Wind ruffled the leaves that clothed the trees that covered the isle of Nazaroth as a new dawn's fingers began to creep over the horizon. It was nothing unusual as the Isle appeared to have a permanent morning breeze but these winds carried news of a change that only the stars had known of. This small island that had forever known peace was on the verge of being thrown into the turmoil of its darkest age.
Deep in the forest a young sprite crouched in a tree watching silently as slave traders hacked their way through the undergrowth hunting, she feared, for her village. As the hunters disappeared from the young sprite's line of sight she unfroze and watched as a green light filtered through the forest and the murdered plant life began to spring back. As she watched a light breeze ruffled her hair and the creatures of the wild began to breathe life back into her forest. The young sprite smirked those slave traders were not going to have fun the next time they attempted to hack a path through her forest.
The markets were bustling. They always seemed to be busiest in the late summer. A young Kappa strolled through the markets. There were millions of different scents here that they didn't have in her home under the sea. As she strolled through the city by the sea the young kappa couldn't help but smile at all the progress the people of this city had made towards integrating those from the sea into their lives. Taking a deep breath in the young kappa's receptors could perceive the sea's calls to her through a slight breeze, cheering the young kappa raced up the pier and leaped.
The young witch sat facing out her window towards the open sea. She had been free once but now she was nothing more than a commodity. Something men could exchange gold and other resources for to gain nothing more than a single hour of pleasure. She had a friend once, now her only friend was the cold, dark nights that granted her a few hours of freedom and reprieve from the hell that was her life. The young witch still remembered the days where she would race down the beach side-by-side with her best friend, the young kappa that would splash her with water at every opportune moment. She remembered the love she'd felt for her friend. The issue, however, was that she had no memory of her friend's face or their personality. As these thoughts span through her head a slight breeze fluttered through the open window she sat in front of playing gently with the lightweight silk robe that covered her otherwise naked body. As the robe settled down a knock at the door heralded the arrival of her next victim.
In the northern plains of Nazaroth a young Neko raced her siblings through the long grasses watching awestruck as bugs of all kinds went flying from their path. Although she appeared to be focused on the game her mind kept running back to the ceremony that would occur within the next few weeks. The ceremony that would send her headfirst into the world to discover who she truly was just as it had, not even 3 years before, sent her older brother tumbling into the world, the first of their family to do so but never the last. As he had turned to leave he had whispered just loud enough that she could hear his voice 'remember me, if you ever find yourself in a situation where you are in danger or something scares you from beyond this world. Just think of my courage or strength and it shall be yours to command'. With this simple statement he had strolled off into the sunset ready to take on all of reality. Soon it would be her turn to do the same.
Across dimensions in a darkened plane of existence there stood a citadel. Inside the city sprawl that the walls protected there sat a castle that appeared to have been carved out of the obsidian chunks that paved the environment that surrounded it. Inside the castle in the darkest room of all a twisted throne could just barely be envisioned. A soldier of simple beginnings paced through the double doors that took up most of the wall on the opposite side of the room and marched up the purplesque carpets that covered the floors in front of the throne. As the soldier kneeled down in front of the seemingly empty throne he placed his forefinger and thumb to the center of his forehead in a traditional salutary greeting. Having saluted the soldier remained kneeling as he extended the opposite arm revealing a scroll that had been thrust into their hands by a very excited monitor. From the darkness a green glow purged the darkness as the scroll was telekinetically removed from his hand the soldier flinched as he who lived in the darkness threw back his head and the king began to laugh.
In the great city of the plains the elder guardians of Nazaroth sat upon their seats eyeing the swirling emerald gateway that had faded into existence in front of them only a few minutes earlier. Each nodding they dipped their quills into the inkwells built into the thrones they had commissioned long ago and signed the letters that resided on the table in front of them. It was time for Nazaroth's new guardians to be found. Something dark had taken hold of their universe and was attempting to force its way onto their homeland. Nazaroth was entering its darkest age and its chances of survival were grim.
All across the island as families lived their lives in peace completely unaware of the fear the next months would hold and the lives that would be lost. The chilling breeze that had brought change to their island had dispersed and been replaced by a dark storm that occasionally flickered with bursts of lightning as the first drops of rain began to fall emerald gateways began to form in the dark depths of Nazaroth and creatures of the dark that had not been seen on the island in millenia began to emerge proceeding to take hold of the isle's core. In each city across the Isle a gateway appeared signaling the dawn of a new age. An age of war and fear. An age of light and dark. An age of death. A new beginning...
