Enduring Knight: Gods of the Abyss

by KuraNova

There was nothing to be done, she decided, clutching her pendant in a white-knuckled grip. They would have to journey to the Free Marches, find this catalyst, and raise an army to fight the archdemon. Maker, how was she supposed to do all of this without Cullen?

1. Chapter 1

In Ages past, the land lay saturated with magic, across which ancient, powerful beings strode . Then, all the inhabitants of Thedas lived in harmony with these entities, whom they came to revere as gods. As time went by, man and mer became more learned, insightful, and soon they had begun to provide for themselves the things for which they had once prayed to their gods to bestow. The gods were forgotten, disappearing into the memories of the few who remembered their might, and the strange and wondrous magic they wielded.

Though old and forgotten, the gods were still mighty indeed, and guarded themselves with great winged beasts against mortal machinations that would see them destroyed. Ages passed, wars were waged, and one by one the olds gods fell to mortal ingenuity and ambition. Those that remained hid themselves away in seclusion, growing incensed and ever more restless. Soon, they began to turn on one another, cursing, killing, and wreaking havoc on peers and disciples alike.

One god, however, known now only as the Maker, did not follow the dark path others of his kind had taken. Instead, he yet held hope that their children would return to them. Mistaken was he, when discovered that in their reckless ignorance and boundless greed, mortals had deigned to enter his realm and seat themselves on his throne and cast him aside. Those who had once feared and revered magic had harnessed it, and now were as dangerous as they were benighted.

In retaliation, ire sparked in the face of such depravity and thoughtlessness, the Maker cast the intruders from his home, cursing them with a scourge they would pass on to their loved ones and so on, until the whole of the world knew his wrath. The Maker turned his back on his children, leaving them to their demise as he withdrew from the physical realm to join his fellows in their isolation and let his curse, his Blight, blacken and scorch the earth.

This First Blight took its toll on all the living of Thedas, but was ultimately beaten back by the bravery and curious, secretive abilities of those called the Grey Wardens. Since, many Blights have ravaged the land, but never has there been one quite so powerful as this.

Has the Maker himself finally been corrupted by his own curse?