Chapter 1

Kai the Black sat cross-legged in his small room in the Terthius Mage Guild building. His eyes were tightly shut and he murmured ancient chants as he continued the meditation. He felt the energy that fueled the wizard's spells flow through him like water through a river. He toyed with it for several moments, letting it build and ebb in his mind.

At the height of meditation the energy waves ceased and were replaced with a lance of pain. Kai's eyes shot open as horrible images of slaughter and destruction flooded his mind. He saw wizards and paladins fight horrible monstrosities as innocents were brutally slaughtered. As the images became more terrible, a single person became crystal clear.

A man sat on a throne of bone and blood clutching a staff. His body was covered in armor that pulsed of evil and his eyes glowed blood red in sunken sockets. Around him stood the bloody corpses of the slain fighters and mages Kai had seen earlier.

Kai awoke from the trance with a name on his lips. "Kaine," the name dripped with vileness and evil. He repeated it again and the image of the man's glowing eyes appeared in his mind. He drew in an unsteady breath and exhaled.

Something horrible had happened. The pain and torment were so horrible that they had traveled through the Mana channels and been received by Kai. He took two deep breaths and collected his thoughts. The council would know of whatever had happened by now. He had to get to the main council chamber and ask for guidance.

With that, Kai stood up and threw on a black robe lined with silver over the enchanted Leather of Spirits he wore. He went to the corner of the small room and took his prized possession in hand. The Staff of Spirits was a rod of pure energy topped with a small spike that allowed spiritual energy to enter and leave.

He clutched the staff tightly feeling the warmth as energy flowed from within it to Kai. He felt the energy grow ever greater as he chanted and ancient spell to boost his strength. Tiny red globes of energy began to form around Kai swirling inward. At the end of the chant, the globes stopped and condensed into Kai's midsection.

Energized, Kai left his room and began to walk hastily through the Mage Guild. Apprentices as Masters strode down the corridors chanting spells and focusing their magical energy. Kai remembered fondly his time as an apprentice. His master had been one of the greatest Warlocks of the time...until he had been brutally killed by evil mages in a newly unlocked dungeon. The particular dungeon had been given the name Death after even the greatest mages and fighters had died trying to explore its evil depths.

But that was the past. More powerful mages had been trained and peace had ruled the lands. Until now, Kai thought as he entered the Hall of Ages. The great center of the guild had been created long before the first mage guilds organized by mysterious forces in the Unknown Times. The massive hall of spires and ancient tapestries had seen more history then even the most complete libraries had recorded.

At the front of the hall on a raised platform was the Council's Realm. 15 wooden chairs encompassed a round table. Each chair had the markings of a high Wizard or Warlock of the Council. At the point furthest from where Kai stood was an extremely lavish chair reserved for the most powerful mage in the land--Corsix. Their respective owner filled every chair except Corsix's. A muffled buzz filled the air and was laced with tension.

"Order!!" One of the oldest Wizards cried out over the buzz. "We must find order in ourselves before we can deal with this crisis." The hall grew quiet and all eyes turned to the haggard old wizard. "Will the High Mage of Semel please rise?"

A gray cloaked man stood from among the other high Mages. His eyes were weary and drained of life and the energy radiating from him lacked and enthusiasm. The face of the man contorted into pain as he began to speak in a solemn voice.

"I left Semel a week ago for the Guild's monthly meeting..." he let out a long sigh, "I now regret following the order. Last night my precious town was destroyed. Few escaped the slaughter and those that have have since killed themselves or died. It appears an evil force of unparalleled power emerged from a single stranger who entered town.

"The stranger was said to have worn armor that radiated evil and eyes that pierced souls. Witnesses say that he had managed to turn the town square into a pool of blood and then summoned an army of the undead. The town was destroyed."

The wizard slumped to his seat and seemed to vanish for a second. His energy was fading and soon he'd completely vanish. Whatever had destroyed Semel had taken away much of the old Wizard's energy reserves.

Another member of the council stood. She appeared young and radiated pure beauty, however Kai knew the High Mage of Iterum was one of the oldest members of the council. Her powers of visual manipulation were unparalleled in all the lands and easily fooled all but the most keen of minds. She cleared her throat and began to speak in a heavenly voice.

"The town of Iterum appears next on the target list for whoever is behind Semel's destruction. An energy sphere surrounds the lands around Semel right up to half way through the Iterum River. Beyond the edge of the bubble the land appears barren and sterile. The sky above where Semel was appears dark but lit by a 'hellish' glow.

"We are uncertain what will happen if the bubble begins to expand into Iterum or what will follow it. For the most part Iterum has been abandoned, however, many citizens have stayed behind and taken up arms against the possible invasion. Unfortunately, the citizens are poorly trained and will stand no chance against whatever destroyed Semel."

"The Divine Order has already dispatched a team of their best Clerics and Paladins to support the civilian militia," a Warlock on the opposite side of the Council table began. "They have requested immediate help from our guild and from Corsix. So far no word has been heard from Corsix's castle."

Another aging Wizard cleared his throat and rasped away, "Fighters and the like in the town of Iterum and outlying areas have already offered their services. Their asking price is so high though, that it is impossible for anyone in Iterum to pay."

The Council grew quiet and Kai saw his chance. He approached the table and began to speak, "Council with all due respect, I believe i know who is behind the atrocities committed at Semel."

"Please inform us then Kai the Black."

"This morning during meditation I felt a powerful wave of energy wash over me. With it came horrible visions of Semel's destruction. Once the visions ended a single figure engulfed my mind's eye. I believe his name is...Kaine."

An eerie quiet descended upon the whole hall. Not a sound was made or a breath taken for a long moment. Suddenly, a roar of urgent whispers swept down from the Council table. People talked of immediate death, destruction, submitting, and the like.

The High Mage of Aridus, a young Scallion, stood and smashed his clawed hand on the table. "ORDER!!" He hissed angrily. "Kai are you certain that thiss evil iss Kaine."

Kai bowed his head slightly and then asked a pressing question, "Who is Kaine."

The High Mage of Aridus sat down and was replaced by the much older Mage of Terthius. He cleared his throat then began to speak as if he were a teacher lecturing a class, "After the Third Animus War some 200 years ago, a young Cleric named Kaine the Merciful set out on a mission to help aide those harmed be the horrible war. He traveled the lands healing the sick and wounded. His miracles were well known and the common man looked him up to.

"After two decades of healing and traveling, a question appeared in his mind. No matter how hard he tried Kaine was unable to end one of the most fundamental things of life--Death. He became obsessed with trying to find a way to defeat the inevitable. Kaine scoured every library and university, asked every Philosopher and every old Mage. Death it seemed could not, no matter the will or power, be stopped."

The old man stopped and sighed deeply. "Depressed, Kaine disappeared into the deep woods to meditate. After many a long year, Kaine's name and existence became clouded in myth and legend. Then he emerged. He had found his solution to Death. The only way to end Death was to end Life.

"Kaine had changed dramatically. He had taken up the forbidden arts of Necromancy and had crafted the ultimate weapon. The Staff of the Fallen is the most vile and powerful weapon ever created. A skilled enough person could use it to raise the Final Army of the Undead."

The Mage swallowed hard and pressed on, "Fortunately, Kaine wasn't skilled enough. His small army of the undead was decimated by the Divine Order and he was banished to the Underworld."

Another High Mage stood up and spoke in a very dreary voice; "it has long been prophesized that Kaine would return to end Death once and for all. The worst part is that the prophecies predicted that Kaine's Staff of the Fallen would grant him unlimited control over the Nexus, the realm of Death. If this is true, then with the Staff in his possession, Kaine could become more powerful then Corsix could ever become."

Another charged whisper ripped through the hall. Kai felt a knot growing in his stomach. For years it had been taught that no one could possibly be more powerful then Corsix and the Sun Staff. If the prophecies were true, then Corsix and every other mage and fighter in the realm would be overwhelmed and destroyed. The thought was unbearable.

Another High Mage stood, "My fellow Wizards and Warlocks, the situation could not possibly and graver. Death awaits all who could possibly challenge Kaine. However, we must try to stop his plan's success. Kai, you seem to be linked to Kaine since none of us felt a similar energy wave; we are dispatching you to Iterum to lead a group of others to Semel. You will learn as much as you can about Kaine and his plans then report back here."

The Wizard chanted a spell to create a magic portal. The portal appeared in a cloud of colored energy and swirling lights. "May you find success on your mission, friend."

Kai hesitantly stepped forward into the portal and toward his destiny.