The war to end all wars has come at last to the world of the City of Kings. Time ends, the Membin stone rises and every race and people must fight for their survival. Chaos runs rampant under the new sun and our heroes now face their greatest challenge yet, the Warlord Reptos who once ruled the whole world and slew Gods and Primordials alike.
Scene 1: Death is on the cards!
They meet in the ruins of an ancient keep clinging to an outcropping of rock attached to the land by a thin stone bridge. It was built by Reptos himself thousands of years ago when humans first came to this world and the heads of those he has slain are spiked to the walls. It is fitting that he meets his fate here.
Our three heroes are outnumbered. Reptos is aided by his Herald (and also Artemis’s mother), his consort Vinga goddess of revenge and his Taken, powerful magi raised from the dead to serve him. Reptos offers the group a choice, kneel before him and accept his dominion or face him and the terrible blade he wields, a weapon capable of permanently slaying immortals.
The group decline, they have their own destinies to fulfil. Vinga acts first and, mounted on a vicious nightmare, she is able to strike and dance away. The Taken also bring their powers to bear, unleashing hellfire to engulf the group. Emerging from the flames Morn moves to engage Reptos. The two exchange blows Morns shield deflecting the blade while Azhanti takes to the air to destroy the Taken.
Left free to move Artemis puts his deadly skills to use, skills honed in the blood of many gods. He sends bolt after bolt striking into the Warlord with unerring accuracy. Reptos cannot withstand the barrage and collapses to one knee. He bellows to the sky and the sky answers. His skin splits, horns sprout from his head as he assumes his full Primordial aspect.
He transforms Azhanti into stone and turning with terrible ferocity he strikes down Morn and his blade rips our heroes soul from his body, trapping it within the blade.
Blackness descends on the hero of mankind as he falls. His soul screams in pain and darkness descends. As he opens his eyes he finds himself chained to a huge wheeled altar. All around him are the souls of those taken by the blade, dragging behind them the altar and the bloated demon from which the blade was forged. Swelling with strength Morn shatters the chains holding him and rallies the souls of the damned. He descends on the demon of the blade, his eyes flash blue as he roars at the beast, shredding its form and banishing it back to chaos.
Back in the keep Morn reforms and the blade goes silent. Azhanti shatters the stone holding him and Artemis leads Vinga on a fruitless dance. Reptos rises up to his full height, even without his blade he remains a serious threat, but Morn holds him at bay, just. His end finally comes at the business end of the Hammer of Morn (and a critical hit with Lion of Battle).
Scene 2: Destiny
Their last foe slain the way is open for our heroes to meet their destiny.
They quickly travel to the Membin stone, a pillar of white rock veined with golden runes a mile high and risen out of the ocean. There they are met by Utu Kamla, the first archmage and guardian of the stone. The group recognise him, he was the master of the Library of the Ages, the crazy Shaman Udun and others from their past. He welcomes them and explains that what they create today will persist forever, this will be the last cycle of this world.
But first they must face their final adversary, alone.
As the stone cracks open the light of creation spills forth and each finds themselves elsewhere.
Morn stands in a shieldwall holding the gate to Frostholm while also finding himself on a broken northern plateau, covered in snow and the bodies of fallen giants, demons and elementals. Before him is the crack in the skydome, a breach to chaos where the last of the giant warriors protects the world. Beyond the breach The Beast can be seen emerging from the mists of Chaos. The giant struggles to rise but he is spent. Taking his place Morn bellows his defiance at his nemesis. It roars in answer and surges forward tearing open the rift. Beast and man clash but there can be only one outcome. Morn has prepared for this confrontation for years, his tattoo’s flare and the Hammer brings The Beast low. Morn seals the rift but pays a price in doing so, he will not know peace for he will be called upon again.
Azhanti finds himself stood on the battlements of his capital, legionnaires manning the walls but also stood on a mountain track as a young novice just recently called to service. Above him sits the Temple of Vulcan and within he can sense the presence of the Primordial. Entering the Temple Vulcan welcomes him, Azhanti is to become his new vessel, to complete his resurrection. Azhanti disagrees, the old ways are over. Vulcan binds him within a tornado and begins to tear the flesh from his body but Azhanti shatters it with ease. Taking to the sky the two of them contend, thunder and lightning roll and Azhanti, in dragon shape, hurls Vulcan from the sky to crash into his temple.
Artemis finds himself in the Shrouded Oasis holding off K’Shatta the renegade High Priestess of Ashura and her skeletal legions but also stood on a beach below the City of Kings. Humanity fills the city and the sounds of celebration drift down to him. The sea is flat and dark and as Artemis watches the water begins to bubble and froth. Mael, the last of the Primoridals emerges from the surf striding onto the beach. He comes for revenge against the man who slew his siblings but also to shape the next world, he plans to wash away all life and begin again. Mael surges forward crashing into Artemis and trying to drown him. Artemis slips away through the aether but Mael is there as well and catches him a solid blow. Artemis crashes to the ground but as he does so he rolls bringing his bow up and sending a stream of fiery bolts against Mael. Each strikes with greater force than the last and Mael is swiftly reduced to a fine mist which slowly fades away (thats a combination of Manticores Volley and action point into Five Missile Dance with every attack hitting taking him out in 1 round).
Scene 3: Creation
Our three heroes each victorious over their adversary find themselves returned to the stone. They are filled with the light of creation and must determine the shape and form of the next version of reality. They decide on a world shaped much as this one, but a gentler and a greener world. It will also be a world free from the influence of gods and demons. The people of the world will be left to make their own decisions, their successes and mistakes their own. The Primordials are banished and their divine children forbidden from direct interference.
Our heroes stand as the Guardians of that Compact. Morn travels the earth as an itinerant warrior, Azhanti guards the borders with chaos in draconic form and Artemis stands in the Underworld save when he slips away to wander the roots and branches of the world tree.
At this point I gave each player the chance to set three facts of the new world.
Morn reforged the prison of man and charged its jailor to establish a force of warriors dedicated to defend humanity; he redeemed Danku Sinesh the doomed man who died at peace and he made slavery a taboo throughout the world.
Artemis returned the lush forests of the Kireshi destroyed by Reptos long ago; he resurrected Akaran Trakar, the tiefling noble he slew in the early days and he established civilisation in the new world with monsters pushed to its edges (very much like Birthright, there are few monsters but they are very dangerous).
Azhanti broke the former Emeprors intermingling of the clans and scattered his people across the world in their respective clans; he restored the Kireshi from the Underworld and he reached back in time elevating his former Clan leaders as his draconic exarchs.
Naturally the Universe also has a hand in things and sometimes it preserves things which might better be left to die. I added the following.
The dwarves were saved, preserved by ancient giant devices. Within their society grows a new Cult, the former cultists of Morn who accepted the curse of flesh to follow him but who he then abandoned. The Cult seeks to build a machine to imprison all Gods and rid the world of their influence forever.
The Tieflings also survive into the new world but there can be no peace between them and the dragonborn. The hatred held by the last Emperor of Arkhosia will ensure that these two races can never live in peace.
Finally a dark shape slithered its way into the new world, a darkness which has lurked within the City of Kings for millennia. It is old and patient and now that both gods and primordials are banished it sees its chance. Hu’Maa, vampire lord and former High Priest of Sopias will fill the night with fangs.
With that the curtain falls and our story ends. As the credits begin to roll each character received an epilogue.
Artemis stands on the roots on the world tree with his sacred band of Pashtun warriors fighting an enormous serpent. He is an Odysseus like figure fighting the monsters that would threaten his world but always burdened by the weight of the Key to the Gates of Hell which pulls him back to his underworld throne.
Azhanti sails through the winds of chaos. Behind him spreads a flight of dragons and before him are cracks in the walls of the Universe. He is called to defend that which he has made.
Morn watches a new Champion rise in the gladiatorial arena of the City of Kings, a contest of free men not slaves. The Champion roars a challenge at the crowd and Morn turns to the camera, “one more time” he says as he leaps down...
THE END
*directors special edition post credit cut scene*
Utu Kamla, the first and the last Archmage steps up to the gates of the Library of Ages which swing open at his approach. Crossing to the control panel he smiles, “Hello old friend, I think it’s time for a new adventure, something perhaps in the far future.” With a strange whirring noise and a flash of blue light the Library vanishes.
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