The year is 204 AD (After Devourer), two hundred and four years after The Devourer wreaked her havoc upon the land. Two hundred and four years since the hordes of her followers spread across the land, devouring any and all who stood in their way - or worse yet, capturing them to sate the seemingly endless hunger of their master. Two hundred and four years since the curses of the devourer ravaged the people of the lands, effects felt by both the people who fought against her, and her very followers. The after-effects are still felt today, the curses - whilst diminished - still affecting those generations after. So long since a handful of heroes stood up against The Devourer and nearly failed. So very long since one man struck a killing blow, destroying her mortal body and dispersing her essence to the four winds.<br/><br/>Over two hundred years later, things should have been normal again. The roving hordes of devourer followers have slowly been weeded out over the years, the rituals required to raise her lost to time, and even the powerful giants and giantesses she set out to gather her meals have fallen to blade and arrow - only a handful remain.<br/><br/>Yet, the peace that should have been brought never arrived.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"> The Day of the Devourer </span><br/><br/>The grizzled old wolf had always been accepted in 'The Hogwash' tavern. Every night, he came to weave tales of the past, embark knowledge on any and all who would listen, or simply entertain with a few good stories or songs. Tonight was no different, and within a matter of moments he had a small crowd of eager listeners crowded around his table, which only seemed to grow larger by the second. It was the talk of the town - the spinner of tales was going to tell the story of The Devourer...of how she came into power, and ultimately, was stopped. Sipping on one of the many mugs of free ale spread before him, he took a look around at all the eager faces - men and women from all different walks of life. They were expecting a happy tale. One like his many other stories. This one, though, was far more deep seated in truth than fantasy. It was a time of woe for everyone - and tonight, they would learn about it. Taking a deep breath, he started...<br/><br/><br/><br/>"Most only recall stories, wild tales that changed in the telling and retelling from a thousand different mouths. One thing stays the same across all tales - It was love that rose the beast from slumber.<br/><br/>A powerful forest spirit, whilst enjoying the time spent with both animal and sentient life within his beautiful wood, grew lonely over the passage many thousand years. As the tales go, his loneliness knew no bounds - he conversed with the highest of the gods and the lowest of the demons, and found none to love, none to give his heart to truely and completely.<br/><br/>Then, she came.<br/><br/>A whisper in the wind one day, her voice little more than a distant calling from the 999th layer of the abyss. Yet, the spirit heard it, FELT it...and wanted to know more. For nearly a hundred years he traversed the pits of the abyss, fighting demons and devils alike, searching for the one who called to him every day. Finally, he found her. It was the day the end of the world began. Over the next hundred years, he fell madly in love with her - and she with him. She expressed her desires to enjoy the life of a mortal, to live by his side in the realm of endless possibilities...<br/><br/>And he gave it to her. Giving her a gift of his own essence, he became mortal, and with it, she was given the ability to come to the mortal plane.<br/><br/>It was the night of the blood-red moon.<br/><br/>The power the forest spirit had given her created with it a lust for more power, for more energy - scarcely had she manifested on the mortal plane, her feet touched the cool green grass...when she started to devour the denizens of the forest. Animal, dryad, nymph, satyr - all fell to her ravenous hunger. Her stomach acids were like an inferno - able to reduce a full-grown man to mush in less than ten minutes. Her hunger was endless. And the one creature who could stop her - the forest spirit - had given up his vast reserves of power to make her mortal. He could do nothing but watch as she devoured all else he held dear. Though her love of him kept her from devouring her lover, she would not listen to his pleas to give up her rampage - the eternal hunger for food and energy could not be sated. She needed more - and she would have it.<br/><br/>For nearly a hundred years, she gathered followers to her side, rampaging across the lands, devouring single-handedly thousands and thousands who rose up to stop her. It seems like the land would be lost, that all of Midova would find itself sliding down the tight, hot throat of the Devourer...<br/><br/>But, as with every great villian, heroes rise up to stop them. Six great heroes rose to fight her, to match her evil with their good, to fight her hordes with their blood and honor. Six heroes..."<br/><br/><img alt="Image" src="http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o42/Kitsunea/1218034622landingzone_naote.jpg"/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"> The Devourer </span><br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Art by Landingzone</div></div></div><br/><br/><br/>“Wait…” Came an inquisitive voice. Looking up from the ale he’d been nursing, the ancient wolf zeroed on on the young feline who’d spoken. A handsome boy, young and strong – yet, the wolf could easily tell he hardly believed the story. Head too full of silly ideals, no doubt…<br/><br/>“You’re telling me, this great evil was brought about by love? Love is the conqueror of evil, not what gives it birth.”<br/><br/>The old wolf couldn’t help but laugh – he’d pegged the boy perfectly. Head full of silly ideals, even though the world truly worked differently “Boy…you’ve not seen how the world truly works. Love is a powerful thing, a precious thing – truly, it is what makes the greatest of heroes. What, though, of love that was never meant to be? As is the case with our handsome forest spirit and the beautiful demoness, she was never meant to come to the material plane. Her body could hardly sustain itself without a constant supply of energy, and the easiest way to get that energy was with squirmy, living meals. It was how she sated her endless hunger, and even that was temporary. Truly, they loved each other – but it was a love that was simply never meant to be.”<br/><br/>The black-furred feline, clinging to his own idea of how it should have went, shook his head vehemently in opposition to how the story played out “You said he traveled through the layers of the abyss – why didn’t he just stay there with her? Obviously, he could take on anything that was thrown at him…”<br/><br/>Again, the wolf laughed – this one hardly even seemed to be paying attention to the finer details of the story “My boy…” He truly didn’t understand the significance of being a spirit tied to a singular existence “…The spirit required the forest to live. Over the hundred years it took him to find his love, he grew steadily weaker. Had he stayed, he’d have died. Some say, it is his weakness, unable to give her a full share of his strength, that caused the ravenous, growing hunger. Neither of the two were at fault – fate simply had other plans.”<br/><br/>The feline sat back down and fell silent, contemplating his own views about how things went.<br/><br/><br/>Clearing his throat, the wolf continued, settling back in his tall-backed chair with a mug of ale resting against his belly “Now, where was I…the heroes, yes! Those who fought the hardest against The Devourer, those who foiled her plans constantly, who pushed back her forces…Six there were. Rayik, Kesi, Evelny, Drevik, Yumani, and Kor.”<br/><br/><br/>"Rayik Sormune - A brilliant fox he was. A clean shot with a bow, fast as the wind, able to call upon nature to aid him in his endless fight against The Devourer. Alas, it was his brilliance that ended up making him meet his end. His small band had been plundering the supply-lines of The Devourer's armys for months, freeing slaves, stealing supplies and weapons, equipping those they freed, and sending them to fight in the war. He struck at the most inopportune times for the armies of The Devourer - it was like he had a sixth sense. Thousands were freed by him, and had he not been so effective, thousands more would have. His final raid ended in disaster - The Devourer had taken note of him and his raids, and decided to meet him face to face. Upon meeting her, he fired arrow after arrow, each one sinking deeply into her flesh - yet he could not kill her. Could hardly even seem to wound her. He depended on his speed to get away from her - but she was faster. The last thing Rayik saw was that terrifying maw opening before him, before he felt the firey acids of The Devourer's belly upon his fur and flesh. He turned into just another meal for the ravenous demoness. Thankfully, his allies got away...for then, at least."<br/><br/><br/>"Kesi Halrom - She was a beautiful elf, skilled in song and dance, able to keep the moral of her group high. The loss of Rayik had been devastating. His strategies had led them to victory time and time again, and now - with no real leader - what more could they do? Her group, the four others who'd fought constantly with Rayik, seemed hopeless. It was she who kept their morals high with song and stories, telling tales of heroes ages-past who'd fought against tougher odds and won. It lifted spirits, but did little to continue the fight. Less than a week after Rayik visited The Devourer's intestines, she - alone - came to their small, hidden camp. "A delicious meal Rayik was." She said to the stunned group "Ever since I squeezed him out of my tight little ass...I had the urge to come for a walk in the woods. Strange that it should lead me here. Who'll be the first to join him? You, elf...look delicious..." A small fight ensued, but she was simply too powerful. The group was forced to retreat, and Kesi had drawn The Devourer's eye. A strong hand around her waist, and she felt jaws on her rear. She was bent double, traveling rear-first down the devourer's throat. The devourer did not pursue the other 4 - It would not be far beyond her to digest her meal slowly, especially one so enticingly beautiful.."<br/><br/><br/>By then, a hush had fallen over the tavern - this was not the tale the people were used to hearing. Death? Despair? Heroes being turned into food? The old wolf lifted his bushy white eyebrows, acknowledging their looks of confusion, but simply continued his story...<br/><br/><br/>"Yes, where was I...Ahh, Evelny Yissmir. A beautiful feline, It is said. Smooth with her tongue in more ways than one. A sexual creature, though one that could talk a miser out of his last copper peice. She was a predatory one, she was - countless followers of The Devourer took a trip out her backside before the war was over. It is said she actually sought out the devourer, after devising a plan with her three remaining party members. Noone knows what that plan was, though is seems she was the only one to agree to it. Either way, she met with the Devourer, and was welcomed into her abode. When next she was seen, she was in chains, used as little more than sexual pleasure for The Devourer. Whatever the plan was, whatever was said - didn't work. Multiple attempts were made by her companions to rescue her, but alas - The Devourer grew bored of her before she could be reached. During the group's final attempt to free her, she met them at the gates to her castle...with a long, iron chain hanging from her mouth. Withdrawing the chain, she threw it to the group, exclaiming that "This used to be Evelny's chain. Evelny didn't like the idea, but I promised her I'd pull the chain back up in thirty minutes...oh well. Looks like she didn't last that long.". The chain itself was partially digested, the bottom of it seared off by digestive acids - Evelny became a part of the The Devourer, one of her many victims."<br/><br/><br/>"Then ,there was Kor – A paladin of the goddess of life, Mystical. A neko he was, one of the catfolk of the far west. He fought with his companions in battle after battle, pushing back the encroaching forces of The Devourer. A man of the people, there were countless times he laid his own life on the line to save the people he’d devoted his life to protect, or his companions who stood by him through thick and thin. It was one of those moments that ended up ending his life. It is said he and his remaining companions were fighting a losing battle against nearly a dozen of The Devourer’s more powerful minions, including a giantess. They were attempting to evacuate a town hall, using magic to teleport the less capable fighters away. As you know, you can only take so many with you when you teleport, and…well…even the most powerful of mages grow exhausted. Yumani did all she could, but finally, had only one spell left – and too many people to carry with her. So…those remaining stayed and fought. As the building collapsed around them, they rushed out to meet their attackers. It was a long battle, nearly five minutes in length. The giantess devoured nearly a dozen townsfolk, her stomach swollen and round with squirming, slowly-digesting townspeople. They were hard pressed. Finally, it became too much – they’d not save the townspeople. Not unless Yumani used her last spell…<br/>Kor stayed behind. It is said he fought hard, killing the minions of the Devourer, and even slaying the giantess herself. However, upon the death of a giant or giantess, The Devourer always appeared…<br/>Angered at the loss of one of her ‘gatherers’, she fought against the wounded paladin, who struck a single blow against her. Alas, even he was no match for her, and after she’d peeled the plate armor from his body, she devoured him slowly, savoring his stuggles until, minutes later, they finally ceased…”<br/><br/>“Drevik and Yumani…the only two who managed to survive. Drevik, the wolven soldier, and Yumani, the Artojin mage – one of the fox people, much like an artojin. Long after the rest of their companions were fertilizer, they continued to fight. Drevik’s incredibly potent martial ability mixed with Yumani’s healing and offensive magic, they were truly a fearsome duo. Drevik was bold and unflinching in the face of danger, and Yumani was his voice of reason – protecting her became his greatest desire, and protecting him became hers. It’s said they even fell in love. The strangest thing, noone knows what happened to them. The devourer or her minions never managed to get them, but one day, they simply disappeared – never to be heard from again. It’s widely believed that they set out searching for this forest spirit, and eventually found him – but did not like what they encountered…”<br/><br/><br/>A hush fell over the crowd – that didn’t explain anything. What happened to the devourer? How was she beaten? If all of the heroes either disappeared or were eaten, who did that leave? It didn’t look like the elder wolf had any intention of continuing the story, his eyes slowly drooping shut and the mug of half-drained ale on his stomach tilting precariously to the side, indicating he was likely dozing off.<br/><br/>“Uh…excuse me?” A female mithran spoke up, reaching forwards to poke the old wolf on the shoulder. No response. Another poke, and the old wolf’s eyes fluttered open, the expression on his face turning to one of confusion “Eh? Oh!! OH!! Mmrph…I guess you want to know how it ended, hrm? Yes…mustn’t leave things untold…”<br/><br/>Clearing his throat, he continued, the flabbergasted crowd once more settling back to listen to the conclusion “Well, the rampage continued…thousands died, devoured or enslaved. Finally, it only took one man to kill her. He appeared one day, from nowhere, meeting her army head on with thouands of people, the last of the rebellion, at his back. A fox, it’s said, his deep grey fur covered in resplendent chainmail armor. His emerald green eyes peering into the very souls of those who’d joined The Devourer. Her minions fell before him like wheat to a scythe. When, finally, The Devourer appeared, they clashed in an epic battle worthy of song and tale – and, finally, he struck the killing blow. In a brilliant burst of energy, her essence scattered to the four winds, and her minions retreated. All that remained were a handful of giants who are still hunted to this day, and the curses of The Devourer – who have weakened over the years, but never quite faded entirely.”<br/><br/><img alt="Image" src="http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o42/Kitsunea/peritianfoxhero.jpg"/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"> The 'Hero' </span><br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Art by Peritian</div></div></div><br/><br/>Again, the Mithran leaned forwards to poke the grizzled wolf, her curiosity not quite sated “Curses? What do you mean? Why would there be curses, still, if she was killed?”<br/><br/>“Murph? Hrm…” The wolf’s cool, coal-black eyes met with hers, and he actually gave a slight nod of appreciation – he always enjoyed embellishing on his stories, offering more information to the curious.<br/><br/>“Ahem…well, the curses…yes…” A soft grunt escaped his throat as he shifted in his chair, trying to get comfortable once again. At his age, it was hard to remain comfortable, despite the bone-warming fire situated nearby “The curses…seven of them, there were. Affected both sides – her followers, and those who fought against her. Four of them have withered away – The curse she put on the dwarves ended up nearly destroying them. The curse of greed – the infighting weakened them, and when the mountain trolls and mountain giants invaded their cities at the Devourer’s behest, they could put up little resistance. The curse of hunger – One could eat and never get full, unless that meal was one of the many sentient creatures. These curses she placed on the largest cities, causing neighbor to turn on neighbor, friend on friend. A dreadful curse. Another affected the wild animals, leading them to prey on smaller settlements. Packs of enormous wolves would decend on a town and devour it’s inhabitants, not stopping until their swollen bellies would not fit another single person. Then, stomachs still wriggling with villagers, they’d retreat into the forests to rest and digest, only to move on to another settlement and do the same. The fourth affected the fey, causeing them to more actively prey on travelers who roamed through their domains. The forests became wild and dangerous, moreso even than they are now. Many a traveler and caravan met their ends in the belly of the fey – dryads, nymphs, selkie, sirens…”<br/><br/>“Three of those curses still remain in effect today. We all know the curse of the giants – normal people who were given the power of the Devourer in some small degree, causing them to grow larger, and more hungry. Most giants have been destroyed by now, the others, though – do not die of old age. They roam the lands, devouring all they meet – vile, evil creatures.”<br/><br/>“Yet, the curse of the elves – who knows of that one? Ahh…I didn’t think so – The Devourer enlisted the Drow, underground elves, to fight on her side. She demanded they attack the surface elves, keeping them busy and bringing her what prisoners they could. When she was done with the Drow? She’d likely eat them, too. Until then, they were a tool – one she intended to use. Unfortunately for her, Drow listen to none but their spider-god, Lloth. So, how did she control them? A subtle curse placed on them, to make them crave meals made of their surface kin. A curse to make the surface elves delicious beyond all else to Drow, utterly-mouthwatering and intensely pleasurable to digest. The scent, the texture, the flavor, the feeling of them squirming inside a drow stomach – it was said to be above nothing else. However, the Devourer was no without a sense of humor. The very same curse she placed on the Drow, she placed on the Surface elves. A curse still in effect today – you hardly ever see Drow or Elves living in numbers next to one another, for this very reason. You nearly never see them travelling together, either. Eventually, the urge becomes overpowering…and once they have the taste of Drow or Elf on their tongue, nothing will change their minds…”<br/><br/>The assembled group waited patiently, fully expecting him to continue – that was only six, not seven, of the curses. After a few seconds of silence, the black-furred feline spoke up again “Uh…that’s only six curses.”<br/><br/>Lifting his bushy brows, the old fox peered at the youth, before laughing “Oh, is that only six? Perhaps that’s how many there were.” They need not know of the last. It would only instill fear…<br/><br/>“I believe it’s time for me to retire for the night. Tomorrow night, I’ll tell another tale. A tell of four unlikely companions who made a discovery that changed all of their lives…what little was left of them..”<br/><br/>Getting to his feet, the old wolf trudged his way through the crowd, leaving the bewildered story-listeners to sit, talk amongst themselves, and wonder…how much of it was true..?