This fan fiction is based on Wizkids franchise Mage Knight and all affiliated mediums such as books, comics and internet lore. I am a huge fan of the tabletop game and the history and world of Mage Knight has always fascinated me so I wanted to breath some life into my favourite characters and events.

Chapter 1: Resurrection

535Tz

Raydan Marz took a sharp intake of breath and fell backwards onto the ground clutching his chest. His heart was thumping as he drew another breath of air. His first breath in over four hundred years. The last thing he remembered was being blessed by his lord Tezla as he lay on his deathbed. He had died! Wide eyed, Raydan managed to shift his body and sit up. Looking down at himself he was still wearing his ceremonial armour, an exquisite solid gold breastplate marked with runes of protection inscribed by Tezla himself and solid gold shin guards. Under the golden armour he wore a full suit of tanned leather armour which was heavily worn and a golden cape unfurled down his back bearing protection insignia. Reaching to his hips he felt the jewel encrusted hilt of his golden sword and he swung the leather strap on his chest around to reveal his golden rifle. It was a wonder no one had spotted him already as the midday sun reflected off him in all directions.

His hands shook nervously as he brought them up to touch his face, scared of what he may have become. During his life he had dealings with necromancers who would raise the dead as puppets to fight their wars. He ran his fingers over his skin and immediately pulled them away in disgust. It felt like his skin from his fighting years as Tezla's general, but there was something unnatural about it that he couldn't quite place. With slight difficulty Raydan got to his feet to assess his surroundings. He was in a clearing but not as he remembered them from his time travelling to the eastern lands, which were abound with plentiful trees and plants. This clearing comprised of scorched earth and the charred remains of the forest he once knew.

As he canvassed the clearing he finally noticed something familiar, leant against one of the burnt trees was the inanimate carcass of a golem. He recognised this particular model The Technoshocker. Tezla had caused much controversy when he was experimenting to master Technomancy, the magic art that breathed life into the inanimate. It used Magestone, a purple ore which allowed the golems to harness magic energies as weapons. He had conducted experiments on human subjects and so some of his golem models actually required human sacrifice. To his credit Tezla only ever experimented on willing volunteers, most of which considered it an honour to give their lives for someone depicted as a god hoping to reach some sort of afterlife.

Raydan walked over to the golem to inspect it further. The Technoshocker had three golden legs that acted as a tripod. The chest was human flesh clad in purple mage robes. Extending from its right arm was a golden cannon that still pulsed with a dull purple energy, and its left arm bore a golden fist. The features of its face were charred and disfigured but its vacuous eyes still hummed with that same purple glow. Suddenly the glow became fierce and the features of the golem's face began to move. Raydan took a step back and unsheathed his sword warily. Tezla had always programmed his golems to never harm his people, but there had always been accounts of prototypes going rogue and killing locals from the villages so nothing was certain.

Slowly the mouth of the Technoshocker opened and a familiar voice spoke to Raydan.

"Raydan Marz, my loyal general and friend"

The Technoshocker's human mouth moved to mimic each word omitted. It was his lord Tezla! But how?!

Raydan immediately threw his sword to one side disgraced that he had nearly taken up arms against his master and fell to his knees bowing his head humbly.

"My lord Tezla, forgive me for my insolence"

"Raydan, we do not have time for this pomp and circumstance. This vessel is weak, my time is short, and I have an urgent message"

Raydan was flustered by Tezla's abrupt tone but did not let it show

"Sorry lord, what is your will?"

"The Land has been ravaged by a war lasting a hundred years, I have seen that the gods from The Age Of Mists still live on and are displeased, they will soon send hellish beasts to cleanse the earth and make way for a new beginning"

Raydan was shocked! The Age Of Mists, that was just a myth! A time where gods walked the earth and fought beasts from The Underworld. That was all true?!

"You don't mean…"

"Yes Raydan, they mean to bring about The Apocalypse"

Raydan's body was racked with fear, many prophets had predicted the end times and it never occurred. Now it was happening for real?!

"Lord Tezla, how can we prevent it?!"

"During your natural life you may recall I extended my lifespan, in secret I also made another breakthrough. Resurrection"

Raydan relaxed and the tension that had caused his pale skin to crawl ceased. He was not some necromancer's puppet but restored to life by the will of his Lord. All Raydan could conjure was humility.

"I am honoured my lord"

"You were my finest warrior. I knew that when the world needed a saviour it would be you I would choose"

The weight of his responsibility began to dawn on Raydan's mind but he would not let it show in front of his Lord

"My sword is yours to command Lord"

"As loyal now as you were in life, my hold on this world has weakened over the centuries since my death. The Solonavi now control the magic that runs through the veins of this world and they are driving me out. I can only communicate through my golem vessels which are now few and far between. Most have been destroyed and melted down to create instruments of war. I need you to travel to Atlantis, there is my strongest remaining vessel The Storm Golem. I will be able to discuss our situation further there. Until Atlantis my friend"

The golem's human face fell limp and the faint purple aura was extinguished. Raydan felt a pang of longing almost instantly. It was now clear he was in a new terrifying world and the sound of his Lord had been comforting. But there was no time to dwell he had to execute his master's orders and reach Atlantis. Atlantis had been the capital city of Tezla's Atlantean Empire which once spread across The Land; it lay to the far west but Raydan would have to find his bearings before he could conceive travelling there. Over four hundred years the world is surely a much different place, using his old landmarks would almost certainly prove futile.

So Raydan gathered his wits and stepped out of the clearing in search of answers, answers that would help him save the world.