and save all of us.": Brekk replied.
"I promise that we shall give it our best to defend Surdana and all of Drakan from any enemies.": Rynn spoke in an uncharacteristically formal way.
Brekk laughed: "That's the spirit! Make us all proud, my little blood-soaked daughter! Kill everyone who stands in the way, be it a beastman, undead, mutated monster, demon or anything else. May the gods be with you and your dragon!"
After that Brekk returned into his workshop. Merdhynis approached Rynn: "You can always count on all of us Rynn, we shall help you as much as possible. However this is the part where our capabilities are limited. While we shall defend Surdana as much as possible, you with Arokh must venture into Sessool and stop Tanyana from summoning the Demonic God of Destruction."
Lady Myschala with all the other important people of Surdana walked closer to Rynn and Arokh, giving them words of encouragement. Rynn was about to start crying, but calmed herself and took out her blessed sword: "I swear in the name of Ahura, me and Arokh won't fail you! We have lost many people dear to us- my fellow villagers, my little brother, Heron, Rimril, Dehrimon, Geroth, Arokh's original family and friends... All of their deaths won't be in vain because I vow to go into Sessool with Arokh, then stop all the demons there from attacking Drakan ever again. Even if this Dark God Angra stands in our way, we shall use these relics to drive it back to the black void from whence it came! Are you ready to join me, Arokh?"
Her Bonded red dragon smiled and said: "We have been through alot together Rynn... We defeated Navaros and the Dark Union, then we defeated Jasaad and the Desert Lords... we shall now do the same with the other demons of Sessool and Angra! I have been your bonded dragon before and I shall remain together with you until the very end!"
Rynn smiled at Arokh, while all the humans gave them applauds for their courage. However Mala Shae interrupted their cheery mood: "Please do not underestimate your enemies! While you may have all the relics of Ahura, those are still a mere fraction of the Creator's power! And most importantly, Angra's awakening must be prevented so you must avoid risking a confrontation with this primordial god of evil! Rynn, Arokh... this will be your final and greatest fight ever so please both of you give it your best!"
Rynn and Arokh nodded towards the Dragon Mother, however then Rynn asked: "But how do we even get into Sessool?"
Jade intervened: "I saw this in the beastmen's possession and told Surdana's guards to confiscate it from them." The kind sorceress gave Rynn a piece of parchment which had alien runes written on top in blood. A picture on the side also showed the Ancients' Gates.
"It's from Tanyana's research. She must have stumbled upon the Desert Lords' records on how to cross between their world and ours. This parchment holds the instructions for the Ancient Gate and Sessool's planetary coordinates.": Jade told Rynn.
Rynn looked at Arokh, then asked him: "So that's it, Arokh... all we have to do is enter the coordinates and we shall be in Sessool. Are you ready to kick some demonic ass?"
Arokh smirked: "Lead the way Rynn. I am itching to try out Ahura's Fang against every demon there. Input those coordinates whenever you want."
Merdhynis intervened: "I must warn you first... the portal works both ways. If it remains open, then all the demons of Sessool will be free to march into here and kill everything. After you cross that portal's threshold, we shall be forced to close it behind you so there will be no turning back. And the only way to open it from your side is by using the combined power of Ahura's relics- you cannot return to Drakan until you have completed your mission."
Mala Shae added: "The wizard is correct. Get as many provisions here as you need before you go. But don't waste time as our enemies are preparing their next move. Choose your next move carefully, lest it be your last. Regarding Sessool- it's dangerous enemy territory with everything there attempting to kill you and nothing to help you so you must rely on all of Ahura's power you have gained."
Rynn and Arokh both agreed with their allies' extremely important advice. The heroic duo bought as many provisions as possible and prepared themselves for the final journey. Rynn entered the coordinates and the Mother's Eye revealed a new image for them. A blurry image of black, purple and red colors- while the sky was visibly separate from the ground, all the other features of Sessool were too hard to see.
"Well this is it- our epic final battle... Going into a far away land filled with creatures extremely hostile to us... nothing we haven't done before, right? Are you ready to finally enter Sessool?": Rynn asked Arokh.
"Ha, I am in the mood for epic demon-slaying! Let's go into the Dark World and show the local residents our power given to us by Ahura!": Arokh answered Rynn's question.
The bonded heroic duo felt unseen before courage with all the divine relics from the God of Light. After these words of confidence, they at last crossed the final threshold and entered the demonic planet.
As promised, their allies closed the gateway portal behind them which left Rynn and Arokh stranded in enemy territory for the last battle...
Chapter 10: Planet Sessool and Last Battle
When our heroes finally crossed the portal's threshold and the gate closed behind them, Rynn and Arokh saw the literally alien landscape infront of them. The sky was purple with black smoke-like clouds, with the star and planets of outer space visible. Instead of water the planet had purple ooze-like substance flowing through it, likely toxic for humans and dragons. And the ground was dark grey as if made from ash, with several bizarre constructs dotting the landscape. Some of these were vein-like red cracks, glowing ominously alongside spike-like protrusions which shot bolts of red energy into the sky. Lastly the atmosphere smelled horribly, though fortunately Rynn and Arokh resisted that likely due to Ahura's relics in their possession.
Rynn: "Goodness, this place is disgusting! It's no wonder the Desert Lords wanted to leave it and colonize Drakan instead!"
Arokh: "There is no time to waste! Since we are now in enemy territory we must remain vigilant and push forward! We are so close to reaching our goal, we cannot afford to lose now!"
Rynn replied with a "Right!" and they flew above the hostile world. It wasn't long until they were met with opposition. The canyon where they entered was filled with hellhounds crawling on the walls. As soon as our duo entered, the vicious creatures roared and jumped towards them. While Arokh was using his Light elemental beam to dispatch them, Rynn either shot arrows or used similar beams from her godly sword. These weapons proved essential in making the battles easier and killing their enemies faster. Afterwards the attempted to escape the canyon, but suddenly a magical barrier appeared which blocked their path. Rynn and Arokh looked aside then saw a bunch of tentacled Nightmares flying towards them. Like a swarm of locusts they surrounded our duo, all of their glowing red eyes glowing menacingly. They charged towards Arokh with their tentacles extended which forced him to shoot them with his laser beams. However while some were attacking from the front, some had sneaked behind him and managed to grapple onto him with their tentacles. Like a net or snake, their tentacles coiled around the dragon's body which caused him to plummet down. While the landing wasn't fatal, Arokh roared in pain as their tentacles began suffocating him. Rynn gritted her teeth and began shooting her arrows towards the parasites. She didn't use her sword as it would probably miss and hit Arokh instead. Whenever an arrow struck a Nightmare, it began combusting into flames and retreated. Arokh fired a volley of fast-moving lasers to finish it off, but one Nightmare managed to crawl onto his back and its tentacles were directed at Rynn. Being forced to use melee, she took out her sword and swung towards the tentacles around her. The creature detached itself and flew away, but Arokh managed to kill it mid-flight. With all the Nightmares dead, the barrier disappeared and our heroes progressed.
In the next area it was impossible to land anywhere due to the hazardous purple ooze below them. And on the cliffs around them, Ogre demons had appeared. The red creatures roared and then began shooting homing projectiles towards our heroes. Fortunately, their projectiles could be destroyed mid-air with shots either from Rynn's arrows or Arokh's Light elemental breath. Then one by one, the dispatched of the Ogres by flying around and shooting them as well. Eventually that enemy wave was cleared and our duo landed on a cliff. Rynn was forced to dismount Arokh, because the entrance was covered with large spike-like growths. While Arokh was too large to pass through, Rynn could squeeze between the openings. She left her dragon outside and entered the caverns. Above her, the tunnels' ceilings had glowing red cracks while below were puddles of toxic purple ooze. Rynn could endure them with Ahura's armor protecting her body, however she didn't want to risk it so instead she jumped over each obstacle. Eventually she saw the entrance to a bigger cavern and made a run for it but suddenly the ground shook and beneath her a huge bony tentacle appeared. She rolled to the side to dodge it, causing the large tentacle to swipe at her. Because Rynn was faster, she avoided the tentacle falling on the ground in its attempt to crush her. In that brief moment on the ground, the tentacle was vulnerable and Rynn swung her sword at it like a woodcutter does to a fallen tree log. The sword's power easily cut the bony tentacle in half, with the stump twitching in pain and retreating underground. While the severed half was rotting away, Rynn entered the cavern. Infront of her was a switch and she ran towards it. However her attempt was interrupted as two more demons appeared- one Hellhound and a red Ogre. The former began curling up into a ball and rolling towards her, while the Ogre shot a purple fireball. Rynn managed to avoid both attacks, but her enemies were aggressive. The Hellhound paused and began shooting venomous spikes towards her, while the Ogre punched the ground and send out shockwaves of demonic energy. Fortunately Rynn was quick both on her feet and in her thinking- she managed to dodge their attacks, eventually standing between them. When the Ogre shot another fireball, the Hellhound began rolling towards her. Our heroine jumped at the right moment, which caused the Hellhound to hit the purple fireball instead. While it didn't hurt it, the Hellhound kept rolling towards the Ogre until it crashed into its ally. The Ogre and Hellhound were now entangled, causing them to roar at each other and began hitting themselves with their claws. Rynn smirked at her successful plan, then charged her sword. When the two demons realized the human's intentions, it was too late- Rynn fired a huge beam of light from the sword of Ahura, vaporizing both of them. Afterwards Rynn walked forward and pressed the mechanism, which caused the spikes to lower and Arokh flew towards her. With Rynn mounted on her dragon, it was easier to bypass the dangerous caverns even with all the traps and enemies. Eventually they made it outside and saw a different landscape.
The ground before them was filled with glowing purple crystals which jutted from the ground like spikes. It was difficult to walk on the ground with the forest of spike crystals which forced Arokh to fly above instead until they saw another cavern with a huge crystal growing on the entrance. "I don't like this place... It's quiet, way too quiet...": said Rynn. "Agreed, let's leave this area quickly by going straight for the exit.": said Arokh who reached the cavern's entrance. He pondered for a moment and then decided to destroy the crystal with his beam, however that proved to be a bad choice. When the crystal exploded, the entrance was sealed by another barrier. "It's a trap!": shouted the dragon. "Arokh, watch out! Behind us!": screamed Rynn. All the crystals in the area simultaneously exploded, which released enemies. The demons burst from the crystals' remains like butterflies from their cocoons. When they saw our duo, they began rushing towards them. Arokh couldn't use his breath as he had just wasted it on the crystal and had to wait for it recharging. However Rynn swung her sword and send a a massive wave of divine Light energy that killed some of the demons, while others scattered to the sides. Arokh was forced to fly around while dodging their attacks, with Rynn keeping them at bay using her arrows. Eventually his breath recharged and he fired a giant beam of white/blue energy just as the demons were aligned together. After the massive laser pierced the remaining demons and managed to disintegrate them all in a large impressive blast of holy power, the barrier shut down. Rynn and Arokh entered the second opened-up cavern.
While Arokh was capable of passing through the tunnel, it was obstructed by spikes and vents which shot clouds of toxic gas. Rynn saw a peculiar hole on the wall next to them after which she dismounted her dragon and began running through all the obstacles. She walked around the spikes and jumped over the toxic gas vents, eventually reaching the other side. There she saw a stone pedestal with a weird object on it. Rynn took the item and began inspecting it, seeing that it resembled a foot or head with either claws or horns growing from the sides and a red crystal in the middle. But her curiosity had triggered another trap- suddenly the area began shaking, causing Rynn to run back towards Arokh. Then a large boulder fell and began rolling towards her, forcing Rynn to hide inside a crevice on the wall. Eventually the boulder crashed into the spikes and stopped rolling. Arokh worried called out for Rynn's name, only to see her emerge from behind the large boulder and walking towards him. She placed the weird object inside the peculiar hole next to them and then all traps were deactivated. The protagonists passed through the now safe area until they made it outside again. The next outdoors area was barren, multiple rocks were littered on the ground in various formations. While the rock placement and arrangement were random, Rynn and Arokh noticed large holes on them which looked as if made from something large burrowing through. Suddenly when flying above the craters, one of them shot an explosion of dark elemental energy like a geyser upwards. Arokh dodged it, but what followed was even worse. Inside the hole was another demon resembling a giant legless centipede with a body looking as if was made from iron metal. The demon was a Terror Worm, which had large glowing almond-shaped eyes and mouth full with sharp needle-like mandibles. Rynn and Arokh gasped when the monster appeared, then began floating in the sky above. When the demon moved through the air, it looked like it was swimming underwater instead. Then it disappeared in a black hole-like portal causing our heroes to glare in confusion. Rynn looked behind them and shouted "Atokh, look out behind!" causing the dragon to turn around just as another black hole appeared. From it flew the Terror Worm whose mouth glowed a purple color and began shooting energy projectiles at them. Arokh barely managed to avoid it and began counter-attacking. The battle was fierce but eventually the Terror Worm's dead remains fell on the ground. However the nose from the battle caused other Terror Worms to also appear, either from the craters on the ground or by teleporting from black holes in the air. The heroes were forced to retreat by making a beeline towards the area' exit with the demons chasing them. Arokh was dodging the projectiles while Rynn helped with either her arrows or the blessed sword. Eventually Arokh suddenly stopped and turned around, firing another giant beam of Light energy which killed off most of their enemies. The remaining ones used their summoned black holes to teleport away. When the worms retreated, our heroes entered a third cave, this one bigger than the previous.
In front of them the wall had a giant ring-like gate, with a barrier inside preventing them from progressing. This reminded them of the Dark Union's Grimstone Gates, which wasn't surprising seeing as those were made by Succubi who were also demons from Sessool. Arokh landed on a cliffside while Rynn dismounted and stepped on a floating platform. The magical structure flew up and lifted Rynn towards the upper floor. When she made it above, she spotted a mechanism on the opposite side of the hallway which had pillars on both sides. Rynn walked through the empty chamber and managed to pull the switch. But upon doing so, a large purple flame appeared between the hallway's center and the floating platform. From it emerged a Hellfire Fiend, who saw Rynn and began attacking. The female human said "damn it" to herself as she rolled hid behind the mechanism. However the demon summoned a large flaming sword and was ready to crush the heroine including her hiding spot. Just as the sword was raised above its head, Rynn made a run for it. While the demon's flaming blade struck the ground, Rynn was already in the chamber's middle. The Fiend turned around, then summoned a long flaming whip and lashed it towards Rynn which caused her to hide behind a pillar. She drank a mana potion just as the demon was moving towards her with the intent to kill her. Quickly, Rynn jumped from behind the pillar and shot a beam of light against her enemy. The demon screamed in pain as the laser pierced its torso and created a large hole. Rynn swung her sword which caused her to decapitate the Fiend. After the demon's body toppled backwards, the severed head fell instead forward and landed infront of Rynn. The head's expression was frozen in shock with eyes and mouth wide-opened, their glowing had faded away which indicated the Fiend was dead. Cautiously, Rynn walked backwards trying to avoid more surprises. After getting on the floating platform, she descended to the lower floor and reunited with Arokh. Then our duo flew through the opened gateway and entered a long tunnel with purple ooze covering the floor. However when they moved forward, another tall pillar of purple flame sprouted and they encountered another Hellfire Fiend. The demon roared at them, but our bonded heroes were annoyed with the constant interruptions. When the demon charged forward with its flaming sword, Rynn shot an arrow in its eye and Arokh dodged out of the way. The Fiend missed and was rubbing its eye in pain, while Arokh was charging his attack. As soon as the demon turned around, it was blasted by a volley of laser beams which caused it to explode into bloody chunks which fell into the purple ooze. Its decapitated head was floating on the surface, which made Arokh getting closer and Rynn spitting on it. Both our heroes made their disgust clear and left its mutilated corpse behind. Eventually, the long tunnel ended with Rynn and Arokh stumbling into a new outdoors location.
It was a large flat plain with multiple tall obelisk-like structures littering the area. They had red demonic runes written on them and the top ended with four spikes in the shape of an opened claw. However inside that claw burned a crimson red flame which shot beams of red electricity into the skies of the demon planet. Rynn and Arokh didn't know the purpose of these towers, but they didn't want to find out. Arokh landed on the ground and began thinking how they would progress forward seeing as the bolts of demonic energy could harm him whiee flying. Suddenly, the ground beneath them rumbled and several bony tentacles erupted. The red dragon quickly flew up and began shooting the demon tentacles beneath them. After the bony tentacles went back underground, Rynn and Arokh sighed in relief. However their victory was short-lived as that alerted other enemies. The tower's upward arcs of red energy stopped, then all of their flames shifted into large flaming red eyes with black slit pupils between the obelisks' claws. All the towers newly awakened eyes looked menacingly towards Rynn and Arokh who muttered a "Damn it, what now?" before the demons began attacking. The obelisk's eye fired a long beam of red energy towards our heroes in a similar way to the Pain Golem. Arokh dodged it, but all other towers began firing as well. Rynn was getting agitated, so she told Arokh to avoid the beams and just make an escape. They flew around the towers and their deadly long beams of red energy, until they saw another cavern entrance which resembled a gaping mouth filled with long teeth. However just as they reached it, suddenly another demonic red barrier had blocked their path. Rynn gritted her teeth while Arokh frowned in anger. The obelisks behind them began firing again, which forced our heroes to turn around with the intent to fight back. Arokh dodged the beams and fired his Light element lasers into the towers' eyes while Rynn helped by using either her arrows or blessed sword. Thankfully Arokh used the correct strategy by aiming for the eyes which served as the demonic towers' weak points. Eventually all the towers were toppled and the barrier disappeared. Rynn used a healing potion to repair both Arokh and her wounds, after which they flew towards the gaping maw entrance. They weren't fatigued because of Ahura's blessings, however the constant waves of tough Sessool enemy onslaught had infuriated both of them.
Behind the gaping maw's entrance, they saw another pair of Hellfire Fiends were standing there in anticipation. "They knew we are coming! It's an ambush!": roared Arokh. Rynn frowned and swung her sword which distracted the Fiends, while Arokh was charging his giant beam of divine Light for another counter-attack. Both demons fought back fiercely, but our heroes managed to kill them off as well. Rynn and Arokh entered a long corridor-like valley, when they saw an entire swarm of various demon species there. The human dragon rider took out her sword in preparation for another fight, however instead the demons ran away. This caused Rynn and Arokh to briefly stare in surprise, then smiling and proclaiming that: "Perhaps they saw their fallen comrades and got finally the hint." But while our duo was arrogantly fooled into believing themselves unstoppable, a giant earthquake shook the ground. Rynn and Arokh looked around startled, then turned around which caused them to see the demons' actual reason for escaping. A giant wall of demonic energy was fired behind them and it was rushing towards our heroes like a deadly avalanche. The giant explosion was impossible to avoid, it caught everything in its way and turned it into debris which got blown around like mere feathers by a powerful tornado. Rynn just screamed "Run!", with Arokh quickly obliging. They used the Horn of Ahura spell to increase their speed and flew forward like an arrow fired from its bow. However to impede their progress, the demons appeared. "They were prepared for our arrival! The demons are doing everything to stop us!": Arokh shouted. Rynn screamed: "Don't give up! We are so close!" With all of their determination, our heroes pushed forward. Arokh was flying to avoid the explosion behind him while also dodging obstacles and enemy attacks. Demons and obelisks were firing projectiles, purple spiky crystals jutted from the ground craters were belching toxic purple demonic blood that was more lethal for mortals than acid or lava. Their enemies were throwing everything at them and soon the heroes found out why. In the distance in front of them Rynn and Arokh saw a tall mountain-like structure. The whole thing was possibly the biggest structure on the planet, with multiple tower-like protrusions rising high into the sky. Above black thunderstorm clouds were gathered and swirling around like a aerial whirlpool, shooting multiple bolts of red lightning. The mountain and its towers resembled spikes or horns which extended upwards into the sky, overall their combination resembled a twisted version of a castle or crown. In the middle of this mountain was another gaping maw-like cavern entrance, this one much bigger and ornate which signified its importance. Rynn and Arokh realized this place is their goal, however they saw the maw entrance was beginning to close in a last ditch attempt of stopping them. "Arokh, it's closing! We are not gonna make it!": Rynn cried out. "Hold on tight! I am gonna perform one final trick!": roared Arokh. His wings had stopped flapping and were held straight like a kite, after which he went closer to the ground which gave him a speed boost. Rynn began tearing up as they dodged the obstacles while the gaping entrance was closing down. Arokh felt Ahura's magic speed boost fading so he did one final gambit- he let himself extremely close to the demonic explosion wave, the blast almost having touched his tail. He then quickly turned around, firing his giant laser towards the approaching wall of death. The result was an explosion which propelled them forward like a cannonball! Arokh lost control of his flight, but he and Rynn were shot forward at impressive distance and speed. The heroes barely managed to squeeze past the closing teeth of the castle's gate. With a final tumble, Arokh crash landed in the ground while Rynn fell off his back. The gate shut closed behind them and glowed purple, signifying it was impossible to be opened. And outside, the advancing wall of explosive energy had collided with the castle walls. Thankfully the mountain was durable and the demonic energy was harmlessly dissipated.
When Rynn and Arokh recovered from the crash landing, they looked at each other. Both of them were bruised, however it only was minor scratches. Rynn used a healing potion to recover all of their wounds, then moved closer to Arokh and began gently petting his head like a horse. "Thanks buddy, we couldn't have made it here if not for you quick thinking. I wouldn't have accomplished really anything without you.": said Rynn while looking in Arokh's eye. The dragon smiled: "We make a great team, Rynn. Together we have succeeded where all others before us have failed. Our Bond's power and Ahura's blessings have aided us in reaching our goal." After that exchange of words, Rynn and Arokh looked around to view their surroundings. The castle's interior was a large cavern with pillars taller than all the previous ones, on the ground was a round plate with a familiar symbol. It was three red almond-shaped scratches arranged together like a triangle, resembling a bird's clawed foot. However there was a single black oval inside each of these 3 red markings, which made them resemble a pair of demonic eyes with a third eye above them like a pyramid. Rynn and Arokh looked forward, seeing a pair of murals on the walls infront of them. Left side depicted a giant humanoid dragon with feathered wings and tail, while the right side depicted a similar creature but with chiropteran wings and its tail ended in a triangular shape like a typical demon. The 2 sides were facing each other which resembled the giant stone wall carving back under Surdana's caves but split in half. Rynn and Arokh finally realized what both murals depicted, the 2 supreme opposite gods- Ahura with Angra locked in an eternal battle with each other. Diverting their attention from the walls, our heroes looked forward. The entrance was blocked with teeth-like spikes like the ones in the gaping maws outside, however these ones were colored very dark purple instead. Arokh charged his laser and fired towards the locked gate, only to see it glow bright purple with red bloody runes briefly appearing on the gate's teeth-like spikes. The dragon kept shooting them with no avail, he eventually gave up: "Darn it, one last roadblock! And we are so close!" Rynn looked around in the hopes of seeing anything which could open the gate, but nothing was there- no key, no mechanism, no hidden switch, nothing! "The demons and Tanyana must have foreseen our arrival, so they closed the final gate in our faces with a powerful spell!": Arokh growled. Then Rynn stepped closer and looked around the spikes until she saw one spark of hope. Between two of the spikes was a small hole, big enough for a human like Rynn or Tanyana to pass through. Whether it was intentional or a defect in the gate was unknown. Rynn showed Arokh this hole and said: "I can pass through here, but looks like you are stuck on the other side." Arokh replied: "Fine, I shall be waiting here. Walk through this area, kill Tanyana and then we shall return home. Be careful Rynn, please make it back safely." Rynn shook her head in agreement and smiled weakly, after which she left her dragon behind the closed gate and moved forward. The penultimate chamber had a large floating platform similar to the one used in the Sanguinade to transport people to the Desert Lords' floating islands base. However the platform was colored black and purple instead. Rynn stepped on it and was lifted upwards, upon which she arrived in the mountain castle's interior. When she stepped outside, another maw gate closed behind her with long spike-like teeth. Rynn looked at her locked exit and then focused on the area forward. She began walking after wiping her sweaty forehead in anticipation of the upcoming final battle. And while she moved towards the large chamber's exposed center, she began observing her surroundings.
The place reminded her of the Rift World from so many years ago, when she failed to save her younger brother. All the dark memories rose up in Rynn's head, but she tightly clenched Ahura's relics and they were once again suppressed. The area resembled a cave however the roof was opened, with the dark sky of Sessool visible above which caused occasional bolts of red lightning to strike the chamber's insides. There were bridge-like ramps everywhere, while the walls were covered with spiky rock formations. Below her, was a void of black and purple swirling energy. She looked at it, seeing it move around like a maelstrom at sea which could swallow a whole ship and break it like it was made of paper. The dark energy resembled skulls or faces howling in agony, which caused Rynn to look away in horror. And then, she hear a familiar voice chanting a spell in an unknown language. Rynn moved closer and saw the dark silhouette of a tall human woman standing on the ramp's edge. It was her arch-nemesis, Tanyana! Finally, our heroine had managed to corner the witch in a corner! At first Rynn hesitated, but then grasped her sword and raised in a sneaky attempt of attacking Tanyana from behind... only for the latter to stop her chanting and put her formerly raised hands down. "I know you are there...": a deep echoing, but still female voice hit Rynn's ears. When our heroine stood in one place while still holding the sword tightly in her hands, Tanyana slowly turned around. Her movements were creepy and resembled those of a lifeless puppet. When Tanyana turned around, Rynn was horrified by the sight of the former human. Tanyana's eyes were permanently red with slit pupils, dried up bloody trails were formed under her eyes (as if she had cried tears of blood), Tanyana's hair was messy while her clothes looked worn out, her skin was now paler than snow that had the side effect of exposing her purple veins, and her frame had become leaner as if she was just a skeleton walking in a fleshy suit of barely human visage. "I know you would reach me, but I made sure your dragon can't help you...": Tanyana said in the same creepy voice, which was devoid of any emotion and sounded almost inhuman. Rynn shuttered when she looked at her but Ahura's relics filled her with courage and she began talking: "That crystal you took from Surdana's caves... It was Angra's remaining relic and you absorbed it! That cursed artifact has corrupted your mind and turned you in a demon!" Tanyana glared at Rynn with a stoic expression and replied: "This item has opened my eyes... I see the truth at last- your world, all of existence... they are a mistake which must be corrected... the universe cannot exist without darkness and death... all must be destroyed and reborn anew... it was my fate to come all the way here and do this..." Rynn shouted angrily: "Snap out of it woman! Damn it, you are just a puppet of Angra's evil!" The words managed to reach Tanyana, but not in the way Rynn hoped. The sorceress became angered, then shouted in a terrifying inhuman voice: "NO! This object and the demons protected me! My god cares for me and so I must repay its kindness! Angra's will must be done so now you shall DIE!" Tanyana let out a demonic roar, after which their last duel started.
The dark sorceress first shot a purple lightning at Rynn, but our heroine dodged that spell by rolling to the side and fired an arrow inside Tanyana's torso. A demonic scream escaped her lips as her torso started bleeding purple/black ooze instead of blood. Tanyana fired another bolt at Rynn, which our heroine also dodged. However when she fired the second arrow, Tanyana had vanished. Rynn took out her sword and waited in anticipation with eyes closed, she had a hunch what was Tanyana's next move. She carefully ignored the area's noises and heard a sound of a magic spell behind her. Quickly Rynn turned around and swung Ahura's holy sword, which fired a wave of blue/white energy. The attack successfully hit its intended target and Tanyana fell on the ground clutching her stomach in pain with black smoke coming from her, the sword's divine magic had burned her. When Rynn approached Tanyana, she raised her sword and proclaimed: "That was your final mistake. Your life and evil plan will now finally end..." Tanyana gritted her unusually sharp teeth and raised her head towards Rynn, after which she breathed purple/black fire or smoke towards her. When Rynn walked backwards thus avoiding the attack, Tanyana stood up and screamed: "Angra, give me your power!" Suddenly Tanyana's body got engulfed in purple/black energy, as if she was set on fire. A magical explosion of dark energy followed next and when Rynn looked again towards Tanyana, she was gone. In her place now stood a demonic dragon humanoid similar to the murals both in Surdana and the previous antechamber she was inside with Arokh. Tanyana is now fully under control by the Darkness and had just transformed into a demon! "I am the avatar of Angra, your attempts were futile! NOW DIE!": demonic Tanyana screamed in another, deeper voice. The woman she was once had gone away forever, there was now only an extension of Angra in her place. Demonic Tanyana shot a purple lightning bolt against Rynn, who evaded the attack while shooting another sacred arrow. The demon received a wound on its torso but it wasn't enough to kill her. She quickly flew over the void above them and continued attacking Rynn from a safe distance. At first demon Tanyana shot purple fireballs at Rynn, which caused her to run away like a deer evading a hunter. Instead of continuing the attack, she changed tactics by firing a long beam of dark energy. Rynn could barely run away from it so she quickly cast Ahura's magic which boosted her speed. The demon sorceress didn't stop with her attack but she was standing perfectly still. And this was the perfect chance for Rynn. She quickly stopped running and swung her sword which fired a massive light beam towards Tanyana, hitting her again. The demon stopped its dark laser attack, then roared in rage and flew upwards. She raised her arms above her head and inside them began forming a miniature black hole. Rynn was going to get obliterated if she didn't do something fast. In that moment when demonic Tanyana was charging her spell of destruction, Rynn shot another arrow that hit her exactly between the eyes. The demon screamed in pain as the blast of holy magic wounded her sight and she came falling down like a bullet. Rynn tired running away but Tanyana managed to fall on top of her and her heaier body managed to pin down our heroine. Rynn was lying on her back when Tanyana stood up and raised her fist with the intention of killing Rynn. However in her adrenaline-filled haste Rynn managed to quickly turn around and slashed her enemy's torso with the blessed sword. Tanyana jumped backwards with a roar of agony while Rynn stood up. Both of them looked each other in the eyes angrily. Rynn then saw the demon sorceress run towards her like a wild animal. The human warrior charged forward with her sword extended. Both combatants eventually clashed and moved away from each other. Then demon Tanyana screamed in pain as Rynn had managed to wound her again, the damage taken from Ahura's sword put her on the verge of death. Cracks of dark energy moved across Tanyana's body after which she transformed back, the wounds caused her powers to drain away. Rynn looked at her with a scared look of anticipation, waiting for her next move. Did Tanyana snap out from Angra's control or was she going to attack Rynn again? What followed shocked Rynn... Tanyana walked backwards while looking at Rynn with black ooze bleeding from her wounds. Her movements were like a broken puppet and she was holding her torso in pain. "M-master, please forgive me... I have failed you...": she muttered with her eyes turning back to their original color, while she was standing on the very edge of the ramp. Then Rynn had realized what was going to happen next and swung her sword with all remaining power to finish off Tanyana. But it was too late... The sorceress tripped and fell down into the swirling dark void below, her falling into the purple substance was akin to a person drowning into the deep ocean. Rynn looked saddened at her enemy who disappeared as she was absorbed by the vortex of dark energy like a rock sinking into the ocean's bottom. This was all too familiar to Rynn, it's the same way she lost her younger brother Delon so many years ago. Rynn sighed in sadness as she couldn't manage to save Tanyana, but she turned backwards and began walking towards the antechamber to reunite with Arokh. "Well... at least I managed to stop her from destroying the world...": Rynn whispered to herself, trying to lessen the bleak situation which just happened. She considered the mission accomplished, wanting to return home. She had managed to save Drakan from another threat. Or so it seemed...
Large rumbling began shaking the area, with red lightning bolts pouring into the dark abyss below. Rynn shook around, almost losing balance. She noticed a sound amidst this rumbling which resembled a heartbeat. When Rynn turned around to look into void beneath her, expecting Tanyana to return, instead she witnessed something much worse. The purple vortex produced 3 glowing red light which at first resembled slits, then widened and turned into eyes. Rynn quickly recognized these as the same markings on the antechamber's floor and realized those were similar to Ahura's eyes, only being red instead. However what really terrified Rynn was the realization of what happened- her mission had failed. Angra the demon god had been successfully awakened! Then a deep voice filled the large chamber- no, it would be more accurate to call it a noise instead. Rynn heard the dark god speaking and its words assaulted her ears like a thunderstorm or the explosion of a volcano. The voice was distorted and ethereal, barely understandable for mortals. However it pierced her mind like a spear impaling a wounded prey and caused Rynn to grab her head in pain. The eldritch words invaded Rynn's mind and telepathically became more comprehensible: "AFTER COUNTLESS EONS OF DISPROPORTIONATE IMPRISONMENT, I AM FREE!"
Rynn shook her head and ignored the pain to her mind caused by the horrifying voice and regained her senses. When she looked down, she saw that the demon god's head had emerged from the black vortex. Strands from the dark energy were attached to it, and shadowy tendrils crept up on the chamber's walls. Angra's resurrection was reminiscent of an infant climbing outside its womb and tearing away its placenta. Its head was the same as Ahura's statue, only black and purple colored instead while the eyes glowed menacing red with black slit pupils. Rynn wasted no further time and began shooting divine arrows at Angra's head. The dark god noticed their impact, looking upward and seeing Rynn: "WHAT IS THIS? A LESSER BEING TRYING TO ATTACK ME? BOTHERSOME VERMIN!" Angra roared and shook the chamber while Rynn kept shooting it, unfortunately the arrows were merely a nuisance for it. Eventually its neck and shoulders rose above the dark void, its body was forming from the planet's very physical matter itself. Suddenly, Angra grew one clawed hand with a long arm, then began hitting the chamber's walls. The evil deity had superior strength and the whole place started breaking apart. Rynn felt the ground beneath her rumbling and then falling apart. She began jumping from one platform to another to avoid getting killed. Meanwhile, Arokh stood in the chamber and noticed the rumbling: "Oh dear stars, what now? Did Rynn succeed or is there a problem?" He looked at the closed gate before him and saw its glow had disappeared, the spell had been broken with Tanyana's death. Arokh charged his laser and broke the gate, then flew inside the next chamber in the hopes of meeting Rynn. His female human rider was jumping between the ramps, however she was running out of safe places. Then Angra grew its other hand with arm included, using both of them to bring the entire chamber down. Rynn tripped on the debris and fell down, she was now holding onto a ledge with both her arms. Then she looked and saw Angra raising its hand with the intent of swiping and crushing Rynn like a bug. She lost her grip and instead fell down, with a tearful expression on her face and closed eyes: "Forgive me everyone, I have failed you all..." She was falling towards the dark void below, expecting to die. But suddenly a red blur flew close by and caught her! Rynn opened her eyes and saw that she had landed on Arokh's back! "Did you really think I would let you fall?": her dragon asked. "Arokh! Thank goodness! I killed Tanyana, but Angra has been awakened!": cried out Rynn. "I can see that... Guess we have no choice but to fight the demon god...": replied Arokh. They flew over Angra, who now had formed a torso and standing waist-deep into the dark energy below. The dark deity roared and swiped at our heroes, only for Arokh to avoid its melee attack. And then he wasted no time, charging his laser and firing it right into Angra's face. The god of evil closed its eyes and roared in pain: "THAT POWER! AHURA, I CAN FEEL IT'S YOUR DOING! YOU WON'T FACE ME DIRECTLY SO INSTEAD YOU GIVE LESSER CREATURES YOUR POWER? COWARD!" Rynn and Arokh stopped attacking, then grasped their heads in pain. Rynn told Arokh that Angra's voice (if it could even be called that) went inside their minds and hurt both of them, either nearly driving them insane or causing huge amounts of pain. "Angra is evil incarnate, it's essence corrupts and kills! Concentrate Rynn, use Ahura's blessings!" Both our heroes meditated and cleared their minds, the relics began glowing and cleansed them from the demonic god's agonizing presence. Just in time, as they felt their skulls were gonna explode from all the pain caused by Angra's mental assault. Afterwards, Rynn and Arokh continued their counter-attack on Angra. While Arokh dodged its melee swipes and shot barrages of light beams into it, Rynn either shot arrows or swung her sword and fired waves of holy energy at Angra. The dark god roared in anger, eventually rising from the vortex and having now formed its legs. Despite being submerged knee-deep into the black void, it was safe to assume its feet were also formed. Angra's tail was long and spiky, with a triangular shape on its end. Then it punched both sides of the chamber, breaking down the entire castle and mountain in the process! As Angra had grown taller, it now stood under the exposed sky of Sessool itself. Rynn and Arokh continued firing beams of light, however Angra covered its face with both hands. While doing so it leaned forwards as if in pain, then our heroes saw the reason for this- on its back two large spikes burst out, while beneath its arms there was a second pair of smaller spikes growing out. Both pairs of spikes eventually formed into a new appendage- the bigger spikes on its back turned into a gigantic pair of chiropteran wings that blocked out what little light was in Sessool, while the smaller spikes on its torso grew into a second pair of arms. Despite their efforts, Angra was still growing in power with every passing minute. Rynn and Arokh felt like insects compared to Angra at its full size, the dark god towering over them with its head alone being as large as Arokh. They couldn't determine its height, but it was now taller than a mountain- certain at least 100 meters, making Angra the largest being they have ever seen. Angra's wings folded on its back, now resembling a giant cape made of elemental darkness. "THESE DISTRACTIONS END HERE!": Angra shouted, upon which its mouth began glowing bright purple. Rynn and Arokh realized what was about to happen and quickly moved out of the way as quick as possible. When Angra's attack was charged enough, it fired a giant beam similar to Arokh's but colored purple instead. The beam was extremely long-ranged and turned all of the planet's terrain infront of Angra into dust in mere seconds. Rynn and Arokh gasped at the sheer raw might of the dark god, but regained courage and persisted anyways. The human rider continued shooting with the blessed sword, while her bonded dragon continued firing rapid beams of light. However, Angra only got more agitated and shouted in rage, its voice shaking the ground itself: "ENOUGH! I HAVE NO TIME FOR THIS!" Angra turned with its back towards Rynn and Arokh, its cloak-like wings made of elemental darkness now shrouded its body and thus made only Angra's head visible. Then Angra extended its four arms, causing a giant black-hole portal to appear infront of itself. The dark void of outer space was visible inside this portal and Angra began walking through it. Multiple smaller portals appeared everywhere in the sky, which caused the various demons to flew into them. "COME MY PRECIOUS CHILDREN! LET US FINALLY LEAVE BEHIND THIS WORLD AND UNDO ALL OF ANHURA'S CREATIONS!": Angra's voice echoed. Rynn and Arokh frowned upon hearing this. "We've got to hurry, Angra is going to Drakan and shall destroy the whole universe if we don't stop it!": shouted Rynn. Arokh clearly heard what she said and then both of them felt the ground shaking, as if the whole planet of Sessool was falling apart. Fortunately our heroes managed to spot a nearby portal and flew through it. Behind them, Angra's world was crumbling and the portal closed itself. Inside the portal, Rynn and Arokh were flying at incredible speed between worlds, a convenient shortcut for them. Arokh saw a Hellfire Fiend flying inside the portal and quickly vaporized the demon with his Light elemental power before the demon had a chance to notice them. Eventually, they saw a glow at the end of the tunnel- a familiar sight of their home world. However, it was a desert landscape for better or for worse. The South Continent was large and took about 25% of Drakan's planetary landmass with most of it being a desert environment so it was highly probably that Angra with its demonic army would land there. While moving towards their goal, Arokh and Rynn heard a familiar voice through the latter's amulet which was tied to her wrist despite being underneath her godly armor. The elderly male voice spoke: "Rynn, Arokh! I can finally speak with you! Lost contact when you are in Sessool, but now I can hear you again! What is happening?" Rynn answered: "Merdhynis? Listen, there's no time to explain- we killed Tanyana but Angra got revived anyway... It now travels towards Drakan with its demon army using a bunch of inter-dimensional portals... we managed to enter one such portal and now are following it back home..." Merdhynis frightened, replied: "Angra is awakened? Oh dear gods, that's very bad to hear! But I have some good news for you- we studied the Ancients' Gates and we found out they can be used as black holes to either absorb inside or repel outside something. Theoretically, we can use this to seal off the demons back in their home world... However, we still need more time in figuring it out... which I doubt we now have seeing as you didn't stop Angra from returning..." Arokh shouted: "Wizard, can you hear me? You wanted to redeem yourself, now is your chance! Find out how to turn the Ancients' Gates into a magic seal while I and Rynn distract Angra! However, Mala Shae and the other dragons must defend Surdana from the demonic horde in the meantime!" After a short silence, the owl wizard replied: "Very well, I shall do my best. The Order will fend off any enemies, but you must stall Angra for as long as possible and prevent it from annihilating Drakan! Buy us as much extra time as you can!" Rynn and Arokh bid the wizard farewell, then approached the glowing portal exit. When they got close and touched it, our heroes were brought quickly back into Drakan...
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In the South Continent's Desert of Tears, the long-abandoned ruins laid half-buried amongst the sands with the Ancient's Gate nestled in the rocks behind them. These debris were the remnants of Stratos, the Desert Lords' floating islands and fortress base which were brought down by the revived Order of the Flame half a decade ago. Some ruins laid on the sea's bottom which was formed by the explosion of magical energy and the floodwaters had separated the landmass in two pieces. A lonely Basilisk crawled out from the sand, then approached the carcass of a Gnoll. The reptilian creature began eating from the humanoid beast's decomposing corpse until it suddenly stopped. Raising its head, the basilisk sniffed the air with its long snout. It sensed that something horrifying was approaching, which caused it to scurry back and hide under the ground. And soon enough, it's fear was proven right as the sky had darkened above despite it being midday. Thunder clouds began forming and shot lightning bolts on the dry land below. It never had rained in the desert, but this was no ordinary storm. The ground shook and what followed next was a million times worse. A giant wound-like slit of dark energy appeared in the sky, going all the way down to the ground. The slit expanded into a portal, from which emerged 4 giant clawed hands connected to long arms. With the portal's walls getting wider, the head of a giant dragon-like being emerged. Soon afterwards the giant dark humanoid fully emerged and stepped on the ground bellow. Angra, the god of destruction had finally arrived in Drakan. It spread all four of its arms, causing multiple other smaller wormhole portals to appear from which an entire army of demons flew into the mortal world. Angra pointed the demonic horde to spread to all directions and begin destroying everything. When its armies had vanished into the distance, Angra stopped and looked around with a snarl on its face: "THAT FILTH AHURA TRIED TO IMPRISON ME... HOWEVER LIFE AND LIGHT CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT DEATH AND DESTRUCTION... I SHALL FIND AND MAKE THAT COWARD PAY DEARLY FOR BETRAYING ME, BUT FIRST I SHALL ERASE ALL THAT AHURA HAS MADE... STARTING WITH THIS PLANET!" The demon god roared loudly but unknown to it, 4 beastfolk were standing in the distance and watching it on a far away cliffside.
Wild Tusk: That human filth and her dragon were right... The witch and her demons played us like fiddles, now they are gonna kill us all!
Gutsman: I didn't plan this to happen! That hellish horde with their dark deity coming here to destroy us was not promised in our deal!
Borra (female Grull): It's the end of the world! We are all gonna perish!
Lycania (saddened): It would seem that sadly we are all equal in death...
The four beastmen walked back inside their cave, scared and remorseful of what had happened. But there was nothing they could do besides locking the door outside and praying for a quick merciful death. The world was doomed and it was their fault, the beast-people tribes ran away in hiding expecting the end instead of fighting back... even if they didn't stand a chance against the superior demon army. Waiting in fear, they never went outside. However, little did they know was that one last spark of hope just arrived...
XXXXXX
Rynn and Arokh flew through the opened portal and landed on the ground below. They felt the desert's hot sand but looked around to see the landscape had severely darkened. After the portal behind them closed, they looked forward and saw Angra. It was marching slowly through the desert, crushing any obstacle in its path and heading towards the sea. "Arokh, it's going north toward Surdana! We have to stop it before it begins destroying our planet!": shouted Rynn. Arokh replied: "Understood!" and flew towards the gigantic demon god. The red dragon began shooting it with his laser beams, catching its attention. Quickly, Angra's 3 eyes were fixated on our heroes and its face shifted into an expression of pure rage: "YOU VERMIN STILL OPPOSE ME, THE EMBODIMENT OF DESTRUCTION? I SENSE INSIDE YOU A FRAGMENT OF THAT FILTH AHURA! IF YOU WILL FIGHT ME INSTEAD OF MY COWARDLY SIBLING, THEN I SHALL KILL YOU FIRST!" Fortunately, Angra's natural hatred towards Ahura outweighed its instinct of destroying worlds. Unfortunately for our bonded heroes, Angra was still a primordial god and soon proved to be the most powerful villain they had ever fought. Angra extended its arms sideways from its body and dark purple flames appeared in all 4 of its hands. Soon afterwards, the flames transformed into 4 different (and huge) weapons- a sword, a bladed ring, a scythe and curiously a trident-like spear. Then Angra roared loudly in fury, aiming its 4 weapons towards Rynn and Arokh. The final decisive battle had started.
Angra's movement was relatively slow given its large size despite being a primordial god. However the attacks themselves were devastating. The first attack had Angra swing its sword whose range was long, causing Arokh to fly around to dodge the swings. Even worse, each swing fired a wave of dark energy which flew forward and decimated everything in its path. If Arokh was flying close to the ground, Angra's blasts would probably drill holes into the ground itself. The demon god swung its giant scythe next, but Arokh dodged that as well. Seeing that, Angra swung upwards in the sky, causing another wound-shaped wormhole portal to appear. On the other side, Rynn and Arokh could see the void of outer space. Angra roared and suddenly a volley of flaming meteorites began shooting towards them. Sadly, Arokh didn't have time to counter-attack seeing as he was too busy avoiding the demon god's multiple projectiles. Angra closed the portal with another swing of its scythe, but then revealed another trick up its sleeve. It suddenly threw its bladed ring forward like a projectile. The duo managed to fly out of the way, however the giant ring suddenly stopped in midair and then transformed into an expanding massive black hole. Arokh was flying as fast as possible, however the black hole's power was pulling him in. Then Arokh charged up his light beam and turned around to fire it inside the black hole, causing it to shrink and then explode. While our heroes managed to avoid the black hole itself, the resulting explosion caused them to fall downwards and land on the ground. Rynn and Arokh were recovering from the blast, however Angra displayed another portion of its godly power- it flipped the huge trident it held and stabbed the ground with it. Afterwards our protagonists were surrounded by demonic bony tentacles which began strangling them like a constrictor snake crushing its prey to death before eating it. Rynn screamed in anger, then swung her sword and started cutting down all the tentacles. Arokh also fired several smaller lasers of holy energy at the tentacles, which sped up their process of getting free. Soon both escaped the ground and took flight in the sky again. The demon god roared and stabbed the air with its trident, which caused multiple smaller wormholes to appear floating around. From within, shadowy tendrils appeared which made Arokh's movement while flying more difficult. Angra's third eye on its forehead opened wide and shot forth a fast red laser, which transformed into a serpent made of energy. The serpent coiled around Arokh, however it didn't hurt him. But soon he began making erratic movements in the air, spinning around as if he was drunk. "What happened?": shouted Rynn. "Argh, that spell must have afflicted me with confusion and inverted my movement!": screamed Arokh. "Then try doing the opposite of what you actually intend!": replied Rynn. Arokh took her advice, then he fired a beam of light at Angra's exposed third eye. This caused the dark god to scream in pain and close its eye, which resulted in the red energy serpent disappearing and Arokh regained his control. "Rynn, the head and third eye are Angra's weakpoints! If we destroy those, the demon god shall fall!": Arokh told his bonded rider the realization. Angra had covered its face with 2 of its arms, while the other 2 continued firing powerful magic spells. The heroes grew annoyed from this and resorted to doing something instead- cutting of the evil god's limbs. When Angra prepared to toss its bladed ring again, Arokh fired a laser beam towards its hand. The plan worked and the hand exploded, including the weapon it held! The explosion's blast had just blown off one arm of Angra, leaving only a short stump which bled dark purple ooze or energy. Rynn and Arokh smiled upon seeing this and then avoided Angra's giant flaming sword swing. Arokh charged a second laser and soon Angra lost another arm with its weapon. However, this caused the demonic deity to spread its wings that previously been folded behind like a cloak. The sky was already darkened, however the wings had completely blocked any light. Our heroes now felt as if they were locked in perpetual night or locked in a dark cave. But soon afterwards they were bathed in bright red light as multiple giant flaming demon eyes appeared on Angra's wings! The wing eyes began firing a volley of red laser beams towards our heroes, forcing them to carefully fly around. Rynn used her arrows and sword beams, while Arokh used his breath to shoot all eyes one by one slowly. Eventually Angra's wings got both clipped and its back was exposed, which made the sky above slightly brighter. Angra roared in rage, then its mouth glowed bright purple and prepared another blast of its own breath weapon. The deity fired a giant long-ranged beam of dark purple energy forward, but Arokh had already flied around- behind its back. Angra turned around, preparing to attack with its remaining arms. However that proved to be its undoing, as Arokh fired another laser and blew off another hand of Angra. Left with only its trident and head, Angra began summoning portals with shadowy tendrils. Rynn cast a spell of speed boost and flew past all wormholes, then fired a sword beam in Angra's face. Disorientated, Angra screamed in pain which gave an opening for Arokh to blast away its fourth and final arm. The demon god roared and its mouth began glowing purple again. Rynn and Arokh flew towards its face and just as it fired its purple beam, they used the speed boost from Ahura's magic to dodge in just the right moment. Arokh flew above, positioning himself right infront of and between Angra's glowing red eyes. The demon's god third eye on its forehead opened wide in a final attempt of killing our heroes, but it proved to be its undoing. Arokh's breath charged quickly enough and he fired a giant beam of divine magic right into the exposed third eye. Doing so resulted in Angra's entire head exploding in a giant purple and white-colored blast! As the decapitated and disarmed corpse of Angra was tumbling forward like a chopped-off tree, Rynn and Arokh flew out of the way as fast as possible. The heroic duo stood a safe distance away when the giant carcass finally hit the ground with a loud noise and impact shockwave. Rynn and Arokh watched the lifeless body stand there with rivers of black liquid pouring out from the wounds onto the sand itself. Then Rynn cheered up and screamed: "Wahoo, we did it! Angra is defeated and we saved the world!" Arokh looked around, noticing the sky was still dark and frowned: "Something is wrong, Rynn... I don't think it's that easy to deal with a god..." Both Rynn and Arokh became silent, looking at the mountain-sized cadaver. They expected something bad to happen afterwards, interrupting their celebration. Which unfortunately happened soon enough, proving their suspicions correct...
Angra's remains began twitching and quickly decaying. However it wasn't a normal process of decomposition- the physical body melted into a viscous black ooze, with shadowy tendrils erupting in all directions. The part which was Angra burst into purple flames and then a pillar of dark elemental energy shot upwards into the sky. "Is it dying? Please tell me this is just its soul flying away!": Rynn spoke. Her amulet from underneath the armor began making noises and soon Merdhynis' voice was heard: "Rynn, Arokh... do you hear me? We managed to fend off the demons and currently are working on turning the Gates into magical sealing devices. However, the remaining demons ran away from us as if sensing that something was wrong... Apologies if I am interrupting you, but what happened there?" Arokh answered: "We destroyed Angra's physical body, however something tells me the fight isn't over yet... Wizard, hear me out! Don't speak with us and just focus on turning on the Gates instead! Because we are going to still be very busy for a while!" The elderly owl wizard replied: "Very well, buy us a few extra minutes! When the Gate is activated, I shall inform you! Just hang in there a little longer!" When the call ended, Rynn and Arokh looked forward to see the horror which grew in size before them. At first it was a beam of purple, then it turned into an amorphous mass of dark energy. This mass changed shape until it transformed into something which could be best described as a dark thunderous cloud. Bolts of purple electricity ran through its "body" and two large purple flames burst from both sides on the backside, resembling huge wings. A pair of long arms with clawed hands grew from the upper half of this mass, then finally a head formed on the top. Said body part grew multiple pairs of spikes or horns resembling a crown. A red glowing line appeared below, resembling a jagged mouth full of sharp teeth. Lastly, three glowing red slits appeared on the "face" of this dark apparition. The "eyes" widened and the creature roared so loud, it shook the very land itself. Angra was not killed, it was merely temporarily incapacitated.
"Crap, what does it take for this monster to finally go down? We just killed it!": Rynn cried out. Arokh replied saddened: "Angra is an immortal primordial god, Rynn... We only killed its physical form... However this amorphous essence is Angra's true self... A soul or elemental spirit of pure darkness and evil incarnate... Even Ahura with all its might couldn't kill it, and we merely have a small fragment of that required power..." Rynn looked at her sword and then whispered into Arokh's ear: "If we can't kill Angra, then we must settle for the nest best thing... which is to seal it back inside the original prison made for it by Ahura." Rynn and Arokh then looked at Angra's giant disembodied spirit which towered over them and blocked out the sky. The dark god roared, it's voice loudly echoing across the sky and lands: "YOU PESTS REALLY THOUGHT YOU COULD KILL ME, THE COSMIC EMBODIMENT OF DESTRUCTION? I AM DEATH INCARNATE, THE DEVOURER OF WORLDS!" Rynn grasped her sword tightly and began praying: "Ahura if you can hear me, please help us... Your opposite sibling wants to destroy this world and then all of Existence. If you don't wish your creations and the Universe to be permanently erased, then hear my prayer!" The sword began glowing and her dragon replied: "I think your plea has been answered!" Rynn smiled and told him: "Alright, it's all or nothing. Better make this one count... Let's go and stop Angra!" Rynn and Arokh charged forward, while screaming with all of their might. In response, Angra roared back at them and began attacking our bonded duo with its dark god powers.
The dark god's claws glowed purple, after which it swiped three times- once with its left hand, then with its right hand and finally with both of its hands. Arokh flew around all of these melee attacks easily, causing Angra to change strategy. In the back of its body grew 3 pairs of long purple tentacles, each having a tip resembling a devil's tail. Suddenly the triangular ends of its tentacles split opened and turned into hissing fanged snake-like creatures. Angra's tentacles began shooting beams in all directions. The attacks were faster and more unpredictable, showing the evil deity's desperation to kill off our duo. Arokh shot a laser towards each snake-headed tentacle, bringing them down one at a time. Then Angra punched the ground with its fist, causing it to turn darker in color and purple vein-like patterns appeared on it. Before the heores could realize what happened, long shadowy tendrils sprouted underneath them and wrapped around Arokh like vines. Rynn swung her sword and shot beams of light which freed Arokh from his predicament, just in time as well given that Angra was charging up another purple beam in its mouth. When the demonic god fired its laser, our heroes flew over it with the hope of shooting its weak spots. However, multiple demonic red eyes appeared once more on its wings and began firing a volley of red beams. The pattern was random this time, making it harder for Arokh to dodge and forced Rynn to use a spell of speed boost. Eventually, they took out all the red eyes and Angra's flaming wings disappeared. But it raised its arms, causing multiple black holes to appear everywhere which served as obstacles to make Arokh's flight harder. And one wormhole appeared over Angra's head which threw flaming meteors at them. Rynn and Arokh didn't have a chance to attack, since they were occupied with dodging instead. "It's getting more desperate! This means we are close to winning!": Rynn shouted. "It's not just that... Didn't you notice that Angra is now stationary? Its soul is anchored to the black ooze below, the remains from its physical body!": Arokh replied.
"That's good news! But how do we stop Angra from destroying the world?": answered Rynn.
"If we destroy the black ooze below, it will release Angra's spirit and it shall diffuse into the universe itself, permanently corrupting it! We cannot allow that to happen!": Arokh shouted.
"Damn it! How much more punishment can this abomination take?": cried Rynn.
"I... don't know! We just need to keep attacking!": muttered Arokh.
While our bonded protagonists were dodging meteors and black holes, Angra raised its arms once again. However this time, it used a different attack- between its hands a small orb of dark energy appeared. Then said orb of darkness began growing in size, until it became as big as Angra's head. "Rynn, it's trying to blow us all up! Quick, we need to stop it before it charges that orb of destruction!": screamed Arokh. "That's it- an opening! Arokh, shoot it now!": shouted Rynn.
Without a second of reminder or hesitation, Arokh charged his ultimate power of Light and fired it against Angra's expanding orb of death. The resulting clash of energies caused the orb to explode, blowing off Angra's arms! The demon god roared in pain, it's facial expression resembled now a frown and looked as if it was dazed. Rynn and Arokh took advantage of Angra being stunned, then attempted to finish it off. But suddenly, their adversary revealed another trick up its metaphorical sleeve. A long shadowy tendril shot forward from within Angra's torso like an arrow or spike, trying to impale our heroes. While Arokh managed to barely dodge it, his wing was punctured by the strike. The dragon growled in pain and fell sideways, before the shadowy tendril coiled up around him and reeled both of them towards Angra. Before they had a change to react, Rynn and Arokh were now swallowed by Angra. Inside they stood motionless, as if they were frozen in ice. The demon god's purple and black essence surrounded them, and more shadowy tendrils wrapped around them. Rynn and Arokh felt as their life force waned away, the dark deity starting to digest them. "Rynn, I can feel myself weakening...": Arokh cried out. "Arokh, I am sorry... I can't do anything... we have failed... this is the end...": replied Rynn. Both our heroes closed their eyes, feeling as the darkness was devouring them. Rynn and Arokh began to cry without speaking, only their thoughts remained in this void of shadows. It was impossible to defeat such a foe, an immortal primordial force of nature. All seemed lost... until a vision appeared in their minds. Rynn and Arokh both saw a glowing star despite their eyes being closed. Suddenly the star grew brighter and began speaking in a familiar gentle voice: "Do not cry my children, I heard your prayers for help. All of these relics contain a fraction of both my power and my essence, whoever carries them has a direct connection to me." Rynn and Arokh opened their eyes, then felt both of their strength returning. Arokh thought to himself: "Impossible, can it be... Ahura?!", while Rynn managed to say out loud: "Please help us! We need you to seal back your dark sibling Angra back into the void!" Suddenly a blue and white aura covered both our heroes, its presence causing their power to return and the shadowy tendrils to retreat. "I will always be with you, my beloved children. Carefully focus and combine all of the holy relics' power, I have faith in you both. I have saved you from oblivion, so now use my blessings and stop the darkness!": the voice of Ahura spoke to them one last time and then it disappeared. Rynn and Arokh concentrated, then the latter charged his empowered Light beam.
On the outside, Angra was clutching itself and roaring in agony. Something was causing it immense pain on the outside. The demonic deity realized the cause of its torment, however it didn't get a chance to react. Angra's torso began glowing white, then suddenly a giant beam of holy light pierced its open! Rynn and Arokh burst out glowing in a white aura, flying like an arrow shot from its quiver! They turned around, seeing Angra roaring while a large hole was visible in the middle of its torso. "Look, we finally hurt it! We are winning!": Rynn shouted in excitement. However Arokh looked closely and saw a problem- Angra's wound was closing until shortly afterwards it healed. "I AM ETERNAL! YOU CANNOT KILL DEATH, THE DESTROYER OF WORLDS!": Angra roared so loudly, it shook the ground and sky.
The demonic god continued attacking them, our heroes being on the defensive once more. Despite being empowered by the only entity capable of defeating Angra, it wasn't enough. They were still mortal and they were gonna eventually fall down from fatigue, while their enemy was an immortal deity which never felt being tired and constantly regenerated its wounds. It was a duel of endurance, Rynn and Arokh were like a lone ship that struggled against this endless ocean made of pure darkness and evil. And then one last spark of hope finally appeared when an elderly male voice was heard from Rynn's amulet: "Arokh, Rynn... we did it! We managed to make the Ancients' Gate operational!" Arokh replied: "We are currently busy, Merdhynis! Angra is too much for us and isn't going down easily!" The owl wizard answered: "So I heard from your amulet, despite all the loud noise... I leave you now, but you need to tell me when to open the portal. Rynn, Arokh... you have come so far, we all have faith in you! Please stop this evil and return home alive! The fate of Drakan and the whole universe depends on you!"
With the owl wizard ending his communication with them, Rynn and Arokh were once again left alone to fend off the demon god's relentless attacks. Their options were running out and they were growing desperate. It was impossible to shoot Angra's third eye, as it was opened and constantly fired beams of red energy. Angra's mouth was permanently opened and it shot forward multiple smaller destructive orbs of dark energy. Brought into despair, they finally remembered Ahura's words. Rynn cast a blessing of Ahura spell which empowered them and then aimed an arrow straight for Angra's exposed third eye. In that moment, as if the universe had showed them mercy. The arrow hit Angra's weak-spot precisely, causing an explosion! When Angra roared in pain, Rynn swung Ahura's blessed sword an fired an empowered beam of light into Angra's exposed mouth. This caused a second explosion, stunning the dark deity. And then finally, Arokh charged up his Light elemental beam. Having been empowered by Ahura's divine spell, the beam was twice its normal size. When Arokh fired his laser breath, it pierced straight through Angra's head! The destroyer god's face and head then both exploded in a massive blast of energy! When the smoke cleared up, Rynn and Arokh looked towards Angra- now there was only a pillar of shadowy dark energy sprouting from the ground. It looked as if Angra was finally defeated, however the heroes noticed its neck began growing back. Without sparing a moment, Arokh shouted: "Merdhynis, do you hear us? Angra is down, we finally have a free chance! Quick, open the Gate NOW!"
Without any vocal answer, the owl wizard heard them and complied. The Ancient's Gate from the desert ruins of Stratos which stood buried in the cliffside finally activated. First it was covered with bolts of magical energy, then an image appeared inside which showed the demon world Sessool, and then said image began spinning like a whirlpool. Before anyone could notice the Gate, it had turned into a black hole whose powerful vacuum began pulling into itself everything in the desert. Rocks, trees, debris, corpses and other objects were sucked into the gravitational pull and eaten up by the activated portal. Angra's melted corpse and spiritual essence also were affected. The dark cloud began spinning around like a tornado which got caught up and was floating towards the opened Gate. Angra's incorporeal face had regenerated, but it was already sucked halfway into the portal. The demon roared in anger, then attempted one final move against our heroes. It formed several flailing shadowy tendrils and they all shot forward against our duo, who was also caught up in the vacuum but were flying away from it as fast as possible. The dark tentacles wrapped around Rynn and Arokh, a last ditch-effort of killing them or taking them into Sessool with Angra. Rynn cast Ahura's blessing spell again, then swung her sword and cut off the tentacles. The god of destruction roared in vain: "THIS IS NOT HOW IT ENDS! AHURA'S REIGN WILL STOP ONE DAY! I WILL THEN RETURN TO KILL YOU ALL! THE WHOLE UNIVERSE WILL INEVITABLY BE DESTROYED!" Arokh turned around when the shadowy tendrils were destroyed and his breath power given by Ahura's blessing as the final part in the sealing spell to blast Angra back into its prison. The red dragon screamed: "Ha, take this you eldritch abomination!", then fired his massive laser beam of holy light. When his attack shot Angra straight in its head/face, it roared in pain one final time before dissipating. The dark god had finally returned back to its dormant state within Sessool. However, the gate was still opened and its power was threatening to do the same with Rynn and Arokh as well. The former managed to raise her hand towards her face and shouted: "Merdhynis, it's over! Close the damn portal!" Without any vocal response, the gate closed shortly afterwards. The resulting current of magical energy caused a shockwave of invisible force, which threw our heroes away like a strong gust of wind and caused them to crash into the ground.
Rynn and Arokh stood motionless and buried halfway into the sand for several minutes. Eventually however, they both awakened. "Ow, my head... it hurts...": Rynn facepalmed. She then looked around, seeing Arokh also shaking his head from the impact. "Are you alright?": she asked her bonded dragon. "I will be fine, just some minor bruises and headaches. A little rest and healing potions will have me back to normal in zero time.": Arokh answered. Then Rynn smiled and replied: "Glad to hear so buddy... we finally did it... Angra is defeated and the world is saved." Arokh also smiled upon hearing these words and proclaimed: "We make together a great Bonded team. It's the third time we had to save Drakan from conquest! Or corruption and destruction in this case..." Rynn chuckled: "Let's hope we won't have to do it a fourth time! I don't know about you, but I could use some free time without any potential major threat!" Both of them looked at each other, then looked upwards as the sky became clearer. With Angra gone, the darkness had finally disappeared and now daylight shined brightly once again. Arokh and Rynn had to adjust both of their eyes to the sudden shift in bright light, but soon became relaxed with everything coming back to normal. Eventually, Rynn climbed onto Arokh's back and the latter spoke with a calm happy voice: "Something tells me that all threats from now on will be minor and easily dealt with. With Angra sealed back into Sessool, our victory is complete. But I agree... let's go back home and celebrate." Then our protagonists walked slowly through the sandy ground, as they were still recovering from the grueling battle they had just been through. Eventually they reached the closed portal which previously had been used to seal Angra inside the demon world and Arokh flew upwards. He then activated the Gate which now showed an image of their home city and they went inside. With their final victory, our heroes could finally return to Surdana to help with the rebuilding. The world could rest at ease at last, with Rynn and Arokh having just saved all of Drakan alongside the whole Universe as well.
Chapter 11: Ending Cutscene
Rynn and Arokh passed through the portal and then appeared on the other side, however they didn't arrive in Surdana. Instead they were now in the Valley of the Fallen.
Arokh: Huh, the gate didn't take us home? Well it doesn't matter, we could just fly back to Surdana.
Before continuing, our heroes were stopped in their tracks by a mysterious force. Rynn's armor and sword began glowing then both of them now stood motionless in a cosmic void, surrounded by stars and galaxies. At first our duo was briefly startled, but quickly afterwards realized who had summoned them in this place. Even though it was merely an illusionary mental vision, they saw a bright glowing light appearing before them and taking form. It was Ahura having manifested in their minds, and soon it began talking.
Well done my children! You have saved your planet and the whole Universe! I am proud of you both!
Rynn: Well thanks, but we couldn't have done it without your aid.
Arokh: This is the third time we have saved the world so we have gotten used to it by now. Your creations have managed to protect themselves, oh Great One!
The God of Light hesitated replying and stayed wordless for a while, but Ahura eventually continued speaking...
Ahura: This is the last we shall ever speak, as I must return to creating more worlds and repairing those destroyed or corrupted by my sibling. I will make this parting conversation quick- my deepest apologies that Angra caused you so much misery. Whenever my beloved creations are suffering, I feel great sorrow. Alas, this is how the Universe has decided for cosmic balance to exist- I was born to embody the positive aspects, while Angra is likewise forever cursed in being the incarnation of all the negative ones. Darkness, death and destruction aren't inherently bad however as my antithesis Angra also has to represent ultimate Evil because I am the greatest force of Good. I was aware that Angra will one day break free out from its prison, so I gave Mala-Shae and the other dragons fragments of my power which turned into these relics you now hold. Inevitably, one day Angra's planetary seal will become too weak and it will be freed to destroy the whole Universe and so I will have to begin a new cosmic cycle by recreating it. But it won't happen until many eons in the future. You will be spared from Angra's wrath as that final day will happen long after your lives have ended by natural means. However before I depart for the stars, there is one thing I need to tell you...
Rynn and Arokh: What is it?
Ahura: Ever since you discovered the first relic, I sensed your doing with my very being. When you collected and absorbed the other 5 relics, you gained a connection with me. I saw your entire past and lives' history, upon witnessing the many hardships you have endured it made me feel sad towards you. My power has cured you from your inner darkness, but you still hold the mental and emotional wounds from your deceased loved ones. This causes me to pity both of you, hence why I appeared here and started this conversation.
Rynn: C-can you bring my parents back? My brother? And my fellow villagers? They were all massacred and it hurts me ever since.
Arokh: You are the supreme deity of the Universe! Do you not have the power to do so? My parents, my siblings, my female mate and my former human rider Heron also have been killed. There are many other innocent lives who also were unjustly ended.
Ahura: I regret saying this, but I must remove the guilt from my heart- my powers cure instantly every ailment and I can create new life, but I cannot revive the dead. My sibling Angra has dominion over death, however I doubt it will agree bringing back your lost family and allies. While I could make a new family for you, it will never possibly replace your original which you lost and this will cause you great misery. I do not wish to ever see any of my beloved creations feel any suffering.
Rynn and Arokh shook their heads in sorrow, but Ahura continued speaking.
Ahura: Do not feel bad, as I have a consolation. My presence here brings good news as well. Rynn, your younger brother died in an interdimensional rift and his soul was trapped there. I breached the fabric of time and space until eventually I managed to find his soul and saved it from eternal damnation. He is no longer trapped in that awful place. Arokh, don't mourn your loved ones because they are safe as well.
Rynn and Arokh: Really? Where are they?
Ahura waved its hand, causing a dream-like vision to appear. It was hard to make out the picture clearly, as it was distorted and covered in a bright glow. Eventually however, the image cleared and our heroes saw through the round portal a vision which surprised them in a good way. They saw a grassy meadow close to a river an forest with trees which bore delicious fruits. Rynn's eyes widened upon seeing 2 familiar adult people walking alongside a child, all of them smiling happily. It was Rynn's parents and her younger brother Delon! She then saw the other deceased people from her former village, including Atimar who has reading a book. The vision changed and Arokh saw faces he recognized from his past- his parents and siblings, his female mate whose nest of eggs was killed by the Dark Union before they all hatched, and lastly Rimril and Heron talking with each other close to the river. The vision changed and in the third image they saw people who died in their most recent adventure- Tull the old hermit and Kegan were both smoking while telling each other jokes, general Dehrimon and Geroth were looking at them from a short distance, lastly all the other people who got killed in the last year were also present in that beautiful serene place as well. The vision then got obscured by light and faded away, like a candle's flame gently disappearing.
Rynn and Arokh both calmed down and started feeling better, they wanted to say something but were too emotional to mutter any word. Ahura then read their minds and quickly answered their questions.
Ahura: Their deaths were not in vain, their souls have passed on to the great ethereal plane beyond and now they exist in a happier eternal state. I saved your brother's trapped soul from the Rift World and he's now reunited with your parents. All of your other family, friends and allies have also been placed here where they will be safe until the very end of time. I hope you will now live happily knowing they are having a pleasant afterlife.
Rynn and Arokh smiled while their sadness faded away, then replied to the God of Light.
Both: Thank you Ahura... we are sorry we ever doubted you. We shall never forget your kindness, you have our eternal gratitude.
Ahura (gently smiling): I am glad to hear this, my children. And you have my gratitude as well, if it weren't for your valiant efforts then Drakan and the rest of the Universe would have destroyed by Angra. You should not fear your hated past enemies or any new potential threats anymore, my relics you possess will make quick work of them in the unlikely chance they do ever appear. Peace will reign for a long time and my power has extended your lifespans. You are now demigods, but eventually death will claim you as well. Then your souls will be reunited with your loved ones in the celestial plane of ether, but until then make sure to protect my relics and be certain they are given to someone trustworthy enough to continue your work before you pass on. My daughter Mala Shae will help you with that fateful decision.
Rynn: Got it. Protect your artifacts while using them only to protect Drakan, and eventually hand them over to someone that will use their power for good. That's easy to remember.
Arokh: We shall not disappoint you, Ahura. Your legacy will be safe with us.
Ahura: Hearing this fills my entire being with eternal peace of mind, I am glad to have met such wonderful people as you. Wish I could spend more time with my creations, but sadly my eternal duties are more important so we must part ways. This will be last we shall ever speak with each other. Goodbye Rynn and Arokh, I wish you all have now happier lives.
The protagonist duo thanked and bid farewell to the Creator God, after which Ahura's astral projection disappeared and removed the mental vision of outer space around them. At last, Arokh and Rynn were free to move on.
Rynn (cheered up): It's good of Ahura to appear then show us this. Knowing that my brother is with my lost family and other close people in a better place now makes me feel better, we can continue on without feeling bad anymore.
Arokh (smirks): Ahura truly cares for us and the rest of the Cosmos, even if doing so by mysterious indirect ways. Now, let's head to Surdana to celebrate and honor Ahura's will.
The red dragon then spread his wings and they flew carefully towards their home city.
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The dragons and humans of Surdana had seen the skies clearing up and stood in their city, having repelled the demonic invaders. Plenty of corpses from both sides littered the ground, but the Order of the Flame was once more triumphant. Everyone wondered if there will be more battles and what could happen next, waiting in anticipation. The huge doors leading to other parts of the land were locked, but suddenly the guards heard knocking from the door leading towards the Valley of the Fallen. At first the knights were hesitant in opening but as the knocking became intense with no sign of stopping, they were forced to eventually open them. Everyone was armed with magic and weapons, ready for another battle. However what expected them on the other side was not an enemy. The people were surprised when they saw Rynn and Arokh emerging victorious from behind the opened giant door.
Knight Guard: You have returned! What happened?
Rynn: We won, plain and simple.
Arokh: It's over. Although the battle was fierce, in the end we prevailed.
Everyone then cheered as the heroes returned home triumphantly, escorting them back to the city's main street. Rynn and Arokh were greeted by all their allies, who began congratulating them for saving the world for a third time.
Lady Myschala: I have no words to describe how I and the rest of us feel. You have accomplished the impossible Rynn and Arokh! Every obstacle and enemy have been vanquished and you have persevered!
Jade: This is a glorious occasion! We must celebrate your victory and inform the remaining people from the other lands of your deeds. Both of you are indeed great heroes!
Brekk: Ha, I knew you would do it! I never lost faith in my girl! If I was your father, I would be the proudest parent in existence! And your dragon helped us too!
Quaalus: There is much to do here... we should clean the corpses from the city and rebuild the houses... maybe we should call Fandrill, Sevoth, Zeggoro, Ranwulf and others for help...
Mala Shae approached Rynn and Arokh, then asked our heroes: What happened with Angra? Did you manage to kill it?
Arokh (shaking his head): Afraid not, great mother. We destroyed its physical body and corporeal form, but its spiritual essence kept regenerating even after taking damage from Ahura's relics. In the end, we got forced into sealing Angra back into Sessool.
Mala Shae: I understand. Angra is a cosmic god and thus it's truly immortal. Thankfully, Ahura exists and is also immortal to counter it's dark existence. Still, not many people could proudly claim they have won a battle against a primordial deity. Carry this victory in your hearts for the remainder of your days, for noble spirits like yours have earned to walk freely and enjoy my Creator's blessings for all eternity.
Rynn: Yeah, about your god... Ahura contacted us when Angra tried to eat us and saved us from oblivion. After we defeated Angra, we got one last vision of Ahura. He thanked us for the job well done and said goodbye. Sadly Ahura is too busy with maintaining the Universe, but he did comfort us and I appreciate everything he has done for us. If only we could find a way to express gratitude...
Arokh: I think we should convince everyone on Drakan and your home world to perform annual celebrations to worship Ahura and honor the God of Light's kindness. Were it not for him, the whole Universe would have been doomed to oblivion.
Mala Shae: Agreed, my children. It's the least we could do to thank our creator Ahura for saving us all.
The heroes were then approached by an elderly wizard in blue clothes with an owl perched on his right shoulder. He scratched his beard and chuckled.
Merdhynis: Well, color me surprised! You two actually did it, Drakan has been spared from total destruction! I am not complaining though since I am honestly glad we are all still alive!
Rynn: We couldn't have done it without your aid Merdhynis, you have finally managed to redeem yourself.
Merdhynis (begins tearing up): After so many centuries of my well deserved self-exile, I can finally live normally in peace. Looks like I have nothing more to teach either you and your dragon. I... don't know what to do anymore.
Arokh: You could become a chancellor and council to Myschala. Your wisdom will prove valuable in helping Surdana being restored.
Merdhynis (pleasantly surprised): Wait, really? I am lost for words! Don't know if I shall be accepted though...
Lady Myschala (smiling): You are welcome to join the city anytime you want, Merdhynis. Just say the words and you will become an honorary citizen.
Merdhynis (briefly hesitates, then proclaims): Very well, milady. I accept your proposal to become a citizen of Surdana. But I will have to take my belongings from my old home and find a proper new house in your town.
Lady Myschala: I thereby announce that you Merdhynis have been officially appointed the new royal chancellor and councilman of Surdana!
Merdhynis: It's my honor your majesty! Even for a wizard my old age is showing, but I promise I would do my best in helping you and your city!
While Merdhynis talked with Myschala, his pet owl squawked as if wanting to reply and join their discussion. Myschala then looked at Rynn and Arokh.
Myschala: Rynn, Arokh... with Dehrimon and Geroth dead, you are now the generals of Surdana's army. With everything you have done for the world, it's only fitting you become the leaders of the new Order of the Flame.
Arokh: It would be our duty to keep the Order alive while spreading its wisdom and ideology across Drakan. But after everything we have been through recently, I think we first deserve a little break.
Mala Shae: Yes child, you should take a rest. Conserve your strength and heal your wounds before doing anything else. And what does your bonded human have to say on this matter?
Rynn: There are too many things on my head right now. I have a feeling we might have missed some treasure and other collectible items, maybe some of our enemies are still in hiding, areas left unexplored... Also I get a feeling some demons have survived the battle and now are trying to continue fighting or bring back their evil god. Evidently we should go find and stop them before we get any more casualties. But first I need to clear my mind. Go flying around with Arokh and then get some well-earned respite.
Mala Shae: Very well Rynn, we shall be waiting for you and Arokh to return here. Do as you both will, you are now free and so the future of your merged lives now lays in your own hands.
Rynn: Well... if you now excuse me, I need to go spend what little free time I have with my family.
Everyone looked confused at Rynn who then climbed upon her dragon.
Arokh: What family? All of our relatives are dead!
Rynn (affectionately petting Arokh's head): I was talking about you silly! Our families are sadly gone, but we still have each other. Considering everything we've been through, I now consider you my surrogate brother.
Arokh (figuratively blushed): Aw, Rynn... you are making me feel strange... But your words have genuinely reached my heart. So be it, I am proud to be your bonded dragon and therefore consider you my adoptive sister.
Everyone in Surdana cheered and bid temporary farewell to our heroes as they quickly took up and flew towards the skies. They last saw the duo moving far away into the distance and eventually disappearing into the horizon.
Rynn and Arokh were flying over forests, rivers, valleys and mountains. Both were smiling happily and enjoying the scenery as the sun brightly shined above them. Rynn shoted "woohoo" and Arokh let out a "hah hah" as the land stretched out beneath them.
After so many hardships, they finally could make peace with their pasts and move on with their lives. In spite of everything bad Rynn and Arokh endured, they succeeded a third time in saving the world. They have both finally earned their happy ending.
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Chapter 12: Post-Credits Epilogue
The old wizard in blue clothes was quietly sitting on a chair inside his room on top of one tower on the Surdana castle. And on the wooden table, he was busy writing a book that recorded everything he saw and remembered. It was a historical record to preserve an important story for all future generations- a tale recounting all exploits of himself and every person he knew. He was getting old and felt his life reaching its end, his owl familiar had been gone years ago due to its own age. Writing the final page of his dusty book, he typed:
"There are legends from times long past. What I wrote here isn't a myth or fairy tale, but a historical fact and objective truth. Our world had been through so much death and suffering for many ages until these 2 heroes emerged from amidst the chaos and they fought with all their combined might against every danger. Together, they took to the skies like a rising storm, driving back the forces of evil. First they repelled the Dark Union which attempted to resurrect their fallen master, but had achieved victory at a horrible price- losing all their friends and family members. Afterwards they were called here in Surdana to revive the Order of the Flame. When they defeated the leader of the Desert Lords and opened the fifth ancient gate, the Dragon Mother's roar echoed throughout the skies and her children returned in this realm. The world had been saved from another threat. And now they faced their greatest challenge yet, being forced into searching every land on this planet until they found all six holy relics left behind from the Creator God. Travelling all the continents and solving the conflicts there, our heroes obtained the mystical artifacts. Eventually they ventured into the heart of Hell itself and fended off the legions of demonic invaders. Despite their efforts, their enemies managed to awaken the dark God of Destruction whose immortal evil threatened to devour all of existence. But against all odds, when all seemed lost our duo stood against the primordial tide of this supreme darkness and sealed it back into the black void from whence it came. After besting this great embodiment of evil itself, the female human warrior and her bonded male red dragon finally earned their happy ending. In their adventures they met plenty of enemies but also many allies... one of the latter being myself. Standing here, I record their story for all future generations to remember. Their aging was halted and their lifespan was increased from the blessed godly relics they absorbed, both of them vowed to remain chaste and celibate for the rest of their lives. Pledging their merged existence into protecting our would and serving their duty towards the god whose fraction of power they now contained. In their honor, we build a golden statue in the middle of our city and I have dedicated my life to writing down their exploits. As I finish this book, I can feel my life slowly ebb away. But despite this I am at peace as I have served this land, her queen and the new Order of the Flame. Every day we make celebrations in honor of the God of Creation, Life, Good and Light whose kindness helped us in these horrible times. Suffering many failures, I had finally redeemed myself and helped the world. I just pray that my book will never be lost and everyone can enjoy it. Surdana began trading with all the islands, the North, South and East continents while the West and Lost continents remained closed off towards everyone besides our two heroes. The Order of the Flame had been reborn, and a new golden age of peace reigned. With the dragons freely travelling between their home dimension and our planet, there were no more world-ending threats. Having suffered too many losses, the beastpeople tribes no longer bothered us and kept living far away from human or dragon civilizations. All of this was accomplished thanks to both our heroes whose names must never be forgotten as they had saved our planet and beyond three consecutive times. If they had failed, we all would have surely perished. Even as I write this book, I remind myself to honor the tiny statue of our beloved god Ahura in my room. Thanking him for sparing us from total destruction and lending its divine power to both our heroes who then used it in banishing away the god of evil itself. Remember the names of both these two great heroes who saved everyone for the remainder of your lives- Rynn and Arokh. This was the story of Drakan and the legacy of its gods."
THE END!
Congratulations! Thank you for playing "Drakan: Legacy of the Gods"!
Disclaimer: this is a very long read (the longest section of this post), also not everything is indicative of gameplay- some things I wrote are just here to garnish the story. There are some ideas which got scrapped (e.g. fleshing out all the side characters, including the bosses/villains) and I had to make the plot shorter before posting it here. Alas, I am not an expert writer so don't expect some masterpiece of story telling (also english isn't my birth language so I apologize if you see any mistakes or don't understand something). I am also very aware that some people may possibly dislike this post and have a different idea about how a Drakan 3 should be instead. Granted, this is just a fanfiction-type project as the Drakan IP will sadly remain dead unless a miracle happens with Sony and Warner Bros listening to fans then settling their dispute. PS: I took reference/template pictures from the Internet with the idea of visually improving this post, hope you will understand what all these images convey and really enjoy them.
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Chapter 0: Intro Cutscene
This game's plot continues from the second game's ending. An old book with voice narration and pictures briefly summarizes the backstory plus the previous 2 games' events. 5 years have passed since the Desert Lords have been vanquished and the Order of the Flame has been reborn with the summoning of Mala Shae. Surdana is a thriving city with little hostile creatures (and most of them are hiding in caverns), dragons are patrolling the sky and scouts are giving reports from other corners of the Central Continent. Rynn is then seen sitting on a bench and looking at her amulet which Atimar (her village's priest) gave her and is the only thing besides the memories that she has from her past before meeting Arokh. Speaking of which, her dragon companion flies in and lands close to her.
Arokh (curious): Reminiscing about something Rynn?
Rynn (saddened): Yeah... it's hard to forget how much has happened throughout my life...
Arokh: The past cannot be changed. You need to look forward and shape your own future.
General Dehrimon arrives with some other dragon knights and begins talking.
Dehrimon: Rynn... Arokh... We need to speak with you about urgent matters.
Rynn: What is it?
Dehrimon: Our city is prosperous and the Order has been reborn... but we couldn't have done it without your help. We plan to build a statue in your honor in the city's main street next to a fountain. It's the least we can do to express our gratitude.
Rynn: Well, thanks. I'm honored... glad to have some recognition, but in all honesty I am just glad to have rid the world from those monsters. I am sure we can all sleep safely with the Desert Lords killed and the beastmen going back underground.
Dehrimon: Spoken like a true altruistic heroine! It warms my heart seeing people like this. If only everyone in this world was a paragon of virtue like the Order of the Flame, it would be a better place for all of us to live in...
Before Rynn can thank the general, a scout knight riding a wyvern arrives and he begins talking worried.
Dragon Rider: General, we have reports there is another human kingdom in the southwest side of this continent! We managed to rescue some refugees, but it's difficult getting there and the place is under enemy control.
A second rider arrives with some humans in foreign clothes on its dragon's back. These people have peasant clothing, with green kilts like the Grulls. They begin talking in a foreign accent.
Rescued Refugee: Thank the gods you arrived! Our kingdom is besieged by beastfolk and most of us have been captured. Even worse, they are using us as human sacrifice on their pagan altars!
Dehrimon: Calm down, we shall deal with this minor scuffle appropriately. Just give us the location and we shall send help there immediately.
Rynn (intervenes): Those people are in trouble and are being slaughtered! You have to go now! If not you, then I volunteer to go there with Arokh and myself deal with this problem!
Dehrimon: Your bravery is admirable Rynn, but we cannot risk losing Arokh and you...
Rynn (angered): Are you ordering me what to do?!
Dehrimon (scared moves backwards slightly): Excuse me, I didn't mean to...
Arokh (scolds Rynn): Rynn, that was rude. You should respect the other members of the new Order.
Rynn (ashamed): Sorry... I got bad memories of my own village...
Dehrimon: Understandable. Well then, you are free to go there and get rid of those pests yourself. But first you must prepare for the potential trouble.
General Dehrimon gives her a Hunting Knife of the Order which is short and weak, but fast and indestructible while taking only 1 space in her inventory pouch.
Dehrimon: May this weapon serve you well. Here's also a 1000 gold, use it to buy anything from the merchants here and prepare yourself for the journey. But first you must pass a training course to see if you are still in top shape.
Rynn passes the tutorial stage and later gets to fly with Arokh which completes the training course and first mission.
Dehrimon: Splendid! Glad to see you still have enough skill, hopefully it's sufficient in dealing with those southwest vermin.
Rynn: Thanks... Dehrimon, I apologize for the outburst earlier...
Dehrimon: No hard feelings. You have suffered tragedy at the hands at the beastmen, so it's understandable you have a bone to pick with them. Rynn, know this... many other people have also suffered and lost those precious to them, not just you... Now, if we are done with these distractions, then you can go through Shadowmire as a shortcut to the eastern side of this continent. If you are feeling confident enough, then I give you another optional assignment- the monks over at the monastery have complained that their catacombs are infested with spiders. Deal with them if or when you see fit. We shall be waiting here for your success and eventual return.
Arokh (sarcastically): Looks like we aren't going to be retiring anytime soon, are we?
Chapter 1: Central Continent
The player can either go visit the Brotherhood of the Word and kill the Spider Queen boss or go to the southwest, both quests are beginner-friendly however the latter one is mandatory to progress the story. Rynn and Arokh pass through the gate/tunnel of Shadowmire which has been made wider to accommodate dragons. They take this shortcut and find the swamp different- some trees have been chopped down and all Trog huts are destroyed, but not by humans or dragons. They reach the old hermit Tull's ruined/abandoned, upon which they see his mangled corpse on the side with some writing in blood on the side. This grisly scene causes them to fly upward and through the clearing with the Tree of Mourning, a tunnel made to the side leading to a mountain/river canyon going to the East. After this area is bypassed, they reach the east side of the Central Continent. A green field with trees and Celtic huts around, plus an old castle and a Stonehenge-like structure across the river. They fight the Grulls and Wartoks there and see a new type of enemies- Cervids (humanoid elks with Celtic clothing). Rynn and Arokh meet the caged humans in the castle, but in order to liberate them our duo first needs to get the key from the Cervid's leader. Crossing the river and Rynn entering a large stone hut, she meets the shamanistic chieftain of the Cervids under a tree with the statue of a gruesome deity on 1 side and his fresh human sacrifice on a stone altar on the other side.
Rynn: So you are the leader of these monsters that have enslaved and massacre these innocent people... Well, I came here to put an end to your evil.
Cernos: Evil?! Foolish female human, I commune with the nature spirits. Their power wanes and I must provide them with blood sacrifice to aid them in protecting this world.
Rynn: Protecting? From what?
Cernos: They give me visions, I have foreseen the future- a human riding a dragon will come and bring a great disaster to my people. But this is only the beginning... the spirits tell me that a great evil will soon threaten this world unless I give them sacrifice and keep them strong enough to ward it off. An ancient force of darkness which shall sweep across this planet and cause the death of us all...
Rynn: Enough of your lies and enough of these sacrifices! Your life ends here and now!
After Rynn kills Cernos and gets the key, she uses it to free the caged humans from the castle. The Danannland people thank our heroes and get offered the chance to move in Surdana and live there. Some of them accept while others chose to stay here, but Rynn's attention is caught by one person. A woman about her age, with pale skin, blue eyes and long straight black hair. She is wearing rags while standing mute and scared in a corner. But when Rynn approaches her and tries asking her questions, the woman screams. A male soldier informs Rynns the woman's name is Tanyana, she was the old king's (Teutotis) concubine after the queen had passed away from illness, the king had been killed when the Cervids (with the help of Grulls and Wartoks) laid siege to the city. Traumatized by being enslaved and seeing people massacred infront of her, Tanyana's psyche has broken and she has become a shell of a person. Rynn promises to call reinforcements and take all the people to safety in Surdana. Meanwhile...
Inside one of the caves outside Surdana's town, the Grulls and Wartoks excavate ancient ruins from before even the original Order existed. They stumble upon a huge stone monolith slab depicting 2 large humanoid dragons facing each other. The slab is old and the colors are long gone, however one dragon holds a white gem/crystal while the other holds a black/purple gem/crystal. The Grulls and Wartoks comically argue with each other, but realize they know nothing about the monolith and feel ominous things when looking at it. Upon hearing that it's getting late and that humans with their dragons are patrolling outside, they decide to leave this cave and return another day or night. Camera pans up closer to the monolith, with an eerie glow coming from one side...
Rynn, Arokh and the other members of the new Order bring the refugees back in Surdana. The people quickly get accustomed and become honorary citizens. All but one. The woman Tanyana is visibly shaking in her clothes, when anyone approaches her she screams. Lady Myschala and Jade the sorceress arrive worried, the latter decides to use magic in healing Tanyana's broken psyche. Tanyana gets a house to live in Surdana and is given new clothes. Rynn visits her and tries comforting her.
Rynn: Hey, are you alright? I saved you and the other people. You can now live safely here in our city of Surdana instead.
Tanyana (shakingly): T-thanks... If you don't mind I would like some time to be alone, maybe go outside for fresh air while getting used to my new home.
Rynn leaves her and outside is greeted by general Dehrimon.
General Dehrimon: Your progress and accomplishments never cease to amaze me Rynn! Here, take this reward as a token of my gratitude!
Rynn: Appreciate the reward... Hey, wait... Are you flirting with me? Please don't tell me you have a crush on me or something...
Dehrimon: Oh no, heavens no! I respect women ever since lady Myschala took me under her wing. My younger self was a trouble maker and womanizer, having grown up without any parents until the guards caught me and brought me to the queen. Instead of getting imprisoned, the queen made me into a knight. Ever since then, I changed and improved as a person... Nowadays I am ashamed of my brash younger self, loyally serving this community and never failing my pledged duty. When I look at you, I see a kindred spirit... A reminder of what I was before I become a well-known and beloved hero of Surdana. I hope you will follow in my footsteps and become a great hero to replace me one day, setting an example in Surdana for years ahead.
Rynn: I am flattered... but I am just a mere peasant woman. I lived in a poor village, all my friends and family were killed off in a Wartok raid...
Dehrimon: Your honesty is uplifting, it's good to meet other sincere and virtuous people in this harsh world. Remember my words Rynn, heroes aren't born they become such by the deeds the accomplish in their lifetime.
While Rynn is cheered up by Dehrimon's words of encouragement, Tanyana has existed her house and begins exploring Surdana's wilderness... The raven-haired woman's curiosity leads to a certain cave. When she enters it, she comes upon a monolith with the engravings of two large humanoid dragons on it. She notices them holding two large gems and her attention is fixated on the black/purple one. She picks up the pickaxes left by the Grulls and breaks the gem from its place. The crystal starts glows and it mesmerizes her, causing Tanyana to hide it inside her clothes and leave to Surdana while holding the artifact. She removes the rags covering the crystal inside the house and looks at the mysterious item, as if hypnotized by it...
Lady Myschala and Jade contact Rynn, telling her the Grulls and Wartoks have been unusually active lately. While they haven't attacked any humans and spend most of their time hiding in caves, their actions have become suspicious. Rynn has to explore the caves around Surdana and learn more information about it. Accepting the quest, Rynn mounts Arokh and the 2 of them begin searching Surdana's wilderness for any possible answers to what the Grulls plus Wartoks are doing lately.
Rynn: What do you think the Grulls and Wartoks are up to lately?
Arokh: Hmm... I have a bad feeling about it... Doubtful they are planning of attacking our city and the Order... They are simple beasts, Rynn... If there is a greater force behind them to rally into attacking, they could muster the courage but otherwise are a cowardly bunch.
Rynn eventually reaches and enters the cave where the monolith is located and sees it. Upon seeing the engravings and the white crystal, she pries it with a pickaxe and brings it back to Surdana. Then she begins explaining her findings to every important person there.
Rynn: The Grulls and Wartoks were excavating the ruins inside a cave and they appeared to have stumbled upon a monolith with the engraving of two large humanoid dragons facing each other. The colors have long faded away and one of the dragons were holding this crystal. I took it and brough it here.
Everyone (Myschala, Dehrimon, Brekk, Jade, Quaalus, etc) begin scratching their heads before telling Rynn they know as much as she does about this- as in, next to nothing. Rynn eventually asks her bonded dragon.
Rynn: Arokh, you are older than all of us. Surely you must know something about this, right?
Arokh: This is a relic from an ancient civilization that is older than even me and the original Order. As much as it pains me to admit it, I am completely useless at helping you with this artifact.
Rynn: Damn... So what do we do now?
Arokh: There is one person who could help us, as they are older than all of us... myself included. We need to summon the dragon mother herself... Mala Shae.
The humans blow a large horn and all the dragons gather, beginning to roar in unison. A giant winged shadow appears over Surdana and the dragon mother lands in a special open area big enough to accommodate her.
Mala Shae (gently): Why have you called me?
Arokh: Oh, great mother of all dragonkind! Can you help us with this object?
Mala Shae looks at the crystal and trembles in awe, which causes everyone else to gasp in fear.
Mala Shae: Oh stars, it cannot be...! You have found a relic given to humankind by the Supreme One!
Arokh: We don't understand. Can you explain to us about this Supreme One?
Mala Shae: Very well young ones. It's time you know the origin of this world and beyond. This is the story of my origin and possibly all of creation.
Since time immemorial, the Universe has been ruled by a god above every and all other deities. The Light itself, the origin of all, the creator of myself and many other primordial nature spirits. This being has many names, but when I was thought up into existence it asked me to call it by the moniker of Ahura. You see, Ahura is the god of life and creation. Transcending all other concepts, Ahura flies through the cosmos and creates multiple new worlds then sows the seeds of life on them. This planet is no exception and in its genesis, Ahura created several spirits to act as lesser gods to govern and watch over it while Ahura is absent. One of these spirits is myself, as I was gifted with the power of creating dragonkind with my mere thought. All Spirit and Elder Breed dragons were originally Ahura's emissaries on this planet, but eventually our beloved creator had to leave us and departed for the stars in order to keep creating other worlds. This happened countless millennia ago so I haven't seen or heard of my creator since then and I know not what happened to them.
After Mala Shae finishes her story, everyone is silent but first Rynn breaks up the silence.
Rynn: Excuse me but how are we supposed to believe this fairy tale?
Everyone glances at Rynn, and Mala Shae asks confused: What is the problem, young one? You doubt my words? The evidence stands infront and around everyone. Your dragon is my child and I am the child of my creator.
Rynn: Apologies, didn't mean to sound offensive. But while I can't ignore the existence of dragons which are also flesh-and-blood creatures with magical powers just like humans despite our physical difference... the concept of gods makes me skeptical. If there are superior and powerful beings out there, why do they allow so much suffering in this world? Where were these gods when many innocent people were enslaved and massacred, praying for a miracle that never happened?
Everyone's glare towards Rynn dissipated, having understood the reasoning for her words. Mala Shae tried explaining, but it's obvious she herself didn't know the answer.
Mala Shae: I have been separated from my creator for so long, I do not know what their plan for all of existence is. Perhaps Ahura does have some intentions, or perhaps he has abandoned us and is no longer around... I cannot tell for certain. But the presence of this artifact you have found fills me with hope. You can easily perform a miracle and prove the creator's power is real! Just place this crystal inside the pedestal of the Ancients' Gates and you shall witness a fraction of his great power!
Rynn follows Mala Shae's instructions and when the crystal is placed on the pedestal, the Mother's Eye begins glowing. It shows multiple locations to the awe of everyone- some known like the Desert of Tears and the Northern Tundra, while some are new and unknown. The people of Surdana feel amazement at seeing this. Rynn asks what happened and Mala Shae provides the answer.
Mala Shae: This relic is called the Eye of Ahura, it activates the connection between all the Ancient Gates in this world and beyond. This has now opened access to all other continents of this planet, you can travel there and opening the remaining gates will allow dragons to spread across all of Drakan, not just this one continent! This item was created by my parent and given as a gift to dragons, who in turn gave it to the first humans who also build these Gates!
Rynn: So now we gotta search for and open even more gates? I am not very keen on this idea...
Mala Shae: It's not just the gates, child. Ahura gave other items of power besides this Eye crystal, you must find all of these items and bring them here.
Rynn: That sounds great and all, but why us? Can't you do it yourself?
Mala Shae: Arokh has absorbed the power of the Cypher Rune and only he can operate the Gates. Furthermore you now have the knowledge and experience in finding one item so it's been decided by fate you must find and bring back the remaining 5 relics!
Arokh: Very well mother, it shall be done.
Rynn: Yeah, what he said. Guess I don't have a choice in this.
Mala Shae: Prepare yourself for the journey ahead will be long and perilous. But before you depart I must ask you and Arokh something in person...
Rynn, Arokh and Mala Shae hide in the area where the Khossa Vole's tower once stood. The dragon mother asks a question with a worried tone.
Mala Shae: Did you see anything else besides this white crystal in the monolith you found?
Rynn: The monolith had 2 identical but opposing dragon carvings on it, one of them had this doohickey on it while the other one was empty.
Mala Shae: You said that the monolith was excavated by a race of enemy beastmen... Perhaps they have taken something else from it before you got there.
Rynn: Perhaps... why, is there a problem?
Mala Shae (very worried): You must confront these beastmen and take back whatever items they might have stolen from that dig site. If they obtain a relic with the power of a god, they could use its power for evil purposes and bring doom to us all.
Rynn and Arokh nod then depart with the dragon mother and leave for their adventures. A sidequest involves them finding and killing all enemies in Surdana (Grulls, Wartoks, etc) to locate any important item and bring them back. They eventually corner a male Grull in Kragmor and interrogate him, who reveals they dig up the monolith but left when it was getting late and there was a threat of the new Order killing them. Rynn and Arokh spare him after he reveals that the monolith had a second crystal but it was colored black/purple and was taken by somebody else after the Grulls plus Wartoks left. Rynn and Arokh leave searching for who could have taken the second crystal, however the Grull is angered for them killing his family and he vows revenge.
When Rynn exited the Kragmor cave, she noticed a pile of crates with the usual symbols of the Dark Union plastered on them despite it being dissolved three times by now. Rynn took all the weapons, potions and treasure on top of the crates but something else caught her attention... A piece of parchment with a strangle rune inscribed on top- resembling either 3 scratch marks or a bird's 3-clawed foot, it was written in blood. She took it in her hand, then began calling for her bonded dragon: "Arokh! Where is that dragon?" Instead of looking around, Rynn continued to examine the parchment until a familiar deep male voice spoke behind her: "Feeling a bit lazy, are we?" Rynn got startled and then asked: "Where have you been?" to which Arokh replied: "I was right close by, you didn't need to yell." Then Rynn showed him the parchment she had just found and began talking.
Rynn: I found this parchment on the crates, it looks relatively new and it has a strange rune written on it. Do you know perhaps what it could mean?
Arokh (while looking at it): Afraid not. While the symbol may look odd, I have never seen it before. However if perhaps I had to make a guess, it's most possibly something connected with the Grulls and Wartoks' practice of blood sacrifice rituals. Likely they killed some humans to appease whatever barbaric deities they worship on their pagan altars. Certainly this rune is nothing important for our mission.
Rynn: Yeah, I guess you are probably right. Let's return to Surdana, use the Gate there and warp to Ravenshold.
Meanwhile, Tanyana is admiring the black/purple crystal when suddenly someone knocks on her door. She hides the crystal, after which she lets Rynn and Jade get inside her house and ask her if she is fine. She confirms that she is feeling better however is also nervous. Jade asks if she wants to become a mage or warrior and join the Order. Tanyana agrees after which she attempts doing the same things which Rynn does in the tutorial. However she fails all of them and gets a dragon injured, which causes Jade to scold her and Tanyana runs away sad in her house. Rynn follows her and tries to comfort her, but Tanyana lashes out in anger and screams at Rynn to get out of her house. After our heroine leaves, Tanyana brings out the one item that brings her comfort- the dark crystal. She looks at it, then decides to break chunks of it and begins eating them to avoid it being discovered. As she swallows a chunk, her eyes being glowing red...
Afterwards outside Rynn and Arokh prepare to leave through the Gate towards the Northern Tundra (or the Desert of Tears), beginning their quest through the world for the 5 remaining divine relics of Ahura.
Chapter 2: North Continent
Rynn and Arokh teleport into Ravenshold. They ask Ranwulf if there is any problem in the area. Much to their dismay, he confirms that yes- there ARE problems. There are beastmen coming from the Arctic Pole that raid their village. They live at the top of the world in the ruins of a mountainside ice castle built by the original inhabitants of Meridia, however it's impossible for any human to get there. Rynn fortunately is not just any human because she has a dragon on her side to help. Speaking with the other Northmen reveals more information about these beastmen: they are not Half-men but other species and instead of brute force they use cunning which is why they haven't been stopped. One type is the Ovitaurs, relatives of the Frost Grulls who have ram/sheep features instead. Another type is the Beornings, which are humanoid bears. Lastly, another type is the Lycans who are humanoid wolfs that practice ice magic and are good with bladed weapons. Their leader is Lupius, a very cunning and affable Lycan who has caused the Northmen alot of trouble and has a magic sword in his possession. Upon going slightly upwards, Rynn and Arokh find that Zeggoro has been kidnapped. They travel further north, upon reaching a blocked gate. This causes them to go back to Surdana, where they report their progress with Lady Myschala and the others. Mala Shae calms them down, saying that continents are huge so they should be considered lucky to have gained access to the first half of a new landmass. Rynn and Arokh decide to breach the other half by using Tull's explosives from Shadowmire. Qualuss, Jade and Tanyana create four explosive satchels then give them to our duo. Jade mentions that Tanyana has shown impressive progress with her magic skills, after which the latter shows off some tricks and smugly looks towards Rynn. A pair of dragon knights appear showing the design for Arokh and Rynn's statue in the city, which causes Tanyana to ask why nobody else has a statue. Jade answers that only Rynn and Arokh are deemed worthy enough of getting a statue, after which Tanyana asks if she can join the Order. Sadly for her, Jade says that she must practice and spend many more years learning magic and earning the Order's approval before getting her own dragon. Tanyana runs away back to her house, after which Rynn follows her back in her new house.
Rynn: Why are you aggressive and antisocial?
Tanyana: The hypocrisy in this city is disgusting! Other people are royalty or military that also have dragons, while you- a mere farm girl, is the only one that gets a statue in her honor! What makes you so special?
Rynn: Listen, the circumstances in which I got my dragon and earned Surdana's recognition were almost beyond my control. My village was raided by beastmen, my brother was kidnapped, I was forced to bond with Arokh to save him, only to fail in the end... I am the last survivor of my village and then had to go through so much suffering in order to save the world and earn my place in this city. The people are doing what they deem enough to express their gratitude for what I and Arokh both did...
Tanyana (shouting angrily): Enough? So everyone with a sob story gets treated like royalty? I was torn away from my deceased parents when I was but a mere child and forced to be that old king's queen! He tried to force himself on me, but his old age had affected his mind and body so I had to fight him off me like a rabid animal in a cage! Then everything went to Hell when those beasts came, killed that elderly creep and then placed us all in a grate as if we are mere livestock! They took one captive every day, sacrificed them on their altar and treated us like garbage! My turn was going to be sooner or later! If my life's purpose is to be only treated like an object and killed, then why should I keep existing?!
Rynn tries to help, but Tanyana breaks into tears and tells her to "get out and leave me alone" after which our heroine complies. When the door is closed and eventually Tanyana stops crying, she takes out the last remaining shards from the dark crystal and eats all of them. Doing so causes her eyes to glow red again, this time her pupils becoming vertical slits. Her sad expression gives way to one of rage and hatred...
Rynn and Arokh return to the Northern Tundra, placing the 4 satchels on the gate and blow it up. They enter the north pole (aka "the top of the world") and see an abandoned village with snow-covered houses. Arokh suddenly dodges aside and growls "Careful, it would seem that we have some company here!" upon which they look behind the trees and see some people in animal furs (with some having even animal headdresses). The blonde viking woman appears then she mutters "The dragon can talk? And it's ridden by a human? Is this a spell of deceit, or has the Order of the Flame returned after so many years?" Arokh and Rynn inform her that they have revived the Order and come from the mainland continent. Their mission is to find a relic in these lands, to which the vikings say they have no idea what they are talking about. Our heroes find out the vikings are the only descendants of the original inhabitants of Meridia, now reduced to a group of tribal savages because of the Dark Wars and the beastmen's oppression. The viking woman Astred says that Lupius is surprisingly pacifistic for a beastman and instead of killing humans he just scares them with the ice sword he stole and uses his cunning. However, one day they stole a wizard from the south which means they apparently have bigger plans. The ice castle is surrounded by a magic forcefield and there is only one way inside- through a secret tunnel. Rynn and Arokh decide to create a diversion but it would require the vikings and Northmen bringing reinforcements which could have some... casualties. The small army of humans gather outside the forcefield and scream enough to catch the beastmen's attention. Lupius himself who previously had kidnapped Zeggoro and stole alot of items from the Northmen (ala Robin Hood) is having a feast in his dining hall with his minions when suddenly they hear the noise outside. Before going outside, Lupius smirks and whispers some plan to his minions... The beastmen army gathers on the castle on the other side of the forcefield and begin talking with our heroes.
Rynn: Greetings! We have gathered an army to stop your oppression!
Lupius: Oppression? These lands are our kin's birthplace, then your wretched species came and drove us out! We are just rightfully taking what's ours!
Arokh: As you can plainly see, we have have the advantage on our side! I doubt you have the means to stop a dragon from the Order of the Flame!
Lupius: Impressive, you have managed to revive that old faction and gained a dragon just to force us to abandon our homeplace! Your arrogance is partially admiring, but the higher you fly the higher you fall...
Several beastfolk bring out ice ballista (formerly belonging to the Half-men) and begin firing, which causes our heroes to shout "Retreat!" and seemingly run away.
Random Beastman (mockingly): Come a little closer... we surrender and just wish to negotiate with you! Hahahaha!
Lupius however was smart enough to see the ruse and hugs a female of her species, telling her "Our enemies are smarter than they seem. It would appear they want to start a war with us here. Listen carefully, I want you to get out with some ships and escape this place. Them having a dragon on their side means that I and my army probably won't make it out of here. But that doesn't mean we will go down without a fight..."
Rynn and Arokh find and enter the secret tunnel... only for the entrance to close behind them and some beastmen soldiers appearing which shout "Surprise! We were expecting you!" Some human reinforcements die in the scuffle, but Arokh torches the beastmen with his breath and they proceed through the large beautiful ice castle/cavern. Various enemies, traps and even ballista impede their path but eventually they find Zeggoro in a prison cell- surprisingly alive and well.
Zeggoro: Thank goodness you came! While these beasts were surprisingly cordial to keep me safe, likely for pragmatic reasons, I much prefer the solace of my own tower.
Rynn: Why did they capture you?
Zeggoro: Their leader Lupius is surprisingly kind towards a human like himself. Clever too... managed to catch me when I was out searching for special ingredients needed to create an improved version of the Half-men's barrier... which he then forced me to create this forceshield around his castle. Bastard wants to increase its size until the entire North continent is covered. That's why he scares away humans, keeps me alive and scouts the area with his troops... he wants the barrier's radius to cover even more territory than it currently does.
Rynn: How do we stop him and remove this forceshield?
Zeggoro: Sadly, he was smart enough to make it so that only he can deactivate this barrier. To do so, you will have to confront him and force him into deactivating it... which means, you might have to use violence. As usual the only way when dealing with beastmen, hmph.
Rynn lets Arokh with Zeggoro to protect each other, while she moves upwards the icy hallways and enters Lupius' dining chamber. The wolf beastman charges with his sword but Rynn reacts quick enough and evades his attack.
Lupius: I must say I am disappointed in your progress... I imagined you'd be here sooner, especially with the help of your dragon. Speaking of which, where is your big scaly friend? Did you enter the wolf's den without him and willingly exposing yourself to danger?
Rynn: You done plenty of atrocities, forcing innocent people to suffer under your iron fist. You are a heartless monster and just another savage beast who rules over people like a tyrant. Deactivate this barrier or this will be the last day of your miserable life.
Lupius: I will ignore those insults and threats you hurl at me, my dear. Let's drop the moral posturing, shall we? You are no hero, you are just a self-righteous warrior forced into assassinating me while claiming to be a paragon of virtue. I used my wits to peacefully unite the different beast tribes living here and I have only the best in mind for my people... yet, you barge in here and call me the villain? I wish to simply kick out your invasive kind from our homeland, with as little violence as possible. That wizard helped us and now after we expand the barrier, he can go peacefully back to the mainland. The same applies to you and the others: I am a peace-loving creature so I will gladly leave you to walk away back home unharmed if you quit killing my beloved kinsmen.
Rynn (morally conflicted): You are a surprisingly diplomatic beast... However, it's impossible for our species to ever co-exist peacefully. Also, I am on a mission to retrieve a valuable relic back to the Central Continent. I won't leave until I obtain it, even if that means killing you.
Lupius: I have no idea what you talking about... unless you are referring to this ice sword I keep on myself? Well, the only way to get it is from my cold corpse and paws... But before we engage in a duel to the death, you need to ask yourself... who here is the villain and who is the hero? The person who is defending their birthplace and beloved people, or the invader and their army that appeared here to steal our home and murder our loved ones?
Rynn battles Lupius and eventually he is mortally wounded, with the following exchange.
Rynn: Hand over the sword now and I promise that I shall leave this place without any more bloodshed.
Lupius: Still fancy yourself a champion of goodness? Well, if I die then I shall go down like a hero...
The wolf beastman uses one last desperate attack, which breaks his ice sword and the floor beneath. Rynn and Lupius fall down into a group of beastmen who horrified see their leader bested by a human. Lupius manages to say his final words "My people, avenge me..." before succumbing to his wound and dying. Rynn barely manages to survive the ambush, then she disables the barrier and reunites with Zeggoro and Arokh on the way out.
Arokh: Glad to see you make it back alright.
Rynn: I killed their beloved leader... Now they are gonna swear revenge on us.
Arokh: Such is the price of every battle and war. Casualties are inescapable and the survivors will mourn the deceased. Trust me, I was forced to kill alot of people when fighting way back in the Dark Wars.
Zeggoro: Hate to interrupt your touching speech, but alot of beastmen have retreated when the barrier got deactivated. I saw them running for the coast, they would probably try to escape with longships.
Rynn: Should we follow them? I guess we would have to end more lives today...
Arokh: It depends if they have the item we are searching for. Did you find anything in the ice castle?
Rynn: Lupius guarded a magic ice sword with his life, and it broke during our scuffle.
Arokh: A pity... Looks like we failed our mission. Guess we should return home then.
Our heroes meet with the vikings and Northmen, who thank and congratulate them for liberating the Meridia ice village and castle from the beastmen. Rynn and Arokh bemoan they failed to get Lupius' ice sword as they needed an ancient relic. The viking woman asks them why this sword is needed when they could easily make another one. Arokh informs them they need to find an ancient divine relic from before even the original Order existed. The people laugh and then a male viking hands them a magic key to the Meridia catacombs- a place filled with monsters (yetis, tundra dragons, scavengers, etc) that even the beastmen stayed away from. The castle was recently build after the Dark Wars merely used as a living place for the vikings while the catacombs predate the castle's construction and thus are as old as the original Order of the Flame. Rynn and Arokh go to the catacombs, deal with the threats within and find an unique bow that is loaded with arrows. When they see that the bow/arrows have the same color as the Eye of Ahura (plus made from the same material), they realize they have found what they are looking for and now have a clue in their quest. While our duo returns to the central continent, both good and bad things await them...
XXXXXX
Meanwhile in Zeggoro's tower...
The elderly wizard returned to his home and sat back on his chair. He began reading an old book and then fell asleep. But it wasn't a regular need for rest which caused him to drop down onto the book slumbering. Someone or something deliberately had done so using magic. Zeggoro fell into a trance and began seeing visions, then a familiar ethereal voice started talking to him...
Spirit 1: Zeggoro, we need to speak with you this instant...
Zeggoro: Oh pardon my tardiness! What matters could be so important?
Spirit 2: We sense a great force of evil has been awakened, its dark tendrils have began coiling themselves around this world.
Zeggoro: Is it the Dark Union? Or the Desert Lords again?
Spirit 3: No, it's something different... We cannot decipher its identity as it's older than even us... But we sense its threat and the corruption it spreads.
Spirit 4: This primal darkness affects even the aether in which we live, and so we are getting weaker... If it's not dealt with, eventually it would spell an end to the Universe itself.
Zeggoro (scared): How can I deal with such a nebulous and powerful enemy? What payment would you demand from me for this?
Spirit 1: We ask nothing of you this time. Driving away this darkness and cleansing the Universe will be the payment itself.
Spirit 2: Listen carefully. We sense the corruption originating from the south. Go there, work undercover with the local people and find out who or what is the catalyst for this cosmic disturbance.
Zeggoro: I will speak with Lady Myschala and the sorceress Jade. Perhaps they could provide aid... And what about here? Should I warn Ranwulf and the Northmen?
Spirit 3: No, they can't help with these matters. You need to watch carefully the female human and her bonded dragon you helped years ago. They hold the key to dealing with this plague of evil...
Zeggoro: Rynn and Arokh? How could they deal with any of this?
Spirit 4: Darkness cannot exist without Light. They have found one of several ancient relics. Blessed holy items left by a god of benevolence. They must obtain the remaining artifacts, only then will the darkness be finally driven away...
Zeggoro: Alright I will do my best, however if what you say is true then I have to leave them do most of the work. In the meantime I will need to do more research and gather any useful information.
Spirits (all simultaneously): Make haste and do not fail! We shall offer you guidance but every passing day makes us weaker! The fate of this and other worlds depends on whoever obtains these divine relics!
The spirits disappeared and Zeggoro woke up. At first the wizard grumbled, but afterwards he began taking several books and scrolls which he placed in a magic bag. He packed up his luggage and prepared for a long trip outside the North Continent. With Lupius dead and the beastmen defeated, Zeggoro met no resistance during his walk outside. He talked with captain Fandrill and boarded the "Raging Queen" ship. While resting on a wooden chair, Zeggoro furiously searched through all his books and scrolls. Eventually he found one which caught his attention, while also making him tremble in fear. It spoke of the first human civilization in the South Continent which first build the Ancient's Gates and started the Bonding ritual with dragons. This civilization grew in power (both military and magical) but eventually collapsed. Before doing so, it worshipped a mysterious god of light. Zeggoro however felt his biggest curiosity and fear when he saw a mention of an ancient cult which summoned demons and worshipped an unknown god of darkness. Despite the cult being dealt with by the Ancients, their existence was recorded in the book while there also being doubts about some members having survived and running away. After seeing these ominous texts, Zeggoro began putting the pieces together...
Chapter 3: South Continent
Rynn and Arokh return in Surdana, presenting their new items to Lady Myschala plus the others. Mala Shae returns and congratulates them.
Mala Shae: Well done, so it would seem your search was not in vain! However this merely is the second artifact, you need to find the other 4 before our enemies do.
Rynn: Do you know what this bow and its arrows are called? Do you know the other artifacts' identities, or are we stuck in a blind guessing game.
Mala Shae: You think all of this is just a mere game? (Rynn and Arokh glance at each other and humorously cough) Well, you got the Eye first and now you have the Wing Feather of Ahura. The remaining relics are: the Horn of Ahura, the Scale of Ahura, the Claw of Ahura and the Fang of Ahura. I don't know what objects they have been forged into, but it's imperative to find all of them. Also, this weapon alongside the other artifacts when collected must be protected in a safe place. Either guard them with your lives, give them to someone trustworthy or lock them up in a vault away from potential danger.
Rynn and Arokh nod in agreement and prepare to leave for the South Continent, but first they organize a celebration for their victory in the Northlands. Unbeknownst to them, Tanyana watches angrily from her house and then leaves. Meanwhile...
The beastmen from the North arrive on the Central continent with their longships, their magic helped them survive the perilous cold sea. A female wolf beastperson starts crying her beloved Lupius has been killed and wishes to avenge them. They are then confronted by the Grulls and Wartoks. The male Grull that was spared by Rynn and Arokh, sporting a scar on his eye arrives with a male Wartok that has scars on his face and one of his tusks is broken. They are very angered that the Order has massacred so many of their people and offer to join forces with the northern continent beastpeople to exact revenge on humans and dragons alike. The North beastmen ask how can this be achieved, with the scarred Grull (named Guts Skullhead) and the scarred Wartok (named Wyald Tusk) mentioning the cave with the monolith. However they remember that both crystals have been taken away by the Order. Just as they wonder what to do, they are approached by a humanlike shadow teleporting in with a magic spell. A tall woman in black clothes appears and begins talking. It's none other than Tanyana herself!
Tanyana: So you also harbor resentment for the Order of the Flame because they took everything away from you, forcing you to live in humiliation? Perhaps we should join forces and may them pay for all the suffering they brought into this world...
Borra (female Grull): Why should we listen to you? Our people already served two warlord mages before- Navaros, the leader of the Dark Union and Jasaad Duthana, the king of the Desert Lords. Both have died, our people's numbers have dwindled and we are now forced to live in remote corners. What makes you think you will succeed where they have failed?
Tanyana (in a creepy monotone): I have been chosen by a higher power to carry out divine judgement to all those who oppose me. I have been to the monolith of the Gods and become one with the Dark Crystal...
Casca: What?! So you are the one who stole one of the two jewels? Cough it up now you human filth, or we shall cut you open and take it from your corpse!
Tanyana (voice becomes deeper): You will regret doing that...
Tanyana screams in a bizarre inhuman voice, black smoke covers her body and purple electric bolts arch from her. She shoots Casca plus several other Grulls and Wartoks, killing them instantly with purple electricity. The others quickly fall down on their knees in fear.
Gutsman Skullhead: S-she's not human! She's a witch... or something worse!
Tanyana (with creepy voice and glowing red eyes): So, does that mean you will follow my orders or do I have to increase the casualties to prove my point?
Wild Tusk (scared): W-what do you command from us? H-how do you plan on destroying the new Order?
Tanyana (smirks, with slit pupils now visible in her red eyes): First you will need to gather allies from other continents as reinforcements. Also I need to summon some friends of mine...
Meanwhile Rynn and Arokh go to the Valley of the Fallen and notice the change in scenery.
Rynn: This place... looks different now. What happened?
Arokh: When the revived Order toppled Stratos from the skies, its fall must have caused some heavy collateral damage to this landmass. The combined magic attacks of the Order and the Desert Lords have severed the former Great Continent in two. The lush forested part is now separated from the dry and unhospitable desert which are now respectively the Central and South Continent.
Rynn: Good thing the Ancients' Gate here still works. Hey, we can use this to teleport to the desert in the South Continent. Hopefully the fifth and final gate we opened in Stratos is still there and functional.
The heroes fly close to the sandy coast and visit the ruins where the fourth gate is located. Fortunately for them, it still works and it activates. They enter it and end up on the other side... in a familiar place. Sandy dunes surround them and they see the entrance of the Sanguinade infront of them, much to their relief. Fallen rocks and other debris around are the only remnants of Stratos, the former stronghold and headquarters of the Desert Lords. Rynn and Arokh visit the ruins, expecting them to be abandoned. But they are greeted by traps and undead. Eventually they reach the caverns filled with Gryphons, dispatching these as well. And then upon reaching the area where the floating rock that transported people to Stratos once stood, now laid a canyon pass infront of them which lead into the desert inside the South Continent's heart. Flying through this place made Arokh feel uneasy and he started looking around himself carefully.
Rynn: Is there a problem? Why are you spinning your head around in paranoia?
Arokh: This landmass is a desert but it's not uninhabited... I sense enemies close by.
As luck would have it he was instantly proven right- a giant appeared infront of them. But while it resembled the primitive giant of their lands, it was covered in armor-like scales and had spikes growing from certain parts of its body which gave it a reptilian appearance instead. The creature growled angrily and slammed its fists into the ground which created a shockwave of dirt to move forward. Arokh easily avoided it by flying above, which caused the rock giant to change its tactics. When Arokh flew above it, the creature opened its mouth and released a cloud of toxic breath gas. Rynn sarcastically complained if the giant "didn't know about brushing its teeth" while Arokh flew away from the enemy. The giant roared in anger and called several others of its kind, some armed with giant clubs made of bones. While some giants tried swinging their clubs when Arokh flew close, others throw boulders made of brown rock they picked up from the ground... to no avail. The red dragon managed to barely dodge all their attacks and leave the area. Now, the desert dunes laid around them like an endless ocean of sand and rock. There was the occasional plant or ancient ruin dispersed, and they even witnessed the bones of several huge but thankfully dead creatures. Rynn interrupted the silence by asking Arokh if he feels hungry, to which he replied that dragons need to drinking as much as they need to swimming (not at all). This meant he obtained his water by eating his preferred food- red meat. Luckily for them, they saw the skeleton of a large grey mammalian animal with four tusks and a long trunk next to a spiky plant.
Rynn: What are those things?
Arokh: An Oliphaunt and a Death Cactus! I could use the former to obtain some food and drink for myself!
Rynn: And the latter?
Arokh: I wouldn't recommend you touching that. But first let me feed.
The Elder Breed dragon bit the dead animal on its abdomen and sliced open its huge stomach, after which he began devouring its meat. Rynn took the Oliphaunt's remaining blood and used a magic spell to separate the water from the other substances. After drinking the available water and seeing her dragon well fed, Rynn picked up a rock. Arokh glanced at her and asked what's on her mind. She wanted to open the cactus and get some water from inside, but saw the thorns on the dead Oliphant's trunk and told Arokh for both of them to take cover behind the large animal's corpse. Rynn threw the rock at the cactus and her theory was proven correct- the cactus exploded and shot its thorns like projectiles in all directions except for upwards in the sky. If it weren't for the Oliphant's carcass being used as a shield, they would have been perforated. Rynn climbed atop Arokh and the two of them took flight once more. After an hour or so, they saw some strange humanoid figures riding rhinos on the ground.
Rynn: Locals! Do you think they are friendly?
Arokh (looking closer using his superior dragon vision): Those aren't humans Rynn!
Just as he finished his sentence, a bolas (rope with balls on both sides) shot upwards and threatened to entangle Arokh's wings had he not burned it with his fire. The rhino-riding enemies cackled which revealed their identities.
Arokh: Gnolls!
Rynn: Did you say "gnoles"?
Arokh: Hideous beastly creatures. I heard stories about them living only in this continent, being desert bandits and raiders. They are scavengers who steal everything and the females are... uh, difficult being differentiated from the males.
The red dragon shot fire down towards the hyena beastmen, which caused them to disperse and run away in fear. His nature as a dragon gave him a superior advantage against most creatures. After passing another sand dune, they saw a human city. There were people living there similar to the Desert Lords' human slaves in Stratos and the warriors had similar clothes to the Soulless but in different colors (which implied the Soulless were made from these humans, perhaps with necromancy). Rynn and Arokh landed which as usual caused the people a slight panic. Rynn dismounted from Arokh and began asking the people for information. One of the men resembling Mardis approached her and started talking.
Wastelander: I see you are far away from your home. What business do you have here? And what is that dragon you are riding?
Rynn: I am Rynn and that dragon is Arokh. We hail from Surdana, I don't know if you have heard of us but we killed the Desert Lords and revived the Order of the Flame.
Wastelander (cheered up): Why didn't you say so in the first place! In that case you are welcome here! But I assume your visit is more important than just stopping by and viewing the scenery, right?
Arokh: We are send on a mission. First of all we need provisions and rest. Also directions because this place is new to us. But most importantly, do you know about any relics left from the original Order of the Flame? Perhaps, even older than that?
Wastelander: The first 3 things we can and will easily provide you. As for the fourth... well, there is a small inconvenience. Several, actually.
Rynn (annoyed): And what could those be, if I may dare ask?
Wastelander: Some of our people have become criminals and we forced them into exile. They are now desert bandits who use local beast as mounts. We also have some Oliphaunts, provided to us by the people living in the Southern Savannah... But most don't survive the delivery here, with both our city and the southern one being attacked by both desert bandits and local hostile species... But with a dragon on our side, we can turn the tide of battle! Will you aid us?
Rynn and Arokh agreed under the condition they are given provisions, rest and lastly directions. The next day Rynn climbed atop the only Oliphaunt in the city, while Arokh flew above ready to incinerate every threat. A wastelander warrior commanded the animal, while Rynn controlled the turret mounted on its back also Arokh gave them a huge advantage with his flight and ranged breath weapons. Said advantage was needed as the onslaught of enemies was ridiculous- gnoles with ranged weapons running or riding rhinos, desert bugs, flying enemies and even the bandits riding enemy Oliphaunts in different color from theirs to denote its allegiance. Eventually all threats were dealt with, with the desert people honoring their end of the bargain... while also giving Rynn and Arokh some advice.
Wastelander: To the east of here lie the ruins of the Ancients' civilization. This is the cradle for all humans on Drakan and perhaps they hold whatever is that you seek. But be warned... the ruins are filled with traps and various hostile creatures. Enter them on your own risk! The people in the southern savannah could help you, but they have their own problems. And while you fended off a wave of the desert bandits, their threat still looms over. We don't know where their stronghold is located, but if you kill their leader then their grip on these lands will permanently loosen. Just be careful, their lair is most likely fortified so if you happen upon it either by chance or by decision then you must use your dragon to deal with them! Good luck, may fate guide you!
Rynn and Arokh depart, after which they head east and reach the ruins. The entrance to the former palace is closed, however the long-abandoned houses of villagers dotted the landscape. Upon stepping on the sandy ground, Rynn was greeted by another new threat. A Caprihorn (humanoid goat) jumped at her, wielding a short sword in each hand. Its armor design was light because of the desert heat and looked like those worn by civilizations of long past. Two more appeared, one with a spear and shield plus another with a fishing net and short dagger.
Caprihorn 1: Intruder outsider! You have no place here! Prepare to die!
Rynn: I would have actually been scared if I didn't bring a friend with me. Arokh, NOW!
The red dragon flew over the houses and covered the 3 goatlike beastmen in a blazing inferno, their screams quickly muffled as they soon turned into charred remains.
Rynn: Guess we can't come and stay here. Well in that case, we have no choice but to reach the southern savannah.
The two of them flew and eventually passed through a cavern with glowing fungi, upon existing they saw a lush orange open field with tall grass and multiple trees. In the distance, they saw their objective- a city surrounded by waterfalls and mountains. The people there had noticeably darker skin tone like the brides of Yutaji the Flesh Mage, infact this place was probably where he got his concubines from. Everyone wore red clothes or loincloths made from saber-toothed leopards, with some having bird feathers on their heads. The warriors lowered down their weapons and made way for two people to walk forward- a woman with gold jewelry and a tall very muscular scarred man with one eye missing having a perpetual angry expression on his face.
Rynn: The queen and the king, I assume?
Amanras: Correction, the queen and the general.
Arokh: Where is the king?
Amanras: Murdered... by the barbarian chief Shaka. My general Kamau tried protecting us, but got scarred and his tongue cut off in the process. While we drove out our renegade members, we live in constant danger of them raiding us. The local wildlife being hostile doesn't help matters either. If anyone finds that fiend's hideout and ends his life, they would rid this world of a most bothersome vandal. We would be eternally grateful if you and your dragon would do it. Untold treasures will be given to you if you kill that bastard.
Arokh: We appreciate the gesture, but our actual goal is to find ancient divine items left by an older civilization. This planet's fate depends on it.
Rynn: We still accept your offer though. Supplies are hard to come by here, and so every valuable item is lifesaving.
Amanra: Find and kill Shaka, then we will do what we can. In the meantime if you are feeling brave enough and seeking a challenge, why not visit our gladiator arena? The dragon isn't allowed inside, so you have to defend yourself against 100 waves of different enemy creatures originating from here and other parts of the world. If you die or leave the arena, you lose the challenge. But if you survive and prevail, then great riches await you.
Rynn and Arokh keep in mind the optional arena challenges, but head towards the desert bandits headquarters. Arokh is left on the other side of the narrow canyon pass and she enters the area filled with cages, most filled with human prisoners. A tunnel on the side leads towards a gold mine. Just as Rynn views her surroundings, the doors behind her close and a deep male voice taunts her by laughing.
Shaka: So you are the foreign female dragon-riding determined warrior that foiled my people and is now trespassing in my humble abode? You look prettier than how my underlings described you... (licks lips lecherously)
Rynn sees the barbarian chief riding a large boar/warthog and dragging a screaming crying woman by her hair. He punches the woman on the ground, after which she is crushed under the beast's feet. The human slaves in cages on the wall behind scream in fear and revulsion.
Rynn (angrily): Why are you doing this?
Shaka: Why not? Life is too short so you gotta enjoy it as much as possible! Those dumb people in the local cities didn't know how to have enjoyment and excitement. Conquest, riches and women- that's what I live by!
Rynn: So you kidnapped your fellow people, children included to serve as slaves in your gold mine? And kill everyone for no reason other than sadistic pleasure? I have met all manner of foes, but few are more disgusting than you!
Shaka: My, what a big mouth you have! Perhaps you won't be so annoying when I kill you! Or maybe, I should first cut off your tongue and rape you instead! And when I'm done with you, I will burn down both cities- making every male a slave and every woman mine!
The barbarian chief charges with his beast mount forward, which causes Rynn to dodge by rolling sideways. The boar/pig hits a wall and falls dazed. Rynn also manages to shoot some arrows in its face which causes it to slowly bleed. The barbarian chief insults his steed by calling it a "worthless sack of shit" and kills it by hitting it with his spiky hammer. Shaka charges with his hammer, while fast and strong his attacks are predictable. Our heroine throws sand in his eyes, causing the prisoners to pelt him with rocks and other small objects they can find. This only angers Shaka who prepares to crush Rynn with the hammer, before she shoots an arrow in his eye. The half-blinded Shaka drops the hammer and screams in rage. While doing so, Rynn grabs the heavy hammer and manages to hit him once. The angered barbarian tries to punch and kick her, but she is too quick and nimble even with the heavy hammer. Shaka grabs a nearby rock from the quarry and throws it at Rynn in an attempt to kill her, but misses his target. Rynn manages to swing the hammer one more time just as Shaka holds a rock above his head... which falls on his head and gives him a concussion. The barbarian chief falls on the ground and Rynn hits him again with the hammer, which causes him to vomit blood. Shaka lies near dead on the ground and taunts Rynn one last time. The warrior woman hits him in the head with his own hammer one last time and kills him. The slaves cheer as Rynn then proceeds to liberate them. She then mounts Arokh and they all return to the southern savannah city. Upon seeing them, all people congratulate them. Kanau smiles just once and shakes Rynn's hand. The heroes bring the Barbarian Chief's Warhammer and the liberated slaves, while the slaves themselves bring Shaka's severed head as proof he is thankfully dead.
Amanras: Thank you Rynn and Arokh! You have our eternal gratitude by ridding us of this vile man, we can finally sleep better knowing he won't threaten us any longer! Just say so and you can have as much treasure as you want!
Rynn: We accept your treasure, but our main goal here is recovering the holy relics of bygone civilizations. Would you help us with this?
Amanras: The ruins to the northeast hold many mysteries, including remnants of the Ancient civilizations. We do not go there as that place is locked up and cursed. But perhaps the wizard can help you?
Arokh: A wizard? Where was he when you needed help against your foes?
Amanras: The wizard is not from our lands and he choses to live in exile. He can be find on the other side of the savannah. We can show you the direction, but everything else depends on yourselves. We used to have a wizard of our own, but he... disappeared.
Rynn: What of him? Where did he go?
Amanras: He was a skilled mage and shaman. He could bring inanimate objects to life and we used them as soldiers in our army. But after he disappeared, our defenses weakened and thus we became easy prey for our enemies. Afterwards, multiple women from our city also began disappearing. However we don't know if that is connected with our shaman or the desert bandits with their loathsome chief Shaka.
Rynn: Too bad about this shaman, what's his name if you don't mind us asking?
Amanras: He was known as Yutaji, the Life-giving Mage. Some say they saw him disappearing one night and getting kidnapped into the desert by strange floating people with horned heads and 3 faces...
Rynn and Arokh stay in stunned silence upon hearing and remembering Yutaji's name. The Flesh Mage was once a normal human, driven insane and turned into an abomination by the Desert Lords! Amanras asks them why they are silent.
Rynn: Well, we have heard of this Yutaji. He was indeed kidnapped by such creatures and is long dead, though thankfully the creatures who kidnapped him have been dealt with so at least he has been avenged.
Amanras: Ah, I see. That is both saddening and comforting to hear. I wish you best of luck on your journeys Rynn and Arokh of the mainlands!
Rynn and Arokh depart, flying towards this mysterious wizard that lived on a pillar-like hill in the middle of the savannah. The small hut on top made it resemble a primitive tower. When approached, this wizard tower fired lightning bolts. Arokh responded by shooting fire at it which got reflected by an invisible magical barrier. This caused Rynn to shout out in desperation: Hey, we need your help! Please hear us and come outside!
The door opened and a grumpy male voice was heard, the voice was for lack of a better word "fatherly"- not old enough for an old coot like Quaalus but still sounding like someone above Rynn's age. The duo were surprised to see the wizard having a white skin like someone from the mainlands and with the appropriate clothing. He had short graying hair and beard, neatly trimmed while carrying around a stereotypical magical wooden scepter. His clothes were primarily blue with some gold trimmings and arcane symbols inscribed on said gold parts. A hood was visible behind his head, but it was currently let down. Upon seeing Rynn and Arokh, the wizard was surprised and muttered to himself: Well, I'll be damned... Are my eyes deceiving me or am I seeing a dragon of the Elder Breed being ridden by a human?
Arokh (managing to hear him): Your eyes aren't playing tricks on your mind, old man. I am real and I am indeed a dragon from the Order the Flame!
The Wizard: Well, don't just stand there! Come down so can have a proper conversation on the bloody ground!
Arokh landed on the ground below the "tower", while the wizard teleported there in a flash of blue magical light. On top of his shoulder was no perched an owl. Rynn had recognized that owl, having seen others like it in the woods and the Shadowmire.
The Wizard spoke: What is your name and what is your reason for being here?
Arokh: I am Arokh and this is...
The Wizard (excited): Arokh?! The bonded of Heron?! What has happened to him and why are you with this woman instead? I was afraid the Dark Wars would have decimated the world long ago, but seeing you here is a happy coincidence indeed!
Rynn (angrily): This woman's name is Rynn.
Arokh: Excuse her, alot has changed since I was last bonded. However, I do not seem to recall ever seeing you. What's your identity and how do you know of me, wizard?
The Wizard: My sincerest apologies, a proper introduction is in order. I am Merdhynis, a Mage of the Order and royal advisor... welll formerly.
Arokh: Formerly? What happened?
Merdhynis: Well, I chose to live in self-exile because... (starts talking in a sad tone) when the Dark Union attacked I helped at first, but then... I fled.
Rynn: So you chose the coward's way out?
Merdhynis (angry and sad): I had no choice! At first I helped as much as possible, even lending a hand in the creation of the Runeblade. When the battles had been taken to the east and I heard nothing from my comrades for over a year, I had assumed the worst had happened. I fled from the north and settled down here. I prepared myself for the Dark Union's arrival and honed my magic powers as much as possible to deal with any potential threat, but nothing followed... Days passed, they turned into weeks, months, years, decades, centuries... I waited here and eventually realized that what I had done was not the correct thing. As atonement for my mistake, I chose to exile myself here for the remainder of my life and far away from human civilization. Seeing you here makes me ask, what happened?
Arokh (saddened): Heron sacrificed himself to save Drakan, he stabbed Navaros through the heart as the Betrayer was preparing a spell to destroy us all. This resulted in his body destroyed and causing his spirit to be banished to a Rift void inside another world. The war ended in a stalemate, the Dark Union collapsed but the order also got decimated. Humans once again lived together in various tribes and kingdoms, while most dragons went into their home dimension and locked the doors on the way inside. Emphasis on "most", because myself... decided to stay here. Heron's corpse was buried in her village, the Runeblade was lost, the Rift Crystal was taken by Rimril and I went into slumber by turning into a stone statue inside my cave. Several centuries passed, Rynn's village was attacked with most people turned into slaves by Wartoks and Grulls. Rynn awakened me from my slumber and while angry at first, I accepted her plea for help. We bonded and travelled across the world, fighting off the newly-revived Dark Union. We met Rimril and obtained the Rift Crystal, but he died from an enemy attack while I got captured. Thankfully Rynn managed to free me and we obtained the Runeblade. However the dreadful hunch I had ever since Rynn awakened me turned out being true- the Dark Union were planning on resurrecting their master Navaros. We took the battle first to the volcano where the last battle of the wars once occurred, then entered the Rift itself. Once there, we managed to kill Navaros and save the world but we lost so much in the process. We flew out of the portal, sealed off the entrance for good and then destroyed the Runeblade with the hope that its power will never fall in the wrong hands and be used for evil purposes ever again.
Merdhynis: Merciful stars, that's quite a tale you have! It's sad all of this happened, though I can relate with your plight.
Arokh: And that's just our first adventure! Our second adventure had us abandon Rynn's village where she paid last due to all her dead family and friends. We made our new home in the city of Surdana, only to learn that an invasive species from Sessool called the Desert Lords have entered our world and are planning to subjugate all of humanity. So once again, it's up to me and Rynn to save all of Drakan. I had to absorb the power of the Cypher Rune and use it to open five different Gates made by the Ancients, which allowed the Elder Breed dragons to return back in our world and vanquish the Desert Lords' forces. With the death of their leader Jasaad, the floating fortress was soon taken down and the newly-summoned dragons made short work of their army. The battle was over and we had revived the Order of the Flame. Our combined efforts and accomplishments lead to a new era of peace for all of Drakan. But it would seem that we once again have to undertake a perilous journey, hence why we are here and seek your aid.
Merdhynis: I see, so what do you need from me? What dangerous task is so important that you require my help of all things?
Rynn: The ruins to the northeast are older than the original Order of the Flame, we think there might be an important relic there which we need to bring back in Surdana.
Merdhynis: That cursed tomb? The remnants of the first human civilization? The same ones who build the huge gateways you used to arrive here?
Rynn and Arokh both nodded, which cause the wizard to reply with the following.
Merdhynis: Very well, I shall give you an item to unlock that abandoned place and a spell to protect you against its curse. But you still need to watch out for physical perils inside that place such as traps and monsters, either living or undead. Luckily for you, history is my passion and I will do this out of good will for anyone from the Order of the Flame- be it the original or this new revived one you have created.
Before departing with Merdhynius, Rynn and Arokh ask the wizard about his owl to which he replies.
Merdhynis: This pet bird is one of the things which remind me of my home which I abandoned so long ago, memories of older and better times. Even to this day I cannot find a proper name to give this owl, I am split choosing between "Spy" and "Gnosis".
Rynn and Arokh then fly towards the ruins and open the entrance with Merdhynius' item. Upon entering inside, a lizard/snake-like creature attacks Rynn. It has a frill around its neck, sharp claws plus fangs and six limbs. The creature hisses angrily at Rynn and spits venom between them as a threat display. Arokh doesn't bother giving it a second chance and fries it on the spot like it's time for dinner. When Rynn asks Arokh what is that creature, he replies "a basilisk, really unpleasant even when dead". Eventually they head deeper into the ruins and see some engravings on the walls. The stylized images and the faded colors make it hard to decipher the history depicted on these walls. However upon moving forward into a darker tunnel, they encounter some human-looking warriors. Rynn tries to greet them, but Arokh quickly spots their coloration in the darkness and shoots them. Rynn asks him why he's become hostile, but he replies that he recognized them as Soulless. Rynn is surprised to hear that, but the 2 of them proceed until they reach a courtyard. Once there they are shocked to discover Djinns and Rock Golems, creatures employed by the Desert Lords. Those foes are dispatched as well, then our duo passes through several traps as well- including one requiring Arokh to stand on 1 pressure plate, Rynn to stand on another while also pushing a stone block on a third floor plate. The door opens and they enter a pristine room with a map of Drakan on the wall. There is a dot in the middle of the Great Continent which denotes the location of this city, with 6 star-shaped dots placed on each continent. Apart from the Central and Southern Continent being merged together, this map is fairy accurate. However Arokh quickly deduces this map shows the locations of the remaining artifacts. The duo is ready to celebrate when they hear someone talking and entering the room- turning around, they see 2 Desert Lords! One is male and the other is female, these must be survivors remaining from the dragons bringing down Stratos. The 2 demonic beings look at them in disgust and they engage in verbal assault.
Brother Zahek: Look sister, it's the human dragon rider and her abhorrent reptilian pet!
Sister Asaiji: I see that brother, it's the ones who killed our leader Jasaad and ruined our empire!
Rynn: Well, your species deserved it! I tried talking with Jasaad and he attacked me twice, so I had no choice but killing him! And even then, you wanted to enslave us!
Zahek: Arrogant human, as much as you despise our kin you will soon learn that servitude to the Desert Lords is preferable compared to what the others have planned for you should they ever arrive.
Rynn: Others? What lies are you trying to fill my head with and justify your atrocities?
Asaiji: A force of evil far older than everything else... something we have been trying to avoid and prevent with all our might. We offered to spare you had you listened, but the others cannot be reasoned and they seek the destruction of all existence.
Arokh: Your words hold no weight given what your kind tried to do with our world. And even now you have nefarious plans given you are in this place and we caught you. By any chance, are you the ones planning to steal all the holy artifacts?
Zahek: We stumbled upon this place when fleeing and hiding away from your genocide. These ruins showed us that your kind is prone to self-destruction: since your earliest days, you humans are foolishly trying to amass more power that just leads to complete annihilation.
Rynn: Speaking of annihilation, we are done talking with you. Now it's time we kill you instead.
Asaiji: We might encounter and battle each other, but not here or now. There is another, greater force nearby and we must prepare to deal with it instead...
The 2 Desert Lords teleport away, disappearing in a puff of green smoke. Rynn and Arokh grumble in annoyance but they find bunch of scrolls and tomes on a nearby table. White dusty and colored yellow due to the passage of time, all of these prove valuable as they have a map of Drakan as well as the recorded history of the Ancients' civilization. Our heroes gather the parchments and then fly back through the ruins. Upon passing through a previously revisited area without Arokh, Rynn notices a black mirror on the wall. Her curiosity gets the better of her and she looks at it. Her reflection looks back at her and smirks maliciously. The reflection's eyes glow red, it's encased in a shadowy smoke aura, it steps out of the mirror and pulls out a weapon. Rynn dodges its first attack, then attempts to hit it only for the doppelganger to parry her attacks. Its moveset is identical to hers, it can dodge and block with precision. Rynn decides to run away, which causes the shadow to chase her. At one point, she passes a torch lit by her and the clone stops moving, wincing back in pain. Rynn figures out "so light is your shadow's only weakness" and hits the clone while it's weakened by the light. The doppelganger screams in an inhuman voice and disappears, after which Rynn finds Arokh and the 2 of them escape the ruins. However, it's still night time and suddenly their shadow comes to alive with the sole purpose of attacking them. Now the doppelganger also copies Arokh being ridden by Rynn, with our heroes being unable to fight their shadows. Thankfully, the sun rises after they dodge and survive doppelganger attacks for several minutes. When being hit with direct sunlight, the evil clones die for good this time and our heroes can finally exit this cursed location. They return to Merdhynis' tower and give him the parchments they found in the ruins with the hopes of him translating everything.
Merdhynis: Well, seems like you brought me alot of reading material. It would take me a while to translate all of this, hope you are patient enough... Then again, I doubt you have anything else to do.
Rynn (annoyed): How long?
Merdhynis: As long as needed.
Rynn (angered): Listen here, I am sick of all these sorcerer shenanigans which just serve to waste time! We saw 2 Desert Lords which are up to no good and they escaped because we wasted time! We should find them before it's too late!
Merdhynis (annoyed): Patience is a virtue, child.
Rynn (on the verge of tears): And a freaking detriment! My parents died when I was young, I was too late to save my village, my brother ended up being possessed and then freaking killed! I had the strongest weapons at my side, including Arokh and yet I failed! I am forced to live with my failures even to this day! And history will repeat itself unless we do something quick otherwise more people will end up dying!
Rynn sits on the ground, tears running down her eyes and muttering "it's all my fault, I failed them all". Arokh apologized on her behalf, but what followed was unforeseen. Merdhynis the grumpy antisocial wizard had gone, now his face was full of sorrow and remorse. He sat down next to Rynn and placed an arm on her shoulder, his voice now filled with paternal concern. He was now kinder and more polite to Rynn, with the sadness visible in his voice.
Merdhynis: Rynn... we all have tragic backstories and our lifes are full of mistakes which we sadly cannot undo. If it will make you feel better, I will tell you backstory.
Rynn (still in tears): Will you bring my dead parents and brother back? Will I see them again, alongside the other people of my village that got killed off?
Merdhynis: I am a wizard, not a god. Such a power is beyond even myself, I am afraid. But I want you to know is my origin and how I found my place in this world. My father was a member of the original Order of the Flame, while my mother was a random peasant woman. Originally I thought they were happily married, but when I grew up I found out my mother getting pregnant with me was... against her consent. She was abused and then killed by my father, who then joined Navaros and the others in the Dark Union. He took me in and secretly tried to teach me magic to overthrow the Order. I pretended to play along, but secretly I studied magic to avenge my deceased mother. When I grew up I killed my despicable father and spend the rest of my time in servitude of the Order to do the right thing. When the Dark Wars began, I tried to help the Order as much as possible but even with all my magical prowess I felt like I was a failure. When the final battle started, I ran away like a coward. Ever since, I live here in exile as my self-punishment for my own failures.
Rynn (stops crying, her face still covered in dried up tears): So your life is also full of mistakes and failures, caused by your brashness? I see the moral in your story, but how will that help us?
Merdhynis: I am an old man who some days ponders about death. But before I leave this world behind, I wish to do as much good as possible and make up for my past. I realize now that you and Arokh are my greatest second chance- perhaps I can redeem myself by helping you out as much as possible? Besides I need to pass my spellcasting knowledge on somebody else and you are the best candidate for a wizarding apprentice figure.
Rynn (cheered up): Thank you Merdhynis! I am sorry I shouted at you a while ago!
Merdhynis: Don't think about it, your response was understandable. Just be warned- while it's good to vent out emotions, letting them control you and cloud your mind can prove fatal with some taking advantage of that which shall most likely end in your demise. Now, give me 3 days and I promise to translate everything in these parchments that hasn't been lost to the sands of time.
Rynn and Arokh thanked the wizard, but before departing he asked her one thing.
Merdhynis: We need to keep in touch so I can give you information if you are far away. I know a spell that will help.
Rynn: Why don't you just come with us and move in to live at Surdana?
Merdhynis: Like I already said, I deserve my own exile here as punishments for failing the original Order of the Flame. Now if you don't mind, give me that dragon-shaped necklace you are wearing.
Rynn gave Merdhynis her necklace and he touched with a glowing jewel on his bracelet hidden under his wizard sleeve. The necklace glowed the same color as his bracelet jewel and Merdhynis gave it back to her.
Rynn: So what was that for?
Merdhynis: You can use your bracelet now as a communication device. We can use these to keep in touch and communicate with each other even if we are on different sides of this planet.
Rynn: Thanks, but it would feel weird if I place this between my neck and eh, female chest...
Merdhynis (rolling his eyes): Here, I will place your dragon-shaped decoration onto a bracelet you can wear on your hand then. Just make sure you never lose it.
Rynn accepted the gift and placed it on her hand, after which she attempted to try out her new item by speaking through it.
Merdhynis (deadpan): Sure, a magic item created for long distance communication will obviously also work at short range when I am within earshot.
The wizard vanished with his blue teleportation spell and shortly after his voice was heard on Rynn's bracelet.
Merdhynis: Rynn, can you hear me? Does the bracelet work?
Rynn (barely containing her laughter, in a made-up voice): Hutch!
Merdhynis: Hutch who?! Rynn, are you there?
Rynn (humorously in her normal voice): Bless you, perhaps you need a napkin?
Merdhynis (deadpan): Glad to see the bracelet working and you having a sense of humor...
Rynn: Well, this whole "talking-bracelet" thing feels weird to me so I decided to have some fun.
Merdhynis: Good for you, but I my fun will now be trying to translate these papers that are older than myself. I will call you in 3 days when it's done.
Arokh and Rynn fly away for 3 days, after they pass Merdhynis calls them with his report.
Merdhynis: Arokh, Rynn! Can you hear me? I managed to translate as much as possible. Some parts were lost so I am left scratching my head. Hopefully you aren't busy and don't mind a long history lesson.
Rynn: We are ready for your lecture, tell us everything you found out.
Merdhynis: Very well. Thousands of years before the original Order was established, humans were nomadic hunter-gatherers that lived in tribes. This continent back then was a fertile green paradise instead of a desert. Eventually people settled down here and build the first civilization. Their strongest warrior and priest became their chief, who than called himself the first king. He learned how to wield stronger magic and was named Drakan, from him comes this planet's name. His descendants were a long dynasty of powerful warrior and mage kings. Drakan learned how to befriend the local dragons, and eventually created a spell that connected his soul with that of his dragon. In hopes of immortality and symbolizing the friendship with his dragon Vardar, king Drakan lived for over a 1000 years and established a mighty kingdom. His descendants however lived shorter with each generation. His last descendant Amenheton feared for his own mortality and became a tyrannical despot. Amenheton conquered more lands, increased taxes and treated his people like slaves. He experimented with magic trying to prolong the life of both himself and his dragon Haltis to rule as an immortal godlike emperor. His ancestors had also build the Ancients' Gates so he used them for travelling to all other continents and conquering them. However the humans living there and his own people began hating him. They staged a revolt which burned his kingdom down. Amenheton saw the errors of his actions and felt remorse for his atrocities too late, he chose to stay in his palace instead of escaping with his dragon which was the only friend Amenheton had left. Since their souls were connected, both of them died although it's unclear if they performed suicide or if their followers killed them. Anyways, his family was killed so that he won't leave any descendants. The humans left their first civilization in ruins, although they made sure to not destroy all of their precious creations- artworks, books, furniture, weapons and so on. Humans scattered into multiple tribes and began fighting for survival once more, this time becoming mortal enemies with the race of dragons. Eventually, some humans realized the futility of this conflict so they learned anew how to befriend the dragons and perform the Bonding ritual, which ended up creating the original Order of the Flame. This is basically the gist of it, there are some useless things written down as well- such as cooking recipes, military strategies, poetry and other such trivial records.
Rynn: Thank you Merdhynis, I saw a statue of king Drakan, Amenheton and others while exploring the ruins. This information would prove useful in the future...
Merdhynis: Rynn, Arokh, there is one more thing you need to know and I think it's the most important one related to your quest. However the details were hard to put together. It speaks about the religion of the Ancients' civilization. Originally they worshipped local nature spirits, however when they first bonded with dragons, the latter gave them 6 shards of power taken from their creator god. These shards were turned by humans into weapons and other items which then got scattered around the planet after the first civilization's downfall. Apparently dragons regretted giving these to humans and some people realized it's best if these got locked away from anyone who could misuse their power. I think these 6 items are connected with the Ancients' Gates but the text is missing. Lastly, Amenheton erased all religions in his mad quest to become a god king. While this included the religion of the supreme light god, it also included a sinister cult of some demonic god. These items originally existed to prevent the dark god and its demonic brood from entering our world, but humans used them to kill each other instead. The necessary texts are missing so I know nothing else about these otherworldly demons mentioned here, but you spoke about fighting against some Desert Lords from Sessool and meeting 2 remaining ones in the ancient ruins. Perhaps all of this is somehow connected? I wish that I could find out more information and help you but alas, that's all I could dig up that sounds useful. Entire pages are missing, there is useless crap written on other pages, the available information is too fragmental... That's all I had to say, hope to hear from you again soon.
Rynn thanked Merdhynis and then asked Arokh: Do you think the Desert Lords are trying to find all the relics and summon other demons from Sessool, including this mysterious dark god to conquer Drakan?
Arokh: I doubt it. Desert Lords despite being demons are lawful-evil type which love to rule over everything, if there is truly a god or anything stronger than them, well then... the Desert Lords would be reduced to servants and I don't think that's what they desire to achieve.
Rynn: Hope you are correct. Let's return to the southern savannah, there is one last thing here we need to do.
As the heroes return in the south city, they ask Amanras if there is a giant ring-like structure left by an older civilization. The queen directs them to a canyon in the city behind the mountains. Arokh flies there and re-activates the portal. This causes a yellow wyvern-like dragon to fly out of it. Rynn and Arokh are relieved this worked, and the people of the southern city stood in awe. Dragons had once again returned to the Southern Continent! Amanras thanked our duo and gave them a parting gift as a reward for giving their continent new protection by the Order and its dragons. It was a red and orange feather, supposedly taken from a phoenix. These were extremely rare, even merchants couldn't afford selling them. However carrying this feather allowed its holder to revive on the spot with full health and mana, with the feather itself burning up in the process. Like the mythical phoenix itself, Rynn and Arokh could revive themselves when near death once at the cost of losing this feather.
The heroes return to the Central Continent with the newfound knowledge, confident they have made progress but also getting a sneaking suspicion that things won't be as simple as previously thought...
Chapter 4: Islands
Rynn and Arokh presented their knowledge to Lady Myschala and the other important people of Surdana. The queen congratulated them on their accomplishment.
Lady Myschala: Well done Rynn and Arokh! I had faith in you all along. But from now on your journey becomes harder, as you will have to venture in unknown lands.
Arokh: Whatever it takes, your highness. We would gladly fly there, but the seas and oceans are swarming with dangerous sea monsters waiting to snatch me up from below the water.
Lady Myschala: Worry not, I have a plan. Contact the Raging Queen crew in the Andrellian Isles. I am sure captain Fandrill will help you in reaching the Eastern Archipelago.
Rynn and Arokh flew towards the Andrellian Isles and saw the ship docked there. Captain Fandrill and master Sevoth recognized them immediately.
Fandrill: Rynn! Arokh! So glad to see both of you again! We thank you once more for saving us from Bonegrinder and his blasted storms.
Arokh: Your thanks are premature. We need your help once again. Do you think your ship will survive a trip to the Eastern Archipelago?
Sevoth: We have a small fleet and readied the provisions. It will take some time, but the real problem for our trip are the various dangerous sea creatures...
Rynn: I shall fly with Arokh around your ships and kill anything which threatens your crew's safety. You can count on us.
Fandrill: Splendid, lass! In that case, brace yourself! We are heading for a new expedition!
The 3 ships sailed towards the south east of the planet. There were days and night with calmness, there were also storms. Sevoth had learned Bonegrinder's magic and used it to protect the ships from the weather. However the worst problem was something else. Keegan the sailor was standing on one side of the ship and admiring the view, when suddenly the ship rumbled and he shouted "Enemies, incoming!" As if on cue, several long necks with fishlike fins and snakelike heads appeared from the water. Arokh recognized these sea serpents as "Hydris" and quickly fly over them, shooting his deadly dragon fire to repel them. But the onslaught was too much and the hydris overwhelmed them. The Raging Queen began shaking and Keegan got snatched up by a hydris that appeared right behind him. The unfortunate man got dragged under water while Fandrill shouted "Keegan, NO!" Sevoth became enraged and used his magic to conjure up a miniature lightning storm. Thunder bolts rained down on the large sea snakes, as water conducted electricity this was especially painful for the marine reptiles. All the hydris retreated and swam away. Sevoth sighed in relief: Glad we managed to drive them off, even if it costed us a few men. Hopefully the rest of this voyage will be easier.
Thankfully it was. Apart from the occasional flying enemy like a crow dragon or bat dragon, the heroes didn't have much more to worry about. Eventually they saw dry land with beaches and palm trees.
Fandrill: Ahoy, there it is! The Eastern Archipelago! We made it, my friends!
Upon docking on the beach, Fandrill set foot on dry land and proclaimed: Ah, I love the smell of fresh tropical island air! We are in dangerous territories, but we managed to reach these lands alive!
Rynn: I don't suppose you will be searching for any buried pirate treasure while we here, are you?
Sevoth: Rynn, Arokh... I thank you for defending all 3 of our ships from those marine monsters. Also I would like you to meet with an old friend of yours.
Out of the cabin, the wizard Zeggoro appeared. The dragon-riding due stood there surprised.
Rynn: Zeggoro? What are you doing here? Why didn't you help us with the enemies?
Zeggoro: I needed a vacation away from the North. The south east islands also hold valuable knowledge I deem vital... As for help, my powers are only active when I commune with the spirits but they demand payment from me afterwards.
Sevoth: He is the one who taught me how to perform that lightning storm trick which deterred those sea serpents away. So he did help us, even if indirectly.
Arokh: Your aid is appreciated, sorcerer. We must now go off and explore the islands.
Zeggoro: Very well, off with you! But I have some information which could provide useful... These islands were the home of great civilizations like the now dead Alwarren and the city named after our planet. However, the latter's entrance is locked up by powerful magic. There are four slots on the front gate, indicating you need to find the hidden keys for these locks... Unfortunately, I don't seem to know their locations therefore it's up to you to locate them if you wish to explore this abandoned city.
Captain Fandrill spend the night celebrating with his crew, drinking beer with Sevoth and the others. The only person that didn't partake (much to the others' humorous chagrin) was Zeggoro, who was sitting on a chair in the corner and reading a book.
Meanwhile in the Central Continent, inside a cave...
Gutsman (Grull): What's your plan on dealing with the Order, oh great sorceress?
Tanyana (ignoring the sarcasm in his last 3 words): You need to sail for the Eastern continent. There you will find a large army of beastmen reinforcements. Join forced with them, and you will amass a legion strong enough to challenge the humans and their dragons.
Wild Tusk (Wartok): And what about you?
Tanyana: I need to practice my spellcasting. There is one magic which shall allow me to summon allies, but it's very difficult and time-consuming...
Borra, the female Grull (stirring a cooking pot): The Eastern Continent... Never thought we would ever visit it... Who knows what awaits us there.
Rynn and Arokh explored the jungle-covered ruins. They had a run in with some green humanoid creatures resembling skinny lizards without a tail. Our heroes recognized these as Goblins. Fortunately they were just cannon fodder to Arokh's breath, even with their long-ranged weapons. Rynn dismounted from Arokh and entered the ruins. Inside there she had to avoid spikes jutting from the walls and floor. At one point, she threw away in disgust a human skeleton that fell on her. One trap room even had a swarm of large yellow bugs with black stripes which hindered Rynn's progress but they too were quickly dealt with. Eventually Rynn had entered a room which resembled a burial chamber, on the opposite side there was a locked gate. And then she saw that on both sides of this gate were humanoid statues. When Rynn looked closer, she recognized them- both were of the undead knights of the Dark Union who she had fought years ago. She was relieved those statues were immobile but when she bypassed the room's center, the door behind her shut down. Suddenly cracks of magical energy hit both statues, bringing them to life. The first had red markings and yellow eyes, while the other had blue markings and green eyes. Afterwards, the animated suits of armor began talking.
Crimson Knight: Who dares enter this place? All intruders must be killed!
Ebon Knight: Such is the will of Navaros, leader of the Dark Union!
Rynn (feeling disgust, begins taunting): Navaros is long dead, I killed that bastard and his soul is now permanently stuck in the Rift World!
Crimson Knight: Infidel, you shall pay for you sacrilege!
Ebon Knight: The master may be gone, but he shall be avenged!
The Crimson knight hurled a flaming spear towards Rynn, who rolled to the side. After that happening, the Ebon knight hurled a lightning spear which forced Rynn to hide behind a sarcophagus. The 2 enemies began walking towards Rynn who took out her hidden mithril axe, then ran passed the Ebon knight in the hopes of wounding him. But the blue undead warrior became intangible while the red one conjured an expanding ring of fire. Rynn jumped over the fire ring and hit the red warrior with her axe, causing him to grunt in pain. When the blue warrior created another lightning spear, Rynn shot him in the face with a lightning bolt spell in desperation. The Crimson Knight charged at her with his flaming swords, but Rynn jumped over him and cut off his head with her mithril axe. The Crimson Knight howled in pain as his decapitated corpse fell to the ground. Rynn turned around and saw that suit of armor was empty, with black smoke coming out! The knights were human souls magically bound inside their metallic armor! Rynn looked towards the Ebon Knight, expecting him to retreat. However instead he took his fallen comrade's flaming sword. Then magical energy covered his body and now his markings were indigo while his eyes glowed pale purple instead. He had become a rare Violet Knight, now holding a flaming scimitar in one hand plus a flaming scimitar in the other. The Violet Knight was faster in his attacks and movement, Rynn barely having any opportunity to avoid him. Eventually she fell down on the ground and he was ready to finish off Rynn, when she rolled besides a sarcophagus. In his fury, the Violet Knight hit the sarcophagus which caused his melee weapons to get stuck. Rynn took the chance and began shooting him in the back with her remaining arrows and magic spells. This infuriated the Violet Knight who dislodged his weapons and ran towards her with a scream of brutal anger. With one last desperate move, Rynn ducked beneath his weapon slashes and ran through him with her mithril axe swung. A loud metallic sound was heard and when both combatants looked at each other, it was revealed that Rynn's axe broke in the scuffle. Hesitant Rynn looked at the knight who stood silent. But then, he groaned in pain as his torso slid from his waist and fell to the ground. While the axe had gotten broken, it was powerful enough to penetrate his armor and cut him in half. Rynn saw the knight's dead soul leaving its empty husk. And then with both knights dead, the gate finally opened. With a visible sigh of relief, our heroine took the fallen warriors' melee weapons (that would later get sold to Brekk for precious gold or equipment) and moved forward.
In the other side of this gate was revealed that she had just found a secret room full of treasure and books. Rynn picked up a book on atop the table which to her surprise was inscribed in a language understandable to her. She began reading...
"The foolish order had spread across the whole planet. They colonized even these islands, at the world's edge. The Order built many cities here, naming one Alwarren and another Drakan- after the very planet itself. I had ventured to the Eastern continent above and spend several years learning magic from the locals... Soon I shall put my newfound knowledge to the test and challenge those weaklings from the Order. We struck deals with the beastmen and even some invaders from the demonic world Sessool. My minion Balarog has learned the forbidden arts of necromancy, he can revive my troops if they fall and summon even greater numbers. But most important of all is the spell I learned to fuse a human's body and soul with that of their dragon. I had heard legends of ancient relics, left behind by either the gods or ancient human civilizations. Don't know if these stories were true, despite Balarog claiming he had found one such item and locked it away. Whether or not gods existed, I didn't care. My plans were in motion and my ambitions would not be stopped. I would trick my dragon Kaeros into a ritual for immortality, when in reality I shall take his power for myself. Then I shall become all-powerful with none equal to myself, leading the Dark Union to overthrow the Order of the Flame and the conquer all of Drakan. The world shall be mine!"
Rynn dropped the book and realized the horrible truth- the journal she just had read was written and left behind by Navaros himself! That diabolical excuse for a man, who brought so much suffering to the world! The same man who ended the original Order, led the Dark Union to decimate the planet, betrayed his loyal dragon steed and turned half of the landmasses into barren wastelands in his conquest! Navaros who even after getting defeated and locked up in the Rift World, had used monsters to raid her village, killing or enslaving her people. The same person who is responsible for losing her younger brother Delon, that she failed to save. Rynn felt hatred and disgust, spending a few minutes calming herself down. She then proceeded to silently explore the ruins further. Eventually she came across a yellow room with arcane symbols, a mirror on the wall and two torches on the sides. Rynn prayed this mirror won't summon another doppelganger, but when she looked into it she saw instead something else. A dark dungeon within these ruins with a pedestal, on top of it a large object. It was white (as if made from marble), with faint blue and gold light emitted from it. The object resembled a dragon's horn which caused Rynn to realize it was the Horn of Ahura. She exited the ruins and told the news to Arokh. However, their reunion was interrupted when a shadowy purple figure with red glowing eyes watched them from a distance. The figure waved its hand and muttered an incantation in a strange, alien tongue. Rynn and Arokh felt the disturbance as the area around them glow in black and purple. A red glowing circle appeared on the ground infront of them. Suddenly, out of this circle appeared a large red monster. It resembled a primitive giant, but was reptilian with spikes on its hands and its head was shaped differently. The eyes were black orbs, with two large demonic horns growing from its head. Arokh couldn't recognize this beast and before they had a chance to react, it slammed its fists into the ground which released a shockwave of black and purple energy. Our heroes fell backwards in pain, and the ogre was walking towards them likely with the intention to eat them. Arokh screamed "I can feel my life withering... Rynn do something, quick!" Rynn squeezed the phoenix feather and suddenly they were fully healed from the demon's attack. The red dragon flew above the ogre and barraged it with dragon fire. It wasn't enough for the demon to go down, which summoned a purple fireball in its hands and threw it at Arokh. Our heroes dodged the projectile, but Rynn turned around and screamed "Arokh, watch out! Behind us!" The purple fireball was homing and came back to hit them again. Fortunately Arokh dodged the projectile, causing it to hit the one who threw it instead. The ogre demon, hit by own fireball roared in pain and his head exploded in a cloud of bloody viscera. His decapitated corpse fell on the ground and started melting into red slime. Both heroes were relieved the creature was slain, but Rynn asked "What was that thing? How did it get here?" Arokh replied with a "I don't know" answer. Suddenly, they got their answer. The shadowy figure appeared before them and cackled in a horrifying sound which barely resembled a human voice. Rynn and Arokh scared, asked "Who are you and what do you want?" The figure waved its hand and they fell down in pain. Not physical, but rather mental as they received a terrible vision. The mysterious figure spoke in a deep terrifying voice, but its words were discernable.
Mysterious Shadow: I have been chose by the great god to exact its wrath and punish all sinners on this pathetic world. You have been a hindrance for too long, my god's will must be enacted so be warned. Next time we meet, I won't show you mercy!
Arokh: Who or what is this master of yours? What god are you talking about? Are you planning to revive Navaros or Jasaad?
Mysterious Shadow: No, I don't. I serve the great Darkness itself! Perhaps if you abandoned this fruitless endeavor, you would be smart enough to join me? I can make all of your wishes come true, perhaps even revive the ones you lost...
Rynn and Arokh remember Delon, Rimril and everybody else that died and they failed to save. They were both tempted to say "yes", but Rynn clutched hard a white oval stone (resembling a pearl) she had once found. And then a miracle happened, the stone glowed and protected our heroes' mind from the corruption. They both scream a "no" against the shadow and it stepped back. "So be it..." said the mysterious apparition. "Then this world is destined for oblivion..." The apparition showed them a vision of the lands, now scorched into black dust. There were no living creatures and plants, only undead and purple crystals jutting from the ground. The sky was blood right with several hideous monsters flying around. But in the center of that sky was the most horrifying thing Rynn and Arokh ever saw... A large black cloud, pulsing with dark purple energy. Its center was adorned with 3 glowing red eyes, one above the other two. This... thing looked at our heroes, filling their hearts with fear. Suddenly it opened its mouth and produced a roar which was so loud and unnatural it caused our heroes to squirm in pain. The shadow talked again: "This is the great Dark One! The god of death and destruction! It shall return and cleanse this filthy world!" After that, both the vision and the mysterious shadow disappeared. Rynn and Arokh needed a few minutes to regain their composure and come to their senses. "What was all that about?" Rynn asked, but Arokh shook his head "I do not know, nor do I want to find out! This vision was so horrifying, even I will suffer nightmares for an entire week..." Rynn changed the subject of discussion and reminded him to keep searching the ruins in order to find the next relic. Eventually, they found another small door and Rynn went inside. She stumbled upon the room she saw from Navaros' magic mirror and found the pedestal. Rynn used the key and opened the steel bars, after which she grasped the holy relic. What followed next was unforeseen, but... pleasant. Rynn felt all her negative emotions from before disappearing, she now felt calm and healed from all wounds- be they physical or mental. She felt more powerful while touching this object and felt like she moved faster in comparison to everything else. When she existed the ruins, she was attacked by more goblins and bugs. Rynn was already skilled in fighting them, but the relic in her possession made them even easier to kill. Rynn moved twice as fast, her wounds healed almost instantly, arrows bounced off harmless off her skin and she was twice as strong. With a single sword strike she managed to cut a Goblin in half, causing his remains to spray blood everywhere and his comrades running away in fear of her demigod powers. Rynn reunited with Arokh outside, who noticed that both of them felt better now. Rynn confirmed that she got the relic and its power was now affecting both of them positively. Arokh visibly smiled for the first time and the two of them returned to the ships, ready to disembark for the trip back home.
Rynn: Besides reporting back in Surdana, I think we should also show this to Merdhynis. He could provide us with useful knowledge on how to use it.
Arokh: It would be best to first consult with Mala Shae, as she is the only one that is old enough to know about these divine items.
Back in Surdana, Jade congratulated them on their victory: Splendid work, both of you! We are halfway done with our quest! There are 3 more divine relics lefts.
Mala Shae: But in order to find the remaining items, you need to venture in the East continent. And then in the unknown lands to the west...
Rynn: But first, we must consult with the wizard Merdhynis we encountered in the south continent. He could provide more help.
Jade: If you are going to the southern lands, I want you to take me with you. I need to visit and see my homeland and my people that were liberated from the Desert Lords.
Rynn and Arokh take Jade in her city beyond the ruins in the middle of the desert. While she reunites with her people, our heroes travel further down and meet the owl wizard again.
Arokh: Greetings old one, we have returned.
Rynn: We found another divine relic!
Merdhynis: Impressive, what can you tell me about it?
Rynn: Better yet, I will show it to you!
The wizard is presented with the Horn of Ahura, to which he asks if they saw other things in the Eastern Archipelago as well. They mentioned the summoned red creature and the mysterious shadow that gave them a horrifying vision.
Merdhynis (scratching his beard and shaking his head): This is most peculiar indeed... This red ogre is likely a demon from Sessool. And that apparition's talk about darkness and destruction lines perfectly from what I found in the old books you brought me from the ancient ruins. It's baffling that the demon-worshipping cult still exists even after so many years... They are most likely a remnant of the Dark Union or Desert Lords who try to scrape up and rally as much allies as possible. But demons are not exactly friendly creatures, hmm...
Rynn: We felt so much fear and pain from that terrible vision. I clutched this pearl-like gem I once found in a cave outside Surdana and managed to resist the nightmare...
Merdhynis got curious and asked Rynn to give him the pearl-esque object, after which he examined it and laughed in excitement.
Merdhynis: By the stars Rynn, you truly are lucky! This is a Tear of Ahura, legend says the god of Light cried when it created the world and then left it. Ahura's tears fell to the ground and turned into gemstones like this. Don't know how many more of these there could be in our world... a 100, perhaps a 1000? But having even one in your possession will give you a small fraction of cosmic knowledge and protection against demonic mental attacks. It's in your best interest to find and collect all of these, but the relics remain the highest priority.
Arokh: Speaking of which, what do you propose we do with the Horn of Ahura? Is carrying it around sufficient enough for safekeeping?
Merdhynis: Hm, I have an idea... Do you trust me Rynn?
Rynn said yes and Merdhynis approached her with the relic in his hand, after which he did something ridiculous... he stabbed Rynn with the relic. She gasped in surprise and brief pain initially but... the pain almost immediately vanished. Rynn closed her eyes and felt the serenity of the light, the knowledge of the cosmos and thus learning a new spell. When she opened her eyes and looked at where Merdhynis had stabbed her, there was no wound or even a scar! The relic had lost its color and glow, now being a dull grey coloration which implied it had lost its power. Merdhynis gently smiled and asked our heroes how they felt. Both Rynn and Arokh answered with feeling slightly odd. Then Merdhynis told Rynn to cast the new spell she just learned from absorbing the relic's power. Rynn shook her arms/hands, invoked the incantation and then.. a miracle happened. She felt invigorated- she was twice as stronger, she felt like she could move twice as fast, her wounds could heal rapidly and she could shrug off attacks like they were nothing. Rynn looked at her and saw that she glowed in a white-blueish aura, then looked at Arokh and saw that he too glowed! Rynn asked "Did what I think just really happened?" Arokh feeling empowered roared "Yes Rynn, I feel it! The power of Ahura coursing through all my being!" However after a few moments, the power wore off. The duo looked at Merdhynis who frowned and muttered "As I suspected, but it's only a tiny fraction of Ahura's power and like every spell it comes with a price. You can invoke this whenever and as many times as you want, but when doing so it will cost you ALL of your mana. In exchange you can temporarily become near-invincible demigods." Rynn and Arokh thanked the owl wizard: "Nothing can stop us now! We defeated Navaros and Jasaad, now we have the power to also defeat whatever else comes in our way!"
Merdhynis: You mentioned finding Navaros' journal and it mentioned Balarog... I personally know that man while he still was a member of the Order. He was paranoid and greatly feared his own mortality. Balarog studied magic initially to stave off his own death, eventually beginning to practice the forbidden art of necromancy. I suspect he joined the Dark Union and became Navaros' right hand man to continue his research for immortality. Balarog is responsible for the creation of all undead in the Dark Union's armies- the Death Magi, the human souls binded to Dark Knight suits of armor, Khossa Vole and his Gravestone, the Bone Lord, Gothraul and his skeletons, everything... I do not know if he survived the Dark Wars, but if you do encounter him... Well, hopefully this new power will help you in dealing with him.
Arokh and Rynn bid the owl wizard farewell and prepared to venture into the Eastern continent...
(Spoilers for the Islands revisited and the optional boss there!)
Rynn had just swam out from the submerged ruins. She looked everywhere- coral reefs, skeletons of whales, sunken ships... but couldn't find the Water Rune anywhere.
Arokh: Guess we return home empty-handed...
Rynn: No, we can still use these 4 colored gems I found. There was a locked gate in the ruins, take me back there and I shall unlock it. Perhaps the Water Rune is inside.
Suddenly, they see a bunch of beastmen standing on a nearby cliff. A female Lycan screams out in sadness and rage: "Murderers! You will pay for killing Lupius!"
Arokh: Damn, we made new enemies and they are now out for our heads... I have gotten used to it by now.
Rynn: We had no choice! We had a mission and he stood in our way!
Gutsman: You massacred my people and kicked them off the Northlands! Vengeance demands your blood!
Arokh: We do not wish any more conflict. If you leave us and go away, we promise not to harm any beastman ever again!
Wild Tusk: Ha, empty words from dragon and his human rider who keep oppressing us! Well, our new ally has taught us a new trick! Enjoy meeting our small friend!
The 3 beastmen started chanting "Arise oh, tentacled terror of the deep!" after which they disappeared. The water started vibrating as if boiling, and several green tentacles sprang upwards. A head surfaced above the water and the cephalopod roared.
Arokh: A Kraken! I never thought I would actually ever see one of those surfacing above the water!
Rynn: Doesn't matter because we shall send it back to the depths where it belongs.
After killing the Kraken and acquiring the Water Rune, Arokh dropped off Rynn infront of the locked gate. She placed the six colored keys in the sockets and the door opened. The dragon wished his human rider best of luck as she entered the dungeon. Rynn slid down the ramp created by the former city's ruins, navigated through the trap-filled hallways and solved the riddles. After dispatching some undead, she entered a large square room that was empty... save for one sarcophagus on the other end. However the moment Rynn approached the room's center, the door closed behind her and the sarcophagus opened with a loud explosion. In front of her now stood a tall and thin lich dressed in black robes. The undead had a grinning skull with glowing red eyes and manifested several weapons at free will. His ribcage was exposed, he had a metallic chain instead of a belt and wore a helmet with dragon wings on each side. The lich spoke in an almost hissing voice: Who dares entering this forbidden place and interrupting my slumber? Are you from the Order of the Flame or the Dark Union?
Rynn: I found 6 colored keys and placed them on the front door, I wandered in here by accident but my curiosity seems to have gotten the better of me...
Lich: So a grave robber, are you? I have riches here, but none can claim them... ever! The arch-lich Balarog has transcended undeath and no one can stand a chance against his immortality!
Upon hearing the name Balarog, Rynn got angered and shouted: Balarog?! The servant of Navaros and the Dark Union? Your master is gone and soon you shall join him into oblivion as well!
The lich hissed in response and shoot a fireball at Rynn, which she dodged. He then tried grabbing her to devour her soul but she shot him in the eye socket. However instead of flinching in pain, the lich just laughed in response. "Very well, let us have some amusement!" he said as he summoned a black and red spear in his bony hand. The lich swung the weapon at Rynn, but she jumped over it. Balarog summoned other weapons as well, changing his attacks each time. Rynn was getting desperate, she kept hitting Balarog however her attacks barely phased the lich. Only then did she notice the red markings on the floor and walls, as well as the red pendant Balarog wore on his neck. Each time Rynn struck him, these glowed and he negated all damage. Rynn tricked the lich into hitting a wall marking with one of his attacks, which caused him to growl in pain. Immediately Rynn messed up the bloody symbols with both her feet and her sword. After that she plunged the sword in the lich's ribcage and it screamed in agony. However this caused him to grab Rynn by throat with his bony hand and started gloating.
Balarog: Not bad, you figured out my weakness. But I am beyond death. I have killed thousands of people and used their souls to prolong my life! Did you honestly think a mere peasant wench could do me in? Ha, if Navaros is truly dead then I shall become the new leader of the Dark Union and turn this world into a kingdom of the undead! But first, I will turn you into my queen...
Even though she was gasping for air from the lich's powerful grip, Rynn managed to muster the strength to stab his exposed pendant with her sword. The jewel cracked and it sent sparks of red magical energies across Balarog's body. The lich screamed "What? Argh, this cannot be!" and dropped Rynn to the ground. The pendant had destroyed Balarog's corporeal body and his soul was now imprisoned within his own magic item. Rynn picked up the pendant and saw Balarog's face screaming inside.
Balarog: I beg you, release me! Please, I will do anything you want! Riches, magic power, immortality... they are yours! All the souls I gathered, you can have as many as you want and prolong your life! Just release me from this pendant!
Rynn (smirks): I don't think so... you are a blight upon Drakan, so the world shall be a better place without parasites like you.
She walked towards the opened secret exit of the chamber and stumbled upon a lava-filled cavern with the lich's treasure and the entrance outside the ruins on one side. Rynn looked at the lava and then Balarog inside his pendant.
Balarog: What are doing?
Rynn: The right thing... ridding this world of the Dark Union and other scum like you.
She threw the lich pendant inside the lava and say it exploding with the sound of Balarog's imprisoned soul screaming in agony as it was destroyed. "One less enemy to worry about" she thought. before exiting the cave, she picked up the treasure and one particular chest caught her attention. She opened it and saw an old friend she thought would never again see, causing her to smile. A long black sword with red ornamentations on the hilt, with glowing red runes vertically etched in the sword's blade itself. Rynn knew this weapon all to well, having wielded it before twice. Both times Rynn had lost the weapon and it broke, however those were replicas. When she tested the sword by hitting a wall, it remained intact much to her delight. She sensed this was the real deal and is unbreakable. Rynn stashed the magical sword in her pouch and walked outside triumphantly. She had not only just rid the world from another vile member of the Dark Union, but she also had obtained a valuable secret item... the Mournbringer sword.
Arokh waited for Rynn outside: Glad you made it back alive. How was your spelunking and tomb raiding trip?
Rynn: Oh, just the usual stuff... Also, I killed Balarog and obtained the original Mournbringer sword.
Arokh (laughing): Haha, well done Rynn! I am so proud of you, we now can return home and tell everyone about your deeds!
Rynn: I could use some rest and relaxation as well. At least I am glad we no longer have to worry about the Dark Union and we got a powerful weapon for it, even if the Mournbringer isn't one of the 6 divine relics.
Chapter 5: East Continent
In Surdana, the heroes were arguing with each other about how to proceed with their objective.
Lady Myschala: With Jade returning home to her people in the Desert, we have one less valuable member of our society for help.
General Dehrimon: Unfortunate timing, seeing as we need to figure out a way to reach the Eastern continent without having to sacrifice more ships at sea...
Rynn: So that's it, we just give up?
A familiar goofy old man voice spoke behind her "Perhaps I could be of some assistance..." Everyone turned around to see Zeggoro, now standing besides them.
Arokh: Count it on a wizard to magically appear out of thin air. What is the assistance you offer Zeggoro?
Zeggoro: Unlike you, I didn't waste any time lollygagging and spend what little free time I have reading the old books. The Ancients' Gate are all connected with each other, as well as with the godly relics themselves. If you have the sufficient power of one, you could use it to open anther portal from this end. Rynn, Arokh... do you have any relics in your possession currently?
Rynn: Yes, we absorbed the Horn of Ahura so now we can invoke its power.
Zeggoro: Very well then, that will do just fine. Place your hand on the pedestals while Arokh flies infront of the portal. Concentrate hard enough and try to somehow tell the Mother's Eye to open a Gate in the Eastern Continent.
Rynn and Arokh followed Zeggoro's instructions. Rynn invoked the power of Ahura while touching the pedestal and kept thinking "Eastern Continent, Eastern Continent, Eastern Continent..." The gate activated, with images of all the previous locations they had visited flickering. Eventually, a new image appeared. It was orange-colored and moved around like waves of drops in water. The image kept moving around until with hard enough effort from both protagonists, it became static. The image showed a forest canopy with giant trees as tall as the sky. Growing either from the gigantic tree stumps or the ground were huge red mushrooms. The various trees' leaves as well as the grass were colored in orange and yellow, as if the forest was in perpetual autumn. Several huts and wooden houses were visible in the branches of these previously unseen trees. Rynn and Arokh sighed in relief at managing to control the portal to give the correct destination.
Zeggoro: Amazing work, you never cease to amaze me... So when you are done wasting time here, visit the Eastern Continent. I would advise you to be prepared for any dangers, but I assume you two are used to these sort of things by this point. Off with you now, I need to go back studying... (Zeggoro disappears via teleportation spell while Rynn and Arokh cross the portal...)
XXXXXX
Meanwhile in the Eastern Continent proper...
A tall male humanoid tiger beastman with eastern armor sits on a throne inside a room with two pillars on the side, both decorated with serpentine dragons. A humanoid rat beastman gives him red meat from a wide food plate, while on the other side a humanoid bull in barbarian armor stands holding two long swords (acting as a bodyguard). They are approached by a female Lycan, a Grull and a Wartok- all of whom had just been allowed to enter his throne room.
Bull Beastman: My liege Tao Khan, these creatures arrive by sea from the North and Central continents. They wish to speak with you about urgent matters.
Tao Khan: What could be so important as to waste my time? Speak quickly pig-men, as I am still contemplating whether to eat you or let you go!
Gutsman (frightened): The humans and dragons have revived the Order of the Flame in the Central continent and have massacred our people...
Tao Khan: Ha, what a coincidence! My people have also been exiled and executed by the humans living on this continent. We hide in the mountains and only the southwestern Rainshadow forest are we truly free from them. Why have you arrived here?
Wild Tusk: We come to join forces with you and to give you a warning- the new Order seeks ancient magical artifacts, now they will invade your lands and kill your people as well unless you do something quickly!
Tao Khan: Ancient magical artifacts, you say? Hm, there is a legend of a powerful sword forged by the gods hidden somewhere in these lands which my people have been looking for to this day with no avail... This information you provided has been quite interesting... Alas, not only do I have to worry about local threats but foreign invaders as well! My hands will sure be full... and your hands will now be filled with gold! Shagrat, reward these foreign beastmen and treat them well... because now they are honorary members of my kingdom!
Shagrat (drops food plate): Yes, your highness! I shall see to it immediately!
Tao Khan: I bid thee welcome in my humble abode. Consider yourselves as welcomed guests here, but may I ask your names?
Gutsman, Wild Tusk and Lycania properly introduced themselves after which they warned Tao Khan they will speak with again to show him their unusual ally.
Tao Khan: Surely you jest? Who or what could possibly be such an useful and important ally to us? Very well, soon enough I shall meet with them and find out. However I first have bigger fish to fry...
The 3 foreign beastman thanked the great Tiger King and quickly departed, after which he proclaims: "We must prepare now an appropriate welcoming for our new human visitors and their draconic companions!"
XXXXXX
In the cliffside inside the Rainshadow forest valley, the Ancients' Gate opens with Arokh and Rynn flying through it. Our heroes first walk inside a mountain's cave tunnel and begin talking.
Rynn: So this is the Eastern Continent? Do you have any knowledge about it Arokh?
Arokh: I know a few things, although you probably won't enjoy my long history lesson...
Rynn: We are in a new unexplored land, everything you know could prove useful in our quest.
Arokh: Very well... Here in the Eastern Lands, the original Order of the Flame was born hundreds of years ago. In the north is Mount Tibor, where humans first bonded with dragons. The Order primarily operated in the Central and South Continent, but they also traded with the local people and wanted to expand here as well. And then one day... a certain member of our Order said he was going on a mission here with his bonded dragon to find more information. Ten years they were gone and when they finally returned... they have learned new devastating magic while amassing a large army of beastmen. After their decade of absence, this betrayer started the Dark Wars and became leader of the Dark Union. After that, we lost contact with the East and when the Dark Wars ended the world got thrown into chaos...
Rynn (shuttered): Navaros and Kaeros!? They were here long before us!?
Arokh (ashamed): I am sorry Rynn for bringing up your traumatic memories... I didn't want to tell you this...
Rynn (saddened): It's fine Arokh... Hey, it's not your fault. I bet you feel as traumatized as myself whenever you remember your past.
Arokh: Correct you are... I think it would be for the best if we forget about that and focus on the actual objective instead.
Rynn nodded in agreement, after which they exited the cave and stood on a cliffside. They saw on the ground before them a curious creature- a humanoid cat beastman- shorter than Rynn, with Eastern clothing and a long wooden staff in its hands.
A confused Rynn said: Uh, greetings... I am Rynn and this dragon is Arokh. Could you help with directions?
The cat briefly looks at them terrified, after which it scream "Intruders! Sound the alarms!" and runs away.
Rynn: How come we never meet any friendly non-human locals?
Arokh: Perhaps this was a misunderstanding? However experience has taught us that everything we encounter will be hostile, so don't let your guard down.
Rynn and Arokh flew across the orange-yellow canopies of the giant trees which made even Arokh look like a mouse in comparison. They saw the cat creatures ran across the houses and bridges they had build in the treetops. There were other creatures as well, such as humanoid rats and bulls. While admiring the view, Arokh got shot with arrows from the cat archers and blue fireballs from the cat mages. They had to go down to heal, but their way got impeded by towers. Arokh didn't get close enough to even touch one of these towers, when suddenly it shot a stream of blue fire at him. The dragon angered, shot a fireball in the small window of the tower where 2 cat mages were using a blue mana crystal to amplify their powers. After his projectile had struck the crystal, the tower exploded in a cloud of blue smoke. Arokh was just about to land when suddenly he saw a familiar silhouette infront of him- a tall humanoid rhinoceros carrying a long battle axe in one hand and a small boomerang-like knife in the other. It was a War Giant- like Tultal and the others they had fought years ago when in the Eastern Archipelago. Barely Arokh managed to avoid the war giant's projectiles and our two heroes were forced to hide in an empty wooden trunk so that Rynn could heal Arokh's wound.
Rynn: Did that ugly thing manage to hurt you? Don't worry, I promise we shall kill him when we return.
Arokh (his pride more wounded than his wing): Hmph, note to self- flying low to the ground is dangerous. But flying high in the canopy isn't good either.
The 2 of them noticed a large stone wall on the other side of the valley. It was the only way out and it lead further inside the Eastern Continent. Logically there should be a switch located somewhere that opened this gate.
Rynn: We have no choice but to climb the canopy and find the opening switch. But we need to be more stealthy. Here's what we do- you hide behind a tree stump, while I navigate the treetop houses.
Arokh: Understood. Just please be careful not to fall from the trees... we mustn't fail this mission.
The dragon dropped his human rider on a wooden platform, then flew and hid behind some branches. Rynn saw crates and a rope net on the tree. She began climbing, only to hear some noise in the top and suddenly an explosive barrel fell down. Rynn dodged sideways and began climbing faster while avoiding the falling barrels. When she made it on top, she saw a red and black creature resembling a Scavenger but it was bipedal and with a long tail. Its elongated front limbs made it resemble a twisted monkey. She glanced at the non-sapient animal which then shrieked at her then called two more to appear climbing the branches and walls. Rynn wasted no time in getting a bow and arrows, using them to snipe these predators off their safe spots and watching them fall. The third one took out some fecal matter from its rear and threw it at Rynn, which she thankfully dodged easily. She swung her sword and the predator ran away in fear. She then ran across a bridge, however the Cajits quickly saw her and began shooting her, either with magic fireballs or arrows. Rynn was quick enough to run past the bridge and on the other side she met another one, this one armed with a long wooden staff. The Catjit growled at her and swung the long stick, only for Rynn to backflip behind him. She swung her sword, but the cat beastman parried it with his wooden staff. Rynn swung the sword a few more times until his wooden staff was broken in half. The cat growled and began attacking more aggressively with the two sticks used as weapons in his paws. Rynn quickly caught one of them and stabbed him in the eye, then using her sword to decapitate him. She ran forward only to be intercepted by 3 Ratlings. One of them had a dagger, another had a sickle on the end of a long chain and the other had round metallic objects in his hands. The last one threw the object and Rynn rolled sideways to avoid it. Good thing too, given that object was a bomb and exploded shortly afterwards. Rynn attacked the first one and killed him, but as she was raising her sword the second one used his chain sickle to snatch it from her hand and run away. Rynn caught a grenade thrown by the bombardier and threw it at the one with her sword, killing him. She got her sword back and threw it at the bombardier before he could throw another grenade. She picked up her sword from his corpse and proceeded towards the 3rd tree which had a visible switch on it. While she was running across the bridge, some beastmen gathered behind her and started cutting it down. She grabbed on the ropes when the bridge collapsed and used them as ladders to get on the other side. When she was within short distance of the switch, a bullman beastman appeared saying "You aren't going anywhere, human!" Rynn tried fighting him with melee, but he wielded two long swords with speed and proficiency. She risked getting sliced if she stood within melee range to him. Rynn had no choice to run towards the switch instead, with the bullman charging at her. Instead of stopping, Rynn jumped precisely before the Sinotaur could touch her and backflipped behind him. Before the enemy had a chance of turning around, she kicked him off the platform and watched him plummet to his death. Rynn pulled the level and watched as the large gate opened. However the victory was short lived as more beastmen appeared and surrounded her. "There is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide." growled one of them. "Well then, guess I have one choice remaining..." Rynn stepped backwards while facing them and fell from the platform. The beastmen watched in disbelief as the human woman had just committed suicide... or not. Suddenly a large red dragon flew upwards and quickly went towards the gate, with Rynn visible on his back. It was a trick! All beastmen tried closing pulling the switch to close the gate, but Arokh and Rynn had already made it to the other side. While the gate was closing slowly behind them, Rynn and Arokh looked triumphantly infront of them and proceeded forwards. One beastman however grinned and said: "It's not over yet... they could end up as worm food, heh."
Rynn and Arokh looked at the new scenery ahead- they were in a long canyon, with green mountains on both sides and a river valley beneath them. Large bonsai trees and bamboo dotted the landscape, while some cliffs had structures on them. These varied between stone ruins with pointed roofs, wooden towers and fortresses carved into the cliffsides. On one such cliff, they saw a bunch of people. They resembled the Northmen, but with slightly different clothing. They were accompanied by muscular horses with fur growing above their hoofs, beards and hard a long curved horn on their foreheads. Rynn shouted: "Hey need any help?" but one of them replied with "It's a trap!" After that, a bunch of airborne monsters appeared- gryphons, bat dragons and others. Arokh had to engage in an aerial fight to kill off this enemy wave, but eventually the task was done and the people were saved. A female Hyrcanian replied "Thanks be to the gods, you arrived. Had it not been for you, we would have been a monster's lunch."
Arokh: You have been removed from their menu... because we first removed them from the world of the living.
Baltair: Dear gods, your dragon... it can talk!
Rynn: Yes, he's a dragon of the Order and we are sent here to find a lost artifact which can help us save the world.
Khamula: The last person who came here with a dragon was hundreds of years ago... We heard stories he learned magic from the Eastern Empire then caused a great amount of suffering, then retreated back to his lands. His fate is unknown, but shortly after that all dragons disappeared and the Empire has fallen into disarray. Without the divine dragons to protect this land, we are under constant assault by beastmen.
Arokh: We aren't here to do any harm, on the contrary. We are tasked by the great Mother Dragon herself to find and protect any relic from getting into the wrong hands. Also, we open the Ancients' Gates to allow dragons to once roam this planet. If you lead us to this Eastern Empire, we shall open the gate and your sacred dragons will return. You have our sincere vow.
Baltair: Very well, since you put it that way we just have to take your word for it. Follow us and we shall take you across the steppe grasslands, but be warned... Khorkhois make it their hunting ground.
Rynn: Khor-what now?
Khamula: You can just call them "dirt worms" if the name is too hard for you to remember.
Our heroes followed the Hyrcanians through the grassland. Everything felt calm, when suddenly the ground starting trembling. "Dirt Worms!" shouted one nomad and ran away. "No you idiot! Don't separate from the group" shouted another too late. The cowardly nomad and his horse fell as the ground before them erupted and a giant worm appeared. It was armored, red with black stripes, was covered in spikes and had no eyes. The bloody thing was as big as Arokh, with its huge mandible maw quickly swallowing the unfortunate Hyrcanian and his horse. "Help us, please use your dragon to deal with the worms!" shouted the nomads. Arokh flew over the worms, hitting them was tricky as their bodies were armored and they spend most of the time swimming underground. However as soon as one jumped out the grab Arokh, the dragon aimed for its exposed mouth and killed the overgrown vermin by decapitating it. Eventually, the worms got repelled and the nomads continued escorting Rynn and Arokh towards the outer stone wall of the Eastern Empire. "Thank you for your help. May the gods be on your side in this quest." Rynn told the Hyrcanians they looked similar to people living in the North continent, to which they replied that "some of their forefathers migrated north long ago when the 2 continents were connected" and left. As Rynn and Arokh stood infront of the Great Wall of Chiwutai, the stone gate opened and a chariot pulled by horned horses appeared. From it stepped a warrior in red and yellow (not gold) armor. He pulled off his intimidating mask and gasped: "By the ghosts of my ancestors... a dragon ridden by a human? What manner of sorcery is this?"
Rynn: We are from the Central Continent and were send by the revived Order of the Flame to find a holy relic left here by an ancient civilization. We fear they could be misused by evil people for vile purposes.
Arokh: We also vow to open the Ancients' Gate here and summon back the dragons you worship so much. So if you let us in and allow us to speak with whoever is your authority, then it would be mutually beneficial.
Imperial Guard: Follow me, the Empress and Emperor are in the royal palace. I hope you aren't assassins sent here to kill them. Assuming your intentions are truly benevolent, then you are free to come here.
Rynn and Arokh followed into the city. Mountains and rivers with bonsai trees or bamboo were scattered everywhere, people lived in houses with pointy roofs. There were tall flags, kites and floating lanterns. The towers had gunpowder and cannons mounted on them. A dock was visible in the distance with a large fleet of ships. The army had chariots and horned horses. Chiwutai also had a library where monks and mages akin to those back in Surdana collected precious tomes of knowledge. There was even an observatory with a telescope which could be used to see into space itself. Truly this was the most advanced and powerful human civilization remaining on Drakan. When they reached the royal palace, the empress and emperor were playing a game with wooden figurines on a wooden board. All the people appeared, watching our heroes in awe since the hasn't been a living dragon in these lands since over half a millennium ago. The Empress and Emperor turned around looking at our duo. The Empress was more youthful, while the Emperor was visibly more elderly with graying hair and beard.
Imperial Guard: Your majesty, these 2 hail from the Central Continent and have come here claiming they wish to help our empire of Chiwutai. At least, we assume they are telling us the truth...
Empress Xing (calmly): What are your names? What business do you have in our lands that is so important you risk travelling half the known world?
Arokh: Apologies, your highness- I am Arokh and she is Rynn. We are members of the new Order of the Flame, send here by the Dragon Mother herself to protect a holy relic before it's obtained by our mutual enemies and used for evil intents.
Emperor Yao (worried): A man with his dragon from the Central Continent arrived here thousands of years ago. He too claimed to have benevolent intentions, acting cordially but he turned out to be scheming traitor who learned our magic just so he can subjugate us instead! Our ancestors were forced to banish them back to where they come from. A decade after that, all dragons in our lands disappeared! Forgive me if I am suspicious, but we don't wish to repeat the same mistake and have become cautious to all foreigners ever since!
Rynn: By any chance, is that man called... Navaros?
Yao (shutters): You know that fiend?
Rynn (angered and saddened): Yes, that fiend betrayed the original Order. The previous rider of my dragon sacrificed himself to save all of Drakan. Years later, Navaros tried to revive himself using my brother kidnapped from our village. We managed to slay this bastard, however while avenged my brother and the other people in my village had ended up dead! Then we had to save the world from another despot and his invasive demon alien race from another world! After so much suffering, we succeeded in reviving the Order and bringing peace once more to our lands. Every minute we waste here is another nail in all our coffins! If we don't obtain all the relics, the world will know great peril and your Empire will be doomed! You have to trust us!
Xing (somber, while Yao calms down): Very well, you have convinced us. But we have several thorns in our sides- we don't know where this relic is located, could be anywhere. My guess is the old tomb in the north, but that place is locked up with magic that even our sorcerers cannot bypass. And of course there's Tao Khan. Oh dear gods, Tao Khan... if he is killed, his army of beastmen will stop plaguing us and be forced to live far away from us for at least one millennium.
Arokh: I heard you also want the dragons of these lands being summoned back. We shall also fix that problem as well, if you help us with finding the divine relic and the Ancients' Gates from which we can summon the dragons.
Xing: The deal is refused... on the simple condition that we don't know where this Ancients' Gate is located. If you can find it and bring back the dragons, then the Eastern Empire will be eternally indebted to you.
Rynn: Where do we begin with? So many objectives, and we don't know where to start with.
Xing: I recommend you kill the Catjits in their mines and mountaintop bases. It would be great if you can also free our enslaved villagers, if possible. We suspect the beatmen are planning to attack us, but how and when still is a mystery.
Rynn and Arokh fry towards the slave mines to begin their quest. Meanwhile, in Tao Khan's throne room...
The Grulls and Wartoks visit the Tiger King: "Great Tao Khan! We wish you to meet our... unexpected ally."
A cloud of black/purple smoke appeared and inside the throne room teleported a woman... Tanyana. "A human sorceress? Is this a sick joke?" Tao Khan growled. Tanyana replied: "I am no mere sorceress, I have been chosen by the one true god to help you defeat the Order of the Flame and purge the lands from their draconic taint." Tao Khan laughed: "That's rich! Humans are already arrogant enough, but a witch claiming such things is the stupidest thing I have ever heard!" Tanya responded with: "You dare anger me, filthy beast? If you don't cooperate, I will make a fur pelt out of you!" Tao Khan snarled with: "So you challenge me to a battle? Then so be it- I will knock sense into that head of yours... before I lop it off!" The Tiger King stood up, grabbed his polearm and swung it. This released a wave of toxic green flame... which didn't affect Tanyana, seeing as she had teleported next to him. She shot a purple lightning bolt at the confused beastman before he had a chance of responding. The fallen Tao Khan growled: "Your parlor tricks are cheap, witch! Instead of using magic, why don't you fight fair?" Tanyana picked him up using telekinesis and her eyes glowed red. The scared Tiger King witnessed her shapeshift, her new demonic form towering over him and her shadow obscuring him entirely. A deep, inhuman voice came from her jaws: "Do you want to die so badly?" Tao Khan swallowed his pride and begrudgingly agreed to help her. Tanyana released him and transformed back into human form. "Glad we reached an agreement..." The Tiger King asked sarcastically "If you are this powerful, why don't you deal with the Order yourself?" Tanyana glared at him and proclaimed "The dragons of the Order outnumber me, I can barely hide among the humans anymore... So we need reinforcements..." Tanyana drew a circle on the ground in blood and said a magical incantation in an alien language. The circle glowed and then a large monster was summoned in its place. It was tall, long and with a segmented body. It had a long tail and four limbs, with spikes growing from its back. Its elongated head lacked ears and eyes, overall resembling a cross between a giant lizard and an insect. The long jaws opened, exposing multiple wickedly sharp teeth in a smile which seems to indicate a desire to kill. Tao Khan gasped "Did you just... summon a demon?" Tanyana petted the hellhound creature on its head like a dog: "Yes, beautiful isn't it?" Tao Khan felt disgust: "No, it's not! I won't allow demons in my army, that monster will eat my troops!" Tanyana glared angrily at him: "So you dare oppose my orders?" Tao Khan spat on the ground: "I don't oppose you! I agree to use my troops to help you kill our mutual enemy, but letting that creature around will eat up my army which leaves us both empty handed! Use your damn brain, you b... witch!" Tanyana calmed down: "Very well, you lead your troops on one front while I use the demon at another. Divide and conquer as they say. Also... my skills and resources are insufficient. Summoning even a single demon requires lots of mana, blood and souls being sacrificed. I must depart now, I have more pressing issues to attend..." When Tanyana vanished with her summoned demon, Tao Khan sighed in relief. Suddenly the door of his throne room opened and in came Shagrat, excited and carrying around a scroll in his hand. Shagrat: "Master, look what I stole from the Eastern Empire!" Tao Khan took said scroll, saw its contents and smiled. He gently petted Shagrat on his head like a doting parent: "Well done, my underling! You have earned yourself a reward in gold! Take the day off and go somewhere to spend it! I must prepare for the battle ahead, with this knowledge in our possession the Eastern human empire will soon fall!"
Rynn and Arokh infiltrated the cliffside towers and entered the underground slave mines. Complex machinery worked there, cog wheels spun, conveyor belts were placed inside the foundry and pipes released steam. Wooden crates were stacked high, while sickly humans were placed inside metallic cages. Several conical wooden barrels with red and black symbols were stacked in one side, likely gunpowder explosives prepared for an upcoming battle. Rynn loaded one of her bow's arrows and shot these barrels from a distance. When the barrels exploded, she hid behind the pile of crates. This caught the beastmen guards' attention, which allowed her to sneak behind and stab them in their backs. With the slavers dead, Rynn could now focus on freeing the prisoners. Like with the Grimstone mines, she manages to make it pass all the perils and spoke with the slaves. An elderly male replied to here: "Your effort and concern is appreciated, but it's too late for us. Run away and save yourself while you still can."
Rynn: Sad to hear about that... But can you tell me what is Tao Khan planning?
Mine Slave: Tao Khan is a terror to his enemies, but he loves his fellow beastmen and treats them well. If he sees one of his being ill, sorrow and rage fills heart. If he sees a human harming or killing a beastman, Tao Khan becomes consumed in berserker fury. His ancestors lived freely across these lands, but humans grew in power and numbers. This forced him to live in remote areas, with goal being the obvious conquest and extermination of all humans. His minions are building terrifying war machines, he sends spies to steal vital information from our cities and is trying to form an alliance with the war giants so they can help him crush the human opposition. With the dragons gone, our chances of survival are significantly lessened. It could end in a stalemate, but it could also mean our annihilation. Lastly, he also plans to open the north tomb and obtain the ancient weapon sealed inside... I have only heard legends about it, but if the stories are true then with that weapon Tao Khan will be unstoppable...
Rynn thanked the old man, left him to die of his injuries and exited the mines. Outside she reported to Arokh and when our heroes flew to the Eastern Empire, they shared this information with the 2 rulers.
Xing: What you say is disheartening... but we already know that. We managed to capture this little thief who stole one of our scrolls.
The imperial guards brought forth a Ratling beastman- Shagrat. Empress Xing ordered the thief being executed by having his limbs tied up to horned horses which ran in 4 directions. Rynn looked away from this brutality.
Xing: Don't tell me you going soft or feeling pity for this enemy, a filthy beast which threatens our community. Or are you a pacifist?
Rynn: No I am perfectly fine with killing beastmen, however this method was pretty barbaric. You could have just quickly cut off his head with a sword instead of this cold-blooded torture.
Xing: You raise a valid point. Still, he's an enemy and in a battle you shouldn't show them any mercy or else they will backstab you. In a war there is no right or wrong... it's kill of be killed.
Rynn: Alright, I understand perfectly. So what do we do now about Tao Khan?
Xing: There remains the matter of the war giants. If he has a struck an allegiance with them, then our empire is in grave danger. The war giants are led by Oladan in Mount Tibor.
Arokh: Mount Tibor?!
Xing: Yes, is there a problem?
Arokh: This is the first place where humans bonded with dragons and established the original Order of the Flame. Hearing that sacred place being overrun with enemies now makes my skin crawl.
Xing: Then you have more reasons to go there and kill Oladan. If you are feeling adventurous, I have a sidequest for you Rynn- our sewers are overrun by Cockatrices. You must exterminate them all, including their brood mother to stop their infestation.
Rynn and Arokh complete all the sidequests (including the sewers of Chiwutai), then fly towards Mount Tibor. Passing through corridors filled with ruins and the bones of war giants, Rynn is forced to pass alone through a hole in a large closed gate like in Shiverbane. On the other side of the room, she spots a large stone altar with Oliphaunt skulls and other items (pots, candles, etc) placed on it. However, infront of this altar she sees Oladan himself- a war giant. But unlike the others, his armor is more ornate and instead of a rhinoceros head Oladan had the head of an Oliphaunt. He was sitting on the ground in a meditating trance, with a long spiked club on one side and a spiked flail on his other. Rynn tried sneaking up, Oladan opened his eyes and began speaking with her.
Oladan: I know you are here. You have come with the intention of killing me, haven't you? Just like the other dragons and humans of the Order have done so with my brothers and sisters... until I now alone remain the last of my kind.
Rynn: Only if need be... You seem like an intelligent creature. Perhaps we can talk this out instead.
Oladan: I meditate here and become one with nature. My tribe was a subspecies of war giants, unlike the others my kin were noble and wise beings. Then over 600 years ago, one man and his dragon arrived from the West... he learned powerful magic and tricked my people into joining his evil army. This man called himself... Navaros. He was a monster in human flesh, who only sook after more power with no disregard for others' life. My people became his pawns and enemies with the dragons. Tragically, this caused my people to get killed by the dragons because of the vile ambitions of just one human. Today, only I remain from my once proud and powerful race.
Rynn: Listen Oladan... I wish you no harm... you can come and live with the other humans in the Eastern Empire... but we need to stop Tao Khan first. He's another cruel tyrant who could bring only harm to the world.
Oladan: What's the point in living? I am the last of my kind, and I certain that humans will never accept me in their society. Tao Khan is not a cruel tyrant as you may think. He treats all beastmen like his children and loves them to the point he is willing to kill all humans just to see beastfolk prosper. That's what motivates Tao Khan in reality- the desire for survival and the love towards his own kinsmen.
Rynn: Then I doubt you will help me...
Oladan (standing up, grabbing his weapons): On the contrary- I will gladly help you by revealing all the knowledge gathered from my time meditating. But under one condition... I wish to join my species in the great beyond. To do that, I must die in an honorable duel against a worthy opponent! Prepare yourself warrior of the Order... for a duel to the death!
Rynn: It's never the easy way, is it?
Oladan swung his spiked club which Rynn jumped over, then he spun the flail above his head before trying to squish Rynn on the ground. She evaded that as well, perhaps his attacks patterns were easily visible because he was getting too slow and old. Or perhaps, Oladan was an honorable warrior who wanted to give Rynn a fair chance in this duel? She dodged the attacks while shooting arrows in the weakpoints of his armor, causing him to visibly bleed. Oladan gave credence to her second theory when he shouted "Guess I underestimated you... but now you must prove yourself worthy!" and threw his spiked flail ball towards Rynn similar to a cannon firing a cannonball. The spiked ball hit the door and broke it open, causing Arokh to barge in.
Arokh: Rynn stand aside!
Rynn: Arokh!
Oladan froze in place upon hearing that name and saw Rynn climbing on her dragon. "Did you say the dragon is called Arokh?" asked Oladan. Arokh answered with a "yes" which resulted in Oladan raising his hands in triumph: "Blessed stars, you have my eternal gratitude! I was lucky to encounter Arokh, victor of the Dark Wars!" Our heroes glanced at him, after which Oladan responded: "I would be honered to die in a duel with a great warrior such as Arokh the legendary dragon! Now prepare yourself, because I won't go down gentle..." Arokh dodged Oladan's ranged attacks, constantly shooting him with dragonfire. The bleeding wounds combined with the burn injuries from the dragon's breath finally took their eventual toll and Oladan dropped on his knee, his hands released both weapons on the ground next to his sides.
Oladan: I surrender... you won.
Rynn: You promised you would help us when we beat you, remember?
Oladan: Indeed... a promise is a promise. Listen carefully: Tao Khan has been tricked by an outside force into attacking the Eastern human Empire of Chiwutai. My brutish giant relatives are less intelligent and have already joined his legion... As we speak he is amassing his army and launching a massive assault on the human community. He is using the scroll his minions stole to find any weaknesses in their fortifications and building war machines to stamp out any human resistance.
Rynn: Then we must hurry... Arokh!
Oladan: Listen, Tao Khan has been manipulated by a force of evil. Something ancient and unknown, which has been long dormant but now is slowly awakening. To the north there is a tomb which houses a weapon capable of repelling this great evil... Tao Khan searches for the key to this power, unknowingly being played like a fiddle by the betrayer. I have been keeping the key to this locked tomb and the dragon Earth Rune safe in this room, I will give them both to you now...
Arokh: Your kindness is appreciated Oladan... if only more beastpeople were like you, then Drakan would be a better world. But what is this force of evil you speak about? Navaros and the Dark Union? Jasaad and the Deset Lords? Or something else?
Oladan: Neither of those... I cannot discern and recognize its identity, but it's something else... A primordial force of death and destruction whose power is overwhelming, threatening to devour the whole Universe if released... Where there is light, there is also darkness...
Rynn: Thank you for everything, but we must go. The empire of Chiwutai is under threat from Tao Khan's army!
Oladan: I will ask just one last thing from you, bonded of Arokh... Tell your dragon to end my life so that I may rejoin my people in the afterlife... Do it, finish my miserable existence..
Rynn and Arokh complied, thus fulfilling Oladan's last wish. Arokh breathed more fire at the giant beastman, which charred the latter's body and caused it to fall lifeless on the ground. The last Oliphaunt-like war giant has finally slain, but instead of triumph our heroes felt pity... There was no time to waste any longer, when the deed was done Rynn picked up the medallion from the altar behind Oladan's corpse. It was round and had an Eastern dragon coiled around itself on one side, its mouth biting its own tail. After that our duo saw the brown spinning and glowing crystal above them. When Arokh picked it up, he gained the Earth element power useful for blasting open the cave's roof and exiting Mount Tibor. Our heroes made haste towards the far East, but it was already too late...
XXXXXX
The land became black as the beastman army moved over it like a tide. Both local species and tribes from other continents marched forward. War giants moved across the ground, some beastmen operated large siege engines capable of destroying even fortified walls made of stone, while various winged monsters flew above them. Tao Khan stood on a cliff, riding a horned horse and began an epic motivational speech.
Tao Khan: March forward, my warriors and mages! Be proud, for today the human empire of Chiwutai will fall! We finally have the power to topple their suppression and reclaim these lands as our own! Do your best so we may have as little casualties as possible, but I promise that for each one of you killed a 1000 humans will die in retribution! Show no mercy, as we are not taking any slaves! Kill every human you see, they must all be exterminated so that we can at last live in peace knowing our dreaded enemies are gone forever!
The Eastern Empire of Chiwutai launched the counterattack. While the 2 sides were evenly matched, the beastmen knew the humans' weaknesses. Plenty of beastmen died, but also just as many humans until the ground was covered with corpses and blood. The sky darkened and it began raining, as if nature itself was crying over this war. Arokh and Rynn flew in too late, witnessing all the carnage. Amidst the chaos, they saw the Emperor and Empress hiding in their palace. When they landed there, Xing and Yao's reactions were predictable.
Yao: What happened? You disappeared but all Hell broke lose?!
Arokh: We were preoccupied with Oladan. We managed to kill him and get the key to the tomb with the godly weapon but we have no time to go there... we chose to come here and save you instead.
Xing: Your heroism is remarkable, Arokh and Rynn. The beastmen have already breached the outer walls. Please kill them and save us all.
The tides turned with a dragon and his rider on the side of humans. Arokh fewl fast between airborne enemies, making them drop to the ground like flies. They also killed most war giants and siege engines. Tao Khan saw this and got consumed by anger. He grabbed a metal bar from a destroyed war machine with his beastly strength and threw it in the sky... hitting Arokh in the wing, cutting it and making him fall to the ground. Before hitting the ground, Arokh fired a flame shot at Tao Khan causing the Tiger King to dodge. However this quick shot hit his beloved horned horse, killing it and infuriating Tao Khan. While Arokh fell unconscious behind a pile of corpses and machine debris, Rynn was separated from her dragon and she fell on the other side. The mountain of carcasses thankfully softened her landing and she safely rolled to the ground into a clearing. However unfortunately Tao Khan slid down the corpse mound and entered the same clearing as our heroine.
Tao Khan (barely containing his animalistic rage): So you are the foreign dragon rider who killed so many of my people?
Rynn (healing her wounds using a spell/potion): And you must be the great Tao Khan? Hypocritical of you to say that considering you are now killing so many people and probably won't stop until all humans are dead.
Tao Khan (raising his voice): There is no good or evil side in a war, only victors and defeated! Your disgusting species would have done the same thing with my people given the chance! So much of my loved ones have died because of you filthy humans!
Rynn: I know what it is to lose my family and friends to an enemy force... We are not so different, you and I... But you must realize that even if you win this war, you will never bring back your beloved people... So stop this and retreat while you still can!
Tao Khan (shouting angrily): Everything was fine until you arrived with your blasted dragon! You and that demon-summoning witch ruined everything! So after I make you pay with your puny life, I will take the divine sword and use it to kill that sorceress bitch!
Rynn: What demon-summoning witch? Who is she and what more do you know about her?
Tao Khan (slightly calmed down but still visibly enraged): The black-haired woman dressed in purple... She can also transform into a demon herself. That witch is not from these lands... I know nothing else about her and neither will you... because now you will DIE!
The Tiger King was consumed by animalistic fury. He swung his polearm with speed and ferocity, possibly also strength but Rynn didn't want to find out how deadly it was. Rynn constantly dodged his attacks, having no time to counterattack or cast a spell. Our heroine was outmatched and for the first time in her life she was on the verge of losing. Tao Khan also fired waves and projectiles of green toxic fire using his polearm, which made him even deadlier. He swung towards Rynn only to get his polearm stuck in a corpse. Tao Khan roared in anger, while Rynn stabbed him with her sword. His armor and muscular body decreased the damage from her sword, only succeeding in making him angrier. Tao Khan punched Rynn in the head and kicked her to the other side of the clearing. Rynn was weakened and half-conscious, while the Tiger King recovered his previously stuck weapon and walking slowly towards her. Tao Khan stood over Rynn, prepared to kill her. Our heroine started crying, which was negated by the rain drops falling over her face. Her heart beating increased, knowing she was not long for this world. Rynn though to herself "Arokh, Delon, everybody else... I am sorry... I have failed you all..." Tao Khan stood above Rynn with his teeth exposed in a deranged facial expression of pure rage. He raised his polearm, ready to kill Rynn... Then as if the gods had mercy and intervened, a miracle happened. A bolt of lightning fell from the sky and struck Tao Khan's raised polearm! The Tiger King screamed in pain as his body absorbed the deadly shock from the heavens above, forcing him to drop his polearm and stand fazed there as his body still rumbled with electricity. Rynn opened her eyes wide and saw the polearm next to her. She felt adrenaline fill up her body and she attempted a last ditch move- grabbing Tao Khan's polearm. As the Tiger King recovered from the lightning bolt strike and came to his senses, he looked down only to see Rynn reaching for his polearm. Fury once again filled Tao Khan and he lunged at Rynn, screaming "You bitch! Why do you refuse to fucking die?" But Rynn was faster than him and before Tao Khan could touch her, she had already grabbed his polearm and raised it upward- shoving it through his armored chest. Tao Khan screamed one last time in agony as he fell on top of Rynn. Visible through his backside was the other end of the polearm, which had penetrated his armor and pierced his torso. Rynn was crying still, but the battle was over and she had won. Having realized what just happened, she pushed Tao Khan's body aside (no easy task, given his height). The polearm was jutting from his motionless torso and Rynn stood up. She saw Tao Khan's face- it was no longer full of rage, now perpetually frozen in shock with wide opened eyes and mouth. His eyes were lifeless and blood was pouring from his open mouth, proving that Rynn had killed him. Suddenly the sounds of battle stopped and only the sound of rainfall kept going. The beastmen saw their beloved leader dead and one of them yelled "Tao Khan is dead! We lost!" Their morale was further crushed when multiple chariots with horned horses, armored human soldiers and mages came as reinforcements. Cannonballs from the towers kept shooting at the beastmen, quickly producing holes in their numbers. "Retreat! It's over! Run while you still can!" The beastmen ran away scared back into the mountains and caves from where they came, the war had ended with them retreating from the victorious humans. The human cavalry looked at Rynn and then saw Tao Khan's corpse, amazed. "You killed the Tiger King?" Rynn scoffed "You have eyes, use them and see how painfully obvious it is who is alive here and who isn't..." The human soldiers cheered and picked up Rynn. All the humans carried her to the armored chariot. Xing and Yao exited it and looked at Rynn in awe: "We are shocked but also eternally thankful for what you have done today Rynn. With Tao Khan dead, his army is now severely weakened and I doubt they will bother us for a long time..." said Xing, while Yao added "I am sorry I ever doubted you and your dragon! While plenty of our people died in this battle, today is a historic victory with the death of our arch-enemy! Whatever you want is yours, just name your price!" Rynn wanted to say something but suddenly she felt ill and vomited some blood. "Where is Arokh, I must see him immediately!" The human soldiers were frightened but carried out her wish as quickly as possible. They searched the hills of corpses until they heard Arokh's whimpers of pain. He was hiding under a destroyed war machine. His wing was punctured and his torso also had a large gash on it. Arokh was half-conscious and Rynn moved next to him worried. "Arokh, can you hear me? We won! I killed Tao Khan and his armies retreated!" Arokh opened his eyes and said weakly: "Rynn, is that you? Glad we won, but our victory is a pyrrhic one..." Rynn looked at her dragon companion and saw him losing blood rapidly. "No Arokh, please wake up! Everything shall be alright!" The dragon barely moved and spoke with all his remaining might "My life is at its limit Rynn... I can feel my soul beginning to drift away to the great beyond... This might be the end Rynn, we won but at the cost of our lives..." Rynn started to cry and scream in despair: "No Arokh, please don't leave me! After everything we've been through... it can't end like this!" Arokh as a reptile couldn't cry, but his expression and voice were sad: "We shall be together in the afterlife Rynn... Don't forget we are bonded with each other... That's why you are so worried about me dying... because you will follow soon afterwards..." Rynn screamed so hard it caused people to gather around her and look worried. "No, that's not the reason! I already lost my parents, brother and everybody else in my village! I don't want to lose you as well! You are my friend Arokh, the only person dear to me I have left in this world! More than that, you are only remaining FAMILY!" As she screamed the last word, Rynn fell tired next to Arokh. The combination of being tired from the battle and sharing her lifeforce with a dragon who is now at death's door was taking it's price on her body. Rynn started clenching her torso in agony, both emotional and physical. Their lives were drawing to a close... Unbeknownst to the duo, the emperor and empress arrived bringing a small golden box from their carriage alongside some court sorcerers. One of them yelled "Step aside, hopefully we are not too late..." and opened the box. Inside it was an orange feather taken from a phoenix. The wizard placed it on Arokh, spoke and incantation and waved his hands. After this, the feather glowed and it disappeared. Everyone watched saddened, waiting for what happened next. Rynn suddenly opened her eyes and gasped for air, like she had been drowning. She and everybody else then looked at Arokh, who started shaking his head and lazily opening his eyes. The people sighed in relief, as Arokh began speaking "Argh, I feel terrible... weakened and sleepy like a newborn." Rynn looked at Xing and Yao, then said: "Thanks. Don't know what you did, but it saved us from dying."
Xing: We gave you our phoenix feather and healed you. This was the only one in the entire Eastern continent.
Yao (coughing): Originally I wanted to use this to extend the lifespan of myself and my wife, but it was only one. Also we saw you dying and quickly decided to use it on you instead as gratitude for everything you have done...
Rynn: You also have my and Arokh's eternal gratitude. We got extremely close to death, but you did the right thing. However, we still feel extremely weak.
Xing: Well, we could bring you back in our palace and heal you. Or you can do it yourself assuming you have a healing potion or spell.
This reminded Rynn of something she had nearly forgotten. She made the necessary hand gestures and invoked the one magic that would help them. It wasted all her mana, but it was worth it. Rynn felt the power of Ahura coursing through every fiber of her being, healing her wounds and giving her new strength. The human soldiers gasped when they saw Rynn and Arokh glow in a blue/white aura.
Xing: What is this power?
Rynn: The power of the same god whose relic is kept inside the forgotten tomb way to the north. We need to retrieve the artifact in that tomb and prevent it from being used by the forces of evil.
Arokh (fully awakened and growling): Hey did you forget me? I may be feeling better, but I am still stuck beneath this rubble!
Xing quickly ordered the soldiers to help move away the debris and help Arokh free himself. When the dragon was freed, he stood upwards and stretched his wings. Upon seeing his wounds being healed, Arokh proclaimed: "Ah, so good to be alive and well!"
The people cheered and brought our heroes back to the palace, while they began cleaning the corpses and rebuilding the city.
Yao (smiling): The recovery will take years, the road ahead will be uneasy but with our enemies defeated hope springs once more.
Xing (also smiling): We have you to thank for that Rynn and Arokh. Our soldiers recovered Tao Khan's polearm from his corpse. It's yours if you want.
Rynn: We accept your gift but what we really are searching for is to the north. With all these distractions out of the way, the lost tomb is our next goal.
Xing: Then what are you waiting for? Go and take the item from its tomb! May the gods and fate be on your side!
Rynn mounted Arokh and the 2 of them flew to the north. The human woman asked the male dragon: "When you were dying, I said some things... Did you hear them?"
Arokh (briefly silent): I was losing consciousness Rynn... Whatever is that you said back then, I couldn't hear it clearly.
Rynn (teasingly): Want me to repeat it to you?
Arokh: No. We have more important things to do than being sentimental. First we must focus on our mission.
Rynn: Alright, Mr. Serious. I sometimes have a feeling you hate me... perhaps you still miss Heron like I miss my brother and fellow villagers.
Arokh (annoyed): Knock that self-delusion out from your head. I never hated you, still don't and never will. Rynn... thank you for saving my life. Or both our lives, seeing as we are Bonded.
Rynn: Daww, you are welcome! Good to see you also having a nicer side.
Arokh: Yeah, yeah... Whatever. The future awaits us, we must leave the past behind us.
Rynn nodded in agreement but what she didn't know was that Arokh's first answer was a lie. He heard and understood everything Rynn told while he was slowly dying. Arokh had evaded a close shave with death thanks to her new bonded human rider. He didn't show it visibly and verbally, but he was smiling happily on the inside. After so many years, after losing his original family, his friend and rider Heron and the other members of the first Order... Arokh the dragon was finally feeling happiness.
The duo arrived at the entrance of the Tomb, Arokh looked around with his keen eyes spotting 4 abandoned towers on the sides. The ground was also littered with corpses, both armored humans and the bones of various creatures.
Arokh: Blargh, it stinks of death here! Nothing but corpses as far as my eyes can see.
Rynn: Well, at least I see no curse. Let's open the gate, walk inside, grab the relic and leave this horrid place as quickly as possible...
However as Rynn finished her sentence, a slight earthquake tremor shook the ground and some place on the ground were hit by lightning bolts.
Arokh: I have a veeery baaad feeling about this...
Two long serpentine dragon skeletons burst from the ground, with zombified armored human warriors riding them. The undead looked at our heroes and roared with obvious hostility. Arokh took to the air, then started shooting at them. One undead dragon moved in confusing patterns and tried biting him, while the other ran away and shoot lightning bolts at Arokh. The heroes managed to get some hits on them, but the 2 dragon zombies flew over the towers and summoned bolts of electricity from the roofs. The bolts went into their mouths, as if they were feeding on the magical energies. Doing so empowered the dragons who shot holes into the cliffs and ground, then used all the area's tunnels as hiding spots to evade our heroes' attacks. Arokh and Rynn quickly realized the zombie dragons would keep attacking then retreating as long as the abandoned towers were standing in pristine condition, so Arokh destroyed all 4 towers with his breath powers. This caused both undead dragons to stop evading/hiding then attacked him directly, which Arokh countered with all the elemental abilities he had acquired this far. His bigger arsenal proved useful and made quick work of both undead enemies. Upon killing their foes, Arokh saw a floating dark grey crystal in the sky. Flying through and picking it up gave him the power of Thunder, which allowed him to shoot lightning once again. Arokh landed on the ground and Rynn walked towards the gate, placing Oladan's medallion and the tomb opened. Rynn walked inside, seeing a whole army of armored terracotta warriors, like those visible outside. She ignored them, but suddenly one sprang to life and swung its dual swords at her. Rynn took out her sword and fought the animated warrior statues which also breathed green fire at her. When all the enemies were destroyed, she walked further until she saw two pillars with serpentine dragons coiled around them. Between them was a throne with a skeleton clutching some long object wrapped in cloth with jade stones etched on them. Rynn broke the skeleton's dusty arms, took the object and carefully removed the jade stones. After that she took off the cloth. What she saw inside caught her by surprise... a great sword made of a white material with a faint blue glow. It resembled the Runeblade which she held so long ago, but it lacked runes carved onto the blade. The pommel had a blue gem on it, while the guard had a dragon head on it with the wings forming the guard itself. Rynn gripped the sword and it started glowing in a white/blue light. She performed one swing with the sword and it fired a deadly beam of white/blue energy! Rynn had destroyed one column and stopped practicing with the sword in fear of collapsing the entire tomb upon herself. But when she looked down, she saw the sword stopped glowing. Like the Horn of Ahura, the sword's power depended on Rynn's mana reserves and using it costed all of her magical energy. She walked outside, holding the sword above her head. Arokh upon seeing her, cheered up.
Arokh: Rynn, you got another holy artifact!
Rynn: Yeah, but using it eats up my magical energy. Now let's get out of this place.
When flying, the duo senses something was amiss... It was as if they were being watched. Suddenly, a huge strange black and red creature jumped at them. It resembled a mixture of lizard and insect, the head lacked any ears or eyes. All parts of its body were segmented, while its mouth was filled with needle-like teeth. The creature rolled up into a ball and started spinning towards them faster than its large size would suggest.
Rynn: What is that damn thing?
Arokh: I don't know, but something tells me it's not local wildlife.
They dodged the creature's rolling attack, but it grew quills on its backs and started shooting them at our heroes. Arokh dodged its attacks, then started shooting lightning at it. The strange beast was fast and started crawling on the canyon's walls like a fly. It then lunged towards them midair. Arokh avoided this attack as well, but growled in annoyance: "How do we deal with this troublesome pest?" Rynn responded with: "I have an idea. Bait it into jumping at us again!"
Arokh: Have you lost your mind?
Rynn: Trust me, it will all work out.
She said, after which she drank a mana potion and saw the sword starting to glow again. Arokh followed her plan and waited for the hellhound to jump at him again. When it did that and was with a meter away from touching, Rynn swung the sword and released a beam of white/blue light which slashes the monster in half and caused it to explode. Purple blood from the beast covered them but they quickly used a healing elixir to stop any toxins from harming their bodies.
Arokh: Glad we took care of that creature as well...
Rynn: But something tells me this won't be the last.
They looked around their surroundings, until the saw the same black/purple apparition from before.
Rynn: You again? Don't you ever give up?
Mystery Shadow: You have been a thorn in my side far too long. The fool and his beastman army had failed, it would seem...
Rynn: So you are the demon-summoning witch that tricked Tao Khan into starting a war! He told me everything before I ended his life.
Mystery Shadow: Your progress is impressive but I am here to put an end to your miserable little existence...
Rynn raises the holy sword and replies: Do you really think so? Why don't you come closer and see the same power which is the last thing your summoned pet saw before getting killed!
Mystery Shadow: I don't have time for such foolishness... I leave you now, but we shall meet again.
The shade disappeared, leaving our heroes alone once again. "We gotta return to Surdana to report our findings." said Rynn. Arokh replied with "But first we need to say here so we can fulfill a promise we made".
Rynn: Huh?
Arokh: You will see. We must go to the Eastern Empire...
The duo arrived in Chiwutai, the people glad to see them once again.
Xing: Surprised to see you again so soon. Did your journey proved successful or do you come here empty handed?
Rynn (taking out the sword): Does this look empty-handed to you?
Yao: Dear heavens! This weapon... it's older than our civilization and it looks like it was forged by the gods!
Xing: Congratulations on obtaining that item. I suppose that means you will be leaving now?
Arokh: Not quite yet. We have one last thing to do here... Do you know any other peculiar places around here?
Xing: Well, there is a stone megalith with a lightning bolt marking in the mountain caves behind us... Does that count?
Arokh: Will do. Follow us and we shall express our gratitude for saving us from death.
The 2 monarchs with their personal royal guards followed Rynn and Arokh to the megalith. Arokh saw the stone carving of a thunderbolt and said "Stand back and watch this!" after which he fired a stream of lightning from his mouth at the huge slab or rock. The lightning made the rock glow and crack with a spectacular explosion. Then everyone followed Rynn and Arokh inside the cave until the saw a giant ring-like structure surrounded by two serpentine dragon statues.
Arokh: This is the Ancients' Gate. Do you want me to activate it and make dragons return in your lands?
Soldier: You don't need to ask, lead the way.
Arokh approached the gate and it started crackling with magical energy, after which an image of a tropical jungle appeared. A huge roar was heard, but not from Arokh. Through the portal flew a large serpentine Eastern dragon, it had a beard and long floating tendril-like whiskers. The dragon looked down at the people who bowed in respect and worship, then towards out 2 heroes.
Shenlung: I awake from almost a thousand years of sleep and I am glad to finally return in the lands which I once called my home! To whom do I have the honor of calling me back here?
Arokh: I am Arokh, defeater of the Dark Union, victor of the Dark Wars and savior of all Drakan. We also summoned the Dragon Mother herself in the city of Surdana.
Shenlung: Ah, I see... it is a pleasure to meet you Arokh. You have done a great deed by bringing back the age of dragons!
The eastern dragon roared and others of its kind entered the Eastern lands. After so many years, the dragons of the East had returned.
Rynn: That's all fine and dandy, but we need to ask... do you know about other holy relics besides this one?
She raised the white sword and the Eastern dragon saw it: "Can it be? The Claw of Ahura? One of the six divine treasures? I have heard the legends, but their forging predates even my own birth. The only one that is old enough to know about these is Mala Shae herself. Speak with her and I am sure she can give you more wisdom than I ever can. Perhaps they are scattered in the other continents? I do not know and cannot bother, as I must return to the lands which my kin inhabits."
The eastern dragon then flew away in the sky, and the Eastern people cheering for the return of their divine protectors.
Yao: Bless you Rynn and Arokh! We cannot ever express how grateful we are for all your deeds.
Arokh: Think nothing of it. I likewise am grateful you saved me from death's clutches.
Xing: I hate to interrupt our celebration and farewell, but didn't you mention that you needed to find other artifacts like this sword? If truly so, then make haste and search for the remaining items before it's too late!
Rynn: Gotcha, this place is nice but we need to return in Surdana.
The heroes bid farewell to their new allies and returned back to their home city.
XXXXXX
Upon passing through the portal, they were greeted by Lady Myschala.
Myschala: You have returned! Did you find another artifact?
Rynn showed the white sword, which caused Myschala to clap her hands as if enjoying a well-written play or song. "We are one step closer to our goal. Hope has returned in our hearts." said the queen.
Rynn: Was there ever any doubt? Don't be feeling so down, we have almost accomplished our mission. I can practically already feel the last 2 relics in our possession.
Myschala: You should never let your arrogance fool you into underestimating your odds. We already made that mistake once...
Rynn: How come? The Dark Union is gone, the Desert Lords are gone... What is left to worry about?
Myschala: We once fought a war against the Grull and Wartoks, thinking we had the advantage and being unbeatable. However, those beasts managed to kidnap the king and held him for ransom. They told us that if we surrendered, they would let him live. We refused, so they killed him. After that, we drove them away but we already suffered a heavy cost for our foolishness. The king and my love were gone forever, I became the de facto ruler of this kingdom. Originally, I was a mere figurehead inspiring hope in my people. While I was well educated, I lacked any combat skills and felt useless. After your victory over Jasaad and the Desert Lords, I was filled with hope once more. I practiced swordsmanship and wielding some magic ever since to prevent myself from being defenseless and getting killed like the king of Surdana. You have inspired me to be a better person and leader to my people. You truly are a symbol of heroism Rynn. And of course Arokh as well- none of this could have been accomplished without him.
Rynn (genuinely touched): I don't know what to say, your Majesty... I promise that I won't disappoint you and we shall find the remaining artifacts.
Myschala thanked Rynn and left her to visit Arokh back in town. She was pleasantly surprised to see Brekk the blacksmith standing there, outside of his forge and house.
Brekk: How's my little blood-soaked girl? Did you kill any more Wartoks and Grulls? Also did general Dehrimon give you the hunting knife I made for you?
Rynn: You made the knife? I thought it belonged to the Order.
Brekk: Don't know about that, but I made it especially for you. After learning you save our city from those Desert Lords, I decided to make a token of my appreciation. Hope you like it!
Rynn: Well, I don't hate it but it takes up space in my limited inventory and I stumble upon stronger weapons. Not saying I threw it away, it's kept safe in my house's wardrobe. I will return it if you want...
Brekk (heart laugh): I am not offended in the slightest and perfectly understand your decision to keep it stashed away! You see you are like the daughter I never had, and you spend so much gold on me. Don't know how much other merchants and blacksmiths charge you, but I promise my prices will always be cheap for you! The knife was made to serve as your last line of defense if you ever get in trouble. I don't wish any harm ever coming to you, so I made this weapon for you as a gift!
Rynn: Thank you Brekk, you are a credit to this city. If it weren't for your work, everyone here will have died long ago.
Brekk: Ha, that's what blacksmith are for, aren't we? Using our skills to create weapons and armor which provide help to the community! Now if you excuse me, I need to return in my forge because more works awaits me!
The blacksmith returned to his house, while Rynn returned to Arokh. She told him what Brekk just said to her, after which the dragon replied: "That's good to hear, but we have bad news as well... Four continents have been searched through, but we still have 2 artifacts remaining. We must search the other 2 continents as well. One is where the Volcano we visited is located. The other is unknown as no one has set foot there before. It's rumored to harbor vile magic and it's forbidden to go there, although our current situation forces us to now make an exception to this... However we don't even know how to reach that place, let alone what to do if we get there and what dangers await us."
Rynn: We have another artifact, opened more portals and we could use the map of Drakan from the Ancient Civilization ruins. That would hopefully give the Gateway more power to send us into the unknown West continent.
Arokh: Pray that your idea works. Those lands are unexplored territory and...
Before he could finish his sentence, Rynn's bracelet started buzzing and Merdhynis' voice was heard.
Merdhynis (voice through bracelet): Rynn, Arokh! We haven't spoken in a while! Come back to my house because there are some things we must discuss!
Rynn: Looks like we need to take another detour. Are you up for it Arokh?
Arokh: Only if you don't have a problem with it. Well, guess that settles your question then. Let's pay the owl wizard a visit.
Our protagonists used the Mother's Eye and returned to the Southern Continent...
Chapter 6: West Continent
Merdhynis waited outside his tower until he saw Rynn and Arokh flying towards him. The duo landed on the ground next to him.
Rynn: What is this important matter you need to discuss with us?
Merdhynis: Did you find more artifacts?
Rynn (pulls out the white sword): Does this answer your question?
Merdhynis (smiles): Atta girl. I never lost my faith in you. Where are you headed next?
Arokh: The Western continent.
Merdhynis: That forbidden place? Nobody knows what lives there, awaiting your arrival. Even I know absolutely nothing about it.
Rynn: Damn, so much for getting any useful help from you...
Merdhynis: I offer help in other ways. Tell me, had you ever gotten a near-death experience?
Rynn (confused): Yes, once. But the people saved us and we healed back.
Merdhynis (worried): The fact you were this close to dying even once is bad enough! Rynn, Arokh... you both need to watch out and better defend yourself! if such a mistake is repeated, then...
Arokh: We won't this ever happen again. I promise it.
Merdhynis: You should wear armor and powerful weapons, also carry potions with you at all time and learn as much spells as possible. I have read about lost magical items which increase a person's life force and mana capacity, which makes them harder to die...
Rynn: Aha, so this call was just you being concerned about us! Wait... does this mean you are using my bracelet to spy on us?
Merdhynis: Kinda... I am worried about your wellbeing. However I cannot keep a contact with you all the time. Perhaps the magical signals and connection get lost when you travel to other landmasses... Especially now that you informed me about visiting the West Continent.
Arokh: Is there any way that you could aid us?
Merdhynis: There is... several, actually. Stand still and I will give you a special enchantment Arokh.
The wizard performed a magical hand gesture and Arokh was briefly covered in an aura with multiple colors.
Merdhynis (after the aura disappears): There, it is done.
Rynn: What is done?
Merdhynis: A special enchantment. You will no longer lose any breath weapons you have acquired Arokh, you will keep them even after death unless you souls gets destroyed as well. Of course... try to not get yourself killed, okay?
Arokh: Understood, Merdhynis. I had so many breath elements once but lost them after entering and then exiting the Rift World. Then I reclaimed some of them plus new ones but I lost them 3 years ago when a Grull shaman electrocuted me until I lost consciousness, forcing Rynn and the other members of the Order to save me. Of course, having defeated the Desert Lords I thought it was useless having all those elemental powers...
Merdhynis: Do you have any breath weapons currently Arokh?
Arokh: Well besides my basic fire breath which I got ever since hatching, I obtained... Poison, Ice, Thunder, Earth, Water I think... also I remember a Darkness rune from the ruins of the Ancient Civilization when we defeated that doppelganger...
Merdhynis (frightened): You what? Oh no, that's not good at all...
Rynn: Why is that a problem?
Merdhynis: Darkness element is demonic magic, it's not meant for any creatures of this world. I assume you have experienced negative side effects whenever you use the Darkness element?
Arokh: It's extremely powerful, but it consumes all my magic energy when I use it which leaves me vulnerable. Also I feel a bit worse and lose some health every time I use it, but we heal the wounds using healing potions and I rarely use the Darkness element.
Merdhynis: If it weren't for those relics you carry with you, the Darkness would have driven you insane or killed you long ago. The only way to nullify the corrupting effects of Darkness is with Light, otherwise you will slowly lose yourselves to that vile power... But worse is that Darkness magic feeds on the user's negative emotions and thoughts. You must be honest and tell me, is there anything troubling your minds? Do not keep any secrets from me, unless you wish to be corrupted by the Darkness.
Rynn (saddened): I lost my parents, my fellow villagers got enslaved and then killed, I failed to save my brother...
Arokh (also saddened): My family and friends were either killed by the Dark Union or joined their armies. My former bonded human rider Heron sacrificed himself to save Drakan from Navaros... we defeated both him and later Jasaad, later summoning Mala Shae and reviving the Order of the Flame. But those memories of my failures still haunt me, I spend every free moment of thought contemplating my life and everything I had lost.
Merdhynis: That settles it. You both need a special meditation ritual to cleanse your minds, which shall keep you safe from demonic mental attacks and slow down the corruption from the Darkness element. Keeping your negative emotions and thoughts at bay will prevent any corruption from spreading, also keeping the relics in your possession will also help tremendously. But if you wish to fully be freed from the taint of this Darkness you have absorbed, you will have to find then absorb the Light power as well. I am guessing the source of Light is possibly one of the remaining 2 artifacts, but guesswork without evidence to back it up is worth as much as an old worn-out shoe to a rich king. Now come here Rynn, we must first use meditation to cleanse your mind from the Darkness and after that it's Arokh's turn...
Rynn sat down to Merdhynis and entered a meditating trance just like him. She heard his voice in her mind: "Rynn, can you hear me? You must relieve the worst memories in your life and finally conquer your inner demons..."
Rynn looked around and saw that she was back in her village. All the buildings were repaired, the people were alive and well, each one of them going around and minding their business. Then she heard a familiar young boyish voice behind her...
Delon: Hey big sis! Let's go play hide and seek!
She turned around and saw her younger brother, causing her to shed a tear of joy. "Delon, you are here!"
Delon: Of course I am! Where else could I go? Let's practice more sword fighting, Atimar said we needed to be prepared if Grulls and Wartoks ever return.
Rynn: Alright, I promise that I won't ever lose you to those beasts like we did our parents so many years ago.
Then, the scene changed to that fateful night... She was walking down the path from Atimar's temple with her brother, when they were surrounded by enemies. Rynn took out her sword and tried fighting as best as possible, only to be knocked down. Before losing consciousness, Rynn screamed: "Delon run! Don't let them get you!" When she woke up and entered the village, the buildings were destroyed and burned down. The people were kidnapped and taken away, she saw only Atimar pinned against a wall from a spear impaling his shoulder. He told her to find Arokh, after which the elderly priest of her home died from his wounds. The scene changed again...
Rynn saw her villagers inside the mines, using pickaxes to collect the dangerous mineral. She ran to the closest person whose back was turned against her, and pulled him by his shoulder... only to see his eyes glowing green and grimstone mucus oozing from his wounds. The slave miner was zombified and howled like an animal, his mind corroded by the toxic substance. Rynn screamed and swung her sword, which killed the man. She then saw all the other villagers, placed in torture devices and their mutilated corpses hanging from the walls.
The scene changed again... Rynn was behind the pillar in the Volcano Lair. The Dark Union brought Delon inside the chamber and then took him away to the Rift World. She stood there powerless, unable to help him... The scene changed again. Rynn was battling her possesed brother, using the Runeblade she had to wound him and free Delon from Navaros' control. After several blows, Delon came to his senses and stopped attacking. He stood on the platform, holding his head and stepping backwards in confusion... until he fell into the abyss.
The two siblings cried out each other's names one last time before being separated forever. Rynn stood on the platform and muttered: "My dear Delon, I am so sorry..." Then the cave started rumbling and out from the Rift appeared Navaros, now assuming the form of his four-headed dragon Kaeros. The reptilian heads roared at Rynn and shot the platform where she stood, breaking it and causing her to fall. Rynn closed her eyes as she fell into the dark void. Nothing happened, and she opened them again. The scene had changed again.
Rynn was now standing in the ruins of her village, with the corpses of her people and graves lying around her. She looked down in despair and then shouted upwards, cursing the skies for bringing her so much misery. And then, the dead rose up as living corpses. Her villagers surrounded her, and her brother had risen from his grave as well. All of them spoke in unison: "Why Rynn? Why did you let us die?" Rynn cried out: "Forgive me... I have failed you all..." The corpses fell over her like a tidal wave, their hands grabbing her and dragging her down into the ground with them. As she was covered by dirt, Rynn was screaming "I am sorry!" to no avail. The hands were dragging her deeper until there was only darkness. Rynn looked upwards and then she saw it... The black and purple cloud with 3 glowing red eyes, staring at her with an expression that filled her with fear. "What are you? What do you want?" The apparition opened its mouth and spoke, it's voice was deep and loud. It would be more accurate to call it a harsh sound, but Rynn still understood coherent words directed at her: "I am death! I am destruction! And I exist to devour you all!" The apparition roared in a loud way, that made Rynn fall down in pain. Her mind was being assaulted, her body shivered in agony and her soul was being crushed. At this moment she wanted to die just to end her suffering. But suddenly, the voice of Merdhynis: "Rynn, can you hear me? Don't lose yourself! Fight it Rynn, please resist the Darkness and use the Light!" Rynn heard the words and remembered the power of Ahura. She concentrated hard and summoned the Claw of Ahura sword! The dark apparition's 3 eyes widened in shock, after which Rynn stood up and screamed: "You don't have any right to mess with my life and memories!" Rynn swung the sword and it released a beam of light which struck the apparition, dissipating it. The darkness vanished and in its place light covered Rynn. She was nearly blinded by the power and covered her eyes, only to awake from the trance... Rynn returned to the real world and woke up with widened eyes, gasping for breath. She was breathing heavily from the shock. Rynn looked aside and saw Merdhynis, his face full of worry.
Merdhynis: Rynn, is everything alright?
Rynn: Yes, I heard your words and summoned the light to repel my inner darkness...
Merdhynis (slightly smiling): Good to hear... Your nightmares and traumas will haunt you no longer. We cannot change the past, but we must shape our own future.
Rynn thanked the wizard, who then looked at her dragon: "Arokh, it's now your turn..."
The dragon being four-legged couldn't meditate like the others, so he lied down and went to sleep. Merdhynis entered the meditation trance once again...
Arokh opened his eyes and saw a forest surrounded by mountains. He was confused, but then heard a male human voice familiar to him: "Arokh, what are you doing?" The dragon recognized this as his first rider, Heron.
"I was just... taking a little exercise to see if I can still fly. I was worried that spending too much time on the ground will make me lose my wings." said Arokh.
Heron chuckled and then summoned other dragons with their human riders. "Your sense of humor never fails Arokh. But these are serious times. The Dark Union has massacred several cities with their people across the world. We must begin a counter attack to fend them off."
Arokh let Heron sit on his back and flew up. They flew through mountains and valleys, until they saw a scorched battlefield littered with corpses. He recognized some of them as his friends and family.
Arokh (saddened): Those corpses... They are people I knew... people that were close to me...
Heron (also saddened): I know your pain, my friend... My family and friends were also killed... The Dark Union have caused much suffering in this world and we must stop them before they bleed the earth dry. Our scouts say they are amassing their army to the east... We must prepare and launch a final attack to end their war of terror. The Order's forces have been heavily weakened, so we have created one last plan of hope- a weapon strong enough to kill Navaros... It's the last chance we got, so we have to give it our best...
The scenery changed, Arokh was flying over a battlefield. He saw beneath him the two armies clashing with each other- the Dark Union's monsters fighting the Order's dragons ridden by humans. Heron's voice screamed behind Arokh's head: "What are you waiting for? The Betrayer is right there! Go to him quickly, before he destroys us all!" Arokh saw in the distance in front of him Kaeros. He was on the ground, sitting in a meditating position. Magical energies were swirling around him. But Kaeros looked strange- his wings were missing, he had the bipedal build of a human and he heard Navaros' voice chanting from its lips. Without a second thought, Arokh flew towards the Betrayer fast like a lightning bolt. Heron screamed and plunged the magic sword in his hands through the dark lord's torso. Navaros inside Kaeros' body screamed in pain, the spell was interrupted. The combination of the sword plunged through his chest, his dragon/human hybrid body and the spell of destruction's energies caused a bright flash... followed by a loud explosion. When at last the smoke cleared, both armies laid decimated. Where the Betrayer once stood, a smoldering crater now existed. Inside it, Heron laid dead and the Runeblade was broken in two at his side. Arokh somehow stood on a hill, still barely clinging to life. The Dark Wars had ended and the Dark Union's dreams of conquest have been shattered, but the Order was no more. Arokh took Heron's corpse and carried it back to his home village, where it was buried in a tomb. He was surrounded by the few surviving dragons and human members of the Order. Among them, was a wizard called Rimril. He was holding the Rift Crystal in his hands, the item used to empower the Runeblade. The wizard approached Arokh and started speaking: "I have recovered the Crystal, while the two halves of the Runeblade have been taken away somewhere else. We have won, but at what cost..."
Arokh: It's over... the Dark Union has been vanquished, but I lost my ally Heron...
One of the dragons began talking: "The Order can no longer exist... the sacred treaty between dragons and humans has been broken with these betrayals and wars. We can no longer stay in this world, we are going back to the Great Mother in our home dimension. Will you join us Arokh? There is no longer any reason to stay here in the human realm."
Arokh: No, I choose to stay. As former bonded of Heron and victor of the Dark Wars by technicality, I shall remain here on Drakan.
The other dragons respected his wish and flew away, leaving him behind. Rimril approached Arokh: "Your commitment is remarkable Arokh. I too need to stay here by duty as I will see to it that the Rift Crystal is hidden away and guarded until the end of time if need be."
Arokh: It's not just Heron... All my friends and family... They either got killed in the Dark Wars or defected to the Dark Union and I was forced to kill them... I lost everything dear to me Rimril... Now I am thinking whether or not to even take my own life...
Rimril: Don't speak such nonsense! You are the savior of all Drakan, you Arokh are a true hero! You have earned yourself the gift of life!
Arokh: Perhaps... But I no longer wish to meddle in the affairs of humans. If there is a way to fall asleep but never wake up...
Rimril: There is one way... I will give you the spell of petrification. This will free your soul from Heron's bond and you can use the Soul Crystal to bond with another human instead. You will be alive, well and free. But of course time will pass and you will enter hibernation in a suspended state. While you won't age, the spell can be performed just once on any dragon with repeated uses draining your very lifeforce. So be warned, if you happen to awaken ever again... chose your next Bonded human very carefully, as it may be your last.
Arokh left for his cave where Rimril used the spell and turned the dragon into a stone statue. Rimril then left Arokh's lair, never to seen and heard from again. When Arokh closed his eyes, he saw only darkness. And then, his eyes opened much to his own horror...
The dragon saw the battlefield littered with corpses, all of them staring at him: "Arokh? You let us all die! How could you? Did you forget and leave your Order?" Arokh screamed: "It's not my fault! I tried my best!" The corpses became bloody red and fused together, forming a giant dragon head which roared at Arokh and then swallowed him whole. Arokh was drowning in a sea of blood, he looked up and saw a familiar sight... The black and purple cloud with 3 glowing red eyes, staring at him with an expression that filled him with fear. "Navaros? Kaeros? Is that you? How are you still alive?" The apparition opened its mouth and spoke, it's voice was deep and loud. It would be more accurate to call it a harsh sound, but Arokh still understood coherent words directed at him: "I am death! I am destruction! And I exist to devour you all!" The apparition roared in a loud way, that made Arokh scream in pain. His mind was being assaulted, his body shivered in agony and his very soul was being crushed. At this moment Arokh wanted to die just to end his suffering. But suddenly, the voice of Merdhynis: "Arokh, can you hear me? Don't lose yourself! Fight it Arokh, please resist the Darkness and use the Light!" Arokh heard the words and remembered the power of Ahura. He started praying: "All my ancestors, Mala Shae, Ahura... if anyone can hear me... please help!" The prayers were heard and a bright light began shining against the dark apparition. The light expanded in a huge star, with 3 glowing blue eyes. A beam of white light shot forward and hit the Darkness. Th apparition screamed in pain and vanished. The sea of blood also disappeared and now Arokh was flying in a white void, looking at the 3-eyed star. "Who are you?" asked Arokh. "Do not be afraid child. I am the creator of all, the one who answered your pleas and the Light personified. You shall see me again, then I shall give you my power. Use it to drive away the Darkness and protect this world." spoke the star in a gentle and ethereal voice. After that it disappeared and a bright flash caused Arokh to awaken. The dragon opened his eyes then saw the owl wizard next to him.
Merdhynis: So how do you feel?
Arokh: Better... still shaking, but it worked. The meditation has left me purified.
Merdhynis (smiling): Glad to hear so... my voice reached you after all.
Arokh: It wasn't just your voice... I heard something else speaking. A light or a star... that is what saved me from the Darkness.
Merdhynis: Then use that newfound knowledge and hurry to the West continent. Find the missing relics before our enemies do, and remember... if you meet any more demons or undead, use the power of Ahura to kill them way quicker!
Rynn and Arokh said goodbye to Merdhynis and returned to Surdana. Once there, our heroes placed both the map of the Ancient civilization's ruins and the Claw of Ahura sword on the pedestal for the Mother's Eye Gate. They both concentrated hard and with enough willpower, they managed to conjure an image of an unknown jungle in the portal. Rynn and Arokh took their equipment, then moved through the portal into the unknown...
XXXXXX
Arokh and Rynn were now in a dense and humid jungle. Conifer trees and palms stretched high in the sky while the ground was covered with cycads, ferns and horsetails. Their field of view was limited by a green fog-like substance created by the jungle's humidity.
Rynn: So this is it... We are now in the great unknown... You couldn't provide any useful knowledge about these lands, methinks.
Arokh: Yes and no actually... Strangely, I recognize this landscape. Millions of years ago in the time long before humans first appeared, our planet Drakan was a young and primordial world. All the landmasses were connected together and covered with dense tropical jungles. We dragons flew through the skies and fed on the other giant reptiles that lived below us. One day, a great cataclysm happened which divided the continents and changed the landscape. While the lesser giant reptiles vanished, we dragons managed to survive due to ahem... our superior magical powers and intelligence. Of course, our primary food source was gone but we managed to survive what killed the others.
Rynn: Appreciate the boasting tale of your superiority, buddy. Surprised to hear you know so much about history... unless you actually lived long enough to witness all of this, I mean.
Arokh: Oh no, all this happened WAAAY before I hatched... My parents used to tell me stories of these primeval times when I was young. I never actually thought I would ever see a portion of this long lost world.
The duo started flying around, causing them to see and gasp in awe at every new animal they saw. Large reptilian beasts with spikes or armor, some having horns on their faces while others had tails like maces. Some of these were larger than everything else, using their pillar-like legs to move across lakes like a human would use their feet to step in a shallow puddle. Their long necks were useful in reaching and eating from the treetops. On the ground and in the sky, large bugs and birds moved around but they were as big as Rynn while the reptilian beasts were as large as Arokh or even bigger! There were also turtles, lizards, snakes and crocodiles near and inside the water. An entire lost world has just been found, with Rynn and Arokh being the first ones to see it! While admiring the scenery, our heroes were swarmed by flying reptiles. These creatures resembled large bats with a beak and a single horn on their head. They lacked any breath elemental projectiles, but used the pointy tips of their wings and their sharp beaks to attack Arokh. The red dragon got annoyed and used his Thunder power to shoot lightning at these flying beasts, which caused them plummeting dead to the ground. The threat has been deal with, but another one appeared. A large bipedal reptile was running below Arokh. It was red with black stipes and a row of spikes running across its back. The arms were small but its head was long and the jaws full of knife-like teeth. Rynn taunted the creature: "What's the matter, can't you fly?" which caused it to leap above and grab Arokh by the leg in its jaws. The dragon was struggling to get out of the beast's grip, until he remembered to shoot it with dragonfire. The beast roared in pain as its face was burned, however it's strength was still impressive and it throw Arokh aside by tilting its head. The carnivore fled in pain, while Arokh accidentally flew close to one of the long-necked herbivores. The giant reptile panicked and swung its long neck, which caused Arokh to crash-land in a nearby herbivore corpse. Rynn fell off Arokh and landed precisely in a convenient large pile of dung. When the 2 recovered and saw each other, they glared humorously. Arokh used his water breath to cleanse himself and Rynn used healing magic to treat the bite mark on his leg. But Rynn herself was covered in saurian dung and smelled disgusting.
Rynn (annoyed): No way am I going anywhere like this!
Arokh: Agreed, you need a shower and your clothes need to be cleaned.
The walked forward until they saw a small lake with a cliff feeding it via waterfall. Rynn told Arokh to turn around while she undressed, after which she washed her clothes in the water. She then dived in for a swim and stood under the waterfall to bathe with her back turned against Arokh, while he guarded her drying clothes on the shore. Arokh was not that type of person, he had no dirty thoughts about Rynn or any human. Dragons had instincts to breed only once in their entire lifetime to a single mate and that was it, beyond this Arokh never understood why humans and other mammals constantly tried to court each other, then multiplied like roaches. Though he believed this was one reason why humankind's numbers increased so rapidly and became one of the dominant species of Drakan. His trail of thoughts were interrupted when he spotted a large snake crawling towards Rynn while bathing. The animal was stealthy and the waterfall's noise was making it harder for Rynn to notice. Arokh didn't want to be rude and interrupt her, so he shoot a fireball at the snake. But the smell and sound had attracted other predators as well, forcing Arokh to defend Rynn while cleaning herself. The dragon had managed to kill various bugs and reptiles before Rynn finally swam to the shore and grabbed her clothes. Arokh turned around while she was putting on her clothes.
Rynn: Hey, thanks for literally watching my back while I was bathing. Didn't know the smell would attract so many carnivores here.
Arokh: We are Bonded... if you die, then I will follow shortly afterwards.
Rynn set up camp between 2 trees and Arokh lit the fire with his breath. They were gonna spend the night here, while tomorrow they were gonna resume their quest. Arokh fed on the large herbivore corpse, while Rynn cut off a meat chunk for herself and cooked it on the fire.
Rynn: You and I make a great team, Arokh. We already saved the world twice, and here we are again saving it for a third time.
Arokh: Correct, if it weren't four our combined work then Drakan would have perished long ago.
Rynn: Guess that makes you respect me more, or do you still find me annoying and regret performing a Bond with me?
Arokh: Hmph, no human will ever surpass Heron in my eyes. But if he was alive and here, Heron would probably feel proud from both of us. Just as I feel proud of our accomplishments.
Rynn: After this is all over, what shall you do? Perhaps you can... retire? Break your Bond with me, fly away, settle down and start a family?
Arokh: My life is dedicated to the Order, Rynn. I shall never leave it and... I shall never leave you. Rynn, you are part of the Order now as well. All my previous friends and family are dead... you are the only person I have left.
Rynn (moved to tears): We are together in all of this, we are joined in life and death. Such is the Bond of dragon and human.
Arokh (sad): Glad to hear you become wiser up to the ways of the world, but it's more than just the Bond... we've been through so much together, I don't plan on leaving you any time soon... if ever.
Rynn (tired): Alright, time to sleep. After we rest, we shall keep searching these lands tomorrow.
Arokh: Rynn... would like to come and sleep under my wing. It would be much safer, I don't wish you to get attacked and killed while sleeping.
Rynn: Daaw, thanks pal. You are sweet. Very well, I will sleep under your wing.
The human woman nestled on the ground next to the dragon's chest, hearing his heart pound. Arokh's wing covered Rynn like a blanket. Soon both of them fell asleep. While he was feeling happy, a thought of sorrow crept up in Arokh's mind...
On the other day, the heroes woke up and continued flying. Eventually they reached some ruins. Unlike all the other architecture they previously saw, these pillars were square not round. The walls were decorated with bizarre unreadable symbols and geometric patterns. There were stone carvings of humans being sacrificed, decorations made of skulls and feathered snakes wrapped around some portions. Rynn muttered: "If there were any humans here, they seem to be gone now." Suddenly, the duo heard some rusting in the nearby bushes. Arokh roared and Rynn talked at the moving plants. They were then assaulted by several poisonous blow darts. Rynn quickly drank a healing potion, the she with Arokh fired ranged spells at the bushes. Out of them jumped humanoid frogs with large eyes, some green and some red. They wore loincloths and feathered headdresses. "Trogs!" screamed Rynn. Arokh wasted no time in burning all the frog beastmen into a crisp: "Guess they are found on this continent as well, I wonder if these lands are their birthplace?" Our heroes continued until they reached a swamp. The water was murky but on the surface there were large lily pads. Rynn jumped on on the closest one and stood there, waiting to see if it will support her weight. She felt the lily pad shake, then its sides quickly turned into spikes. "Rynn, watch out!" shouted Arokh. She fell into the water right before the lily pad could snap shut and close itself. The plant was a carnivorous trap. Arokh looked into the water and saw something fishy swimming towards Rynn. "Get out of the water!" he screamed. Rynn quickly jumped on another lily pad and witnessed a large piranha fish jumping out of the water behind her. But she had no time to react and watch as the next lily pad beneath was beginning to also close. Rynn began running and jumping across the lily pads and murky water, dodging jumping piranhas. Eventually she made it to the other side, with Arokh flying in close. "Is there anything in this place that doesn't wanna kill us?" Rynn wondered annoyed, while trying to catch her breath. They looked forward and saw a large stone gate with a circular sun face stone carved on it. Rynn mounted Arokh and they flew over the gate. When they entered the city, it was vacant. "More dead ends!" Arokh looked around and saw a humanoid silhouette running towards an empty house. He roared and shot a fireball at it. The unknown creature fell backwards and screamed in fear, the voice sounded weirdly human. This caught our heroes' attention who landed next to the frightened creature and looked at it. The unknown being was wearing clothes and body armor made of skin plus bones of local animals (birds and reptiles), his face was covered in tribal paint but it was visibly human. Rynn got confused and said: Sorry, we thought you weren't human. Please we mean you no harm. We are searching for help, if you can give us directions we would be very grateful.
Rynn and Arokh stepped back, while the man stood up. Still shaking, he began talking in an unknown language and started pointing in a direction. The heroes followed the tribal warrior, eventually reaching an open ceremonial area. Then the warrior shouted, causing other people to appear from their hiding places. The villagers wore tunics in bright vivid colors, with bone and feather decorations. Other warriors like the one they met also appeared, they were all wearing the same armor and body paint as him. Rynn and Arokh noticed there were 2 separate types of clothing which differentiated some people from others. Finally two more individuals appeared- a man with paint on his face whose hair was covered up by a large crown of feathers. The woman was frightened, with long dark straight hair and wore a smaller crown but made of gold instead. Instead of bones and feathers, her decorations were earrings made from precious gems.
Rynn broke the silence: Hey, apologies for such an introduction but we come here in peace. Don't know if any of you will understand what I am saying...
The Tribal Chief spoke: None of them speak the language of the Central Continent people besides me, I am their leader and the only person that wields this knowledge.
Arokh: Excellent! You can provide us with translation and help! Because you see, we are send on an important mission...
Tribal Chief: I would rather not! Our lands have been separated by magic storms from the rest of the world by thousands of years. When a foreign vessel crashes, we take what's on board and keep it here. This provides us with knowledge of the outside world. Our ancestors had to fight off invading people from your lands many centuries ago, what little information we gathered about you it would seem that it's best if our continent remains eternally safe from you! Our past members raised these magical storms as a barrier against invaders long ago, so I will make sure present and future generations of my people keep up this protection as well! Now, go back to your homeland and never again set foot here!
Rynn: Please listen, we mean no harm! We are searching for a lost object here from another civilization which is important, as it could be used to decide the fate of the world!
Tribal Chief: We do not care about the outside world, we have enough problems here to worry about!
Arokh: You don't understand, if we don't obtain this item then all of Drakan- including your lands, will be destroyed! You have to help us! If there are any issues here, we shall take care of them for you! Deal?
Tribal Chief: Hmmm... long ago, we were 2 separate tribes. One was mine living here in the swamp, the other lived in the mountains. We waged a war against each other, until we saw the futility of it and joined together as one living here now. My wife, the Queen and others are members of this mountain tribe. Life here has been difficult ever since the dragons left... We have been resorting to human sacrifice just to ask the gods for some help...
Arokh: You said dragons? Listen, we could bring back them back if you help us!
Tribal Chief: Very well... I was pondering if we should catch you and made into a sacrifice for the gods. Assuming you aren't lying, then I have a task for you. Before the dragons are summoned back, you need to kill the vicious predator Scar Eye who has been eating our people and bird livestock. We cannot go outside our city until that beast is dead, if the dragons return they will have a difficult time living here with the meat-eating saurians trying to catch them and kill them.
Rynn: Where do we find him? Also you didn't tell us your names.
Tribal Warchief: It's her, actually. My name is Coatl and my wife is named Quitze. The scarred predator can be found normally sleeping in a cave to the north.
Rynn and Arokh departed with the city, then reached the cave. Unfortunately, the entrance was blocked shut with large boulders. Rynn found a small crack on the side and entered the beast's lair. Inside the cave was dark and smelled like rotting flesh. Rynn sneaked carefully to not awaken Scar Eye, but the scattered bones and carcasses made sneaking difficult. Eventually she saw the beast sleeping in one corner wall. Rynn was astonished by its size Scar Eye was almost twice the size of the other carnivores saurians, with the spikes on her back being longer and more pronounced. She noticed one of its eyes was missing, having a large scar there instead. As she walked closer, Rynn stepped on a bone which cracked and the noise echoed through the cave. Scar Eye awakened, which forced Rynn to hide behind a carcass. The beast paused and raised its head, sniffing the air. While Rynn was hidden behind the corpse, she taught Scar Eye couldn't find her. Much to Rynn's dismay, Scar Eye began eating from the same corpse where she hid. Eventually Rynn sneezed from the beast's putrid breath, which alerted it and blew her cover. Scar Eye roared while Rynn was running. The predator charged at her, but Rynn dodged. While the large carnivore was hitting the cave walls, its lair began to shake and the entrance boulders rolled down. "That's my chance! I need Arokh to beat her!" Rynn thought after she tricked Scar Eye to hit another wall and our heroine ran for the entrance. Scar Eye saw her and ran forward. Rynn barely made it outside and met Arokh when Scar Eye burst through the entrance and roared. Arokh started shooting her with dragon fire, but Scar Eye looked at Rynn who was running towards a ravine. In combined pain and rage, the predator chased Rynn. The warrior woman slid off the ravine and grabbed a ledge while the saurian carnivore fell down the ravine and broke its body on the pointy rocks bellow. Rynn climbed back up, then mounted Arokh and the 2 of them made sure Scar Eye was dead. Afterwards, they returned to the city with their victory.
Coatl: So you took down that dangerous predator, eh? I will have to take your word for it.
Rynn: Her corpse is there in the ravine. If you don't believe us, go there and see it.
Coatl: Oh, we will do more than just see it. Fittingly, this monster has been giving us so much trouble we shall now offer it as a sacrifice for the gods! And now for you part of the bargain- how are going to bring back the dragons?
Arokh: Will gladly do it, but first there is a little problem... We ate recently and it would seem we have already digested our meals. Can you tell us where do you go when eh... you need to dispose of bodily waste?
Coatl (deadpan): In the courtyard behind this area, the sewage leads into the swamp. Do both of you need to go simultaneously?
Rynn: Yes... because you see, err... our souls are joined and we share a bond.
Coatl (raising an eyebrow): I do hope you didn't feast upon any raw and rotted Saurian meat. Assuming you don't know, it's not good for human consumption unless properly cooked.
Arokh: I am a fire-breathing dragon! A way to cook our meals is the most obvious and mundane use of my elemental power, don't you think?
Coatl (feeling uncomfortable): Fine, just finish doing your work in the backyard and then return here to summon back the other dragons.
After Rynn and Arokh relieved themselves in the backyard, they returned. "Right, about the dragons... do you know if there is anywhere some large ring with two serpentine dragon statues on its sides?" Rynn asked.
Coatl: Follow me, it's in the ceremonial step pyramid. We recognized how sacred this structure is, but couldn't figure out how to use it.
The tribal chief activated a mechanism which opened a door, splitting the pyramid's backside in two. The opened halves moved to the side and revealed the Ancients' Gates. Arokh went close to it and it started glowing. Eventually an image materialized and outside came a large dragon. This one had a long serpentine body, covered in fur but it lacked any limbs. The wings resembled those of an insect, with a fishlike fin on the tail. Lastly, the dragon's head was long and narrow almost like a beak although it had fangs.
Jungle Dragon: At lassst! It feelsss ssso good to finally return!
All the people looked in awe, then the dragon looked at Rynn and Arokh.
Jungle Dragon: You releasssed me! How can I thank you?
Rynn: We want nothing from you. These people have a relic of Mala Shae and Ahura, but they don't trust us enough and even considered using us as a sacrifice!
Jungle Dragon: Isss that ssso? Ahura, hm... I haven't heard that name in very long...
The Jungle Dragon turned to Coatl and the other humans: "Lisssten to me! Thessse people are not your enemiesss! Give them the sssacred objectsss or we are all doomed!"
Coatl (shaking): Please forgive and spare us! We didn't know they were sincere! They can have any treasure they want!
Rynn: It's not your treasure which we need, it's an object made of white crystal that glows.
Coatl (calms down): We have no such things in our city... Legend says a strange meteorite landed in the south ruins long ago, but that place is infested with frogmen.
Arokh: We can easily deal with them, how do we find this meteorite?
Coatl: You need to enter a hidden chamber, but it requires a token as the key. Here, take this and place it inside the statue's mouth.
The tribal chief gave them a human skull covered with green gemstones, in place of eyes it had a black mineral substance. Rynn and Arokh thanked Coatl, but their departure was interrupted.
Coatl: As a symbol of our gratitude we wish to also give you this gift. My wife has prepared this...
Quitze stepped forward with a slight smile and bowed respectfully. She handed them a golden idol, a small statue of a human figure.
Rynn: Looks pretty, but what is it?
Coatl: My wife's people lived in the mountains. Only ruins remain there. Use this idol to open the door and you can collect all the treasure inside. We use gems and gold only as decorations, so they are useless to us.
Arokh: Your gesture is appreciated.
Coatl: One last thing... while we are grateful for what you have done, we would prefer if you never tell anybody else about our lands and never let other foreigners come here. You are welcome to return if need be, however it would be for the best if we remain isolated.
Rynn and Arokh promised to forever keep the West Continent a secret from the rest of the world and then flew away. They first went to the cliffside, where they used the idol and opened the door. Inside the ruins there were traps, puzzles and minor enemies like bugs. After collecting all the valuable treasure inside, Rynn and Arokh returned to the main objective. They arrived back in the south ruins, killed the remaining Trogs and reached the statue with a human head. Rynn placed the jeweled skull inside the statue's opened mouth and watched as it opened. When she looked in the secret chamber, she saw a large boulder placed in the end. At first she wondered how to deal with it, but then she got an idea. Rynn took out the Claw of Ahura then swung the magical sword, causing it to release a beam of light which shattered the boulder. Inside its rubble, she saw a glowing suit of armor. The armor looked metallic but was white in color, with the joints being silver grey. The armor segments resembled scales while there were small spikes on some places, mostly the knees and elbows. Most importantly, the helmet has 4 pairs of spikes protruding which made them resemble the horns of a dragon. Lastly the visor was shaped like the opened mouth of a dragon but instead of eyes or nose there was a blue gem in the place of her forehead. Rynn adorned the armor, then felt the same type of power when she held the previous 4 relics. The armor made her feel near invincible, it was probably the strongest suit of armor in existence. Rynn walked outside the secret chamber and Arokh was excited to see her.
Arokh: Rynn, you have done it! That's the Scale of Ahura! We are so close now! Only 1 more artifact remains!
Rynn: Let's leave this place and return back in Surdana. This momentous occasion must be properly celebrated.
The protagonists returned to the entrance Gate of this continent and used it for going back home. But from now on things would only get worse...
Chapter 7: Lost Continent
Rynn and Arokh arrived back in Surdana, every important person was there waiting for them. Even the Dragon Mother was there.
Mala Shae: Amazing, it calms my soul seeing you come back here alive and well. Not only that, but you also have obtained another divine item! The only artifact remaining is the Fang of Ahura.
Rynn: So where do we find the Fang? Could it be hidden in another place of the continents, but we haven't found it yet? Please don't let me lost or sunk at the bottom of the ocean floor...
Mala Shae: There is only a single landmass remaining which you haven't searched... the Lost Continent.
Arokh: That accursed place? Argh, even thinking about it makes me feel uneasy...
Rynn: Why? What is the Lost Continent?
Arokh: We've been there before Rynn. The Volcano where the last battle of the Dark Wars took place so many years ago... Where the Dark Union opened an entrance to the Rift World and took your brother...
Rynn (flinches in pain when remembering that place): Ugh, no wonder you despise it... I too feel bad thinking about it... At least we sealed off the Rift World and took care of the Dark Union...
Mala Shae: You may harbor personal grudge for those lands, but you must go there and get the final relic! It's the only hope we have!
General Dehrimon: That place is dangerous, Rynn and Arokh must rest here first. Besides there is something we need to show them.
Lady Myschala and the others lead our heroes to the city's main street. Next to a fountain, a large golden statue in Rynn and Arokh's likeness was made. "It took us quite some time to obtain all this gold." proclaimed Dehrimon. Our duo thanked Lady Myschala, Dehrimon and the others after which they returned to their houses. However Tanyana was spying on Rynn and Arokh through her house's window. She was angered- not only did those 2 foil her every time they met but also they managed to obtain all but one of the magical items that stood in her path to success. Tanyana was practicing her magic spells, but she needed more power and resources to summon and army of demons. Adding insult to injury, now Surdana erected a statue in their honor. This was the last straw and she needed to act immediately. Rynn and Arokh were left alone in the street, so Tanyana stepped out of her house and greeted them. She barely managed to contain her hatred and rage.
Tanyana: So the great heroes of the Order have returned? And now Surdana has built a statue in your honor?
Rynn: Yup, after everything we have done I think we've earned it. But we aren't done yet, we have one last item to retrieve...
Tanyana: Well could you please help me? I saw some monsters in the woods while searching for herbs, would be grateful if you disposed of them.
Arokh: Very well, just point us in the direction and we shall follow.
Tanyana: Just wait as I get my basket. I forgot it inside my house.
The dark sorceress entered the house and took her basket. When she looked outside the window, she saw Rynn and Arokh talking to a hooded figure in blue robes.
Rynn: Merdhynis? Why have you arrived here?
Merdhynis: I heard about your success in getting most of the relics and wanted to congratulate you. However, I sensed a sinister presence around...
Tanyana exited her house and stood there, staring at Merdhynis. This caused everyone to turn around and look at her. When Merdhynis and Tanyana saw each other's faces, her eyes widened and she gritted her teeth.
Tanyana: You! I remember you!
Merdhynis: Excuse me, have we met before?
Tanyana: You are that wizard that took me away from my dead parents' burning house and send me to that perverted old bastard!
Merdhynis (eyes widening in shock): Tanyana?... It's been long. I didn't know what happened to you. Let me explain.
Before anyone could react, Tanyana shot a bolt of purple lightning at Merdhynis which caused him to fall down in pain. Tanyana then lifted him up with telekinesis and started choking him. Her eyes now glowing red, with her voice angry and loud.
Tanyana: You will pay for what you did to me you geezer! DIE!
Merdhynis (gasping): If it will bring you inner peace... then end my life. I have nothing remaining worth living...
Arokh: How did you obtain such powers?!
Before Tanyana could reply, Lady Myschala appeared with a stern face: You are making so much commotion, you have attracted the attention of others...
Tanyana (shouting): Stay out of this? What are you going to do me, false monarch? You have no power?
Myschala (courageous): I have some power, but that's not what will bring your end...
Zeggoro (teleports in): The gig is up, milady. We have uncovered your dirty little secret.
Tanyana (angry shouting): Don't do anything else including movement or the blue wizard gets killed!
Everyone looked in horror as Tanyana was telekinetically choking Merdhynis. Then suddenly, Tanyana's grip on his throat lessened and she fell as she had been shot in the back. Jade the sorceress had appeared from behind the trees.
Jade: This betrayer had stolen my magic and learned my spells for her own plots. I pretended to leave for my homeland, but in reality I kept an eye on her and informed Myschala on her every action.
Everybody looked at Tanyana's fallen body while Merdhynis stood up and rubbed his sore throat. To their horror, Tanyana's back wound healed and she also stood up with her eyes glowing red.
Rynn: Damn it Tanyana, what has possessed you?!
Zeggoro: She is the one who stole that dark gem from the cave monolith and has now become one with the Darkness!
Tanyana was outmatched, she was surrounded by enemies therefore she had to act fast and smart. She shot a bolt of purple electricity at Lady Myschala... only for her to block it with an invisible forcefield spell.
Myschala: Now Rynn! Use the godly sword to attack her! It's her only weakness!
Rynn: But wouldn't that kill her? Ah, screw it...
Rynn activated the sword and fired a beam at Tanyana, causing the dark sorceress to scream in pain and catch fire. Her body was burning, soon the flames turned black and purple until she turned into a basic humanoid outline made of dark energy with glowing red eyes. Arokh and Rynn instantly recognized the apparition but were too busy to recharge the sword with mana (magical energy).
Merdhynis raised his arms holding his wizard staff and shouted "You shall not prevail!" after which he covered the heroes in a protective magical barrier. Tanyana screeched in an inhuman voice and fired a beam of dark energy at Merdhynis, who intercepted it with a beam of blue magical energy. Their beams clashed, forcing the queen of Surdana and other sorcerers to also begin firing magic projectiles at the dark apparition. Tanyana screamed "I SHALL RETURN AND MAKE YOU ALL PAY!" after which she vanished.
Rynn: I-is she dead?
Arokh: Doubtful, you saw what she is capable of and what she has become. I am certain we shall meet her again, but next time won't be so fortunate...
Myschala: Zeggoro, Jade, I am eternally grateful you taught me that protective spell. You were both right, that girl was up to no good... Thank heavens you secretly kept an eye on her and prepared for this occasion.
Rynn and Arokh needed a few moments to compute what just happened: So you are telling us Tanyana somehow obtained the dark gem from the cave monolith before we arrived there, has absorbed it and has now become a demon?
Jade: Afraid so, the dangerous artifact has corrupted her mind and she tried to secretly kill us all. We were one step ahead of her, but she won't stop until we are all dead.
Rynn looked at Merdhynis: Tanyana mentioned you have met before... You have alot of explaining to do Merdhynis...
Merdhynis: I am afraid so... Well guess, we must spare crucial time to sit down and hear my story...
The owl wizard gave a quick summary of his past to Myschala and the others then he added what they wanted to hear: I have done some things in my life which I am not proud of and try to leave behind... I was once a secret royal advisor of the [Celtic] king on the other side of this continent... His first wife died from an illness and he wanted me to cure her. I told him that she was cursed into dying young, with the curse being impossible to be undone by any mortal wizard. It would require the power of a god to defy to laws of death and life. The king went sad and insane with grief as his wife passed away. I felt sorry for him so decided to cheer him up by finding a new queen. When walking through the woods, I found an abandoned hut and inside I saw a young girl. Her parents were dead and she was all alone. I brought her to the king. As you probably guessed, this girl would grow up into Tanyana. The king had become insane and started abusing her... thankfully he failed to claim her maidenhood as he was old and weak to the point of being sick, while Tanyana was young and strong. The combination of his mental and physical deterioration caused him to succumb to his wounds. Tanyana became the de facto rule of the Danann lands, but she had already been mentally scarred for life. As for myself... well, the king started abusing me too. He threatened to kill me unless I taught him how to wield magic. I refused to do so and was forced to run away since I don't wish to end up being executed. Sadly, with me leaving and the king dying the Danannland kingdom weakened enough for the beastmen to invade and conquer it...
Rynn: Care to share with us how many more skeletons do you keep in your closet in advance?
Merdhynis: Not much more, with the others being minor and I seriously doubt could end up being world-ending. On the other hand, in my defense how could have known this random girl would grow up into such a monstrous threat...
Arokh: That raises the stakes of our quest even further! We must obtain the last relic before Tanyana summons more demons and threatens to destroy all of Drakan!
Merdhynis: Then go Rynn and Arokh! Embark for the Lost Continent, seek and recover the last holy artifact within! That is our final and only hope!
Our two protagonists used the Eye, Wing Feather, Horn, Claw and Scale of Ahura on the Mother's Eye gate alongside the map from the ruins. As much as it pained them to remember this place, they conjured and re-activated the portal to the Lost Continent.
Rynn and Arokh passed through the gate and managed to arrive in this wasteland left behind from the Dark Wars...
XXXXXX
What they saw there first was a forest made on dead trees and thorny vines. They looked to the side and saw a ruined pillar with some bricks- the last reminder these lands once supported human civilization. However there still was life here... A strange creature, resembling a bipedal lizard without arms glanced at them. It had an exoskeleton instead of skin, with its head being devoid of any features besides a wide toothy mouth. The creature hissed then spat some acid between itself and our heroes. Rynn quickly brought out her arrows, then shot the beast and watched it squirm on the ground in pain. As it died, the creature exploded and released a puddle of toxic sludge on the ground while in the air poisonous fumes rose up. Rynn and Arokh both felt disgust from this beast, only to realize this noise had attracted others of its kind. Arokh took to the skies, avoiding a fight with any more of these unnatural creatures.
Rynn: I swear, the more continents we explore the more grotesque the local wildlife becomes!
Arokh: The explosion of magical energy from the Dark Wars have turned this continent into a toxic wasteland. The local animals and plants have been warped beyond recognition into hideous mutants.
Flying beyond the thorny forest Rynn and Arokh made it into an open valley. There they saw the horror- thousands of skeletons of many long-dead creatures littered the ground, while the water gave way to black tar pits with the obsidian ooze bubbling ominously.
Arokh: So many lives... lost because of the Dark Wars. Most of them accumulated here together in a nightmarish boneyard.
Rynn: Do you recognize this place or any of the skeletons here?
Arokh: I would rather not, Rynn...
While moving on the ground through the skeletons, another mutant slithered infront of our duo. This creature resembled a large snake with a crocodile's mouth. Its body was too made from an exoskeleton, with ribcage-like spiky protrusions from its back. Lastly, it had only a single pair of limbs- two long and skinny arms ending with sharp claws. The mutant hissed towards the human and her dragon. Arokh blasted it with a fireball: Ah, bugger off! I am tired of annoying vermin like you.
The mutant screeched and fell to the ground burned, however its corpse erupted like a balloon and from it 4 smaller faster versions of itself sprang forth. While they were speedily crawling forward, Arokh flew upwards and this avoiding their nuisance. The heroes moved forward towards to blackened mountain and canyon which lead into the volcano. Their path was interrupted by 2 bone dragons. Undead skeletons of dragons with bits of green rotting scales and tendons on their bones. The 2 enemies flew towards Arokh and Rynn, breathing green lightning from their mouths. Arokh was beginning to get angry, but he remembered about his newly acquired Air elemental breath from the West Continent. He created a wind funnel cloud with his breath which sucked in the bone dragons and kept spinning them around. The undead dragons were left dazed after Arokh stopped using this ability, only to unleash his secondary attack. He created a giant wide tornado which caught both dragon skeletons and carried them towards the canyon walls. When the tornado hit the cliffs, it dissipated while the skeleton dragons got smashed against the rocks and their bones got scattered everywhere. With those undead enemies rendered completely dead, Rynn and Arokh fewl through the canyon until they entered the volcano. The barren landscape was made mostly of black rocks and rivers of red lava flowing everywhere. The monotony was broken up by the occasional structure of the Dark Union which had turned to ruin with years of disrepair. Several caves were blocked off by fallen rocks, eventually Rynn and Arokh reached a place they recognized. Fallen rocks and lava flowed into this hole, being tightly shut like a giant lid. Bad memories began appearing in Arokh and Rynn's minds.
Rynn: Do you remember this?
Arokh: Yes, unfortunately... the former entrance to the Rift World... that we sealed off after we killed Navaros and failed to save your brother.
Rynn (sniffs in sadness): Damn it... I hope whatever fate Navaros' disembodied soul is currently in, eternally is worse than death... That bastard really deserves it...
Arokh: Sorry to remind you of that Rynn. If it will make you feel better, I also lost many individuals dear to me.
Rynn: You don't need to apologize, it's not your fault Arokh. Let's move forward...
The protagonists flew through a lava-filled tunnel and entered another open area. In the distant cliff on the other side they saw the 2 Desert Lords from the Ancient ruins.
Zahek: Look sister! The dragon rider and her flying pet have found us yet again!
Asaiji: Yes, I see that brother! It would seem we have no where left to run and hide!
Arokh (grolws): I am not her pet! We are bonded and equal partners!
Rynn (ignoring Arokh's compliment): We have cornered you! Whatever is that you're planning, ends here alongside your lives!
Zahek: Curse you, human! You with your dragon killed our glorious leader, then reduced our proud and mighty race to just the 2 of us!
Rynn: Don't act innocent! You tried to enslave people and now you are up to even more carnage! What is it? Reviving Navaros and the Dark Union? Or somehow bringing Jassad and your army back?
Asaiji: We have found a lost artifact which shall give us the means to exact revenge. After we kill you and the Order, then we shall return to Sessool and deal with the others there!
Zahek: The Desert Lords shall reign supreme, with no other species being our equals or superiors. Perhaps this relic of yours will also help us keep... the Dark One locked away.
Rynn: What are you talking about? I don't understand any of your nonsense!
Asaiji (sounding scared): We are the most intelligent race in Sessool, with most of the others there being mere savage beasts which only corrupt and destroy. They exiled us because we chose not to aid them in serving the Darkness.
Arokh: What are these Dark One and Darkness you keep talking about? Why do you keep avoiding saying more about it?
Zahek (fearful voice): Thank your lucky stars and pray that you never find out! A primordial being of unlimited power, which cannot ever be controlled! If it ever awakens, the whole Universe and everything in it will be obliterated!
As Rynn and Arokh (metaphorically) scratched their heads in confusion, the 2 Desert Lords spoke in their language and invoked a spell. Then they transformed into balls of energy which fell down into the lava. Rynn and Arokh waited their next move, when the ground started quaking. The lava rose and took a vaguely humanoid form. It grew a pair of arms, then on its face a single eye appeared magically alongside a jagged mouth. They had transformed into a giant Lava Golem, which proceeded to shoot huge magma balls at our heroes. The golem also shot a long single sweeping beam from its one eye. Arokh dodged the attacks, then decided to use all 8 of his elemental powers to destroy this construct. His Fire, Poison and Earth breaths did nothing so he changed tactics. He kept shooting the Lava Golem with Water, Ice, Air and Thunder instead. Arokh kept aiming for the head and while his attacks caused some damage, the Golem continued recovering due to unlimited amount of lava beneath. Then in desperation Arokh used the secondary attack of his Darkness breath- two black/purple beams shot sideways from his mouth and then connected inside the Golem's torso. The beams joined together and formed a massive black hole which expanded, sucking up the Golem and all the lava in this area. While the black hole expanded, the Golem screamed in pain until it was fully absorbed by the dark void. The black hole finished sucking up all the lava, then it exploded with a loud bang. Thus the last Desert Lords' threat was finally dealt with. Rynn congratulated Arokh, but he replied: "I don't feel so well, Rynn..."
Rynn: You should not have used the Darkness element, Arokh...
Arokh: Desperate times call for desperate measures... I am afraid I had no other choice...
Rynn used the Horn of Ahura spell to heal both of them as much as possible. They flew towards the black volcanic rocky cliff and landed on the ledge. Rynn walked through the door and saw a small room. On the opposite end stood a treasure chest, but 6 sarcophagi were placed on the side walls. As soon as Rynn stepped in, the sarcophagi opened simultaneously and 6 human skeletons holding short axes jumped out. They rushed towards Rynn, prepared to shred her. But they ended up being shredded as she used the Claw of Ahura sword to instantly vaporize all of them in 1 fell swoop. When the skeletons evaporated, she opened the treasure chest and saw its contents. A wooden magic staff with spikes on top like a mace or dragon head which held a green jewel. It resembled Yutaji's Golem staff but it seemed created by human hands instead. Rynn stepped outside and showed the new item to her dragon.
Arokh: Strange, that doesn't resemble the previous relics we found. It appears different and unrelated.
Rynn: This is not what we are looking for? We were sent here on a wild goose chase!
Arokh: No Rynn, I recognize this! It's the Dragonstone Scepter! With it, all dragons can be controlled and the Bonding ritual can be performed without any side-effects! Even Mala Shae included! I thought it was lost after the Dark Wars, but we have found it!
Rynn: Good news, but we still need the final relic... Do you think the Desert Lords had found and kept it on themselves? Or perhaps destroyed it?
Arokh: I cannot tell for certain... Something is amiss, I can feel it... The Light... I sense it exists, but it's not here.
Rynn: Whatever... let's go back home and show this to everyone!
Arokh and Rynn flew outside the volcano, however before exiting it they saw a spinning red crystal midair. Arokh picked it up and felt how a new power was added to his arsenal. The red dragon had now 9 elements: his basic Fire, the acquired Ice, Water, Poison, Darkness, Thunder, Air, Earth and now the Magma Rune. Yet, something was missing still... Arokh pushed the worrying thought inside his mind away, then he and Rynn travelled back through the Lost Continent until they reached the Ancients' Gate which served as their entrance here. The two of them crossed the threshold, leaving behind this nightmarish place and returning back home in Surdana...
Chapter 8: Dragon Dimension
The bonded duo came through the Mother's Eye gate and stood on the cliff behind the Surdana palace. Awaiting them were Myschala, Dehrimon, Jade, Zeggoro, Brekk, Quaalus, Merdhynis and even Mala Shae.
Merdhynis: You managed to survive and return from the hellscape. Did you find and obtain the Fang of Ahura?
Rynn: No, it wasn't there. The West and Lost continents both aren't good for exploration plus colonization by the Order. Best would be to forget about them.
Merdhynis: Shit... where is that damn sixth relic? If it's not in either of those places, then our search has left us empty handed!
Arokh: We didn't find the Fang, but we do bring a consolation prize...
Rynn took out the Dragonstone Scepter and gave tossed it in Merdhynis' hands. He looked flabbergasted at what he now held.
Merdhynis: Holy stars and sacred heavens! You found the Dragonstone Scepter, lost after the Dark Wars' end?
Rynn: I know- surprising, isn't it?
Merdhynis (laughting): With this item, we could speed up the Bond process and quickly amass a whole army of dragon riders! Having every dragon under our control, we can stand a fighting chance against the demons of Sessool!
Mala Shae: It's very fortunate you have found this item. However some measure of worry still remains in my heart... Rynn, Arokh, we still need to find the Fang of Ahura.
Rynn: What's the problem? We already have the Ancients' Gates, 5 out of 6 relics, the Dragonstone staff thingy and you. Heck, can't you alone repel Sessool's demon armies yourself?
Mala Shae: I am but a mere demigoddess. My power alone is insufficient against Sessool... The Desert Lords were the most rational and intelligent denizens of the Demon World, but its other inhabitants are stronger and less merciful... Demons were created specifically to act as the evil counterpart of dragons and they are capable of killing all dragonkind, myself included...
Arokh: Who or what created Sessool and the demons? Great Mother, is there something you wish to share with us...
Mala Shae (visibly shivering): Yes... We must learn how to use this Dragonstone Scepter and immediately gather all dragons here. The Order needs as many Bonded troops as possible.
All the human citizens of Surdana gathered on the main street. Mala Shae summoned all dragons in the Central Continent around the city. Merdhynis had placed the Dragonstone Scepter on the ground and started controlling it.
Merdhynis: So what are your orders? What should we do first? Perhaps Bond the queen Myschala with Mala Shae the dragon mother to show everyone an example on how to perform the ritual?
Lady Myschala: Or perhaps we could use this weapon to switch Rynn and Arokh, giving them other Bonded partners instead? Or letting them live a normal life by retiring from the Order?
Arokh felt a bitter taste in his mouth upon hearing these words.
Rynn: Separate from Arokh?
Lady Myschala: Yes, after everything you have done for us you have earned to live normal lives free of any danger. But your souls will still be connected, so if you wish then we can un-bound you from each other.
Rynn: Living normally without having to worry about anything? Arokh, what do you have to say about this?
Arokh: I... uh... wish to have my actions talk more clearly than words...
What Rynn's dragon did next shocked everyone. He opened his mouth and shot a magma ball into the Dragonstone Scepter, which caused green sparks of energy to flutter across it. After that happening, the relic exploded in a bright flash and multiple pieces had shattered on the ground. The pieces stopped glowing and shortly afterwards, turned into fine powder. Everyone, dragon and human alike now looked disappointingly and angrily at the dragon Arokh.
Rynn: Arokh, what the f...? Had you lost your mind?
Lady Myschala: The relic destroyed... all hope is lost!
Mala Shae: What is the reason for your treachery Arokh?
Arokh laid down and began talking ashamed: No dragon should ever be controlled, all of them should be free... this artifact's power is too dangerous and could be used for the wrong purposes... Human and dragon Bond should be based on mutual trust, not enslavement...
Merdhynis: Arokh, is there a personal reason why you just did that? Say it and if we deem it good enough, we shall be more lenient on you.
Arokh (shame turning into sadness): Very well... I lost my family and friends in the Dark Wars, some of them were killed by the Dark Union while others defected to it and I was forced to kill them. I even lost my first rider, Heron whom had sacrificed himself to save all of Drakan. I lost everything and everyone I ever held dear to me that day, even contemplated suicide... At first when I met Rynn, I find her annoying... But eventually I felt pity for her when we failed to save all the people in her village, including her brother... We have been through so much together and accomplished so many things that Rynn has become like a sister to me... Please I beg you, do not separate us... don't ever take away the only person remaining in life I call my family...
Rynn's eyes began filling up with tears and she ran towards Arokh. She held his head and gently placed her hand on the side of his face like a horse's while resting her head on his cheek.
Rynn: Arokh, I knew you had a heart somewhere inside of you beneath your gruff exterior. The feelings are mutual, as I also consider you the only family I have remaining.
The crowd's expressions changed from angered to saddened. Everyone was genuinely moved by Rynn and Arokh's relationship and several people even began shedding tears.
Mala Shae: Very well, you have proved yourself. We shall never separate both of you from each other. From now on, all dragon and human bonds are decided on mutual trust instead of revolving around master-servant relationship like mere domestic animals.
Merdhynis: Your story sincerely touched the hearts of many and that's good... However, you still ruined our trump card so Drakan remains endangered by annihilation.
Arokh: There is one last option remaining... The final divine artifact! I vow to undo my error by finding and bringing the Fang of Ahura here! If only we knew where to search, then Rynn and myself shall go to retrieve it!
Merdhynis: That's the spirit Arokh! But are you sure it exists and isn't lost or destroyed?
Arokh: I can sense it... the Light is somewhere out there... don't know where but I am certain that it exists!
Mala Shae (optimistic): Well, there is one place where I think it might be located... our home world, the Dragon Dimension.
Arokh: Are you sure, oh Great Mother?
Mala Shae: It's the last and only remaining option we have... there is no other choice but to look there.
Arokh: Fine, that Rynn and I shall go to the Dragon Dimension!
Mala Shae: Glad to hear that, but first I need to speak with you in person... it's about important matters in our home world.
Merdhynis: Excuse me, but is anybody else besides Rynn and Arokh allowed to hear this information?
Mala Shae: Yes, this is for their ears only... all of you must return to your homes now.
The dragons and humans left the city streets, while Mala Shae flew away to a remote area with Rynn and Arokh. Merdhynis looked at them with a suspicious face.
Mala Shae had gathered an audience with only Rynn and Arokh in a secluded location. However, unknown to them a owl stood in a nearby tree and heard their conversation.
Mala Shae: Rynn, Arokh, listen carefully... I need to share with you crucial information that you must keep secret. Nobody else is to know this, understood?
Arokh and Rynn promised to keep the information secret. Mala Shae began her long story...
Ahura is the supreme god of Light and Creation who gives birth to many worlds in the Universe. We dragons were created as his emissaries to protect our home the Dragon Dimension and this world you call Drakan from any threat... The biggest danger are the demons of Sessool and their creator. It's time you learn the true reason why the 6 relics were created and placed here, their purpose is greater than you can ever imagine... I prayed after my beloved parent Ahura left for the stars, I would never have to witness this horror and spare anyone of this knowledge but now I must reveal to you why I am so scared for the holy artifacts... You see, Ahura's power is far greater than mine but there was another being as old and powerful as my Creator... Ahura has a sibling, equal in power but opposite in everything else... Since the beginning of time darkness always follows light everywhere... The primordial god of darkness and eternal arch-enemy of Ahura is the god of Destruction- Angra... (Mala Shae shuddered when saying that name) Whereas Ahura creates worlds and life, Angra either destroys them or corrupts them. My beloved parent grew tired of this never-ending struggle and one day he somehow gained the advantage over Angra... However their powers were evenly matched so Ahura couldn't kill Angra... My creator ended the stalemate by imprisoning Angra in a planet which one day would become Sessool... but even in their dormant state, Angra's dreams are conjuring demons whose purpose is to destroy and kill everything. Ahura knew that Angra could potentially break out of its prison, so the Creator god created 6 items which held portions of his power. Then Ahura scattered these relics across the world and instructed the dragons to keep the safe. Should the demons of Sessool ever invade Drakan, these blessed artifacts are our best chance of dealing with them. Hence why you must obtain the Fang of Ahura quickly! It won't kill Angra, but it can destroy the demons and thus halt its awakening... Rynn, Arokh know this- Angra cannot ever be slain or defeated, the only thing we can do is halt its revival and keep it sealed away... This is one foe whose power far outmatches all of our combined might. Do you finally understand why this objective is so urgent? I apologize for the long story, but you had to learn the totality of our situation. We must do everything possible to prevent the arrival of the dreaded primeval God of Death and Destruction!
Rynn: Understood, you have our word Mala Shae.
Arokh: We promise we shall not disappoint you, Great Mother.
When the conversation was over, the owl flew away. Rynn and Arokh turned on the Mother's Eye gate with Mala Shae standing close by. The Dragon Mother spoke: "I shall accompany both of you on this journey. I know the Dragon Dimension well and shall guide your way."
Mala Shae went first through the portal and vanished. Arokh asked Rynn if she is prepared for the journey, when suddenly Merdhynis appeared and whispered to them.
Merdhynis: I know your secret given to you by the Dragon Mother...
Rynn: Were you spying on us old man?
Merdhynis: Yes, but I won't impede your journey and promise to keep your secret well hidden until my final breath. There is nothing I can do any more besides wish you best of luck. Rynn, Arokh... please don't fail this quest and return home safely, do you hear?
Arokh and Rynn smiled after which they went through the giant portal. As Merdhynis watched them disappear he said to himself: Please Ahura, if you can hear me... help them accomplish their quest and protect everything you have created.
XXXXXX
Our protagonist duo finally arrived in the Dragon Dimension, the birth place of all dragonkind.
When they finally crossed over, a beautiful paradise of a landscape revealed itself before them. A tropical jungle with various beautiful plants of many colors, a sunny sky with a rainbow and a coastal beach with a warm inviting sea on the side. There were several islands with vegetation floating in the sky akin to Stratos, while mountains and caves dotted the ground. Most peculiar were the ruins- large white columns made of white marble with gold trimmings and blue gems or crystals etched on them. The duo then heard the Dragon Mother flying above them and beckoning: "Follow me this way, I now the path to a place which could hold what we seek".
Arokh wanted to fly up, however Rynn stopped him: Why the hurry? There are no enemies here, let's enjoy the scenery instead.
Rynn with Arokh walked towards a large vividly colored flower. When Rynn told Arokh she wanted to sniff it, her dragon companion shot a fire ball towards it. Rynn asked "Why did you do that for?", but her answer was provided when the flower released a cloud of toxic green gas. "You are gonna have to trust me more often, Rynn." Arokh proclaimed in a semi-humorous tone. "Very well, but apart from deadly plants I doubt we shall meet any other dangers here..." said Rynn. Ironically her statement got proven wrong shortly afterwards when a swarm of large insects appeared and surrounded them. "Ever heard of a little something called "tempting fate" Rynn? Leave anything to me from now on." Arokh replied after which he fried the bugs with his dragon fire and flew upwards. Rynn apologized however their conversation was interrupted by Mala Shae: "Where have you two been? There is no time to waste any further, I have located our goal."
The protagonists followed Mala Shae who eventually landed infront of a cave with a stone door. The huge entrance was blocked with a megalith, on it depicted a stylized representation of a dragon with a glowing star above its head. Mala Shae opened her mouth then breathed a stream of blue and white fire towards the door, which then began glowing and opened the cave's entrance. But much to our heroes' chagrin, the cavern behind the door was too small for Mala Shae to enter though fortunately it was big enough for Arokh to fit inside.
Mala Shae: These ruins are left from our creator, the Lord of Light. My power is the only thing which can open this entrance, but alas I cannot enter inside and claim whatever Ahura has left for us before leaving us for the Universe. I suspect that Ahura left various trials and traps inside to weed out the unworthy, only those possessing all of the relics can pass through and obtain Ahura's hidden gift. Rynn, Arokh, go inside and triumph! The future of Drakan and possibly all of existence depends on both of you!
Mala Shae bid them farewell and flew away into the sky, then Rynn and Arokh entered the cavern. Behind the tunnel was a large circular room with a ravine in the middle, on the other side was a door with a switch next to it. Sadly the ceiling was too low for Arokh to fly and the ravine was filled with toxic gas, however there were pillars jutting from above the level of the deadly green vapors. Rynn jumped across the pillars and made it on the other side, pulling the switch. The door before her opened and a ledge appeared on the side. Arokh walked on this magical ledge and joined with Rynn on the other side. The first trial has been passed.
The next room was big enough for Arokh to fly in but there were holes in the walls that blew gusts of wind that caused the dragon to lose control of his flight and forced him to land on the ground. Infront of them a huge tornado rose up towards the ceiling, blocking the next gate. Arokh saw a similar mechanism high above the gate. He tried shooting it with his elemental breath, however nothing happened. Then Rynn took out her Wing Feathers of Ahura, she charged one arrow in the bow then fired it through the large tornado. Miracuously the arrow hit the switch, causing the gate to open and the wind traps were all deactivated. The second trial has been passed.
The following room was filled with clear water. Arokh could easily fly over to the other side and Rynn could swim towards the coast with the gate. However there was no switch visible anywhere. Then Runn looked around and noticed a cave tunnel under the water. She jumped in and swam through the underwater cavern. Dodging stalactites and stalagmites, the tunnel eventually surfaced into a small cavern with the switch in it. Rynn activated the mechanism and then swam back towards Arokh. The two of them reunited and proceeded through the now opened gate. The third elemental trial has also been passed.
The next room had holes in the ground with large boulders falling and rolling everywhere in some pattern of intervals. Arokh was too big to make it through all the boulders alive, however Rynn was small and fast enough to pass through them and hide inside holes in the walls. Even though she was good at dodging and rolling, the human woman decided to boost her speed by using the Horn of Ahura spell. With her speed increased, Rynn easily passed through all the boulders and holes, then making it next to the gate and the switch. After using the mechanism, Rynn opened the gate while deactivating the boulder trap. Her dragon caught up with her and they moved on. The fourth elemental trial has also been passed.
The following room was filled with lava, while both geysers on the ground and mouth-shaped carvings in the walls breathed fire in various directions. Like the previous rooms, Arokh couldn't navigate but Rynn was the right size and speed for dodging all the deadly fire. With the Scale of Ahura body armor she had enough resistance towards the barrage of elemental flame traps. Eventually she made it across then opened the gate with the switch next to it. While she healed her wounds with a potion, the burning traps were disabled and a bridge appeared for Arokh to use. The dragon made it safely across and proceeded with his female human rider towards the next room. The fifth and penultimate trial has been passed.
The room where they entered had crystals which shot lightning bolts in all directions. Unfortunately, there was no pattern and the shots were completely random. Arokh was too big to fly and he would inevitably be killed by the blasts of deadly electricity. "How much more of this crap do we have to endure?" snarked Rynn. "Whatever is on the other side by virtue of logic must be extremely valuable if it's protected by such elaborate traps." Arokh pondered. Rynn got off Arokh and clenched all her items angrily. She cast the spell to give her a speed boost and then shouting made a beeline towards a small alcove on the side, dodging the lightning bolts. She saw there a crystal glowing and broke it with the Claw of Ahura sword. She then saw a similar crystal appearing on the opposite side of the room. The lightning bolts were too fierce and risky for her to dodge, so she gripped her blessed bow and muttered with teeth gritted: "Ahura, if you have heard us thus far then help us again. I am tired of these games, just show us what you are keeping hidden that is apparently so valuable." She then shot a divine arrow through the room towards the opposite corner and hit the glowing crystal, shattering it. Rynn briefly smiled but then frowned again when she spotted a third crystal appearing next to the gate. She gritted her teeth and rolled after which jumped through the barrage lightning bolts. However as she was in mid-air, one of the blasts hit her and caused her to fall next to the third crystal. Arokh winced in pain, but he didn't feel as if he was dying like before. He looked forward and saw Rynn crawling slowly towards the third crystal, standing up with an expression of rage on her face. Rynn took out her sword relic and screamed in fury: "Enough already! LET US PASS DAMN IT!" Rynn stabbed the crystal with her sword, causing the former to break. All the other crystals followed shortly, breaking into small pieces which now lay on the ground. With the lightning bolts deactivated, Arokh moved forward. "I hope there isn't any more after this." Rynn proclaimed after which she healed their wounds using another potion and opened the gate with the nearby switch. The sixth and last elemental trial has been passed.
Rynn and Arokh entered a large circular cavern, the walls were high enough for Arokh to fly around freely. There was a large white marble disk on the floor in the room's center with mysterious arcane symbols visible on it. Besides that object, nothing else in the cavern seemed noteworthy- there were stalactites and stalagmites, a few vines on the walls and some cracks on the ceiling where some daylight shone through. Infront of them on the room's other end was a huge pile of boulders. Rynn angrily spoke: "What, we came all the way here for nothing?" to which Arokh replied "Perhaps the pile of boulders and the round plate on the floor could provide an answer." Rynn kicked a rock on the ground angrily: "I've had enough of these riddles, if we are expected to remove all the boulders one by one or something else then forget it!" Arokh looked around a saw a large marble statue's hand poking out from the lower corner of the giant pile of boulders. "Rynn, I have an idea! Climb on me and let me do the riddle-solving this time!" Rynn obliged and the two of them flew up. Arokh used his poison breath and shot a ball of green toxic gas towards the uncovered hand. The hand began glowing and the opposite side of the rubble exploded in a display of white/blue magical energy. Another white marble statue hand was revealed! Rynn and Arokh smiled, having figured out the puzzle. Arokh then used his Air elemental breath on the second hand which revealed a third one above the first one. Arokh shot a Water elemental projectile towards it, revealing a fourth hand on the opposite side. This prompted Arokh to use his Earth breath power and re-activate this hand. Doing so revealed a fifth hand high above the others. Having figured out the pattern, Arokh shot his basic dragon Fire towards the fifth hand which revealed a sixth and last hand on the opposite side. It was obvious what the final remaining element was. Arokh shot a bolt of Thunder towards the sixth hand. When that was done, all six hands began glowing with the used elements appearing in them- Poison, Air, Water, Earth, Fire and Thunder. A huge blue and white glow appeared in the middle of the boulder pile, causing it to explode and revealing the hidden statue behind it. What Rynn and Arokh saw caused them to at first gape in awe, after which they calmed down and looked calmly at the gigantic revealed statue.
The statue depicted a tall humanoid dragon with six arms/hands, its legs and feet were folded as it was sitting in a meditating lotus position. It had 3 pairs of wings, all of them beautifully feathered like a bird. The long tail also ended in a fan or leaf-shaped cluster of avian feathers. Its head was adorned by several pairs of horns which shaped a rough visage of a crown. The face was carved in a serene smile with closed eyes, a star-shaped blue symbol was visible on the forehead. A similar symbol was visible on the statue's chest, with a texture of reptilian scales covering the whole body. The statue was mostly of white marble, with some blue and golden yellow trimmings in some areas to break up the color monotony. Arokh and Rynn instantly recognized whose identity was carved into the statue.
"A-ahura?" both Rynn and Arokh gasped. As if by activation by the name being uttered, the statue's eyes opened up then began glowing in a beautiful blue and white light. The statue began speaking in an eerie but serene calm voice, sounding both masculine and feminine simultaneously. Its voice caused our heroes to stand petrified in awe of its power, but also both their entire being (minds, bodies, hearts and souls alike) were filled with peace and joy.
"Greetings, my children. I am the creator of everything and the God of Light. While I have been known by many names you may call me Ahura."
"Uh, pleased to meet you. I am Rynn and this is Arokh. We are from the new Order of the Flame and were sent here by Mala Shae to..."
The statue interrupted her and continued monologuing while ignoring her words. Arokh told Rynn: "I have a feeling the statue isn't directly speaking with, instead this dialogue has been magically recorded in advance."
Ahura's giant marble statue continued speaking:
I was born from the primordial cosmic void of Chaos, and then set out to bring forth all of existence. My power allows me to travel across the stars and create multiple worlds, then sow the seeds of life on many of them as possible. When I created this planet, I then made the Spirit Dragons to act as my emissaries. My beloved daughter Mala Shae is the progenitor of all dragonkind and she has a small fraction of my power. I am also responsible for the many other lesser gods and nature spirits which inhabit other worlds. Even though I love all of my creations, I am forced to constantly fly through the aether of outer space to create more worlds. I didn't want my children to be saddened by my absence, so I left them with several gifts which contain fragments of my near-infinite strength. If you are here and listening to my words, this means you have managed to acquire most of them and passed my trials. Only the worthy could accomplish this and prove themselves of inheriting my power. Well done, I shall bestow upon you my greatest blessing! However if you are here, then I assume the worst has transpired and you forced to collect all my relics. Because you see, there is another reason why I created these blessed items then hid them around only for the worthy to find and use...
Rynn and Arokh began feeling uneasy, a sense of doubt and fear creeped inside them. The statue of Ahura stopped talking for a moment, and then began speaking in a worried tone.
The universe demands balance in all things. Creation and light cannot exist without their opposites... Before I lend you my power you must know this- shortly after I was born, the primordial cosmic void of Chaos gave birth to another being. An entity that is equal in power to me, but opposite in every other way. My opposite twin sibling and eternal rival became the god of Darkness and Destruction. Like me, it has been known by many names but you need know only one of them... Angra. Just as I embody all that is good in the Universe, so does Angra embody all that is bad. Angra isn't evil by choice, rather by nature. The two of us constantly clashed together- I created worlds, then Angra destroyed them in a perpetual cycle. Neither of could destroy the other, so we sadly were locked in an eternal stalemate. I grew tired of this never-ending cycle so one day I feigned weakness and pretended to surrender to my dark sibling. In that brief moment of distraction, I destroyed Angra's body and then banished its essence in the farthest planet of this galaxy. While forced in sleep, Angra's power began corrupting and poisoning that world. As the god of darkness and evil, Angra even in its dormant state is capable of corrupting living creatures into hideous abominations and birthing demons. I was aware that one day Angra will break free out of its prison and began spreading darkness across the Universe, so I prepared a backup plan. The six relics I have created and scattered in the corners of your world... they hold portions of my power, the only thing capable of driving away the darkness and sealing Angra back in the Demon World. You have obtained five of the relics, now I shall give you the sixth and last one. Take this fragment of my godly might and use it to protect your world from all evil! Go forth and fear nothing, as I now give you my blessing! Let my divine light guide your way, my children...
The statue's forehead and chest symbols began glowing in the same colored light as the eyes, then they fired 4 beams of white-blueish energy towards the circular stone platform in the middle. Rynn and Arokh closed all their eyes, as they were nearly blinded by the sheer power of the Light. After that, all 4 beams combined into one star-like object which flew up in the air then began levitating. The object grew in size and began producing sparkles, it became as big as Arokh without his wings. Afterwards, the statue stopped glowing with Rynn and Arokh opening their eyes and looking upwards. They saw the object glowing like a miniature star and gasped in awe. Rynn asked: "Arokh, is that what I think it is?" Arokh replied excited: "Yes, Rynn! It's the last relic- the Fang of Ahura! We found it!"
Rynn mounted Arokh, then they flew upwards. "The Fang of Ahura... I assume it's a dragon's breath weapon. The element of Light, correct? If so, take it!": Rynn shouted. "Correct, the final gift and blessing of the supreme god is a power only for dragons. And now it's finally ours!": Arokh answered her while barely containing his victorious laugh. The 2 heroes approached the bright glowing star-like object and touched it. The light disappeared and entered Arokh, causing him to glow. The following event was amazing.
Rynn and Arokh saw a vision before them- the Universe forming, stars burning up, magical energies floating around, planets being created and filled with life. Every negative emotion inside them- fear, sadness, rage and others have disappeared. Arokh and Rynn were now filled with courage and serene calmness. Even the corrupting taint of the Darkness element which Arokh had absorbed now felt a distant and suppressed little memory! Both of them were healed of all their physical and mental wounds, feeling blessed with divine power. They felt as their inner strength has just increased as now they were practically demigods. It was finally done- the last relic is now in their possession and its power was felt by both, despite Arokh being the one taking it! Finally after the process was over, Arokh fully absorbed the relic and flew down to land on the ground. "So, how did you feel? It was amazing for me.": Rynn asked. "Likewise, I feel as if I have the power to crush entire mountains and seas into mere dust!": Arokh replied. Rynn began goading Arokh: "Then what are you waiting for? Let's try out this new power! I am excited and curious!" Arokh looked around, then saw a stalagmite in one corner of the cave. The dragon paused for a moment, aimed towards it and then opened his jaws. A volley of 4 fast beams of blueish-white light escaped his mouth, each of them having a star-shaped tip. The laser beams were so quick, it took them a mere second to reach their intended target. When the smoke had finally cleared up from the blast impact, our heroes were surprised to see the stalagmite had completely disappeared! It wasn't shattered, burned, melted or anything like that- it was completely vaporized! Arokh smirked and then told Rynn he wanted to try out his secondary attack. He aimed in the opposite direction towards a wall and opened his jaws again. A brief moment was used for the charge up, with several blue-white sparkles gathering inside his mouth before combining into a single large spark. Then Arokh fired easily the most powerful dragon breath element in existence- a single gigantic long beam of white and blue energy. Rynn stared in excited amazement while Arokh was firing this beam of divine Light- across the blinding surface, the beam's colors flickered as if it was a fiery source of extreme heat. When Arokh stopped his attack, both of them looked towards the wall and saw that Ahura's gift of power had carved a tunnel as big as Rynn! It was difficult to determine how deep the hole was, however neither of them doubted that Arokh's newly obtained breath element was extremely overpowered! The heroic duo exited the room and began walking back towards outside the cave.
Wahoo! Did you see that? At last, we have all the divine relics and with your new power nothing can stop us!: Rynn shouted in excitement.
Agreed, our mission is completed. Let us go back to Surdana to inform everyone of the good news.: Arokh smiled happily and confidently.
However, their victory was cut short when the caves began rumbling and small debris fell around. "What's that? Is the cave destroying itself after we deactivated the traps and obtained the item?": Rynn asked worried.
No, it would have been stronger if that was the case. Feels like the source of this rumbling comes from outside.: Arokh replied. The protagonists finally stepped outside, only to see the horror which befell the Dragon Dimension.
The sky was reddish-black, the ground was burning from magical fire with the plants being reduced to ash. Dragons were flying around scared, while battling some weird otherworldly creatures in the distance. Rynn and Arokh saw a dying wyvern before them who slightly raised his head with the words: "An ambush... invaders from another dimension... they attacked us when least expected..." before succumbing to his wounds and his raised now fallen back to the ground as his life had come to an end.
Mala Shae! We must find and protect her!: shouted Arokh. Rynn quickly nodded in agreement with him, after which they flew over in the sky and witnessed the carnage.
They saw the dragons fighting against creatures identical to the red ogre they encountered in the Islands and the grotesque hellhound they fought in the Eastern Continent after leaving the Imperial Tomb. Alongside them were others as well- floating dark-skinned octopoid creatures with a single red eye in the center of their body which latched onto dragons then dragged them down. Dark purple tentacles resembling spinal cords were sprouting from the poisoned ground and were a hazard towards anything. But the most dangerous were the Fiends which resembled classical demons- giant humanoids with dark skin, pointy claws and teeth with spikes protruding from their bodies' joints. Their faces were skull-like with glowing red eyes, a pair of horns grew from their heads and had large chiropteran wings. They possessed a long skeletal tail and their buff torsos had an exposed ribcage. Fiends were using either long purple flaming swords or whips to kill the dragons. The combatants were so busy with each other, they didn't notice our heroes. But Rynn and Arokh saw an interesting sight.
Below them and infront of the Ancient Gate was a large summoning circle written in blood with demonic symbols carved on the ground. Four different species of demons were standing around the circle, however the most peculiar thing was the center of the circle itself. Rynn and Arokh saw a familiar figure- a tall brunette human woman dressed in black and purple. She was the one who created this bloody circle and summoned the demons. The heroes recognized her and shouted: "Tanyana?!"
The demons glared at our duo while the woman stopped her incantation and replied: "So, you two are still alive?"
Arokh asked: "How did you come here and manage to summon all these demons?"
Tanyana answered without any human emotion, her eyes were colored crimson red while her skin was now pale white and her veins were visibly purple: "Ironically, it's you I have to thank. I managed to learn enough magic and understood how to perform all of this. Also you going around opening all these portals is what allowed me access to this world. And lastly the summoning rituals demand a sacrifice, I used the blood and souls of all your slain enemies to summon my reinforcements."
Rynn shouted angrily: "So all this time you used us all, you bi... witch! You won't get away with this, because we shall stop you right here and now!"
Arokh began charging his new power however 3 demons jumped towards him which intercepted the shots meant for Tanyana. While Arokh killed the 3 demons, the 4th one (the Fiend) took Tanyana in his arms with a bizarrely gentle manner and began flying away. Rynn told Arokh to watch out, when Tanyana shouted: "You obtained this power from the God of Light? Doesn't matter, the God of Darkness will return anyway!"
Arokh began charging his alternative mode of attack, however suddenly he was grabbed from below by summoned purple demonic tentacles which ruined his aim. The heroes missed their chance of killing their nemesis, which now had escaped through the portal. Rynn took out her sword and began killing all the demonic tentacles, thus freeing Arokh. The protagonists began cursing "damn it" when they heard a familiar-sounding voice: "Arokh! Rynn! Help me!" Arokh screamed: "Mala Shae! We must go and save her!" to which Rynn agreed. They flew shortly and then quickly saw the Dragon Mother surrounded by another 4 demons. She was fending them off with flapping her wings but also her intimidating size and blue dragon fire breath. Two demons were about to pounce on her simultaneously when suddenly they were disintegrated by Arokh's Light beam weapon. The other 2 demons looked at him in horror and then began running away, but Arokh and Mala Shae fired their combined powers at them. With all remaining demons killed, Arokh landed next to Mala Shae and looked at her.
"There are some wounds on you, Great Mother.": Arokh spoke being worried. "It's nothing fatal. The demons could have killed me, but I am way sturdier than any other dragon. I made sure they didn't get a chance to catch me and fought with all my strength.": Mala Shae replied. But Rynn placed her hands on the Dragon Mother, using both magic potions and spells. Mala Shae murmured in a humming voice: "Aaahhh... feels much better. However you didn't have to do this." Rynn smiled weakly and said: "You are the mother of all dragon kind. If we loose you, it would be a horrible loss for everyone. I know what it means to lose my family and people, so I try my best to never let it happen again." Mala Shae was impressed with this gesture: "You should feel proud Arokh for having such a great human being chosen to bond with you. Rynn may have lost her previous family, so now you and I seem to be her only dear ones remaining." This caused Rynn to blush and cough in embarrassment, but Arokh instead answered: "We thank you for the kind words Great Mother, but we have no time to lose. This realm has been attacked by our enemies and we don't know their next move. It would be for the best if we head back to Surdana." Mala Shae nodded in agreement: "Excellent idea, it's great that you have obtained the final relic which is Ahura's power of Light. We shall depart for the human world and make preparations for our last move there." With that said, Mala Shae flew through the portal. Rynn and Arokh followed shortly afterwards, expecting a welcoming celebration home. Little did they know, things were about to get even worse...
Chapter 9: Invasion of Surdana
Rynn and Arokh flew into their home city through the Mother's Eye gate, but the familiar landscape has been drastically changed. The sky was red with black clouds raining down lightning and small burning cinders. The ground was visibly scorched, the buildings were set ablaze while the dragons and their human riders were battling the demons. Multiple corpses regardless of species were littered on the ground. General Dehrimon saw them and landed with his bonded spiky dragon close to them: "Thank heavens you are here! These monsters appeared out of nowhere and began assaulting our fair city! Even with our army of dragons from the Order, they proved to be too much for us to handle!"
Rynn asked: "Where are Lady Myschala, Brekk, Quaalus, Jade and the others?"
"Hidden in safety beneath the castle, the secret catacombs proved very useful.": replied general Dehrimon.
Arokh intervened: "And where is Mala Shae?"
She flew over to protect her children in the canyon, where these demons appeared from. I was helping her with my dragon Geroth until I came here to check on the royal palace and then saw you two!: answered general Dehrimon.
Then go to her and take with you all the other dragons of the Order with their human riders as reinforcements! We shall stay here and deal with these demons!: Arokh told the human knight and his dragon.
Dehrimon and Geroth both nodded in agreement and then flew towards the canyon while calling the other dragons to follow them. The demons tried following them, but Arokh flew above with Rynn and started attacking them.
Hey, you ugly freaks! Why don't you kill us first and then go after the others instead?: Rynn taunted the demons. Thankfully, most of them were vicious and stupid enough to fall for the distraction.
Some of the demons went after the other dragons or kept ruining the houses in hopes of catching and killing whatever humans were hiding inside. "Arokh, quickly! Use your new power!": shouted Rynn. "Hear you loud and clear, Rynn!": replied Arokh.
The red dragon charged his Light elemental breath attack, then began shooting like demons. With Ahura's power, the tides of this battle quickly turned around in the heroes' favor. Arokh's divine laser beams cut through the demonic invaders like a metal sword through wet paper. His attacks were fast and near-instantly vaporized the demonic enemies, with some of them running away when realizing how bad the situation had turned out was for them. But they were only delaying the inevitable. One by one (and sometimes even a few in a single shot), the demons' numbers began going down. Eventually, one Hellfire Fiend climbed the Surdana palace's tower and began destroying it with his hellfire. The huge monster clung to the ruined tower and roared in victory as a lightning bolt struck the background. However that proved to be his undoing as it alerted our heroes. "Arokh, watch out! Behind us, on the castle's tower!": Rynn shouted. "Huh? Doesn't matter, consider him already dead meat!": Arokh proclaimed.
The Fiend roared then jumped from the tower and flew towards our heroic duo, keeping some distance between itself and them. Both combatants circled around each other as if in a battle arena, waiting each other's next move. Arokh began charging his Light elemental attack, but the demon quickly began shooting a long sweeping beam of dark energy towards him. Our duo was forced to dodge while the demon already used his next move- a dark purple flame appeared in its hand, which then transformed into a long flaming sword. Then the Fiend charged towards them with blinding speed, intending to stab or swipe them with his flaming sword. Arokh barely managed to avoid that as well, but it wasn't over as Rynn shoot an arrow in the demon's back. Instead of killing it, said arrow only agitated the demon and it quickly turned around. Suddenly the Fiend's hands were covered in dark purple flames and clenched in fists. With one swipe of his flaming punch, the demon knocked Arokh down on the ground. Rynn clung on her dragon's back, however the demon then created a flaming whip and used it for grabbing Arokh. The Fiend pulled Arokh close to him, while holding the dragon with his flaming whip. And then his fist formed another flame, preparing to kill our heroes. Rynn then quickly shot another divine arrow into the demon's face, causing him to growl in pain. While that was happening, Arokh charged up his laser beam in his opened jaws. The demon's face changed into expressing fear, having realized his error... but he was too late to prevent it. Arokh fired a volley of 4 quick Light beams which outright pierced the Fiend's head, causing it to explode into a shower of black ink-like blood and chunks of burned flesh. The demon's decapitated corpse fell to the ground like a pile of dirty laundry and stood there motionless, its life having been ended by our heroes.
Rynn and Arokh sighed in relief: "Glad that's finally over. Now to go see if the others have survived."
Mala Shae flew into the city with the dragon and human army. Dehrimon and Geroth were carrying a metal cage with 4 curious-looking prisoners. One of them was a male Wartok with a broken tusk, another was a male Grull with scars, there was an obese female Grull with piercings holding a blood-covered wooden ladle and a brown female Lycan. Mala Shae roared victoriously, causing the remaining humans to come outside their hiding spot within the castle. Dehrimon reported: "We saw these 4 troublemakers in the canyon outside the city. They were the ones drawing blood runes on the ground and summoning the demons. Thankfully, the Dragon Mother caught them and with our dragon army's combined power the summoning ritual ended before there were any further casualties."
Rynn and Arokh looked at the prisoners in their cage and recognized them. These 4 were first seen in Kragmor after they found the first relic, were alongside Lupius in the North Continent's tundra wilderness, then with Tao Khan in the Eastern Continent and finally summoning the Kraken in the Islands Archipelago. It all made sense at last! These four beastpeople wanted revenge against Surdana's Order, so they joined forces with Tanyana who taught them how to summon the demons from Sessool! Rynn and Arokh exposed the beastpeople to the people of Surdana who then got angered, starting to discuss executing the 4 humanoid beasts. However while that was happening, a single remaining Hellhound was creeping from behind a house and some trees' rubble. It looked towards the crowd and quickly made its move. The demon leaped into the air in its attempt of killing either Mala Shae or Arokh and Rynn. But Dehrimon with Geroth stood infront of its path and they quickly leaped forward while shouting "NO!" which interrupted the demon's attack. The Hellhound screamed in pain, but it didn't go down without a fight. One of its claws had pierced Geroth's torso, while its jaws clenched around the dragon's throat and shot some spikes which pierced general Dehrimon's armor. Both Dehrimon and Geroth shouted in pain, causing Arokh to use his laser beam to kill the hellspawn monster which got entangled with the spiky dragon. Arokh managed to vaporize the demon whose dead remains fell aside, but it was too late. Geroth laid on the ground mortally wounded and general Dehrimon stood next to him, their wounds opened wide and bleeding with the Hellhound spikes inside them. All the people screamed in shock, then everyone looked at Dehrimon and Geroth who had just sacrificed themselves. Rynn approached general Dehrimon with a worried expression on her face.
Dehrimon, stand up! Please don't go down like this!: Rynn shouted.
On the contrary Rynn... A true hero is made by their life's decisions and deeds... I chose to do this... to save the city where I grew up and love so much...: Dehrimon replied while gasping for air and coughing up blood.
I may not have any romantic feelings towards you, but I am still not letting you die. Anyone here, please help quickly!: Rynn coldly shouted.
Myschala intervened: "Quaalus and Jade ran into the catacombs when the demons attacked. Their work got destroyed in the assault. We could make a potion or spell but it would require more time."
Jade (saddened) replied: "I am sorry Rynn, but Dehrimon and Geroth's wounds are too severe even for our magic. Even if Bonded, they are still a mortal dragon and human. Curing their wounds made by a Sessool demon would require a power far greater than mine."
Arokh began comforting Geroth in the latter's dying moments, while Rynn looked at Dehrimon with a face of despair and sorrow: "Forgive me Dehrimon, I have failed you... my divine healing powers only affect myself and Arokh... we also don't have any Phoenix feathers... Damn it, I would search the world to find a way to save you and Geroth if possible!"
Dehrimon smiled: "I don't hold any grudge towards you Rynn... because I know you with Arokh will avenge me alongside Geroth by killing that witch and her demons... I am proud to have died in service of Surdana... Promise me one thing Rynn..."
"What is it?": asked Rynn.
That you with Arokh shall replace me and Geroth, protecting this city until the end of your lives while serving as Myschala's generals...: Dehrimon said weakly.
Rynn and Arokh both vowed to become the next generals of Surdana's new Order of the Flame army, replacing Dehrimon and Geroth after their death.
Dehrimon asked: "Please before I and Geroth die, I would like to see the queen for one last time..."
Rynn stepped aside, with Myschala standing in her place and getting close to Dehrimon.
My queen... beautiful as ever... my heart will always belong only to you...: said general Dehrimon.
Lady Myschala's eyes began filling up with tears: "How can I ever produce an heir to the throne after hearing this, Dehrimon? I wish to honor your devotion and feeling somehow..."
Dehrimon cried out: "Please don't be sad, my dear Myschala... move on with your life... I am just happy to have served you... I pray the gods protect you, Surdana and all of Drakan..."
With these final words, Dehrimon closed his eyes and his head fell down. Shortly afterwards Geroth followed him, as the spiky dragon's eyes closed and his head also fell down. Both Dehrimon and Geroth were no longer among the living.
Every dragon and human became saddened with the death of their army's general alongside his bonded dragon. But 4 non-humans began laughing and cheering. When the crowd turned around, they saw the beastpeople inside the cage. Their sadness turned into anger when they heard the beastfolk mocking Dehrimon and Geroth's deaths.
Wild Tusk: Oh, don't be so hypocritical... You humans massacred alot of our people.
Gutsman Skullhead: Yes, death to all dragons and humans! Justice for our slain comrades!
Borra the female Grull (chuckling): The demons will make you into burned stew and we shall eat your cooked remains!
Rynn approached their cage, angered. She then looked at the cowering female Lycan in the cage's corner and calmed down.
"You did this as revenge for your murdered relatives, huh?": Rynn said coldly.
Lycania (shivering): "Yes! My dear Lupius will be avenged! Every beastman you have killed will have their blood paid for in all your lives!"
Rynn (still coldly): "And you think summoning demons from another world shall accomplish this? Did you honestly believe that witch and her lies? Heck, Tanyana's brain has been corrupted by all the dark magic she's practiced!"
Wild Tusk (annoyed): "What are you implying filthy human?"
Rynn: "If you keep summoning demons, you will end getting corrupted as well! And when you are turned into mindless zombies, they will turn on you and eat you! Do you think you could reason with such vile beings?"
Gutsman (angered): "You speak lies!"
Rynn: "Listen, I shall make you a compromise... you will be set free and left alone if you stop bothering us and summoning any more demons."
Everyone looked surprised at Rynn, while Arokh shouted: "What has just forced you to say this? They must be executed for everything they have done!"
Rynn turned towards Arokh: "I am not asking for their forgiveness nor am I gonna give them mine. I don't wanna be friends with these beasts, we have bigger problems at the moment."
Borra the female Grull: "Bah, more human trickery! A human or dragon's promise is worth nothing! Don't you trust any of her words!"
Rynn got angered, then raised her divine sword: "Look here, you fat swine... I have a magic sword that can turn even the strongest creatures into ashes in seconds, my dragon has a similar power that can blast a giant hole in a mountain, our city has an entire army of dragon and their human riders... We can easily squish your species until you are all driven to extinction. My village and brother were killed by your disgusting ilk years ago, I have every right to use these and exterminate you vermin off the face of Drakan... but I am sick of this eternal cycle. I wish to settle down and live calmly until I die of old age. However while I offer you a last chance to peacefully walk away, make no mistake- if you ever do anything bad to me, Arokh, Surdana or anybody else again, I shall hunt you down and kill every single one of you! Got it?"
The holy blade started glowing, which caused the 4 beastpeople to cower in fear and then began whispering to each other. Eventually they glared at Rynn, who had opened the cage and waited outside. The 4 beastfolk slowly walked outside the cage and looked at Rynn. Her grip on the sword tightened and everyone behind her looked in anticipation towards the beastpeople. Lycania then said: "We shall trouble you no longer. But don't ever search for us and expect an allegiance with us either." The four beastfolk then walked away with their heads looking downward, symbolizing their defeat and humiliating retreat. Rynn, Arokh and everybody else at Surdana visibly sighed in relief as this threat had finally been dealt with.
"Didn't know you had this in you Rynn. I am surprised by what you did today, being so morally superior.": Arokh broke the silence.
"Sometimes right and wrong are impossible to tell apart. I am still having doubts if what I just did was good or should I go after them and make sure they don't live to cause us any more problems...": Rynn answered.
"Perhaps another day... but right now as you said yourself, we have bigger issues worth dealing with. The demons from Sessool must be stopped.": Arokh congratulated and reminded her.
Rynn looked towards Arokh and smiled, but Myschala intervened and spoke: "We must begin a funeral for all the deceased and start repairing this city first."
XXXXXX
The following day, the humans began repairing the city of Surdana. The use of magic and the dragons' help was useful for speeding up the process of recovery. However, not everything could be repaired. Many dragons and people died, most important of which are Dehrimon and Geroth. Zeggoro, Ranwulf, captain Fandrill, Sevoth and Merdhynis had been summoned to help with the city's renewal as well as the funerary rites for the deceased. Jade used her combined magic alongside the other wizards to prevent Dehrimon and Geroth's bodies getting corrupted by their wounds inflicted by the demon, while also casting blessings for their souls to have a good afterlife. Lady Myschala prayed that Dehrimon and Geroth were in a better place now, but she was visibly shedding tears over their graves.
Brekk was fixing a broken shovel when he saw Rynn walking by from her private house, both her and Arokh having been awakened. "There you are, general of Surdana? What orders will you and your dragon give this humble blacksmith?": said Brekk towards Rynn.
"I beg your pardon?": Rynn raised an eyebrow.
"Mala Shae and that owl wizard told us everything. You and your dragon now have replaced both Dehrimon and Geroth. They shall be missed, but I hope you shall be good replacements. Our city needs all the help it can get, I hope all those magic godly trinkets you have collected are enough to stop these demons and save all of us.": Brekk replied.
"I promise that we shall give it our best to defend Surdana and all of Drakan from any enemies.": Rynn spoke in an uncharacteristically formal way.
Brekk laughed: "That's the spirit! Make us all proud, my little blood-soaked daughter! Kill everyone who stands in the way, be it a beastman, undead, mutated monster, demon or anything else. May the gods be with you and your dragon!"
After that Brekk returned into his workshop. Merdhynis approached Rynn: "You can always count on all of us Rynn, we shall help you as much as possible. However this is the part where our capabilities are limited. While we shall defend Surdana as much as possible, you with Arokh must venture into Sessool and stop Tanyana from summoning the Demonic God of Destruction."
Lady Myschala with all the other important people of Surdana walked closer to Rynn and Arokh, giving them words of encouragement. Rynn was about to start crying, but calmed herself and took out her blessed sword: "I swear in the name of Ahura, me and Arokh won't fail you! We have lost many people dear to us- my fellow villagers, my little brother, Heron, Rimril, Dehrimon, Geroth, Arokh's original family and friends... All of their deaths won't be in vain because I vow to go into Sessool with Arokh, then stop all the demons there from attacking Drakan ever again. Even if this Dark God Angra stands in our way, we shall use these relics to drive it back to the black void from whence it came! Are you ready to join me, Arokh?"
Her Bonded red dragon smiled and said: "We have been through alot together Rynn... We defeated Navaros and the Dark Union, then we defeated Jasaad and the Desert Lords... we shall now do the same with the other demons of Sessool and Angra! I have been your bonded dragon before and I shall remain together with you until the very end!"
Rynn smiled at Arokh, while all the humans gave them applauds for their courage. However Mala Shae interrupted their cheery mood: "Please do not underestimate your enemies! While you may have all the relics of Ahura, those are still a mere fraction of the Creator's power! And most importantly, Angra's awakening must be prevented so you must avoid risking a confrontation with this primordial god of evil! Rynn, Arokh... this will be your final and greatest fight ever so please both of you give it your best!"
Rynn and Arokh nodded towards the Dragon Mother, however then Rynn asked: "But how do we even get into Sessool?"
Jade intervened: "I saw this in the beastmen's possession and told Surdana's guards to confiscate it from them." The kind sorceress gave Rynn a piece of parchment which had alien runes written on top in blood. A picture on the side also showed the Ancients' Gates.
"It's from Tanyana's research. She must have stumbled upon the Desert Lords' records on how to cross between their world and ours. This parchment holds the instructions for the Ancient Gate and Sessool's planetary coordinates.": Jade told Rynn.
Rynn looked at Arokh, then asked him: "So that's it, Arokh... all we have to do is enter the coordinates and we shall be in Sessool. Are you ready to kick some demonic ass?"
Arokh smirked: "Lead the way Rynn. I am itching to try out Ahura's Fang against every demon there. Input those coordinates whenever you want."
Merdhynis intervened: "I must warn you first... the portal works both ways. If it remains open, then all the demons of Sessool will be free to march into here and kill everything. After you cross that portal's threshold, we shall be forced to close it behind you so there will be no turning back. And the only way to open it from your side is by using the combined power of Ahura's relics- you cannot return to Drakan until you have completed your mission."
Mala Shae added: "The wizard is correct. Get as many provisions here as you need before you go. But don't waste time as our enemies are preparing their next move. Choose your next move carefully, lest it be your last. Regarding Sessool- it's dangerous enemy territory with everything there attempting to kill you and nothing to help you so you must rely on all of Ahura's power you have gained."
Rynn and Arokh both agreed with their allies' extremely important advice. The heroic duo bought as many provisions as possible and prepared themselves for the final journey. Rynn entered the coordinates and the Mother's Eye revealed a new image for them. A blurry image of black, purple and red colors- while the sky was visibly separate from the ground, all the other features of Sessool were too hard to see.
"Well this is it- our epic final battle... Going into a far away land filled with creatures extremely hostile to us... nothing we haven't done before, right? Are you ready to finally enter Sessool?": Rynn asked Arokh.
"Ha, I am in the mood for epic demon-slaying! Let's go into the Dark World and show the local residents our power given to us by Ahura!": Arokh answered Rynn's question.
The bonded heroic duo felt unseen before courage with all the divine relics from the God of Light. After these words of confidence, they at last crossed the final threshold and entered the demonic planet.
As promised, their allies closed the gateway portal behind them which left Rynn and Arokh stranded in enemy territory for the last battle...
Chapter 10: Planet Sessool and Last Battle
When our heroes finally crossed the portal's threshold and the gate closed behind them, Rynn and Arokh saw the literally alien landscape infront of them. The sky was purple with black smoke-like clouds, with the star and planets of outer space visible. Instead of water the planet had purple ooze-like substance flowing through it, likely toxic for humans and dragons. And the ground was dark grey as if made from ash, with several bizarre constructs dotting the landscape. Some of these were vein-like red cracks, glowing ominously alongside spike-like protrusions which shot bolts of red energy into the sky. Lastly the atmosphere smelled horribly, though fortunately Rynn and Arokh resisted that likely due to Ahura's relics in their possession.
Rynn: "Goodness, this place is disgusting! It's no wonder the Desert Lords wanted to leave it and colonize Drakan instead!"
Arokh: "There is no time to waste! Since we are now in enemy territory we must remain vigilant and push forward! We are so close to reaching our goal, we cannot afford to lose now!"
Rynn replied with a "Right!" and they flew above the hostile world. It wasn't long until they were met with opposition. The canyon where they entered was filled with hellhounds crawling on the walls. As soon as our duo entered, the vicious creatures roared and jumped towards them. While Arokh was using his Light elemental beam to dispatch them, Rynn either shot arrows or used similar beams from her godly sword. These weapons proved essential in making the battles easier and killing their enemies faster. Afterwards the attempted to escape the canyon, but suddenly a magical barrier appeared which blocked their path. Rynn and Arokh looked aside then saw a bunch of tentacled Nightmares flying towards them. Like a swarm of locusts they surrounded our duo, all of their glowing red eyes glowing menacingly. They charged towards Arokh with their tentacles extended which forced him to shoot them with his laser beams. However while some were attacking from the front, some had sneaked behind him and managed to grapple onto him with their tentacles. Like a net or snake, their tentacles coiled around the dragon's body which caused him to plummet down. While the landing wasn't fatal, Arokh roared in pain as their tentacles began suffocating him. Rynn gritted her teeth and began shooting her arrows towards the parasites. She didn't use her sword as it would probably miss and hit Arokh instead. Whenever an arrow struck a Nightmare, it began combusting into flames and retreated. Arokh fired a volley of fast-moving lasers to finish it off, but one Nightmare managed to crawl onto his back and its tentacles were directed at Rynn. Being forced to use melee, she took out her sword and swung towards the tentacles around her. The creature detached itself and flew away, but Arokh managed to kill it mid-flight. With all the Nightmares dead, the barrier disappeared and our heroes progressed.
In the next area it was impossible to land anywhere due to the hazardous purple ooze below them. And on the cliffs around them, Ogre demons had appeared. The red creatures roared and then began shooting homing projectiles towards our heroes. Fortunately, their projectiles could be destroyed mid-air with shots either from Rynn's arrows or Arokh's Light elemental breath. Then one by one, the dispatched of the Ogres by flying around and shooting them as well. Eventually that enemy wave was cleared and our duo landed on a cliff. Rynn was forced to dismount Arokh, because the entrance was covered with large spike-like growths. While Arokh was too large to pass through, Rynn could squeeze between the openings. She left her dragon outside and entered the caverns. Above her, the tunnels' ceilings had glowing red cracks while below were puddles of toxic purple ooze. Rynn could endure them with Ahura's armor protecting her body, however she didn't want to risk it so instead she jumped over each obstacle. Eventually she saw the entrance to a bigger cavern and made a run for it but suddenly the ground shook and beneath her a huge bony tentacle appeared. She rolled to the side to dodge it, causing the large tentacle to swipe at her. Because Rynn was faster, she avoided the tentacle falling on the ground in its attempt to crush her. In that brief moment on the ground, the tentacle was vulnerable and Rynn swung her sword at it like a woodcutter does to a fallen tree log. The sword's power easily cut the bony tentacle in half, with the stump twitching in pain and retreating underground. While the severed half was rotting away, Rynn entered the cavern. Infront of her was a switch and she ran towards it. However her attempt was interrupted as two more demons appeared- one Hellhound and a red Ogre. The former began curling up into a ball and rolling towards her, while the Ogre shot a purple fireball. Rynn managed to avoid both attacks, but her enemies were aggressive. The Hellhound paused and began shooting venomous spikes towards her, while the Ogre punched the ground and send out shockwaves of demonic energy. Fortunately Rynn was quick both on her feet and in her thinking- she managed to dodge their attacks, eventually standing between them. When the Ogre shot another fireball, the Hellhound began rolling towards her. Our heroine jumped at the right moment, which caused the Hellhound to hit the purple fireball instead. While it didn't hurt it, the Hellhound kept rolling towards the Ogre until it crashed into its ally. The Ogre and Hellhound were now entangled, causing them to roar at each other and began hitting themselves with their claws. Rynn smirked at her successful plan, then charged her sword. When the two demons realized the human's intentions, it was too late- Rynn fired a huge beam of light from the sword of Ahura, vaporizing both of them. Afterwards Rynn walked forward and pressed the mechanism, which caused the spikes to lower and Arokh flew towards her. With Rynn mounted on her dragon, it was easier to bypass the dangerous caverns even with all the traps and enemies. Eventually they made it outside and saw a different landscape.
The ground before them was filled with glowing purple crystals which jutted from the ground like spikes. It was difficult to walk on the ground with the forest of spike crystals which forced Arokh to fly above instead until they saw another cavern with a huge crystal growing on the entrance. "I don't like this place... It's quiet, way too quiet...": said Rynn. "Agreed, let's leave this area quickly by going straight for the exit.": said Arokh who reached the cavern's entrance. He pondered for a moment and then decided to destroy the crystal with his beam, however that proved to be a bad choice. When the crystal exploded, the entrance was sealed by another barrier. "It's a trap!": shouted the dragon. "Arokh, watch out! Behind us!": screamed Rynn. All the crystals in the area simultaneously exploded, which released enemies. The demons burst from the crystals' remains like butterflies from their cocoons. When they saw our duo, they began rushing towards them. Arokh couldn't use his breath as he had just wasted it on the crystal and had to wait for it recharging. However Rynn swung her sword and send a a massive wave of divine Light energy that killed some of the demons, while others scattered to the sides. Arokh was forced to fly around while dodging their attacks, with Rynn keeping them at bay using her arrows. Eventually his breath recharged and he fired a giant beam of white/blue energy just as the demons were aligned together. After the massive laser pierced the remaining demons and managed to disintegrate them all in a large impressive blast of holy power, the barrier shut down. Rynn and Arokh entered the second opened-up cavern.
While Arokh was capable of passing through the tunnel, it was obstructed by spikes and vents which shot clouds of toxic gas. Rynn saw a peculiar hole on the wall next to them after which she dismounted her dragon and began running through all the obstacles. She walked around the spikes and jumped over the toxic gas vents, eventually reaching the other side. There she saw a stone pedestal with a weird object on it. Rynn took the item and began inspecting it, seeing that it resembled a foot or head with either claws or horns growing from the sides and a red crystal in the middle. But her curiosity had triggered another trap- suddenly the area began shaking, causing Rynn to run back towards Arokh. Then a large boulder fell and began rolling towards her, forcing Rynn to hide inside a crevice on the wall. Eventually the boulder crashed into the spikes and stopped rolling. Arokh worried called out for Rynn's name, only to see her emerge from behind the large boulder and walking towards him. She placed the weird object inside the peculiar hole next to them and then all traps were deactivated. The protagonists passed through the now safe area until they made it outside again. The next outdoors area was barren, multiple rocks were littered on the ground in various formations. While the rock placement and arrangement were random, Rynn and Arokh noticed large holes on them which looked as if made from something large burrowing through. Suddenly when flying above the craters, one of them shot an explosion of dark elemental energy like a geyser upwards. Arokh dodged it, but what followed was even worse. Inside the hole was another demon resembling a giant legless centipede with a body looking as if was made from iron metal. The demon was a Terror Worm, which had large glowing almond-shaped eyes and mouth full with sharp needle-like mandibles. Rynn and Arokh gasped when the monster appeared, then began floating in the sky above. When the demon moved through the air, it looked like it was swimming underwater instead. Then it disappeared in a black hole-like portal causing our heroes to glare in confusion. Rynn looked behind them and shouted "Atokh, look out behind!" causing the dragon to turn around just as another black hole appeared. From it flew the Terror Worm whose mouth glowed a purple color and began shooting energy projectiles at them. Arokh barely managed to avoid it and began counter-attacking. The battle was fierce but eventually the Terror Worm's dead remains fell on the ground. However the nose from the battle caused other Terror Worms to also appear, either from the craters on the ground or by teleporting from black holes in the air. The heroes were forced to retreat by making a beeline towards the area' exit with the demons chasing them. Arokh was dodging the projectiles while Rynn helped with either her arrows or the blessed sword. Eventually Arokh suddenly stopped and turned around, firing another giant beam of Light energy which killed off most of their enemies. The remaining ones used their summoned black holes to teleport away. When the worms retreated, our heroes entered a third cave, this one bigger than the previous.
In front of them the wall had a giant ring-like gate, with a barrier inside preventing them from progressing. This reminded them of the Dark Union's Grimstone Gates, which wasn't surprising seeing as those were made by Succubi who were also demons from Sessool. Arokh landed on a cliffside while Rynn dismounted and stepped on a floating platform. The magical structure flew up and lifted Rynn towards the upper floor. When she made it above, she spotted a mechanism on the opposite side of the hallway which had pillars on both sides. Rynn walked through the empty chamber and managed to pull the switch. But upon doing so, a large purple flame appeared between the hallway's center and the floating platform. From it emerged a Hellfire Fiend, who saw Rynn and began attacking. The female human said "damn it" to herself as she rolled hid behind the mechanism. However the demon summoned a large flaming sword and was ready to crush the heroine including her hiding spot. Just as the sword was raised above its head, Rynn made a run for it. While the demon's flaming blade struck the ground, Rynn was already in the chamber's middle. The Fiend turned around, then summoned a long flaming whip and lashed it towards Rynn which caused her to hide behind a pillar. She drank a mana potion just as the demon was moving towards her with the intent to kill her. Quickly, Rynn jumped from behind the pillar and shot a beam of light against her enemy. The demon screamed in pain as the laser pierced its torso and created a large hole. Rynn swung her sword which caused her to decapitate the Fiend. After the demon's body toppled backwards, the severed head fell instead forward and landed infront of Rynn. The head's expression was frozen in shock with eyes and mouth wide-opened, their glowing had faded away which indicated the Fiend was dead. Cautiously, Rynn walked backwards trying to avoid more surprises. After getting on the floating platform, she descended to the lower floor and reunited with Arokh. Then our duo flew through the opened gateway and entered a long tunnel with purple ooze covering the floor. However when they moved forward, another tall pillar of purple flame sprouted and they encountered another Hellfire Fiend. The demon roared at them, but our bonded heroes were annoyed with the constant interruptions. When the demon charged forward with its flaming sword, Rynn shot an arrow in its eye and Arokh dodged out of the way. The Fiend missed and was rubbing its eye in pain, while Arokh was charging his attack. As soon as the demon turned around, it was blasted by a volley of laser beams which caused it to explode into bloody chunks which fell into the purple ooze. Its decapitated head was floating on the surface, which made Arokh getting closer and Rynn spitting on it. Both our heroes made their disgust clear and left its mutilated corpse behind. Eventually, the long tunnel ended with Rynn and Arokh stumbling into a new outdoors location.
It was a large flat plain with multiple tall obelisk-like structures littering the area. They had red demonic runes written on them and the top ended with four spikes in the shape of an opened claw. However inside that claw burned a crimson red flame which shot beams of red electricity into the skies of the demon planet. Rynn and Arokh didn't know the purpose of these towers, but they didn't want to find out. Arokh landed on the ground and began thinking how they would progress forward seeing as the bolts of demonic energy could harm him whiee flying. Suddenly, the ground beneath them rumbled and several bony tentacles erupted. The red dragon quickly flew up and began shooting the demon tentacles beneath them. After the bony tentacles went back underground, Rynn and Arokh sighed in relief. However their victory was short-lived as that alerted other enemies. The tower's upward arcs of red energy stopped, then all of their flames shifted into large flaming red eyes with black slit pupils between the obelisks' claws. All the towers newly awakened eyes looked menacingly towards Rynn and Arokh who muttered a "Damn it, what now?" before the demons began attacking. The obelisk's eye fired a long beam of red energy towards our heroes in a similar way to the Pain Golem. Arokh dodged it, but all other towers began firing as well. Rynn was getting agitated, so she told Arokh to avoid the beams and just make an escape. They flew around the towers and their deadly long beams of red energy, until they saw another cavern entrance which resembled a gaping mouth filled with long teeth. However just as they reached it, suddenly another demonic red barrier had blocked their path. Rynn gritted her teeth while Arokh frowned in anger. The obelisks behind them began firing again, which forced our heroes to turn around with the intent to fight back. Arokh dodged the beams and fired his Light element lasers into the towers' eyes while Rynn helped by using either her arrows or blessed sword. Thankfully Arokh used the correct strategy by aiming for the eyes which served as the demonic towers' weak points. Eventually all the towers were toppled and the barrier disappeared. Rynn used a healing potion to repair both Arokh and her wounds, after which they flew towards the gaping maw entrance. They weren't fatigued because of Ahura's blessings, however the constant waves of tough Sessool enemy onslaught had infuriated both of them.
Behind the gaping maw's entrance, they saw another pair of Hellfire Fiends were standing there in anticipation. "They knew we are coming! It's an ambush!": roared Arokh. Rynn frowned and swung her sword which distracted the Fiends, while Arokh was charging his giant beam of divine Light for another counter-attack. Both demons fought back fiercely, but our heroes managed to kill them off as well. Rynn and Arokh entered a long corridor-like valley, when they saw an entire swarm of various demon species there. The human dragon rider took out her sword in preparation for another fight, however instead the demons ran away. This caused Rynn and Arokh to briefly stare in surprise, then smiling and proclaiming that: "Perhaps they saw their fallen comrades and got finally the hint." But while our duo was arrogantly fooled into believing themselves unstoppable, a giant earthquake shook the ground. Rynn and Arokh looked around startled, then turned around which caused them to see the demons' actual reason for escaping. A giant wall of demonic energy was fired behind them and it was rushing towards our heroes like a deadly avalanche. The giant explosion was impossible to avoid, it caught everything in its way and turned it into debris which got blown around like mere feathers by a powerful tornado. Rynn just screamed "Run!", with Arokh quickly obliging. They used the Horn of Ahura spell to increase their speed and flew forward like an arrow fired from its bow. However to impede their progress, the demons appeared. "They were prepared for our arrival! The demons are doing everything to stop us!": Arokh shouted. Rynn screamed: "Don't give up! We are so close!" With all of their determination, our heroes pushed forward. Arokh was flying to avoid the explosion behind him while also dodging obstacles and enemy attacks. Demons and obelisks were firing projectiles, purple spiky crystals jutted from the ground craters were belching toxic purple demonic blood that was more lethal for mortals than acid or lava. Their enemies were throwing everything at them and soon the heroes found out why. In the distance in front of them Rynn and Arokh saw a tall mountain-like structure. The whole thing was possibly the biggest structure on the planet, with multiple tower-like protrusions rising high into the sky. Above black thunderstorm clouds were gathered and swirling around like a aerial whirlpool, shooting multiple bolts of red lightning. The mountain and its towers resembled spikes or horns which extended upwards into the sky, overall their combination resembled a twisted version of a castle or crown. In the middle of this mountain was another gaping maw-like cavern entrance, this one much bigger and ornate which signified its importance. Rynn and Arokh realized this place is their goal, however they saw the maw entrance was beginning to close in a last ditch attempt of stopping them. "Arokh, it's closing! We are not gonna make it!": Rynn cried out. "Hold on tight! I am gonna perform one final trick!": roared Arokh. His wings had stopped flapping and were held straight like a kite, after which he went closer to the ground which gave him a speed boost. Rynn began tearing up as they dodged the obstacles while the gaping entrance was closing down. Arokh felt Ahura's magic speed boost fading so he did one final gambit- he let himself extremely close to the demonic explosion wave, the blast almost having touched his tail. He then quickly turned around, firing his giant laser towards the approaching wall of death. The result was an explosion which propelled them forward like a cannonball! Arokh lost control of his flight, but he and Rynn were shot forward at impressive distance and speed. The heroes barely managed to squeeze past the closing teeth of the castle's gate. With a final tumble, Arokh crash landed in the ground while Rynn fell off his back. The gate shut closed behind them and glowed purple, signifying it was impossible to be opened. And outside, the advancing wall of explosive energy had collided with the castle walls. Thankfully the mountain was durable and the demonic energy was harmlessly dissipated.
When Rynn and Arokh recovered from the crash landing, they looked at each other. Both of them were bruised, however it only was minor scratches. Rynn used a healing potion to recover all of their wounds, then moved closer to Arokh and began gently petting his head like a horse. "Thanks buddy, we couldn't have made it here if not for you quick thinking. I wouldn't have accomplished really anything without you.": said Rynn while looking in Arokh's eye. The dragon smiled: "We make a great team, Rynn. Together we have succeeded where all others before us have failed. Our Bond's power and Ahura's blessings have aided us in reaching our goal." After that exchange of words, Rynn and Arokh looked around to view their surroundings. The castle's interior was a large cavern with pillars taller than all the previous ones, on the ground was a round plate with a familiar symbol. It was three red almond-shaped scratches arranged together like a triangle, resembling a bird's clawed foot. However there was a single black oval inside each of these 3 red markings, which made them resemble a pair of demonic eyes with a third eye above them like a pyramid. Rynn and Arokh looked forward, seeing a pair of murals on the walls infront of them. Left side depicted a giant humanoid dragon with feathered wings and tail, while the right side depicted a similar creature but with chiropteran wings and its tail ended in a triangular shape like a typical demon. The 2 sides were facing each other which resembled the giant stone wall carving back under Surdana's caves but split in half. Rynn and Arokh finally realized what both murals depicted, the 2 supreme opposite gods- Ahura with Angra locked in an eternal battle with each other. Diverting their attention from the walls, our heroes looked forward. The entrance was blocked with teeth-like spikes like the ones in the gaping maws outside, however these ones were colored very dark purple instead. Arokh charged his laser and fired towards the locked gate, only to see it glow bright purple with red bloody runes briefly appearing on the gate's teeth-like spikes. The dragon kept shooting them with no avail, he eventually gave up: "Darn it, one last roadblock! And we are so close!" Rynn looked around in the hopes of seeing anything which could open the gate, but nothing was there- no key, no mechanism, no hidden switch, nothing! "The demons and Tanyana must have foreseen our arrival, so they closed the final gate in our faces with a powerful spell!": Arokh growled. Then Rynn stepped closer and looked around the spikes until she saw one spark of hope. Between two of the spikes was a small hole, big enough for a human like Rynn or Tanyana to pass through. Whether it was intentional or a defect in the gate was unknown. Rynn showed Arokh this hole and said: "I can pass through here, but looks like you are stuck on the other side." Arokh replied: "Fine, I shall be waiting here. Walk through this area, kill Tanyana and then we shall return home. Be careful Rynn, please make it back safely." Rynn shook her head in agreement and smiled weakly, after which she left her dragon behind the closed gate and moved forward. The penultimate chamber had a large floating platform similar to the one used in the Sanguinade to transport people to the Desert Lords' floating islands base. However the platform was colored black and purple instead. Rynn stepped on it and was lifted upwards, upon which she arrived in the mountain castle's interior. When she stepped outside, another maw gate closed behind her with long spike-like teeth. Rynn looked at her locked exit and then focused on the area forward. She began walking after wiping her sweaty forehead in anticipation of the upcoming final battle. And while she moved towards the large chamber's exposed center, she began observing her surroundings.
The place reminded her of the Rift World from so many years ago, when she failed to save her younger brother. All the dark memories rose up in Rynn's head, but she tightly clenched Ahura's relics and they were once again suppressed. The area resembled a cave however the roof was opened, with the dark sky of Sessool visible above which caused occasional bolts of red lightning to strike the chamber's insides. There were bridge-like ramps everywhere, while the walls were covered with spiky rock formations. Below her, was a void of black and purple swirling energy. She looked at it, seeing it move around like a maelstrom at sea which could swallow a whole ship and break it like it was made of paper. The dark energy resembled skulls or faces howling in agony, which caused Rynn to look away in horror. And then, she hear a familiar voice chanting a spell in an unknown language. Rynn moved closer and saw the dark silhouette of a tall human woman standing on the ramp's edge. It was her arch-nemesis, Tanyana! Finally, our heroine had managed to corner the witch in a corner! At first Rynn hesitated, but then grasped her sword and raised in a sneaky attempt of attacking Tanyana from behind... only for the latter to stop her chanting and put her formerly raised hands down. "I know you are there...": a deep echoing, but still female voice hit Rynn's ears. When our heroine stood in one place while still holding the sword tightly in her hands, Tanyana slowly turned around. Her movements were creepy and resembled those of a lifeless puppet. When Tanyana turned around, Rynn was horrified by the sight of the former human. Tanyana's eyes were permanently red with slit pupils, dried up bloody trails were formed under her eyes (as if she had cried tears of blood), Tanyana's hair was messy while her clothes looked worn out, her skin was now paler than snow that had the side effect of exposing her purple veins, and her frame had become leaner as if she was just a skeleton walking in a fleshy suit of barely human visage. "I know you would reach me, but I made sure your dragon can't help you...": Tanyana said in the same creepy voice, which was devoid of any emotion and sounded almost inhuman. Rynn shuttered when she looked at her but Ahura's relics filled her with courage and she began talking: "That crystal you took from Surdana's caves... It was Angra's remaining relic and you absorbed it! That cursed artifact has corrupted your mind and turned you in a demon!" Tanyana glared at Rynn with a stoic expression and replied: "This item has opened my eyes... I see the truth at last- your world, all of existence... they are a mistake which must be corrected... the universe cannot exist without darkness and death... all must be destroyed and reborn anew... it was my fate to come all the way here and do this..." Rynn shouted angrily: "Snap out of it woman! Damn it, you are just a puppet of Angra's evil!" The words managed to reach Tanyana, but not in the way Rynn hoped. The sorceress became angered, then shouted in a terrifying inhuman voice: "NO! This object and the demons protected me! My god cares for me and so I must repay its kindness! Angra's will must be done so now you shall DIE!" Tanyana let out a demonic roar, after which their last duel started.
The dark sorceress first shot a purple lightning at Rynn, but our heroine dodged that spell by rolling to the side and fired an arrow inside Tanyana's torso. A demonic scream escaped her lips as her torso started bleeding purple/black ooze instead of blood. Tanyana fired another bolt at Rynn, which our heroine also dodged. However when she fired the second arrow, Tanyana had vanished. Rynn took out her sword and waited in anticipation with eyes closed, she had a hunch what was Tanyana's next move. She carefully ignored the area's noises and heard a sound of a magic spell behind her. Quickly Rynn turned around and swung Ahura's holy sword, which fired a wave of blue/white energy. The attack successfully hit its intended target and Tanyana fell on the ground clutching her stomach in pain with black smoke coming from her, the sword's divine magic had burned her. When Rynn approached Tanyana, she raised her sword and proclaimed: "That was your final mistake. Your life and evil plan will now finally end..." Tanyana gritted her unusually sharp teeth and raised her head towards Rynn, after which she breathed purple/black fire or smoke towards her. When Rynn walked backwards thus avoiding the attack, Tanyana stood up and screamed: "Angra, give me your power!" Suddenly Tanyana's body got engulfed in purple/black energy, as if she was set on fire. A magical explosion of dark energy followed next and when Rynn looked again towards Tanyana, she was gone. In her place now stood a demonic dragon humanoid similar to the murals both in Surdana and the previous antechamber she was inside with Arokh. Tanyana is now fully under control by the Darkness and had just transformed into a demon! "I am the avatar of Angra, your attempts were futile! NOW DIE!": demonic Tanyana screamed in another, deeper voice. The woman she was once had gone away forever, there was now only an extension of Angra in her place. Demonic Tanyana shot a purple lightning bolt against Rynn, who evaded the attack while shooting another sacred arrow. The demon received a wound on its torso but it wasn't enough to kill her. She quickly flew over the void above them and continued attacking Rynn from a safe distance. At first demon Tanyana shot purple fireballs at Rynn, which caused her to run away like a deer evading a hunter. Instead of continuing the attack, she changed tactics by firing a long beam of dark energy. Rynn could barely run away from it so she quickly cast Ahura's magic which boosted her speed. The demon sorceress didn't stop with her attack but she was standing perfectly still. And this was the perfect chance for Rynn. She quickly stopped running and swung her sword which fired a massive light beam towards Tanyana, hitting her again. The demon stopped its dark laser attack, then roared in rage and flew upwards. She raised her arms above her head and inside them began forming a miniature black hole. Rynn was going to get obliterated if she didn't do something fast. In that moment when demonic Tanyana was charging her spell of destruction, Rynn shot another arrow that hit her exactly between the eyes. The demon screamed in pain as the blast of holy magic wounded her sight and she came falling down like a bullet. Rynn tired running away but Tanyana managed to fall on top of her and her heaier body managed to pin down our heroine. Rynn was lying on her back when Tanyana stood up and raised her fist with the intention of killing Rynn. However in her adrenaline-filled haste Rynn managed to quickly turn around and slashed her enemy's torso with the blessed sword. Tanyana jumped backwards with a roar of agony while Rynn stood up. Both of them looked each other in the eyes angrily. Rynn then saw the demon sorceress run towards her like a wild animal. The human warrior charged forward with her sword extended. Both combatants eventually clashed and moved away from each other. Then demon Tanyana screamed in pain as Rynn had managed to wound her again, the damage taken from Ahura's sword put her on the verge of death. Cracks of dark energy moved across Tanyana's body after which she transformed back, the wounds caused her powers to drain away. Rynn looked at her with a scared look of anticipation, waiting for her next move. Did Tanyana snap out from Angra's control or was she going to attack Rynn again? What followed shocked Rynn... Tanyana walked backwards while looking at Rynn with black ooze bleeding from her wounds. Her movements were like a broken puppet and she was holding her torso in pain. "M-master, please forgive me... I have failed you...": she muttered with her eyes turning back to their original color, while she was standing on the very edge of the ramp. Then Rynn had realized what was going to happen next and swung her sword with all remaining power to finish off Tanyana. But it was too late... The sorceress tripped and fell down into the swirling dark void below, her falling into the purple substance was akin to a person drowning into the deep ocean. Rynn looked saddened at her enemy who disappeared as she was absorbed by the vortex of dark energy like a rock sinking into the ocean's bottom. This was all too familiar to Rynn, it's the same way she lost her younger brother Delon so many years ago. Rynn sighed in sadness as she couldn't manage to save Tanyana, but she turned backwards and began walking towards the antechamber to reunite with Arokh. "Well... at least I managed to stop her from destroying the world...": Rynn whispered to herself, trying to lessen the bleak situation which just happened. She considered the mission accomplished, wanting to return home. She had managed to save Drakan from another threat. Or so it seemed...
Large rumbling began shaking the area, with red lightning bolts pouring into the dark abyss below. Rynn shook around, almost losing balance. She noticed a sound amidst this rumbling which resembled a heartbeat. When Rynn turned around to look into void beneath her, expecting Tanyana to return, instead she witnessed something much worse. The purple vortex produced 3 glowing red light which at first resembled slits, then widened and turned into eyes. Rynn quickly recognized these as the same markings on the antechamber's floor and realized those were similar to Ahura's eyes, only being red instead. However what really terrified Rynn was the realization of what happened- her mission had failed. Angra the demon god had been successfully awakened! Then a deep voice filled the large chamber- no, it would be more accurate to call it a noise instead. Rynn heard the dark god speaking and its words assaulted her ears like a thunderstorm or the explosion of a volcano. The voice was distorted and ethereal, barely understandable for mortals. However it pierced her mind like a spear impaling a wounded prey and caused Rynn to grab her head in pain. The eldritch words invaded Rynn's mind and telepathically became more comprehensible: "AFTER COUNTLESS EONS OF DISPROPORTIONATE IMPRISONMENT, I AM FREE!"
Rynn shook her head and ignored the pain to her mind caused by the horrifying voice and regained her senses. When she looked down, she saw that the demon god's head had emerged from the black vortex. Strands from the dark energy were attached to it, and shadowy tendrils crept up on the chamber's walls. Angra's resurrection was reminiscent of an infant climbing outside its womb and tearing away its placenta. Its head was the same as Ahura's statue, only black and purple colored instead while the eyes glowed menacing red with black slit pupils. Rynn wasted no further time and began shooting divine arrows at Angra's head. The dark god noticed their impact, looking upward and seeing Rynn: "WHAT IS THIS? A LESSER BEING TRYING TO ATTACK ME? BOTHERSOME VERMIN!" Angra roared and shook the chamber while Rynn kept shooting it, unfortunately the arrows were merely a nuisance for it. Eventually its neck and shoulders rose above the dark void, its body was forming from the planet's very physical matter itself. Suddenly, Angra grew one clawed hand with a long arm, then began hitting the chamber's walls. The evil deity had superior strength and the whole place started breaking apart. Rynn felt the ground beneath her rumbling and then falling apart. She began jumping from one platform to another to avoid getting killed. Meanwhile, Arokh stood in the chamber and noticed the rumbling: "Oh dear stars, what now? Did Rynn succeed or is there a problem?" He looked at the closed gate before him and saw its glow had disappeared, the spell had been broken with Tanyana's death. Arokh charged his laser and broke the gate, then flew inside the next chamber in the hopes of meeting Rynn. His female human rider was jumping between the ramps, however she was running out of safe places. Then Angra grew its other hand with arm included, using both of them to bring the entire chamber down. Rynn tripped on the debris and fell down, she was now holding onto a ledge with both her arms. Then she looked and saw Angra raising its hand with the intent of swiping and crushing Rynn like a bug. She lost her grip and instead fell down, with a tearful expression on her face and closed eyes: "Forgive me everyone, I have failed you all..." She was falling towards the dark void below, expecting to die. But suddenly a red blur flew close by and caught her! Rynn opened her eyes and saw that she had landed on Arokh's back! "Did you really think I would let you fall?": her dragon asked. "Arokh! Thank goodness! I killed Tanyana, but Angra has been awakened!": cried out Rynn. "I can see that... Guess we have no choice but to fight the demon god...": replied Arokh. They flew over Angra, who now had formed a torso and standing waist-deep into the dark energy below. The dark deity roared and swiped at our heroes, only for Arokh to avoid its melee attack. And then he wasted no time, charging his laser and firing it right into Angra's face. The god of evil closed its eyes and roared in pain: "THAT POWER! AHURA, I CAN FEEL IT'S YOUR DOING! YOU WON'T FACE ME DIRECTLY SO INSTEAD YOU GIVE LESSER CREATURES YOUR POWER? COWARD!" Rynn and Arokh stopped attacking, then grasped their heads in pain. Rynn told Arokh that Angra's voice (if it could even be called that) went inside their minds and hurt both of them, either nearly driving them insane or causing huge amounts of pain. "Angra is evil incarnate, it's essence corrupts and kills! Concentrate Rynn, use Ahura's blessings!" Both our heroes meditated and cleared their minds, the relics began glowing and cleansed them from the demonic god's agonizing presence. Just in time, as they felt their skulls were gonna explode from all the pain caused by Angra's mental assault. Afterwards, Rynn and Arokh continued their counter-attack on Angra. While Arokh dodged its melee swipes and shot barrages of light beams into it, Rynn either shot arrows or swung her sword and fired waves of holy energy at Angra. The dark god roared in anger, eventually rising from the vortex and having now formed its legs. Despite being submerged knee-deep into the black void, it was safe to assume its feet were also formed. Angra's tail was long and spiky, with a triangular shape on its end. Then it punched both sides of the chamber, breaking down the entire castle and mountain in the process! As Angra had grown taller, it now stood under the exposed sky of Sessool itself. Rynn and Arokh continued firing beams of light, however Angra covered its face with both hands. While doing so it leaned forwards as if in pain, then our heroes saw the reason for this- on its back two large spikes burst out, while beneath its arms there was a second pair of smaller spikes growing out. Both pairs of spikes eventually formed into a new appendage- the bigger spikes on its back turned into a gigantic pair of chiropteran wings that blocked out what little light was in Sessool, while the smaller spikes on its torso grew into a second pair of arms. Despite their efforts, Angra was still growing in power with every passing minute. Rynn and Arokh felt like insects compared to Angra at its full size, the dark god towering over them with its head alone being as large as Arokh. They couldn't determine its height, but it was now taller than a mountain- certain at least 100 meters, making Angra the largest being they have ever seen. Angra's wings folded on its back, now resembling a giant cape made of elemental darkness. "THESE DISTRACTIONS END HERE!": Angra shouted, upon which its mouth began glowing bright purple. Rynn and Arokh realized what was about to happen and quickly moved out of the way as quick as possible. When Angra's attack was charged enough, it fired a giant beam similar to Arokh's but colored purple instead. The beam was extremely long-ranged and turned all of the planet's terrain infront of Angra into dust in mere seconds. Rynn and Arokh gasped at the sheer raw might of the dark god, but regained courage and persisted anyways. The human rider continued shooting with the blessed sword, while her bonded dragon continued firing rapid beams of light. However, Angra only got more agitated and shouted in rage, its voice shaking the ground itself: "ENOUGH! I HAVE NO TIME FOR THIS!" Angra turned with its back towards Rynn and Arokh, its cloak-like wings made of elemental darkness now shrouded its body and thus made only Angra's head visible. Then Angra extended its four arms, causing a giant black-hole portal to appear infront of itself. The dark void of outer space was visible inside this portal and Angra began walking through it. Multiple smaller portals appeared everywhere in the sky, which caused the various demons to flew into them. "COME MY PRECIOUS CHILDREN! LET US FINALLY LEAVE BEHIND THIS WORLD AND UNDO ALL OF ANHURA'S CREATIONS!": Angra's voice echoed. Rynn and Arokh frowned upon hearing this. "We've got to hurry, Angra is going to Drakan and shall destroy the whole universe if we don't stop it!": shouted Rynn. Arokh clearly heard what she said and then both of them felt the ground shaking, as if the whole planet of Sessool was falling apart. Fortunately our heroes managed to spot a nearby portal and flew through it. Behind them, Angra's world was crumbling and the portal closed itself. Inside the portal, Rynn and Arokh were flying at incredible speed between worlds, a convenient shortcut for them. Arokh saw a Hellfire Fiend flying inside the portal and quickly vaporized the demon with his Light elemental power before the demon had a chance to notice them. Eventually, they saw a glow at the end of the tunnel- a familiar sight of their home world. However, it was a desert landscape for better or for worse. The South Continent was large and took about 25% of Drakan's planetary landmass with most of it being a desert environment so it was highly probably that Angra with its demonic army would land there. While moving towards their goal, Arokh and Rynn heard a familiar voice through the latter's amulet which was tied to her wrist despite being underneath her godly armor. The elderly male voice spoke: "Rynn, Arokh! I can finally speak with you! Lost contact when you are in Sessool, but now I can hear you again! What is happening?" Rynn answered: "Merdhynis? Listen, there's no time to explain- we killed Tanyana but Angra got revived anyway... It now travels towards Drakan with its demon army using a bunch of inter-dimensional portals... we managed to enter one such portal and now are following it back home..." Merdhynis frightened, replied: "Angra is awakened? Oh dear gods, that's very bad to hear! But I have some good news for you- we studied the Ancients' Gates and we found out they can be used as black holes to either absorb inside or repel outside something. Theoretically, we can use this to seal off the demons back in their home world... However, we still need more time in figuring it out... which I doubt we now have seeing as you didn't stop Angra from returning..." Arokh shouted: "Wizard, can you hear me? You wanted to redeem yourself, now is your chance! Find out how to turn the Ancients' Gates into a magic seal while I and Rynn distract Angra! However, Mala Shae and the other dragons must defend Surdana from the demonic horde in the meantime!" After a short silence, the owl wizard replied: "Very well, I shall do my best. The Order will fend off any enemies, but you must stall Angra for as long as possible and prevent it from annihilating Drakan! Buy us as much extra time as you can!" Rynn and Arokh bid the wizard farewell, then approached the glowing portal exit. When they got close and touched it, our heroes were brought quickly back into Drakan...
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In the South Continent's Desert of Tears, the long-abandoned ruins laid half-buried amongst the sands with the Ancient's Gate nestled in the rocks behind them. These debris were the remnants of Stratos, the Desert Lords' floating islands and fortress base which were brought down by the revived Order of the Flame half a decade ago. Some ruins laid on the sea's bottom which was formed by the explosion of magical energy and the floodwaters had separated the landmass in two pieces. A lonely Basilisk crawled out from the sand, then approached the carcass of a Gnoll. The reptilian creature began eating from the humanoid beast's decomposing corpse until it suddenly stopped. Raising its head, the basilisk sniffed the air with its long snout. It sensed that something horrifying was approaching, which caused it to scurry back and hide under the ground. And soon enough, it's fear was proven right as the sky had darkened above despite it being midday. Thunder clouds began forming and shot lightning bolts on the dry land below. It never had rained in the desert, but this was no ordinary storm. The ground shook and what followed next was a million times worse. A giant wound-like slit of dark energy appeared in the sky, going all the way down to the ground. The slit expanded into a portal, from which emerged 4 giant clawed hands connected to long arms. With the portal's walls getting wider, the head of a giant dragon-like being emerged. Soon afterwards the giant dark humanoid fully emerged and stepped on the ground bellow. Angra, the god of destruction had finally arrived in Drakan. It spread all four of its arms, causing multiple other smaller wormhole portals to appear from which an entire army of demons flew into the mortal world. Angra pointed the demonic horde to spread to all directions and begin destroying everything. When its armies had vanished into the distance, Angra stopped and looked around with a snarl on its face: "THAT FILTH AHURA TRIED TO IMPRISON ME... HOWEVER LIFE AND LIGHT CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT DEATH AND DESTRUCTION... I SHALL FIND AND MAKE THAT COWARD PAY DEARLY FOR BETRAYING ME, BUT FIRST I SHALL ERASE ALL THAT AHURA HAS MADE... STARTING WITH THIS PLANET!" The demon god roared loudly but unknown to it, 4 beastfolk were standing in the distance and watching it on a far away cliffside.
Wild Tusk: That human filth and her dragon were right... The witch and her demons played us like fiddles, now they are gonna kill us all!
Gutsman: I didn't plan this to happen! That hellish horde with their dark deity coming here to destroy us was not promised in our deal!
Borra (female Grull): It's the end of the world! We are all gonna perish!
Lycania (saddened): It would seem that sadly we are all equal in death...
The four beastmen walked back inside their cave, scared and remorseful of what had happened. But there was nothing they could do besides locking the door outside and praying for a quick merciful death. The world was doomed and it was their fault, the beast-people tribes ran away in hiding expecting the end instead of fighting back... even if they didn't stand a chance against the superior demon army. Waiting in fear, they never went outside. However, little did they know was that one last spark of hope just arrived...
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Rynn and Arokh flew through the opened portal and landed on the ground below. They felt the desert's hot sand but looked around to see the landscape had severely darkened. After the portal behind them closed, they looked forward and saw Angra. It was marching slowly through the desert, crushing any obstacle in its path and heading towards the sea. "Arokh, it's going north toward Surdana! We have to stop it before it begins destroying our planet!": shouted Rynn. Arokh replied: "Understood!" and flew towards the gigantic demon god. The red dragon began shooting it with his laser beams, catching its attention. Quickly, Angra's 3 eyes were fixated on our heroes and its face shifted into an expression of pure rage: "YOU VERMIN STILL OPPOSE ME, THE EMBODIMENT OF DESTRUCTION? I SENSE INSIDE YOU A FRAGMENT OF THAT FILTH AHURA! IF YOU WILL FIGHT ME INSTEAD OF MY COWARDLY SIBLING, THEN I SHALL KILL YOU FIRST!" Fortunately, Angra's natural hatred towards Ahura outweighed its instinct of destroying worlds. Unfortunately for our bonded heroes, Angra was still a primordial god and soon proved to be the most powerful villain they had ever fought. Angra extended its arms sideways from its body and dark purple flames appeared in all 4 of its hands. Soon afterwards, the flames transformed into 4 different (and huge) weapons- a sword, a bladed ring, a scythe and curiously a trident-like spear. Then Angra roared loudly in fury, aiming its 4 weapons towards Rynn and Arokh. The final decisive battle had started.
Angra's movement was relatively slow given its large size despite being a primordial god. However the attacks themselves were devastating. The first attack had Angra swing its sword whose range was long, causing Arokh to fly around to dodge the swings. Even worse, each swing fired a wave of dark energy which flew forward and decimated everything in its path. If Arokh was flying close to the ground, Angra's blasts would probably drill holes into the ground itself. The demon god swung its giant scythe next, but Arokh dodged that as well. Seeing that, Angra swung upwards in the sky, causing another wound-shaped wormhole portal to appear. On the other side, Rynn and Arokh could see the void of outer space. Angra roared and suddenly a volley of flaming meteorites began shooting towards them. Sadly, Arokh didn't have time to counter-attack seeing as he was too busy avoiding the demon god's multiple projectiles. Angra closed the portal with another swing of its scythe, but then revealed another trick up its sleeve. It suddenly threw its bladed ring forward like a projectile. The duo managed to fly out of the way, however the giant ring suddenly stopped in midair and then transformed into an expanding massive black hole. Arokh was flying as fast as possible, however the black hole's power was pulling him in. Then Arokh charged up his light beam and turned around to fire it inside the black hole, causing it to shrink and then explode. While our heroes managed to avoid the black hole itself, the resulting explosion caused them to fall downwards and land on the ground. Rynn and Arokh were recovering from the blast, however Angra displayed another portion of its godly power- it flipped the huge trident it held and stabbed the ground with it. Afterwards our protagonists were surrounded by demonic bony tentacles which began strangling them like a constrictor snake crushing its prey to death before eating it. Rynn screamed in anger, then swung her sword and started cutting down all the tentacles. Arokh also fired several smaller lasers of holy energy at the tentacles, which sped up their process of getting free. Soon both escaped the ground and took flight in the sky again. The demon god roared and stabbed the air with its trident, which caused multiple smaller wormholes to appear floating around. From within, shadowy tendrils appeared which made Arokh's movement while flying more difficult. Angra's third eye on its forehead opened wide and shot forth a fast red laser, which transformed into a serpent made of energy. The serpent coiled around Arokh, however it didn't hurt him. But soon he began making erratic movements in the air, spinning around as if he was drunk. "What happened?": shouted Rynn. "Argh, that spell must have afflicted me with confusion and inverted my movement!": screamed Arokh. "Then try doing the opposite of what you actually intend!": replied Rynn. Arokh took her advice, then he fired a beam of light at Angra's exposed third eye. This caused the dark god to scream in pain and close its eye, which resulted in the red energy serpent disappearing and Arokh regained his control. "Rynn, the head and third eye are Angra's weakpoints! If we destroy those, the demon god shall fall!": Arokh told his bonded rider the realization. Angra had covered its face with 2 of its arms, while the other 2 continued firing powerful magic spells. The heroes grew annoyed from this and resorted to doing something instead- cutting of the evil god's limbs. When Angra prepared to toss its bladed ring again, Arokh fired a laser beam towards its hand. The plan worked and the hand exploded, including the weapon it held! The explosion's blast had just blown off one arm of Angra, leaving only a short stump which bled dark purple ooze or energy. Rynn and Arokh smiled upon seeing this and then avoided Angra's giant flaming sword swing. Arokh charged a second laser and soon Angra lost another arm with its weapon. However, this caused the demonic deity to spread its wings that previously been folded behind like a cloak. The sky was already darkened, however the wings had completely blocked any light. Our heroes now felt as if they were locked in perpetual night or locked in a dark cave. But soon afterwards they were bathed in bright red light as multiple giant flaming demon eyes appeared on Angra's wings! The wing eyes began firing a volley of red laser beams towards our heroes, forcing them to carefully fly around. Rynn used her arrows and sword beams, while Arokh used his breath to shoot all eyes one by one slowly. Eventually Angra's wings got both clipped and its back was exposed, which made the sky above slightly brighter. Angra roared in rage, then its mouth glowed bright purple and prepared another blast of its own breath weapon. The deity fired a giant long-ranged beam of dark purple energy forward, but Arokh had already flied around- behind its back. Angra turned around, preparing to attack with its remaining arms. However that proved to be its undoing, as Arokh fired another laser and blew off another hand of Angra. Left with only its trident and head, Angra began summoning portals with shadowy tendrils. Rynn cast a spell of speed boost and flew past all wormholes, then fired a sword beam in Angra's face. Disorientated, Angra screamed in pain which gave an opening for Arokh to blast away its fourth and final arm. The demon god roared and its mouth began glowing purple again. Rynn and Arokh flew towards its face and just as it fired its purple beam, they used the speed boost from Ahura's magic to dodge in just the right moment. Arokh flew above, positioning himself right infront of and between Angra's glowing red eyes. The demon's god third eye on its forehead opened wide in a final attempt of killing our heroes, but it proved to be its undoing. Arokh's breath charged quickly enough and he fired a giant beam of divine magic right into the exposed third eye. Doing so resulted in Angra's entire head exploding in a giant purple and white-colored blast! As the decapitated and disarmed corpse of Angra was tumbling forward like a chopped-off tree, Rynn and Arokh flew out of the way as fast as possible. The heroic duo stood a safe distance away when the giant carcass finally hit the ground with a loud noise and impact shockwave. Rynn and Arokh watched the lifeless body stand there with rivers of black liquid pouring out from the wounds onto the sand itself. Then Rynn cheered up and screamed: "Wahoo, we did it! Angra is defeated and we saved the world!" Arokh looked around, noticing the sky was still dark and frowned: "Something is wrong, Rynn... I don't think it's that easy to deal with a god..." Both Rynn and Arokh became silent, looking at the mountain-sized cadaver. They expected something bad to happen afterwards, interrupting their celebration. Which unfortunately happened soon enough, proving their suspicions correct...
Angra's remains began twitching and quickly decaying. However it wasn't a normal process of decomposition- the physical body melted into a viscous black ooze, with shadowy tendrils erupting in all directions. The part which was Angra burst into purple flames and then a pillar of dark elemental energy shot upwards into the sky. "Is it dying? Please tell me this is just its soul flying away!": Rynn spoke. Her amulet from underneath the armor began making noises and soon Merdhynis' voice was heard: "Rynn, Arokh... do you hear me? We managed to fend off the demons and currently are working on turning the Gates into magical sealing devices. However, the remaining demons ran away from us as if sensing that something was wrong... Apologies if I am interrupting you, but what happened there?" Arokh answered: "We destroyed Angra's physical body, however something tells me the fight isn't over yet... Wizard, hear me out! Don't speak with us and just focus on turning on the Gates instead! Because we are going to still be very busy for a while!" The elderly owl wizard replied: "Very well, buy us a few extra minutes! When the Gate is activated, I shall inform you! Just hang in there a little longer!" When the call ended, Rynn and Arokh looked forward to see the horror which grew in size before them. At first it was a beam of purple, then it turned into an amorphous mass of dark energy. This mass changed shape until it transformed into something which could be best described as a dark thunderous cloud. Bolts of purple electricity ran through its "body" and two large purple flames burst from both sides on the backside, resembling huge wings. A pair of long arms with clawed hands grew from the upper half of this mass, then finally a head formed on the top. Said body part grew multiple pairs of spikes or horns resembling a crown. A red glowing line appeared below, resembling a jagged mouth full of sharp teeth. Lastly, three glowing red slits appeared on the "face" of this dark apparition. The "eyes" widened and the creature roared so loud, it shook the very land itself. Angra was not killed, it was merely temporarily incapacitated.
"Crap, what does it take for this monster to finally go down? We just killed it!": Rynn cried out. Arokh replied saddened: "Angra is an immortal primordial god, Rynn... We only killed its physical form... However this amorphous essence is Angra's true self... A soul or elemental spirit of pure darkness and evil incarnate... Even Ahura with all its might couldn't kill it, and we merely have a small fragment of that required power..." Rynn looked at her sword and then whispered into Arokh's ear: "If we can't kill Angra, then we must settle for the nest best thing... which is to seal it back inside the original prison made for it by Ahura." Rynn and Arokh then looked at Angra's giant disembodied spirit which towered over them and blocked out the sky. The dark god roared, it's voice loudly echoing across the sky and lands: "YOU PESTS REALLY THOUGHT YOU COULD KILL ME, THE COSMIC EMBODIMENT OF DESTRUCTION? I AM DEATH INCARNATE, THE DEVOURER OF WORLDS!" Rynn grasped her sword tightly and began praying: "Ahura if you can hear me, please help us... Your opposite sibling wants to destroy this world and then all of Existence. If you don't wish your creations and the Universe to be permanently erased, then hear my prayer!" The sword began glowing and her dragon replied: "I think your plea has been answered!" Rynn smiled and told him: "Alright, it's all or nothing. Better make this one count... Let's go and stop Angra!" Rynn and Arokh charged forward, while screaming with all of their might. In response, Angra roared back at them and began attacking our bonded duo with its dark god powers.
The dark god's claws glowed purple, after which it swiped three times- once with its left hand, then with its right hand and finally with both of its hands. Arokh flew around all of these melee attacks easily, causing Angra to change strategy. In the back of its body grew 3 pairs of long purple tentacles, each having a tip resembling a devil's tail. Suddenly the triangular ends of its tentacles split opened and turned into hissing fanged snake-like creatures. Angra's tentacles began shooting beams in all directions. The attacks were faster and more unpredictable, showing the evil deity's desperation to kill off our duo. Arokh shot a laser towards each snake-headed tentacle, bringing them down one at a time. Then Angra punched the ground with its fist, causing it to turn darker in color and purple vein-like patterns appeared on it. Before the heores could realize what happened, long shadowy tendrils sprouted underneath them and wrapped around Arokh like vines. Rynn swung her sword and shot beams of light which freed Arokh from his predicament, just in time as well given that Angra was charging up another purple beam in its mouth. When the demonic god fired its laser, our heroes flew over it with the hope of shooting its weak spots. However, multiple demonic red eyes appeared once more on its wings and began firing a volley of red beams. The pattern was random this time, making it harder for Arokh to dodge and forced Rynn to use a spell of speed boost. Eventually, they took out all the red eyes and Angra's flaming wings disappeared. But it raised its arms, causing multiple black holes to appear everywhere which served as obstacles to make Arokh's flight harder. And one wormhole appeared over Angra's head which threw flaming meteors at them. Rynn and Arokh didn't have a chance to attack, since they were occupied with dodging instead. "It's getting more desperate! This means we are close to winning!": Rynn shouted. "It's not just that... Didn't you notice that Angra is now stationary? Its soul is anchored to the black ooze below, the remains from its physical body!": Arokh replied.
"That's good news! But how do we stop Angra from destroying the world?": answered Rynn.
"If we destroy the black ooze below, it will release Angra's spirit and it shall diffuse into the universe itself, permanently corrupting it! We cannot allow that to happen!": Arokh shouted.
"Damn it! How much more punishment can this abomination take?": cried Rynn.
"I... don't know! We just need to keep attacking!": muttered Arokh.
While our bonded protagonists were dodging meteors and black holes, Angra raised its arms once again. However this time, it used a different attack- between its hands a small orb of dark energy appeared. Then said orb of darkness began growing in size, until it became as big as Angra's head. "Rynn, it's trying to blow us all up! Quick, we need to stop it before it charges that orb of destruction!": screamed Arokh. "That's it- an opening! Arokh, shoot it now!": shouted Rynn.
Without a second of reminder or hesitation, Arokh charged his ultimate power of Light and fired it against Angra's expanding orb of death. The resulting clash of energies caused the orb to explode, blowing off Angra's arms! The demon god roared in pain, it's facial expression resembled now a frown and looked as if it was dazed. Rynn and Arokh took advantage of Angra being stunned, then attempted to finish it off. But suddenly, their adversary revealed another trick up its metaphorical sleeve. A long shadowy tendril shot forward from within Angra's torso like an arrow or spike, trying to impale our heroes. While Arokh managed to barely dodge it, his wing was punctured by the strike. The dragon growled in pain and fell sideways, before the shadowy tendril coiled up around him and reeled both of them towards Angra. Before they had a change to react, Rynn and Arokh were now swallowed by Angra. Inside they stood motionless, as if they were frozen in ice. The demon god's purple and black essence surrounded them, and more shadowy tendrils wrapped around them. Rynn and Arokh felt as their life force waned away, the dark deity starting to digest them. "Rynn, I can feel myself weakening...": Arokh cried out. "Arokh, I am sorry... I can't do anything... we have failed... this is the end...": replied Rynn. Both our heroes closed their eyes, feeling as the darkness was devouring them. Rynn and Arokh began to cry without speaking, only their thoughts remained in this void of shadows. It was impossible to defeat such a foe, an immortal primordial force of nature. All seemed lost... until a vision appeared in their minds. Rynn and Arokh both saw a glowing star despite their eyes being closed. Suddenly the star grew brighter and began speaking in a familiar gentle voice: "Do not cry my children, I heard your prayers for help. All of these relics contain a fraction of both my power and my essence, whoever carries them has a direct connection to me." Rynn and Arokh opened their eyes, then felt both of their strength returning. Arokh thought to himself: "Impossible, can it be... Ahura?!", while Rynn managed to say out loud: "Please help us! We need you to seal back your dark sibling Angra back into the void!" Suddenly a blue and white aura covered both our heroes, its presence causing their power to return and the shadowy tendrils to retreat. "I will always be with you, my beloved children. Carefully focus and combine all of the holy relics' power, I have faith in you both. I have saved you from oblivion, so now use my blessings and stop the darkness!": the voice of Ahura spoke to them one last time and then it disappeared. Rynn and Arokh concentrated, then the latter charged his empowered Light beam.
On the outside, Angra was clutching itself and roaring in agony. Something was causing it immense pain on the outside. The demonic deity realized the cause of its torment, however it didn't get a chance to react. Angra's torso began glowing white, then suddenly a giant beam of holy light pierced its open! Rynn and Arokh burst out glowing in a white aura, flying like an arrow shot from its quiver! They turned around, seeing Angra roaring while a large hole was visible in the middle of its torso. "Look, we finally hurt it! We are winning!": Rynn shouted in excitement. However Arokh looked closely and saw a problem- Angra's wound was closing until shortly afterwards it healed. "I AM ETERNAL! YOU CANNOT KILL DEATH, THE DESTROYER OF WORLDS!": Angra roared so loudly, it shook the ground and sky.
The demonic god continued attacking them, our heroes being on the defensive once more. Despite being empowered by the only entity capable of defeating Angra, it wasn't enough. They were still mortal and they were gonna eventually fall down from fatigue, while their enemy was an immortal deity which never felt being tired and constantly regenerated its wounds. It was a duel of endurance, Rynn and Arokh were like a lone ship that struggled against this endless ocean made of pure darkness and evil. And then one last spark of hope finally appeared when an elderly male voice was heard from Rynn's amulet: "Arokh, Rynn... we did it! We managed to make the Ancients' Gate operational!" Arokh replied: "We are currently busy, Merdhynis! Angra is too much for us and isn't going down easily!" The owl wizard answered: "So I heard from your amulet, despite all the loud noise... I leave you now, but you need to tell me when to open the portal. Rynn, Arokh... you have come so far, we all have faith in you! Please stop this evil and return home alive! The fate of Drakan and the whole universe depends on you!"
With the owl wizard ending his communication with them, Rynn and Arokh were once again left alone to fend off the demon god's relentless attacks. Their options were running out and they were growing desperate. It was impossible to shoot Angra's third eye, as it was opened and constantly fired beams of red energy. Angra's mouth was permanently opened and it shot forward multiple smaller destructive orbs of dark energy. Brought into despair, they finally remembered Ahura's words. Rynn cast a blessing of Ahura spell which empowered them and then aimed an arrow straight for Angra's exposed third eye. In that moment, as if the universe had showed them mercy. The arrow hit Angra's weak-spot precisely, causing an explosion! When Angra roared in pain, Rynn swung Ahura's blessed sword an fired an empowered beam of light into Angra's exposed mouth. This caused a second explosion, stunning the dark deity. And then finally, Arokh charged up his Light elemental beam. Having been empowered by Ahura's divine spell, the beam was twice its normal size. When Arokh fired his laser breath, it pierced straight through Angra's head! The destroyer god's face and head then both exploded in a massive blast of energy! When the smoke cleared up, Rynn and Arokh looked towards Angra- now there was only a pillar of shadowy dark energy sprouting from the ground. It looked as if Angra was finally defeated, however the heroes noticed its neck began growing back. Without sparing a moment, Arokh shouted: "Merdhynis, do you hear us? Angra is down, we finally have a free chance! Quick, open the Gate NOW!"
Without any vocal answer, the owl wizard heard them and complied. The Ancient's Gate from the desert ruins of Stratos which stood buried in the cliffside finally activated. First it was covered with bolts of magical energy, then an image appeared inside which showed the demon world Sessool, and then said image began spinning like a whirlpool. Before anyone could notice the Gate, it had turned into a black hole whose powerful vacuum began pulling into itself everything in the desert. Rocks, trees, debris, corpses and other objects were sucked into the gravitational pull and eaten up by the activated portal. Angra's melted corpse and spiritual essence also were affected. The dark cloud began spinning around like a tornado which got caught up and was floating towards the opened Gate. Angra's incorporeal face had regenerated, but it was already sucked halfway into the portal. The demon roared in anger, then attempted one final move against our heroes. It formed several flailing shadowy tendrils and they all shot forward against our duo, who was also caught up in the vacuum but were flying away from it as fast as possible. The dark tentacles wrapped around Rynn and Arokh, a last ditch-effort of killing them or taking them into Sessool with Angra. Rynn cast Ahura's blessing spell again, then swung her sword and cut off the tentacles. The god of destruction roared in vain: "THIS IS NOT HOW IT ENDS! AHURA'S REIGN WILL STOP ONE DAY! I WILL THEN RETURN TO KILL YOU ALL! THE WHOLE UNIVERSE WILL INEVITABLY BE DESTROYED!" Arokh turned around when the shadowy tendrils were destroyed and his breath power given by Ahura's blessing as the final part in the sealing spell to blast Angra back into its prison. The red dragon screamed: "Ha, take this you eldritch abomination!", then fired his massive laser beam of holy light. When his attack shot Angra straight in its head/face, it roared in pain one final time before dissipating. The dark god had finally returned back to its dormant state within Sessool. However, the gate was still opened and its power was threatening to do the same with Rynn and Arokh as well. The former managed to raise her hand towards her face and shouted: "Merdhynis, it's over! Close the damn portal!" Without any vocal response, the gate closed shortly afterwards. The resulting current of magical energy caused a shockwave of invisible force, which threw our heroes away like a strong gust of wind and caused them to crash into the ground.
Rynn and Arokh stood motionless and buried halfway into the sand for several minutes. Eventually however, they both awakened. "Ow, my head... it hurts...": Rynn facepalmed. She then looked around, seeing Arokh also shaking his head from the impact. "Are you alright?": she asked her bonded dragon. "I will be fine, just some minor bruises and headaches. A little rest and healing potions will have me back to normal in zero time.": Arokh answered. Then Rynn smiled and replied: "Glad to hear so buddy... we finally did it... Angra is defeated and the world is saved." Arokh also smiled upon hearing these words and proclaimed: "We make together a great Bonded team. It's the third time we had to save Drakan from conquest! Or corruption and destruction in this case..." Rynn chuckled: "Let's hope we won't have to do it a fourth time! I don't know about you, but I could use some free time without any potential major threat!" Both of them looked at each other, then looked upwards as the sky became clearer. With Angra gone, the darkness had finally disappeared and now daylight shined brightly once again. Arokh and Rynn had to adjust both of their eyes to the sudden shift in bright light, but soon became relaxed with everything coming back to normal. Eventually, Rynn climbed onto Arokh's back and the latter spoke with a calm happy voice: "Something tells me that all threats from now on will be minor and easily dealt with. With Angra sealed back into Sessool, our victory is complete. But I agree... let's go back home and celebrate." Then our protagonists walked slowly through the sandy ground, as they were still recovering from the grueling battle they had just been through. Eventually they reached the closed portal which previously had been used to seal Angra inside the demon world and Arokh flew upwards. He then activated the Gate which now showed an image of their home city and they went inside. With their final victory, our heroes could finally return to Surdana to help with the rebuilding. The world could rest at ease at last, with Rynn and Arokh having just saved all of Drakan alongside the whole Universe as well.
Chapter 11: Ending Cutscene
Rynn and Arokh passed through the portal and then appeared on the other side, however they didn't arrive in Surdana. Instead they were now in the Valley of the Fallen.
Arokh: Huh, the gate didn't take us home? Well it doesn't matter, we could just fly back to Surdana.
Before continuing, our heroes were stopped in their tracks by a mysterious force. Rynn's armor and sword began glowing then both of them now stood motionless in a cosmic void, surrounded by stars and galaxies. At first our duo was briefly startled, but quickly afterwards realized who had summoned them in this place. Even though it was merely an illusionary mental vision, they saw a bright glowing light appearing before them and taking form. It was Ahura having manifested in their minds, and soon it began talking.
Well done my children! You have saved your planet and the whole Universe! I am proud of you both!
Rynn: Well thanks, but we couldn't have done it without your aid.
Arokh: This is the third time we have saved the world so we have gotten used to it by now. Your creations have managed to protect themselves, oh Great One!
The God of Light hesitated replying and stayed wordless for a while, but Ahura eventually continued speaking...
Ahura: This is the last we shall ever speak, as I must return to creating more worlds and repairing those destroyed or corrupted by my sibling. I will make this parting conversation quick- my deepest apologies that Angra caused you so much misery. Whenever my beloved creations are suffering, I feel great sorrow. Alas, this is how the Universe has decided for cosmic balance to exist- I was born to embody the positive aspects, while Angra is likewise forever cursed in being the incarnation of all the negative ones. Darkness, death and destruction aren't inherently bad however as my antithesis Angra also has to represent ultimate Evil because I am the greatest force of Good. I was aware that Angra will one day break free out from its prison, so I gave Mala-Shae and the other dragons fragments of my power which turned into these relics you now hold. Inevitably, one day Angra's planetary seal will become too weak and it will be freed to destroy the whole Universe and so I will have to begin a new cosmic cycle by recreating it. But it won't happen until many eons in the future. You will be spared from Angra's wrath as that final day will happen long after your lives have ended by natural means. However before I depart for the stars, there is one thing I need to tell you...
Rynn and Arokh: What is it?
Ahura: Ever since you discovered the first relic, I sensed your doing with my very being. When you collected and absorbed the other 5 relics, you gained a connection with me. I saw your entire past and lives' history, upon witnessing the many hardships you have endured it made me feel sad towards you. My power has cured you from your inner darkness, but you still hold the mental and emotional wounds from your deceased loved ones. This causes me to pity both of you, hence why I appeared here and started this conversation.
Rynn: C-can you bring my parents back? My brother? And my fellow villagers? They were all massacred and it hurts me ever since.
Arokh: You are the supreme deity of the Universe! Do you not have the power to do so? My parents, my siblings, my female mate and my former human rider Heron also have been killed. There are many other innocent lives who also were unjustly ended.
Ahura: I regret saying this, but I must remove the guilt from my heart- my powers cure instantly every ailment and I can create new life, but I cannot revive the dead. My sibling Angra has dominion over death, however I doubt it will agree bringing back your lost family and allies. While I could make a new family for you, it will never possibly replace your original which you lost and this will cause you great misery. I do not wish to ever see any of my beloved creations feel any suffering.
Rynn and Arokh shook their heads in sorrow, but Ahura continued speaking.
Ahura: Do not feel bad, as I have a consolation. My presence here brings good news as well. Rynn, your younger brother died in an interdimensional rift and his soul was trapped there. I breached the fabric of time and space until eventually I managed to find his soul and saved it from eternal damnation. He is no longer trapped in that awful place. Arokh, don't mourn your loved ones because they are safe as well.
Rynn and Arokh: Really? Where are they?
Ahura waved its hand, causing a dream-like vision to appear. It was hard to make out the picture clearly, as it was distorted and covered in a bright glow. Eventually however, the image cleared and our heroes saw through the round portal a vision which surprised them in a good way. They saw a grassy meadow close to a river an forest with trees which bore delicious fruits. Rynn's eyes widened upon seeing 2 familiar adult people walking alongside a child, all of them smiling happily. It was Rynn's parents and her younger brother Delon! She then saw the other deceased people from her former village, including Atimar who has reading a book. The vision changed and Arokh saw faces he recognized from his past- his parents and siblings, his female mate whose nest of eggs was killed by the Dark Union before they all hatched, and lastly Rimril and Heron talking with each other close to the river. The vision changed and in the third image they saw people who died in their most recent adventure- Tull the old hermit and Kegan were both smoking while telling each other jokes, general Dehrimon and Geroth were looking at them from a short distance, lastly all the other people who got killed in the last year were also present in that beautiful serene place as well. The vision then got obscured by light and faded away, like a candle's flame gently disappearing.
Rynn and Arokh both calmed down and started feeling better, they wanted to say something but were too emotional to mutter any word. Ahura then read their minds and quickly answered their questions.
Ahura: Their deaths were not in vain, their souls have passed on to the great ethereal plane beyond and now they exist in a happier eternal state. I saved your brother's trapped soul from the Rift World and he's now reunited with your parents. All of your other family, friends and allies have also been placed here where they will be safe until the very end of time. I hope you will now live happily knowing they are having a pleasant afterlife.
Rynn and Arokh smiled while their sadness faded away, then replied to the God of Light.
Both: Thank you Ahura... we are sorry we ever doubted you. We shall never forget your kindness, you have our eternal gratitude.
Ahura (gently smiling): I am glad to hear this, my children. And you have my gratitude as well, if it weren't for your valiant efforts then Drakan and the rest of the Universe would have destroyed by Angra. You should not fear your hated past enemies or any new potential threats anymore, my relics you possess will make quick work of them in the unlikely chance they do ever appear. Peace will reign for a long time and my power has extended your lifespans. You are now demigods, but eventually death will claim you as well. Then your souls will be reunited with your loved ones in the celestial plane of ether, but until then make sure to protect my relics and be certain they are given to someone trustworthy enough to continue your work before you pass on. My daughter Mala Shae will help you with that fateful decision.
Rynn: Got it. Protect your artifacts while using them only to protect Drakan, and eventually hand them over to someone that will use their power for good. That's easy to remember.
Arokh: We shall not disappoint you, Ahura. Your legacy will be safe with us.
Ahura: Hearing this fills my entire being with eternal peace of mind, I am glad to have met such wonderful people as you. Wish I could spend more time with my creations, but sadly my eternal duties are more important so we must part ways. This will be last we shall ever speak with each other. Goodbye Rynn and Arokh, I wish you all have now happier lives.
The protagonist duo thanked and bid farewell to the Creator God, after which Ahura's astral projection disappeared and removed the mental vision of outer space around them. At last, Arokh and Rynn were free to move on.
Rynn (cheered up): It's good of Ahura to appear then show us this. Knowing that my brother is with my lost family and other close people in a better place now makes me feel better, we can continue on without feeling bad anymore.
Arokh (smirks): Ahura truly cares for us and the rest of the Cosmos, even if doing so by mysterious indirect ways. Now, let's head to Surdana to celebrate and honor Ahura's will.
The red dragon then spread his wings and they flew carefully towards their home city.
XXXXXX
The dragons and humans of Surdana had seen the skies clearing up and stood in their city, having repelled the demonic invaders. Plenty of corpses from both sides littered the ground, but the Order of the Flame was once more triumphant. Everyone wondered if there will be more battles and what could happen next, waiting in anticipation. The huge doors leading to other parts of the land were locked, but suddenly the guards heard knocking from the door leading towards the Valley of the Fallen. At first the knights were hesitant in opening but as the knocking became intense with no sign of stopping, they were forced to eventually open them. Everyone was armed with magic and weapons, ready for another battle. However what expected them on the other side was not an enemy. The people were surprised when they saw Rynn and Arokh emerging victorious from behind the opened giant door.
Knight Guard: You have returned! What happened?
Rynn: We won, plain and simple.
Arokh: It's over. Although the battle was fierce, in the end we prevailed.
Everyone then cheered as the heroes returned home triumphantly, escorting them back to the city's main street. Rynn and Arokh were greeted by all their allies, who began congratulating them for saving the world for a third time.
Lady Myschala: I have no words to describe how I and the rest of us feel. You have accomplished the impossible Rynn and Arokh! Every obstacle and enemy have been vanquished and you have persevered!
Jade: This is a glorious occasion! We must celebrate your victory and inform the remaining people from the other lands of your deeds. Both of you are indeed great heroes!
Brekk: Ha, I knew you would do it! I never lost faith in my girl! If I was your father, I would be the proudest parent in existence! And your dragon helped us too!
Quaalus: There is much to do here... we should clean the corpses from the city and rebuild the houses... maybe we should call Fandrill, Sevoth, Zeggoro, Ranwulf and others for help...
Mala Shae approached Rynn and Arokh, then asked our heroes: What happened with Angra? Did you manage to kill it?
Arokh (shaking his head): Afraid not, great mother. We destroyed its physical body and corporeal form, but its spiritual essence kept regenerating even after taking damage from Ahura's relics. In the end, we got forced into sealing Angra back into Sessool.
Mala Shae: I understand. Angra is a cosmic god and thus it's truly immortal. Thankfully, Ahura exists and is also immortal to counter it's dark existence. Still, not many people could proudly claim they have won a battle against a primordial deity. Carry this victory in your hearts for the remainder of your days, for noble spirits like yours have earned to walk freely and enjoy my Creator's blessings for all eternity.
Rynn: Yeah, about your god... Ahura contacted us when Angra tried to eat us and saved us from oblivion. After we defeated Angra, we got one last vision of Ahura. He thanked us for the job well done and said goodbye. Sadly Ahura is too busy with maintaining the Universe, but he did comfort us and I appreciate everything he has done for us. If only we could find a way to express gratitude...
Arokh: I think we should convince everyone on Drakan and your home world to perform annual celebrations to worship Ahura and honor the God of Light's kindness. Were it not for him, the whole Universe would have been doomed to oblivion.
Mala Shae: Agreed, my children. It's the least we could do to thank our creator Ahura for saving us all.
The heroes were then approached by an elderly wizard in blue clothes with an owl perched on his right shoulder. He scratched his beard and chuckled.
Merdhynis: Well, color me surprised! You two actually did it, Drakan has been spared from total destruction! I am not complaining though since I am honestly glad we are all still alive!
Rynn: We couldn't have done it without your aid Merdhynis, you have finally managed to redeem yourself.
Merdhynis (begins tearing up): After so many centuries of my well deserved self-exile, I can finally live normally in peace. Looks like I have nothing more to teach either you and your dragon. I... don't know what to do anymore.
Arokh: You could become a chancellor and council to Myschala. Your wisdom will prove valuable in helping Surdana being restored.
Merdhynis (pleasantly surprised): Wait, really? I am lost for words! Don't know if I shall be accepted though...
Lady Myschala (smiling): You are welcome to join the city anytime you want, Merdhynis. Just say the words and you will become an honorary citizen.
Merdhynis (briefly hesitates, then proclaims): Very well, milady. I accept your proposal to become a citizen of Surdana. But I will have to take my belongings from my old home and find a proper new house in your town.
Lady Myschala: I thereby announce that you Merdhynis have been officially appointed the new royal chancellor and councilman of Surdana!
Merdhynis: It's my honor your majesty! Even for a wizard my old age is showing, but I promise I would do my best in helping you and your city!
While Merdhynis talked with Myschala, his pet owl squawked as if wanting to reply and join their discussion. Myschala then looked at Rynn and Arokh.
Myschala: Rynn, Arokh... with Dehrimon and Geroth dead, you are now the generals of Surdana's army. With everything you have done for the world, it's only fitting you become the leaders of the new Order of the Flame.
Arokh: It would be our duty to keep the Order alive while spreading its wisdom and ideology across Drakan. But after everything we have been through recently, I think we first deserve a little break.
Mala Shae: Yes child, you should take a rest. Conserve your strength and heal your wounds before doing anything else. And what does your bonded human have to say on this matter?
Rynn: There are too many things on my head right now. I have a feeling we might have missed some treasure and other collectible items, maybe some of our enemies are still in hiding, areas left unexplored... Also I get a feeling some demons have survived the battle and now are trying to continue fighting or bring back their evil god. Evidently we should go find and stop them before we get any more casualties. But first I need to clear my mind. Go flying around with Arokh and then get some well-earned respite.
Mala Shae: Very well Rynn, we shall be waiting for you and Arokh to return here. Do as you both will, you are now free and so the future of your merged lives now lays in your own hands.
Rynn: Well... if you now excuse me, I need to go spend what little free time I have with my family.
Everyone looked confused at Rynn who then climbed upon her dragon.
Arokh: What family? All of our relatives are dead!
Rynn (affectionately petting Arokh's head): I was talking about you silly! Our families are sadly gone, but we still have each other. Considering everything we've been through, I now consider you my surrogate brother.
Arokh (figuratively blushed): Aw, Rynn... you are making me feel strange... But your words have genuinely reached my heart. So be it, I am proud to be your bonded dragon and therefore consider you my adoptive sister.
Everyone in Surdana cheered and bid temporary farewell to our heroes as they quickly took up and flew towards the skies. They last saw the duo moving far away into the distance and eventually disappearing into the horizon.
Rynn and Arokh were flying over forests, rivers, valleys and mountains. Both were smiling happily and enjoying the scenery as the sun brightly shined above them. Rynn shoted "woohoo" and Arokh let out a "hah hah" as the land stretched out beneath them.
After so many hardships, they finally could make peace with their pasts and move on with their lives. In spite of everything bad Rynn and Arokh endured, they succeeded a third time in saving the world. They have both finally earned their happy ending.
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Chapter 12: Post-Credits Epilogue
The old wizard in blue clothes was quietly sitting on a chair inside his room on top of one tower on the Surdana castle. And on the wooden table, he was busy writing a book that recorded everything he saw and remembered. It was a historical record to preserve an important story for all future generations- a tale recounting all exploits of himself and every person he knew. He was getting old and felt his life reaching its end, his owl familiar had been gone years ago due to its own age. Writing the final page of his dusty book, he typed:
"There are legends from times long past. What I wrote here isn't a myth or fairy tale, but a historical fact and objective truth. Our world had been through so much death and suffering for many ages until these 2 heroes emerged from amidst the chaos and they fought with all their combined might against every danger. Together, they took to the skies like a rising storm, driving back the forces of evil. First they repelled the Dark Union which attempted to resurrect their fallen master, but had achieved victory at a horrible price- losing all their friends and family members. Afterwards they were called here in Surdana to revive the Order of the Flame. When they defeated the leader of the Desert Lords and opened the fifth ancient gate, the Dragon Mother's roar echoed throughout the skies and her children returned in this realm. The world had been saved from another threat. And now they faced their greatest challenge yet, being forced into searching every land on this planet until they found all six holy relics left behind from the Creator God. Travelling all the continents and solving the conflicts there, our heroes obtained the mystical artifacts. Eventually they ventured into the heart of Hell itself and fended off the legions of demonic invaders. Despite their efforts, their enemies managed to awaken the dark God of Destruction whose immortal evil threatened to devour all of existence. But against all odds, when all seemed lost our duo stood against the primordial tide of this supreme darkness and sealed it back into the black void from whence it came. After besting this great embodiment of evil itself, the female human warrior and her bonded male red dragon finally earned their happy ending. In their adventures they met plenty of enemies but also many allies... one of the latter being myself. Standing here, I record their story for all future generations to remember. Their aging was halted and their lifespan was increased from the blessed godly relics they absorbed, both of them vowed to remain chaste and celibate for the rest of their lives. Pledging their merged existence into protecting our would and serving their duty towards the god whose fraction of power they now contained. In their honor, we build a golden statue in the middle of our city and I have dedicated my life to writing down their exploits. As I finish this book, I can feel my life slowly ebb away. But despite this I am at peace as I have served this land, her queen and the new Order of the Flame. Every day we make celebrations in honor of the God of Creation, Life, Good and Light whose kindness helped us in these horrible times. Suffering many failures, I had finally redeemed myself and helped the world. I just pray that my book will never be lost and everyone can enjoy it. Surdana began trading with all the islands, the North, South and East continents while the West and Lost continents remained closed off towards everyone besides our two heroes. The Order of the Flame had been reborn, and a new golden age of peace reigned. With the dragons freely travelling between their home dimension and our planet, there were no more world-ending threats. Having suffered too many losses, the beastpeople tribes no longer bothered us and kept living far away from human or dragon civilizations. All of this was accomplished thanks to both our heroes whose names must never be forgotten as they had saved our planet and beyond three consecutive times. If they had failed, we all would have surely perished. Even as I write this book, I remind myself to honor the tiny statue of our beloved god Ahura in my room. Thanking him for sparing us from total destruction and lending its divine power to both our heroes who then used it in banishing away the god of evil itself. Remember the names of both these two great heroes who saved everyone for the remainder of your lives- Rynn and Arokh. This was the story of Drakan and the legacy of its gods."
THE END!
Congratulations! Thank you for playing "Drakan: Legacy of the Gods"!
Drakan 3 will have bigger replay value than its predecessors because features like New Game Plus will added for the first time in the series' history. Granted, Legacy of the Gods will also be the final game in the Drakan series.
1.Difficulty Modes
There will be 8 difficulty modes. Clearing each one unlocks 4 skins (2 for Arokh and 2 for Rynn), there is a total of 20 (or 40, since you play as 2 characters) skins for both protagonists (1 of them being the default obviously). Getting 100 % Completion unlocks 4 last skins- both Arokh and Rynn can resemble Ahura or Angra (Rynn's model design will be bipedal, while Arokh's quadrupedal for obvious reasons). The skins will be mostly characters from previous games (e.g. you can make Arokh have Werokh's model instead) and multiplayer skins from the first game. But one pair of skins can only be unlocked by entering a secret code which makes Rynn and Arokh resemble their Japanese region designs from a promotional image for the original game. Lastly, a few skins will be comical: e.g. Rynn will be a Barbie-like doll while Arokh will be a cute plush toy. PS: Arokh and Rynn can use skins independently from the different unlockable "pairs", you can mix and match whatever combinations you want.
Examples of unlockable skins for Arokh.
Input a secret code so that both Rynn and Arokh will resemble their Japanese regional designs in this promotional art for the original game.
The difficulty modes of Drakan 3 explained below.
*Easy: Base difficulty- enemies/bosses have 100% health and speed while dealing 100% damage. Arokh reduces all damage taken by 75%.
*Standard: enemy/boss health is X2, you take damage from everything X2. Speed of enemy/boss attacks/movement is normal. Arokh reduces all damage taken by 75%.
*Hard: enemy/boss health is X3, you take damage from everything X5. Speed of enemy/boss attacks/movement is 50% faster. Arokh reduces all damage taken by 50%.
*Brutal: enemy/boss health is X4, you take damage from everything X10. Speed of enemy/boss attacks/movement is 50% faster. Arokh reduces all damage taken by 50%.
*Vicious: enemy/boss health is X5, you take damage from everything X100. Speed of enemy/boss attacks/movement is 50% faster. Arokh reduces all damage by taken 25%.
*Absolute: enemy/boss health is X10, you take damage from everything X1000. Speed of enemy/boss attacks/movement is twice as faster. Arokh reduces all damage taken by 25%.
*Overkill: enemies/bosses die in one hit, but so does the player (even with all health upgrades and the best armor). Damage from and towards enemies is increased by 1,000,000 while moving/attacking speed is twice as faster. Arokh won't reduce any taken damage.
*Impossible: enemy/boss health is X10 while moving/attacking twice as fast. Everything kills both Rynn and Arokh in one hit regardless of armor/upgrades. Like in old arcade games, you need to rely on your 1-ups (Phoenix Feathers) instead of any healing items.
XXXXXX
2.Endgame
After you beat Angra's last (6th) phase, view the ending move and credits, then you get a message about what you have unlocked. When you remove this message, a new screen will appear with 4 different choices- Free Roam Mode, Change Difficulty, Reset Game and Exit to Main Menu. Explained below are the 4 options in this post-game window.
*Free Roam Mode allows you to explore all unlocked areas of the game, complete side objectives, collect items, earn gold and so on. If you visit Sessool, a teleporter will appear which takes you directly to Angra's battle arena. Fighting it again will repeat this cyclic process. This mode will give you alot of XP for completing the last objective and unlock one special endgame quest- on each continent of Drakan (plus the Dragon Dimension) there is a purple Sessool crystal hidden somewhere. You must find all crystals, upon approaching them a wave of demonic enemies will spawn. After you kill all the demons, you can break the crystal but keep in mind some crystals will force you to fight only as Rynn. When you find and kill all 8 crystals with the demons they spawned, you will get a special reward. But remember that completing this quest is mandatory for 100% completion so you need to finish it even just once.
*Change Difficulty allows you to play on another difficulty mode instead (choosing the same difficulty will restart the game). Since Drakan 3 has NG+, the only thing you lose when changing difficulty is Rynn's inventory possessions (all weapons, armors, potions, quest items, etc). However, everything else will be carried over- unlocked extras (skins, cheats, etc), Arokh's breath weapons (collecting the respawned elemental runes will just refill his gauge to maximum), your skill points alongside current level, your money, your perks, your learned combos, etc. A new difficulty will reset the story with all enemies/bosses/plot quests/item spawns/etc. However the challenges will only give money after being completed just once per save file, you can replay them as many times as you want if you need to grind for money.
*Reset Game forces you to wipe out all progress made on your save file and begin from scratch on Easy Mode. It's not recommended unless you are feeling masochistic.
*Exit to Main Menu forces you to quit your game and see Drakan 3's title screen again. If you reload your save, you will just be teleported to the last place where you saved before quitting.
The "Dragon Commands" pause menu...
...and its primary inspiration.
XXXXXX
3.New Game Plus
Starting on a new difficulty mode removes only Rynn's inventory possessions (although playing the story again will reset enemies/bosses/item spawns/quests/etc), but you get to keep everything else. However there is one deliberately left exploit in the game- if you sell your weapons plus armor to Brekk before going into Sessool, then they will be saved there even when you start a new difficulty mode and reset the story. Although buying and then dropping them somewhere will cause them to disappear when you reset the story via NG+, essentially Brekk will save any unique item you sell to him- including Ahura's relics. I should mention there is a catch- indestructible, unique and quest-required items are VERY expensive so the only way to buy them back in NG+ is if you have millions of gold to spare. Well, if you do manage to buy back your favorite items from Brekk, then your game will "overwrite" them (using special coding) when you pick them up again in the story as to avoid having duplicates of the same unique and overpowered item.
Drakan 3 will have optional side-quests and challenges. Example here, Arokh will have to fly through rings in the sky.
XXXXXX
4.100% Completion
Besides the above, Drakan 3 will also have a completion meter for hardcore players. Getting 100% completion in your save file game will unlock 2 final pairs of skins for Arokh and Rynn- they can play as respectively a quadrupedal and bipedal version of either Ahura or Angra.
This is what's required for completing the game (checking the Stats in the Pause Menu also will help you alot).
*Beat the game on all 8 difficulty modes (which also unlocks most skins).
*Kill all 4 optional bosses at least once (this game has 20 bosses overall).
*Obtain all 9 elemental breath weapons for Arokh at least once (fire is unlocked by default).
*Get all 27 upgrade crystals- 9 Blue (Rynn Mana), 9 Green (Arokh Breath) and 9 Red (Health for both).
*Find all 100 secrets, many of them contain the other collectibles on this list.
*Collect all 1000 Tears of Ahura items (resembling large white pearls with a rainbow aura glow)
*Finish all optional side quests- e.g. kill the Cockatrice in the sewers beneath Chiwutai.
*Complete all challenges- e.g. the gladiator survival arena in Emdigbe.
*Unlock the one hidden skin pair by inputting the secret code, also speak at least once with all the hidden characters (Semira, Mardis, etc) which shall give you money.
*Reach level 100, upgrade all 4 skill tree branches, obtain all 40 perks, learn all new melee combos and upgrade all magic spells to level 4.
PS: it's possible to accomplish most of these in one playthrough, without needing to reset the plot and start a new difficulty mode. However 100% completion still requires you to finish the other 7 difficulties at least once as well.
1.Difficulty Modes
There will be 8 difficulty modes. Clearing each one unlocks 4 skins (2 for Arokh and 2 for Rynn), there is a total of 20 (or 40, since you play as 2 characters) skins for both protagonists (1 of them being the default obviously). Getting 100 % Completion unlocks 4 last skins- both Arokh and Rynn can resemble Ahura or Angra (Rynn's model design will be bipedal, while Arokh's quadrupedal for obvious reasons). The skins will be mostly characters from previous games (e.g. you can make Arokh have Werokh's model instead) and multiplayer skins from the first game. But one pair of skins can only be unlocked by entering a secret code which makes Rynn and Arokh resemble their Japanese region designs from a promotional image for the original game. Lastly, a few skins will be comical: e.g. Rynn will be a Barbie-like doll while Arokh will be a cute plush toy. PS: Arokh and Rynn can use skins independently from the different unlockable "pairs", you can mix and match whatever combinations you want.
Examples of unlockable skins for Arokh.
Input a secret code so that both Rynn and Arokh will resemble their Japanese regional designs in this promotional art for the original game.
The difficulty modes of Drakan 3 explained below.
*Easy: Base difficulty- enemies/bosses have 100% health and speed while dealing 100% damage. Arokh reduces all damage taken by 75%.
*Standard: enemy/boss health is X2, you take damage from everything X2. Speed of enemy/boss attacks/movement is normal. Arokh reduces all damage taken by 75%.
*Hard: enemy/boss health is X3, you take damage from everything X5. Speed of enemy/boss attacks/movement is 50% faster. Arokh reduces all damage taken by 50%.
*Brutal: enemy/boss health is X4, you take damage from everything X10. Speed of enemy/boss attacks/movement is 50% faster. Arokh reduces all damage taken by 50%.
*Vicious: enemy/boss health is X5, you take damage from everything X100. Speed of enemy/boss attacks/movement is 50% faster. Arokh reduces all damage by taken 25%.
*Absolute: enemy/boss health is X10, you take damage from everything X1000. Speed of enemy/boss attacks/movement is twice as faster. Arokh reduces all damage taken by 25%.
*Overkill: enemies/bosses die in one hit, but so does the player (even with all health upgrades and the best armor). Damage from and towards enemies is increased by 1,000,000 while moving/attacking speed is twice as faster. Arokh won't reduce any taken damage.
*Impossible: enemy/boss health is X10 while moving/attacking twice as fast. Everything kills both Rynn and Arokh in one hit regardless of armor/upgrades. Like in old arcade games, you need to rely on your 1-ups (Phoenix Feathers) instead of any healing items.
XXXXXX
2.Endgame
After you beat Angra's last (6th) phase, view the ending move and credits, then you get a message about what you have unlocked. When you remove this message, a new screen will appear with 4 different choices- Free Roam Mode, Change Difficulty, Reset Game and Exit to Main Menu. Explained below are the 4 options in this post-game window.
*Free Roam Mode allows you to explore all unlocked areas of the game, complete side objectives, collect items, earn gold and so on. If you visit Sessool, a teleporter will appear which takes you directly to Angra's battle arena. Fighting it again will repeat this cyclic process. This mode will give you alot of XP for completing the last objective and unlock one special endgame quest- on each continent of Drakan (plus the Dragon Dimension) there is a purple Sessool crystal hidden somewhere. You must find all crystals, upon approaching them a wave of demonic enemies will spawn. After you kill all the demons, you can break the crystal but keep in mind some crystals will force you to fight only as Rynn. When you find and kill all 8 crystals with the demons they spawned, you will get a special reward. But remember that completing this quest is mandatory for 100% completion so you need to finish it even just once.
*Change Difficulty allows you to play on another difficulty mode instead (choosing the same difficulty will restart the game). Since Drakan 3 has NG+, the only thing you lose when changing difficulty is Rynn's inventory possessions (all weapons, armors, potions, quest items, etc). However, everything else will be carried over- unlocked extras (skins, cheats, etc), Arokh's breath weapons (collecting the respawned elemental runes will just refill his gauge to maximum), your skill points alongside current level, your money, your perks, your learned combos, etc. A new difficulty will reset the story with all enemies/bosses/plot quests/item spawns/etc. However the challenges will only give money after being completed just once per save file, you can replay them as many times as you want if you need to grind for money.
*Reset Game forces you to wipe out all progress made on your save file and begin from scratch on Easy Mode. It's not recommended unless you are feeling masochistic.
*Exit to Main Menu forces you to quit your game and see Drakan 3's title screen again. If you reload your save, you will just be teleported to the last place where you saved before quitting.
The "Dragon Commands" pause menu...
...and its primary inspiration.
XXXXXX
3.New Game Plus
Starting on a new difficulty mode removes only Rynn's inventory possessions (although playing the story again will reset enemies/bosses/item spawns/quests/etc), but you get to keep everything else. However there is one deliberately left exploit in the game- if you sell your weapons plus armor to Brekk before going into Sessool, then they will be saved there even when you start a new difficulty mode and reset the story. Although buying and then dropping them somewhere will cause them to disappear when you reset the story via NG+, essentially Brekk will save any unique item you sell to him- including Ahura's relics. I should mention there is a catch- indestructible, unique and quest-required items are VERY expensive so the only way to buy them back in NG+ is if you have millions of gold to spare. Well, if you do manage to buy back your favorite items from Brekk, then your game will "overwrite" them (using special coding) when you pick them up again in the story as to avoid having duplicates of the same unique and overpowered item.
Drakan 3 will have optional side-quests and challenges. Example here, Arokh will have to fly through rings in the sky.
XXXXXX
4.100% Completion
Besides the above, Drakan 3 will also have a completion meter for hardcore players. Getting 100% completion in your save file game will unlock 2 final pairs of skins for Arokh and Rynn- they can play as respectively a quadrupedal and bipedal version of either Ahura or Angra.
This is what's required for completing the game (checking the Stats in the Pause Menu also will help you alot).
*Beat the game on all 8 difficulty modes (which also unlocks most skins).
*Kill all 4 optional bosses at least once (this game has 20 bosses overall).
*Obtain all 9 elemental breath weapons for Arokh at least once (fire is unlocked by default).
*Get all 27 upgrade crystals- 9 Blue (Rynn Mana), 9 Green (Arokh Breath) and 9 Red (Health for both).
*Find all 100 secrets, many of them contain the other collectibles on this list.
*Collect all 1000 Tears of Ahura items (resembling large white pearls with a rainbow aura glow)
*Finish all optional side quests- e.g. kill the Cockatrice in the sewers beneath Chiwutai.
*Complete all challenges- e.g. the gladiator survival arena in Emdigbe.
*Unlock the one hidden skin pair by inputting the secret code, also speak at least once with all the hidden characters (Semira, Mardis, etc) which shall give you money.
*Reach level 100, upgrade all 4 skill tree branches, obtain all 40 perks, learn all new melee combos and upgrade all magic spells to level 4.
PS: it's possible to accomplish most of these in one playthrough, without needing to reset the plot and start a new difficulty mode. However 100% completion still requires you to finish the other 7 difficulties at least once as well.
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©Drakan: Legacy of the Gods post is a fan project based on the Drakan video game series originally created by Surreal Software, however currently owned by Warner Bros and Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Thanks everybody here who read and liked this huge "Drakan 3" fanfiction post, hope you enjoy reading my very long wall of text with many pictures (your upvotes are greatly welcomed) as much as I enjoyed creating it!
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