Return of the Avatar

THE RETURN OF THE AVATAR

Prologue: New Britannia, Forty Years Ago



COURAGE

The shattered full moon of the lunar eclipse shone bright red in the night sky above Falura Field. A lone white dove let out a mournful coo as it soared high above. Down below, tens of thousands charred, frozen, and dismembered corpses littered the blood stained battlefield, as healers tended to the few hundred surviving members of Lord British's army. Lord British lay on the grass, applying pressure to the deep sword wound in his side. A few feet in front of him were the shattered fragments of the Amulet of Vazur, with which the evil Lord Shadowreign had unleashed the power of Eight of the Nine Legendary Dragons (Gold, Silver, Bronze, Copper, Red, Black, White, Blue) upon New Britannia. (Thankfully, once the Avatar had shattered the Amulet with his Sword of Virtue, Lord Shadowreign lost control of the Eight Dragons and they flew back to their lairs and went to sleep.) Lord British was surrounded by piles of bone dust, the remnants of Shadowreign's powerful army of undead warriors.



Lord British's attention was drawn back to the present by the loud clanging of swords. He saw the Avatar and Lord Shadowreign locked in mortal combat in front of the Celestial Moongate. The Avatar's black and gold armor gleamed in the red moonlight.



"I was so close to summoning the Celestial Dragon, Ashara!", yelled Lord Shadowreign, an imposing figure clad in red and black armor, " Curse you, Avatar! Lord British stole everything that should have been mine - the throne and Lady Arabella, the woman I love! Why are you helping such an evil man?"

"No, Lord Shadowreign, you are mistaken.'', replied the Avatar, " Lord British is a good person and our rightful ruler!"

"Avatar, why are you content being Lord British's lap dog? Our nation has grown weak and pathetic under Lord British's rule. In the days of old Sosaria, when the four continents still existed, we were known for the courage of our knights as we expanded our empire by conquering those who opposed us. Nowadays, the other nations consider us to be a toothless tiger, more interested in making peace instead of war. Join me and together we can bring glory back to our nation!", said Lord Shadowreign.

"Never! You were once a good person, but you have forsaken your virtues and are now driven only by dark desires! You are not worthy to rule over anyone!", the Avatar shouted, as he swung his golden Sword of Virtue with all of his might. The Sword of Virtue made a loud humming sound as it sliced through the air and made contact with Lord Shadowreign's massive, unbreakable, ebony blade, Dragonstorm. Lord Shadowreign's blade shattered into a hundred pieces.

Lord Shadowreign dropped the broken hilt and took a step back, a startled expression on his face. "What?! This can't be...", he said.

"Surrender and Lord British may show you mercy!", said the Avatar, as he pointed his sword at Lord Shadowreign.

" Never! If I can't rule New Britannia, then I shall see it destroyed!", bellowed Lord Shadowreign," But first I shall make you pay for ruining my plans, Avatar! Feel my power!" He began hurling bolts of red mystic energy at the Avatar, who deflected them away with his sword. Lord Shadowreign began glowing bright yellow as he unleashed even more powerful mystic energy bolts at the Avatar. The Avatar was slowly being pushed backward by the force of the bolts. "You are no match for me, Avatar!", said Lord Shadowreign, as one of the bolts struck the Avatar in the chest. The Avatar fell to his knees, momentarily stunned. Were it not for his enchanted armor, the Avatar would have been vaporized.

Lord Shadowreign's eyes suddenly turned pitch black and he levitated several feet upward. His body was now surrounded by a crackling globe of red mystic energy. " Now all of you will die!", Lord Shadowreign bellowed.

" I will not let you destroy New Britannia!", said the Avatar, as he dropped his sword and hurled himself at Lord Shadowreign . The Avatar felt agonizing pain as his flesh began to burn once he penetrated the outer surface of the energy globe and plowed right into Lord Shadowreign.

"No...!", screamed Lord Shadowreign, as they were both propelled through the Celestial Moongate. After they passed through the moongate, the Avatar saw the look of anger and disappointment in Lord Shadowreign's face as he realized that he had been defeated. "Curse you, Avatar!", shouted Lord Shadowreign. The Avatar simply smiled. He knew that New Britannia was safe. His work was done. Now, it was time to rest. Then, everything exploded in a sea of red.

Lord British heard a loud explosion and saw a giant plume of red energy erupt from the moongate before it was sucked back in and the the moongate collapsed in upon itself. No trace of the moongate remained. Everyone on the battlefield stood in shocked silence.

Lord British was unaware that a small golden metal fragment had been propelled out of the moongate just prior to its collapse and had fallen at the prophet Nystal's feet. Nystal quickly picked up the fragment and slipped it into his belt pouch before anyone could notice.

Suddenly, the Avatar's Sword of Virtue shot up into the sky. It paused for a few moments as the eight Runes of Virtue engraved in the hilt began glowing. Then, the sword suddenly vanished in a flash of light.

"My Liege!", exclaimed Fire Lotus, as she rushed to Lord British's side and examined his wound. (Few people knew that, in addition to being the city's favorite tavern owner, Fire Lotus was also a highly skilled healer.) "You are badly wounded. Let me apply this healing salve and bandage your wound.", said Fire Lotus.

"Thank you, old friend. The wound does not appear to be responding to my healing spell, perhaps because of the enchanted ebony blade which Lord Shadowreign used to inflict it.", replied Lord British.

Lord British sighed as Fire Lotus tended to his wound. " New Britannia has been saved, but at what cost? Thousands of my finest soldiers lie dead and our greatest champion, the Avatar, has been lost!", he said.

"This is a sad day indeed for all of New Britannia, My Liege.", replied Fire Lotus, "But your men showed great courage in the face of insurmountable odds and their sacrifices were not in vain. This terrible year long ordeal is finally over and we can finally begin to rebuild that which was lost."

The tall, slender, gray bearded prophet Nystal walked over to Lord British and Fire Lotus. "My dear Fire Lotus, you are mistaken. We may have won this battle, My Lord, but the war is not over. Lord Shadowreign was not destroyed. The ancient forbidden dark magic which now courses through his veins have made him far too powerful to be killed by conventional means. He has been seriously wounded and transported to a far off planet in another universe. Lord Shadowreign will return at the head of a powerful army to reconquer New Britannia in forty years at the time of the next lunar eclipse."

"Nystal, you are truly a wise prophet, but are you certain of this?", asked Lord British.

"Yes, My Lord, of this I am certain!", replied Nystal.

" How will we stop Lord Shadowreign when he returns?", asked Lord British, "The Avatar barely managed to defeat him, at the cost of his own life."

" The Avatar's physical form was destroyed by the mystical energies unleashed by Lord Shadowreign, but his soul is eternal. It was shattered into 25,000 fragments which were carried through the portal to your home planet, Earth. These soul fragments now reside in the most worthy of Earth's inhabitants. Over the next forty years, these potential Avatars will be drawn here to New Britannia and compete amongst themselves to determine who will be the new Avatar.", said Nystal.

"But will the new Avatar be revealed in time to stop Lord Shadowreign?", asked Lord British.

"Yes, I will work to ensure that happens. Until next we meet...", answered Nystal. He leered at the lovely Fire Lotus for a moment before vanishing in a cloud of white smoke.

"Do you think Nystal's prophecy is true, My Liege?", asked Fire Lotus, "There are rumors that he is slowly going mad, as others have recently seen him talking to himself and to inanimate objects on several occasions."

"No doubt he would be acting strangely, considering how much time he has been spending in your fine establishment lately. I suspect Nystal is rather fond of you.", answered Lord British.

"My Liege...", stammered Fire Lotus, as she blushed bright red.

"Nystal did warn us about Lord Shadowreign's plans and his past prophecies have proven to be true, so I see no reason to doubt him now.," replied Lord British," I was so happy the day my younger half-brother James arrived here in New Britannia from Earth. We were so close growing up. I can not believe how far he has fallen. I am grateful that my mother and stepfather did not live to see this day. For now, we must make sure that the Amulet of Vazur does not fall into the wrong hands."

Lord British cast a spell and the shattered fragments rose from the ground and flew off into the sky to various remote parts of New Britannia.

"And so it begins...", said Lord British, as he gazed up into the night sky.

End of Prologue
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( I am assuming that people in New Britannia physically age at roughly one-fourth of the rate they would here on Earth.)

Introduction: New Britannia, Four Years Ago...




TRUTH

A cold arctic wind swept though Mount Krendor, as it continued to snow heavily. A solitary short, chubby figure, clad in a tattered brown robe, staggered across the mountainside. The young monk Theodric was beginning to regret his decision to sneak out of his monastery a week ago after receiving a vision compelling him to come here. (At the monastery, Theodric was one of the five monks currently writing sections of The History of New Britannia, Vol. 1, an important responsibility for someone so young. He had been assigned the task based on the Grand Abbot's personal recommendation to Lord British.)

Suddenly, Theodric found himself standing in a lush garden next to a crystal clear stream. His limbs no longer ached; in fact, he felt full of energy. Theodric looked down and saw he was now clad in a comfortable white silk robe with blue trim and covered in mysterious golden runes which he could not decipher. In his right hand was a massive leather bound book. Theodric could not decipher the writing on the cover or the content of the pages contained within. He peered into the stream and saw his face. He appeared to be at least ten years older than he was now, complete with a full beard. Theodric also appeared to be in much better shape than he was now, with most of his excess body fat replaced with solid muscle. He heard a sound and looked up to see a lone white dove soar overhead towards the massive Tree of Knowledge atop a nearby hill. Theodric could see a beautiful, red-haired woman in a black robe with red trim also covered in mysterious golden runes standing beneath the tree beckoning him. He did not recognize her face. Then everything suddenly turned to white and he found himself back on Mount Krendor.

In the distance, the shining beacon of light continued to beckon, but Theodric could go no further. He had been walking for hours and could no longer feel his limbs. Theodric collapsed from exhaustion and lost consciousness.

A pack of hungry snow wolves spotted the unconscious figure and came charging out of the nearby woods. A hooded figure suddenly appeared next to Theodric's unconscious form. The hooded figure turned and looked in their direction. The snow wolves suddenly stopped in their tracks and began whimpering. They quickly turned around and ran off in the opposite direction. The hooded figure picked up Theodric and flung him over his shoulder. They both vanished in a flash of light.

Theodric awoke to find himself in a mountain cave, clad in a warm, dry robe and lying on a mat next to a burning fire. He could hear the loud roar of the snowstorm outside. An elderly, white bearded cloaked figure sat across the fire from him.

"It's about time you woke up! You've been unconscious for three days.", said the old man, " Here, have some fine wine from Fire Lotus' Tavern. It will warm you up a bit." The old man handed Theodric a wine flask.

"Thank you for rescuing me, kind sir. I am Theodric, a monk from St. Valdine's monastery. Who are you?", asked Theodric.

"You may call me Nystal.", answered the old man.

"The mad prophet, Nystal?", said Theodric, "I heard that you were once an advisor to Lord British himself long ago. What happened to you?"

"I've been busy searching for the new Avatar for the past thirty-six years, for Lord Shadowreign will be returning soon and only the Avatar will be able to defeat him once and for all.", answered Nystal.

"But wasn't Shadowreign slain by the Avatar and Lord British thirty-six years ago?", asked Theodric.

"No, he was merely defeated. I have chosen you to help me locate the new Avatar and record the details of our journey for future generations. We will then help the Avatar recover the lost fragments of the Amulet of Vazur, for only an Avatar wielding the full power of the Nine Dragons can hope to stop Lord Shadowreign and his invading army.", said Nystal. He pulled out a small golden metal fragment out of his belt pouch and held it in the palm of his hand. The fragment began glowing faintly. "This will lead us to the new Avatar.", said Nystal.

"What is it?", asked Theodric.

"It is a fragment of the Amulet of Virtue, which was worn by the original Avatar when he died battling Lord Shadowreign thirty-six years ago. ", replied Nystal, " It is mystically linked to the new Avatar and will glow bright white when we find him or her."

"Who are you, really?", asked Theodric," Tell me the truth. I can sense when people are lying to me."

"Ah, yes. One of your many hidden gifts. You are a learned man. Tell me what you know about the Old Gods.", said Nystal.

"According to the Book of Aramus, long, long ago, Britannia faced a grave crisis known as The Great Cataclysm. On the moon Felucca, an enormous obsidian egg which had lain dormant in an underground cave for a thousand years was struck by a dark magic spell cast by the evil wizard Sintar, the last surviving descendant of Mondain, who wanted revenge against Lord British for the crimes he committed against his ancestors. (Sintar himself would later be hunted down and killed in a magic duel by Mariah, leader of the Council of Mages, on New Britannia.) The newly hatched Star Serpent threatened to destroy Felucca, which would have had catastrophic consequences for Britannia. Lord British had the Avatar jump into the Well of Eternity at the Temple of Argosa. The Avatar was instantly transported to the underground cave on Felucca. After a long and fierce battle, both the Avatar and Star Serpent were seriously wounded. The people of Britannia assumed that both of them perished when the moon Felucca exploded.

After the Avatar failed to return and Felucca exploded, Lord British went to the Cadatep ("Stone Circle of The Gods" - Thirty 25 ft tall obsidian statues arranged in a circle - rumored to be the spot where the Old Gods first set foot on Britannia long, long ago) atop Mount Helios and cast an unknown powerful magic spell which he had been entrusted with in an effort to summon the Old Gods for help.

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The Old Gods had originally visited us thousands of years ago in Britannia when we were still primitive cave dwellers. The Old Gods lived in a silver city named Ghidara which floated in the sky. They were masters of both magic and science. The Old Gods mated with our women because their females could no longer bear children; hence we are all descended from the Old Gods. (In fact, it is said that the members of the Twelve Great Houses who sit on The Great Council are descended from the members of The Old Gods' own Council of Elders.) The Old Gods taught us how to make fire and clothing, tools and weapons and gave us laws to govern us. After many years, the Old Gods left us, saying that their other children needed their help but promised to return someday to aid us if necessary.

The most famous of the Old Gods was the warrior god Darhan, ruler of the Old Gods. Darhan had three sons. The eldest, Jonir, was a mighty warrior and sorceror, but he had a heart as black as night. He took great delight in tormenting mankind. The second son, Barek, was wise and kind, and a powerful sorcerer. He used his gifts to aid mankind. The youngest son, Galen, was a brave and powerful warrior, who helped his brother Barek oppose Jonir's attempts to subjugate man. Eventually, Barek and Galen were forced to use their combined might to slay their evil brother, but not before Jonir managed to impart much of his knowledge of dark magic to his secret apprentice. (As we learned thirty-six years ago, his secret apprentice was Lord Shadowreign.)

Among the other Old Gods was a wise and powerful renegade whose true name has been lost to the sands of time. A brilliant scientist, this inventor of time travel technology was one of the three founders of their society (the warrior god Darhan and the female mage god Siral being the other two) and was highly respected by the other Old Gods. He called himself Tempus, and he strongly disagreed with some of the less enlightened members of The Council of Elders who felt that less developed civilizations should worship them as gods and serve as slave labor. Tempus resigned from his position on The Council of Elders and left Ghidara soon after the Old Gods originally departed from Britannia in order to explore time and space on his own. Of all of the Old Gods, Tempus had spent the most time interacting with our people and developed a real fondness for us. He promised to return someday to see how we were doing, but has not been seen since his departure all those years ago.

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Upon casting the spell, the thirty obsidian statues began glowing bright white and emitted beams of energy which caused a column of white light to form in the center of the circle where Lord British was standing. Lord British was rapidly propelled upward into the sky by the column of light as the astonished members of The Great Council looked on. Meanwhile, the people of Britannia began to panic and ran for cover as the smallest fragments of Felucca began striking the planet as meteorites, demolishing structures and causing numerous fires.

When all seemed lost, the floating city of Ghidara suddenly appeared in the sky high above Castle Britannia. All Britannians were instantly transported to Ghidara. Our people witnessed the destruction of the planet from the depths of space as the largest fragments of Felucca smashed into our planet, causing it to explode.

The Old Gods used something called a hyperdimensional drive to transport their city through the vortex to a parallel universe where Felucca had been only partially destroyed. (These parallel universes originally came into existence long ago when the Avatar shattered the Gem of Immortality in order to make Mondain mortal once again and allowing him to be slain.) This parallel world was uninhabited because it's former inhabitants were not visited by the Old Gods in the distant past and ended up killing each other in The Barbarian Clan Wars. After relocating us here to New Britannia, the Old Gods helped us rebuild all we had lost by providing us with more advanced knowledge, technology and materials.

After 100 years, Darhan and the rest of the Old Gods departed our new world to explore other realms. Soon after the Old Gods' silver city of Ghidara left Mount Krendor and soared off into space, both Lord British and the Avatar suddenly reappeared in a flash of light in Castle New Britannia while the Great Council was in session, with no memory of what had happened since their disappearance. When news of their reappearance spread to the general populace, some of the people wondered why Lord British now appeared to have a more youthful appearance, but most people overlooked this fact because they were just happy to have their beloved ruler back. The Book of Aramus suggests that some of the Old Gods never left and may still walk among us, but today most people believe that Aramus' account of the Exodus and Founding of New Britannia is merely a fable and that the Old Gods never really existed at all.", said Theodric.

"Really? Is that what you young people believe today? What would you say if I told you that everything described in the Book of Aramus was true?", asked Nystal.

"How could you possibly know that?", asked a skeptical Theodric.

"Because I was there to witness it!", replied Nystal, "We wouldn't have these problems with Lord Shadowreign today if Darhan had simply followed my advice and personally dealt with his son Jonir before he began down the path to darkness. I guess he was blinded by a father's love for his children."

"You knew Darhan personally?", asked a stunned Theodric.

"Indeed. A brave and powerful man, but certainly not the wisest.", replied Nystal, "Stubborn as a mule. Loved beautiful young women and wine. Not as much as I do, of course."

"You still haven't answered my original question. Who are you?", asked Theodric.

"I am Tempus, although in the past I have also gone by the name Hawkwind and The Time Lord. You must promise me never to reveal my true identity to anyone! For over 2,000 years, I traveled through time and space and, while helping those in need, made many enemies who would like nothing better than to see me dead. That is why I altered my physical appearance after I left the city of Ghidara long ago.

I deeply regret that I was not in Britannia at the time of the Great Cataclysm. Had I forseen the rise of Sintar, perhaps I could have done something to stop him. Contrary to popular belief, despite our mastery of time travel, the Old Gods are not all-knowing. Thankfully, the summoning spell I had entrusted Lord British with on my last visit to Britannia in my guise as The Time Lord was successful and the majority of Britannians were saved and relocated here to New Britannia.

Two hundred years ago, while I was enroute to New Britannia, my timeship was badly damaged following a hostile encounter with a Jinrazi battlecruiser and I was forced to crash land here on Mount Krendor. Based on this civilization's current rate of development, suitable replacement parts for my ship's damaged quantum field generator won't be available for approximately another 1,000 years. In the meantime, as far as the world is concerned, I am simply the mad prophet Nystal!", answered Nystal.

Nystal noticed Theodric's puzzled expression.

"You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?", said Nystal, "Forgive me, sometimes I do tend to ramble on a bit. Theodric, you are about to play a pivotal role in the history of New Britannia!"

"So, why did you choose me to aid you in your quest?", asked Theodric.

"You remind me a lot of your grandfather Tiberius at this age.", replied Nystal.

"You knew my grandfather?", asked a surprised Theodric, "I never got the opportunity to know him. He died before I was even born."

"That is most unfortunate. Like you, he was extremely bright and inquisitive. Always spoke his mind.", said Nystal, "We often debated long into the night about many topics such as philosophy, law, politics, and science. He rose from humble beginnings to become the greatest scholar of his era. That is why Lord British chose him to write his biography, Lord British: The Path of Virtue."

"I know. Lord British's biography is still required reading in school today.", replied Theodric, "Did you know my grandmother as well?"

"Of course! When I first met Talia, she was an incredibly beautiful, fiery tempered, powerful young mage - the exact opposite of your grandfather. Nobody thought that they would make a good couple, but I knew they were meant to be together. I introduced them to each other and, as you know, they ended up having a very long and happy life together.", said Nystal, "By the way, how is your grandmother doing these days?"

Nystal smiled as his eyes briefly glowed.

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The next morning the snowstorm ended and the sun came out. As Theodric was finishing packing up their supplies, Nystal walked over to him and handed him a well-crafted, oak long staff.

"Take this.", said Nystal," You will need it during our long journey. I assume you have been trained in its use."

"Yes, I have.", replied Theodric, " In fact, the Grand Abbott said that I showed such a natural proficiency with it that he assigned me the task of training the new monks how to use it to defend themselves. Do you expect us to encounter many dangerous foes on our journey?"

"Indeed.", said Nystal, "Lord Shadowreign's minions are everywhere and they will do whatever it takes to prevent the new Avatar from appearing to oppose their master's return."

"I see.", replied Theodric, "Won't you need a weapon to defend yourself as well?"

"No.", said Nystal, "In addition to my innate abilities, I have also mastered all of the schools of magic. Trust me, we'll be fine!"

Theodric suddenly had an uneasy feeling as Nystal smiled at him.

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Meanwhile, at a warehouse in the port city of Marul, a large crowd had gathered to hear Marius, the handsome, charismatic, young leader of the newly formed Homeguard, speak.

"My fellow New Britannians, today we face a crisis of epic proportions. For the past several decades, our world has been been slowly invaded by offworlders claiming to be potential successors to our great hero, The Avatar, who gave his life thiry-six years ago to save us from the threat posed by the evil Lord Shadowreign. These offworlders, when not battling each other for the mantle of Avatar, have been terrorizing our people. They have satsified their bloodlust by murdering innocent civilians, their greed by robbing defenseless farmers, merchants, and travelers, and their lust by having their way with our women. Lord British has done nothing to stop the influx of offworlders and precious little to curb their actions. It is up to us to take up arms against these offworlders and let them know that they are not welcome in New Britannia!", said Marius.

"But, Marius, what can we do to stop these offworlders? They have been numerous reports of slain offworlders coming back to life as if nothing had happened.", asked a beautiful, young, blue-eyed, blonde woman in the audience.

"Yes, it is true that these offworlders seem to be more resilient than us, but they can be destroyed. Decapitation and fire seem to work best.", replied Marius, "So who among you will join us and fight to protect our home from these invaders?"

"Death to the offworlders! All hail, Marius! All hail the Homeguard!", chanted the crowd, as they began waving their swords, battleaxes, and sharp farm implements in the air.

Later, after the crowd dispersed, Marius secretly met the blonde woman backstage.

"I've missed you so much!", exclaimed Marius.

"Me too!", replied the woman,"It's been so hard for me to get away from my clueless husband!", as they embraced and passionately kissed.

"That went even better than I expected!", said the woman, "I think we managed to recruit another hundred members to our cause! All is proceeding as I had foreseen. The Prophecy will be fulfilled! Lord British and the Avatar will be no more and a new Age of Enlightenment will begin!"

"My dear Vastra, I am glad to play my part in fulfilling The Prophecy, but I do have a question. I know I am merely the public face of the Homeguard.", replied Marius, "You are the one writing the speeches and providing most of the financial support for training and weapons. But will you ever tell me your real name? "

"In time, lover! Right now, I think we should concentrate on other things!", said "Vastra", with a devilish grin.



End of Introduction
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(Note: While both the Prologue and Introduction apply to everyone, this last section only applies to my player character. Everyone else's origin and their encounter with Nystal and Theodric - who I think would make great NPCs - will no doubt vary.)

Chapter One : Earth, Poughkeepsie, NY, the Present...




LOVE (GABRIEL'S STORY)

Sunset fell on the battlefield. The medieval battle reenactment was over. Lord Gabriel Dane's forces had defeated those of Lord Robert Darrington's after a fierce three hour battle. As the members for the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) sat down to a medieval banquet in their finest noble attire, they began to talk about bestselling science fiction & fantasy novelist Gabriel Dane's latest novel.

"A toast to Lord Dane for a hard fought victory! ", said John as he raised his wine goblet. Everyone else raised their goblet in response.

"Gabriel, I must say that I was not expecting that last disarming maneuver. Most impressive!", said Robert, "By the way, I heard that the first book in your new fantasy series, The Avatar Chronicles, reached #1 on every Bestseller's List in its first week of release. Two million hardcover copies! At this pace, I think it'll outsell your Tempus series."

"So, how did you come up with the idea for your new book series?", asked Henry.

Gabriel Dane paused for a moment before answering. "For the last nine months, I've been having these strange dreams about a realm named New Britannia. It seems so real to me, as if I've actually been there...", said Gabriel.

"Come on, quit joking, Gabriel!", said Sarah, " You probably came up with the idea over drinks at the Foxfire Club."

"So, Gabriel, any truth to the rumors that you are currently dating supermodel Alexandra Covington?", asked Brian.

"No!", answered Gabriel, as he touched the white gold ankh pendant dangling from his neck, "You know that Shannon was the only love of my life!"

Gabriel suddenly thought back to when his late wife had given him the pendant as a fourth anniversary gift following a romantic candlelit dinner in their suite at Ashford Castle in County Galway, Ireland.

"But Shannon has been dead for three years!", said Brian, "Don't you think it's about time for you to move on?"

As Gabriel looked at the Irish Claddagh ring on his finger, he remembered the first time that he and Shannon met. Gabriel had been on a book tour of the United Kingdom to promote the thirteenth and final book in his Tempus series, The End Of Time. After wrapping up the book tour, Gabriel had decided to spend a couple of days taking in the sights of Cardiff, Wales. As a VIP member of famed Irish mezzo-soprano Shannon Donohue's fan club, he had been one of the twenty-four lucky fans chosen at random for a meet and greet with Shannon following her concert that evening at Cardiff International Arena. When it was Gabriel's turn to have her sign a photo for him, their eyes locked and it truly was love at first sight. Later that evening, they met for drinks and talked long into the night about their interests, their hopes, and their dreams.

One year later, they were married in a lavish wedding ceremony at Ashford Castle in County Galway, Ireland. At the wedding, one of Gabriel's friends, Charles Whittaker, Professor of Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame, noted that Gabriel was a very lucky fellow because Shannon was a striking beauty who bore an uncanny resemblance to Brigid, the Celtic goddess of fire, water, & healing. Gabriel had dated many beautiful actresses and models before he met Shannon, but all those relationships were shallow and short-lived. Shannon was different. She truly was Gabriel's soul mate. The five short years they had together were the happiest days of Gabriel's life.



Jessica saw the sad look in her dear friend Gabriel's eyes. Jessica had known Gabriel since their freshman year at New York University twenty-two years ago. They had even dated briefly, but soon discovered that they made better friends than lovers. Jessica knew that Gabriel had never really been the same since losing his wife, Shannon, to lung cancer. The best doctors in the world couldn't figure out how someone in excellent physical condition could suddenly develop Stage IV lung cancer and decline so rapidly. Shannon died three months after her initial diagnosis. As Gabriel's closest friend, Jessica had been one of the few people with him at Shannon's bedside as she passed away.

Jessica shot Brian an accusatory glance and then tried to defuse the situation by quickly changing the subject.

"Honestly, Gabriel, I don't see how you have any time to write these days, in light of your blossoming pop career!", said Jessica, "Your debut album, Shadows and Light, has been # 1 on the pop album chart for eight weeks now. Ten million copies sold! Every time I turn on the radio, I hear your debut single, Song Of Love, and all I ever hear from my teenage stepdaughter Lori and her friends these days is "Who is that sexy masked NIGHTSHADOW fellow?"

Everyone laughed.

"Gabriel, you are a true Renaissance man - author, singer, songwriter, martial artist, armourer and swordsmith.", said Morgan, "Is there anything you can't do?"

Gabriel was about to respond when, suddenly, a lunar rift appeared a few feet behind him. As the shocked diners looked on, a tendril of white energy emerged from the rift and pulled him in.

In the confusion, the other diners failed to notice that Jessica smiled as her eyes briefly glowed. "I hope you find what you're looking for in New Britannia, Gabriel.", she whispered to herself.

The lunar rift deposited him on a grassy field. Gabriel got up and looked around. He saw a lone white dove soaring overhead. Suddenly, there was a slight breeze and Gabriel noticed a skull lying at his feet. He picked it up and was instantly flooded with memories from the final battle with Lord Shadowreign forty years ago. Gabriel quickly dropped the skull and staggered back.

"Where am I?", said Gabriel, " This looks like Falura Field in New Britannia, but that can't possibly be..."

Gabriel suddenly felt a tingling sensation in his head and quickly turned around to face a seven and a half foot tall , highly muscular, bald warrior with a Van Dyke beard, who was wearing black studded leather armor with a skull-shaped belt buckle and wielding a massive, two-handed red battleaxe, which had an eerie black glow. Gabriel could swear he heard the battleaxe whisper "Feed me!"

"Ah, another potential Avatar for me to kill!", bellowed the warrior, "Never let it be said that Malgor the Mighty wasn't fair. Pick up the sword and defend yourself!"

Gabriel reached for the sword lying on the ground. Malgor the Mighty swung his massive battleaxe directly at Gabriel's head. Gabriel tried to parry, but the force of the enchanted battleaxe shattered his sword in half. Gabriel barely managed to dodge the next blow, thanks to the lightning fast reflexes he had developed during his many years of martial arts training in the Far East. He quickly dropped the broken hilt and countered with a dragon fist punch followed by a butterfly kick. Malgor was knocked back a short distance, but quickly recovered. Gabriel did a quick combat analysis. Malgor's armor prevented Gabriel from attacking his pressure points and paralyzing him. Furthermore, Gabriel's powerful punches and kicks barely seemed to faze Malgor. The only vulnerable area seemed to be Malgor's unprotected head.

"Is that the best you've got?", laughed Malgor, "I've killed over 600 other potential Avatars since I arrived here from Earth six months ago, and most of them were a lot tougher than you. No one can escape my Muramasa Battleaxe! PKs rule! In the end, there can be only one Avatar!"

Muramasa Battleaxe? How was that possible? Everyone knew that Muramasa was a famous swordsmith, Gabriel thought to himself as Malgor swung his mighty battleaxe at Gabriel's head again. Gabriel dodged the blow and countered with a phoenix eye strike to Malgor's temple. Malgor immediately coughed up blood, dropped his battleaxe, and fell flat on his face, dead. Gabriel noticed that Malgor's corpse suddenly began losing muscle mass rapidly. Soon, his corpse reverted to its true, five foot tall, 130 lb form.

Gabriel heard the battleaxe whisper to him, "Take me..." He felt compelled to pick up the battleaxe and examine it. As soon as Gabriel grasped the battleaxe, he was instantly bombarded with images from the battleaxe's past. Despite its massive size, it did not feel heavier than a normal sized, one-handed ax. The handle had strange runes engraved in it and there was a blood red gem embedded at its base. Gabriel heard the battleaxe say, "Feed me blood and I will make you strong! Strong enough to defeat all of your enemies!"

"Do not try to tempt me, foul demon!", said Gabriel, "The battleaxe has revealed the truth to me! Malgor's real name was Marvin Blatz aka Hack N Slash, a professional video game player. You were simply using Marvin by preying on his bloodlust and his need to win at any cost. Once he decapitated his 666th victim, you would have been freed from your prison to wreck havoc on New Britannia. I will not let more innocent blood be spilled!"

Gabriel's eyes suddenly turned bright white as he strongly gripped the battleaxe. Suddenly, the battleaxe was engulfed by white fire which erupted from Gabriel's hands. Gabriel seemed unaffected by the flames , but the battleaxe screamed out in pain, "Arghh....the white fire burns...How dare you resist me!...I am the demon lord Argax...I will not be defeated by a mere mortal !" The battleaxe began to glow bright white. Gabriel hurled the flaming battleaxe high into the air. The battleaxe screamed, "No......!" as it exploded. Gabriel's eyes reverted to their normal appearance.

Gabriel's keen sense of hearing alerted him to the sudden presence of two hearts beating behind him and he quickly turned around.

"Most impressive.", said the elderly white bearded figure standing in front of him, "I've been expecting you. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Nystal and this is my assistant, Theodric." The young monk standing next to the old man stared in awe at Gabriel as the small metal fragment in the palm of Nystal's right hand began to glow bright white.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light and the Avatar's Sword of Virtue appeared in Gabriel's hands. The sword suddenly began changing shape, transforming into the Masamune Dragon Katana! Being a highly skilled swordsmith himself, Gabriel marveled at the level of craftsmanship. At the base of the golden blade was a circular hand guard comprised of two intertwined dragons (one red and one black). The red silk wrapped hilt had a solid gold dragon's head pommel with red ruby eyes.

Both of the red ruby eyes and the eight Runes of Virtue engraved on the hilt began to glow and Gabriel could swear that he heard a dragon roar emanate from the sword! Unbeknownst to anyone, all across New Britannia, the Nine Legendary Dragons suddenly began to awake from their forty year slumber.

Upon opening his eyes in his Underworld lair, the black dragon Kuroseth used the psychic bond he shared with the members of the Nightshadow clan to appear to Gabriel in a vision and said, "Greetings, Gabriel Nightshadow! I am Kuroseth, one of the Nine Legendary Dragons. Long have I waited to renew the covenant with the Last Dragon Lord!"



At the abandoned ruins of Castle Genar, former base of operations for the Nine Dragon Lords, overlooking the cliffs of Avan, a strong gust of wind blew away the cobwebs in the main Council chamber as all of the torches throughout the castle suddenly lit up!



Meanwhile, back at Falura Field, a startled and somewhat confused Gabriel sheathed the katana in the red lacquered scabbard which had suddenly appeared at his side. Everyone failed to notice that an image of Gabriel's late wife Shannon briefly appeared in his white gold ankh pendant as well.

"Theodric, please fetch me the enchanted black plate armor we recovered from the crypt.", said Nystal, "Welcome home, Avatar! We have much work to do!"

High above, the lone white dove happily cooed as its eyes briefly glowed. It turned and flew off towards the horizon.



*****************************

"So, that's the new Avatar?", asked the handsome, dark-haired young nobleman as he peered into the scrying pool.

"Yes, Duke Garen.", replied the fat, balding, middle-aged wizard Marek, who was standing to the right of him.

" I am not impressed.", replied a smirking Duke Garen. He turned to the beautiful, red-haired young woman clad in black leather armor and wielding a double-bladed sword standing to his left. The young woman was the spitting image of Gabriel's late wife, Shannon! Marek leered at the woman while Duke Garen had his back turned to him.



"Annese, take two dozen of your best assassins and proceed to the Valley of Fallen Heroes and ambush the Avatar and his companions as they pass through there. It is fitting that their final resting place should be among the tombstones of our ancestors.," commanded Duke Garen, "Bring me back the Avatar's body. Dispose of the others as you see fit."

"Yes, My Lord,", replied Annese. She pressed a button on the hilt of her double-bladed sword and twisted both halves of the hilt in opposite directions. The double-bladed sword separated into two single-bladed ones which Annese placed in the two sheathes on her back. She bowed, turned around and exited the room. No one noticed the flames which momentarily danced in her eyes.

As Annese exited the room, she found her second-in-command, Lareth, waiting for her. "Assemble the Scorpion, Cobra, and Centipede squads.", said Annese, "Our master has given us a mission and we must depart for the Valley of Fallen Heroes immediately."

"Who's the target?", asked Lareth, "Hopefully, more of a challenge than our last one..."

"It's the new Avatar and his companions.", replied Annese.

Lareth smiled. "Worthy foes indeed! Mistress Vala would have been proud to see what a fine job you've done as the leader of the Dakari Sisterhood of Assassins these past seven years.", she said, before turning around and hurrying down the staircase to the barracks. Annese followed shortly thereafter.

Meanwhile, back in the chamber, Duke Garen, waved his hand to dismiss Marek and turned back to observe the Avatar and his companions in the scrying pool.

"And Marek, if I ever catch you looking at Annese like that ever again, I will make sure that you suffer horribly before I kill you.", said Duke Garen, "Annese is mine and mine alone! Is that clear?"

Duke Garen's eyes suddenly glowed bright red and Marek suddenly was flung backward across the room. He hit the wall hard and crumpled to the floor.

"Yes, My Lord...", groaned Marek, as he slowly got up and hobbled out of the room, grimacing in pain.

Once Marek had departed, Duke Garen turned his attention back to the scrying pool, but suddenly the image of the Avatar and his companions faded away as two large glowing red eyes appeared in the now pitch black water. A disembodied voice spoke to Duke Garen.

"Do not underestimate the new Avatar. He may be untested, but I sense great power within him. He would not have been able to defeat my former servant Argax were it not so.", said the voice.

"I know. But even if Annese and her assassins fail to kill the Avatar, they will greatly slow down his progress in obtaining the fragments of the Amulet of Vazur.", replied Duke Garen," Without the old man and the boy to guide him, the new Avatar will not know what to do."

"Indeed.", said the voice.

"I have good news to report. Our support of the Homeguard has reaped enormous rewards. Marius has convinced a significant porion of the population that the offworlders are invaders who pose a serious threat to our way of life. Many potential Avatars are now being killed on sight by Homeguard members as soon as they emerge from the lunar rifts. Even if Annese and her assassins fail, the new Avatar may yet be killed by loyal Homeguard members or sympathizers. ", said Duke Garen, "There is also growing dissension in the Great Council over Lord British's latest reforms. Lord British has reduced the tax rate on the commoners while increasing the tax rate on the nobility. He has been using the excess money to fund programs that benefit the commoners - increased food distribution to the poor, and construction of affordable housing and schools. He has also tried to reduce the power of the nobility by forcing them to contribute 25% of their personal troops to the Royal Army. The most vocal opponents of the reforms, the Dukes Gramal, Heron, and Jobin, have already joined our cause. With their support, we now have over 400,000 troops in New Britannia at our disposal."

"Excellent!", replied the voice, "That, combined with the 600,000 troops that I have assembled in this realm, should be more than enough to defeat the troops loyal to Lord British. You have done well, my son. Lord British is a fool! He should have been paying more attention to what the nobility wanted instead of trying to help the common people. Soon I shall finally return to New Britannia and reclaim the throne from my weak and pathetic brother and The Age of Darkness will begin!"

Lord Shadowreign's maniacal laugh echoed throughout the chamber.

*****************************



Duke Garen failed to notice the listening device attached to the skylight above the chamber. The young woman crouching on the roof pushed a button on her headset and the device retracted itself. She turned her head and it was apparent that she was the woman from Theodric's vision! The athletic, attractive, young, red-haired woman was clad in a stylish, black and red Steampunk-style outfit complete with gold goggles and twin pistols.

"Hmmm, Valley of Fallen Heroes. The Avatar will need my help. It looks like I'll be missing Sunday dinner with nana! You owe me big time, Nystal!", said Aileen, granddaughter of the former Dragon Lord, Siobhan. Aileen turned, walked away from the skylight, and pushed a button on her harness. Two retractable wings popped out from the contraption mounted on her back. Gripping the two handles which had descended and locked into place, she took a running leap off the roof and soared off toward the Valley of Fallen Heroes.

******************************************
Epilogue

Lord British and Fire Lotus were having afternoon tea on the balcony of the castle when they both spotted the flash of light from nearby Falura Field.

"That flash of light...", said Fire Lotus, " I wonder what it means."

"It means that the new Avatar has been revealed.", replied Lord British, "It seems Nystal was right after all."

"This is good news, my Liege, because the next lunar eclipse is due to occur in six months, ", said Fire Lotus,"I hope that the new Avatar will be ready by then."

"Me too.", replied Lord British, "The fate of New Britannia lies in the Avatar's hands."

"Well, I must be returning to my tavern to prepare for the evening crowd. Thank you for the afternoon tea, My Liege.", said Fire Lotus.

"My pleasure. You know how much I enjoy our daily conversations! ", replied Lord British, " The castle seems so empty while Lady Arabella is away visiting her relatives in Marul. I've been so busy these days that I haven't had a chance to catch up with any of our other old friends."

"Then you really must stop by the tavern this evening! Iolo will be making a rare appearance and performing some of his new songs.", said Fire Lotus.

"I will definitely be stopping by the tavern tonight! It will give Iolo and I a chance to reminiscence about the good old days, catch up on current events, and honor those who are no longer with us. It also gives me a reason to sample some of this new Fire Mountain ale I've heard so much about. Is it really as good as they say?", asked Lord British.

"Indeed it is, My Liege. Demand has been so high, I've had trouble keeping it in stock. My next shipment of Fire Mountain ale isn't due to arrive until the middle of next week, but don't worry, I do still have a bit of it left in my private stock for both of you to sample.", replied Fire Lotus.

"Excellent! ", said Lord British, "I look forward to it."

Fire Lotus departed. As soon as she left, Lord British went to the library room. He searched one of the bookcases for The Book of Aramus. After making certain that no one else was around, he pulled on the book and a hidden doorway was revealed. He walked down the stairs to a secret laboratory filled with strange equipment powered by Tesla generators. He walked over to the vertical healing pod and peered through the translucent case where the real Lord British stood in suspended animation. The impostor looked at the computer readout next to the pod. It said:

HEALING CYCLE 99% COMPLETE
TIME REMAINING 179 DAYS 23 HOURS 55 MINUTES 30 SECONDS

"Rest well, my son. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you were growing up, but I'm here for you now. You've accomplished far more in your lifetime than any of my other children. I'm so proud of you. Your long rest is nearly over, and the timing couldn't be better, because your people will have need of you again soon. I will continue to watch over them until you are ready to return to us.", said the impostor as he began changing into his true form, that of Barek of the Old Gods!

*************************************

Later that evening, Duke Garen entered a secret chamber underneath his castle bearing a bloody sacrificial dagger and a black bowl adorned with demonic images. A well-preserved skeleton lay on a stone slab in the center of the chamber. Duke Garen placed the dagger on the corner of the slab. As the clock struck midnight, Duke Garen poured fresh, virgin, female blood from the bowl on the bones and cast an ancient, forbidden, dark magic spell. Red smoke formed around the corpse and muscles, veins, and skin quickly began to grow on the bones. When the resurrection process was complete, the bald man opened his eyes and sat up. Duke Garen handed the man a black robe to wear.

"How long have I been dead?", inquired the man.

"A very long time, hundreds of years.", replied Duke Garen.

"Why did you bring me back?", asked the man.

"I have need of a highly competent general to command my troops in my upcoming war with Lord British.", replied Duke Garen, "Would you be interested in the job?"

"Yes, very much so! I must pay back my "old friend" for killing me during our magical duel!", said the man, "Revenge shall be mine!"

"Excellent! Welcome back, Lord Blackthorn!", said Duke Garen, with an evil grin on his face.

"No, Lord Blackthorn is dead!", said the man, "From now on, call me Lord DarkStarr!"

*****************************************************************************************************************************

( I had originally planned on presenting the full-length prequel story detailing the rise and fall of The Dragon Lords as well as the rise of Lord Shadowreign, but since there doesn't appear to be much of a demand for it, I have opted to present a truncated version of the first part of that story instead, which introduces us to Gabriel's grandfather, Christopher Dane, The First Dragon Lord, and incorporated it into the main story line. Hope you enjoy it!)


Chapter Two: New Britannia, The Next Evening...

The First Dragon Lord

It was a clear and starry night in the Harudan Forest. Gabriel, Nystal, and Theodric sat around a roaring fire as they washed down the last of their evening meal with mugs of Fire Mountain ale.

"Nystal, that was the finest seafood dinner I've had in a long time!", remarked Gabriel, "I never would have guessed you would be such a fine cook."

"One of the many skills I picked up in my travels, Avatar!", replied Nystal.

"Broiled fish, sourdough biscuits, and corn on the cob slathered in creamy butter. That brings back some fond childhood memories. My father used to cook that exact same meal for me after we spent the day fishing at our summer cabin up in Lake George, New York.", said Gabriel.

"You will find that many of the foods you enjoyed on Earth are available here in New Britannia as well.," remarked Nystal, "Lord British and those who preceded you brought seeds and knowledge of growing crops with them from Earth. Surprisingly enough, these crops have thrived in New Britannia's acidic soil."

"Master Nystal, I did not recognize that colorful fish we had for dinner.", said Theodric, "It had an surprisingly sweet flavor to it and I feel more energized."

"Ah, my boy, that's because it's magic glowfish!," answered Nystal, "Rarely ever seen, it provides a substantial boost to one's health and mana when properly prepared and consumed. Improper preparation prior to consumption results in violent convulsions and death!"

"What?!", cried Gabriel and Theodric as they both suddenly stood up.

"Don't worry, boys, I've been doing this for years! You're in no danger.", assured Nystal.

A relieved Gabriel and Theodric sat down.

"Nystal, what can you tell me about the Dragon Lords?", asked Gabriel.

"Ah, interested in learning about your heritage, Avatar?", replied Nystal, "I believe Theodric would be better suited to tell you the tale."

"It would be my honor, master.", said Theodric, "According to the Book of Aramus..."

*******************************************

200 Years Ago...

Christopher Dane paused for a moment on the rocky mountainside to catch his breath. His backpack was beginning to wear heavily on him. It was high noon on a warm summer day, and he had spent the last hour searching the area for the rare Hecamum plant, a key ingredient in the powerful healing potion he was developing.

He found it hard to believe that it had been three years since he had moved to the nearby village of Draven with his lovely wife, Katherine, and his young son, Michael, and set up shop as village healer. A former member of Lord British's elite Valcin Guard, he had witnessed the horrors of war and when his term of service was over, he was eager to leave that life behind him. His choice for his new career would have greatly disappointed his late father, the great General Marcus Dane, hero of the Tragata Wars, for their family had a long tradition of distinguished military service stretching back 500 years to the days of Old Britannia. But Christopher had been fascinated in the medicinal properties of plants since he was a child, and he knew this was his calling.

The village of Draven, situated near the base of Mount Hellath, was a farming community well-known for its wheat and corn. A primary food supplier to the Royal Army, it's citizens eagerly awaited the monthly army supply caravan from the capital, Brittany. Draven was quiet and peaceful, and full of friendly people, an ideal place to raise a family.

But all that changed a week ago, when farmers noticed their livestock started disappearing and their fields were set afire late at night. No one dared to venture outside at night to investigate - all they could hear was the flapping of wings and loud roaring. The village elders speculated it was the work of the legendary black dragon Kuroseth, who was said to dwell in an cave deep beneath Mount Hellath. A rider had been dispatched to Brittany to seek the aid of Lord British, but the rider's charred remains were found early the next day on the eastern bank of the nearby Serpent River. The villagers grew fearful. All hope seemed lost.

Three nights ago, a band of mercenaries known as the Red Wolves entered the Golden Falcon Tavern and offered their services to the village elders, at a "reasonable price", of course. Their leader, Korwin Longwood, was a former commander of Lord British's elite Valcin Guard. He assured the village elders that he and his men had the skills and firepower necessary to take down the legendary black dragon, Kuroseth. The Red Wolves had ventured forth towards Mount Hellath over a day ago, and had not been heard from since...

Christopher knew the risk he was taking by being here, but he knew it was well worth it. He had already gathered all of the other components needed to concoct the healing potion. The hecamum was the final ingredient. If Christopher was right, this new formulation would be ten times more potent than anything currently available. It could save many lives.

"There it is!", shouted Christopher, as he spotted a small yellow and purple Hecamum plant growing out of a mountain crevice. He carefully plucked three of the flowers and placed them in his belt pouch.

Suddenly, Christopher sensed that someone was in great pain (one of the several empathic abilities which he had inherited from his mother) and heard an elderly, male voice in his mind beg him," Please help me..."

The voice guided him across the mountainside, and when Christopher rounded a corner, he was surprised to see the legendary black dragon, Kuroseth, lying on his back, with a huge gaping wound in his chest. Green pus oozed from the wound, a clear indication that he had been poisoned. Kuroseth's breathing was labored and shallow. The charred remains of Korwin Longwood and his band of mercenaries lay in front of him.

"I know how this appears, but the truth is I was forced to slay these mercenaries in self-defense.", said Kuroseth, "They attacked me without warning as I was flying back to my lair. I am not the creature who has been terrorizing your village."

"I know.", replied Christopher, " I sense the good within you. You appear to be critically wounded. How can I be of assistance?"

"The poisoned weapons which the mercenaries used prevent me from using my magic to heal myself.", said Kuroseth, "Are you a mage, by any chance?"

"No, I am only a humble village healer.", answered Christopher, "But I will try my best to aid you."

Christopher sat down next to Kuroseth and removed his backpack. He opened it and took out a mortar and pestle. From his various belt pouches, he removed the individual ingredients and began combining them together. After half an hour, the healing potion was ready. He poured the bitter concoction down Kuroseth's throat and waited. After two hours, Christopher fell asleep.

When Christopher awoke, the sun was beginning to set. He was astonished to see Kuroseth sitting upright, fully healed, and staring right at him.

"I owe you my life, Christopher Dane.", said Kuroseth, "From this moment on, I am bound to your bloodline for the rest of my days."

"That really is not necessary, mighty Kuroseth.", replied Christopher, "I was merely fulfilling my duties as a healer."

"No, I believe all of this was meant to be.", answered Kuroseth, "Now that I am fully healed and have access to my prophetic powers, I can see now that you have a great destiny before you!"

"Behold!", said Kuroseth, as he gestured with his claws and uttered an incantation.

Suddenly, Christopher found himself clad in black plate armor at the head of a long rectangular table in the main Council chamber of Castle Genar. Eight other armor clad knights, five male and three female, were seated at the table, staring right at him. "So Grandmaster, what do you think is our best course of action?", asked a young, blue armored knight seated to his right.

"Pardon me?", asked Christopher.

"King Oswin's invading army is approaching from the east.", said Jero Oraci, "General Caldane's army has just departed from Brittany, but won't reach the border town of Arden for another three days. Thousands will be slaughtered!'

"No! We will buy General Caldane's army time to reach Arden by intercepting King Oswin's army here at Blood Canyon.", Christopher heard himself saying, as he pointed to a spot on the map stretched out on the table.

"If we depart now, we should arrive there in about eight hours.", said Christopher, "If we split our force in half and attack from both the northern and southern ends of the narrow, high walled canyon, we should be able to trap King Oswin's troops. I will lead the northern squad consisting of myself, Jesar, Kimiko, Marisol, and Duncan. Jero will lead the southern squad consisting of himself, Senga, Connor, and Siobhan."

"A brilliant strategy, Grandmaster!", said the beautiful, young, red-haired, green-eyed, white armor clad, Dragon Lord Siobhan, who gazed at Christopher longingly.

All of the Dragon Lords stood up and raised their swords. " Whenever we are needed, the Dragon Lords stand ready to defend New Britannia! Long may Lord British reign!", they shouted.

The Dragon Lords rushed out to the rooftop where their mounts, the Nine Legendary Dragons, were waiting for them. As Christopher approached Kuroseth, he noticed that the old black dragon was smiling at him.

"What's so amusing, old friend?", asked Christopher.

"Time for you to return!", said Kuroseth, as he gestured with his claws and uttered an incantation.

"What was that?!", said Christopher, as found himself back on Mount Hellath standing next to Kuroseth.

"That was your future.", answered Kuroseth," From this moment on, you are Christopher Nightshadow, the First Dragon Lord. You are destined to lead the Nine Dragon Lords in their defense of New Britannia, as Lord British commands."

"But I am no longer a man of war!", said Christopher, "I only seek to ease people's suffering!"

"You can not escape your destiny, Lord Nightshadow.", replied Kuroseth, "Failure to take up arms will result in this..."

This time, Christopher found himself standing in the middle of his village late at night. Houses were burning as a kobold army swept through. He saw his wife struggling with a lecherous kobold. She stabbed him in the shoulder with a long kitchen knife. The kobold roared in pain and snapped her neck. Her lifeless body fell to the ground. His son cried out, but he was dragged away by another kobold and thrown in a caged wagon with other children. The kobold eyed the children hungrily before he drove the wagon away. The dead bodies of Christopher's close friends and neighbors were strewn all about. It was a horrible sight, and Christopher closed his eyes.

When Christopher reopened them, everything was back to normal.

"You can only prevent that from happening by embracing your destiny!", said Kuroseth.

"What must I do?", asked a shaken Christopher.

"Put on this enchanted black plate armor and this Dragon Katana!", commanded Kuroseth, pointing to where they lay nearby.

When Christopher had done so, he asked Kuroseth," What next?"

"Now we find out who has really been terrorizing your village!", said Kuroseth, "Where did they found the rider's body?"

"On the east bank of the Serpent River,", replied Christopher.

"Then let us investigate! Put this saddle on my neck and climb aboard!", said Kuroseth.

*********************************************

"Wait a minute!", interrupted Gabriel, "You're not telling me that this armor and sword once belonged to my grandfather?"

"Yes, that is indeed the same suit of armor worn by you grandfather 200 years ago.", answered Nystal, "The original Dragon Katana was destroyed in battle long ago. The Sword of Virtue has merely reshaped itself in its image because that is what you subconsciously desired, Avatar. Theodric, please continue."

"Yes, Master Nystal.", replied Theodric.

*********************************************

As Christopher and Kuroseth flew over the Serpent River, the water started bubbling and a giant, winged, red demon emerged from its depths and soared up into the sky.



The demon paused in mid-air and began hurling red fireballs at Christopher and Kuroseth!

Kuroseth deftly avoided the fireballs and charged straight at the demon, breathing black fireballs!



The demon dodged the black fireballs, and returned fire. Kuroseth zigzagged to avoid the demon's fireballs and said to Christopher, " When we get close to the demon, jump onto its neck and stab him in the brain with your sword. It's his only weak spot!"

"And what happens when he begins to fall?", asked Christopher.

"Don't worry, I'll circle back around to catch you when you jump off him!", replied Kuroseth.

"OK...", said a wary Christopher.

Kuroseth flew close to the demon, who suddenly summoned a massive, flaming sword and began swinging it at Kuroseth.

Kuroseth dodged the sword attacks and then yelled, "Now!"

Christopher leapt onto the demon's neck and drew his Dragon Katana. Plunging it deep into the demon's skull, he pulled it straight down his neck and spinal column. The demon roared out in pain. Christopher quickly sheathed his Dragon Katana as the demon's eyes turned white and its lifeless form began falling. Christopher jumped and fell a short distance before landing right in the saddle as Kuroseth swooped in to catch him.

The demon's body crashed into the river with a loud boom as the cheering villagers, who had heard all of the loud noise and come out of their homes to observe the entire battle in the sky, greeted Christopher and Kuroseth as they landed nearby. Christopher explained to the villagers that the demon was the true culprit and that Kuroseth was a friend. Christopher's wife, Katherine, and his five-year old son, Michael, came running. Christopher hugged them both. Michael walked over to Kuroseth and patted him on the nose. Kuroseth smiled.

*****************************************

Meanwhile, on a nearby hilltop, two figures observed the people below unnoticed. The young, dark-haired man in red and black armor knelt before his master and spoke.

"Master, forgive me.", said Lord Shadowreign, "Your plan has failed due to my incompetence. I await your judgement."

"Rise, Lord Shadowreign.", commanded the black cloaked figure, "This was merely a test of your abilities. You have done well. Only a skilled practitioner of the dark arts would have been able to free such a powerful demon lord from his underworld prison and compel him to terrorize this village. The demon's attacks on the other two farming villages of Gan and Holcroft were quite successful."

"This Dragon Lord must be dealt with right away, before he becomes a bigger threat to your plans.", urged Lord Shadowreign, "Should I take care of him personally?"

"No, Lord Shadowreign.", replied his master, "You must learn the importance of patience. Those who rush into battle are doomed to fail. Powerful you may be, but much you still have to learn, my young apprentice. If this Dragon Lord becomes a greater threat in the future, rest assured that he will be dealt with."

"Yes, Master Jonir.", said Lord Shadowreign.

The cloaked figure uttered an incantation and both figures vanished in a cloud of black smoke.

*********************************************

"So, Lord Shadowreign was indirectly responsible for the rise of the Dragon Lords?", asked Gabriel.

"Yes.", answered Nystal, "But he was also the one responsible for their destruction and your father's exile to Earth 50 years ago. But that's a tale for another evening. Now it's time for us to clean up and get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long day. We will pass through the Valley of Fallen Heroes, the halfway point to the fortress of the Kobold King, Ugrod, in northwest Novia, where the first fragment of the Amulet of Vazur lies."

"Nystal, I do have a question.", asked Gabriel, "Whatever happened to my grandmother? Does she yet live?"

Nystal smiled.

"Your grandmother still lives, Gabriel.", replied Nystal, "Would you like to meet her?'

"Yes, very much so!", said Gabriel, "Does she live far from here?"

"No, as a matter of fact, she lives very close by.", answered Nystal, "I will take you to her."

"I will clean up the camp and then get some sleep.", said Theodric, "See you both in the morning!"

Nystal led Gabriel down a narrow path through the woods to a small stone cottage in a clearing. A cloud of smoke rose from the chimney and a lamp shined through one of the windows. There was a small vegetable garden located on the right-hand side of the cottage. Well-manicured shrubs lined the stone walk path leading up to the front door. Nystal and Gabriel passed through the nearly invisible, dome-shaped mystical force field surrounding the area around the cottage. Nystal explained to Gabriel that he had erected the force field when his grandmother had moved into the cottage following the death of his grandfather. Nystal noted that only good beings with honorable intentions could pass through the impenetrable force field.

Nystal knocked on the wooden door.

"Who is it?', asked a female voice.

"It's Nystal! Katherine, I have someone I want you to meet.", said Nystal.

"At this late hour?", answered Katherine, "Oh, all right..."

The door opened and there stood a blonde-haired woman who appeared to be about 60 (earth) years old.

"Katherine, this is your grandson, Gabriel.", said Nystal.

Tears welled up in Katherine's eyes as she rushed forward to embrace Gabriel.

"I never thought I'd live long enough to meet you!", said Katherine, as she stood back and examined Gabriel, " You look so much like your father, Michael, at the same age. Come in, I'll fix us some nice, herbal tea. We have so much to talk about!"

Gabriel asked, "Nystal, won't you be joining us?"

"No, Gabriel, this is between you and your grandmother.", replied Nystal, "I trust you can find your way back to camp?"

" Yes.", replied Gabriel, "I can not thank you enough for uniting me with my grandmother! See you in the morning!"

Nystal smiled, then turned and departed.

As Gabriel entered his grandmother's cottage, he realized how lost he had felt ever since wife, Shannon, died three years ago, but now he had something worth fighting for, something worth living for. Gabriel Nightshadow had finally found his way home...



**************************************************

AND THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES...



LORD NIGHTSHADOW'S COAT OF ARMS



LORD NIGHTSHADOW IN HIS BLACK PLATE ARMOR



______________________________________________________________________________________
I'm embedded some of the YouTube videos which inspired certain sections of this story. In particular, I believe that the pieces from Julia Okrusko's album, Fantasy Violin (another Kickstarter project which I happened to back), would be ideal for Shroud of the Avatar. (The other pieces from Two Steps From Hell are excellent as well, but may be a little "too loud and epic sounding" for Shroud of the Avatar.)
What does everyone else think? Is this the type of music we might want in Shroud of the Avatar?

 

Love the sound of Two Steps From Hell.

I personaly think that for a game that has so many diffrent types of scenes to express almost anything can be used.

At the end thy have to succeed that you realise no mater what scence is played that it is releated to SoTA

 

I personally feel that it is important to have a well-developed backstory for your character . It defines some of the abilities of your character (i.e., one of the two schools of magic my character will be focusing on will be Fire Magic, which makes sense for a Dragon Lord) and provides motivation for additional personal quests outside of the main storyline. For example, my character has three key tasks to accomplish in New Britannia as a result of his backstory:

1. Acquire a castle to serve as a base of operations for the possible reformation of the Dragon Lords (possible guild?).

2. Become a master weaponsmith so he can forge the Dragon Katana.

3. Locate and tame a giant black dragon. (An incredibly difficult task to be sure!)

Unfortunately, I can't afford to pledge at the Duke level, so I won't be able to accomplish my character's ultimate goal, which would be reuniting his late wife's soul (currently housed in the white gold ankh he wears around his neck) with her new body This would involve actually locating her, killing her (so her soul can replace the assassin's soul currently occupying her new body) and then resurrecting her (i.e., which is why Life Magic is the second school of magic my character will focus on).

I'm curious as to what other players think. Do you feel that your character's backstory is really that important for a good roleplaying experience or not at all (since you will focus solely on the main quest and side quests provided by the developers) ?

 

After reading the great story you made so far and your arguments about a backstory i think it is important to have a backstory and i think even more before you decide to play
real RPG.

I think for alot of us it will be more easy to successful roleplay with not trying to be to diffrent then we are in reality.

Also the talent of the use of words , that some have , is a very important aspect of deciding to roleplay a character.
So you are ready to go nighshadow.
Even so we have a game with animations, at the end it will be the "Power of the Pen" deciding how real the game will become and feel.

So basically if you are able to roleplay in the forum with words, the game will only be a extended arm for the writers.
Without words to express yourself, hard to roleplay.

I am stuck in not having alot of english words.(native english)
So i better play a naive, warm heartet Myrcellao born in a poor tailoring family , with the lack of education ( expressing simple talking and bad knowledge of history), loving what the day will show . Avoiding the big story as this causes confusion, with attention to the small decorative things.
"Saving the world in your little town is still better then not saving anyhting" - probably will be my motto.

 

The humble tailor Myrcello, a well-liked and respected member of the community in the small town of Weschal, has uncovered a terrifying truth, that there are dark forces gathering which threaten all of New Britannia. A former soldier in Lord British's Royal Army, Myrcello thought he had left that life behind him when he retired to this town twelve years ago to live a quiet and peaceful life with his lovely wife, Denara. Myrcello and Denara are now the proud parents of two young daughters, Hannah and Gerta. In order to protect his family and friends, Myrcello must take up arms once again and become the hero he was meant to be. He must become the Avatar...

 

EPILOGUE

A distant universe, on the planet Oshara...



Lightning pierces the dark night sky over the massive steel citadel. Thousands of armor clad skeletons litter the rocky terrain outside. In the dimly lit throne room, a figure clad in black armor sits, deep in thought. Suddenly, a cyborg warrior clad in high tech samurai armor enters and kneels before his master.



"Sorry to disturb you, my Lord, but it is urgent that I speak with you!", says the samurai.

"What concerns you, General Ruko?", asks the dark figure.

"The men grow impatient, my Lord. They are eager to invade New Britannia and put the renegade Nystal on trial for his crimes against the Jinrazi Empire!", replies General Ruko.

"I see.", says the dark figure, "Tell your men that they need to be patient just a little longer. With my aid, your people have been able to track down and eliminate most of the "Old Gods" and destroy their floating city of Ghidara. Do not worry. The war criminal Nystal is not going anywhere. In six months, we will be able to pass through the lunar rift. Once we have defeated Lord British's forces, the Jinrazi will be able to settle on the eastern continent and Nystal will be brought to justice. I promise you that the late Emperor Kuzai and the Jinrazi Empire will be avenged!"


DESTRUCTION OF JINRAZI HOMEWORLD AND BATTLE FLEET

"The Jinrazi thank you for saving us in our darkest hour, Lord Shadowreign!", says General Ruko," I will convey your message to the troops!"

General Ruko rises, turns, and leaves the throne room.

After General Ruko departs, Lord Shadowreign talks to himself. "Soon, I will finally be rid of you, Nystal, and then nothing will stop me from reclaiming the throne from my weak and pathetic brother, Lord British! In the end, Chaos will triumph over Order!"

Lord Shadowreign's eyes glow bright red as pounds his right fist down on the stone throne armrest, causing it to shatter into many pieces!

****************************************************

On another plane of existence...

"Your King appears to be a bit overconfident, Lord Chaos!", says Lord Order as he peers at the figures assembled on the chessboard.

"It is not overconfidence, Lord Order!", replies Lord Chaos, "My forces are far more powerful than yours! But enough of this chatter! You have the opening move."

"Very well!", replies Lord Order, as he reaches for the black knight piece shaped like Gabriel Nightshadow, "Let the game begin..."