“Yes, I—”

  Draznei’kai’s temper flared when the orc cut him off. “I will listen, but know this, if she has been harmed in any way, all your power will avail you naught. The united orc nation will grind you into the dust.”

  The death knight ignored that statement and said, “She is in my possession, but I am willing to release her to you. All you must do is two things for me.”

  Then before they could ask what he wanted, he conjured a black surface in the air. On it, an image of Karin appeared chained to a table and working away on runecrafting.

  “You can see that she is well. I have provided for her better than the spiderkin who took her hostage. I am no servant of Alucien, but I may want some of the same things—if only for my own reasons.“

  The large orc who the death knight assumed was the khan asked, “What do you want?”

  “Nothing that isn’t within your nature. I want you to destroy Miromar. Claim the land for yourself. I have no use for it. Your people will sing your praise generations from now as they enjoy the lush lands in the south.”

  The khan squinted. “You said two things.”

  “Yes, the reason I want this war is because I want you to draw out some humans. I don’t want you to kill them, only destroy their support system so they will lose what is precious to them, and then I shall kill them.”

  “What humans? How are we to know who they are?”

  “The most important is Duke David Nelson of Albia, although I have reason to believe he is in Baldora now. I also would delight in killing any of his family, but he is the one I must end.”

  “And if we refuse?”

  “I believe the expression goes something like, we are men of action. Lies do not become us. You don’t need to really ask that question, do you? But I can tell you one thing. I will honor my word. What is one orc to me? I will return Chimeg to you as soon as you have destroyed all of Miromar.”

  The khan seemed to hesitate, but the other warriors behind him were actually excited if Draznei’kai read them correctly. It was just as he had surmised. He wasn’t asking them to do anything that wasn’t part of their nature.

  When the khan nodded, he knew he would get what he wanted. So he stepped back into a shadowy portal and left the orcs to carry out his will.

  ______________________

  Ajmal, member of the Cult of Alucien and de facto ruler of the minotaurs, stood before the arranged warriors. Their capital city of Naxos was fuller than it had ever been. Pirates, raiders, mercenaries alike, they had all been called back. The assembled might of all the warriors trained in the arena was now present in one place.

  They all stood in their quadrians—as was the hereditary custom. Each group of warriors had been trained under Ajmal or the trainers who he prepared. He possessed their unwavering loyalty. He was seen as a visionary who would allow the minotaurs to expand and claim the world.

  Compassion had been drilled out of them. They were ready to answer the call to war. Each sought glory and wanted to bring glory to Dikastis, the god of the minotaurs. They were prepared to kill every living being if it would bring glory to their god. All those who refused to follow the true way were unworthy, and it was only like squishing a bug.

  Ajmal didn’t share their religious fervor, but he knew how to use it. These warriors all lived by the kodikas and would never betray it. It was that knowledge that more than anything allowed him to manipulate them.

  He cried out with a magically enhanced voice, “Sons of Dikastis, the time has come. Tomorrow you will begin by launching sorties against the sun elves. They are weak and decadent, dependent upon their false gods.”

  He punctuated each statement with a pause as the assembled warriors cheered. When they had finally settled down, he called out, “Now is the time of the horn.”

  Wild cheering, pounding on chests, and the beating of weapons against shields was all the answer he needed.

  A few hundred miles away in the sun elf capital of Xi’An, a meeting was happening between the king, his magical advisors, and the bishops of each of the three churches. Unlike their moon elf cousins, the sun elves had not blamed the exile on the Gods. Many of their people were still faithful followers.

  The king called for quiet yet again. “Yes, perhaps we could have shared this information with you sooner, but we have been busy trying to collect allies. Even now our ambassador is still with the moon elves trying to work out an arrangement.”

  The bishop of Mishpat shouted, “You could have told us sooner? Don’t forget, Your Majesty, that you rule by the blessing of the Gods. You are to shepherd the lives and safety of our people. Only now do you tell us that we may be facing an imminent attack from the minotaurs?”

  “Our scrying has only just confirmed this. There were unusual movements amongst the minotaurs warriors, but now we have been able to put them together. The combined masses of all the minotaur warriors have been assembled in Naxos. We believe that our kingdom is their likely target,” the king replied.

  One of the elder mages said, “Arguing won’t help. The king only knew what my mages were able to tell him, and we have been piecing it together.”

  The bishop of Shanelle asked, “And the ambassador with the moon elves, he is one of yours, a Master Jaems, correct?”

  “As you undoubtedly know since he spent a great deal of time with the family of your God’s chosen.”

  The bishop only nodded to confirm the source of her information. Then the mage continued, “I fear that the news is not good. A high-Tiered fiend slaughtered a moon elf village, and their forces are dealing with that. Then I am told that they are preparing for war with the orcs.”

  The bishop of Karbanot, God of Sacrifice, was a quiet man. He was the oldest living elf that any of them knew of, and while he rarely pushed himself forward, his council was always welcome. “My mediations have led me to believe there is more at work here than we are seeing. There is a pattern, I just haven’t found it yet.”

  Mishpat’s bishop asked, “Have you had a vision?”

  “No, the Gods are all quiet, and yes, I have sought the counsel of all three of them. But if I am not mistaken, there are also reports of increased attacks by the centaurs against Faelora. The first orc horde in nearly a hundred years has risen up and is stronger than ever before. Add to that the minotaurs, fiends, and even rumors that the dwarves are coming out of their mountain holds in greater force, and we have the setting for a conflict far wider than what we see.”

  The king asked, “Is your eminence suggesting that all these things are connected? What force could possibly act to control all these divergent races?”

  “That is exactly the question that we should be asking ourselves. And before you discount it, remember our ancestors never believed they would be cast out of Solun.”

  Astag’naralrion, the great golden dragon, sat watching as children and weaklings went to battle in her stead. She laughed, not at them but at herself. She had called herself the shield of the weak, the protector of refugees. Now, she was only Asta, a weak woman in a weak elven body.

  More than a thousand years ago, Asta had come to Talos with the refugees. No, she should call them what they really were. They were exiles cast out of their homes by the machinations of a cruel man. She was almost afraid to think his name, and she didn’t say it without good cause.

  Alucien. He was the man behind the suffering of countless millions of souls. He had been hailed as a prodigy, a mage amongst mages who understood magic better than any other. He had abilities that no one understood, at least not until it was too late.

  The elder dragons had come to know the secret of his origin. Alucien was not of Eloria. He had come from another world. The process of coming to this world had made him stronger than any other 7/7 before or since. A 7/7 was the pinnacle. Tier 7 in your levels first. Back in the day approximately somewhere between 1 in 500 to 1 in 1000 reached that point. For most, Tier 6 was the end of the road.

  Then they had to become Tier 7 in their class. This was much harder as it required an exceptionally high degree of connection with the concept of your class. Even Asta had only ended up reaching Tier 6 in her class. Alucien, he was just a natural. His class as a Meta-mage also gave him unique advantages.

  Over time it became clear that something was wrong with the population. More and more of the people failed to even reach Journeyman Tier. Apprentice or Tier 3 was generally considered basic level where a person started learning. If that was their cap then it meant they would forever be helpless.

  Slowly and behind the scenes, Alucien had swayed the Praetors and those in control. He had gotten them to cast out more than a million people for the simple sin of not being born with the same gifts as others.

  Now, though, for the first time in a thousand years, Asta felt hope. Alucien was not of Eloria, and it would take another who was not of Eloria to stop him. Sara spoke highly of her family, but Asta couldn’t count on them, not when Sara was right here with her.

  She was only a child, but there was so much potential in her. With Asta as a mentor, she would rise up. Then Asta could have her vengeance against Alucien.

  Far away on a pocket dimension the remains of Alucien had managed to solidify themselves enough to take on human form. It was the highest form in his mind. He was a superman if you will. The pinnacle of what his race was meant to be. This had always been the point of his philosophy.

  Mankind could not be constrained by limits. The purge had been a good step to cut away the cancer of weakness, but he had once again been betrayed by those without sufficient foresight. It chafed him that so many were willing to accept mediocrity, but that would be their own death.

  Megor was proving more incompetent than he had hoped, but within a few more years, Alucien wouldn’t be dependent upon others to act. Already his ability to influence events on Eloria was increasing. All the pieces were in place for a grand cleansing war in Talos.

  He had not foreseen the re-emergence of the death knight, but he would still serve Alucien’s purpose. His fury only made it amusing. He had actually done Alucien a favor in that he got the orcs even more riled up than the spider mage had.

  If there was one piece that wasn’t quite moving as he had hoped it was Astag’naralrion. Her mind should have been broken by her treatment at the hands of the dwarves. There was a wonderful irony in her betrayal at the hands of the weaklings she had sought to protect.

  Yet she had not gone berserk. And why not? Of course it was another of those blasted Nelsons meddling where they didn’t belong. Oh well, it didn’t matter. They were split up now, and much of their strength came from how they supported one another. He would see how they fared on their own.

  Character Sheets at End of the Book

  Name: David Nelson

  Race: Dungeon-Bonded Human

  Age: 42

  Class: Arcane Dreadnought (Tier 3)

  Level: 41st

  Alignment: +2

  Position: Duke of Eastern Duchy, Consort to Lady Emiri, General of Albian Army, Albian Ambassador to the Moon Elves, Mini-Boss Bastion of Thralls, First Champion of Albia

  Movement: 69

  Stats:

  STRENGTH: 75 (20% bonus): 90 (+25%): 108

  Bravery: 27

  Regen Rate: 9/hour

  Melee Damage: +180%

  DEXTERITY: 25 (+25%) 31

  Ranged Damage: +62%

  Rogue Skills: +36%

  AGILITY: 43 (30% bonus): 55 (+25%) 66

  Movement Rate: +132%

  Defense: +330%

  CONSTITUTION: 47 (+25%): 58

  Health: 4250 (+100%) (Gear:+250)

  Regen Rate: 65/tick (per skill)

  Fury: 17.4

  Regen Rate: 5.8/hour

  ENDURANCE: 66 (+25%): 82

  Stamina: 58.5

  Regen Rate: 19.5/hour

  Needed Rest: -75% (max)

  INTELLIGENCE: 98 (20% bonus): 117 (+25%): 142

  Mana: 4000 (+100%)

  Spell Damage: +284%

  WISDOM: 87 (30% bonus): 113 (+25%): 134

  Mana Regen Rate: 2925/hour

  Faith: 57.3

  Regen Rate: 19.1/hour

  CHARISMA: 48 (+25%): 60

  Social Skills: +120%

  Teamwork: 18

  Regen Rate: 6/hour

  LUCK: 15 (+25%): 18

  +18% chance to avoid catastrophic effects

  +18% improvement on chance of loot drops

  +18% improvement on quality of loot drops

  Total XP: 34,599 XP to Next: 81

  Unspent Stat Points: 0 Unspent Character Points: 155

  Traits:

  Where the Mind Leads the Body will Follow

  Tier 2: +20% Strength

  Tier 3: Arcane Backlash

  Tier 4: +20% Intelligence

  Tier 5: Adamant Bulwark

  Blight Slayer: +10% damage against any creature that is the result of a magical experiment.

  Dungeon Enhanced: Tier 1 +10 STR, +10 AGI, +50 WIS, +50 Toughness, +50 Regeneration, +100% to health and mana pools. Status as dungeon mini-boss. Special abilities to be determined.

  Duke of the East: +25% to all stats, +50% to all regeneration rate. (only applicable within Albia)

  Champion of Albia/Blade of the King: Nobility bonus applies anywhere in Albia. Long Blade: +20.

  Skills:

  Class

  Arcane Backlash: 50

  Adamant Bulwark: 60

  Damage Shift: 30

  Generic

  Running: 3

  Toughness: 130

  Regeneration: 130

  Social

  Sense Motive: 20

  Speak Languages: 14

  Diplomacy: 260

  Armistice: 50

  Craft

  Engineering: 80

  Academic

  Knowledge- Research: 201

  Knowledge- Law: 3

  Wilderness

  Survival- Forest: 14

  Survival- Desert: 7

  Tracking: 15

  Combat

  Taunt: 1

  Dodge: 70

  Heavy Armor: 130

  Unarmed Combat: 170

  Archery: 80

  Long Blade: 100 (+20)

  Double Strike: 20

  Weapon Specialization- Long Sword: 80

  Offensive Stance: 60

  Sneak Attack: 10

  Flanking: 10

  Bravery

  Shield Other: 50

  Muscle Swell: 80

  General Magical

  Quicken Spell: 41

  Esoteric Senses: 60

  Mana Barrier: 41

  Frost Armor: 78

  Magic Focus- Abjuration: 80

  Magic Focus- Evocation: 80

  Spell Mastery- Ablative Armor: 10

  Spell Mastery- Mass Lesser Enlarge: 10

  Spell Mastery- Lightning Bolt: 10

  Magic Schools/Spells

  Abjuration Magic: 80

  Minor Shock Shield

  Obscure Scrying

  Ablative Armor

  Damage Mirror

  Nullify Magic/Negate Magic

  Repulsion

  Conjuration Magic: 80

  Minor Messenger Bird

  Minor Mirror Strike

  Gate

  Alcoholic Cloud

  Summon: Dire Rhinoceros

  Totem of Stillness

  Frost Storm

  Spatial Bite

  Lesser Creation

  Conjure Dungeon Minion

  Conjure Elemental

  Teleport

  Divination Magic: 80

  Identify

  Assess Enemy

  Sure Strike

  Minor Scan: Secret Door

  Track Bloodline

  Wizard’s Eye

  Enemy Locator

  Evocation Magic: 80

  Magic Missiles

  Minor Force Stomp

  Lesser Brilliant Radiance

  Thunder Arc

  Lightning Bolt

  Fire Bolts

  Arctic Sphere

  Chain Lightning

  Shaping Magic: 80

  Minor Binding

  Minor Mending

  Fleeting Fury

  Lesser Repulsion

  Lesser Gazelle’s Grace

  Mass Lesser Enlarge

  Bone Shatter

  Alacrity

  Inertial Burst

  Enhanced Flight

  Major Shift

  Elemental Enhancement

  Greater Stoneskin

  Were-bear’s Might

  Lesser Giant Form

  Combination:

  Perceptive Sending

  Spell Trigger

  Gear:

  Breastplate of the Mother Hen

  Flaming Longsword

  Epic Ring of the Healthy Leader

  Hawk’s Eye Ashen Wood Longbow

  3 Arrows of Piercing

  Dual Bag of Holding

  Tome of Mystic Enhancement

  Portable Hole

  Forrest Running Boots

  Astral Black Blade

  Imbued Buckle of the Mage’s Mantle

  Shield Bracer

  Echo Ring

  Charm Stone: Spell Rebound- Tier 3

  Mythic Healing Potion x 2, Mythic Mana Potion x2

  Name: Emily Nelson

  Race: Moon Elf

  Age: 39*

  Level: 31st

  Alignment: +4

  Position: Lady Emiri of the Circle, Baroness of Murkwood

  Movement: 79

  Defense: 24

  Attack: 15

  Stats:

  STRENGTH: 24

  Bravery: 7.2

  Regen Rate: 2.4/hour

  Melee Damage: +48%

  DEXTERITY: 13

  Ranged Damage: +26%

  Rogue Skills: +26%

  AGILITY: 75 (+30%)

  Movement Rate: +195% (x30%)

  Defense Rate: +375%

  CONSTITUTION: 30

  Health: 500

  Regen Rate: 3.0/hour

  Fury: 9.0

  Regen Rate: 3.0/hour

  ENDURANCE: 25

  Stamina: 7.5

  Regen Rate: 2.5/hour

  Needed Rest: -25%