Part One
Desolation.
Staring outward over the horizon it was easy to forget that Scheuth was once like Balor, filled with colour and life. That his people who were now nothing more than skeletons once breathed, that they wore skin and muscle over their bones. That they had lived.
Unfortunately they had also died, and more often than not as a result of battle. For as long as its history was recorded Scheuth had been a world at war. There were so many kings and warlords scattered over its surface that there was inevitably fighting somewhere. That is until a young researcher named Thaddeus made an incredible discovery. He observed that at the moment of a Scheuthan’s death a small amount of energy was released, energy that could be used to bolster the soul of another, to anchor it to this existence. Through sacrifice he could give someone the gift of immortality. Death magic was born.
Dakrath shook his head as he and his team moved away from the Shadow Gate toward the capital Korleath. No one could have realized the ramifications of that discovery or known just what would happen next.
Thaddeus’ master, seeing the massive potential in this new death magic had Thaddeus gift his entire army with immortality, before setting off to conquer Scheuth in its entirety. All who opposed him were crushed by his never ending tide of immortal warriors, and the energy from those they killed was used to make more of their kind. Hundreds of thousands flocked to his banner rather than face certain death and in less than a decade Scheuth had its first Emperor.
But it was not enough. More and more people wanted immortality, and soon there were no more dead and dying to extract the required energy from. So the death magic was adapted, livestock and even plant life becoming the fuel for conversions. Every living thing was consumed in the populace’s insatiable quest for immortality, but an eternity of peace was in sight so the people did not care, and eventually everyone had their prize. But while this utopian existence lasted for a time, eventually the true price of their ‘gift’ became apparent. Their immortality only extended to their souls and not their bodies, which aged and eventually decayed as would any mortal shell, leaving behind a skeleton held together by death magic. Only then did the people of Scheuth realize their mistake, but at that point the damage was done. Scheuth had become a dead world, turned an irreparable shade of grey by those who walked its surface. History would remember this time as the Cleansing, a term specifically chosen by the new Emperor to make the death of their world seem more palatable.
Dakrath groaned as he replayed the events of those last centuries in his head. We were fools.
Returning his mind to the present, Dakrath led his team into the outskirts of Korleath. Looking around someone could be forgiven for thinking that the city was abandoned; an empty monument to glories past, but it was not the case. One of the many side effects of immortality was apathy, and most Scheuthans had it in abundance. Someone who lives forever is never in a hurry to do anything, and as time stretches on the motivation fades further and further away. Many Scheuthans didn't even consider the idea of leaving their homes unless forced to. Everyone was still here; they just rarely if ever came out. .
The city itself however was quite impressive. Korleath was built post-Cleansing as a monument to the Emperor and was significantly cleaner and more modern than most cities, despite the neglect and rot that affected everything on Scheuth. As befitting Korleath’s purpose intricate patterns and baroque styling were evident throughout the city, nowhere more so than the Imperial Palace that dominated the skyline in the distance.
Also evident was the abundance of propaganda. The Emperor did not rely on simple military might to keep his people under control, he knew that ideas were the most dangerous weapons of all and as such ran heavy campaigns designed to promote Scheuth as a utopia. Posters adorned walls and windows with slogans like Life is Death and Immortality over Biology. Even as they moved through the city Dakrath could hear the sounds of hundreds of Scheuthans gathered together in devotion ceremonies to their Emperor, as always under the watchful eye of the Guard. Such ceremonies were mandatory, and just another method of control.
Approaching the Imperial Palace Dakrath and his team took pause. The Palace was an impressive building, even more so than the rest of the buildings in the city. It was constructed of polished stone and simply dwarfed everything around it. The doors were plated in gold, and the gigantic domes that adorned the roof were glass to allow natural light to flow through the palace interior. Sculptures of the Emperor and of battles past surrounded the entrance, all meant to depict him as a true hero of Scheuth. Surrounding the palace was a wall constructed of the same stone as the building it protected, and it was just as well kept. Guards were stationed everywhere and all were armed and armoured for war.
As he looked over the palace security Dakrath gripped the enchanted dagger in his bony hand, made for him by a traitorous human mage. He realised that like Thaddeus so many centuries ago, his actions today would also rewrite the history of Scheuth. This was because Dakrath was here to kill the Emperor, the man who had brought this curse upon them all, and the man who continued to rule his people with an iron fist.
Today Dakrath would free his world.
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