The Battle for Terra: The Third Installment of The Continent Trilogy

By Douglas T. Bradshaw

About the Book
We have seen the Continent play host to magick and evil, but now it faces a threat unlike anything else in the multiverse. It now faces Galetos, the son of the most evil Ancient, Chagdrom. In retribution for what happened here in the ancient past, Galetos now wants to swallow Terra whole. Standing in his way is a farmer named Raollin, who rose from his common roots to become a Champion of the Light, tasked with stopping evil, no matter what form it takes. The issue is that no mortal has ever faced an evil as great as Galetos in the history of Terra. How can a simple farmer save Terra from being consumed? Read the exciting conclusion of the Continent series and find out!

About the Author
Douglas T. Bradshaw explains that this series is a byproduct of his favorite hobby, fantasy role-playing games, especially Dungeons and Dragons. He’s been playing since 1983 and has been a Dungeon Master since 1993. Over the years, he’s written many adventures for his players, and he thought that perhaps others, whether or not they have played D&D, would enjoy these stories. The Continent Trilogy is based in his campaign world, where the players make history every game session! Bradshaw says, “It is my hope that those who read this book look forward to more stories…in my next series…the Legends of Terra.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Company
• Release date: Jan 31, 2023
• ISBN: 9798886835564

Book preview

Chapter 1

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A New Age Begins

Life continued on for the peoples of the Continent after Thaddeus defeated the Entities of Evil and while the people were protected from their evil influences, it did not stop the evil that lies in the hearts of men. Greed and avarice still found strong supporters amongst many, though 1000 cycles of peace and prosperity has made the peoples of the Continent complacent. The people acted as if evil was no longer a part of men, but despite appearances to the contrary, evil is alive and well. It lies just under the surface, hiding, waiting patiently as the Continent fully ripens to the ideal time to set its long-awaited plan into motion. To those that heard the call of evil, though they have operated in the shadows for a long time, they do whatever they can to further the aims of those who would seek to tear down all that has been built over the last 1000 cycles. Little do the peoples of the Continent know of the evil that is waiting and their opportune moment to strike is coming…soon.

The Champion of the Light, still residing in Samsrun, continued in his sworn duties to protect the Continent and the fact that evil has been practically nonexistent is primarily of his making, though one thing has stopped his continuing crusade, his death. On the 15th sun of Sarodan in Cycle 2545 on the old calendar, Thaddeus and Agham-Ix passed away from natural causes after serving the Continent and its people for over 1000 cycles. The greatest good the Continent had witnessed in over 7000 cycles was no more. He died surrounded by his closest friends who represented the peoples of the entire Continent, now numbering over 10 million, who collectively mourned him for a season.

Over his lifetime, Thaddeus witnessed many new and miraculous things and while his life was extended because of his familiar, he never forgot his role. He was a protector and force for good…something he never shirked away from, and even though his doctors advised him against it, he continued his travels around the Continent right up to the very end. He gave his last full measure of devotion to the Continent and its people because that’s what he believed was necessary and so he would have no regrets over his long life.

He saw his father, Patrick, pass on before him. Though his wife, Kama, was technically a spirit, her semi-corporeal form had finally given way after a long afterlife. Though he was saddened by losing them, he was never lonely because his home was always filled with students, scientists, and historians, not to mention his oldest and dearest friends, Agham-Ix and Bjor’ma.

Shortly before his death, he witnessed the last miracle of his time. He witnessed Bjor’ma being taken into the Crying Fields after being with Thaddeus for 1000 cycles. Thaddeus was never able to transfigure Bjor’ma from the pink blob that he was, until he took Bjor’ma to the Crying Fields and Tyrus seemingly melted away the pink blob and Thaddeus saw Bjor’ma in his humanoid form for the first time. He saw Bjor’ma’s mother come to him and he saw the two of them embracing as the golden door opened for both of them and Bjor’ma left the Continent for the last time.

Tyrus said to Thaddeus, You have done a great thing, Champion. Know that the golden door is open to you, when it is your time to join us.

While his funeral was very well attended by the living and he received many posthumous honors, his passing into the Crying Fields was a momentous occasion, though none of the living were in attendance that sun. Thaddeus noted every other Champion that had ever served the Continent was present, welcoming him into their fold along with many other honored guests, like his wife of over 800 cycles, Kama, along with many of the friends he made during his long tenure as Champion of the Light.

As he stood before the Golden Doors, he said to all assembled, Now I pass into the beyond of this world, as I am a part of it, just as it is a part of me…. To the next great adventure!

None of the living knew what was happening on that sacred and hallowed ground, but they would know in their own time for a Champion of the Light is always a Champion of the Light, whether living or dead. This fact would be of paramount importance in the times to come.

After mourning him, the High Council of Samsrun, being one of the more influential governing bodies in and around the Continent, decided to declare that a new age had begun after Thaddeus’s death. They wanted to commemorate his life and times by naming the previous age after him, calling it the Age of the Champion. Historians and chroniclers of all shapes and sizes flocked to Samsrun upon this announcement as they wanted to start recording the happenings and events of the last Age so that future people might know what the Age of the Champion was like.

After the hubbub from Thaddeus’s passing died down and Continent life returned to normal for most of its 10 million-plus citizens, the forces of evil decided that the new age should have their stamp upon it. In other words, it was high time for a comeback. The Entities of Evil, while defeated over 1000 cycles ago and reduced to shadows of their former selves, have since regained their powers, owing to the continued presence of evil on the Continent. They thought that the Continent, now rife with complacency, should provide a wonderful backdrop for their infernal plans.

The first beings to know about these plans were located in a swamp, one of three major swamps on the Continent at this time. This one, however, was special as it contained something that the others did not…a small piece of Chagdrom, the Ancient Evil that had died several thousand cycles ago, this piece of him preserved at the cost of untold sacrifices and dark magicks, cleverly hidden from view in the depths of this most unholy of places. Thaddeus knew about this place, but never detected anything bad happening here…but some say, even he got complacent over time and allowed this small bit of evil to remain on the Continent to fester and provide a starting point for evil to once again threaten the Continent.

Over time, evil slowly leeched out from this small piece of Chagdrom into the land and into the simple creatures that call this place home. This evil twisted them, made them into grotesque shapes and warped their minds. No longer were they just looking for their next meal; they now had a new purpose in life—to kill and cause untold woe and misery to the peoples of the Continent.

So, they did….

They started small, by waylaying travelers and attacking others who happened to get too close, and over time, these creatures developed a liking for killing, and watching as the last vestiges of life left their victims as they were devoured, leaving no trace of their unfortunate targets, save a few inedible bits of bone. As the evil in the swamp grew unchecked, these evil-minded creatures continued their assault on the peoples of the Continent. Sometimes they were successful in killing their intended targets, and sometimes they were not, but with each encounter, they did something extraordinary…they learned and adapted.

During this time, word started to spread about the dangers of this particular swamp and the evil that infested this place, and though it took more time than some would have liked, the population of this area had developed alternate paths away from the swamp so that trade would not be disrupted and so that travelers would be free to pass through this area. All this might have never happened, but the Entities of Evil are smart and decided now that the Champion of the Light was no more, that they themselves needed to direct this expansion of evil.

As they arrived on the Continent, they renamed this place to give it importance because they were here now and there was no one on the Continent that could force them to leave. It was now the Dread Hallows Swamp. Each one of the Brothers did his part to consecrate their new home—the Lord of Blight darkened the swamp, so that the light from the Two Suns could not penetrate their domain. The Lord of the Dead caused cursed abominations to rise to defend this unholy place and the Dread Lord himself set magicks upon this place to solidify their defenses against any and all interlopers.

The Dread Lord said, My Brothers, after 1000 cycles, we begin our work anew in a place blessed by Our Father. Now that the accursed Champion is dead, we are free once more to wreak our vengeance against the denizens of the Continent, but we have time on our side and I believe that we need a lieutenant to carry out our commands, are there any suitable beings here?

The Lord of the Dead said, Aye, there is…there is one who would follow our commands here…she approaches….

Shortly after he said that, the Brothers heard noise behind them. As they turned, what they saw approaching was odd considering their location. What they saw was a slender female humanoid creature. She was dressed in black, or so it appeared. She was carrying a black staff and was wearing a black obsidian amulet. While her approach was not quiet, they sensed power from her, but none of them knew who she was or how she came to get this power.

The Dread Lord said in a commanding voice, Who comes before us in this unholy place?

They heard a soft female voice say, Welcome, honored ones. I have been waiting for you. I am Rilain, priestess of evil. I divined your coming and I am pleased that I can serve you.

She bowed to them, removed her hood and revealed pointed ears, though her skin was much darker than a typical elf. She was about four arms tall, weighing in at about five stone and her most interesting feature were her eyes, which were a bright yellow.

The Dread Lord asked with a sneer, An elf? How did you come here and to whom are you dedicated? You said you were a priestess.

Rilain said, My lord, I am beholden to no God or Goddess and only serve evil in all its forms and incarnations. My people cast me out when I was very young because I killed my parents. I did this because I had always hated them, and I hated my people. I was born differently, and I believed that Our Father had a purpose for me even from a very early age, though I was too young and naïve to understand what it was. As punishment for my misdeeds, they desecrated my body and darkened my skin so that I would be recognized as an outcast, someone not to be trusted.

One could see the anger and hatred welling up inside of her when speaking of her people as she continued, …so I came here to live a life dedicated to evil, as I felt drawn here by an unknown force. Though I didn’t know it at the time, I believe it is the work of Our Father, Chagdrom, for shortly after arriving here, I found something that I had been looking for all my life because it is here that a small piece of him remains. I preserved it and kept it hidden from the accursed Champion, having kept it deep underground to escape his gaze, and now I am pleased to allow it to flourish in darkness so that his vision will finally come to pass.

The Dread Lord stepped forward and said, Compelling story, I must say. We have never had one of your kind serving us before, so perhaps it is Our Father who is showing us the right path to take. We would know what skills you possess, and what have you done since you’ve arrived to further our aims?

Rilain replied, I know how to survive here, and I have learned how to speak to some creatures that live here, and I have this…. She held her obsidian amulet in her hand as she continued. I found it shortly after finding the small piece of Our Father. It has illuminated my mind and made my path clear, though I do not yet know its full potential. As a prelude to your arrival, I have also directed the killing of all who pass in or around this place.

Chapter 2

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Evil Returns

The Dread Lord looked at his brothers to see what they thought. Both looked at him with some disdain for this elf, who had no powers and no skills to use in carrying out their commands.

The Dread Lord turned to face Rilain and said, You need more skills if you are to serve us and carry out Our Father’s will. We have time on our side and we will ensure that before you take up your place at our side your skills are…better.

The Dread Lord continued, Rilain, you are to learn the arts of combat from the Lord of the Dead and you will be consecrated by the Lord of Blight and perhaps learn some magick that the Continent has never seen before. I sense my father’s mark on you. Perhaps it is that amulet you found, though that begs a question: Where did you find it? Take us there…NOW!

Rilain bowed low to the Dread Lord and his Brothers as she walked through the very dark and dank swamp. She was able to find her way despite the darkened swamp and within a toll of walking, she pointed the Brothers to the place where she found the amulet.

Rilain said, I found this amulet on a body lying facedown, badly decomposed and I felt evil all around this area. The body was there.

The Brothers sensed the evil as well, and the Dread Lord said, My Brothers, it seems that we had a lost soul all this time, in this place…that amulet…they do not exist in this realm. Why did he have it? Perhaps it was to escape us, or was it to help us? The fact that she found it represents a passing of the torch, so to speak, from one evil soul to another. When he died, his soul must have travelled into her body and caused her to commit murder…then to return here and pick up where he left off…. Very interesting, indeed. I have a theory as to who it was, and he may still be here in the swamp…Vruhans.

The Lord of the Dead piped up and said in a deep foreboding voice, My Brother, you believe it is him? He would not have been allowed into the Crying Fields. Perhaps he came here with his magicks, took a body, subjugated it with his magick, and used it to continue his existence…but to what end? We need to explore this place to see what he may have built that remains hidden…mayhaps the place where the piece of Our Father is?

The Dread Lord said with a smile, Aye…we should pay our respects. Rilain, take us there.

Rilain bowed low to the Three and led them to a small hut almost in the center of the swamp about a league away from where Rilain found the decomposed body. She said, When I found this hut, I sensed energy coming from it and when I went inside, that’s when I found the piece of Our Father. Welcome to my humble abode, my lords!

She opened the door and they entered. The Brothers sensed evil from this place, which made them smile as Rilain produced a small box from a corner of the dark room they were in.

As she opened the box, she said, Behold, my lords…Our Father!

Inside the small box was a desiccated piece of scaly hide, totally black in color, but the energy coming from it was strong, as if it knew they were here and it was responding to the great evil that had entered this room.

The Dread Lord said, So…after all this time, my Brothers, we stand in the presence of Our Father. He gave us this world to rule and now we shall, as there is no one that can stand in our way!

Rilain bowed low again and said, Yes, my lords. How shall I proceed in serving you?

The Dread Lord piped up and said, You will begin your martial training immediately, while I search for the magick that Vruhans may have brought here. You will also take the Lord of Blight to the leader of these creatures that have been killing humans that venture too close to this place. We wish to see them and see what they can do.

Rilain bowed low and said, My lord, if you will follow me, I will take you to the one that I have treated with.

As the two were travelling to the west, The Lord of Blight said, My Brother said that you will need my consecration. Do you know what that means?

Rilain said, No, my lord. Would you tell me?

The Lord of Blight said in a gravelly whisper, My normal methods of consecration could kill you as you are mortal. We may need to rectify that. Short of killing you, then raising you as a demon, there is little I can do as my powers are deadly to all, though mayhaps constructing a new Pit might help in this case, though I warn you that a consecration has never been tried on a mortal before. It will involve more time than my usual supplicants, because the Pit will greatly weaken your frail mortal constitution, but it might work…if you are willing, of course. I do not know what the Pit will do to you, but I can assure you that you will have to endure sickness and pain the likes of which you have never felt afore.

Rilain stopped in her tracks. She turned to face the rotting, putrescent Lord of Blight and said, My lord, I will do whatever it takes to serve Our Father’s will. I’m sure this consecration will be easy compared to what my own people did to me. They flogged and tortured me, rendered me barren in the cruelest way possible, they burned me and ridiculed me, they charred my skin and removed all traces of womanhood from me. They broke my body, but enraged my spirit. I will welcome the chance to take my revenge on them! When you are ready to consecrate me, I will be there!

The Lord of Blight grinned, his mouth spewing a black, foul-smelling liquid as he said, We shall see. Look sharp, there are creatures up ahead!

Rilain heard them as well, as she took her staff in both hands, mumbled a few words and caused the tip to glow a dull red. The Lord of Blight was pleased upon looking around this area as everything was rotting and he could feel the evil all around him. He was not prepared for what he saw, though.

The throaty cries of many creatures were almost deafening as they came. It sounded like there were hundreds of them…their slick, wet skin could easily be seen as the red light from Rilain’s staff reflected off them. They were medium-sized, frog-like beings, with really large eyes, webbed feet and hands…though they had an oddly human look to them, as if they were half-frog and half-human. One could even see the remnants of torn clothing on a few of them. Their wet skin smelled nauseating and the cacophony of noise they made was almost deafening, but slowly the noise level started to go down as He approached.

Rilain and The Lord of Blight stood there as the frog-like beings quieted down, bowed, and moved to one side as someone approached. These simple creatures had no name for him, but they obviously revered him as a king, or perhaps even a God.

As he entered the zone of red light emanating from Rilain’s staff, he said in a clear male voice in Elven, Good afternoon, Rilain. It is good to see you again, and who do we have here, I wonder? After a small pause, he said, The Lord of Blight, I presume. Your reputation and emanations precede you. I sensed a change in the air as did my followers, but where are my manners? I am Vruhans and I was a mage of some renown many thousands of cycles ago, but after being cruelly rejected by Tyrus the Judge to enter the Crying Fields, my spirit wandered about until I found a body to inhabit helped by the amulet that Rilain now adorns herself with. I came to this place and found these remarkable creatures, obviously magickal experiments, combining frogs with humans. I never thought of that, but it appears that someone did. Using what few magicks I still possess, and with Rilain’s help, I was able to lead these creatures and garner them some glory, along with a meal or two. What brings you to my little corner of the Continent, or is this a social call? I do so love company as these creatures are poor conversationalists.

The Lord of Blight said in a gravelly whisper, We thought it was you, Master Vruhans. Seems one cannot keep an evil spirit down, so to speak. We may have a use for you and your followers in the times to come. Surely you have heard that the Champion is gone and the Continent is ripe for the taking.

Vruhans replied, As you say, my lord…whatever you wish of me, I will perform to the utmost of my ability, provided the compensation is adequate, of course. After all, one has needs.

The Lord of Blight said, You always were a funny one, Master Vruhans. I will pass along your willingness to serve to my Brothers. They will be pleased that you’ve decided to join the cause. Together we will be victorious!

Vruhans said, Yes…victorious, indeed. Rilain, my child, you’ve been awfully quiet…very unlike you.

Rilain said, Just a show of respect for our new lords, and one can gain much knowledge by simply listening, Master Vruhans. I read about you before I was imprisoned amongst my people…very impressive…can you still cast a Mindwipe spell?

Vruhans said, I can. That is one of my personal favorites! I will have to show you sometime. Rilain knew that Vruhans found her attractive, despite her looks.

She knew that he was several thousand cycles old and possessed knowledge that she could only dream of. She also knew that he was not totally evil, as he relayed to her his experiences with the Champion of the Light many cycles ago.

The Lord of Blight said, Come away now, Rilain. We still have work to do. It was good to see you, Master Vruhans. We will be seeing each other again.

Vruhans bowed low to the Lord of Blight and said, Until then, lord.

Vruhans walked slowly backwards and his followers went with him leaving Rilain and the Lord of Blight alone, walking back to the center of the swamp.

Rilain asked, My lord, why do you call him Master Vruhans?

The Lord of Blight said, He is a master of his craft. It is a way of showing respect for him and his achievements…part of the Old Ways that sadly are no longer practiced.

Rilain asked, Who can show me these Old Ways…mayhaps I could learn them?

The Lord of Blight said, There are many who can teach you the Old Ways. Mayhaps you can learn them. We shall see…there is so much you do not know.

Chapter 3

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Plans Made and Executed

Time passed by, and the Dread Hallows Swamp was a veritable hotbed of activity in preparation for the onslaught that was being planned. The Dread Lord found no other magicks here, save those of Master Vruhans and his followers. The Dread Lord decided to pay Master Vruhans a visit to speak with him personally. He was impressed by the sheer energy that Vruhans commanded despite losing his phylactery to Thanatos all those cycles ago.

Vruhans told the Dread Lord, It is through my sheer force of will that I continue to command the magick that I do. I enjoyed having this power in life and I enjoy it now.

Vruhans told the Dread Lord that of all the beings that Thaddeus faced during his time as Champion of the Light, he was the only one who successfully tricked Thaddeus into letting him live all this time. Vruhans was the one evil spirit that Thaddeus did not kill, as he was fooled by Vruhans’s sudden conversion to good. Vruhans explained that he recognized that Thanatos could not defeat Thaddeus, nor could Thanatos defeat him. He didn’t want to ally himself with the losing side of the battle and it turned out that he was right as Thanatos died a few moments later.

The Dread Lord said, I thought so as well, but now that the Champion is gone, nothing will stand in our way!

The Dread Lord continued, What of these creatures? What can they do to aid in our cause?

Vruhans said with a smile, My lord, these creatures were created by a mage from times long since passed. I do not know his name. They seem to be willing to accept leadership from any mage, and while I’m not alive, they seem to be able to sense magickal energy and while exercising that sense several cycles ago, they found me, and they have treated me as their leader ever since. I cannot understand the noises they make, but they seem to be able to communicate through a limited telepathy of sorts. That is how I command them. Lastly, though they are simple creatures, they are strong and fast.

The Dread Lord said, Looks like we have found our soldiers. How many do you command?

Vruhans said, My lord, they number only 800…certainly not enough for an army, but good for shock troops. They also eat everything they kill.

The Dread Lord said, Aye…shock troops they are, then. We will need to find an army.

During this time of preparation, in the center of the swamp, The Lord of the Dead drilled Rilain in weapons and basic military tactics. Though not a physically strong woman, she did gain proficiency with a few lighter weapons. The Lord of the Dead knew that she would never attain great heights as a warrior, and suggested to his brother, the Dread Lord, that she would make a good magickal student. The Dread Lord gave her a single spell to learn, one that would be helpful in carrying out their will. She learned a spell to charm humanoids and once under her spell, they would follow her to the swamp and the Three would have willing converts to their cause. However, the one thing they were all waiting for was The Lord of Blight to finish preparing the Pit of Desecration, a living embodiment of evil with but one purpose, to concentrate evil from the Continent. This concentrated evil served many purposes: to draw those who would do evil to them and it served the Three in that this concentrated evil allowed them to perform the unholiest of rituals upon those willing to serve and die for the cause.

After several more suns, the Pit was completed.

The Lord of Blight said to his Brothers and Rilain, The Pit is complete. It is ready to receive evil, but it needs what I like to call a ‘starter.’ It needs an evil being to willingly sacrifice themselves for our cause, to give the evil that the Pit collects something to latch onto and feed from. The question is, where do we find such a being?

The Brothers were in a quandary as there was no one around them…except for Rilain.

Rilain sensed that the Brothers wanted her to sacrifice herself, as she was mortal and available, not to mention that she had no real reason to say no, other than the desire to live and to have her vengeance upon the elves. She thought that while it would not be her wreaking vengeance, she would be the catalyst for all the evil that came after her.

She stood up and said, My lords, I would be honored to sacrifice myself. What say you?

The Dread Lord looked at her and said, Rilain, while that thought had crossed our minds, there is another who is more suited to this task that we have called upon. Vruhans has graciously agreed to sacrifice himself to the Pit, and in so doing preserve his magickal legacy. You will be the second to enter the Pit after him…serving as the first to reap the benefits of his sacrifice to our cause.

Vruhans appeared before them and said, My lords, I am here and I am willing to sacrifice myself to your glorious cause.

The Lord of Blight said impatiently, Enough talk. Vruhans, enter the pit while I cast the final spell that will remove your life essence and render you permanently dead, though your soul will be allowed to roam the endless wastes of the Land of the Dead.

Vruhans nodded and cast one final look at Rilain as he descended into the Pit. The Lord of Blight cast one last spell and soon the Pit was filled with a black viscous semi-fluid, but there was one small white streak in the mix that the Lord of Blight did not notice as he said, Rilain, are you prepared for your consecration?

Rilain said, Aye…let it be done! Before she took another breath, she was submerged in the black goop of the Pit. While she was sinking into the thick, viscous fluid that filled the Pit, she saw a vision. She saw an altruistic act committed by Vruhans, one of many over his long life as he said in her mind, Rilain, you knew that I was not fully evil and now neither are you…there will always be room in your heart for good…allow it in because you never know when it will come in handy! One never knows the value of an altruistic act, performed at the right time in the right place…always remember that!

A few moments later, the Lord of Blight caused Rilain to rise from the Pit. She was covered from head to toe in the viscous fluid that seemed to stick to her as he laid her unconscious body on the ground in front of his Brothers. The Lord of Blight said, She lives. I am surprised as mortals do not generally survive the Pit. Her spirit is strong.

The Dread Lord said, Excellent. Her mortal body is stronger than I thought. Let her rest, as there will be plenty of evil for her to do later.

Rilain, now unconscious, lay in repose for the longest time…her mind conflicted. On the one hand, she wanted to take revenge on the elves for what they did to her, but on the other, she acknowledged the cold, calculating demeanor that she would need to finally wreak her terrible vengeance. She was never a patient woman, but she realized that in doing evil, one must think more about every possible outcome because she knew that the one outcome she did not foresee might result in her death. While her mind was conflicted, her body was being attacked by the purest evil anywhere on the Continent, causing all manner of disease to appear on her, taking the form of pus-filled nodules all over her. It was as if these nodules were tanks of evil that were slowly being injected into her.

A few suns passed by and Rilain finally woke up from The Evil Sleep as the Brothers called it. She had a unique place in Continent lore now, being the only mortal that had ever survived the Pit. She was clinging to life by a thread as the goopy mixture had dried on her, but the Lord of Blight removed it from her mouth and nose so she could breathe. She felt weak and was wracked with pain, as if all the energy in her body was sapped and it took another couple of suns before she had the strength to move. She was tired, hungry, and thirsty as she took her first few tentative steps in the dark gloom of the swamp. She noted that it was difficult for her to move because of the thick layer of dried black goop on her, which smelled revolting. As she took those steps, the goop cracked and started to come off her legs, arms, and body, but her long black hair was caked with it. She thought she needed a bath in the worst way, but there was something else that was a part of her now…a need to do evil.

Before her dip in the Pit, she wanted to do evil, but now she needed to. It was like her need to eat or drink. It was no longer a want, or a desire. It was as if she was addicted to evil. Her thoughts were a confused jumble of needing to eat and drink, along with the best way to do evil to satisfy this new addiction. The Lord of the Dead happened to spot her first and said in a very commanding voice, So, you’ve survived. We weren’t sure you would. You must be hungry.

In front of her, a black table appeared with food and drink on it, along with a chair. She sat down and tried to eat, but her revolting smell made it impossible for her to eat without retching. After a few unsuccessful attempts at eating, she said, My lord, this might seem a strange request, but I require something that may be unfamiliar to you. I need to bathe, as my stench is overpowering my ability to eat. I hope you will understand. The Lord of the Dead said after laughing heartily, A bath…yet another idiosyncrasy of working with a mortal and a woman, no less. I’ve heard of this ritual, though the Dread Lord will have to conjure that for you. As he turned to leave, he said, I’ll never understand mortals.

The Dread Lord appeared next to her and said, My Brother tells me you need to bathe…hmmm…never had anyone ask for that, but then again, I’ve never worked with an elf afore, but it is simple enough as I suspect there are desires in you that are growing. There are mortal needs to be sure, but I suspect there is something else…something new…something that you need to act on, and very soon.

Rilain said, Yes, my lord, there are, but a bath would be a good start and then mayhaps I can ensure that those needs are met, with your leave, of course.

The Dread Lord nodded and within a few moments, a large copper tub appeared in the shack that Rilain had been using as a home, and it was filled with warm water…there was also a large bar of soap on the side of the tub. As Rilain stood outside of the tub, she stopped. She remembered how horrific she looked and that she would once again have to see her disfigured body, which always made her sad. She remembered what she had looked like before as an elven girl. She remembered her silky soft skin, her long, shiny black hair and most of all, she remembered her very distinctive femininity and the fact that she loved being a woman, but that was a long time ago. She removed her belt and her cloak, revealing her putrescent smelling robe. She removed it from her body, revealing her naked form.

She was thankful that it was dark in the hut she called home so she wouldn’t have to see her now-mutilated body, but she could feel the scars all over her, as she remembered what they did to her and the endless pain and humiliation that she suffered at their hands…the hands of her people. They told her that her disfigured body would serve as a reminder of her crimes against the elves. They told her that each lash they laid upon her would serve as a reminder of the pain she inflicted on others, and finally, as they made her barren, they told her that they could not risk her having a child, for fear it would commit crimes against the elves just as she did. She lamented that her scarred, mutilated form is all that is left of that beautiful woman that she once knew whenever she looked in the mirror at home…as she climbed into the tub and cried…it was not the first time she had cried over this and it would certainly not be the last.

After a few tolls, as she sat in the tub of warm water rubbing the jasmine scented soap over herself, she started to feel a little better about her situation, as she now had the honor of serving the Entitles of Evil and she was to participate in their glorious crusade. She thought that her anger and bitterness over what her people had done to her would drive her to great heights of evil and would make her vengeance upon them that much more satisfying. She thought about what tortures she would inflict upon them, which made her smile. Though her body wasn’t what it used to be, she recognized that her mind had more knowledge, including a spell. She knew that the elves did magick, but never the charm magick she learned from the Dread Lord. She wondered what other spells he knew and would be willing to teach her? She hoped it would be a type of spell that she heard existed a long time ago.

She finished up her bath and got out of the tub, now filled with water that was as black as her hair. She felt cleaner than she had in a season and refreshed to boot. She was amazed at the restorative powers of sitting in a tub full of water for a few tolls, but she was thankful for the opportunity to indulge in one. She dried herself, and put on a clean, black robe then sat at the table and ate her fill.

After her meal, the Dread Lord said to her, Now that you have satisfied your mortal needs, I assume you are ready to perform a task to further our aims…a conquest of sorts. We have attuned the frog-like beings to your thoughts so that you can command them as Vruhans did. There is a village not far from here, you will go there with your army, and…well, use your imagination, but I would suggest that you bring back some of them. They will have their uses. Leave now…return swiftly…good luck!

Rilain did as she was told. Her newfound communication powers with the frog creatures served her well as the mass of them started towards the village of Kayal, which was a scant half-league from the southern border of the swamp.

On her way there, Rilain was experiencing something that she had never experienced before. As she led the force of frog beings to the village of Kayal, she was smiling, almost giddy with excitement in that she was going to do evil and whatever it was that was inside of her that made this something that she had to do, was happy about the death that she was about to unleash. They were 800 strong as they began their assault on their chosen target, the village of Kayal. The residents were unaware that their village was picked to be the starting point of a new evil that the Entities of Evil hoped would spread far and wide. The creatures were quick but not really quiet in their grisly work giving the 150-strong village militia time to put up a ferocious defense, but in the end, the frog creatures were too many and overwhelmed them.

As she bore witness to the death that her force caused among the people of this once-peaceful village, she was smiling…she experienced actual pleasure with each death they caused, as if she needed for them to die to satisfy this need inside of her. Each life her soldiers took, fueled her desire for more killing, more blood and ever yet more evil. Unbeknownst to her, these first few deaths fed the evil inside of her causing it to grow, which would eventually require her to kill ever greater numbers to satisfy her macabre desires. Within four tolls, all the villagers, save fifty, were killed and quickly eaten. Rilain charmed those that survived the onslaught to follow her into the swamp. Their victory complete and the evidence of her army having been there erased, the remaining 750 frog creatures and the fifty humans left from the village began the march back to the Dread Hallows Swamp.

Within a few tolls as their march continued back to the swamp, a single human approached the now-decimated village of Kayal. She didn’t see anything moving, though the scent of death hung heavy in the air as she surveyed what was once a thriving village. She had arrived this sun because she had received word that the villagers had built a house of worship dedicated to her Goddess. As one of the largest buildings in this village, she spotted it immediately. They had built this place specifically to attract a priestess from an old faith to protect them, one that was very popular among humans and is still the goddess of choice for the elves. She could not have known that she was the first person to witness the devastation of this village, and she immediately beseeched the Moon Goddess for help.

Chapter 4

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Glimmers of Light

She prayed for tolls on end and received nothing in reply. She got up, let out a heavy sigh, slowly approached the building and looked upon the two large double doors, each with a half-moon in relief. She opened the heavy doors and entered the building and as the fading light from the Two Suns poured into the building, she saw her Goddess’s symbol, a full Moon, made of polished copper on the back wall of the small temple dedicated to her Goddess. She noted an altar and a pulpit along with many benches, supposedly for the supplicants of her faith to gather in worship.

There were no supplicants…there was no one…all she heard was silence…no songs, no words, just the deafening crescendo of nothingness assaulting her ears as she entered this edifice of worship. She dreamed of entering this temple as a champion, as a shining beacon of light to these people. She dreamed that they would laud her and quickly join her faith as she ministered unto them. But it was not to be.

She was utterly alone in this village, or so she thought… just as the second sun set, and Trirance came up over the horizon, she saw a large shadow in the doorway. She did not recognize it as a human or an elf; it was much larger than that and looked like a hulking mass of muscle, and she thought that it must be a Narsum. They were rare in this area and she had never seen one before. She was scared of this shadow as it was over twice her size and, though she knew how to use a staff for defense, she was afraid that it would not be effective in fending off so large a creature.

Though she was afraid, she was emboldened as she was in a temple dedicated to her Goddess as she said in Manton, Hail to you, stranger. I am Ciria, Priestess of the Moon Goddess. Who are you?

The creature ducked down a bit, entered the temple and approached her as she stood boldly behind the pulpit, staff in hand. She could feel each step the creature took as it shook the ground she stood on. The creature said, Me Trob…me seek work…me strong. He was a huge Narsum, standing eight arms, seven digits tall, weighing in at twenty-seven stone, wearing only a loincloth made of hide. She noted that his gigantic hands were wrapped in hide as well. He carried no other weapon. He had an innocent face but had a large set of fang-teeth as they were known protruding from his lower jaw, which was normal for his kind.

Ciria knew of the Narsum and their tribes but saw no tribal markings on Trob. His green skin was unmarked, as if whatever tribe he came from did not want anyone to know. It should be noted that a tribal marking on a male Narsum was akin to badge of honor. No self-respecting male Narsum would go anywhere without ensuring that everyone knew what tribe he hailed from, and in many ways, much could be deduced from that marking as there were tribes that were better at certain things than others.

Ciria thought that perhaps he was an outcast and did not measure up to whatever standards he was compared to. She also knew that this was unusual for someone as large as Trob was.

She asked, What tribe do you hail from?

Trob said, Me not know.

Ciria thought for a moment and said, I could use a Narsum by my side. What say you? She thought that if nothing else, he would serve her well as a personal guard. The ferocity of the Narsum was known Continent-wide and no one relished getting into a fight with them because of their rage ability. She also thought about how to feed someone so large and what if he tried to get frisky with her? She knew she would be unable to fend him off but thought that he wasn’t smart enough to think about such things…or so she hoped.

Trob said, Okay…me work for you…what me do?

Ciria said, Find some food and water for us…something strange happened in this village and I need to explore it. After we eat and rest, on the morrow, you will follow me as I understand what happened here.

Trob said, Okay…me find food…me smell many…they die here…but got eaten.

Trob left the temple and started looking around for food. Ciria breathed a sigh of relief that she was able to talk to Trob and convince him to work for her. She feared for her life while talking to him and she thanked her Goddess that he was willing to work for her, instead of trying to kill her. She wondered why Trob was an outcast. He was large and strong, but then she thought about how he talked and thought that perhaps he wasn’t smart enough for them, but she didn’t think that the Narsum as a whole were overly intelligent in the first place, but she would be wrong in that estimation as it would be their collected knowledge that would be pivotal in ensuring the survival of all peoples on the Continent.

A toll passed by and Trob returned from his food hunt. He had fifteen full baskets of food in his arms along with a bucket of water. He gathered a lot of fruits, vegetables, and grains but didn’t know how to cook anything. He carefully placed them in a line and said, Okay, Trob find food…Trob eat now…you eat now. Ciria was impressed that he was able to gather so much. He ate prodigiously as she expected, finishing off seven baskets of food by himself. He drank the whole bucket of water and afterwards, let out a belch that shook the walls of the temple he was leaning against. Meanwhile, Ciria was eating quickly, because she was starving and with all the stress of not finding anyone here and running into Trob, she thought that she could indulge in a few extra fruits.

Afterwards, Ciria said, Let me show you to your room…tomorrow is a new sun.

Trob said, Okay…me tired.

Ciria went into the back of the temple and found five small rooms. She decided to let Trob sleep in the room closest to the front entrance and she took the last room in the corridor…to give her time to react in case something went wrong. She closed and locked the temple doors, lit a torch and proceeded to get some rest…she felt safe as she was in a newly constructed building and one dedicated to her Goddess, but she was a little on edge because of Trob. As she settled in to go to sleep, her fears of Trob waking up to accost her were proven wrong as she heard him snoring, though she had locked her door, just in case.

While Ciria and Trob were in the temple of the Moon Goddess in Kayal, other things were stirring above the Continent. The Moon Goddess herself heard Ciria’s prayers and alerted Thaddeus Brimstone to the danger in the swamp. Thaddeus had ascended to her side a long time ago, which prevented him from joining most of the Continent’s honored dead in the Crying Fields, so he could continue to watch the Continent. But the last 1000 cycles caused him to get restless as it seemed that the Continent no longer required his direct supervision owing to his protégé on the surface, so he started to explore other realms and other places, heretofore unknown to him. He was several worlds away when he heard the sweet, but faint voice of the Moon Goddess calling to him, akin to a mother calling her son to come home for dinner.

Thaddeus had a special place in his heart for the Moon Goddess and for the Continent, as he found something there that he couldn’t find anywhere else—he found the love of his life and the happiest cycles of his mortal existence, so he started on his way back, but it would take time before he could finish his epic journey across the multiverse to return to the Continent. The Moon Goddess made it sound urgent, so he deliberately hurried along his route in the hopes that he could arrive in time to do whatever it was that she needed.

The Moon Goddess had more powers now than she had before, namely because of Thaddeus and Kama who helped to spread her word far and wide across the Continent for as long as they lived. She was now in a unique position on the Continent, in that she could now grant magick to her priestesses. Though the magicks she could provide were not powerful as of yet, they were useful and they were mostly used to convert others to her faith. Unlike other deities at this time, her clerics were all female as it was determined that having men in the clerical ranks would prove distracting. The Moon Goddess allowed her priestesses to marry and have children, doing all the things that women of the time did in their lives. All she asked is that they keep her message in their minds and hearts for as long as they lived.

Realizing that the Continent was again playing host to the Entities of Evil, there was one other entity that awoke…an Ancient of the Light…Mishraxi. Mishraxi was what was called an orphan in celestial terms. She had no homeland that she could remember but was determined to do good no matter where she found herself. Her physical appearance was humanoid, though she could change the number of appendages on her person to suit the task at hand. Normally, she walked on two legs and had two arms, but she could change those at a moment’s notice. She was named an Ancient of the Light by Trantoris, the first Ancient, because as he put it, Just in case an Ancient is needed on the Continent. Though there have been hundreds of Ancients of the Light, most served a certain length of time as an Ancient and then they moved on. Some have served longer than others, but all have had the same purpose—to allow the people of the Continent to defend themselves in times of great need.

Mishraxi did not see any immediate danger, so did not react right away, but she decided to stay awake to see what would happen and if her special assistance would be required. She started looking for a mortal agent to serve as her Champion but had not found anyone who really stood out to her yet. She figured she had time before any action was needed and thought that she should be picky as to who she chose, just as the other Ancients were. She did not know that of the other Ancients’ picks, some were good and some were not, but she was determined to make this pick the right way in her mind.

The last person to notice the spread of evil on the continent was Thaddeus the Younger, the last Champion of the Light. He had gone into the Crying Fields and joined the vast majority of the Continent’s honored dead, but given his status as a Champion of the Light, he could see what was happening and knew that he needed to start formulating a plan to ensure that his 1000 cycles of hard work were not nullified just because of his death. Little did he realize that what he set in motion would bring together forces that would forever change the Continent, for good or for ill, he could not say.

His plan was to enlist the aid of Mishraxi, the Moon Goddess and his mentor, Thaddeus Brimstone to perhaps duplicate what had happened to him. He knew about all the major players for good in and around the Continent, having dealt with them often during his tenure as a Champion of The Light. There were others, however, that he had comparatively little knowledge of…ones that had been formed late in his time as a Champion, that not yet been awakened to the evil now present on the land, whose entire membership was mortal. There were the Malkadian Knights, a group dedicated to good, named after the first Champion of the Light, Malkaran, who espoused the same dedication to the eradication of evil that Thaddeus did during his time on the Continent. Though few in number, they were a force to be reckoned with, as all were experienced warriors.

There were also the Moon Paladins, these mostly elven warriors, were the warrior arm dedicated to the Moon Goddess. While these male warriors could not join the priesthood of their chosen Goddess, the Moon Goddess did not discount the role that men could play in helping her to spread her philosophy far and wide. She created this organization to give the men who wanted to dedicate their lives to her an opportunity to serve with honor and distinction. While her priestesses would minister unto the people, the Moon Paladins would ensure that the people were safe, in order to worship the Moon Goddess. As the male representatives of the Goddess, they were held to very high standards and only a select few had the mental discipline, the physical prowess, and the dedication to the Moon Goddess that was required. Like the priestesses, the men were allowed to marry and have children, but it was a lifetime commitment to the Moon Goddess, and anyone else in his life would always play second fiddle to her.

There were also other smaller groups, mostly adventuring bands, but they were notoriously fickle in what they chose to do. Not to mention that adventurers wanted gold and treasure because unlike other groups, the honor and glory of serving a higher power was not something they were willing to risk their lives for. Thaddeus had to think how he could bring together all these disparate groups into one cohesive force to keep a growing evil in check.

Chapter 5

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Evil Reborn

Fresh from her victory over the village of Kayal, the march back to the swamp was invigorating for Rilain. She was thrilled at all the mayhem and death she caused in the village. She found that commanding the frog beings was easy, and so long as they got a meal out of the deal, they seemed to be willing to do whatever she wanted. The fifty villagers that she took from