Prologue
The foundation of the void began to crumble as splinters rippled the cosmic furry storm of the nothingness…wicked creatures licked the wounds in this voided universe of misery and terror. Once a powerful legion assembled, multidimensional beings of absolute power reined this realm. Descendants of the trio and their armies of unfathomable beasts and monsters of unspeakable nightmares ruled. There in the darkness deep in the void of these rapid wastelands of a multidimensional plane as the trio assembled their hierarchy known as 'The Court.' The smell of sulfur and ashes stretched across the barren existence of this kingdom, as bodies of the defiant servants scattered and a few were picked clean by either the birds of the realm or torn apart by hell space creatures of this extra-dimensional plane.
Dominion of this nothingness that of shadow and void is where the trio resided: Knight of Blades, Queen of Blades, and finally Jack of Blades. There millennia beyond the concept of time these powerful rulers reined with the Daemon creatures of the corrupted, along with the beasts under their rule in their fortress on the highest peak of the wastelands kingdom. However, these restless trios of rulers of power sought new power and strife. There a kindled human flesh servant arose from the depths of the chamber, a powerful obsidian blade forged in the blood forged of the obedient as the follower incanted a tale of title for the mysterious weapon known as 'The Sword of Aeons.' A weapon forged beyond the darkest mountains of the domain and sacrifice of the pitiful creatures to create the weapon of great power.
The blade radiated a bright and ominous aura as the ornated ancient weapon of unusual design. The pommel was golden-yellow, in the shape of a cone with a semi-circle attached to the base of the weapons points. Adorned with the courts' powerful artifacts a ribbon of fabric strung from the cloak of their design, with meticulous gold ordinations vertically crafted down the handle, as four separate prongs of Daemon beast fangs of titan fangs protrude resembling a slight star formation. Humanoid fleshed servant of garbs assured the weapon forged with the precious of ordained minerals of augmentation of immense power. Though the Queen of Blade stood farthest from the double-edged weapon, she could feel the pulsated energy-hungry weapon as the weapon was beyond precious metals and forged of malice power to finally pierce the veil beyond the prison of their void of nothingness.
As many humans would imply many solstices and ages drew as The Court trio tore through the scholar pages of the Ancient Lineage of Titan scrolls, before the Knight of Blades with the help of servants discovered hollow grounds of the void escape where corruption ran the most rapid, and energy consumed the darkest part of the nothingness. The red fern fields of sand and nothingness were a journey servants would invoke as a day's journey that bordered the tall peaks of the obsidian peaks of molted volcanic craters that overlooked the area in the distance.
The armies of the court stood ready, as their generals over the Daemon, Jack of Blades, and his loyal corruptors followed the trickster multidimensional god with the weapon drawn. Legion storms the barren scape of the dimensional plane as powerful archaic energy eruption casts ripple as the veil was breaking. "Just as the servants professed," she heard the Knight of Blades emit in bold proclamation as they hung back with the legion monster armies and Daemon creatures. The Queen of Blades watched as the beasts of the home tore through the earth in the valley's ravine of that plane that dips lowest. The pair of deities watched, as the stampede of Daemon corruptors charged into battle. The forces broke through the mysterious barrier, as the Knight of Blades and followed by the Queen of Blades followed suit and mounted their beasts. Electricity ignited the air as the usual hot air mixed with the gusted breeze from the opening of the other side as Jack of Blades and the first legion of nothingness verged into the unknown realm.
Reminisce of the fallen ancient kingdom in ruin, as their worlds night and under the smoldering ruins fell this primitive world, as the Queen of Blades joined the Knight and Jack of Blades into combat leading the legion of corrupted beasts into this landscape. The creatures emit Avo for protection and the woes of gods to save them, as the army lashes into the kingdom of stone structures and hillsides. Legion of Daemon and soldiers of the corrupted laid waste on the civilization, as colossal power, reined from the forecast as the Queen of Blades felt her power rein stronger. The pure energy of her magical abilities channeled as that connected energy from before erupted a string of crimson and blue lightning bolts as warriors dared approached the multidimensional being as their soldiers fell like toys to a small child. The pure exhaust of power erupted as the cool breeze passed through her blood-red tattered cloak and bone armor, as she dawned the mask of the Court as did her family into battle.
The polished painted mask adorned purple and red markings of the porcelain mask of great power. Queen of Blades knew the power of the masks, as they were the lineage from long ago from their captors that imprisoned them upon creation. The trio knew very little beyond the void; however, corruption and chaos reined their ambition as she charged into battle on the will of bloodlust and carnage. The attack of the siege legion of Daemon's army was too much and then the morning of the next day stood the three above the remains of the fallen and people scattered and crowded. The Court of Blades lavished the fear and innocents ripped from the kingdom of Albion to shreds. As the Queen of Blades stood alongside her Knight of Blades as well as Jack, their authority as the marvelous commander stood proud over the crowd as he hovered with the magical prowess of this plane granted and amplified their abilities. Jack of Blades hovered above the crowd standing like gods among insects as he demanded the citizen's bow before their new rulers.
However, as the people huddled together there were brave souls that stood from the defeat of battle and bloodied, who refused their proclamation to bow to the Court of Blades. The Court of Blades lavished the disobedient playthings, as their own fleshlings obeyed without question, so these mortals were interesting to the Queen. However, they appeared to have a different strife than their own playthings, she grimaced but with a coy smile watched her family rein havoc. The Queen of Blades watched as the Knight of Blades with their combined power summoned the chaotic world vortex of their nothingness, and began to burn their world of Albion.
They're burning in an inferno was Albion, as the fires swept across the kingdom's planes and beyond the borders of this domain, as their earth turned black and skies filled with smog. The heat of the magical prowess began to bend the foliage and nature around them as structures crumbled under the heated blast of willpower of their might. The Queen of Blades smiled as she joined her comrades in their destructive crusade, ordering the people of this kingdom to submit once more. However, when the people clung to false hope and refused once more, they summoned the powers of the elements as the skies poured water from the heavens and carried the tides beyond the far reaches as the creatures were swept away as the kingdom was flooded and submerged. However, as time progressed and approached the remaining people of the ongoing battle, they demanded a third time for allegiance and obedience in exchange would offer them peace under their rule. The creatures refused, and so with it made the Queen of Blades foster a new anger of these whelps and the might of the court began to sweep a deadly curse upon the lands, festering their minds twisted and driving them mad, as it was that moment like docile creatures for mercy bowed before the court of Blades.
A new sickness of darkness blanketed the lands as time marched forward and those who did survive the hardships of the inflicted mental curse by the Queen of Blades, then were forced to gnash their teeth and slay in madness. Brothers slew upon brothers, parents abandoned their own kin as allies turned to enemies. As pestilence and plagues scared the once peaceful world as the villages of people dwindled and war casted hatred, Albion grew more troubled. As the people succumb to the Court of Blades, upon their allegiance to the Blade of Courts, their new overseers the descendants erected kingdoms and monuments to the three rulers and built cities in their honor. Eons stretched as the world began to be shaped to a new outlook.
Centuries onward, as the kingdom of humans either still influenced by the maddened influence of the curse of the Queen of Blades, or out of fear of the Court itself a divine shift of power began to take root. Followers and subjects to the Court obeyed their rulers. As the early winter harvest devastated the fields of the remaining kingdoms, workers toiled lands in vain as a pair of children was born under the wane of the moon. Snow lay on the landscape and hills as the night sky creatures of the Daemon and armies lit up the night sky like the stars, as the new kingdom built on the servants of the maddened kingdom built a new empire for the Court of Blades.
The more time under their oppressors the people of ancient Albion realized the Blade of Courts their bodies never aged, the people of Albion feared their ruler's immortal beasts as a prayer by the Avo God himself granted a seed of hope in the small cry of a pair of twins. William the oldest, and his little sister, Willa Black born to a pair of farmers, their mother died during labor as they were left in the care of their father a simple blacksmith in this cruel chaotic world. As time progressed and Avo's blessing accrued to them a great power began to envelop them and over time began to hone their gifts of power. Just as the seasons of Albion changed and inspired in its place hope, the pair of heroes emerged both William and his sister Willa Black.
The feats of greatness as many were mesmerized by the powers of their mind, which they enacted together to protect their village. The siblings harbored great skill of feats that couldn't be imagined by regular mortals, nor equal the power. Those archaic rituals and abilities dubbed by the court as 'Powers of Will' were outlawed and banned by the Court of Blades. Feats and admirable prowess spread the duo's abilities, as the pair with the help of friends conspired to find a way to overthrow their tyranny. As fate would have it as Avo gifted the blessing onto their laps, Willa informed her older brother of the discovery. A tomb beyond the village, and in it an artifact dates from their pre-kingdom that may be of use, as the pair rode and ventured beyond the war lands of the Daemon and corrupted animalistic beats both siblings arrived at the tomb. A fallen prior dated ruler before the Era of Madness, as Willa and William Black charted a course into the tomb to retrieve the artifact.
Stories say the pair traveled deep underground in the endless mazes. As the pair faced Avo's greatest test that the world could throw at the pair, however with the combined efforts and determination Willa and William Black arrived at the modest chamber deeper underground. There a mysterious structure and tome stood as the older villager historian uncovered to be true. As the pair levied excitement and camped for the night beyond a few feet of the stone structures with molded markings beyond their comprehension, Willa and William sat collecting their thoughts. Siblings make a pact with a few friends and promise to stay safe upon their journey, however, the gates erupted and the pair found themselves transported into the Void of nothingness. The pair unknowing in the belly of the beast of the Jack of Blades studies of collective knowledge in the open room of books and trophies.
Willa and William were perplexed about how they arrived at the unusual place as the air was thick with the stench of decay and smoke. The pair of siblings and heroes stood ready as the sigils on the floor seemed aged and covered with a finite powder. Unknowingly, both Willa and William respectively stood in awe struck by the volumes of books piled high as the ceiling, as the scholar treasure trove was a trap laid by the Jack of Blades who heard of the pair of twins who caused trouble for the court and hear the two were now in his chambers beyond their world. Confronted by the villain wielding a sword both heroes of the blacksmith stood fast. Their bodies still toiled with the tiredness of their prior ordeals, but the people of Albion, they had to fight to save their world and drive the invaders away.
Seemingly beyond the void of time of Albion, eons of fighting stretched as the Black siblings Willa and William fought the Blade of Cults general, with the magical prowess of nearly unstoppable power. However, as the pair relied on the other each twin pushed their limits in fighting the tyrant. The multidimensional being seemingly unmatchable, but weakening thrashed by the twin's power and command anchored their might stronger magical abilities. Finally, as William Black forged the final strength he snatched the Great Sword of Aeons as the pair escaped back to the dungeon. The weakened maddened Jack of Blades swearing vengeance, tried to hold the veil open and turncoat their minds to his will, but fell short as the portal ceased connection and both siblings returned to Albion before passing out on the dungeon floor. Though the spell was unaffected by turning their minds maddened like the prior predecessors, it was the slow poison of corruption that began to plant a seed in each of the twins' minds. Long and tired from battle, Willa and William eventually returned to their blacksmith father as a short time passed as he aged ten years, unlike a day on them had occurred as he feared them had long gone was relieved to see his kin return home.
That night as Willa Black and the rest of the family nestled into their beds, it was William who remained awake. His mind pulsating and drawn to the sword he snatched in Jack of Blades's chamber. As the older twin feared retribution or his family being the next tyrant raid to the Cult of Blades, William Black under the moonlight observed the blade glow. The reflection of moonlight as a young adult William Black blinked at the weapon, he felt a connection to the nightmarish relic. As William heard stories for villagers about the same weapon that pierced the veil of their world to the Void and here he stood inches from it. That night as the moon rose high above he made a connection touching the hilt of the blade, it spoke. Through not words of regular speech, but mental connection like a link to his mind as the feat astounded the young man. The sword introduced itself as the Sword of Aeons, and it bargained a deal to harbor a deal. Rid the land of the Blade of Cults and remove the courts itself – but only if William set out to journey alone and offered his soul in retribution payment for payment. Though deep down his twin sister rested, as the sword enlightened him of the dangers and sickness that travelers succumb to during the netherworld the older twin had to set out as the sword said and alone defeat the Court of Blades.
The young man scaled the height of the Ruon cliffs, which were the highest cliffs of Albion as his people inscribed. Thereupon the mountain top, the sword of Aeons trained the young man how to hone his gifts. Many days and nights passed as William finally challenged the Court of Blades to combat. Summoned by the vortex of the netherworld blade Knight of Blades appeared first. With the assistance of the blades lending power, William Black was able to defeat the Blade of Courts easily. As the rift lingered out and great power shredded, it summoned a ghastly bellow and agonizing pain as both Jack and Queen of Blades appeared from the void. The heartache of the multidimensional beings' destruction sent the pair into a frenzy. For weeks upon weeks, the trio battled upon the throat of the Albion, as their powers clashed and war sieges the lands. The elements pressed as skies filled with lightning and fostered a red, as the Jack of Blades and Queen of Blades faced William and in their combat raised and lowered mountains and raised valleys as eruptions swept across the lands of Albion. At last, as all hopes seemed lost and the battle waged onward opening created William Black summoned the last of the energy to fiercely strike the remaining Blade of Court members, as he slew the final strike on Jack of Blades and summoned power to knock back all the remaining members of the Blade of Courts back as the eruption of the power of William Black caused a shift in Albion and the void as tides turned and in its wake phased a powerful mightily magical strike from the blade to phase the Jack of Blades and Queen of Blades to rupture. Breaking their forms and physical bodies, they began to dematerialize as the remaining court members fled into the void to fight another day. William Black had defeated both Jack and Queen of Blades, and as their reign ended now allowed William to become the ruler of Albion as the Archon.
Once the last pair of Blades Court members were banished to the void once more. The sword of Aeons then departed to the void with its creators. The deal was struck and the sentient magical weapon collected the bargain to cease the violators from Albion, William Black felt the singe of pain as the vortex to the nothing ceased, only leaving the snowy hilltops overlooking the landscape of Albion's continent. Eventually, the Archon descended from the Ruon cliffs, as William Black was greeted by his loyalist friends and his younger twin sister greeted the battered hero at the bottom of the mountains. The accomplishment of the Albion world's savior dubbed the magical prowess of William Black to be dubbed as the next ruler to the broken kingdom for freeing them of the Blade of Courts.
As the short prosperity allowed growth in the new kingdom. As William and his younger sister Willa Black spread the teaching of the power of will, and how to harness magic. Together, the leadership of William granted a sense of calm and peace, however as the years progressed the toll on his body began to surface as the rule of Albion became more pronounced of a wasting illness from the great battle during their time in and between the void and as well as the damage from the Blade of Courts.
Taking the place of her older brother, Willa Black reined for a prosperous time, as she married and had children and eventually had grandchildren, as something changed in the woman during her reign. The seed from the first battle with Jack of Blades planted darkness from the void. The newly erected queen was entrusted with a new vision, unknown to William Black. As the seed of the Void of Nothingness had granted the ruler the future. As her older brother's afflictions grew worse, he left his duties to the kingdom of the Albion. Removing himself, he left his heirs, and eventually civil war broke out between the Black Royal family court in the ongoing years in the senior years of the Queen Archon ruling hand, as those who would rule and over time slowly decayed the Archons when the construction of the Spire ceased all that was left of the good kingdom and like the Court of Blades erected a new weapon to stop any foreigner invaders from ever from crossing the threshold of their world.
Kingdoms divided and civil wars ceased after long decades of conquest, granting a new era of peace and commerce. As the hand of the Void and vortex influence of the remaining beasts had combed the lands of both Albion and its Northern Wastes. Exhibitions were launched as the hired hands were becoming no match for the beasts that cursed the lands. The second Archon had a steep quest before her, as her brother's heirs set their own kingdoms beyond Albion as her children ruled these lands, as prospered of peace was eventually established. The Daemon's influence was still felt as temples and followers in secret reined and temples established, as the ruler did her best to eradicate the influence she felt the grasp of skorm that was slowly gripping the neck of Albion and its allies beyond these walls.
Multiple visions had coiled in the Archons' mindset as she was tormented by the dark futures, as a vision of a great structure in design to stop the eventual comings of the Void. As the ruler's eventual discovery of her older brother's dairy, noted the bond of the Deviled swords bargain and the reason for his departure. In the last days of the second ruler, she enacted a workforce to build a structure she analyzed as a spire from her visions. As the madness seeds finally sprouted and gripped her body, the long-term damage of her battle during her short time in the Void of nothingness prolonged a new sickness. Similar to the madness, before her time as her father told in stories she was confined to her chambers for the remainder of her final days.
They spoke on the last night of Archon's rule; she was surrounded by her family as the madness of the world's touch had crippled the woman's strength and blinded her by the Void's sickness. The black-rooted veins on her clammy skin as the sickness put a strain on her lungs as breathing was rasped. Her children and their heirs sat with the queen on the late solstice of the ending of harvest as Willa Black longed to see her brother, who even as the final flashes of Albion's future foretold great devastation, it was the former Archon that never surfaced as his younger twin sister and former ruler of Albion ceased and fell from the new changed world as her last wish was to promise to build it. Ushering their mother's request the children who ruled the kingdom assured her wish would be granted. Many tears and many hearts were moved as the Queen Archon's rule ceased and the funeral of the kingdom was erected. The world of Albion had changed tremendously as the kingdom grew as the ruler was buried in the royal garden as her father, stepmother, and half-siblings had many seasons ago as she joined the afterlife…