<div style="text-align: center">Chapter I:<br/>
City of Heroes​</div><br/>Ten thousand soldiers of fortune stood at the base of the altar, awaiting their new-found master to come forth and speak words of ancient wisdom. Atop the altar stood two figures, one clad in spiked, gaudy armor of blue and silver, a tabard and cloak of deep, regal blue flowing about his waist, the colors of Razadon. To his right stood a heavily cloaked spectre of a man, his mask was perfectly smooth and reflected with ethereal capability. The two stood overseeing the massed army that the Avatar had gathered. But they were merely mortals, nothing more than expendable soldiers for a much greater campaign. It was the Revenants, the loyal Elite of Derileth for 1,000 years that would turn the tides of this war to come.<br/><br/>The crowd grew silent as the monster of a man, standing 8 feet tall with shoulders that fill doorways stepped forward. His armor all black, his helm horned and his shoulders adorned with the cloak of the Dark King himself. The monster-man spoke:<br/><br/>"My people," he said in the Language of old Kithenica. "Today marks the first day of a great shift in power. Many kind has only once seen an amass of soldiers such as you, and I plan to make this army ten-fold. For when this army reaches its full mass, we will have vengence!"<br/><br/>The crowd roared, the man's booming voice still carried among the screams of thousands of men.<br/><br/>"We will take down the civilizations who mock what the one true King once made for us. His vision was legendary, and those too blind to see it choose to stay in the dark, in fear that they will be illuminated to the one truth." The man spoke elegantly for a tribesman, his charisma unparalled, his energy sweeping and his intimidation bar-none. He spoke again booming throughout the cracked, dying hills of Old Kithenica. "I will show them, that even in the dark, these blind men know no saftey for the darkness is our only true ally! Tonight, we will feast... for tomorrow, we make our first move to return to our old glory. We will have glory!"<br/><br/>The man held his mailed fist high above his head, the mass of soldiers reflecting this motion.<br/><br/>"Tonight is dusk for old civilization, and tomorrow dawns our Second Ascent!" the Avatar Roared, his palms to the heavens, and his heart black as night.<br/><br/>======================================================<br/><br/>Nerys is a massive city state, buzzing with trade and activity. Thousands of people live in this one city constantly moving, constantly expanding, constantly progressing. Large pulley machines constructed large towers powered by steam. Rune infused engines powered tractors that sifted rock filled dirt to make way for new expansion. The Engineers never sleep in Nerys, making new weapons and devices to aid the armies of Falador.<br/><br/>Falador is a naive Empire, sheltered from the world outside their own. So few other than the soldier know how cruel the World has become during this "Age of Strife". These thousands of Nerysians are the worst when it comes to outside life. Though intelligent, most Nerysians are blind to the way world works, simply living their productive, Gods-fearing lives out as easily as they can. Being in the direct center of Falador, they rarely know conflict, though they do trade with other city-states and kingdoms quite often and see the very different lifestyles they adopt. Cynbel for example, is the kingdom of military glory and power, where as Pheobus has a mass of wizards and spellcasters, constantly advancing in the studies of magic. People of Nerys look mostly to Golem, god of Machines and metal for guidance, and only use magic for infusing runes to machines. Otherwise, Nerys is very uneasy when it comes to the controllers of magic.<br/><br/>Among the insanity and anarchy of the town square, five rather characterful individuals stand out among these people. All of which however completely unaware of how closely they shall be linked, and how conflicts today here on this hot summer's day in Nerys would lead to a live time's worth of adventure.